"Ma - Mari?"
Marinette's world had reduced to the green eyes staring at her in disbelief. She wanted to turn back time, if only to wipe the pain from those eyes, but there was nothing she could do or say to make it better. She had to get away from Luka before she could do anything to mend her friendship (she wasn't naive enough to believe they still had a chance at a relationship, as much as it pained her to admit it) with the man in front of her.
"A- Adrien! Adrien, there's a man after me! I need to go, I've got to get away before he finds me!" Marinette pushed herself to her feet, still reeling from her crash into Adrien and from breathing in his scent for the first time in months. She shook her head as she heard the tell-tale pounding of footsteps getting ready to come around the corner and spot them. Terrified of what would happen if Adrien came into contact with Luka, she frantically turned her head trying to find a hiding spot that would hide both of them safely.
Adrien couldn't process what was happening. After all this time, she was right in front of him once again. The moment their bodies touched his mind had gone blank. She was finally back. For a brief moment it was like no time had passed since the last time he was staring into her bluebell eyes, telling her how much he loved her. He savored the image of her body against his, before her words finally pierced the pleasant haze in his mind. The content feeling was quickly followed by a furious energy. Whether it was because she had abandoned him, or because she was in danger, he couldn't be sure. Suddenly, time slowed down, leaving him plenty of time to think of an escape for them. He knew that there was a doorway directly caddy corner to where they stood. This particular doorway was deeper than normal and, because of the time of night, had shadows deep enough to shield them from whoever was pursuing her.
Grabbing her hand, ignoring the flash of lightning that traveled up his arm when he did so, he yanked her across the street to the doorway. He could hear the steps approaching them, an ominous presence he couldn't place filling his senses. He could feel Marinette's terror like a palpable thing. Whoever this was, she was terrified of him. Reaching the doorway mere seconds before Luka burst out into the street, Adrien spun Marinette around his body, shoving her into the recesses of the shadows and pressing her against the wall. He pushed her into a crouch before shielding her with his body. He didn't know how effective this would be, but he could only hope it would allow them to be shielded enough that he wouldn't notice them. Even if he did, he sure as hell wouldn't let this man have his Lady without a fight.
Now that there was no more room to run, and no more space to avoid each other, their gazes locked. Marinette was breathing heavily, a combination of panic and exertion causing her chest to heave too fast. At this rate, she was going to pass out if she didn't calm down. Things were happening too quickly for her, and her body wasn't responding to all the stress well. Adrien read the panic in her face and tried to come up with something that would calm her down. She was breathing so loudly he was sure the man would hear her if he didn't do something quickly.
"Mari, calm down! You've gotta get your breathing under control, otherwise he'll hear us!" Adrien whispered loudly, desperate to calm her down to prevent her passing out. Her eyes continued to be glazed over, no recognition that he had spoken in them. Seeing her like this ripped him apart. What had this man done to her to make her so afraid? Fearing what he would find out when she told him, he did the only thing he could think of to get her attention.
He kissed her.
Luka was tired of this game. He was tired of this woman always escaping his grasp, never being where he thought she was, and never giving up. His magic flared out in his anger, his reading on her growing stronger. She was just around this corner and down the alleyway. For some reason she had stopped, but he shrugged off his curiosity. Probably trying to figure out which way to go next. He would use her panic and exhaustion against her, and keep following her until she ran out of energy.
He ran to the end of the alleyway where she had stopped, but just as he emerged, her signature dropped off. He stopped running in confusion. He couldn't feel her at all. It was like she had vanished, like she had never been there. He turned in the street, looking all around as his magic reached further and further trying to pinpoint her location. Nothing. She disappeared, and he had no idea how or why. He could sense the people in the buildings and the animals around, but no other humans were outside. Infuriated at this turn of events, he raised his voice and yelled out in his frustration.
"MARINETTE! I don't know what you've done to escape me yet again, but I promise you will REGRET IT! Bella, I will make sure you pay for the trouble you have caused me. I will never stop looking for you! You might've escaped me tonight, but YOU CAN'T HIDE FOREVER!" He stopped yelling at the night sky, putting his hands in his hair and pulling his black and blue locks as hard as he could. He let out one last growl of frustration before he collected himself and straightened up. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he smiled. "Yes, I will make you wear my colors before long, il mio compagno preferito. Black and blue, everyone will know you're mine then. Enjoy your victory, because I guarantee it's only temporary."
With one last glance around, he smirked and walked away.
Adrien was kissing her! His hands were gently pulling her into him, getting as close as possible in the cramped conditions. One hand cupped the side of her face, the other reached down to intertwine their fingers together. His touch on her was gentle, but his kiss was anything but.
