Requested by @dorkylovespepsi

I miss forbidden love too 😢 it was my favorite fanfic to write. But the medieval timeline was between the 1300's-1500's, and Forbidden Love was written in the 1800's timeline. So here's a one-shot to bring you back into the 1800's!

Disclaimer: you do not have read my book Forbidden Love to read this.

* 🔞 + for language *

Read at your own risk.

In a tale that dates back to the late 1800's during the Wild West era, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is merely a young woman who wants to live life one adventure at a time. She just doesn't expect that dream to become a reality until a man dressed in all black clothing sweeps her off her feet... literally... and claims to be the infamous, criminalized, outlawed bandit, known as Chat Noir.

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The wrinkled wanted poster that had been nailed to the wooden post at the sheriff's office was almost impossible to read, but Marinette didn't even need a pair of eyeglasses to see the faded ink. The sketch provided was all she needed to confirm that the man who currently had her tied up and gagged was the same man on the poster.

On the poster, his black ringo hat covered his eyes because he never let anyone get a look at them. But she was currently staring right into them. And they were emerald green; so green that they genuinely looked like jewels. His eyes, if they had a bounty alone, would probably be worth a fortune. His head, however, was worth much more.

Because this man... this man was Chat Noir. No one knew his real name, but everyone recognized that name.

Because Chat Noir was the infamous, uncatchable bandit who had little to no interest in mercy.

He was ruthless. At least, that was all she'd ever been told. His reputation of thieving and murder was never a bluff to the people of their small town... or to anyone who was unfortunate enough to live in their endless country. And even so, despite being a woman who was considered as nothing more than a grain of sand amongst a desert road, she somehow held some sort of high importance to him.

Because the bastard had actually dared and succeeded in kidnapping her. And for what reason, she had yet to find out.

For now, there was nothing she could do but fearfully stare up at him. She had no idea where she was either. All she knew was that she was in a dark room, the moonlight the night provided streaming through the cracked glass windows of the bedroom, which illuminated her surroundings enough for her to get a somewhat good look at her kidnapper. He was dressed, of course, in black slacks and a black coat that reached his ankles. His blonde hair peeked out like spikes from underneath his black, ringo, cowboy hat like sunshine, and his green eyes shone even brighter than that, as if they were actually capable of glowing in the darkness. But he said nothing. He didn't even blink. Instead, he stared at her as if he was risking missing something if he looked away.

And they weren't alone. All around the room, different men occupied the small space, some standing while others chose to sit on wooden chairs with rifles leaned in their arms. Everyone was incredibly silent. No one spoke a word.

It was so quiet, she could faintly hear crickets from outside.

Chat Noir finally moved, but his movements were gentle; smooth, as if he didn't want to frighten her. He slowly reached up to remove the cloth that had been stuffed in her mouth. As soon as it was gone, she gasped and licked her lips nervously as she met his eyes once more.

There was nothing comforting about those green orbs, but his irises did hold a sense of genuineness. Genuine concern despite their current predicament.

"What is your name?" He asked her, his voice void of any emotion, though his emerald eyes did shine in curiosity.

"I should be the one asking the questions, considering you kidnaped me!" Marinette shrieked, once again trying to desperately break free from her bonds. No one in the room seemed to flinch at the raise of volume in her voice, nor did Chat Noir's expression falter.

Instead, he simply smirked, as if he found the whole ordeal funny.

"Darling, please. There is no need to shout. Have you forgotten how to use your inside voice?"

She gritted her teeth. "Do not call me darling."

"Do you prefer 'milady' instead?" The man grinned from ear-to-ear, indicating that he found teasing her to be rather amusing.

Marinette yanked at her bonds once more, despite how useless she knew it was. She wasn't about to answer his ridiculous questions. "What do you want with me? Why have you taken me?"

Chat Noir chuckled, the sound not dark, but not exactly friendly either. "Do you not know who I am?"

"Everyone knows who you are you dickhead." Marinette grounded out. "You are Chat Noir. The most wanted criminal in all of Deadwood."

The man's grin widened, "Your insult game is astounding, well done." He was being sarcastic, she realized. How dare he.

"I could call you something much worse you son of a—"

Chat Noir clicked his tongue, almost as if he were reprimanding her. "Now now, let us keep that little mouth of yours clean, yeah? A woman of your stature has to keep a good reputation, after all."

