Guuuuuyyyssss! I hope that you're all doing okay?! It sure has been a horrible year so far, hasn't it? So far, I'm still surviving, and I am sorry for the five month delay, but yeah, a global pandemic kinda happened, and since I work in the health industry, I was classed as an essential worker. Since many of my colleagues were dropping like flies due to the virus, and I was one of the few well enough to work, it left me super busy. No clue how I never caught it given the close proximity I was in to people who may have had it or had been with people who had it. Touch wood, I remain healthy and well, and I hope that you guys have remained healthy and well too. It's been hell.

With most staff recovering and coming back to work now, hopefully things will now be calming down a bit. Thank you so much to everyone who sent me well wishes and who have been putting up with my rants and crazy anecdotes on my blog. It's not just the virus I've been having to put up with, lol. Maybe I'll get this story finished sometime during this century. But rest assured that I will never give up on it and I fully intend on finishing it.

Also, holy smokes! 100 reviews on that last chapter?! You guys never fail to blow me away with your awesomeness! I still can't believe just how many of you are enjoying this story! And even if you've had issues with it, thank you so much to those who have also left constructive criticism. You've been a huge help! But anyway, enough of me ranting, let's finally get on with the next chapter.

Chapter 39: Fiery Passion

Heat continued to fill Marinette's face from top to bottom as she slowly made her way back home. What had started off as a rushed attempt to get back and see Chat Noir again had devolved into a nervous, more apprehensive pace. Adrien's teasing words continued to ring through her head, and her stomach did anxious flips in her abdomen. The more Marinette thought about it, the more her face burned. And the more she thought about her face burning, her skin just grew hotter and hotter, to a point where not even the cool autumn breeze could cool it down.

She'd never really had Adrien down as the teasing type. There was something about him in that moment that had almost reminded her of Chat Noir, and that just made things all the more worse for her. Why did Adrien have to point all that stuff out? Now Marinette was feeling even more insecure and self-conscious. How was she going to explain her weird behaviour to Chat Noir?

Her heart suddenly felt like it was being squeezed in a vice at the thought of Chat finding out about her feelings. After all, there was no way that he could possibly return them. Sure, he cared about her, and Marinette cherished their once again developing friendship, but there was no way nothing could ever come of her feelings for him.

For starters, she was nothing more than a pathetic, cowardly liar.

Marinette quickly shook her head to dispel those thoughts, wrapping her arms around herself as she stared down at her feet walking along the patterned brick ground. She walked along the line of the shade, half her body illuminated by the setting sun, while the other half was slumped in the shadow of night. Half warm, half cold.

Ignoring her more obvious faults, there was also the fact that Chat Noir was still technically a criminal. He had done a lot of bad things, and despite the fact that Marinette was slowly finding out that there was a lot more going on than she initial thought, could she ever fully forgive him for everything that he had done? He had hurt people. Had he truly put all of that behind him? Was he truly changing for the better, or was it just when Marinette was around?

Marinette didn't want Chat Noir to change just for her sake. She wanted him to change for his sake. She wanted Chat Noir to realise the error of his ways. She wanted him to be a good person, just like he used to be. She didn't want the dark, brooding, vigilante Chat Noir that lost his temper at the slightest prod. She wanted the sensitive and kind Chat Noir. The real Chat Noir. The version of himself that he was showing to her more and more each passing day.

There was also the fact that she didn't know his true identity, nor would she ever be able to know. It was too dangerous. Hawkmoth was gone, but that didn't mean that there was some other villain out there, just waiting to pounce. Especially once they caught word of that fact that Ti – the ladybug miraculous was gone forever. It was always a fear that lingered at the back of her mind.

Of course there was also Rena Rouge too.

Marinette nearly stumbled over as the face of her best friend crossed her mind. Tears burned at the corner of her eyes, though Marinette did her best to force them back. Ignoring the pain of having been abandoned by her friend, the former heroine tried to focus on the more rational facts. Rena Rouge could find out what was going on at any time. Marinette considered it a miracle that she had been left alone by her for this long.

But the fox hero would be back, and Marinette knew it.

At some point, she was going to have to explain again why she was unable to steal the cat miraculous, something that she should have been able to do by now. Something which she had already had plenty of chances to achieve. Sooner or later, Marinette was going to run out of excuses. What then? What if Chat Noir found out that had originally been her plan?

There were so many possible things that could go wrong that it began to make her feel dizzy.

