tw: emotional/physical abuse mentioned

They had history, the two of them. And art.

They met first year of high school, in the beginner's art class. Everything begins in beginners art. The creativity, the passion, the skill.

And along the way, they found romance.

They started dating during their second year of high school. Marinette was leaning more towards fashion and design, meanwhile Andrew was continuing art. They both supported each other in their endeavors, going to each other when they needed art advice.

They dated through high school and graduated together. They did some university together. Their careers were more or less around the same path, so they did some classes together. They moved in together after their first year of going to university.

Marinette really felt like they clicked, like they complimented each other. They liked to go out, find a nice, quiet spot and hang out, draw, or just listen to music. It was nice. So nice, Marinette thought that this was the life she could see herself living.

And it did become her life. Andrew proposed to her one snowy, winter evening. They were indoors, Marinette was making some hot chocolate in the kitchen, and Andrew came in, with a big bouquet of roses.

"Marinette," he sings, coming up behind her.

"Yes," she sings, turning around with a mug in her hand. What she didn't realize was just how close Andrew was to her. And that he was holding a bouquet of roses.

So naturally, she crashed her cup into his bouquet, spilling steaming hot chocolate all over herself.

She yelped and she took a big step back, trying to unsuccessfully, but unfortunately burn herself. She set the mug down on the counter and she held her sweatshirt out to prevent it from burning her skin.

"O-Oh my god, Marinette, I'm so sorry!" Andrew set the bouquet down on the counter and he took some napkins, trying to dab at the chocolate on her clothes, but she waved him away.

"Ah, no, it's okay, um.." she panted and she sighed softly. "Can you just clean that up while I go change?" She asks while she's already peeling her sweatshirt off.

"Yeah," he turns to the small puddles on the floor while Marinette goes to the bedroom.

Luckily, she didn't get too much on her skin. Her hand did get a little burned, so after she got into a dry, not steaming and chocolatey shirt, she ran her hand under cold water for a while.

Once it didn't feel as bad, she headed back to meet with Andrew. He was still wiping up the chocolate with napkins, which Marinette thought was a little unproductive.

"Why don't we try mopping?" She suggested, going to the closet to collect the mop and the bucket.

After Marinette had a small cleaning session and throwing away all the chocolate soaked napkins, Andrew smiled. "We did great," he nods.

Marinette hums. She doesn't necessarily agree that 'we' is the correct word, but she wasn't going to say that out loud. "So, where were you?" She asks.

"Oh!" He turns to pick up the bouquet and turns to her. "I just... wanted to give these to you," he smiles.

Marinette smiles and she's taking the roses in her hands. But then she feels a sharp stab to her finger and she drops them. "Ouch!" On her ring finger, a bead of blood grew on her fingertip, before dropping to the ground. Marinette grabs the nearest napkin and squeezes her finger, wincing at the pain. "There's thorns," she murmured.

Andrew gave a disapproving grunt, picking up the bouquet and setting them on the counter again. "I asked them to trim the thorns. That flower shop is not good for anything," he's rolling his eyes, taking Marinette's hand and looking down at it. "Let me see."

Marinette hesitates a little before she's removing the napkin off her finger. There's no more blood collecting, but it's naturally swollen and red.

"I'm sorry," he coos, putting her hand to his chest. "I wanted this all to be perfect, because you're perfect." He brings her hand up to kiss her knuckles, before he's getting down on one knee.

"Andrew?" Marinette isn't sure to think that this is what she thinks she is.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you marry me?"

All of the accidents that had transpired in the course of the past fifteen minutes dissolved into thin air as Andrew pulled out a black velvet box from his pockets, opening and holding it up to her.

Marinette gasps, bringing her hands up to her lips. "Oh... oh, Andrew," her eyes are watering and she's laughing. "Yes!"

Andrew smiles and he takes her hand, standing. He sets the box on the counter and he's wiggling the box off of the ring. The box clatters on the counter as the ring pops out, before he turns, slipping it on her finger.

Marinette gasps softly as he's squeezing the finger that just got pricked, but her happiness is overriding her pain.

When Andrew wasn't hogging all of Marinette's time, she and Alya would get a coffee, or if Marinette had more time, lunch.

"Ugh, I miss you so much. Now that you moved in with Andrew, I barely get to see you," Alya whined, as she side squeezed the best friend she hadn't seen in two weeks.

