Penguin: Hi everyone! Here's Chapter 4! Time to answer some reviews!
~Response to MMTT~
ImpartialOtaku: Thank you! And the next chapter is now xD
Panteabooks: I can't say x: And I haven't even written the part about that yet so we'll see if she does XD And yes, they are.
Solei Dragheart: Thank you! And I won't! Well, I just wanted to say where it's from because it wasn't my idea originally.
Pinksakura271: Work is alright. I mean, I make money to get by, so yeah. xD Well I know Adrien is your favorite character but at least don't let anyone else get hurt! I wouldn't want to see Rose be hurt! Yeah, I didn't want it to be Nathanael, he needs a break from being the bad guy. Mhm. Thank you! And yup, I agree. Don't leave her alone.
Casade00: I don't want to say because then if I keep saying no, you guys will figure out who it is way too easily. I have no idea what smut is, so I can't answer that right now. xD I feel like I know what it is, I've just never heard of the term smut before.
AshxDawnaddicted: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it and loved it! Who knows what Adrien has up his sleeve? c; Well, that guy will be revealed...towards the end :D I did? Well, I have to leave something xD To be honest, I haven't really seen their pairing. Oh yeah, I was looking at them! I didn't finish reading them, but I like them! And thank you! It's being updated now ;D
Lilly: Thank you! And I love that you gave it a chance! It warms my heart c:
lilly: Yup! I figured it's a nice change from the whole teen model thing.
lilly is scared: Nope.
Gleamqueen: No...no I was not. I've never even read the book. And you're entitled to your own opinion, so I don't mind. And I said in the prologue that this story would have sex in it. But I haven't even wrote that yet. And I'm pretty sure that Chapter 4 doesn't have sex in it. It just mentions it. And yes, I'm 100% sure. I have to agree with you because when I was writing this, it reminded me of that book. But no, I haven't read it and I never will. This story comes from a book I found in the app store called Mine to Take. If you'd like, you can read that book and see what happens for youself.
Guest: She's fine, I promise! xD She's not dead!
"You definitely have a concussion, Marinette." Sabrina said as she shone a light into Marinette's eyes. Adrien crossed his arms over his chest. He moved back so that Sabrina could work on Marinette, but he wasn't going to leave the exam room. He wasn't in the mood to let Marinette out of his sight.
"We'll need you to stay overnight for observation." Dr. Raincomprix told Marinette as she lowered her light. (A/N: Sabrina's last name is Raincomprix, so I'm talking about Sabrina xD.) "It's a precaution in a situation like this-"
"No." Marinette said, denial cutting through the doctor's words. "I'm going home." There was no way in hell Marinette was staying in the hospital for the night. Ever since her accident, she hated hospitals.
"Marinette, I don't think you realize how dangerous a concussion can be." Sabrina spoke carefully, in that soothing manner that doctors managed so easily. "Brain injuries are unpredictable. Your concussion appears mild now, but what if you have a seizure in the middle of the night? What if you fall…is there someone at your home that can help you?"
Marinette's blue gaze darted to Adrien, then back to the doctor. "I-I'll be fine." She'll be alone.
Sabrina glanced back at Adrien. "I'm the patient." Marinette reminded Sabrina. Adrien liked the snap of anger in her voice. Before, Marinette was afraid. She was shaking when he rushed over inside that studio.
Nino should have taken better care of her. Nino screwed up. No, I screwed up. I shouldn't blame Nino for my mistakes. I should have kept her closer. Too much time had been wasted. "Are you guys…dating or something?" Sabrina asked Adrien, trying to figure out how these two connected. They were such a great couple, until Adrien dumped her. Now here they were, together, in the same room. It baffled her.
Adrien nodded. Sabrina didn't need to know everything that was going on. "She won't be alone; I'll make sure of that." Sabrina's tension from her face eased away. "You need to keep Marinette awake. Monitor her through the night."
"Adrien." Marinette began. "Consider it done." Adrien said. Sabrina nodded, grateful. "I'll go prepare discharge orders." Sabrina hesitated a little. "You will keep a close eye on her, right?"
"The closest eye possible." Adrien promised. Sabrina hurried from the room and Adrien headed towards the exam table. Adrien locked eyes with Marinette. Sabrina's right, he needed to keep her safe. "This is the way it will play out. You either come with me, or you'll spend the night here."
Bright spots of color stained her cheeks. "I've been inside hospitals long enough. After the accident, I had weeks of therapy. I can't stay here; it makes me sick." Adrien's hands pressed into the exam table on either side of her. "Then you're coming with me."
She was the one who walked into his office. To return to him. He wasn't going to back away now. "Your stalker has accelerated." Adrien told her as he leaned in close. The room smelled like antiseptic, but she smelled of sweet lavender. He was close enough to see the gold in her eyes.
"He snuck past my guard. He got to you. He HURT you." Adrien barely held back on his fury. "I'm not leaving you until that son of a bitch is off the streets and away from you." A knock sounded at the door. Adrien glanced over his shoulder.