Flames of passion consumed Adrien's body once he realized she wasn't going to pull away. That she wanted this as badly as he did. The sound of pursuit dimmed as he continued to get carried away by his emotions. Tilting his head, he nipped at her bottom lip so that he could deepen the kiss. She gasped, her lips parting. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip before plunging it inside her mouth. He could feel her body shudder as he ravaged her mouth, alternating between running his tongue along hers and kissing her harder. Just as he was about to start a trail down to her neck, he realized he was starting to taste something salty. She was crying. The fire now doused like a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped on it, Adrien came back down to earth. She wasn't kissing him back. Her body wasn't shuddering with passion like his was, she was shuddering out of fear. Something he was doing was wrong, but he didn't know what it could be. She wanted this, right? She hadn't pulled away when he leaned in. His mind recoiled as he realized he had pinned her to the wall. Of course she wouldn't be able to get away. The hand that had intertwined their fingers had pinned her hand to the wall as well, so she wouldn't be able to push away even if she wanted to. His leaned back to look into her eyes, only to find that they were clenched tightly shut, the tears leaking from under her lashes. Her body was limp, while her knees trembled, as if she had given up on struggling and was simply there. Adrien felt nauseated at the thought of his actions causing her to respond this way. He dropped her hand like she had burned him, moving away to where she was still shielded but he was no longer touching her. Since her eyes refused to open, even though he had moved away, he focused back on the man pursuing her. Hearing his tirade about Marinette and what he planned to do caused a chill to run down Adrien's spine. He sounded so… possessive. The way he spoke about Marinette made Adrien think of a puppeteer pulling the strings of a puppet whose strings were tangled. He didn't care why Marinette was running from him in that moment, he just wanted her to never be around him again.
Once Luka finished his crazed tirade and walked off, Adrien straightened up and stood back from Marinette. He offered Marinette a hand to help her up, but she remained in the same position. Scared she had become catatonic, he crouched back down, making sure to keep a healthy amount of distance away from her.
"Marinette…" A lump formed in his throat and he couldn't speak around it for a moment. "He- he's gone, Mari. I don't think he's coming back. You're safe now." He rambled, hoping these reassurances would cause her to relax, cause any sort of reaction from her at all. He studied her body, noting the state of her dress and that she didn't have any shoes on. He could see a smattering of bruises in spots that made him wonder where else she was injured. She had obviously been through something traumatizing and he wanted to give her enough time to be comfortable with him, but he needed to get her away from here in case the man came back. He reached a hand out towards her to rest on her shoulder, hesitating before placing just the tips of his fingers onto her hypersensitive skin.
It was like he had branded her. Her eyes snapped open and her arm shot up, batting his hand away from her skin with such force he almost lost his balance. A fire like none he had seen before blazed in her eyes, and the force of it stunned him. She surged forwards, pushing him back before standing to her feet. He could tell that she was getting ready to run, her back already to him as she calculated which direction to go, but she wasn't going to get away from him that easily. He had a hunch that her reaction was not necessarily directed towards him, her fight or flight instincts taking over her common sense. He just needed to snap her out of it so that they could get to safety.
"MARINETTE! It's me! Adrien! ….Your Kitty. Don't you recognize me?" Adrien hoped beyond hope that the use of her old nickname for him would have the effect he needed it to. What he didn't count on was the prick in his eyes from tears. He hadn't said those words in such a long time, the memories associated with them threatened to take him over. He pushed them back as he saw her slowly turn to face him once more.
"My… Kitty? Adrien?" Marinette's eyes settled on his prone form, clear bluebell eyes that sparkled with unshed tears. She raised a shaking hand to her mouth as she dropped to her knees in front of him. "Adrien… I'm so sorry… I- I don't know what came over me. I was scared, scared of…." She trailed off as the dam finally broke and tears streaked down her cheeks. She started to bodily shake as she opened and closed her mouth trying to find the words she needed to say. Hearing him say those words ripped open the gaping wound in her hole she had managed to messily sew shut and ignore while in Milan. She felt despair tug her into a bottomless pit of hurt. Her kitty was in front of her, had saved her life without a second thought, but her recent actions had caused a chasm between them that couldn't be breached. The distance between them was sharpened like a knife. She was ashamed of herself, and how her life had spiraled out of control. If she had just listened to him, and made the compromise, none of this would have happened. They both could have spent all these months happy together, instead of distant and numb. She had robbed him of his happiness in favor of what she thought would make her happy. If ever there was a person that deserved what they got, she thought, it's me.
Adrien's heart leapt as she spoke those words to him. She had finally returned to the Marinette he loved. Of course he had never stopped loving her. All these months, it was always her. When the sensations had first started filtering through his almost forgotten tattoo last night, he had known she would return to him soon. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. It was like the universe was a magnet, pulling them together no matter how much they fought to stay apart. He felt complete in her presence. Even the anger simmering beneath the surface of his thoughts couldn't trump the feeling of being home around her. They had a lot to talk about, and he acknowledged that without hesitation, but she would always be his home.
"Marinette, do you have somewhere we can go that's safe for you?" Adrien stood up, pulling her up as well.