Marinette giggles. "I'm sorry, I've just been so busy, and, oh, look!" She holds her hand up and wiggles her fingers to Alya.

Alya brightens when she sees the ring and she takes her hand with a squeal, but Marinette notices how her smiles fades, her excitement dying down rather quickly.

"Aw, Mari, that's great..." She says, her smile not as bright.

"... But?" Marinette ushers.

Alya purses her lips and she pulls her phone out, spinning it around on the ring that's attached to the back of her phone for a grip, which she usually does as an attempt to distract. "Well..." She sighs. "It's just that... Listen, I'm happy for you and all, but, when it comes to Andrew, you... Well, you're just not... you."

Marinette's eyebrows furrow and she pulls back, putting her hands in her lap. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asks.

"Well, things were cool in high school and all, we all hung out and stuff. But then once we all graduated and went to university, you were never able to hang out as much, and it was always a, 'well, I have to check in with Andrew first'—"

"When have I ever said that?" Marinette asks in disbelief.

And she's not even halfway through her question, when Alya's already scrolling through her phone, sliding it across the table for Marinette to see. "It hasn't been just once or twice, Marinette. It's been on several occasions. And... It's not just me that's noticed. Nino has too."

Marinette scrolls through their group chat message. It used to be rather lively, back in their day. It consisted of all the girls, her, Alya, Juleka, Rose, Mylene. And it was lively, until they would ask Marinette to come. And Marinette's response was:

"I have to see if I have any plans today, and I'll let you guys know!"

"I have to check in with Andrew first, he might want to do something."

"Andrew told me he wanted me to stay in and spend some time together tonight."

It was always an excuse. Always had to check in with Andrew. But... they were Officially a Couple couple now, so it's not like it was wrong to check if she had plans with her fiancé, right?

"I'll be able to hang out more," Marinette locks Alya's phone and slides it back to her. "I've been busy with school, and I'm about to apply for internships. If all goes well, I'll be able to get myself my dream internship and we will all be able to hang out as per usual."

○○○

A couple months pass.

Marinette hasn't been able to hang out with her friends. She's been so busy with school, she hasn't even been able to visit her parents.

"Gosh, I'm tired," she sighed, leaning back in her chair from being hunched over her desk. She was on a couple designs, her hand nearly at cramping point and her eyes sore from being so focused.

Her phone chimes, a chime she knows familiar as her mother's specific tone. Marinette smiles and picks up her phone, reading her mother's text message.

      Mama: Hello, my flower. How are you?

      Marinette: I'm doing ok, maman. How are you?

      Mama: Missing my beautiful daughter. Home has been lonelier without you. Papa has been sighing sadly and looking out the window, pitifully complaining when you're coming to visit.

       Mama: I tell him that you're a busy young lady, but he never listens.

Marinette smiles sadly. She really can't remember that last time she went home.

      Marinette: Yeah, I've been working really hard on my final projects. Everything is due soon

      Mama: Not working yourself too hard, I hope?

      Marinette: I think I do need a break

     Mama: Why don't you come home? I'll prepare you some of your favorite soup!

"Who are you texting?"

Marinette jumps in her seat, her phone could have flown out of her hand with the scare. He was leaning on the door frame of their joint 'art room', watching her. "Andrew, good lord, you scared me," she sighs with a hand on her chest. "I didn't realize you had come back home."

Andrew narrows his gaze at her, crossing his arms against his chest. "So, who are you texting?" He asks again.

Marinette's phone chimes in her hand again.

      Mama: I'm already working on the soup, so we will be waiting for you!

"It's my mama. She was just asking me how I was doing and invited me—" she pauses. "Well, us, to dinner." She says, looking back up at him.

His gaze softens a little, and his shoulders sag. "Aw, but Marinette. I just got home, and I wanted to spend time with you. I figured we could finally catch up on our show, you know, the one you've been too busy to watch?"

Marinette opens her mouth to interject, but then she feels guilty. There's this paranormal activity television show that they've been watching but with Marinette's busy schedule, and Andrew doing freelance work rather than taking classes, he has had more down time than she has. And he promised that he would wait to continue watching it until she could watch it with him.

Marinette deserved a break. She deserved to treat herself for a little bit. Hanging out with her fiancé, whom she hasn't been able to spend some quality time with hasn't for a couple days now, isn't such a crime.

