Welcome to my latest endeavor of a story!

I wanted to make something that's itched at the back of my mind for a long while concerning this fandom. I hope all like it, as I love writing it.

Just some forewarning, this fic IS of the mature variety. Not necessarily yet, but it WILL develop as such. The big thing I'm sure may be a bit iffy for some is that this fic heavily features the BDSM culture element in the plotline. There will be a main story, though the aspect of BDSM will run in tandem with it. If this is against your views, affinities, or just plain not your thing... I advise you don't read it.

That said, this won't be a wholly sexualized version of BDSM. As someone who is part of this world, it's not just "A kink" or "a fun night"... it's a lifestyle with many facets that give every person or relationship as much uniqueness as a snowflake. It can be as heavily ingrained as establishing roles... or as simple as a possessive bite instead of a kiss. To some, it is a well prepared event to keep in private, and others, it is an everyday influence on how they interact with others in a consensual exchange that doesn't have to be sexual.

I hope to explore the aspects I have seen and that which I've lacked to see sometimes when it's turned into fiction... (A certain book turned horrible movie franchise rings a bell...)

Anywho!

To those that haven't decided to exit the page from my fair warning, I sincerely hope you enjoy this. I look forward to reviews and such. If you have any sensitive questions about the content, either here or future, I don't mind a message to that effect.

Credit for the cover art goes to an artist called Vixen. She was so sweet to do this for me.

ALSO... i'm trying something new... I usually do a strange snack but there's only so many before they get repetitive...

So, I shall be alternating a new thing along with it. Strange Snacks and Estranged Eats, whereas the second one will be my conceptual thoughts on something to eat that just doesn't fit in the mind. XD

Today... Marshmallows dipped in ranch.

Let that settle in your brains. XD

Enjoy!

Eyeing the city from one of the many vantage points, Ladybug sighed, resting her chin upon her arm, propped up on a bent knee. Currently, her view was courtesy of the news station building, the wind wisping through her hair and raking over her cheeks.

It was one of those days… the ones where she felt burdened by life so much so, that being in the suit felt like an escape. No one correlated Marinette to Ladybug and while she was Ladybug… she didn't have to subject her thoughts or worries to those of Marinette.

Cat Noir had mentioned something about this once in passing… though at the time, she hadn't really listened.

Suffice it to say, he was right in some respect. As the years advanced, her obligations increased.

As a seventeen year old high school student in the end of her junior year, having been class president and part of the student council, as well as all the extra curriculars and catering to all her classmates whims and requests as best she could, Marinette's civilian life had become heavily burdened, not to mention the coming pressure of her senior year and expectations to plan for post graduation courses and career paths.

With summer vacation quickly approaching, she figured she would gain some measure of relief but her parents had recently requested her aid in the bakery as a summer job. Being the good daughter she strived to be, she couldn't tell them no. It wouldn't be that bad, given that she was used to it anyways, but she hoped to gain a breather from everything before being thrown to the wolves upon her graduating year.

The noise of a mechanical extension made the heroine turn her head, seeing Cat Noir land deftly on the roof with her and saunter towards her, smirk firmly plastered to his face.

"Well hello there, My Lady," he offered, eyes searching hers. His baton twirled as he hopped over the edge and sat down next to her, facing Ladybug instead of staring out across the city like she was. "Enjoying the view?"

"Sort of… Want to do the same?" she asked.

"I already am," Cat answered easily, his green eyes casting a soft gaze over her features. The young girl blushed a bit, the sincerity of his tone throwing off her ability to keep it together.

The black clad hero's infatuation with her had never seemed to falter over the past couple of years. He never pressed too far but never let her forget his interest. It was endearing, but reminded her of the resolve she wished to have for Adrien in her life.

Daring a sideways glance at her partner, Ladybug saw the gentle curve to his lips that showed the truest of smiles, simply taking her in. She wished Adrien would give her that same forlorn look.

"Nice of you to say, Kitten, but I'm sure there is plenty more to see than just me," she tried to deflect. "There's a whole world out there to see."

"And I'm looking at her right now," the hero replied evenly, short circuiting the spotted heroine for the second time in all but sixty seconds.

