#to all the strays I've Rescued pt3

[pumpernickel-simswood]

To All The Strays I've Rescued: Pt 3

Okay, last chapter for the night. Again, tw for domestic and child abuse. Also, I want to make the disclaimer that Gabriel isn't less of an abuser for only being emotionally abusive up til Chat Blanc. Emotional abuse is as real and harmful as physical abuse. Again, please read with caution. @hellolovelyscientist

Part 1 Part 2 

Adrien didn't react immediately, just continued holding onto her, his face pressed into her shoulder.

"Are you gonna tell your parents?" Adrien asked, muffled slightly.

"About carrying you across rooftops? Absolutely not. They'd have heart attacks and then I'd have to run the bakery all on my own and that'd be a disaster in and of itself." Marinette replied. 

"No, er, I… I mean about, y'know, me?" Adrien said.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, Adrien, you haven't told me what's going on. And I have assumptions but I'm not going to spread misinformation to anyone." Marinette said, "And more important than that, I want to take care of your injury first, okay?"

"Okay…" Adrien muttered.

"Adrien…"

"Hm?"

"I kinda need you to get down so we can get into my room…"

"Oh!" Adrien all but jumped out of her arms, "I'm so sorry!"

"N-no, it's okay." Marinette laughed awkwardly and opened the trap door to her room, "C'mon, let's go inside."

"O-okay." Adrien nodded.

***

Marinette had him sit on the chaise before she started scouring her room for her first aid kit.

"I told you I'd get her if you didn't." Plagg told his chosen.

Adrien glared at him, whisper-hissing, "We could've managed without burdening Marinette and potentially revealing my identity, Plagg!"

"You didn't eat enough before you ran away, kid. I wasn't going to just watch you starve to death." Plagg hissed back. "Besides, your friends were going to notice the fact that you'd up and disappeared sooner or later."

"Maybe they would have, but that doesn't mean bringing Marinette into this mess!" Adrien glowered.

"You trust your Princess, don't you?" Plagg crossed his arms.

"Of course I do, but that's not the point!" Adrien nearly growled.

"Found it!" Marinette declared.

Plagg flew over to her. She canted her head and he whispered something to her. She rolled her eyes with a fond smile and waved her hands a bit as she replied. Plagg made what was clearly a snarky comment and she laughed.

The laugh filled Adrien with a warm, fuzzy feeling he was unfamiliar with, but it felt nice.

"Alright, go back to Kit before you get in too much trouble." Marinette shooed Plagg.

"Aww, you do care." Plagg snickered as he flew away.

"Alright, finally, to patching you up." Marinette smiled, settling in front of him and opening up the first aid kit.

"Wow, uh, that's a pretty professional first aid kit." Adrien breathed. He'd seen it once before, but it looked like she'd added more to it.

"Yes, well, Cat Noir is as injury prone as I am and since we're friends, I figured it'd do my anxiety good to be prepared for the worst, y'know?" Marinette picked up some bruise ointment. She bit her lip, "This is probably gonna hurt a bit. Do you want to do it yourself or do you want me to?"

"I…" Adrien felt the familiar weight of his kwami settle into his shirt pocket and closed his eye with a deep breath, "Could you please? I'm not sure I'd apply it very well."

"Okay." Marinette said.

There was a moment before a cool substance came in contact with his bruise. He bit down a whimper as it was rubbed into his incredibly sore bruise.

"I know, I'm sorry." Marinette whispered, "Almost done."

Adrien almost nodded but instead managed an "O-okay."

Marinette did finish shortly, as promised, and Adrien let out the breath he'd been holding. He opened his good eye too. Marinette closed the kit and put it on the ground.

Their gazes met. Marinette's eyes filled with tears. He opened his arms. She lurched forward, wrapping him in a tight, protective embrace. He returned the hug.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." Marinette whispered.

"You don't even know what happened. I haven't told you…" Adrien murmured into her shoulder.

"And you don't have to. All that's important is that you're safe now." Marinette breathed.

Adrien felt tears slip past his defenses and he choked out a sob into her shirt. Her arms tightened around him, bringing him even closer. The sobs came easier then and he clung to her, letting out his pain from over… well, over his whole life, really.

It felt like hours as he sobbed and clung and wailed. But Marinette kept him close, a protective shield against the rest of the world.

Part 1 Part 2