Yet the dominant selfish part of her wanted to ignore all of that. She wanted to enjoy her time with Chat Noir while she could, even though it was all likely to end in disaster. She would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it. Maybe by then, she would be older and would be able to run away. Live in some far-off place, miles away from all the memories that haunted her.

Her family's bakery finally came into view, and Marinette paused across the street, just staring up at the place that no longer felt like home. To her, it was the place where she was obliged to return and pretend that everything was normal. After all the thoughts that had just whirled through her mind, Marinette felt like she needed a few moments to collect herself.

The whole area was quiet and almost deserted. There were a few cars that drove by, and a few people who walked around living their lives. The city was slowly coming back to life now that Chat Noir was no longer prowling the streets after sunset. Streetlamps began to illuminate the air, shrouding it in an orange glow to match the setting sun. The cool breeze continued to whip her hair around slightly, now once again reaching her shoulders, and covering her face as it hung loose.

The bakery was closed and eerily quiet. There was no sign of her father inside, preparing everything that he would need for tomorrow morning. A single light was on in the upstairs apartment, signalling that someone was home. The rest of the apartment was dark and foreboding, giving Marinette a strange sinking feeling as she continued to stare. But then again, that was nothing new.

Taking a deep breath through slightly parted lips, Marinette focused her mind on Chat Noir. He was probably up in her room right now, waiting for her. That thought alone banished the foreboding feeling, and it was like a warm light had switched on inside her body. A smile once again adorned her face, and her heart began tugging her towards the front door, and her legs had begun carrying her there before her brain even knew what was happening.

She reached for her keys and unlocked the door before closing it behind her. The sound of the key echoing in the lock as she locked it once again behind her filled the bakery, bouncing off the walls before evaporating into the darkness. Marinette squinted slightly as she waited a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It really was strange that her father wasn't down here. Maybe her parents weren't back from wherever they'd disappeared to earlier? But then why was the upstairs light on? Could it be Chat Noir?

"Mom? Dad?" Marinette called, hoping that she wouldn't be jump-scared by them lurking around the corner.

No response.

Sighing to herself, Marinette figured that they must still be out. Feeling more relaxed, she dashed up the stairs, hopping up them two at a time, desperate to get back into the isolated warmth of her bedroom. But just before she reached the front door to the apartment, she slowed down upon hearing what sounded like hushed whispers. The minute Marinette froze to listen though, the sound instantly stopped. Light was shining through the small gaps around the front door, and she was sure that she heard someone shift their weight inside.

Marinette rolled her eyes. No doubt her parents were talking about her again. That's all people ever seemed to do these days, and she had learned to live with it. People would always be whispering behind her back, only for them to quickly hush as she approached, acting like nothing had just happened. When you were the local mental case, it was just something that you had to get used to.

Bracing herself for what would likely be an awkward conversation with her parents, Marinette tested the door handle and was slightly surprised to see that it was unlocked. But then again, maybe her parents had left it unlocked ready for when she came home.

Pushing the door open, Marinette was immediately met by the sight of her parents sat on the living room couch. However, they quickly stood up upon seeing their daughter slowly making her way through the front door. They made no further movement though which instantly had Marinette on high alert, even more so when she caught the guilty and somewhat desperate expressions on their faces.

Oh no. What had she done now? Was this going to be another one of their attempts to get the truth out of her over what was going on with her? Because Marinette wasn't sure if she could face anything like that right now. She might just crack. She wanted nothing more than to fling her arms around her parents and tell them everything, but she couldn't. She could already feel the weight of all the secrecy on her back, crushing down on her as she felt like she was about to fall through the floor under the pressure.

"What's going on?" Marinette asked suspiciously as she stepped further into the room.

She caught her mother quickly glancing to the side for a split second, but that was all it took for Marinette to figure out that they weren't alone. So she continued stepping forward until she could finally peer around the corner to see a strange woman sat on the couch holding a handbag in her lap, and dressed in a smart grey suit. She offered Marinette a small smile as she entered, to which Marinette then glanced back at her parents in confusion.

"Hi, sweetheart," Sabine ignored her daughter's question, "where have you been?"

"I went to visit Adrien," Marinette explained, freezing where she stood.

"Oh. Is that so?"

There was some strange edge to her mother's tone that immediately put Marinette on her highest alert. It sounded almost… doubtful? But why wouldn't her mom believe her? Where else could she have gone? She supposed her mom could have assumed she had gone to Alya's, but why would that, or visiting Adrien, be a bad thing? In fact, Marinette would have thought her mom would be happy that she had actually left the house and spent time with other people. After all, her mom had been pleased when Marinette had attended Kim's birthday party.