"Yeah… but the stars are out… gonna look?" came her meek voice and further attempt at moving the subject away.

"I already see the most vibrant star sitting right in front of me," Cat told her with the smoothest of tones, both melting her heart and infuriating her. She almost preferred him to be slinging puns at this point.

Choosing to take the more direct path, Ladybug pouted and used a finger to his chin to turn his head away and force him to look out at Paris. The sun had since set and the stars were increasing in brilliance and number.

Almost as if the sight before him was lackluster in its intensity, she could see her partner's expression falter ever so slightly.

Am I really that captivating? the insecure part of her mind dared to ask, a blush permeating her cheeks as she contemplated the idea.

Her fingers traced over her hair, pulling a few errant strands back. Cat's eyes flicked to the side, watching her do as much.

It was difficult to remain steadfast in her feelings sometimes when he was so sincere and charismatic with his towards her.

Nevertheless…

"Ready for patrol?" she incited him.

"Always, Bugaboo," came the well used reply.

Both leaped from the top of the building, falling the many stories until they could use their respective tools to slow their descent easily. Ladybug slung her yo-yo around a light pole, with Cat Noir spinning his extended baton to slow his fall and land on a rooftop, running upon landing. She swung in a pendulum arc, being vaulted upwards to land right next to him, breaking into a run as well.

They hopped and jumped from roof to roof, dodging and circumventing obstacles, eventually making their round towards residential districts.

While it was technically a patrol, the streets were much too mundane and void of crime with them about that it turned into more of a stress relief.

They took turns trying to take the lead, switching on occasion as one faltered or slowed in step. There was the random person every now and then that stopped and pointed at them, excited words being shouted in support of their heroes.

While appreciating it, Ladybug hardly felt she deserved it right now. They still hadn't caught Hawkmoth and forced him to surrender his Miraculous. Not to mention the rare, though still present, intervention of the Peacock Miraculous. It could take the intense emotional turmoil in a person, much like an akuma infecting a victim, bringing forth a sort of familiar that could act as a temporary guardian.

The rarity of its presence made the duo, as well as Fu himself, assume that either there was a problem with the Miraculous, barring usage as often as the Butterfly Miraculous, or certain unknown restrictions were a factor.

"Ladybug!" Cat called out in her haze, drawing her attention and jolting her back to the present. She was heading face first into a smokestack of a residential roof. Juking to the side, she sidestepped flawlessly, about to give her partner a smirk…

...when she stepped on a tile shingle that came loose, sending her falling into the back alley next to the building. She whipped out her yo-yo, trying to catch it on one of the smokestacks above her now.

It bounced and came back towards her, impacting her forehead painfully as the string continued to spin out and become entangled.

It wrapped around her oddly as her stunned self was unaware of the mess she was becoming.

A strong arm wrapped itself around her midsection, taking her sideways from her fall and suddenly lifting her back up to the roof.

Cat Noir had leapt into the alley ahead of her fall, extending his baton to hit the ground and vault him upwards, now with her in tow.

"Uh… T-thanks Cat…" she voiced, thoroughly embarrassed by her misstep… or several missteps.

"No problem, My Lady," he belted out simply and happily. "I'll always catch you when you fall, although, I would prefer you fall for me." Lining that last line was his signature lopsided and roguish smirk, drawing forth the usual deadpan pout from herself.

He then shrugged and properly set her down, allowing her to stand upright again….

...only to teter and fall again.

Her partner's face became more serious, catching her once more and holding her upright, taking in her predicament.

Struggling, the spotted girl found she was bound tightly in her own yo-yo, making her groan and strain to figure a way out.

"Well…. This sucks," she grumbled uselessly. The young woman's eyes fell upon Cat, who appeared confused and unsure how to respond in this circumstance. She adapted as stern an expression as pawsible and called out to him, "Gonna help, Tomcat? Or are you just gonna stare the yo-yo into falling off?"

"Oh! Right… sorry," he mumbled, closing in and attempting to pull at the unbreakable string. Ladybug sucked in a breath as the pull made another region of the string pull taut into her skin. A blush crept through her cheeks as she felt it dig into the side of her hips.