"This is Detective Nathanael!" A voice called. "Marinette, I need to talk to you." Adrien's eyes narrowed. He was wondering when the local boys in blue would show up.
"He's the one who's been handling my case." Marinette murmured. "The doctors…they must have called the police in."
"Well you were assaulted." Adrien knew the notification was standard protocol. "I guess he has to believe me now." Marinette said, voice tense. Adrien's gaze cut back to her. Marinette was dressed in a green paper hospital gown. She looked so fragile siting on that table. Her eyes were huge and her hair was a dark curtain around her face.
"Marinette!" Nathanael called again. Before she could respond, Nathanael began to open the door. Adrien moved quickly in front of the door so that he would be right in Nathanael's path. Nathanael jerked to a halt when he saw Adrien.
"What the hell are you doing here Adrien? I haven't seen you ever since you left Paris." Adrien's brows rose as he studied Nathanael. Nathanael was in his early twenties with his dark red hair, fit, wearing a cop outfit, and with a dark stare that heated a little too much when it peered over Adrien's shoulder and focused on Marinette.
Nathanael made Adrien immediately on edge. "I'm here for Marinette." Adrien said simply, but Adrien knew that Nathanael would hear the possessiveness that was in his voice. Nathanael stepped around him. He only seemed to be focused on Marinette. "Are you alright?"
Marinette forced a smile. It barely even lifted her lips. Marinette really didn't want to be in the hospital, especially not with the police.
"Just a bump on the head. I'll be fine." Nathanael then reached out his hand and curled it around Marinette's hand. Adrien tensed up a bit. What kind of police work was that? Nathanael was far too cozy with Marinette, especially for someone who didn't believe her story about her stalker.
"The attack changes things." Nathanael said as he skimmed his fingers over her knuckles. "This is an assault. I can get a team at-"
"My team is already at her studio." Adrien said as he returned to Marinette's side. Nathanael was still holding her hand. Still staring at Marinette with far too much interest, and still pissing Adrien off to an alarming degree. "But your officers are certainly welcome to join the hunt."
"Your team?" Nathanael repeated as his brow furrowed. Then his stare was back on Adrien. "You know, you never said where you worked. Aren't you supposed to be at your desk or something? I'm pretty sure your employees are wondering where you are right now."
That's because Adrien never said where he worked. "Akuma Security." Adrien replied with pleasure. Nathanael backed up a little. "Akuma Security?"
"Yes." Nathanael whistled and glanced back at Marinette. "You hired him to keep you safe?" Before Marinette could answer, Nathanael continued. "I don't get it. If Akuma Security is on the case, why the hell did she get hurt? Aren't you supposed to be the best in the damn area?"
Adrien's hold tightened on Marinette. "If we're asking questions, I have a few of my own. Like why the hell didn't you do your job sooner? Someone has been stalking Marinette for weeks." No, much longer if she was being stalked in Paris. "Because there was no evidence." Nathanael gritted out.
"But I tried, okay? I sent extra patrols to her house. I dropped by whenever I could. I've been trying to keep an eye on her." Adrien could tell that Nathanael wanted to do more than keep an eye on her. To him, that was obvious. Nathanael's expression was too intense when he glanced her way.
"Don't worry Nathanael." Adrien said, voice flat. "I'll keep an eye on her from now on."
Marinette looked between them. Her lips tightened. "I just want this man caught, okay? I want him stopped!" She pulled away from Adrien and slid from the exam table. When her feet hit the floor, Adrien was there to brace her, just in case.
"Tell me everything that happened." Nathanael told her, hunching his shoulders as he leaned in closer to her. Back the hell off. Marinette didn't need the cop crowding her. Marinette came to Adrien because there wasn't anyone else to help her. Nathanael doesn't get to step in now and play hero.
"There isn't much to tell." The hospital gown slipped off her right shoulder and she quickly put it back into place. "I was working in my studio. The lights went off. I-I heard the creak of the floor and knew someone was there. I tried to run, but h-he caught me."
Adrien locked his back teeth while she spoke. Bastard, I'm going to make you pay. "He?" Nathanael pounced on that word. "You're sure it was a man?"
"I couldn't see him." Her stare went back to Adrien. "But I could feel him. He was strong, and he was big…about Adrien's height. His body curved over mine when he- he held me against him." Marinette's voice broke a little.
Adrien wanted her out of that room. He wanted her in his home, where he could protect her. "Did he say anything to you?" Nathanael pressed. "Did you hear any kind of accent in his voice? Did he-"
"No accent." Marinette shook her head and winced a little. "He just whispered to me." Nathanael stilled. "What did he say?"
"He said, 'I will be the one'" She told them, her voice low. She blinked quickly, as if fighting tears. "That's all he told me, okay?" She said, words rushing. "That he'd be the one. Then Nino came rushing in and- and the guy let me go."