"Y-Yeah. I'll text my mama we can come over another day."

      Marinette: Sorry maman, I won't be able to come over today. Andrew brought dinner home!

Marinette put her phone down and stood, giving herself a little stretch. "Listen, how about we take a warm shower, get into something comfy and order some take-out?" She asks, heading over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"How about you shower and I go get the food?" He asks. "The usual?"

Marinette frowns lightly. "But... I wanted to shower with you," she mumbles.

Andrew chuckles, shrugging her hands off. "We can shower together whenever we want, Marinette." He turns, heading towards the door. "You go ahead and get in the shower, I'll be back before you know it."

Marinette watches him go, sighing softly. "Okay, bye," she murmurs. She hears the front door close and she's staring down the empty hall, her phone chiming with her mother's text.

      Mama: Oh okay, dear. I can put the leftovers in the cooler for you.

"It's okay," Marinette nods to herself. "We're going to have a nice dinner together, cuddle up, watch some spooky stuff..." She lets out a deep breath and nods again.

Showering by herself was actually more beneficial than showering together. It was more relaxing, she got to lather herself in her scented soaps, got to soak in the steamy water.

Marinette got out of the shower and dressed. Once she stepped out of her bedroom, she could smell the rich flavors of the take out Andrew had picked up. She went to the kitchen and found Andrew leaning over the counter.

Already eating.

"Andrew," Marinette whined. "You didn't wait for me."

He smiled guiltily. "I'm sorry! I came back a while ago and you just really seemed to be enjoying your shower, and I was getting really hungry."

Marinette pouts a little, but then smiles, rubbing his back and sidling up next to him. "It's okay, I'm not too mad," she teases, grabbing her plate of lo mien and starting to eat.

Marinette was probably a couple bites in when Andrew finished. "Hey," he presses a kiss onto the side of her forehead. "I'm going to take a shower then get the show ready in the room. Enjoy your food, I'll be waiting for you, kay?"

He's already turning away, heading to the bedroom before Marinette can swallow and protest. She watches him pass the threshold of their bedroom before she sighs, and she turns back to her food. "You didn't even throw away your plates, Andrew," Marinette sighed.

She ate in silence. Simmering in her thoughts as she ate the lo mien.

Things were... Different. Yeah, Marinette knew she was busy and she could barely hang out with her friends, let alone her own parents.

But things felt different. With Andrew.

There was... frustration. More alone time, despite living and sleeping in the same bed. She wasn't sure what it was.

Not every couple is perfect. They all have their ups and downs, their strengths and their flaws. Marinette could pinpoint a lot of her own flaws, but then again, who couldn't? She thought about Andrew's flaws... but he did have some of his own strengths... Marinette just... couldn't think of them at the moment.

While she ate, Marinette decided to play some soft music, scrolling through her Instagram. She hasn't hung out with her friends lately, but she does follow them on their social media. It's the one way she knows what goes on in her friends' world.

Rose and Juleka were finally dating. Those girls were always back and forth, and they were a little friendlier to each other than they would be to the other girls.

Alya got a part-time job being a scribe at a local news channel. All while running her own blog.

Mylene and Ivan were celebrating in getting their certifications for mental and occipital therapy. They eventually wanted to open their own child therapy center, but that requires more degrees and certifications. Something they're actively working on.

Nino's making his own music, getting small jobs here and there to perform at parties and fashion shows.

And Marinette— well, Marinette's last entry was a picture of her ring. And before that, it was a couple pictures of her being on campus, maybe one of her and Andrew together.

Andrew never liked taking pictures. He himself took pictures, but he didn't like pictures of himself. He never liked being taken pictures of, even if it was with Marinette. So most of her social media was devoid of Andrew.

It was a little upsetting at first, but after a while, she got over it.

Marinette continued to eat her lo mien, humming to her music. Once she finished updating herself on her friends, she got into her recent new hobby: reading wedding blogs.

It was really cute, reading other peoples' love stories and then how it all came together. Marinette wished she had the time to blog her life story with Andrew. How they met, how they fell in love, how he proposed. She would love to plan her marriage just like they did in these blogs. Venue shopping, cake tastings, the dress! She had decided that she would design her own dress. All that was left was that they were going to choose a season to marry in. They haven't gotten into that much detail, but Marinette knows to bring it up soon enough.