She looked around in fear, not wanting all of Paris to look at a bright red suit all tied up and start taking pics of her humiliating accident.

"Uh… how about we find a better, more private, place to do this without potential media hounds catching us?" she offered. Cat chuckled, diffusing a bit of her tension as he clearly didn't have qualms about this, nor noticed her discomfort.

"I suppose you're right," he agreed. Looking around with his nightvision, he pointed to a nearby abandoned building, closed off for renovation and let her nod her approval.

Picking her up once more and leaping away, they made their escape and Cat Noir landed deftly on an upper level, pulling plastic tarps aside to find a place to do this without misunderstanding idiots drawing estranged conclusions.

The young man resumed trying to untangle her, making grunts and groans, reminding her of when she would try untangling a mess of Christmas tree lights fresh out of storage.

"You're really stuck, aren't you?" the leather clad boy belted out with a laugh. "Can't you just retract your yo-yo? I mean… I've seen you wrap that around the Eiffel Tower in the most random manner, pulling it back like you just used it to do a simple trick."

"Eh," the girl mentioned with a shrug, or at least a twitch of one, with her whole body rather tightly bound at the moment. "It's magic but it doesn't always act like it. Just try to unwind, untangle, unknot…. Or whatever… where you can. Once I'm free… I can just go home and detransform. The yo-yo will go back to normal."

Cat smirked for a moment, not quite helping her. He wasn't so crass to take advantage of the situation, so she dismissed the idea he was being a teenage boy taking advantage of a girl.

She knew him better….

...and this was far worse.

"Don't…" she warned him. Cat's evil smirk grew wider.

"You seem to be a bit tied up at the moment," he jibed at her. "Clearly, you've gotten yourself into a bind. What a knotty mess you've gotten into."

"Cat…"

"Ah… Sorry," he replied, smirk fading… then returning as he asked, "Knot a fan of rope humor?"

"Cat!" she screeched. "Let me out of here NOW or I'll get out on my own and hang you from the Eiffel Tower by your own tail!"

The black clad young man gulped, not so much in fear of her, but worried he'd gone too far.

"Sorry, My Lady," he apawlogized. "I just wanted to diffuse the tension. You seemed a bit taut."

"Was that another rope pun?" she asked in a deadly tone, eyes threatening to burn him alive.

"Huh?" Cat responded, bemused slightly as his mind caught up, hands focused on a knot. "N-no… I didn't mean… You're tense. I wanted to help. Sorry… again."

Her piercing gaze softened, seeing the look on his face of true confusion. That last one was apparently just the wrong wording.

Staying silent for now, she let him concentrate on the matter at hand. Doing her best to relax, she knew there was no point struggling. She was tightly bound and might make it worse for him by struggling too hard. She trusted him to get her out… eventually.

Just as well, their transformations would hold for quite a while anyways, since neither had any need right now to use their respective abilities. They had time.

Cat was able to get something lose, but, in the process of doing so, pulled another line that tightened across her chest. A strangled sound left her, something that was with a hint of surprise, but lined with another element that made her turn scarlet. In turn, she bit her lip and kept herself from facing her partner.

If she had looked at him, she would have seen a similar hue gracing his features, eyes locked onto the side of her head,

Cat Noir had laid Ladybug on a table, leftover from the previous occupants of the office area. She was on her side while he fiddled with the tangled mess of the back. Both the end of the yo-yo and the ring were at the back. If he could get something started with either end, he could keep that momentum up and free her much more expeditiously.

Finding another location to untangle, he tried to be gentle, prying a knot from being a problem.

A new problem arose as Ladybug began to breathe heavily, shifting and squirming slowly. It wasn't making his job more difficult… but it was distracting him. He had never seen his Lady so vulnerable. So helpless. So reliant on him.

The worst… or best… part of this, was that she trusted him implicitly. While it was obvious certain movements and ministrations made her uncomfortable or caused her potential distress, she withheld complaints, trusting he was doing his best to free her quickly.

Cat didn't know how to take that. He wasn't sure how much to take to heart.

He took a deep breath, drawing in air slowly.

As soon as he looked down, however, his breath was taken away swiftly.