"Would you like a drink?" her dad offered her.

"No thanks." Marinette narrowed her eyes slightly. "I just want to know what's going on."

Both her parents sighed, obviously realising that they couldn't prolong this – whatever this was – any longer.

"Please sit down, Marinette," Tom said as he moved out of the way of the couch, making room for her.

Marinette slumped slightly. "Look, guys –"

"Sit down now, Marinette," Sabine sternly commanded, using her rare motherly 'don't argue with me' tone.

Wordlessly, Marinette did as her mother said, her heart sinking in her chest upon finally realising that there was definitely something serious going on. Her cheeks blushed slightly at having been told off in front of a complete stranger. But the lady didn't react, and instead just seemed to be watching and analysing Marinette's every move. It was making her feel increasingly uncomfortable, and she pulled her sleeves over her hands, and shifted so that she was sat closer to the edge of the couch, almost curling into a tight ball as she did so.

"Marinette…" Sabine appeared to be struggling to find the right words. "This… this is Eloise…"

"It's nice to meet you, Marinette," Eloise interjected, still smiling at Marinette.

"Hi," was all Marinette could reply with.

"Your mom and dad tell me that you haven't been quite yourself lately," Eloise continued.

Marinette finally connected the dots.

"You're a psychiatrist?!" Marinette shrieked as she shot up from the couch, eyes wide in alarm. She shot a look of betrayal towards her parents, panic consuming her as her brain started to pump her full of adrenaline, preparing her to run.

"Marinette –" Eloise tried to soothe, but Marinette ignored her and talked over her.

"How could you?!" Marinette screamed at her parents, this time unable to hold back tears.

"Sweetheart –"

"You want me taken away? You want me locked up?!" Marinette continued screaming, feeling her chest getting tighter and tighter, like a huge snake had just wrapped itself around her body. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. She was going to be taken away. She was going to be taken to a hospital and drugged and who knows what else. They would get her to spill everything. Then she would either look even crazier or they would arrest her for abandoning the city.

"No –"

"I'm not sick! I'm fine!"

Both Tom and Sabine watched her helplessly.

"We all know that's not the case," Tom finally responded, trying to remain calm.

"Do you feel fine, Marinette?" Eloise asked professionally.

"Yes!" Marinette snapped back a little too quickly. "I'm perfectly fine! I don't need any help! I don't want to be taken away!"

"No one's taking you away," Eloise reassured. "We would never do that unless you were a danger to yourself or others."

"Yeah, but you would if you knew!"

"Knew what?"

Marinette turned back to look at her parents who were gazing at her in fear. She quickly realised what she had said before forcing herself to take a deep breath. She really needed to be careful and get better control over herself. Why did her parents have to do this? Why did they have to go behind her back like that? Since she was eighteen now, surely they had no right to do so?

"Nothing," Marinette responded, looking away and biting her lip.

"Marinette, Eloise is here to help. If something's happened, then –" Sabine was interrupted again.

"Nothing's happened! Nothing's wrong! I don't need any help, I just need people to leave me alone!" Marinette began screaming again, feeling increasingly overwhelmed.

"And Marinette, I'm not a psychiatrist, I'm a therapist," Eloise explained. "I'm someone for you to talk to if that's what you want. We don't want to pressure you into anything, but your parents came to me because they were worried. They care about you a lot. We just want to help. To offer you some support. But no one is going to make you do anything, not if you don't want to."

"I don't need any help!"

"Don't need, or don't want?" Tom retorted.

"Both!"

"Honey, we know that something is going on." Sabine wrapped her arm around her husband while the other desperately reached out towards Marinette, as if longing to grab her and pull her into their embrace. But all Marinette could do was take a step back in response.

Eloise stood up from the opposite couch, swinging her bag over her shoulder in the process. "This has obviously been a lot for Marinette to take in, and I don't think my presence here is helping. You three obviously have a lot that you need to discuss." She turned to Marinette. "Here's my number if you ever want to talk to me confidentially. I'm always here for whenever you're ready to make that first step."

Marinette timidly took the small card from Eloise, not looking her in the eye. She couldn't believe that her parents had embarrassed her like this. There was no way a therapist could help her. How could she? If Marinette told her everything that was eating at her, then she definitely would be locked up. Where would a therapist even know where to start with the mess that was her life?

"I'll see myself out," Eloise said, making her way towards the door.

"Thank you," Tom thanked her. "The back door is unlocked."