With her heart and tummy full, Marinette cleans up after herself and Andrew's mess, before heading to the bedroom. She had a couple of dress ideas that she wanted to show Andrew before they started to watch their show.

"Hey babe," Marinette is calling towards her bedroom and she's fixing the images to be side by side. "I want your opinion. I know that I want one of these to be my dresses, but I want to know... well, I want you to choose which... dress..." Her words slow and she's stopping short of the bed.

The television is has gone idle, going through posters of shows and movies. Andrew was tucked under the covers, quietly snoring, fast asleep.

Marinette purses her lips and she locks her phone, setting it down on the nightstand. She reaches for the remote off the bed, shutting the tv off before setting the remote down and plugging in her phone to charge.

She gets in bed, considering spooning with Andrew. She decides against it, Marinette turning her back to him, and facing the wall.

○○○

There were rapid knocks on the door. And knocks don't come to this door often. Not after Marinette moved out.

So, when Sabine opens the door and sees her daughter, knelt on the ground beside the door, sobbing into her hands, she panics.

"Marinette? Sweetie, what's wrong?" She asks, kneeling beside her daughter.

"Oh, mama," Marinette sobs, reaching out to hug her mother.

Sabine holds her, and they're in the hallway, Sabine cradling her daughter as she sobs. She shushes her gently, tucking her under her chin and stroking her hair lightly. Sabine doesn't know what's wrong, but she's never seen Marinette like this before.

After half an hour, Marinette is sat on the couch, a blanket across her shoulders. Tom is coming in with a cup of chamomile tea, setting it down on the small table in front of them. He sits beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as Sabine pats her thigh gently.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Sabine asks quietly.

Marinette sniffles. Despite the late hour, Marinette was still fully dressed. "Andrew and I got into a fight," she murmurs. 

Tom tuts softly, pulling Marinette to lean on him. "What did he do this time?"

It's something that the two of them have noticed. Marinette has been calling more often. She doesn't visit, and she always calls when Andrew isn't nearby. Arguments between them have been frequent. More frequent than they should be. Sabine has been on the other end on the phone, listening to her daughter cry too many times than she would have liked to.

Sabine has expressed her concerns to Tom more than once in regards to their relationship. She once tried to mention it to Marinette herself, but it seemed like she was talking to a wall.

Tom decided that, as much as they would like to scoop up their one and only daughter and bring her back home, she was an adult, and they had to keep their noses out of her business.

Marinette takes a shaky sip from her tea, before setting back down on the table. "Well," she exhales softly. "Remember how I said that I was applying for internships?" They nod. "I'm applying for the Agreste Fashion Internship."

Sabine gasps softly. "Oh, you are? Honey, that's great!" She says, patting her leg.

Marinette gives a watery laugh. "The Agreste company is my dream. You both know that," she says, looking between the two of them. "Andrew thinks otherwise," she continues, her shoulders dropping as she fixes her gaze back to her tea.

They look at each other with confusion. "What do you mean?" Tom asks.

"Gabriel's son, Adrien? There's a lot of controversy that a majority of the applicants are applying to work with the son. Not for the actual... internship, I guess," she shrugs.

Sabine tilts her head to the side. "But sweetie, what does that have to do with anything?"

Marinette takes in a deep and shaky breath. "Well, that's it, mama. Andrew thinks I'm doing it for his son. Not because the company is my dream company," she says, her eyes watering as she looks to her mother. "So when I showed him the application, he... h-he got furious. Accused me of doing it for his son, just wanting to get away from him, a-and, it's not true, mama! It... It's not true..."

Marinette breaks down into tears again, leaning into her mother, covering her face with her blanket. Sabine frowns softly and she holds her, looking over Marinette's head to look at Tom with a frown.

Tom sighs softly. "Marinette, my bluebell," he ushers her to look, taking her hands. It takes her a moment before she can look at him fully. "Stay home with us tonight. I think..." Tom looks over to Sabine, watching her nod. "I think it's best if... if you stay for a couple nights."

It takes a moment, but Marinette takes another shaky breath before she nods, another round of tears making their way through.

It was three months after Andrew's proposal, that their relationship started to go downhill.

○○○

Marinette was starting to visit her parents more frequently. Spending more nights over. Helping out in the bakery like she used to when she was high school. Her parents insist that she doesn't have to help, and that they can pay her, but she refuses.

