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Adrien yanked his sword out of the twitching carcass with a grunt, looking up as it jerked free. His chest burned as each panting breath forced smoke laden air down his lungs. He raised his fist to his mouth, coughing into the leather glove as he peered around the ashy village.
Dragons. Everywhere. Landing on thatched roofs, chasing his knights with tongues of fire, carrying away what was left of their flocks. He winced as yet another beast launched into the air, something clutched in its leathery talons. He wasn’t sure if it was a sheep, cow, or friend, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know either.
“Adrien!”
He spun around, tightening his grip on his sword at the call. Nino waved to him from across the square, face barely visible through the smoky haze. “There’s another one over there!”
With a nod and quick salute, Adrien turned on his heel, darting in the direction of the newest plume of fire. A group of knights were already approaching the dragon, swords up and shields at the ready as they approached it. He choked back a laugh as a small figure darted through the ranks, leaping at the beast with a hoarse scream. Her blade found its spot in the dragon’s neck and it roared, whipping its head around to find the source of pain. In its moment of distraction the other knights pounced.
By the time Adrien was close enough to help, the dragon lay dead on the ground. Alix looked over with a smug grin, wiping sweaty hair out of her eyes. “You’re welcome,” she said cockily, giving him a two-fingered salute.
Adrien rolled his eyes. “Thank you, Alix. Nice job.”
She smirked proudly.
He looked up, eyes narrowing as he searched through the smoky sky. “Looks like there’s a pretty big one near the school,” he said hoarsly. “You lot have that handled?”
“Say no more.” Alix jumped down from the dead dragon’s head, hitting the ground with a clatter. “Come on, boys!”
As the group disappeared around the corner, Adrien turned back to the sky. Ash and smoke covered the sun, shrouding the world in a dark haze and making it difficult to pinpoint exactly where a dragon might be. Flares of fire had become his best bet, plumes of light shooting straight up into the air.
There. A flash of orange flame, right next to-
His house.
Adrien’s heart stopped in his chest. He stumbled into a run, armor clattering as he sprinted down the street. Fear clutched at his stomach, tightening its fist as he raced past charred houses and burnt corpses, dragon and human alike.
A bloodcurling scream echoed through the empty streets and Adrien’s legs seemed to turn to jelly. He pushed himself forward, turning the corner, praying that the sight in front of him wouldn’t be what he feared it would be, a hoarse shout escaping his chapped lips-
A pained roar, another enraged shout, and the loud THUMP of a colossal body hitting the ground.
“Marinette!”
His wife looked up, sword buried in the skull of the twitching dragon. She had the decency to look sheepish as she met his eyes. “...Hey?” she said, raising the hand that wasn’t gripping the sword in a wave.
Adrien stared, gasping for breath. “Hey? Hey? Marinette! You should be inside!”
She frowned, turning away from him to yank one of his swords out of the dead dragon. “I’m fine,” she said, lips curving into a pout. “Go kill another dragon or som- OOF!”
He ignored her grunt as he pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. His shaky breathing ruffled her wild hair. “Dont- don’t do that to me,” he muttered hoarsly. “You have no idea how- how worried I was.”
Marinette huffed, resting her cheek on his armored shoulder as her own arms came up to rest around his neck. “I’m fine,” she said grumpily, although he didn’t miss the way her voice trembled just slightly. “I can manage.”
“I thought we agreed you’d stay in the cellar.” Adrien swallowed, shoving images of dragons and fire and blackened bodies out of his mind. “You promised.”
“I… I was worried.” She looked up at him with those wide bluebell eyes he loved so much. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
He took a shaky breath. “As long as you’re okay, I’m okay,” he said softly. “I need you and baby to stay safe. Please.”
Marinette sniffed. “Well baby and I need you to stay safe too,” she countered. “I am not giving birth to this child without you, you hear me?” Before he could interrupt, she added, “Besides, I’m only two months along. It’s not like killing a tiny little dragon is going to hurt the baby.”
Adrien gave her an unamused look. “That dragon was not tiny.”
She huffed, looking over her shoulder at the dead beast. “Miniscule.”
“Marinette.”
“Itty-bitty.”
“Marinette.”
“Baby dragon.”
His choked snort turned into a cough. The sparkle in her eyes faded as he raised a hand to his mouth, coughs rattling through his body. “Can’t you come down with me?” she asked softly.
Adrien bit down another sharp cough. “I have to stay with the men,” he said apologetically.
She looked away, mouth twisting as she bit the inside of her cheeks. “Aren’t they fine on their own? Why do they need you?”
“I can’t just leave them,” he said quietly.
She sighed. “I know. Just- just don’t leave me either.”
He tightened his grip on her, resting his chin on her head. “I won’t. I promise.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Marinette took a shuddering breath. “Okay. I’ll stay in the cellar. But you better be the one to come get me when this is all over,” she said, voice hardening. “If you die I’ll bring you back so I can kill you myself.”
Adrien laughed hoarsly. “Deal. And you tell Mom that if she doesn’t make sure you stay down there she’s not invited to baby’s birth.”
Marinette gasped in play shock. “You wouldn’t! Your own mother!”
“Just tell her,” Adrien said with a snort. “I don’t even want to know what you told her to get her to let you out the first time.”
“Uh…” Marinette looked up at him sheepishly. “She… might not know I’m here.”
Adrien stared. “Wha- the cellar’s not that big! How in the world-”
“She’s taking a nap?” Marinette said. Her lips trembled with a suppressed smile.
“On purpose?”
“Uh.. she may have accidentally ingested some of the… special sleeping tea?”
Adrien was torn between amusement and exasperation. “Mari.”
Her nose scrunched. “I know, I know. I’ll stay in the cellar.”
“Good.” He sighed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”
Her arms unhooked from around his neck. She pressed her palms to his cheeks, tilting his face down to her level. “I love you, Adrien,” she said softly. “You better come back to me.”
He leaned forward, meeting her in a gentle kiss. He wanted to stay there, relish the feeling of holding his wife in his arms and kissing her, feeling the tiny bulge of her stomach pressed against him, but shouts rose from across the town and he knew their moment was over before it had even begun. He pulled away, reaching up to wipe away the tear starting its path down her cheek. “I love you too,” he said. “So, so much.”
Marinette nodded, sniffing. “I know. Now go on, hero. Join your men.”
It felt like torture, ripping himself away from her. He stepped back, reaching down to pick up the sword he’d dropped in relief. “Stay in the cellar,” he said firmly as he backed away. “Please.”
“I will.” She waved, smiling sadly. “See you soon.”
With a nod, he turned, jogging forward. He had to fight not to look back over his shoulder, call to her one more time, press one last kiss to her lips, but the screams were growing louder and his men needed him.
The sooner he fought the rest of the dragons, the sooner he’d see her again. And he would see her again. He would.
He’d promised.