Marinette scowled at him. She wanted nothing more than to ring his neck. Unfortunately, her hands were still bound by these blasted itchy ropes. "What do you want with me?"

Chat Noir stepped forward, a mysterious gleam in his eyes as he slowly began to undo the ropes which were fastened uncomfortably around her wrists. She could only stare at his gloved hands in surprise, unsure of what to make of his sudden decision.

"If you know who I am..." he said slowly, his eyes remaining focused on the ropes as he untied them. "Then you must also know what I want."

But his actions only seemed to bring controversy to the room. Before Marinette could formulate a response, one of the men who had been sitting hastily stood up, causing his wooden chair to screech across the wooden flooring as if chalk was being scratched along a chalkboard. "What are you doing?!" He exclaimed angrily, cocking his gun as he did so. "Why are you freeing her?!"

Chat Noir looked over his shoulder to offer the man an unamused look. "And what are you so worried about?"

"Huh—well what if she runs off?!"

"Are you telling me that you are incapable of catching a child?" Chat Noir's gaze was dark, but stern fit the description equally so. And that look was all it took for that man to shut his mouth.

"I am not a child." Marinette huffed stubbornly.

To that, Chat Noir chuckled again. He turned around to face her once more. "Oh I know. But your father might still believe otherwise. A daughter is never not a little girl in her father's eyes." He turned away from her to face the other men in the room—his audience—whom he continued to greatly entertain by saying: "Imagine how much he would pay us to get his daughter back."

And that's when it suddenly clicked, and she understood.

He wanted money, of course. And lots of it. And what better way to receive such riches than through her father?

All around the room, the men snickered. But Marinette simply growled. "You dare try to manipulate my father for money?"

Chat Noir turned to look at her again, an amused smile pulling at his lips. "Why, of course. I know you are not as naive as you look. What better way to steal from the richest man alive than to use his daughter as bait?"

"You should just kill me instead!"

"Do not be so dramatic," Chat Noir groaned, throwing her a roll of his eyes. "What would be the fun in that? Or better yet, what would I gain from your death? Besides, no one here is stupid enough to end your life. You are the daughter of the mayor, after all."

"My title means nothing." Marinette glared at him with a look of death in her eyes. If the infamous Chat Noir wanted to play with fire, she would make sure that he got burnt. "And even if it did hold value like you believe it does, I am not my father's only offspring, nor will I ever inherit his wealth."

For a moment, the room fell silent once more. She watched as Chat Noir moved silently towards her once more, his steps quiet and precise. He kneeled in front of her, where she was still seated in a creaky wooden splinter, and offered her a smile she'd never seen him wear before. Unlike the other smiles, this one held no cockiness behind it.

"Because you are a woman, is that right?"

Marinette's frown deepened, but she refused to answer his question. No, she would not give him the satisfaction of being right. She would not admit to him that her brothers were more important than her; that her brothers would be the ones to take over what her father had built for them. She wouldn't dare admit that her only purpose was to be married off to some lowlife of a bachelor.

"Perhaps you will never inherit your father's riches." Chat Noir said matter-of-factly, "But you did inherit his name. And whether you believe so or not, names are incredibly powerful. So much so that a name alone could make a man crumble to his knees in fear."

Marinette swallowed, but she didn't allow herself to reveal her own fear.

Chat Noir leaned forward ever-so-slightly, his nose merely inches from hers. "Last I remember, you are your father's only daughter. And I am sure a man of his position would want you to be married to a fine bachelor. Whoever marries you, well..." the man in black chuckled, and stepped away from her, allowing her to regain her space. "He will become one wealthy man."

Again, all the men that surrounded them both chuckled evilly between one another. Marinette's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widening as the horrific realization dawned on her.

She wasn't kidnapped to be bribed to her father for an award... she was kidnapped so that he could marry her... and gain an eternal wealth.

"You are a priceless woman, after all." He said with a smile on his lips. But his smile only held greed. The sight made her want to knock his teeth out. But it was true. Every damned word he spoke was the truth.

She was worth fortunes, especially in his eyes. And her father would pay just that to get her back... even if that meant she was the price.

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☞ Forbidden Fruits is now available on my profile as it's own book!

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