I'm a cliche. Please enjoy the mess and try not to cringe.
Marinette was completely taken.
There was a cool sensation in her scalp, and Marinette hadn't felt this much sadness and confusion in her entire life.
She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.
Here was the man that stole years of her life, and not only betrayed her trust, but he literally ripped everything out from underneath her.
There was an awkward silence between the two of them, and Marinette could only hear the chirping of the birds out in the garden behind him.
Felix looked at her awkwardly, rocking back and forth on his feet as Marinette appeared to be in a horrific trance.
"Can I come in?" Felix asked. "I hear that my parents gifted you our old home. I'm curious to see what you've done with the place. I know it's been a while, I was back in town and thought to stop by to see how you've been."
Marinette blinked, her heart squeezing in her chest as the words he spoke to her weren't making sense.
How could he just completely abandon her, rip her heart out from her chest and then leave town knowing full well what he had done to her? How did he expect to simply come back and talk to her like nothing had ever happened?
It was a mindset that she couldn't understand.
But this was Felix.
There was a sense of familiarity when it came to him. It brought her back to when things were okay. He was her first love, he was the first person she lived with. She believed he was the first person that showed her what love was.
But he cheated on her.
Marinette pressed her lips together, slowly stepping outside and closing the door behind her. Her hand trembled as she reached up to fix the strap of her pyjama top to fit her shoulder.
"I… I can't let you in. The place is a mess..." Marinette fibbed, worried about how if she'd let him in, he would probably never leave.
She had so many questions. She wanted him to know that she knew what he had been up to, what he did, why he left, why he did what he did to her.
Marinette ran a hand through her hair, stepping out into the garden that surrounded them.
"Why do you think it's okay to disappear for years with no heads-up whatsoever and then come back like nothing ever happened?" Marinette asked, crossing her arms as she could feel the warm grass beneath her toes.
Felix sighed, lowering his eyes to the ground as he squinted against the sun. He bunched his hands into his pockets and faced away from her.
"I don't expect you to forgive me right away. I can't blame you for the way I treated you back then," Felix explained, his voice soft. "I messed up, I wasn't thinking straight. I was being selfish."
Felix paused, turning back to glance at Marinette who stared blankly at him.
"But I heard your name through the grapevine during my time in university… my parents told me that they had given you my childhood home and then I couldn't stop thinking about you. I missed what we had."
Marinette widened her eyes, her bottom lip trembling as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew everything that he did. She knew that he was sleeping with another woman, and then he came back to the same bed to lay beside her.
There was a possibility that Felix had a child somewhere, and that thought destroyed her.
"Y-You heard my name through the grapevine?" Marinette asked, her chest tightening as she tried her hardest not to cry. "So then you know about my marriage."
Felix chortled, shifting his weight to one leg.
"I… I may have heard that you were arranged to marry my cousin for his father's selfish gain." He paused, his eyes moving down towards her neck where she bore all the marks that Adrien had left on her the night before. "I guess it's safe to say that you both are getting along."
Marinette blushed deeply, she immediately retracted her hands towards her neck and for a brief moment, she had cursed herself for not packing on the makeup before stepping out of the house.
What was she thinking?
Of course, Adrien wouldn't know. He knew where the spare keys were.
"Why does it matter to you?" Marinette questioned, her voice quivering as the simple sight of Felix simply destroyed her. He didn't change. Save for the fact that he may have gotten a bit taller and he trimmed his hair better than what he did in the past, he still looked like the same Felix she had loved for so many years. "You left me. You never even said goodbye. You didn't answer any of my calls or texts, you just left me to pick up the pieces. Was it wrong that I moved on? It was obvious that you didn't want what we had back then."
Felix clenched his jaw, his chest rising as he took in a deep breath. His eyes followed a butterfly that landed on a flower nearby.
"I made a mistake, Marinette. I was immature and I was stupid. I know that it doesn't excuse for the ache I've put you through, but I can assure you that I'm a changed man." Felix glanced back at Marinette with a grimace. "I'm sorry for everything I did in the past. I shouldn't have done it to you. But the more I thought about it, the more I missed you. I figured you wouldn't want to see me, so when I heard about the arranged marriage, I thought I'd use it as an excuse to see you."
Marinette clenched her fists, pressing her lips together as her head felt as if it was about to roll off her shoulders.
"I've come to ask for you back. I know it's a long shot, but please give me another chance. I promise I'll do everything I can to make it up to you. I realised what I missed out on, and I regret everything I've done to you. I promise I changed. We can go back to how everything was before I fucked everything up." He continued, his voice remaining soft and pliable.