Piercing blue eyes, as dark and intense as the starry sky, gave him a sidelong stare. Her pink lips were parted and wisps of her breath became a fog in the chill of the night air.

"Are you okay, Kitty?" came her concerned question.

"I… uh… I'm fine," he haphazardly replied, covering his mouth and looking away to gather his wits. "I should be asking you that."

She merely hummed ambiguously, letting her partner get back to work releasing her.

It was over half an hour of silence and intense nerves on both heroes' parts as Cat Noir freed his partner slowly but surely.

The whole mess wasn't a tangle of knots, but plenty of spots were pinching if he wasn't careful, prompting him to work slowly to unravel it all.

Supersuit or not, Ladybug could feel the increasing discomfort of being stuck in the same bound position for a long time. She resigned herself to giving up trying anything herself, which she had to admit… felt strangely freeing.

She didn't have to worry over thinking up a way out, stressing herself over time constraints, or thinking over any burdens that were weighed upon her. They didn't matter simply because she couldn't afford to worry about them at present.

Neither Ladybug or Marinette could do much about her predicament. So any of her problems were useless to worry over. All that mattered was that she try to relax and let Cat Noir free her. That was all there was currently. Anything else was simply a meaningless worry.

Taking that sentiment to heart as much as she was able, her body began to feel heavy and relaxed.

How is being tied up making me feel more free? Ladybug mused mentally. The answer was quite clear in her head, though she couldn't quite form the ideal into words properly.

Cat Noir, on the other paw, was having an opposing mental quandary.

Most of his life was decided upon and orchestrated by someone else, usually his father. Sure, he was trusted with a few tasks before, as well as odds and ends, but never given this level of trust to complete a task he had to adapt to and complete as he will.

Not only that, but his Lady was becoming lethargic and relaxed. He couldn't tell if she was becoming bored or simply falling asleep.

Not wanting to disturb her, he continued the task at hand.

Finally… the last twist of a yo-yo and release of a line gave Ladybug enough room to shimmy out of her wired prison.

"You can move now," the young man prompted his partner.

As if breaking from a trance, the masked girl blinked slowly and rolled over, her limbs lazy and limp.

"Huh… I don't think I can," she calmly mentioned, smiling almost sleepily.

"Oh no!" Cat yelped, closing in to examine her, forgetting he couldn't see her skin because of the suit. He couldn't check for bruises or abrasions. "Oh goodness, I'm sorry, Ladybug."

"Don't worry, Kitty," the spotted heroine told him gently. "I'm not hurt. My limbs are just a bit heavy from being like that for a while."

"So… what do we do then?"

"Just… wait with me while I rest… please?" Ladybug asked, eyes pleading.

"Y-yeah… of course, My Lady," the boy responded with.

Getting up on the table, he let his legs dangle off the edge, lifting his partner's head to rest in his lap.

Lying on her back as she stretched out, sighing with a tinge of pleasure to her voice, Cat locked his gaze with her own. The gentle smile she returned began to spike his heart rate and cause his cheeks to blush.

Nevertheless, he didn't let his eyes sway from hers, a tentative hand shaking as he laid it upon her head, softly stroking back and towards the back. She hummed in delight.

"That's nice," came her soft voice. With her tone denoting a clear sign of consent at the action, Cat Noir felt his nervousness dissipating, as he began to stroke her head more confidently and with no shaking.

It was several minutes before Ladybug stretched out again, testing her movement and jumping off the table, leaving her partner with a mild feeling of disappointment. He couldn't outright complain though. He was simply glad she was alright.

"I think we should call it a night," Ladybug offered him, knowing the ordeal definitely pushed their patrol time into something well forgotten. "We can do this again in a few days, usual time. Alright, Kitty?"

The leather clad hero numbly nodded, missing the warmth of her head in his lap.

With far more grace than earlier, the spotted heroine leapt from the building, slinging her way across the city and out of sight.

Cat began the trudging walk to the edge and lamented this peculiar night's ending.

It was a rather uneventful return to his home, vaulting through the open window and releasing his transformation, finding a stash of camembert to throw at his kwami, having assumed the usual position to catch it blindly.