"N- No. I just got into town tonight. Alya brought me back after…. No one knows I'm here but her and Nino. And now you." Marinette wanted to hug him so badly, wanted to express her gratitude for his rescue, but something held her back. Maybe the weight of the past.
"I'd venture to say it's not just us that know you're back…" His crooked smile was tight but real.
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Marinette's shaky laugh trailed off into silence as she wondered how to throw herself off a building before he noticed.
"Well, since you don't have a private place we can talk, we can go back to my loft. It's only a half hour walk from here. When you," he cleared his throat nervously, deciding to skim over the details of their reunion, "When we ran into each other, I was taking a walk to clear my head. So it won't be too far. I- Is that okay?" A sudden thought had struck Adrien, that maybe she didn't want to be alone with him. He wanted to make sure to give her an out if she needed it.
"YES! I mean, of course. Lead the way." Marinette's voice rose at the thought of being alone with Adrien, causing her words to taper off into a squeak. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. She felt reduced to her shy, awkward fifteen year old self around him suddenly and under different circumstances she would've laughed at the thought. Instead, she just shook the thoughts out of her mind and wrapped her arms around herself. She was starting to feel the cold of the Parisian night creep under her skin. The rips and tears in her dress caused breezes to tickle her skin as she followed him out of the doorway. She felt filthy inside and out. Maybe she'd be able to scrub the last couple days off of her skin if she scrubbed hard enough in the shower. Looking at Adrien's back, she noticed he was wearing a long, black Sylvester trench coat that covered the rest of his outfit from her scrutiny. She had only ever seen Adrien wear black a couple of times (outside of his Chat Noir outfits she had made him over the years), so she was surprised to see him in something like that. It made her wonder if he still had the clothes she had made him, or if he had thrown them out with the memory of her. The thoughts of all the times they had traversed the city as Ladybug and Chat Noir: playing superheroes as children, awkward conversations as teens, and serene walks spent enjoying each other's company threatened to overwhelm her. She hadn't realized she had stopped until he turned around with a worried expression. She could see the anger behind the concern. Anger at her. Rightfully so, too. She would take whatever he threw at her once the conversation that needed to happen came to pass. She deserved his hatred, deserved to be thrown away from him like a disgusting piece of garbage. Her filth must revolt him.
Adrien realized Marinette was no longer right behind him after a few steps. He turned around, not knowing what to expect. She was standing still, staring off into the distance, arms protectively wrapped around herself. She might've just been cold, but it was more likely that she was about to go to pieces right there. He removed his coat and walked the couple steps back to her, wrapping it around her shoulders. She jumped at the warmth suddenly surrounding her and he smiled at how she still had the tendency to get completely immersed in her thoughts. He could tell whatever she was pondering was causing her pain, but it was no longer his place to comfort her. The best he could do was take care of her physical needs and hope to be there for her whatever else way she would allow him to be.
"Adrien, I can't wear this! I'm filthy. I'm… Disgusting."
Adrien heard the double meaning in her words clearly, but he refused to take the coat back from her. "Mari, don't be ridiculous. You barely have anything on. It's just a coat. Nothing special about it. When we get back to my apartment, then you can return it to me, okay?" Adrien calmly replaced it back on her shoulders after she tried to hand it back to him.
"...Okay." Marinette didn't deserve the kindness Adrien was giving her. Her thoughts swirled around in circles of blame and loathing, all directed at herself for letting this man slip through her fingers.
"I'm a little worried about you, so why don't we walk side by side? We don't have to touch or anything like that, but I'd like to keep you in my line of sight just in case you go into shock or something." Adrien tried to keep his reasons logical in the hopes she would respond favorably. If he was being honest with himself, it was because he just wanted to have her close to him again.
Marinette didn't verbally respond to his request, but she did speed up to where she was next to him. She desperately wanted to reach out and grab his hand, but she was scared of the rejection. She settled for brushing against him every few strides as they continued towards their destination. Adrien must have noticed her intentional touching after a few moments, because he reached his hand out and hooked his pinky around hers. Neither of them acknowledged the gesture, but both breathed a sigh of relief at the physical contact. Marinette could almost pretend that the past six months hadn't happened, that they were just out for a stroll after a fashion show. She was in a dress he had made for her and he had offered his coat like the gentleman he was. They were strolling around their city as they had done so many nights before, heading towards their home together where their love was strong. Marinette's heart clenched as the illusion broke when they arrived at the building he lived in. She didn't recognize the neighborhood, didn't know the way, and had no place in his life here. A small sob escaped her as they passed the bellman. Sensing her impending breakdown, Adrien sped towards the elevators. He lived on the 8th floor, so they had a bit of a ride before arriving. Alone in the elevator, he released her hand and cleared his throat. This was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, this being next to her but not allowed to love her or comfort her cries. He was at a loss as to what he could do to help her, so he just tapped his foot impatiently. The elevator finally arrived on his floor and he stepped out, feeling her follow closely behind him. The silence between them was deafening and he didn't know how much longer he would be able to take it. Unlocking his door, he stood to the side to allow her to walk through.
