A/N: Alright! There is some abuse/assault in this chapter, so be warned! Also, so you can understand the first scene and it makes more sense. Everything in Italics is what's happening to Marinette while Adrien is performing this song. The dialogue that is notin italics are the lyrics to the song he's singing. R&R, I'll be back soon with the next chapter! XOXO
And the song used in this chapter is Home - Three Days Grace.
Adrien stood on stage behind the microphone and stared out at the cheering crowd before him. His distraction was failing him, he couldn't block everything out like he normally could while he performed. Was it showing? No, he wouldn't let his fans down like that, but did he like it? Not at all. He turned to his bandmates to mutter something quietly to them. He was changing the set list. They all shrugged their shoulders and nodded before Adrien looked back to the crowd. Nino counted them off by smacking his drumsticks together; one, two, three, four.
The rest of the band jumped up, then slammed on the ground as they started to play. Adrien closed his eyes as he violently strummed out note after note on his guitar. The crowd started screaming; this was a song they hadn't played in a while, so the fans were happy to hear it again. The blond stepped up to mic as he started to sing.
"I'll be coming home just be alone."
Marinette unlocked the door to her townhouse and slowly pushed it open to step inside. She stood in the foyer quietly as she looked around nervously. "Félix?" She called out to him but there was no response. Letting out a small breath she moved out of the foyer to the living room.
"Cause I know you're not there and I know that you don't care."
From the living room she proceeded to run up the stairs, poking her head in every room to double check that her husband wasn't home. Eventually she was in the bedroom grabbing a suitcase to throw some clothes into.
"I can hardly wait to leave this place."
"No matter how hard I try, you're never satisfied." Marinette moved as quickly as she could, filling up her suitcase with everything that she might need. "This is not a home I think I'm better off alone." She was holding back her tears as she darted around the room, whispering to herself 'Please don't come home, please don't come home.' over and over again. "You always disappear, even when you're here." She froze at the sound of the front door opening. "This is not my home I think I'm better of alone. Home. Home. This house is not a home, home. This house is not a home." She started to panic. 'No, no, no, nonononono' she mentally cried.
"By the time you come home I'm already stoned."
As she tried to put everything back in their proper place she could hear Félix walking through the house, heading to the stairs. His steps were slow and deliberate like he knew what she was planning on doing. Before she knew it his steps were right behind the door and her suitcase was still on the bed.
"You turn off the T.V. and you scream at me!"
"Marinette, my darling songb-" He greeted her as he opened the door, pausing when he looked at her, then at the suitcase. "What's that for?" He asked, voice dropping to a dangerous monotone while he glared at her. She stared back at him terrified. "I was...reorganizing…" She lied, knowing he wouldn't buy it but trying anyway.
"I can hardly wait for you to get off my case."
"No matter how hard I try, you're never satisfied." Marinette shrieked as Félix viciously lashed out, slapping her roughly. "Don't lie to me!" He yelled. "This is not a home I think I'm better off alone." She fell backwards onto the bed gasping for breath as Félix followed after her to clamp his hand around her throat. "You always disappear, even when you're here." Tears started to pour down from her eyes as he growled. "You were planning on leaving, weren't you?" She shook her head. "This is not my home I think I'm better off alone."
"Home, home. This house is not a home, home." The back of his hand connected with her cheek again as he held her pinned to the bed by her neck. "This house is not a home, home." His grip tightened as she struggled underneath of him. She reached up to claw at his eyes and it was just enough for him to let go. "This house is not a home, home." She sprinted from the bedroom with Félix right on her heels. He grabbed her by the hair to smash her face into a hallway mirror. "You bitch! You were going to leave me!" He roared. "This house is not a home."
"I'm better off alone!" She fell the ground sobbing with glass in her hands as she used them to try and protect her face. "No matter how hard I try, you're never satisfied." She could tell her lips were bleeding but she kept trying to get away from him. She had to get out. "This is not a home I think I'm better off alone." She made it down the stairs when Félix caught her again, yanking her by the wrists and holding them tight enough to bruise. "You always disappear, even when you're here." Marinette grabbed a vase off a nearby bookshelf and smashed it over Félix's head so he'd let her go. "This is not my home I think I'm better off alone."
"Home, home. This house is not a home, home." Marinette scrambled for the front door, tripping over herself in the process. "This house is not a home, home." Her hand landed on the doorknob, heart racing, and she swung it open. "This house is not a home, home." The cool night air hit her lungs as she ran out of her house. "This house is not a home." She could hear Félix shout after her from the doorway but it was too late. She was gone. She was free, for now.
As the song came to an end Adrien had a sinking feeling in his chest. A feeling that something bad just happened but he didn't know what.
-oOo-
The concert had been over for a while but Adrien was back to his aimless wandering. He was still in his stage make up with his guitar strapped over one shoulder and that feeling still hadn't left his chest. He pulled his almost empty pack of smokes out of his pocket and pulled one out, lazily lighting it before shoving the rest back in his pocket. There was still a small throbbing in his head from all the drinking he had done the day before and while the nicotine was helping he was ready for the headache to be gone.
Finally he was in front of his apartment building about to head inside when the sound of someone sniffling caught his attention. He turned to see someone slowly staggering down the sidewalk. At first he thought it was just some drunk stranger but when they walked under the lamppost his cigarette fell out of his mouth. "Marinette…?" He asked quietly.