"So… your Lady seemed to be in a bind earlier," Plagg sassed between gulping bites of his disgusting cheese. "You had quite the reaction to it as well. Wanna talk about it?"

"Are you actually offering to listen, or just trying to appear nice but really gonna ignore me and shovel that cheese in your mouth?" Adrien fired right back with a tepid grin.

"Uh…" the kwami began slowly, choosing not to answer by shoving another wedge in his mouth.

"That's what I thought," the blonde followed up, shaking his head but not feeling put out by it. Lending an ear or not, he knew the grumpy creature did care about him, in his own way. He didn't always listen to him, but he gave him enough complaint free time for Adrien to vent or gush about something before griping about his ramblings.

Whatever the case, the 17 year old boy wasn't quite interested in discussing this new spark that was alight inside him.

Despite his partner's strange circumstance, Adrien… liked seeing her in that state. More than liked really. He wanted that again.

A pang of guilt began to twist his insides at the thought, feeling like this new impulse was an impurity amongst the carefully carved gemstone of his facade to the world.

Rolling his eyes at his own ability to draw his thoughts back to the usual moping topic in his mind, the blonde began to focus once more on his past couple years or so as Adrien.

Every decision was made for him. Every event planned weeks in advance. Every outcome accounted for. Every minute was calculated like he was a machine that would waste its productivity if he were left to laze for more than a few seconds.

He had to struggle for every ounce of freedom, though nowadays that was like getting water by squeezing a stone. The young man simply wanted to do what every person had to do when they grew up…

...make decisions on their own.

His father's method of preparing him for such a future was to groom him to participate in the family business, learn the ropes of it as a model, then it was revealed at the beginning of his current school year that he would be taking business courses, thus why he learned chinese as a kid, seeing as many designs and markets with the Gabriel brand were inspired by or taking place in China.

None of these were his own decisions and while being Cat Noir gave him a freedom to escape that life, lately his presence amidst the others, Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Chl… Queen Bee, made him feel sidelined or diminished in his role.

He knew Ladybug would never intend, nor let that happen, but the feeling still took root in his attempts at optimism. Not to mention all his failures to protect his partner and ending up turned against her by some mind control, which only made his insecurity about lacking control of his decisions worse.

However,... being in that position with Ladybug,... he realized he wanted to exert that control and such again.

Pulling out his phone, the blonde put in a few searches, trying to make sense of his thoughts.

What does it mean to like seeing someone tied up?

While there were a few search results that made him blush profusely, the first one he actually took a look at that seemed devoid of vulgar details or depictions was rather thoughtful. It was a question on a forum by another individual that had a similar inquiry.

One comment mentioned an acronym BDSM, which most following comments agreed with or began to argue the exact nature of.

Deciding it was worth a look elsewhere, Adrien put the search in.

At first… he was mortified. The initial mentions and pictures were… hard to look at. They weren't gross or some such nonsense. He just wasn't prepared.

Finally, he found a very detailed explanation in a forum link, devoid of pictures or vulgar statements.

Reading through it, he became intrigued. Despite his lack of social understanding of many of the world's functions outside his home, much of what was written made sense to him.

Bondage and Discipline, Dominant and Submissive, Sadist and Masochist.

That was the general depiction of the strange acronym, even if some people differed on the exact wording.

From everything mentioned, it appeared to Adrien that he most aligned with a dominant way of thinking, or Dom as the vernacular was.

He doubted that Ladybug would be a submissive, or Sub. She was one to take the lead, respectful of his advice and such as she was.

His eyes averted as he remembered her reactions though, reliving those heavy breaths and strangled sighs. The way she gave in to his design and trusted him without complaint.

He wondered, Would she give into me in that way, if she returned my feelings?

The hammer of reality set in, breaking that thought as he remembered the phantom rival of his for his Lady's heart.

He wouldn't have a chance, so long as she pined for him.

Adrien sighed heavily, deciding to further satisfy his curiosity about this new topic.

Eyes wired and concentrated on his phone, he began to read in-depth all the ideals and inner workings of this strange world.

0000000

Dropping through her skylight, Marinette dropped her transformation and laid back in bed, feeling oddly light. All the stress from earlier was gone.

Never before had a patrol really taken the edge off that much, so she knew exactly what to blame for that change.