She walked inside and her heart stopped at the sight of his extravagant apartment. It was dark and brooding and it reminded her of the perfect mixture of Adrien and her kitty. Marinette didn't say a word and felt incredibly out of place now that she was here in his home. She was afraid to touch anything in fear of soiling it with her fingertips and body. Every part of her was filthy and unworthy of him and she had never felt it to be more true than at that very moment. The deep warm browns mixed with the creams and black tones revolved around her, while punches of gold shined through the darkness. His home was beautiful yet seemed broken. That was when she noticed he was watching her in silence with a concerned expression on his angelic face. She noticed the hint of sadness in the gold flecks of his peridot eyes. She jumped and suddenly went to slide his coat from her shoulders, not wanting to soil it anymore. If she had her way, she would burn it. Set it on flames to rid it of the touches of another man. She felt like she was going to fall apart again as the memories of Luka filled her head, making the coat slip from her fingertips and her hands fly up to her mouth. Her knees wanted to give out as they trembled and Adrien took note of how her legs shook slightly. He left the coat on the floor and tried to smile for her, but it was his fake model one and he knew she would see through it. They had too many years between them for her to believe it so easily.
He cleared his throat and gestured to a dark chocolate, brown leather upholstered sofa that sat across from a loveseat in a matching style. "Would you like to sit down?" Marinette shot an incredulous look up at him with wide eyes and held her arms around herself, as a shiver went up her spine. She rapidly shook her head and a cry burst out from her lips that she had been holding back. She couldn't get Luka all over his nice leather couches. His nice luxury apartment. This dress wasn't even fit to touch the dark wood floors. Oh God, What if Luka finds me? What if he found Adrien's apartment? What if he found Adrien and killed him? What if- The thoughts spiraled in her mind and she felt the vortex from them threatening to swallow her whole.
"C'mon, Mari. You're shaking. Let's just go sit down. It's okay. I don't know what happened to you when you were in Milan, but it's over now and I won't let it happen ever again." Adrien wanted to help her desperately. To say anything that would make her pain stop, but every word only hurt him that much more. Seeing her tremble and shatter into pieces made his heart clench and break. He felt like he was being stabbed by a million daggers and he had no way to make the torture stop. He could only imagine what she was going through. This wasn't the strong Ladybug he knew. She wasn't the same woman who had left him six months ago, excited to start a new career and a new life in a new city. Something was wrong and it made him both upset and angry. He clenched his fists and tried to hold back his irritation, taking a deep breath to calm down. Desperation filled his head and competed with his logic, which was rapidly dwindling. He had to keep his head straight if he was going to survive this. She was back. Broken, but she was in his home. An event that he thought would never happen. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
"NO!" Marinette shouted out the words like a bullet from a gun. She shook and sobbed with anger and hatred for herself. "I- I don't want to touch your things. Your house. I- I don't want to-" She couldn't get the words out from her swollen, bruised, dry mouth. They got caught in her throat and she felt so ashamed. Felt like she needed to leave. That maybe this wasn't the best idea for her, to have agreed to have come over to his place. To ruin his oasis from his heavily controlled life.
Adrien thought for a moment, afraid he was losing her to her looping thoughts once more. He tapped his chin and caught the sight of an old black blanket that he had been thinking of retiring soon anyway. "Here, I was going to get rid of this soon anyway." He unfolded it and laid it over the couch. "Is- is this okay?" He didn't know what else to do. He needed her to sit and calm down before she passed out on the floor. He was at a loss for how to handle her. He couldn't touch her still and she didn't want to touch anything.
Marinette worried her bottom lip, trying to decide whether she felt it was safe to do what he had asked. If she was worthy of sitting on the old, fraying blanket. If it was even enough to keep Luka from spreading onto the brown leather. Finally deciding that it was probably okay, she nodded and walked over to the couch with wobbly legs. He sighed, feeling a little relieved that she would at least sit on an old blanket, but his thoughts went to why she wouldn't just sit on his couch. He didn't care if she got it dirty. Hell, he didn't care if she got his whole apartment filthy. He just wanted her to be okay and wanted her to feel safe. "Do you want something to drink? Would that make you feel better, Mari?"
Marinette didn't know what she wanted exactly. Her thoughts were spinning in circles and dive bombing into holes that were self-deprecating. What if he hates me? What if he kicks me out? What if he decides that I'm not worthy? What if he leaves? What if I screw this all up and he thinks I'm disgusting and that I don't belong here? What if he chooses to let me try to handle this on my own? Should I handle this on my own? I mean it doesn't involve him… Should I involve him in this mess that I've made? I'm a horrible person. Why did I do this to him… to me? Why did I let this happen? I should- I should have listened to his logic and not my heart. He was right. He's always right. I'm so stupid. I'm so-
"Marinette?" Adrien tried again to grab her attention and pull her out of her reverie, sensing that she was lost in her own thoughts again. She jumped with a squeak and quickly checked to make sure her mangled dress hadn't touch the leather anywhere. She was relieved to find that it hadn't left the borders of the old blanket. He searched her eyes with his own and she saw how the corners of his mouth didn't curl up like they used to, but slightly dipped down.