"After he slammed your head into the glass." Adrien added, the words tearing from him. "No actually, he slammed my head into the glass before he gave me his little promise." She curled her arms around her stomach and looked up at Adrien. "Please take me home. Take me home with you."
Hell yes, he will do just that. Sabrina and a nurse headed into the room then. Sabrina glanced Adrien's way. Adrien looked at her. "I'll make sure she's safe tonight." Every night.
Adrien and Nathanael headed out while the nurse helped Marinette change. Adrien would have been more than happy to do that job himself- seeing Marinette nude was one of his favorite things- but he needed to clear the air with Nathanael.
It seemed like Nathanael wanted to clear the air with him too. As soon as the door closed behind them, Nathanael spun towards Adrien. "What's your deal Adrien? When you left Paris, you wanted NOTHING to do with Marinette. You broke her heart. She was barely even herself when you deserted her. Now you're here, supporting her, helping her and shit. What's your game?"
Adrien let his brows rise. "I'm not playing any game, Nathanael."
"Two days ago, Marinette told me that she wasn't involved with anyone. She didn't have any friends in the city, no close friends…" Nathanael exhaled roughly as he glared at Adrien. "Now you're standing here, saying you're here for her, and taking her home for the night."
Yes, that was exactly what he was doing. Wasn't Nathanael observant? "Marinette doesn't like hospitals. After her accident in Paris, I think that's understandable." He didn't like to think about her accident. Didn't like to remember-
"I've heard about you, Adrien." Good for Nathanael. "Most people in Chicago know about me…"
"You have money, a freaking ton of it from all accounts." Yes, yes, he did. He came a long way from being the teenage model growing up underneath his father's thumb. "And you have some dangerous connections."
"Safe connections aren't any fun." Adrien murmured. Nathanael's eyes narrowed. "You're high profile. You take the big cases. You certainly do NOT sign on as some woman's bodyguard."
If Nathanael kept pushing, he would find out just how hard Adrien could push back. "This isn't just some woman." Adrien said. Time for his turn to talk. "This is Marinette, and I assure you, where she is concerned, I am very, VERY involved."
"You weren't two days ago." Nathanael snapped back. "Two days ago…" Adrien exhaled slowly and fought to chain his anger. "That would have been back when you were patrolling, doing your circles around her place."
"Yes." Nathanael hissed. "I've been trying to protect her-"
"And now I'm here to help you do that job." Adrien responded simply. Nathanael scoffed. "You look like you're here to fuck her." The words were low and hard. Jealous much?
Adrien stepped towards Nathanael. He was close to his height, and even though he was a cop, he had a soft look to him that told Adrien this man hasn't seen nearly enough darkness in his life.
I've seen plenty.
Enough to appreciate the light that came his way. Nathanael pointed his index finger at Adrien. Bad move- that's the way to get that finger broken. "I've got a woman being stalked," Nathanael snapped. "An attack on her- and suddenly, I have a new guy- wait, sorry, someone who's here for her- who has just entered the picture. Two days ago, she said that she had NO ONE."
He kept harping on the two days bit. "She has someone." Adrien told him, keeping his voice flat with a monumental effort. "And until the son of a bitch is caught, Marinette will be staying with me. So if you need to contact her," Adrien gave him a hard smile. "Come find me."
The door opened behind them. Marinette was seated in a wheelchair, and she looked pissed. "They said I had to go out in this stupid thing." Her hands lightly hit the wheels. "Some kind of hospital rule."
"Liability issue," Sabrina said. "I told you, it's-"
"Standard, right." Marinette's hands rose and clenched in her lap. Her frantic gaze locked on Adrien. "I need to get out of here."
"Baby, I've got you." And he did. Adrien moved behind the wheelchair and pushed her carefully. The wheels spun on the chair. "Marinette!" Nathanael was being a dick, and he just snapped Adrien's last nerve. Did Nathanael realize that, with just one phone call, Adrien could have the guy writing parking tickets? Doing traffic patrol?
Or sitting bench at desk duty? Nathanael hurried around them and stopped in front of the wheelchair. "Just how long have you known Adrien?" Marinette swallowed. "Since we were 15 years old." Nathanael leaned towards her. His voice dropped, but Adrien heard him clearly as he said, "I asked you to tell me about any exes that you might have in town. Someone who might have a hard time letting go…"
Marinette shook her head. "Adrien never had trouble letting go." Nathanael's gaze swept to his. He knows. It was easy to recognize need, lust, in another man's eyes. Behind Nathanael, Adrien saw Nino striding down the hallway toward them.
Adrien inclined his head towards Nathanael. "Make sure Nathanael has our contact information, Nino. Marinette's going to be staying with me for a while." Marinette's head turned towards him. "But I-"
Adrien pushed her down the hall, leaving Nino to deal with Nathanael. Nathanael could become a problem. Adrien would have to watch him, carefully. Because no one could be allowed to interfere with his plans for Marinette.
Penguin: And that's all for today! Thank you guys so much for reading and commenting! It seriously makes my day. Thank you so much and I'll see you on Friday! Bai!