Heart of Black

An Unfamiliar Place

"Nnngh…”

Marinette shivered, not liking the feeling of her bare arms hitting the cold air. She took a deep breath in, noting that it didn't smell like fresh bread as it usually did in the mornings. Dismissing it as only a minor detail, she reached for her blanket, only to grab a fistful of...something soft and silky?

“Ow! What the hell?!”

The girl’s eyes popped open as she released her grip on the thing. She shot up in bed, staring in shock at the sight that met her. That handsome-demon-boy she met earlier was resting his head on the side of the bed she was laying on.

So it wasn't a dream.

“Sorry,” Marinette apologized, realizing the tight hold she had on his hair earlier probably wasn't too pleasant. She rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the dim lighting in the room. That's when she got a good look at things.

One thing was for sure—this house definitely wasn’t hers. The place looked like a log cabin, however a very nice one. The bed was also very large and cushioned, which explained why her sleep felt extra nice.

“Where are we?” she asked warily, hoping he wasn't planning on keeping her there. He sighed, deciding not to lecture her about the hair pulling.

“I found some doctor in the middle of the forest. You fainted, so I brought you here to rest,” he responded. Marinette smiled. She was grateful that he even bothered to help her instead of leaving her in the middle of the forest.

I guess even demons have morals.

However, something about his response piqued her interest. “A doctor, you say?”

He quirked a brow up. “That’s what I said.”

Marinette’s eyes lit up, as she hopped out of the bed. If she was currently at a doctor’s house in the middle of the forest, that could only mean one thing.

She’d ended up making it to her destination after all!

“Where do you think you're going?” he snapped. Marinette almost swore she heard a hint of concern in his tone, although figured it was because she were his only source of food for the time being.

“I have to get something and go back home,” she explained briefly, swinging open a door and leaving the blonde alone in the room.

Sighing at how difficult she was being, the male decided to sneak downstairs and watch over her, as well. Normally, he'd yell at her for being so disobedient, however he was far too tired to do that.

He remained in his human form all the while to not appear suspicious to the doctor, taking a seat on a nearby chair and silently eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Hello, I'm Marinette from a nearby village,” she introduced, hands placed on the counter that separated her and the doctor.

His ears pricked up at the sound of her name.

Marinette, huh?

Wondering what more information he could try out of this, the blonde continued listening. “Oh, you're the girl who was brought in after a fainting spell,” the doctor remembered. She smiled briefly.

“Yes, Mister…” her eyes travelled to his name tag. “Fu. I suppose I just wore myself out too much. It took lots of walking to find this place.”

Fu raised an eyebrow curiously. “And for what reason were you travelling here?” he inquired. It wasn't too often someone came seeking this place out.

She sighed, solemnly. “Well, there's been a bad illness spreading around in the village. We’re afraid it might spread and cause many deaths.”

He nodded in understanding. “Can you describe the symptoms for me?” he requested. Marinette nodded, slipping off the backpack she’d taken with her. She was really grateful that the demon-human-boy brought it after she passed out.

“Our mayor wrote it down for you. Let me grab the paper.”

The rest of her words fell deaf on his ears. He observed the girl, noting that she wasn't too bad looking. Some may even call her pretty. Her blue pigtails were a trait of hers he liked, however he often found himself wanting to stare into her shining bluebell eyes that were always full of life. Except when he scared her. He hated seeing that look on her, and he didn't know why. He hated how he felt so guilty for causing this girl he’d never met before to feel afraid.

“Why are you still here?”

He blinked a few times, obviously previously lost in thought. Looking up, he found himself looking up at the girl he’d been thinking of a few seconds ago.

“Why am I here?” he repeated, almost mockingly. That's when he caught a glimpse of the doctor. He couldn't say anything that would arise suspicion right now. “Because I wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll walk you out,” he offered, beckoning her to go outside with a tilt of his head. Marinette made a face, which he assumed was due to his rather uncharacteristic response, but went outside, thanking the older man who’d given her the medicine before leaving.

Following her out, they walked for a few minutes to ensure they wouldn't be spotted, before the blonde turned to her.

“I’m only here to make sure you're actually going to return and bring me food,” he spoke evenly, raising an eyebrow. Marinette sharply inhaled, and that's when he knew she really wasn't planning to return after all. As he’d thought.

The blue haired girl looked off to the side, avoiding eye contact. She really didn't think he’d catch on this quickly…did she really have to come back to the forest everyday and put herself in more danger? If she didn't go, he couldn't come out of the forest, right? He’d surely he spotted and he didn't seem like the type of person who would take big risks, hence the reason he dragged her off deep into the forest to have a simple conversation.

But, if I don't agree, he’s probably going to eat me up right now…

That's when Marinette was hit with a brilliant idea. She could just lie! If she told him she'd bring him food, he’d let her go, and she could leave then never return! She could just forget this entire experience ever happened. It sounded flawless.

“Of course I'll bring it!” she smiled cheerfully. “I'll bring you so much yummy food. Croissants, tarts, souffle, you name it!”

The male narrowed his eyes. For a second, Marinette felt scared. She sounded way too enthusiastic just then. He was sure to see right through her…

“I'll be looking forward to it, then. I'll be waiting near the front of the forest.”

With those words said, she watched in utter disbelief as he disappeared, leaving behind only a temporary cloud of green. She was shocked because one, he’d just vanished into thin air, and two, he actually bought her lame excuse.

Marinette turned on her heel and ran before he could change his mind. Although, considering the fact that it appeared he was part demon, he could find her easily in this forest if she wanted. So she wanted to get out as quickly as possible.

As she stumbled a few times, thoughts ran through the girl’s head. Why didn’t he just leave her on the forest ground? Surely that wasn't just because she was his main source of food, was it? And the biggest question she found herself wondering, was why did she find those eyes so familiar? Why did she in some sick, twisted way, trust those eyes?

She hated it.