Marinette couldn't help herself. The tears had started to bubble in her eyes. She couldn't understand how he could fuck with her head the way that he did.
She couldn't even tell if he was being serious anymore.
She had finally gathered all of her strength to move on from him and find someone new, just so he could come back and flip her upside-down all over again.
"Who was she?" Marinette asked, her cheeks growing red as her heart ached within the confines of her chest. "I want to know who she is..."
Felix furrowed his brow, the male shifting his weight as he cocked his head to the side. "Who is who?" He asked, perking a brow.
Marinette dug her nails into her arms as she kept her arms crossed tautly against her chest. Her tears had begun to slide down her cheeks and Marinette had to take one large gulp to prevent herself from breaking down in front of him.
"The girl you were fucking and got pregnant behind my back." Marinette muttered through her teeth. Her head immediately grew light at the sound of her own words. She tried to steady her breathing as even now, hearing who his mistress was felt incredibly painful to her.
Felix's face grew white and he cleared his throat. He immediately drew his gaze away from her and he kept his eyes on the bushes that were nicely decorating the stone path to the pool patio.
"I… I wasn't aware that you knew about that."
Marinette chuckled impassively. Her blood boiling at Felix's selfishness.
"Did you really think you could just come back and I'd welcome you with open arms? You got her pregnant, how did you not think I was going to find out about this?"
Felix sighed, his eyes moving back down to the ground as he pressed his lips together.
"She was a family friend. I met her at a cafe when she worked at the tobacco counter. I didn't realise that she had connections to our family via business until after she threatened to reveal her pregnancy to the press." Felix elucidated as he clenched his fists inside of his pockets. "I realised how much I regretted it. I was worried about you, I was worried about what my parents would do if it was leaked..." he bit his lip. "I was worried about what Gabriel would do, seeing as though I was a part of his brand. I heard that she did have an abortion after I left. I guess she realised that blackmailing me wouldn't do her any good."
Marinette felt her chest grow tight. She clenched her fists, her heart aching inside of her chest. It was brutal.
"I don't know what your relationship with my cousin is like, but I really am begging for another chance." Felix continued.
Marinette felt sick to her stomach. She knew that Felix had cheated, knocked someone up, and then fled, but hearing him confirm it hurt more than anything that bled.
She remembered how their relationship was when it was okay, but it all seemed like a distorted blur. She wanted things that he didn't want. She had finally learned to accept it.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and Marinette quickly turned away.
She hated herself. She truly did.
After all this time, she still allowed his carelessness to hurt her.
"Don't you miss what we had?" Felix asked, turning around to face her. He frowned, his lips pressing together when he witnessed Marinette completely turned away from him.
Marinette sniffled, reaching up to wipe her tears away from her cheeks. She glanced down, curling into the wall as she simply just wanted to fall into the dirt and die.
She did miss what they had. She wanted what they had so badly. Marinette had spent years laying in bed, looking at their photos and crying while she wondered what she did wrong. There were days that Marinette remained up all night, skipped meals, and even missed a few days out on school because the pain had prevented her from even leaving her bed.
She had put her life on hold because she did miss what they had, but that all went away the moment that she realised she loved Adrien and because she learned of the horrible things that Felix was doing behind her back.
There was no trust in that relationship, and without trust, there simply was no point. Marinette reached up, covering her face completely with her hands as she had never felt so conflicted in her life.
The sound of his voice nearly broke her. This whole time she viewed Felix as her safe place, as her home. But the whole thing was a lie.
At least that's what she wanted to believe. But was it really okay to go back to something like that?
Marinette had doubts that he would even stay if she decided to give him another try. She'd be up all night wondering what he had been up to during the day. Marinette believed that she had made herself a new home. She had grown accustomed to a new norm.
"Marinette, please..." Felix pleaded. "I promise, I'll do everything I can to make this right. I still love you, and I want to make things right with you. I made a huge mistake and I realised that you were the one I want to be with. You're the one I want to give myself to. You're the one I want to be to lay beside me and be the mother of my children. You're the home I never realised that I needed..."
Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, her heart racing inside of her chest as she worried she was close to a mental breakdown. She clamped her hands over her ears, whimpering softly as she just wanted everything to stop.
She needed everything to just stop.
Felix cocked his head to the side, watching as Marinette kept herself away from him. He shifted his weight, sliding his left hand out of his pocket and reached out to her.
Marinette cried softly, her knees growing weak as she could feel him approach her. She pressed her lips together, preparing herself for his unwanted caress.