Eloise nodded as she closed the door behind her.

Tears continued to stream down Marinette's face as the door clicked behind her. Once again she was alone. This whole situation felt cruel. Dangling possible help in front of her, but at the same time, knowing that she couldn't take it. It was like she was hanging off the edge of a cliff, and someone with a highly contagious, deadly disease had just offered their hand to her. Either way, Marinette would lose. Accept the hand and risk spreading the poison that was her lies and deceit, or continue hanging on the edge of the cliff, knowing that at any second, her muscles would give way and she would fall? It was an impossible situation.

"We think you need counselling, Marinette," her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I don't!"

"You've changed, sweetheart – and not for the better," her father explained. "You're moody, grumpy, you never come out of your room, you don't design anymore or do anything of the things you love, and you've lost so much weight…"

"And you lie to us," Sabine added, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Marinette gasped, taken aback. "Lie?"

"We know that you weren't with Nino on the night of Kim's party," Sabine admitted.

"So you've been spying on me?!"

"Don't try and turn this around on us, Marinette," Tom warned.

"We bumped into Nino while we were shopping for supplies. That poor boy can't lie to save his life, and you put him in that position," Sabine scolded. "So where were you last night?"

"I… I crashed at Adrien's place, okay?" Marinette admitted awkwardly.

"Adrien's?"

Her parents looked shocked and confused.

"There, are you happy now?" Marinette desperately wanted all of this to be over. She wasn't sure how much more of this inquisition she could take. She didn't enjoy all the lying. Especially since it was getting to the point where she couldn't remember what she had been lying about for the most part. Fact and fiction all seemed to be blurring into one.

"If you were with Adrien, then why did you lie?" Sabine questioned.

Tom glared at her suspiciously, though it looked like he was half-joking. "Is there something going on between the two of you?"

"What? No!" Marinette gasped out, turning a bright shade of red.

"Well, you are eighteen now, but we'd still like to know that you're being careful and using precautions –"

"LALALALALALA!" Marinette and Tom both yelled at the same time, covering their ears from Sabine's words.

"Oh really, grow up you two," Sabine huffed.

"Nothing is going on like that! He's just a friend!" Marinette removed her hands from her ears as she protested.

"Well something is going on, because you've been even more all over the place than usual lately." Sabine continued to regard her daughter suspiciously, placing her hands on her hips as she scrutinised Marinette's every movement.

"Ugh!" Marinette growled out as she stomped towards the stairs that led to her room. "Maybe it's because I'm not getting enough space!"

"Why are you being so childish?" Sabine looked like she was about to cry. "Just let me in, Marinette, I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need or want any help!"

Sabine flinched back, her body looking like it was finally collapsing under all the strain. Glimmers of tears were visible in the corners of her eyes, but it looked like she was fighting them back. It looked like Tom could sense this too, as he gently placed a large hand on his wife's shoulders, practically covering her petite form in his grasp. Sabine leaned into his touch as she placed a hand on her face, looking more tired and worn out than Marinette had ever seen her.

Marinette bit her lip and looked away guiltily. She didn't mean to shout the way that she had been. She was just upset that her parents had gone behind her back like that. She knew that they were only trying to help, but they were just adding fuel to the fire.

"I'm sorry," Marinette whispered, staring down at her feet as she angled them up the stairs and gripped onto the banister with one hand.

Her parents remained silent.

"I don't mean to worry you or cause this much trouble. I must be the worst daughter in the world."

"Don't say things like that," Sabine croaked. "Your father and I love you no matter what."

She opened her arms up for her daughter, and Marinette couldn't resist falling into them this time. She clung to her mother for dear life, taking deep breaths to fill her lungs with her sweet and comforting scent. Her father also wrapped his arms around them, completely engulfing the pair of them. Hot tears dripped onto Marinette's shoulder as her mother silently wept.

"You know that you can tell us anything," Sabine whispered, pressing a tender kiss against her cheek.

"I know." Marinette's voice broke as she responded in a hushed whisper.

She wondered if Chat Noir could hear everything that was going on right now. What must he be thinking of her? Her mom was right, she was acting childish. But that didn't mean that she could say yes to having therapy either. How was Marinette going to lie and manipulate herself out of this one? She thought she would be an expert at this by now. But every day got harder and harder.

With all her heart, she wished that she could tell her parents everything. It would be so liberating to get everything off her chest to the people who cared the most about her. Her parents were her very first friends while growing up. They had always been close. If anyone would understand and protect her, it would be Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng, the two most attentive and adoring parents in the entire world.