It's her getaway. It takes her back to when... things were good. When they were better.

Marinette started to invite Alya over too. They got to spend some girl-on-girl time. She even got to go out with all the girls too, which was so, so revitalizing for her.

So much that... she and Andrew are on break. And they're on talking terms. Marinette is spending the days with her parents, her friends, weekends with him.

She has been a bit busy, she applied to three different internships. Of course, the Agreste internship meant more to her than anything else. She cursed the name because of the design they decided to go with — a bowler hat, really — but, that's what she focused on the most.

When she spent time with Andrew, they didn't really talk. Well, they talked but they didn't talk. They just... kinda did what they usually did. They hung out. Andrew was distant, wasn't touchy, but it's not like he had been before.

Oh, and Marinette unofficially met Adrien! Turns out they all went to high school together, but Adrien was in different classes, and, was also a very good friend of Nino's.

Marinette has to give it to the fan girls... he is handsome. There's no point in lying, or hiding that. It's a fact she had came to terms with. Of course, she wasn't going to say that out loud, fearing the consequences of what would happen with Andrew, but...

When Marinette posted a picture of Adrien wearing her hat, stating that she hired for her internship, on her Instagram, Andrew was not exactly as ecstatic as Marinette was.

"So you just took the job?" Andrew asks, his voice loud.

"It's my dream job, Andrew! I shed blood, sweat and tears for this. Exactly for this! An internship. With The Agreste Fashion, Andrew. The Agreste Fashion!" Marinette tries to explain. "You've known about this the whole time. The whole time we've been together, Andrew."

"Well, it's news to me, you never tell me things," Andrew spat back.

It was the weekend. Marinette came back to Andrew's house, to spend the weekend with him. The weekend of the week she got accepted for the Agreste internship.

"You never listen!" Marinette exclaims.

"Oh, and I bet that the Agreste boy would, wouldn't he?"

She rolls her eyes. "Who knows, probably," she mutters under her breath.

"What?"

○○○

It was safe to assume that Marinette Dupain-Cheng has fully moved back in with her parents, the night following that argument.

Andrew had... He had expressed himself in a manner that she never anticipated he would.

Physically.

It took him two hits before he realized what he did. And he begged for forgiveness. Forced kisses on her, pleaded for her to forgive him, that he didn't mean it, that he wasn't thinking and that he won't do it again.

He didn't mean it. He didn't mean it.

Marinette goes home. She conceals her bruises. She doesn't mention it to anyone.

She doesn't see him for a while. She got a dog. She confides in Adrien. Spends time with friends. Her Instagram is becoming a little popular with how often she puts Adrien on it. More than often doing work.

He didn't mean it. He didn't mean it.

She goes back when it's yellowed. Nearly gone.

Andrew doesn't like how she's spending so much time with him. They argue. A lot. He wants her to quit, but Marinette states her stance, but Andrew doesn't agree.

Then there's more purple. And it's in a place that has to be really concealed. One day, she failed to conceal it.

Adrien got really upset.

○○○

"Marinette."

She looks up at the call of her name. Andrew was standing before her, behind the bars of a holding cell in the nearest police station.

"I'm sorry... baby, please," he begs quietly. There's a cut on his eyebrow and it's starting to swell. "I promise... baby, please, I promise, I won't do it again."

Marinette tightens her closed hand against her chest. "You... You said that last time," she replies calmly.

He reaches towards her, through the bars, but she steps away before he can reach her. "Baby," he whines softly. "This time, I promise, I won't do it again," he holds his hand out open to her.

"You won't," she nods. She takes a step closer, putting her hand in his. "Not ever again." She opens her hand, leaving her engagement ring in his hand as she takes a step back. "Goodbye, Andrew."

○○○

Marinette paid for Adrien's bail that night. He helped her gather all her things from Andrew's house. She officially moved back in.

She tells her family and Alya about everything that happened. And Adrien... is miraculously by her side the whole time.

○○○

Adrien stays beside her. He promises to stay by her side. He promised to be beside her, like she promised to stay beside him.

They promised to make themselves better for each other. Make each other better.

Until death did them part.

A car accident isn't death. Memory loss isn't death. Despite all that, he stayed beside her.

Until she decided that she didn't want him.

Now, Adrien found a person of their past in a place he should be.

And it hurts.