Taken by Control (Mircaualus Soulmate AU)

Trouble Deep

The honeymoon had been amazing. The two couples stayed at separate resorts but still did stuff together. However, unfortunately for Adrien, the last day of their honeymoon got called to head to a business seminar in his father's place and he would not even be joining Mari on the flight home. He would be gone for two weeks. 

So Mari stood in the door of her new house, without her husband. She could have felt sad and lonely but rather she saw her challenge. She was going to take her evenings and unpack her house for her husband. She started in the basement which had been turned into her and Adrien's master bedroom. She hung their clothes in their closets and added some photos and decor that they had bought or given for their wedding. she worked her way upstairs, unpacking the living room. One of Mari's favourite things to unpack was these cute picture frame bookends. She and Adrien had picked out photos from their relationship and their childhood friendship to decorate their bookshelf. 

Even though Adrien had learned to cook the kitchen was still Mari's domain. She had so much fun laying it out. She had been blasting music when Adrien called her. She answered and turned on her video to give Adrien a tour. "Hey, babe! How's the seminar?" 

"Lame! I would way rather be unpacking with you! How is it going anyway?" 

"You wanna see the living room and kitchen?" 

"Please! But keep the bedroom a secret." Mari giggled and flipped her camera. 

"The bookshelves look amazing! It's my favourite part!" He showed him all the pictures. "Look here the one from that first photoshoot we did. With the photo that matches on the other side." 

"I love that you have both wedding pictures on the same shelves." Adrien laughed. "Oh! I should be home in three days. The seminar is ending early." 

"Wonderful! I'll have the hose unpacked by then. Really all I have left is to set up the three rooms. The guest bedroom is in one room, and the other two are set up for our home offices right now correct? Like that is what we wanted?"

"Yep! For now anyway." He smiled. 

"Perfect. I'll leave your office alone for now. You can set up your own workspace. But I have an early morning at the office tomorrow. So I should go to sleep." 

"You should, can't have my lady falling asleep at work." He winked. "Love you." He blew her a kiss and hung up. 

She smiled to herself and went to bed. 

Her day had been so long that she didn't unpack the next day. So the following day she did the guest bedroom. While she waiting for Adrien to come home the next day she did up her office. This would be where she would focus on MyLady Fashion and still take calls as Adrien's assistant. As she went through the small number of boxes she had for her office, she found one she didn't recognize.

Chat's Stuff

"This isn't my box? At least I don't think it is..." Had she put stuff from Chat in a box and forgotten about it? As she opened it, she quickly backed away. "What..." She found the bell, a mask, some cat ears, coloured contacts? "Wait... No... It can't be" She took the now open box and set it in the center of the living room. And waited. 

Adrien walked in smiling. "Hello my lovely wife" 

"What is this." Mari didn't get up from her seat.

"What no hug or kiss?" He teased, thinking she was making a joke. 

"What is it." She points to the box again. 

"Fine Love I'll play along." He got down on his knees and looked in the box. He froze. 

"That. That tells me all I need to know. " She shot off to the guest room locking the door behind her. 

"Marinette!" Adrien got to the door just in time to hear it lock. "Please, just let me talk." 

"You where Chat the whole time!" She yelled through the door. 

"Will you let me explain." He begged. "Please just open the door and listen then I'll leave you alone." 

He heard Mari sigh and opened the door. "No. You're going to listen and let me be mad and then tomorrow I will hear your explanation." If looks could kill, he would be a dead man. "You where Chat! You were the player of Pairs and Pairs golden boy at the same time! Here I thought you were the boy who was saving everything for his soulmate. Following in his family tradition! But no he created a secret life so he could have all fun he wanted! All while lying to his friends and family!  Nino, Alya and I actually felt bad for you that you couldn't date with us! All the while you were just using your gift to get girls! And sure I knew you were manipulating me but I didn't think you'd try scaring me into loving you! You saw how panicked Chat made me. You used him to rush yours and your father's plans!" 

"But I changed!" Adrien cried in desperation. 

"Adrien That's not the point! I know that you changed and become a better person. And I love that person, but, this is just a hard pill to swallow. You told me you couldn't promise Chat would stay away. Had you ever planned on getting rid of him?" Her hands gripping on the door frame. 

Adrien opened his mouth to talk but he was cut off. "Adrien I gave up everything for you. I loved Luka with all I had, I was willing to give up my soulmate for him. I had plans of becoming my own fashion brand, but instead, I joined you in your father's puppet show. Unwillingly with zero choices in the matter." 

She sighed and lowered her self to the floor. Adrien sat across from her feeling like beside would not end well for him. "Look Adrien I understand better than you realize, that you needed an escape from your controlled life. I just wish that you hadn't been so locked in your father's control. That we could have used our secret lives together to have some freedom from your father's master plans. But that is not the case. So right now I am trying to sort through a mess of emotions. So please understand. It's not that I'm angry or no longer love you, I just need to think through all my feelings." Mari looked at him, tears in her eyes. Begging him to understand. 

Of course, he understood. He could read her like a book. She was broken, scared and worried. As much as she loved him, she'd always wondered if Chat would come back. And here she learned that Chat was standing in front of her the whole time. "Just let me say this one thing, then I'll go sleep on the couch. Cuz I'm not gonna sleep in our bed without you. I had that secret room destroyed on our honeymoon. I never planned on using Chat again. I promise." With that, he got up and left. 

He heard the door of the guest room shut, much softer this time. "Oh no. How I am going to fix this?" His head in his hands, tears in his eyes. She loved him and he loved her, but could he ever give her the freedom she deserved? 

Not until he fought for his.