It would be so easy to unburden herself. Just to open her mouth right now and tell them everything.

"Mom…"

"Yes?"

Just like that, the words became stuck in Marinette's throat, and rationality kicked in.

"It doesn't matter…" Marinette sighed out, too tired to even internally argue with herself.

"Are you sure?" Sabine checked.

Marinette nodded silently, hoping that her mom would drop the subject. Though her parents didn't seem convinced, they did let leave the subject alone. Maybe they realised they had pushed Marinette enough for one night. She knew in the long run they wouldn't let it go, but she was definitely thankful to have some breathing space for now.

"I love you," Marinette whispered, her parents squeezer her tighter in response.

"We love you too," they both replied at the same time.

"I didn't tell you about Adrien because I was embarrassed," Marinette half-lied.

"What's there to be embarrassed about? Adrien is a very nice boy," Tom reassured.

"It's just… y'know… with his father being… you know who… and the fact that I chickened out of the party because I just couldn't handle it like I thought I could…"

"We wouldn't get angry with you over that," Sabine comforted as both her parents pulled back slightly to look at her. "The only thing that hurts us and that we disapprove of is the lying. We know that you're an adult now, and we're trying not to meddle in things too much, but we're still your parents, and we worry when we think you're potentially doing something dangerous and irresponsible."

"I know," Marinette choked, her throat closing up.

"You have Eloise's number. We'd like you to at least think about some form of counselling. If not with Eloise, then someone else. We'll even pay for you to go private if that's what you think you need," explained Tom.

"Dad…"

"No buts; money doesn't matter," Tom silenced her before she could protest further. "We just want our little girl to feel better."

"And I want to feel better too," Marinette admitted before looking down sadly. "I just don't think counselling is the answer."

A time machine was the answer.

But that was never going to happen.

"Well, you have Eloise's number if you change your mind," Sabine reassured, pulling her daughter in for one final squeeze.

"I promise to try and be better," Marinette vowed, still internally freaking out over the side of her parents that she had never really seen before tonight.

Sometimes it was easy to forget just how much your actions affected other people when you're trapped in such a dark pit of never ending despair. When every fibre of your being is trying to tell you that you don't belong in this world and that you shouldn't exist, self-preservation is all the rational side of your brain can focus on. It seldom has room for thinking of loved ones and how they might be feeling. But Marinette was going to try and do everything she could to change that. Not only just to stop them searching for answers, but to help them feel better too. She hated what she was doing to them. She hated hurting them. She hated hurting everyone.

"I'm really tired," Marinette sighed out. "I think I'm gonna head to bed."

"Alright, dear." Sabine gave her another quick kiss on the cheek.

"Try and get some decent rest," Tom encouraged.

Marinette offered them one last small smile before heaving herself up the stairs. All of a sudden, it felt like her entire body was made of lead. It felt like she hadn't slept for over twenty years. It was as if her very soul was exhausted. These feelings weren't helped by the sensation of her parents' eyes burning holes in her back as she climbed the final stairs and opened the door to her dark bedroom.

The sound of her door closing behind her echoed around the room, and all Marinette could do was stare into the darkness, unblinking. What on earth was she doing?! She needed to be more careful! She had very nearly shattered everything she worked so hard to maintain. She had nearly put both herself and her parents in danger! All because she was too weak to handle it.

Suddenly, Marinette gasped as she felt something warm press against her cheek, and she quickly grabbed hold of whatever it was defensively.

"Sssssh," a familiar voice greeted her from the darkness, "it's just me."

"Chat?" Marinette whispered back, her grip on his wrist loosening as she felt his thumb wipe away a tear from her cheek.

"I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I… I'm fine…" Marinette's breathing hitched.

Her eyes were finally beginning to adjust to the darkness, and she finally looked up to meet the glowing green eyes of Chat Noir. They were warm and full of concern as they stared back at her, and that's when everything finally became too much to handle. The suppressed sobs finally burst free from her chest, and she flung her arms around Chat's neck, yanking him close to her as she cried into his shoulder.

Chat Noir seemed caught off guard, but soon regained his balance and wrapped his arms tightly around her, just letting her sob into the base of his neck and shoulder. He didn't say a word, simply making reassuring shushing and purring sounds, and Marinette couldn't help but giggle at those slightly, despite her tears. Chat always seemed to know just what to do and say to cheer her up. It was like he was perfectly in tune to everything she needed without her having to say a single word. Just another reason she loved him so much.