She froze where she stood as she turned her head to look at him. This explained that feeling in his chest. The girl was trembling, clinging to her jacket, and she looked like complete shit. He could see a scabbed up cut on her forehead just at the edge of her hairline, an unnatural red cheek, and a busted lip but the rest of her was covered. "Adrien?" Her voice was weak, cracking some even though she only said one word.
The blond took a few steps closer to her as he tried to find something he should say. The stars in her eyes had fallen down her cheeks which were stained with her tears. Those jaw dropping sapphires looked lifeless under the light she stood next to. "What happened to you? What are you doing out here so late?" He finally asked as he stood next to her. He reached a hand out towards her but she quickly shied away from him, stepping backwards a little.
"It...it's fine. I just tripped and took a nasty fall down some stairs." She muttered. Adrien wanted to believe her but his chest just tightened up even more. "I just r-really needed to get some air." Marinette continued. "Bad day, I guess." He let out a long breath as he looked her over. He swayed onto one side a little before speaking up again. "Do you want to come up and talk about it?" He asked, pointing over to the apartment building they stood near. "I'm in the only one on the top floor."
She shook her head rapidly. "No, no, I couldn't bother you like that." In the process her jacket lowered a little from her neck and Adrien was quick to notice purple. Is that a bruise? Marinette realized how focused his gaze on her neck was and wrapped her jacket around her neck to cover up the bruise once more. She had hoped maybe that wasn't what he was staring at but the pained, somewhat furious look in his eyes told her he had absolutely seen it. "A-anyway, I should probably go…" She whispered, turning around to leave.
"Wait!" Adrien said, stepping towards her and reaching out but pulling back some before he actually touched her. "Let me walk with you. It's dangerous to be alone at night." He offered quietly. She turned back around to look at him, studying him, before she nodded her head slowly. As she turned back to keep walking he caught up to walk next to her with his hands stuffed in his pockets. They were quiet for a few moments before she finally spoke up. "I like your band, by the way." She muttered.
He blinked and looked down at her. "R-Really? Never thought a jazz singer would be at one of my shows." He said with a light laugh. She giggled a little. "Yeah, it's a sort of guilty pleasure of mine. So don't tell anyone." She said, raising a finger to her lips. Adrien inwardly twinged as she did so, he could see another bruise just under the cuff of her jacket on her wrist. She didn't fall, did she? He kept that thought to himself. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul, Princess." He said with a smirk.
"Princess?" She asked with a raised brow. The blond swallowed harshly and looked away from her. "Sorry, I don't really know where that came from." She shook her head gently. "It's fine, it's kind of sweet. You know, it's funny you call yourself Chat Noir in your band." Adrien turned to look at her curiously as she continued. "After that night at the station since I didn't know your name I started referring to you as Minou. You looked like a wet kitten that night with your hair stuck to your face."
Adrien grinned. "I always called you Ladybug because of your phone case." He admitted with a small laugh. Marinette smiled up at him and he could see a few lights start to come back in her eyes. At least he was helping her some. A car suddenly pulled up to the curb next to them and Félix hopped out of the driver's seat. "Marinette! There you are, I was so worried about you."
Adrien watched as Marinette turned into a statue with all the color draining from her face. She looked so terrified at just hearing her husbands voice. She jumped when Félix put a hand on her shoulder, standing there on edge like she wanted to run away from him. It made the hair on the back of Adrien's neck stand up. He didn't like this guy and he especially didn't like the fact that Marinette seemed mortified to see him. It also brought back the question Adrien had just a few minutes beforehand.
"Marinette…" He started, looked between her and her husband. "Did you really fall?" He asked, knowing he probably shouldn't but just seeing how scared she looked he couldn't help it. There was no way she got those kinds of bruises in those places from just falling. She stared up at him wide eyed but before she could say anything Félix spoke up. "Oh, of course she did. My silly wife here is always tripping over herself and falling at home." He said with a fake laugh. "It's a hassle constantly cleaning up after all the things she breaks."
Adrien twitched. God he wanted to punch that face in because he knew that fucker was lying. "Right, dear?" Félix asked and Marinette winced as the grip on her shoulder tightened. It took all of Adrien's control not to rip that hand off her shoulder. "Y-Yeah, silly klutz, that's me." She said with a weak laugh. Marinette looked up at Adrien apologetically before gazing down at her feet. Her stars were gone again.
"Anyway, honey, we should get home. It's getting late and you have a very busy day tomorrow." Her husband said, pulling her away from Adrien and towards the car. She stalled for a moment before giving Félix a defeated nod and following after him. Félix held the door open for her as she slid into the car, closing it a bit too roughly in Adrien's opinion.
As Félix rounded the car Adrien stared at Marinette mouthing the words 'My door is always open' before Félix could see him do it. Before her husband got in the car he stared at Adrien for a moment and the rocker glared back at him. It was a split second moment but the two of them shared a silent conversation.
'Stay away from my wife.' Félix conveyed with his eyes.
'Make me.' Adrien retorted with a sneer.
Félix let out an aggravated huff before he dropped into his car, slamming the door shut in the process. He sped off down the street and Adrien watched until they disappeared into the city. He stood on the sidewalk with his eyes locked onto where the car had vanished from his sight. A few minutes later Adrien started walking back to his apartment, lighting another cigarette in the process. "Make me…" he repeated out loud to himself.