To Heart's Content

WATERworks

"Marinette, what are you doing here?"

Alya was rendered shocked when her best friend showed up at her townhouse doorstep. She was dressed in a fancy outfit and had an unreadable expression marked on her pale face. Sniffing, the dark haired girl began to shed a single tear. At that point, the dam had been busted beyond repair. Marinette physically shriveled, shrinking under her best friend's gaze. Wasting no time, Alya ushered her friend inside, seeking shelter and solace.

"Let's run you a bath and we'll talk once you're comfy, okay?" Alya sweetly suggested. The blue eyed girl agreed wordlessly. Once she was wrapped in fuzzy, albeit borrowed, pajamas, Marinette felt like pouring her heart out. No words could elapse before the disheartened girl had a steaming mug of hot chocolate resting in her frail fingertips.

Slinging a sip of the spicily warm liquid, Marinette relaxed into Alya's couch, releasing the tension from her knotted lower back. "He purposefully killed one of his patients," she quietly spoke, starring off into space, not hosting enough courage to look into the bespectacled girl's eyes. Alya was never one to prompt or pry unless necessary, but she was left scrambling with more questions than answers.

"What do you mean, Mari?"

Nonchalant blue finally met worried brown. "I mean, he has been sued for knowingly allowing a patient, on his operating table, to pass into the light."

Alya held her breath. "Did he tell you, or how do you know?"

Marinette sighed, disinterested with her beverage, setting the cup down on the nearby end table. "I overheard from one of the family members. When I asked him about it, of course he got defensive." She began to stare off into space again. "I can't believe I handed my virginity over on a silver platter to a murderer," Marinette concluded with a passive expression.

"Girl, look. I know I'm not his number one fan, but people say and do things just to get revenge. If there happens to be a payoff, people will lie even harsher. All I'm saying is that I think you need to have a sit-down discussion with Adrien and allow him to explain his side of things. As for your virginity, we'll discuss details later once this whole thing is situated, okay?"

"Are you sure it's safe to lead me into the lion's den? What if he tries to kill me next?"

Alya saw how Marinette was beginning to visibly quake, nervously shaking at the thought of being offed so young in her life. Exhaling, she reached out, allowing Marinette to relax her head into her lap. She played with the bluebell eyed girl's damp hair, soothingly trying to quell her building anxiety.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Marinette, do you remember how it was the both of you met in the first place?" Alya quizzed, loosely detangling her hair. "Um... I was having a reaction to my infection and he saved me," she responded in a light whisper.

"Exactly. The both of you met because he, somehow, had enough compassion to care about your well being, even before he got into your pants."

Marinette winced at her terminology being so honestly crude. "Oops, sorry, Dear. Regardless, if he was willing to medically treat you when he had no idea who you were, why would he suddenly kill you now that he does know you?"

A small sniff came from Alya's upper thigh. "You're too logical for your own good, Als," she breathed. Shrugging, Alya grew slightly smug. "I have my moments. As for now, you are more than welcome to crash, but I think you have a better place to be," she suggested. Marinette nodded in agreement, soaking in the coziness for another minute before reluctantly getting up.

She headed for the bathroom once more, changing back into her nice dress and heels. The reflection starring back at her was hollow looking. While her heart had sunk, it was also increasing its speed, growing more nervous to speak to Adrien again. Aptly, the girl threw her still moist hair into a loose braid, coated her dry lips with chapstick and faced Alya again.

Her confidence was not strong; shaking and scared would have been better verbiage. "Are you sure I can do this? I'm freaking out."

"You'll be just fine. And if poop hits the fan, and you need anything, I'm only one call away, sister. Now, go clear things up, okay?"

Marinette rolled her strained neck, basking in Alya's kind reassurances. Gathering her skewed items, Marinette hit the road with the sole purpose of truth seeking. While it was completely normal for a doctor to lose patients, it was malicious to kill someone with premeditated intent behind it. Shutting down her dizzying thoughts, Marinette instead focused on Alya's sound advice.

As she continued her trek, she noted how her stomach seemed to suddenly rumble. Surmising that the limited sips of liquideous sugar wouldn't properly hold her over until morning, Marinette decided to stop at the nearest restaurant. Not wanting to stray from her calculated route, she chose to to go the next place she stumbled across.

She also figured that if a place was still open this late, they wouldn't question her ghastly appearance, instead chalking it up to a long, strenuous day. Just a few paces later, she opened the door to a diner with enough neon to light a small town. Keeping her hooded eyes trained on the classically checkered tile, Marinette plopped into the closest booth possible.

The red table had been recently wiped down, still slightly wet. She planned to wait, patience was a virtue after all. Bored out of her mind, the girl lightly drew designs onto the tabletop, doodling a garden of wildflowers. By the time she was completed the imagery with a sun and a few trees, she finally looked round, hoping to see a waiter of some fashion. What her poor blue eyes tumbled upon was enough to enrage her.

Lo and freaking behold, there was Adrien Agreste. The blonde male of the hour was tonsil deep into some other girl's mouth, one she presumed worked here by the outfit, behind the strip of colored counter. Deciding enough was enough, and that she wanted off the emerald green roller coaster ride, Marinette felt a small simmer grow into a towering, raging flame.

The dark haired girl flew up from her booth, stalking over to the counter, slamming her purse down and scooting the metal stool to make more noise, before sighing and sitting down loudly. Instantly, Adrien broke away from the girl, making direct eye contact with Marinette. His bright greens shrunk in size.

"I didn't realize you had already moved on, Honey. You have a plot to kill this one instead of me?" she asked in an unsettlingly calm voice, smooth fingers preening the skirt of her flouncy dress. By the looks of things, the waitress was promptly alarmed, suddenly vanishing into the double doors of the kitchen.

"Marinette, what are you doing here?" Adrien asked, nervous and terrified of her reaction.

"It's a funny thing, actually. I was on the way to your apartment. I was going to hear you out and calmly hear all the details of what I overheard earlier. I realized I was hungry, so I came in. I must have sat at that booth over there for a good ten minutes before even noticing you were twisting tongues with the staff. Nice technique, too, by the way. Might I suggest loosely playing with her hair next time? I know I used to enjoy it when you did that to me," she said, emotionless.

Once her sentences ran fruitless, she stood to leave. "Wait, Marinette, please wait! I can explain!"

The blue eyed girl pivoted on her heel, messing with the strap on her messenger bag-style purse. A brokenhearted spirit loomed over her entirety.

"Oh, sweet boy, you've already said plenty already."

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Hello all! It's been a super long minute, and for that, I'm so sorry. I just needed a break to get it all together. I hope each of you is well!

As always, feel totally free to voice any opinion you have.

Much love, Bubbles <3