Her heart once again leapt out of her chest in elation at those thoughts. As much as she wanted to soar into the sky after it, she knew that she had to stay back down on earth. She couldn't get carried away. Especially not now. She had already been careless enough for one night.

"I'm sorry…" Marinette choked out.

"What for?" Chat asked as she pulled away from him to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

"I feel like every time you visit, I always end up crying on you." Marinette sniffed, trying to get a hold of herself once again. Her tone made it sound like a joke, but it was technically the truth. It felt like they could never spend any time together without Marinette turning into an emotional wreck. She was surprised that Chat Noir wasn't tired of it at this point. She wouldn't blame him if he was.

Chat chuckled slightly. "Don't worry about it. It's what I'm here for."

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have to be," Marinette sighed out as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "I'm sure that you have much more important things to be doing."

"Don't be silly," Chat lightly scolded. "There's nothing more important to me than you."

Marinette gasped at the intensity of Chat Noir's tone, and she couldn't help but automatically look up at him just to make sure that she wasn't hearing things. His facial expression matched his tone as he stared down at her seriously, almost looking offended that she could say such a thing. It caused Marinette's cheeks to flush slightly as she found herself ensnared by his gaze, unable to look away. It was like his eyes were a light at the end of a dark tunnel. A source of life and hope. They burned into hers, but this was something much more than a loving and welcoming warmth.

Unconsciously, Marinette found herself leaning in before she could realise what was going on. Her hands began to shake, and her palms began to sweat as they balled up into fists at her side, her whole body tensing up in expectation. Her lips ached with a familiar hunger that she had felt around Chat Noir before, only this time, it was much more ravenous. Her eyes fluttered closed as she continued to lean in, her heart throbbing in her chest, desperate for her to finally close the gap.

Gently and unsurely, their lips brushed across each other's. Marinette followed her instincts as she applied slightly more pressure, properly capturing Chat Noir's lips between her own. They were warm and soft, and they sent a shot of intense electricity around her body. His lips gently applied pressure back, though he seemed even more unsure than she was.

Snapping out of it, Marinette finally realised what she was doing and pulled back, terror consuming her over what she had just done.

But Marinette didn't have time to think about that for much longer.

With a heated gasp, Chat Noir's hands cupped Marinette's cheeks as he desperately pulled her towards him again. Their lips collided again, all uncertainly seeming to have vanished. Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck once again, running her fingers through his soft hair as their lips moulded together clumsily, yet perfectly. Neither knew what they were doing, but what they did know is that they wanted more.

Their lips parted, and the kiss deepened, their tongues beginning to timidly explore each other. His lips tasted of her tears as they trickled down onto his skin, and something felt like it was burning deep inside her very core. Chat's hands moved down from her cheeks, stroking along the sides of her body before they reached down to her waist, pulling her torso against his own.

Without breaking the kiss, they both found themselves falling backwards until Chat Noir had her pressed up against the wall, much to Marinette's shock and delight. His scent completely engulfed her, and Marinette wanted nothing more than to drown in it. It clouded her brain in an overwhelming aroma of love and pleasure. Her lungs burned for oxygen, but she didn't care. Her need for Chat Noir completely surpassed her need for anything else. Her need for Chat Noir was as basic and raw as her need to eat, drink and breathe.

Much too soon, their lips parted from one another, and Marinette remained in a daze. Her whole body tingled with desire for more, yet at the same time, reality was finally beginning to set in as she caught sight of their surrounding environment once again.

"I've got to go."

Marinette just about managed to catch the shocked and confused expression on Chat Noir's face before he vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but the echoing slam of her balcony door behind him.

Phew, I can definitely tell that it's been a while, because my writing feels rusty as hell at the moment. Sorry about the cliffhanger, but how else am I gonna keep you guys thirsty for more? I'm just a sadist in that regard. Come on, you know you love it! Here's hoping I don't take five months to update again. Every time I think things are settling down, real life always finds a way to screw me over and keep me away from writing. I really can't thank you guys enough for being so patient with me and sending me kind words of encouragement.

In other news, there's now a Madness Within playlist on my blog! So if you want to see and listen to the music and songs that inspired all or some aspects of the story, you can head on over to my blog and check it out. Links are available on my profile. Links for pretty much anything related to my work are also on my profile if you want to check those out too.

Feel free to leave a review on this chapter and on the story so far! It helps me out so much! In the meantime, stay safe out there, and I hope that I can update again much sooner than I have been able to lately. Thanks for reading! Take care!