"Y-yes, please." Marinette managed to get out, as she curled the hem of her broken dress in her hands. The dress that he had made for her. That had been broken and beaten by a man with a serpent tattoo that still burned in her mind like a brand. A brand that scarred her skin and caused it to smolder while he laughed. Haunting her and causing her to hate herself all over again. Her skin crawled when she thought of his calloused fingertips on her skin, tugging her, choking her, slapping her. She touched her lips with shaking fingers, feeling his kiss and dick still on them. Marinette just wanted to erase it all and it seemed like everything was crashing back down onto her all over again and she shivered and felt sick at the memory. Her stomach turned and she tried to calm down, but she couldn't make it stop. Couldn't make the scaley touch of a sadistic man leave her skin… her lips.
Adrien walked into his massive kitchen. Its' walls were a deep rich honey brown with greyish brown tile floors. The cabinets were a dark coffee brown with modern stainless steel accented lines decorating the edges. The lighting was recessed and gave off a golden glow above a spacious stainless steel kitchen island. He sighed and tugged the front of his blonde hair as he opened his stainless steel refrigerator and pulled out two cold water bottles. He rolled his shoulders, letting the fridge close on its own as he released the door. Adrien gathered up the courage to face the woman in his living room. He knew it was hard for her, but it was hard for him too. His heart still ached from when she had left him for a job that she had been excited for. He had felt betrayed and felt unloved. Like the time they had been together had all been a lie.
Adrien shook off his pain and stepped back into the living room. He set the waters on the multiple pieced gold metal coffee table that sat in front of her and noticed her shiver. Adrien walked over to the fireplace, that was framed in a filigree of gold, and threw a few logs of wood in before setting them on fire. He didn't know whether she was cold or just scared, but he figured he would add some warmth to try and help her either way. He always felt like a fireplace made everything seem more cozy and more home-like. His father had never used his and he had always dreamed of using one when he had his own place. There was something romantic about reading under a blanket with a fireplace roaring. He had hoped that Marinette would be there too beneath the blanket with him, curled up against his side, maybe knitting a pink hat for their unborn child, and that was another reason why he had looked for an apartment with one specifically. But that thought hurt him and made his heart ache when he saw her the way she was now. When he thought about how she had left him… alone. How she had not even considered having that option with him, in favor of a job. Not letting him go with her to Milan. How she had this crazed man chasing after her that he had no idea about. And the thought of that man touching her, or being near her, or even knowing her name made his emotions boil. He suddenly slammed his fist above the mantle, causing Marinette to jump.
He's mad because of me. Because I'm here. It's all my fault. Everything is my fault. I'm awful. I shouldn't be here. I- I need to leave. I'm hurting him. I'm in a dress that he paid to have made for me and I- I'm on his couch. Another man ripped it and it's all my fault. I let him do it. I let him break this dress. I let this happen. Marinette twisted the bracelet around her wrist and hiccuped as tears fell from her dull blue eyes that reflected an early morning storm. "I- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…. I'm sorry. A- Adrien. I'm so sorry." She couldn't stop apologizing, but even then she knew nothing she said felt good enough. Nothing she said would make this whole ordeal better or easier.
Adrien was confused as to why she kept apologizing and he shook his aching hand, making the sting of the wood tile of the wall dissipate from his reddened knuckles. When he finally slowly turned to face her, he saw the fear in her eyes like she had done something horribly wrong and that made him worry more. He cursed himself mentally for letting his emotions get the better of him. He hadn't meant to show his anger. He hadn't meant to punch the wall, but he hadn't controlled his actions and had lost his resolve. He was frustrated and upset that she kept apologizing for something that he couldn't put together on his own. His eyes focused on the bracelet that she was busy winding around her wrist, causing a red burn mark to go around her wrist. Adrien turned back to the fireplace and reached into his pocket, feeling the tattered thread of his bracelet. Even after she left, he still kept it with him at all times. He rubbed the center charm with his thumb and stepped away from the fireplace and sat down beside her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Marinette watched him with cautious eyes and her bottom lip trembled. "I- I failed you. I- You're going to hate me. To tell me how much of a whore I am. You're gonna want to run away. You're gonna- gonna-" Her words broke and she covered her face and burst into tears and all he wanted to do was tell her that she was wrong while he held her and wiped her tears from her eyes. He just wanted to make her feel better. Her words stung him and he felt his throat swell and he swallowed hard to try and calm the sensation of his throat being scraped by a serrated knife.