But it never happened.
"Sad that we missed you at the wedding," Adrien murmured, gripping his arm before he could touch Marinette. "But may I ask why you've decided to stop by?"
Felix frowned, jerking his arm away from Adrien who stubbornly wedged his way between Felix and Marinette.
Marinette gasped, her heart immediately beating fast at the sound of Adrien's voice. A soft blush dusted her cheeks and she instantly looked back at both of them. It was Marinette's natural instinct to wrap her arms around Adrien and pull him closer but she didn't want to make things any more awkward than they were. It was bad enough that Felix had already seen the marks that Adrien left behind on her neck.
Felix glared at Adrien, taking a few steps back to put some space between the both of them.
"I wasn't invited, so I didn't show up." Felix reiterated, a cold tone in his voice.
Adrien shrugged with a weak grin.
"Perhaps if you weren't elusive somewhere in England and actually checked in with us every once in a while, we would have known where to send the invitation," Adrien replied, crossing his arms. "You wouldn't have anything to hide; do you?"
Felix scoffed, rolling his eyes as he slipped his hands back into his pockets. He clenched his jaw, his teeth audibly grinding behind his lips.
"I came here to talk to Marinette. I didn't come here to talk to you. Butt out, we were having a conversation." He deadpanned coldly.
Marinette clamped her hand over her mouth, a grimace on her lips as she didn't quite like Felix talking down to Adrien that way.
"Talk to Marinette?" Adrien mused, perking a brow. "You mean trying to manipulate her into taking you back? Haven't you done enough?"
Felix remained quiet, glancing away from Adrien as he began to grind his teeth even more so. He pressed his lips together, exhaling from his nose provocatively.
Marinette frowned, feeling a little frightened by the look on his face.
"She's doing well for herself..." Adrien murmured, keeping his eyes on his cousin. "Don't come back to ruin it."
Felix chuckled, his smile soon fading as he clenched his jaw briefly.
"Ultimately, it's Marinette's decision." Felix muttered, his eyes glancing over to Marinette who gawked at him from behind Adrien.
Felix turned his attention to Marinette, his eyes trained on her just as his harsh features began to relax.
"Just think about it." He whispered, giving Adrien one last hard look before he reluctantly turned and began to walk on the path that led to the outside of the garden.
Adrien sighed, his shoulders falling forward as a grimace etched on to his features.
His cousin was right.
It was Marinette's decision.
It had been less than four hours, and Adrien already witnessed two love confessions for his wife. He was beginning to feel completely deflated.
Marinette bit her lip, her vision turning into a blur as she finally wept. She hid her face in her hands and her body trembled.
The sight of Felix and his very presence did nothing but shatter her.
She truly hated herself for being so weak, but she couldn't understand why the encounter with him made her realise how much she actually missed him and how things were.
Adrien frowned, immediately placing his hand onto her shoulder. He leaned into her, his hand lacing into hers as he began to guide her back into the house.
"You know, you don't have to make any decisions you're uncomfortable with." Adrien assured, stepping into the kitchen with her before he let her go so that he could close the slider doors behind them.
Marinette sniffled, pressing her lips together as her blue eyes landed on her favorite white couch with her pink throw pillows. She recalled that she had a photo of her and Felix set up in a frame somewhere.
It felt like he fucked everything up.
Suddenly, everything that belonged to her only reminded her of him. The fact that she was now living in a home that he once grew up with was not helping her.
She trudged over to her sofa, her heart aching in her chest as she simply sat down and glared into her lap. Her cheeks had begun to dry from the tears and she exhaled in defeat.
"It's just... difficult. To be with someone for so long… to the point where they know you inside and out, only to learn that they disappeared because they couldn't remain faithful or keep an interest in you. I feel shaken..." Marinette reached up to rub her tear-stained cheeks. "I didn't expect him to show up after all this time."
Adrien glanced at her, his eyes lowering as he spotted his wife on the couch struggling to keep herself together. She was doing so well without him before. Adrien couldn't understand why he had to come back into the picture and fuck things up.
"Someone who knows you inside and out?" Adrien mused, walking into the living room with pursed lips. He sat down beside her, leaning into the sofa before he reached over to grab her hand.
"Does he know that you sing when you're upset or stressed?" Adrien asked, a bit of jealousy laced into his voice. "Does he know that you rub your chest when you're anxious? Does he know that you hate sleeping with the blankets over your feet when you're warm? Or that you make amazing bread? Does he know that you have a really pretty birthmark on your inner upper thigh right by your-"
"Adrien!" Marinette screeched, throwing one of her pink pillows at him with a deep blush. She sighed, a weak smile forming on her lips as Adrien placed his arm on to her shoulder.
