Chapter 20• 'Just a Couple'
Third Person POV: (Le Grand Paris, The Lobby)
Adrien's emotions were all over the place. He felt hurt, confused, angry, disappointed, helpless, and jealous.
He couldn't believe Marinette just agreed to let Luka take her home.
What was he supposed to do? Follow them to her house and keep them 6 feet apart the whole time? She already said that she didn't want to go home with him tonight.
She was a grown adult. She was going to make her own decisions. There's no stopping that.
There was nothing that Adrien could do about it.
Besides...
" — Listen...
Fine... Mari wants you to take her home so that's what's you're gonna do Luka..
You're gonna make sure my girlfriend gets home safe, and that's ALL you're gonna do.
You're not walking her inside, you're not taking off her clothes to change her into some new ones, and you're DEFINITELY NOT tucking her in..
Marinette is a grown woman so she's going to do whatever the hell she pleases... but IM telling you.. that if you touch my girlfriend anywhere on her body tonight...
I swear to god, I'll kill you."
Luka stared at Adrien, unfazed.
He already had no intention of trying to get in Marinette's pants tonight. He's not a Felix.
Besides, his mind was on someone else at the moment anyways.
He's simply just trying to help Marinette out. He did promise her that he'd always be there when she needed him.
He still respected Adrien for putting down boundaries though..
"You have my word, Agreste.
— I'm simply taking your girlfriend back home, and coming back here to spend the night with another woman who also deserves my undivided attention.."
Zoe's eyes widened. She nervously looked up at Luka then back to the ground. Her cheeks were glowing red.
That caught Adrien off guard. He didn't know how to respond to that.
He had no idea that Luka and Zoe were seeing each other..
"So, if it's okay with you, we're gonna go now... I don't want to get back here any later than eleven.." Luka added in a genuine tone.
"Here, take my car." Zoe said, handing Luka her keys. "I don't think it's safe to have Marinette riding on the back of a motorcycle drunk.."
Adrien took a deep breath in and let it out. He glanced over at Mari. Her head hung low, and her arms crossed because she was getting cold. He could tell that she was genuinely tired.
It made it so hard for him to stay mad at her.
Adrien just loved her too much.
"Mari... get home safe..." Adrien sighed, his tone becoming a little softer.
Marinette looked up from the floor but she couldn't figure out what to say. Her mind was a blur.
Before Luka and her decided to head out, Adrien took off his coat and placed it over her shoulders.
"I'll text you in the morning.. just please don't ignore me, Marinette..." He finished.
She wrapped herself in his jacket and looked up at him before walking out of the lobby.
Her lips opened slightly, but no words could escape.
She couldn't bring herself to say anything to him right now.
He noticed her hesitation to respond, but he didn't want to think much of it.
"Goodnight, Mari.." He mumbled, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Adrien looked up and saw Luka waiting for her outside.
As much as he hated thinking about them sitting in a car alone together, he had to let her go.
All he wanted was for her to get home safely.
===
Third Person POV: (Luka and Marinette in the Car)
The car ride back to Marinette and Alya's was silent. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the road, and the blinker, with every turn that Luka made.
Marinette's eyes felt heavy, and the guilty feeling that washed over her seemed harsher than usual.
She didn't want to yell at Adrien. She knows that he just wanted to help, but she was already on edge when he started to randomly grab her the way he did.
He's usually never that pushy or aggressive.
The way Adrien grabbed her tonight, was similar to the way that stranger grabbed her at the club in Hawaii.
Of course it was going to trigger her..
"Lu— Luka..." Marinette mumbled, her voice sounding a bit parched.
Luka glanced to his right through the corner of his eye. He hesitated to respond, but he didn't remember Adrien saying that he couldn't talk to her.
"Yeah, Marinette? Are you alright?"
"Tha— thank you for driving me home.." she said, her face still facing forward.
Luka showed a soft smile and kept his focus on the road.
"I told you in Hawaii, that I'd always be there for you Marinette.. whenever you needed me."
That's when Marinette started to remember..
(Hawaii Flashback)
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Temptations&Vacations
Ch.15: 2 Truths and 1 Lie
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Luka let out a deep sigh and pulled Marinette into a tight hug.
