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Adrien was quietly talking to Plagg the first time he saw Lila hit Marinette. The worst part was that she saw him and subtlety shook her head to stop him from moving to help. After that he began to pay more attention and it happened again and again and again.
“I just don’t understand Plagg. Marinette is strong and smart, she could go anywhere, even New York, why does she stay?”
“Maybe she is waiting for her cheese to age.” The small god's tone was light and casual, his eyes though shone with all the darkness and destruction, apparently Adrien wasn’t the only one getting sick of how the liar was treating his friend.
The next day Adrien had to clench his fists under his desk when he saw Marinette limping into class. He only half heard the excuse about tripping fall from her lips. He was too busy trying to ignore Plagg’s hissed swearing as Lila smirked, too busy not staring and the, apparently only obvious to him and Plagg, make-up covering Marinette’s arms and cheeks.
He had to be patient, Marinette didn’t want his help, she didn’t want anyone else to know or fuss, but this couldn’t stand. He just needed to be patient. Lila always tried to get him alone after class, today he would let her.
Sure enough, today was no different. As Lila started her approach, ready to grab at his sleeve, he instead turned to face her. “Does it make you feel good?”
She stopped short and blinked dumbly, “What?”
“When you push her around, does it make you feel good?”
He saw the moment she understood what he was asking. Her eyes widened, tears began to form, and a quiver entered her voice. “What are you saying?” He ignored the drops now falling uselessly to the ground. “Are you threatening me?”
“No threats.” He grinned and felt Plagg’s power of destruction, his hate for the liar. He almost wondered how it would effect Lila, but he honestly didn’t care. “Just a friendly warning, since you are obviously my friend of course. One day she isn’t going to take any more.” He nodded to himself as if Lila had answered with something profound before stepping closer. The girl’s tear had turned to those of fear and it took all his effort not to smile. “When she can’t take it anymore, it will be you on the cross hairs. Can your wall of lies stand the assault?”
She opened her mouth to reply but no sound escaped.
Feeling a little better after finally having done something, he turned towards home without a 2nd glance. He could hear as Lila swore quietly and ran in the opposite direction. He could only hope she learned her lesson, and if not, well at least he would be there for Marinette, maybe not just him either. Lula had failed to notice Nathanial quietly drawing at the back of the class.
The next week Adrien was just arriving to school when he saw Marinette land face down on the dirt at the base of the school steps. He was running and calling her name before anyone had even noticed her there. Kneeling at her side he could tell she was mumbling something.
“Are you okay? Do you need first aid? Water?”
She sat up slowly, fire burning in her eyes and without any sign of her stutter, stated “I have had enough.”
He could feel himself grinning even as he answered her, “Just tell me what you need.”
Marinette entered the classroom like a queen, and when Lila tried to trip her again she stopped and with head held high turned towards the liar. “Enough!”
She pulled grabbed the make-up wipes he had found for her and slowly revealed every scrap and bruise dotting her skin. “Every day you hit me, every day you trip and shove me, every day you paint more colour on to the tapestry of my skin. This ends now.”
There were shocked gasps from around them bit Adrien couldn’t bother to look around, his gaze was focused entirely on Marinette and the way she managed to look regal despite her injuries.
“I told myself that it didn’t hurt. I told myself I could endure for the sake of my friends. I told myself I just needed to stay silent, that if I did you promised to leave my friends alone.
In his periphery, Adrien could see Mylene starting to shake, and Juleka comforting a now crying Rose, but that could be dealt with later. Marinette wasn’t done yet.
“I have had enough! Never again will I allow you to hurt me, you can try, but I will make you work for it.” Without breaking eye contact Adrien watched as she reached out and crushed the akuma coming for Lila. “Good luck, you are going to need it.”
He helped escort her from the room and angled her towards the exit. She had just crushed an akuma with her bare hand, school could wait.
Once she had washed off her hand in a fountain he pulled a towel from his bag and helped dry her hands. “Join me for lunch?”
Marinette turned bright red, “like a date?” She began to stutter and mix up her words, it was kind of adorable. “but I am a mess.”
“You look like a queen to me.”