Marinette's Perspective:

I bandaged the scratch on Adrien's arm. I know he lied to me about a cat. I don't understand why he did it.  I was furious.

 "Adrien, tell me the truth what happened?"

  Instead of telling me, I saw a tear falling down his face. I felt him reach up and gently touch my face with one of his hands. I closed my eyes. Was he going to kiss me?

    I could feel his breath brush closer to me.

   "Marinette?" I heard him say.

   "Adrien," I responded.

     I  felt my heart shudder as he brushed his lips against mine. I had never felt anything like it before in my life. I was not sure I wanted anyone else to kiss me after this. I had desired this for years. What had brought it on all of a sudden?  Could he sense that I felt something for him?

     "Marinette," I heard him whisper as he slowly kissed me. I held a hand to his chest, and the other I let hold his arm. "Adrien, I..."I  whispered. I slowly kissed him. I felt him reach towards my chest area and moaned.  "A-Adrien," I muttered. I pulled away before more could become of this.

     I opened my eyes and saw him panting. "Adrien, are you okay?"  "Marinette, I have not been okay for years. Not since my mother left town, and since my father started drinking. I moved out, but somehow he found me.  He came at me and shouted obscene things about you. I refused to believe any of it. I defended your honor and he charged at me. He took a broken piece of glass and marked my arm. He said it was to make an example of me.

     "Oh, Adrien, I am sorry," I said. I could not believe his father would do such a horrid thing to him. I heard him mutter, "It's fine, Marinette. I would do anything for you. If I knew it would make you happy, I would run away with you and sweep you off your feet. I would marry you, and make you mine if I knew it would please you."

   "Adrien, you mustn't say such splendid romantic things to me. You know my father, would never..." I began. "That is just it, Marinette, Don't Let Him come between us."Adrien's voice lowered.  "Adrien, you can't ask me to defy my father," I started to say. "Shh, I will do very well as I please, Marinette, and I intend to prove it to you," Adrien said. "I will you will see, I would duel your father if I knew I could win your heart," Adrien blurted out. I gasped. The man before me was kind, handsome, and honest, but I could not expect him to face off against my father for me.

     "Besides, your father is bad enough, but my father, he has branded me, I am afraid, "I say with tears in my eyes."Branded you, you say, what has he done?" Adrien stated angrily. I could tell because his eyes turned red with furry when he was angry like they were doing right now. I saw his eyebrows raise at attention. "He took a cattle prod and burnt marks all over my back, and one of my lower thing areas, but..." I stated. "How dare he! No one does that to my prized possessions and lives," Adrien growled. He ran outside, and across to my house. He entered and to my horror yelled out, "Tom Cheng, face me like the brut you are, you pig! How dare you brand Marinette as if she is a prized steer! She is your daughter and a lady! So come out and face me. I dare you to defy me." 

         I watched my father come down the stairs and out the door behind him. To my horror, my father held two pistols in his hands. "Here," He said and tossed one to Adrien. "The winner keeps her, and the loser must leave town for good. Unless of course, the loser dies first," Tom sneered.

          "No, Adrien, I can't let you," I shouted as Adrien held one of the pistols. My father held tight to the other one. How was I to know it wasn't a dirty trick? I had no idea if the one Adrien has is loaded or not.  For all I know, my father set him up to slaughter him before my very eyes.

           I gasped in terror as my father aimed the pistol at Adrien's chest, while Adrien held another gun aimed at my father's heart. I closed my eyes, unable to bear witnessing the confrontation.

            I heard three shots, then a thud. No, I thought. N-no. I opened my eyes and saw a gory sight. My father lay dead on the ground. I heard Adrien groan, but as I ran to him, I saw, he was alive. Thank goodness. 

          I heard someone approaching us. I looked up seeing Adrien's father standing there with a wicked smile. His father held a rifle and he held it pointed at Adrien's head. I couldn't risk my chances. I had to do something if it meant I lost in the end.

         I pulled out the shotgun from out of its hiding place and pointed it at Mr. Agreste's chest. "If you shoot, I will end you where you stand. No one takes Adrien from me, No one!" I shouted. Mr Agretste lowered the gun. Then, he spun around and pointed it at me. I pulled the trigger and watched in surprise as the bullet grazed his chest. He stood as if nothing happened. I cocked it again and took aim once more, I felt a bullet hit my left leg. I stood despite the pain.

      "Get lost, now!  Leave town, while you still can!" I shouted.

       Mr. Agreste sneered at me. He aimed but missed grazing the tree behind me. I shot but this time it was Mr. Agreste who fell. I heard no groans or moans from him only saw the blood oze out into the street.

    I  picked up Adrien and carried him to his place. I laid him on the sofa standing watch with the shotgun. I had the rifle and discarded pistols now too. I was smarter than I looked. I knew no one, not even Mr. Agreste would ever hurt my Adrien again. I banged up Adrien's wounds, his left knee, and his right cheek. I winched with pain as I cleaned my wound and banged it. They're good as I knew, I thought.

  "Marinette, Marry me, this night," Adrien said. I looked at him in surprise. "You can't be serious Adrien," I said. "I am as serious as they come when it comes to you, ask anyone," He said. I smiled, "In that case, yes, I will marry you this night."

    Adrien kissed me. I was glad we no longer had to meet in secret. I felt him slide a ring on my finger, off we went to the courthouse, and we were married on the spot shortly after we signed the marriage certificate. For the honeymoon, we went away to a nice bellow out on the coast.

    That was the beginning for us.

The end...

Until the next Multi-Fandom two-part short story,

bye-bye,

little owlets!

Summer out!