"Mari. You can tell me. I promise I won't run. I won't tell you to leave. I won't hate you. I could NEVER hate you." Adrien slowly reached for her shaking hand, unsure if she would let him touch her hand or not. He wanted to run his thumb along her knuckles, but he didn't think she wanted him to touch her for some reason. "It's okay."
Marinette felt the words and the truth bubble up her throat and fall from her lips. They came out in a burst of emotion and raw tears. Her throat was irritated, she felt sick, and everything felt wrong. "Alya surprised me and picked this dress out…of my closet." She sobbed and her voice went up into a high pitch as she didn't meet his eyes and lightly pulled at the hem of her once beautiful dress that had the most picture perfect memory to it, before Luka had shattered its mirror of perfection and storybook happiness. Adrien nodded and just tried to be there for her. He knew Alya had planned to go out there to surprise her. Nino had told him about it, but he had shut down, barely listening to his best friend at the time.
Marinette breathed out and continued to rant as her voice cracked and she felt her stomach do flips. "And there were these two guys, who came up to us… and- and they wouldn't take no for an answer…" She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and Adrien felt anger rise from the pit of his stomach. This story was turning fast and he hid his left hand as it quickly became a fist, his knuckles pure white from the pressure as he set his jaw.
Marinette's voice broke into a few sobs before she continued. "So, this guy comes up. And oh…. I should have known it was going to be bad. I should have known to say no… I should have-" She cried and shook, still not meeting his eyes. She yanked the hem of her dress down and shook at the memory. "He- he got the guys to get away from us. He saved us from a potentially bad situation. But- but I should have known it wasn't going to get better. Should have seen the red flags. I should- Oh… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Adrien." She finally looked over at him through her dark bangs, only to find an entirely different man sitting beside her. A broken man filled with anger he was barely keeping in check. His cheeks were red and inflamed, while his knuckles were white and in tightly clenched fists at the sides of his thighs. His jaw was set tightly with his teeth clenched together and his shoulders were tense.
Adrien finally uncurled his fists and brought them into the sides of his chest as he folded his arms across his chest and cleared his throat. "Keep going." He tried so hard not to show his anger, but now it was coming through even if he didn't want it to. He was stuck in between being really revolted and being really fucking pissed. He wanted to punch the three men in the face and he wished that he would have tried harder to keep her in Paris with him six months ago.
"I- I danced with him. He offered. Um…" Marinette worried the dress in her hands and tried to control her emotions and the tears, but she couldn't stop them from falling, from gasping through the memory. Her panic reached up and choked her, making her heart feel like it was being put into a vice. A vice controlled by a demon named Luka that still held her soul hostage. The ring burned on her finger and she suddenly felt the need to hide it from Adrien. Felt shame fall over her at how she could have agreed to marry a complete stranger. She stopped talking, getting lost in her negative thoughts again. Thoughts that wouldn't let her go from their poisonous fangs.
Adrien sighed, leaned back into his couch more, and tried to calm himself for her. "It's okay. I-" He ran his hand through his blonde hair and tugged lightly on it. "I'm listening. Just- I don't know how to respond, or help you, and I don't want to say something to upset you. This isn't easy for me, either." He gave into his emotions, trying to regain a moment of clarity, and she snapped out of her thoughts to really focus on him. He looked exhausted and the dark circles beneath his eyes didn't quell her despair or anxiety. His words didn't help her either and it made her worry that if she kept talking about what had happened then he surely would hate her. "Marinette?" Adrien looked at her and searched her glistening blue eyes and wet dark lashes. "I want to know. Please. Just- just tell me. Please?" He looked at her through his messy bangs with saddened, dull green eyes.
Marinette swallowed hard and looked down at her hands on her lap. "I drank with him and before I knew it I was getting into his fancy black car…" Her voice had become quieter and it became more apparent that she was close to giving up completely. Like she was accepting the fact that she would lose him. That she had lost him already and it was all her fault. She wanted to accept her fate, accept that he was going to kick her out of his lavish apartment. That she would never see her kitty again. Her heart felt like it was being torn in half and left to be stomped on in the rain. "I- mmm…" She pressed her index finger to her lips and he tried to reach out to her again, but he pulled his hand back, knowing that she didn't want to be held or touched.
Adrien set his hand back down beside him and hid his hands in his pockets, not wanting to scare her off from telling her story if, she saw him dig his nails into his palms again. He pursed his lips and tried to keep his anger at bay. He didn't like hearing about her getting into a car with some strange man that she found at some random bar in Milan. Didn't like someone else touching what was his. Jealousy reared its ugly head and he bit down on his tongue to keep from saying anything negative to his broken Lady.
