Chapter Text
Mordhaus
South Florida, USA
November 28th, 199X
“I don't care what you think is the truth or not, Mag!” Rain shouted tiredly. She looked at the analog clock on her nightstand. 1:48 am on a fucking Monday. She had to be up for work in 4 hours and he was still going on about some stupid fucking look Pickles had apparently given her. She sat on the spring mattress and put her head in their hands tiredly.
“Please can you just drop it so i can fucking sleep for an hour or something? I have work tomorrow and you know that.”
Magnus paced. His hands balled into fists at his sides, face tight with anger. She knew how this would go, it happened 4 out of the 7 days of the week. They’d argue all night up until 5 am, too late for her to sleep but too early for her to leave the room. She’d work all day and come home to flowers or chocolate from him with an “im sorry” speech on the last day about how he shouldn’t be so overbearing, he trusted her. He knew she would never cheat on him, he could see if it her eyes.
And She'd forgive him.
Because it’s Magnus, and she loved him despite it all.
“Not until you fucking tell me what that look Pickles gave you was about!” He shouted, now stood in front of where she sat. A hand flew out and grabbed her jaw, forcing her head up to look him in the eyes. His eyes seemed to be a brownish red, something also common with these episodes he kept having. “Because I know that asshole likes you. I can see it. You keep dressing like a whore and that’s just what he likes.” he grips her jaw tighter, she gasps.
“Let go of me!” She hits at his arm, but he is unmoving. She could feel the bruise forming under his fingers and tears stinging her eyes. Why did he have to get so violent when they fought? She hated how much he had changed since..
“Tell me! You’re my fiancé!” He yelled, gripping tighter on her jaw.
Rain bit her lip in thought, a little white lie couldn’t hurt anyone right?
“Fine! He asked me out, but I turned him down! I swear! and I told him off about it, about how I'm marrying you!” Rain forced out, her voice raising an octave due to the pain in her chin. She hoped this lie wouldn’t backfire, that it wouldn’t get her friend hurt, but she couldn’t be held like this anymore! It was unbearable!
This was, apparently, enough for Magnus to let go. Pushing her back as he released her jaw, anger still present in his facial expressions. He looked like he was glowing with anger, like if she touched him she’d get burned.
She fell back with an oof. Jaw pulsating. She could feel the dull ache of a bruise forming and brought her hand up to rub the area. This was a new thing, him grabbing her like that without much of an argument really. It was scary how quickly he had begun to escalate their arguments into full blown shouting matches, things were never this bad in the past...
“I do everything for this band..EVERYTHING. And that low life, drowned rat of a has-been rockstar tries to ruin it. He’s always trying to overthrow me!” Magnus was pacing again, his hands shook with anger that Rain knew too well. She swallowed dryly, nervously sitting up. “And Nathan…Just lets it happen! He wont even side with me! I mean hell, if it wasn’t for me Nathan would still be living with his parents! Neither of them give a fuck about this band!”
“you’re right, He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. They don't care about the band.”
Maybe she could defuse this still.
“You’ve worked too hard to get to where you are and he…he got here without even having to try. Nate doesn’t even hear you out anymore, and that’s supposed to be your friend...You’re just trying to get him to listen.”
Magnus nodded, curls falling over his face. His eyes were still blown wild but the anger was dripping away slowly. “That’s what he wants, that washed up idiot. To take it all from me, that’s why he’s after you.” He stated, his pacing coming to a silent stop as he now stands in front of Rain. Her heartbeat picks up again, having him close. His eyes were still blown wide, a sick smile now plastered his face as he leaned over her.
This was not the Magnus she agreed to marry 3 years ago.
“But you’re a smart girl, you’re my girl..and I'm going to make sure he doesn’t forget that again..” He says in a tone that Rain knows too well to ignore despite how tired she was. Hands pushed her back roughly into the mattress as Magnus began to undress her. Her heart raced, she didn’t want to do this tonight. This ugly cycle of abuse that she'd been stuck with for the last 3 months. She felt hands on her hips, tugging down the sweat pants and underwear she had on. She lay there, praying to whatever god would listen that she wouldn’t have to do this tonight. Fighting back only made him angrier, and she had enough bruises to handle right now.
A loud bang on the door. They both froze, staring at each other.
Was her prayer answered?
“Magnus, you’ve been keeping everyone awake. Go to fucking bed, before i come in there and knock you out myself.” Nathan’s gravelly voice boomed through the door. Magnus’s face twisted dark and angry again as he straightened up. He walked to the closet, silently shoved his shoes on and pulled a jacket out as he mumbled something about how Nathan would pay for this too as he put it on.
He was going out. Her prayer was answered.
“Stay right fucking there, or else.” he hissed, shoving his hunting knife into the back of his jeans before opening the door. Nathan stood there, hair covering half of his face that was surprisingly blank. They stared at each other for a moment before Magnus stormed off. The front door opened and then Closed with a slam.
She heard Magnus’s 1989 Buick Riviera startup before tearing out onto the street. She knew he wouldn’t be back until practice tomorrow.
She let out a breath. She was safe.
“Uh…Sorry about uh…interrupting..” Nathan’s face was red as he looked anywhere but at her, sweats and underwear ripped down to her knees. She quickly pulled them back up as she stood. “No, no it’s…nothing. Sorry if we kept you-“
“It’s not you. Rainy. It’s not you who we hear.” Nathan interjected, now turning his face back to her “What’s going on with him?” He asked, stepping closer. Should she tell him? Could she? Her jaw ached, she was going to call out of work for sure…a large hand reached up, brushing against her jawline. She flinched back, looking at Nathan silently.
“How long has that been going on..?” Nathan asked, genuine concern leaking into his voice as he looked at her.
The dam broke.
Someone asking about a bruise broke down every god forsaken wall she worked so hard to build up over the last year and a half. He’d typically resort to under the clothes kind of marks, places she’d never want the others to see.
Hot tears began to roll down her cheeks, her lip quivering. She couldn’t speak, only looked away in shame at how pathetic she must look. Nathan stepped in front of her, arms wrapping around her and encasing her in a hug that felt like security. All of her bottled up emotions began to leak out in shaky sobs that racked her body. How could she had been okay with this for so long? Why was she okay with this for so long?
“He’s off his meds isn’t he?” Nathan’s voice boomed in his chest, gravel like and deep. They'd all been friends for so long, of course he started to see Magnus's mania get worse over the last 6 months. She nodded, ashamed of what had been done to her and how long it had been going on. Nathan only grumbled, his arms still strong around her torso as her body shook with tears.
“Go sleep in my room. When you’re ready, find me.” it was a demand without threats. A demand of care, a demand of affection. Rain obliged, breaking from his embrace before shuffling to the dark room down the hall. She laid on the double mattress, leaving a voicemail for her boss on her flip phone before turning and pulling the blanket up over her head defensively.
Nathan’s body wash and cheap cologne engulfed her in a comforting embrace, she breathed it in as she began to be lulled to sleep, memories of life before everything replaying in her head like a movie. She yawned once more before falling asleep, remembering a time where she was happiest.