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In his now empty apartment, the one he had shared with Marinette, he lay on the couch, in the darkness. He stared at the miraculous box that held Marinette's earrings. He couldn't bring himself to open it. To talk to Tikki. Plagg stayed quiet, the only thing he'd said to him was that maybe talking to Tikki could help, but Adrien had shook his head.
His phone buzzed. Another text from Nino. Or maybe it was Alya. Either way, both of them were asking him what really happened, if he was ok, if he needed them to come over. He ignored he texts, he didn't want to see them. Another buzz. More buzzes. A lazy tune from his phone signalling someone's call.
Adrien turned on his side, picking up his phone to look at who it was. Luka. He was the one who didn't know about Marinette and Ladybug, the one who would wonder how Marinette ended up in that alley. He would want to know how Adrien found Marinette, and why he hadn't gotten help sooner. Adrien wouldn't be able to answer him, so he ignored the call.
After it came another call, from Kagami. She had been in Japan when the final battle happened, she probably checked the news and found out what had happened. Probably found out some other way for what happened to Marinette. He ignored her call too, talking wasn't something he really wanted to do.
He switched on the TV, flipping through channels.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir, both MIA, have been missing since the end of the battle--"
Click.
"Carapace and Viperion left without answering many questions--"
Click.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, an aspiring designer, age 20, found de--"
He turned off the TV, throwing the control aside.
"You know," came Plagg's drawl, "you're gonna have to figure out what to tell the media. About what happened with Ladybug, I mean."
Adrien sighed, "I know, but I'm not good with that sort of thing. That was always what..." Marinette did.
The memories came back, from just two days before, when the final battle took everything away from him. When his father took everything away from him.
"Ladybug, no!"
One split second where his attention was elsewhere and she gets stabbed. One miniscule second.
He had watched as she fell to the ground, blood gushing from where she got stabbed. Of course it had been a vital, of course it had been. He had ran to her, not even paying attention to the akuma that got away, the others would deal with it. He had scooped her up in his arms, holding her tight, hoping that it would be enough to keep her with him, knowing that it was foolish to think that.
"Marinette, stay with me, please, I'll go get help--"
"Adrien," she had croaked, a featherlight touch to his arm. "Our identities...they can't..."
She had been bleeding out and she still worried about their identities. Gosh, why was she like that?
"Then... Detransform, and I'll go run you to an ambulance--"
She had shook her head slightly. He remembered thinking, No. She couldn't already be letting go. "It would...make pain...worse."
No. Please no. This couldn't be happening, he'd thought.
"But I can't just let you die!"
She had given him what was probably meant to be a smile, but it was more of a grimace. "We're heroes, that's what happens."
No.
No!
NO!
STOP!
"But it doesn't have to be this way." His voice broke as he said it, he knew there wouldn't be much time left.
"You know...I love you, right?" She winced, shifting in his arms. His black leather clad arms that were more red than black.
"I love you more," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He hadn't wanted that to be goodbye. It couldn't be.
He wasn't sure when her heart stopped beating. But he felt it slow, and little by little, it just went away. He held her through it all, he didn't want to let go. He wasn't sure if he ever would. Her transformation wore out, leaving a cold, dead Marinette in his arms, Tikki unconscious beside her.
"Little kitty on the roof, all alone without his lady." The rest of him had broken, the floodgates opening. "I'm all alone without you, Marinette." The tears came, hot, angry, and guilty. He trembled and shook with sobs, and he was almost sure he heard himself scream. When the battle was over, he couldn't remember. When he'd detransformed, he couldn't remember either. But when he heard the shuffling of footsteps, then heard a familiar voice, he snapped back to reality.
"Adrien?" It was Alya. "Wha--oh my God! Nino, get help--"
"It's too late, it's over, she's...gone."
He heard Alya fall to her knees, he glanced at them and saw Nino standing still, in shock, Alya's face buried in her hands.
"That must be why there wasn't a miraculous cure..." Nino murmured. He shook his head slowly, "I'll go tell authorities."
Behind him can more footsteps, faster, like someone was running, then Luka came around the corner. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Marinette in Adrien's arms. His face fell, and he swallowed hard, probably already aware that Marinette couldn't be helped.
No one said anything. There was nothing anybody really could say. But they all knew one thing, Marinette was gone. Forever.
Nino and Luka had transformed, taking care of the media, while Alya came with Adrien to tell the Dupain-Cheng's what had happened. They told them that somehow she'd fallen, and gotten impaled by glass debris. Adrien knew better, but he couldn't tell Alya. Sure, she knew about Ladybug's identity, but he just couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"Kid, snap out of it!" Plagg was yelling, frantically flying around.
Adrien was shaking, his breath shallow, tears stinging his eyes. I'm so sorry, he pleaded in his mind, I'm so sorry I let this happen, Marinette.
"Adrien!"
"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he wiped at his eyes hurriedly. "I just... I just need a moment alone. He then sprang up, rushing to his room.
Closing the door behind him, he then yanked open a drawer, taking out a small velvet box, opening it to find the silver right with three small diamonds. The ring he was going to use to propose to Marinette.
He twirled the ring around his finger, watching it, almost mesmerized. "I wish I could've given it to her," his voice quivered as he whispered.
He had had a plan. He would take Marinette to a nice restaurant one weekend night, then they'd walk along the Seine, and once he felt like they'd walked enough, he'd suggest they sit and watch the moon. Once she would sit, he would pretend to tie his shoe laces, and then Plagg would hand him the box. It was going to be perfect. But that was never going to happen anymore.
He sighed, slowly placing the ring back in the box, then closing it and putting it in the otherwise empty drawer, grabbing a key to lock it. He wasn't sure if he'd ever open the drawer again.
He walked back to the living room, feeling exhausted and dejected. After plopping down on the couch, he leaned over reaching for the small box were the miraculous sat. He glanced at Plagg who gave him an encouraging nod.
He opened the box.