"He- he served me a drink and I tried to text Alya that I ha- had made a terrible mistake. That I shouldn't have gone. That I should have stayed in that club with her. And- and I- I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry…" Marinette wanted the couch to open up and swallow her whole. Just make her disappear so that she didn't have to see him react or say anything to what she was about to tell him next. "I was taken to a cha- cha- chap- mm…" She couldn't get the word out of her mouth and she looked over to see his eyes widen. His eyes shot down to the serpent ring on her left hand and he felt his stomach turn and found it hard to hold back a slew of curses. She flinched as his fist came down onto the couch and his nails drug lines through the leather material. Blood bubbled up from beneath the edge of his nails and he seemed to not notice the pain that followed. "Chapel. He said that I had agreed to mar- marry him, but I don't remember him asking me that. I- I don't remember much of anything in the car after the drink actually…" She burst into tears and felt the couch cushion shift as he flung himself up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, needing to separate himself from her. He had to get his bearings and his thoughts straight. His emotions were clouding his logic and he hated it.
Marinette leapt up from the couch and ran after him with pleading eyes. She knew she didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve for him to listen to her anymore or for him to want to anymore. Didn't blame him for leaving her alone. She could never blame Adrien for his part in this hell she found herself in, it was all her fault. She found Adrien pouring a drink into a glass, using it to hide his emotions and to numb the pain from her words. She knew that this too was her fault. That everything was her fault.
Adrien slammed the glass down on the counter, causing Marinette to flinch and skitter away from him. "YOU REALIZE HOW INCREDIBLY DUMB AND IRRESPONSIBLE THAT WAS OF YOU TO DO? HOW YOU PUT YOURSELF INTO DANGER?" He wanted to make her see how it wasn't her fault and that the only part that was ever in her control was getting into that car in the first place. "You shouldn't have gotten into that car, Mari. That was your ONLY mistake."
Marinette sobbed harder and fell to her knees, grabbing at his jeans. "I'm sorry. I'm so SORRY!" She begged and cried harder feeling her chest tighten with each apology. Adrien didn't even let it phase him. He was trying to teach her a lesson, even if it hurt her. He couldn't let her be hurt like this ever again. She shook the fabric of his jeans in her fists and peered up at him with pleading swollen eyes. "PLEASE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I'll do anything. ANYTHING! Just tell me what to do to fix it! PLEASE, ADRIEN? Kitty?"
Adrien clenched his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest, looking away from her at the warm brown wall. "I'm sure more happened. So, why don't you finish the story?" He knew where it was going and he didn't want to hear it, but he knew he had to. He knew he had to know what had caused the black dress that he had made for her to be in the state that it was in. He wanted to punch this guy in the face. Maybe beat him till he bled and didn't get back up again. Adrien wanted to crack his knuckles on this man's skull until he cried out for mercy.
Marinette let the soft, soiled fabric fall from her fingertips, as her palms fell to her thighs and she bowed her head in shame. "I came to in his bed and when he saw I was awake he- he-" The words caught in her throat and she looked up to see a furious man trying desperately to hold it together. She scooted along the floor away from him and hit her back against the cabinets as Adrien peered down at her with an unreadable expression that sent the words flying from her mouth like gunfire. "Took advantage of me. I thou- thought that if I went along with it. If I got him off then it would end faster and be over sooner. That if I appeased him, he'd- he'd be happy… He'd stop what he was doing. I'd be safe and- and okay. I'd be-" She didn't have time to finish before Adrien dropped the liquor bottle, letting it shatter on the tile, drenching her in the liquid that spilled before stomping off through another doorway to try and escape her. "I'M SORRY! OKAY? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR? THAT I'M A WHORE! THAT I SHOULD NEVER HAVE GONE TO MILAN? THAT YOU WERE RIGHT ALL THIS TIME? THAT I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO YOU AND NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED?"
Adrien stopped short in his tracks, whirling around before storming back towards her and shaking his index finger in her face while he glared at her. "NO, NO! YOU KNOW WHAT I WISH YOU WOULD DO? I WISH… YOU WOULD SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED! I WISH YOU KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING TO YOU! I WISH YOU SAW THROUGH HIS SLIMY EXISTENCE TO KNOW THAT HE IS TO BLAME, MARI! THAT HE DID THIS TO YOU! THAT HE-" Adrien picked up her left hand, no longer caring if she didn't want him to touch her. He was going to and he didn't give a shit about what reaction she would give him. "-PUT THIS FUCKING RING ON YOUR DAMN FINGER TO CONTROL YOU. TO OWN YOU! BUT NO! YOU'RE GONNA SIT THERE AND BLAME YOURSELF FOR EVERYTHING! You're not sorry Mari. You're fucking broken and you can't see it because you're so LOST in your OWN GODDAMN FUCKING TWISTED THOUGHTS!" He flung her hand back down and sat on the edge of his bed with his hair between his clenched fists, as his chest rose and fell with his murderous anger.