"I understand Marinette. You know I will always love you no matter what. Even if you choose not to love me back, I'll still support you and your decision." He said, squeezing her tighter than before.
Marinette frowned and nuzzled her head into his chest.
"Just know, I will always be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on.. I will always be there for you in your times of need.. and I will always be there for you when the ones that you love aren't." Luka expressed, leaving a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
===
Marinette wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't fall. She was surrounded by so much love. In most cases, it was more than she could ever ask for. Feeling loved by so many different people. That can make one feel so very special.
Yet sometimes, it can be daunting.
The people that love her so dearly, can still disappoint her.
So when she's upset with them, others often invalidate her feelings.
"He loves you so much, he's so sweet, how can you be upset with him?"
No one was perfect.
Not Adrien.
Not Marinette.
Not even Luka.
The scene from the hotel kept playing back in Marinette's head. Over and over again.
How angry Adrien was with her.
How rude she was with him.
She didn't even have a clear understanding about why..
Why was she so upset with him..?
She really didn't want to believe it was because of Luka..
The guilt was starting to eat away at Marinette.
Her head was spinning.
Her throat was dry.
"Marinette.."
" — Mari.."
Marinette's head jolted up. She could hear Luka's voice echoing through the back of her head.
"We're here.." He mumbled softly, still sitting in the car.
Marinette slowly looked up and to the right.
There was her house... looking dark and lonely.
"Now usually, I'd walk you to the door, but Adrien gave me some very specific orders.."
Marinette let out an exhausted sigh and opened the passenger seat door.
She was tempted to just step out and close the door on Luka's face, but she was already feeling so shitty about everything else..
Why add to the guilt..
"— thank you for bringing me home, Luka..."
Luka could hear the hurt in her voice. Even when she spoke minimal words, her eyes expressed far more than she would ever know.
"Take care of yourself, Marinette...
— I mean it.."
Without responding, Marinette slowly closed the car door and turned around to start down the gravel walkway.
Luka waited in the car to make sure that she got inside alright.
Once he saw her disappear through the dark doorway, he was able to start back to the hotel.
===
⚠️TW: Attempted Suicide⚠️
Marinette stumbled inside but steadied her balance on the kitchen island.
She kicked off her boots and let go of Adrien's oversized jacket, causing it to fall on the ground.
She made her way down the dark hallway and into her room, leaning on the walls for support.
She struggled to pull the skin tight shirt over her head. Once she popped it off, she aggressively started pulling down on her mini skirt, accidentally ripping her sheer black stockings along with it.
The guilt, the hurt, the alcohol, and the struggle of trying to take off her clothing was not helping.
Tears finally started to fall..
"Adrien was so angry, He was so angry, SO ANGRY WITH ME, it's all my fault, it's all my fault."
"Fucking dramatic... you don't deserve to cry... just fucking calm down.."
"Pathetic Marinette. You're fucking pathetic.."
She stumbled her way into the bathroom, aggressively switching on the lights.
The bright light took over her vision, causing her weary eyes to wince shut.
She found her way to the sink and gripped it with both hands to steady her balance.
She slowly looked up to face herself in the mirror.
Mascara ran down her cheeks..
Her lipstick was smudged in every corner.
Her eyes were bloodshot and low.
This was the worst that she's ever seen herself.
"Stop fucking crying.. stop fucking crying.. stop fucking crying"
She slammed her fist into the counter, her voice breaking. She wanted to yell out but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Her breathing was choppy and her body was shaking.
She tried to keep herself from hyperventilating, but even that was too much of a hassle.
She couldn't calm herself down.
She had lost control.
"Ben- Benzodiazepine.. I need— to ca— calm down.."
She swung open the medicine cabinet and knocked everything over, desperately trying to find the prescription. Once she found the bottle, her hands started to shake, attempting to read the lettering.
"Ju— just a couple... just a couple"
She snapped the bottle open and dumped an indiscriminate amount into her palm.
Without thinking she popped the palm full of pills into her mouth and choked them down her throat.
Her knees started to give out and she slid down onto the floor.
Tears still flowing from her eyes, her hands beginning to steady themselves.
The coldness from the tile pressed up against her bare body brought her comfort in some odd way.
She slowly lowered herself and laid down on the bathroom floor.
Her eyes shut closed.. and her breathing brought to a calm.
The room went silent.
.......