"Look, I understand that decisions can be hard and you know that I want what's best for you," Adrien closed his eyes, leaning on her slightly. "Felix is right, this is all your decision. I want you to be happy, so I'll support you with any decision you make. Whatever happens, I'll always be in your life."
Marinette blushed, her breath growing rigid as she listened to what Adrien had to say. She frowned, her heart suddenly feeling heavy as Adrien squeezed her.
She frowned, holding herself as Adrien let her go. She glanced up, her blue eyes widening as Adrien offered her a small smile before he stood up.
Her heart began to pound inside of her ears, and she watched as Adrien turned his back to her.
"No," Marinette breathed, slowly standing up. "No. I don't need to make any decisions."
Adrien paused, his chest growing tight the moment that she spoke to him. The male turned around, his brow furrowed as he glanced back at Marinette.
"What do you mean?" He asked, his heart beginning to pound in his ears.
Marinette immediately moved towards him, throwing herself into his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I don't want to be with anyone else but you. You were my first choice and you'll be my only choice." Marinette whispered, rubbing her face into his chest.
Adrien exhaled, his knees feeling weak as he reciprocated the gesture. He swathed his arms around her, holding her close to him. He pressed small kisses to the top of her head.
Despite her being in his arms, Adrien still worried.
The last thing he wanted was to lose his ladybug.
"Do you remember your first love confession in high school?"
Adrien's voice emanated from the dark. He and Marinette lay in bed while the moonlight permeated through the sheer white curtains of the master bedroom balcony.
Marinette slowly opened her eyes in the dark, she placed her hands into the sheets beneath her and she yawned, blindly searching for her love in the dark.
Adrien caught her hand, guiding it to his shoulder before he let it go so that he could swathe his arms tautly around her. He drew her close, resting his chin on the top of Marinette's head.
Marinette nuzzled into his chest, keeping her eyes closed as she yawned.
"I never got a love confession in high school. When Felix and I started dating, I was the one who confessed. I didn't have a lot of friends at school," Marinette hummed softly, her hands sliding down the length of his upper arms. "I guess you can say that I was a wallflower."
Adrien chuckled, his fingertips running up and down the length of her spine with a weary smile.
"That's too bad I didn't go to your school. I would have loved to have known you then." He whispered, hugging her tightly.
A small blush coated Marinette's skin and she bit her lip, her hands moving back up towards his hair. Her fingers lightly ran through his hair and she soon took in a deep breath.
If only she had met him before he had met Kagami. If only if she had met him before she had met Felix.
Things would have been different now.
"What about you? Do you remember your first love confession in high school?" Marinette questioned, pulling back slightly so she could look at his face in the pale rays of the moonlight. "I assume a model like you would have gotten a lot of them."
Adrien shrugged, reaching over to brush his fingers against her flushed freckled cheek.
"I was homeschooled most of my life. However, I was able to take hobby classes outside of homeschooling. When I did sports like fencing, I was able to meet new people. Most of them were either people on my team or opponents. I remember one of my teammates who I've practiced with for a few years stopped me on my way back to my bodyguard's car." Adrien whispered, reminiscing on his teenage days. "He gave me a box of chocolates and a love note. I mean, at the time I thought he was nice, but I didn't really see him that way." He glanced down at Marinette who returned his gaze with sleepy bubble blue eyes.
"My mom always told me to be honest with people, it wouldn't be okay to lead him on or play with people's feelings. So I told him the truth. I told him I thought he was a great guy, I enjoyed practicing with him, but I didn't really see him in that way. I made it a point that he was a really great friend. So then he takes the box of chocolates back and leaves." Adrien chuckled, resting his cheek on the top of Marinette's head.
"I spent the whole ride home incredibly disappointed because I was hoping he'd at least let me keep the chocolate."
Marinette giggled, closing her eyes and relaxing against him.
"Hmmm. That's too bad you didn't get a chance to have some chocolates back then."
Adrien chuckled, his breathing becoming slow as he was ready to fall asleep with his wife in his arms.
'Sincere as a melody'
Adrien furrowed his brow, his heart feeling like it was ready to sink into his stomach acid. Luka's confession regarding Marinette remained in the back of his mind.
Adrien could not, and would not, control who Marinette should and would be friends with.
He just had to have faith in her decision to remain with him.
Adrien squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that whatever happened, wherever they went, or whatever they did, they would go through it together.