Marinette suddenly snapped out of her revolving thoughts and she stood in silence for a moment, putting all her effort into thinking about what he said. The memory of Luka's tattoo burned in her memory and she rapidly became furious. Not with Adrien, but with the man that had broke her, had controlled her, had ruined this precious dress that reminded her of home, and had left her with a life filled with terror. "He- he had a tattoo." She quietly spoke and sank down beside him on the bed.
He peered at her beneath his clenched fists with glowing tear filled eyes, trying to understand what she was trying to tell him. "What about it?" His voice broke and he cleared his throat again to try and regain his composure. She could hear the pain in his voice and how hoarse it sounded. Could feel the anger and sadness radiate from his chest and how his shoulders shook with pent up energy.
"It was like ours, but it was an ouroboros. You know the-" Marinette began to explain it as if he didn't know what it was, but he interrupted her in a soft tone as he dropped his hands to the quilted silver hued comforter. He brought his palms behind him and leaned back, crossing one ankle over the other.
"I know what that is, Mari. You don't have to tell me." Adrien looked down at his lap and let his hair fall into his eyes. He knew this had to be some sort of control power move for this man that he had heard enough about. "What's his name?"
"What?" Marinette squeaked at his sudden question and she looked at him with a horrified expression. She felt her heart speed up and her emotions flair at the thought of Luka and his blue tipped hair. His serpent tattoo and the way he had spoke to her. Bella… His voice haunted her mind and she clenched her eyes tight. She just couldn't bring herself to speak the name of the devil in the presence of this angel before her. An angel that was quickly falling towards Earth.
Adrien realized she was moving backwards again. That he was losing her to the tide of her negative emotions. That she was slipping into Hell again. "Shit. Mari? MARI!" Making a snap decision, he quickly scooped her shuddering form up and whisked her to his lavish bathroom. She fought against him and pressed her palms against his chest and screamed out in a blind panic.
"YOU'RE GETTING DIRTY! YOU'RE GETTING COVERED IN HIM. I'M SOILING YOU. I'M RUINING YOU. I'M NO GOOD. I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON. I DON'T DESERVE THIS. I DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING. JUST LEAVE ME. LET ME DIE. LET ME DIE. LET ME- I DON'T WANT TO SPREAD HIS FILTH TO YOU. LEAVE ME. HIT ME. HURT ME. JUST- DON'T HELP ME. I DON'T DESERVE YOUR HELP. YOUR CLEAN NURTURING HANDS." Marinette screamed out as he grabbed her hands to stop her fists from hitting him. He used his foot to kick the shower on and held her there while it warmed up. Her words cut him like a knife because he knew that he wasn't as pure as she was saying, but he didn't want to make it worse. Didn't want to fuel the fire. He needed her to be calm and he needed to know what this asshole's name was.
She tried to push away from him. To get away from him, but he just yanked her to his chest. He held her still as she punched his chest and fought against him. "I don't deserve you. I don't- I'm so DUMB! I have bad luck! You don't need someone like me! You can find someone so much better!" Tears fell from her eyes as she let the words fall from her broken heart. Words she believed with all her heart and soul.
"Mari. Mari. MARI!" Adrien held her by her fists and made eye contact with her. Her eyes were wide in a panic and her chest rapidly rose and fell. She wanted to run. To get away from him. He was touching her. Touching her sin and the skin that had been tainted by a sharply dressed maniacal man in all black with fancy italian shoes. Adrien searched her eyes with his own and tried to pour a calming energy over her. He wanted to connect them together, desperate to share his soul with this woman that had carried his heart all this time. He watched her slowly calm down enough that he could wrap his arms around her without a fight. "Now, can I please get you out of this dress and into something clean? Please, bugaboo." He brushed his lips against her hair and rocked them back and forth, trying to calm the storm that raged within her. "If you want to do it alone, I'll understand. I understand if you don't want me touching you. If you don't want me in the room with you. If you-"
"No. I- I do. Thank you, Adrien." Marinette whispered and looked down at her dirtied, cut up feet. "Pl-please don't leave." She peered up at him with tear filled eyes and her split lip quivered. He nodded and smiled down at her before he watched her turn away from him and move her hair out of the way for him to unzip the dress, taking in the bruises along her spine and shoulder blades. Bruises that another man made on her delicate skin. Ruining it's perfection. Ruining his Lady and stealing her innocence. He shook his head and focused back on unzipping the dress that was his and only his, but had become a symbol of their pain. He wanted to destroy it, wanted to turn it into a pile of ashes with her supporting his doing so, but first there were more important matters to handle. He would get through this, and then he would use the destruction as a symbol of his resolve to break this man's hold on Marinette.
"Mari, please bugaboo, before we go any further, I need to know his name. I need to know the name of the man I'll be hunting down." Adrien held his hand against the zipper, waiting for her response before proceeding any further. Having this last piece of knowledge would allow them both to start the process of moving on from this, at least in his eyes.
"...Luka." Marinette's whisper reverberated off of every surface of Adrien's thoughts.