Crossing her arms and running her fingers over her skin, she reminded herself of the feeling. The wire biting into her flesh, pulling taut against her and restricting any movement. That feeling of giving in and letting someone else take on all of her worries. She was… somehow free.

Jumping down from her bed on still wobbly legs, the bluenette locked the trapdoor to her room. It was a more common occurrence nowadays, her parents silently recognizing that she needed her privacy some nights, though their insinuations were probably more embarrassing than the truth.

Turning to her computer, she found a tab for a search engine, entering and deleting a few phrases before settling on one to satisfy her search.

What does it mean to like being tied up?

Her search, much to her lack of surprise, turned up quite the cornucopia of vulgar themed results that made her roll her eyes and blush mildly. She might have been more embarrassed and phased by it, though being friends with Alya meant hearing about every story and gossipy details of her love life and her other friends with loose lips.

Nino and Alya actually had a rather… simple love life, with a few exploratory branches out from the vanilla, though it was the friends' stories that usually brought the heat to the conversation. Being indulged into the journalism community, online and off, the redhead got to hear plenty and shared all too much with Marinette.

She was about to quit her search, feeling a bit put out by the light that many put on such a topic, but she clicked one last time.

Thankfully, it appeared to be a very detailed article about the ins and outs of a healthy exploration of BDSM. The bluenette had heard enough about it from Alya to view it with skepticism, since her explanations mostly surrounded the toys and sexual gratification.

Surprisingly, however, this article was relatively void of direct sexual mentions, remarking only when necessary. In fact, the way this person wrote it… it could be taken to mean two platonically non-romantic partners could explore this life without breaching sexual boundaries. Her eyebrows raised in confusion and justified skepticism.

Would that mean she could ask Cat Noir to do anything like that again without giving him the wrong ideas?

Could she try this to attain this current molten feeling in her muscles of being relaxed once more?

A feeling of guilt settled in. That simply felt like she would be using him.

Leaning back, Marinette contemplated her newfound interest, feeling that the info she was currently reading was worth expanding her knowledge on.

"Hey Tikki?" the young woman called out, slightly surprised at her kwami's lack of interaction since landing. "Why so quiet?"

Flying in from one of her usual hiding spots, the small red creature floated in front of her charge.

"I figured you would be too embarrassed by what happened to properly function…" replied the somewhat surprised kwami. The bluenette's eyes widened slightly in realization, smiling.

"I guess that was an outcome that anyone might expect," she mentioned with a mild chuckle. "Although,... I feel oddly relaxed and far less tense. It was… nice, somehow. I don't know why though."

Tikki looked as if she wanted to say something, though withheld her tongue.

Marinette could sense this, grinning gently as she spoke, "You can share. We've been friends for a while. If you know what to say, you can tell me."

"Well…" the small floating creature began, "I've been around a long while and I've seen plenty of Ladybugs go through certain things and circumstances that come with being weighed down by obligation and such."

"And?" goaded Marinette.

"And… I think being trapped like that and accepting it… became a form of release that you needed. You let go of all the things troubling you and let Cat deal with freeing you. It was a time you could do nothing."

"Why did it feel so… good?" the bluenette asked, though the question seemed half directed towards herself.

"You were unable to escape. You trusted that Cat had things handled and so…" Tikki explained, pausing slightly, "you stopped worrying. Your obligations. Your duty. Your responsibilities. Your problems. You couldn't do anything about them in that moment. Until Cat freed you, all of that mattered as much as focusing on whether you could move the stars themselves."

"I wonder if it would happen again…" the girl mused out loud.

"You want that to happen again?" the kwami voiced in mild astonishment. "That would take some really strange luck."

"Maybe I'm feeling like a lucky bug," she breathed, looking outside her window, the memory of being bound still causing tingles and chills throughout her body.

And there is the first chapter!

I have plenty more planned, along with a whole underlying plot.

I look forward to your comments and the like. I know many won't like the direction I'm going, for reasons I'm sure I'm aware of.

Nevertheless, I shall address those concerns when I next post or when you message me with questions/complaints. lol.

Until next time, It's been a hustle, Sweethearts!