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“It’s cruel, don’t you think, Kitty?” she asked her partner. He was nearby, making sounds that gave away the fact he was crying. He nodded, though she couldn’t see it. Nonetheless, she continued. “I finally, finally realized my feelings... finally figured out that I really, truly love you. And then this happened,” she said, looking down at herself. She was covered in red, but not that of her suit.
The transformation had melted away minutes ago, and although she knew she wouldn’t make it, she stayed strong. She had asked Chat to stay with her, but afraid of scaring him with her mangled state, she had gotten him to agree to hiding nearby, where he couldn’t see her. She had Tikki nearby too, though because of how draining the battle had been, she was knocked out. Marinette didn’t want to bother the kwami with something like this anyways, so she left her to be, taking the earrings out and placing them next to the tiny being.
Marinette tried to adjust her position to get more comfortable, but the metal that jutted out from her body only worsened. She gasped in pain, and it finally broke her. She broke into sobs, which increased the agony she was in. “Cha-at, I don’t w-want to die. I do-on’t. I want to l-live and l-love an-nd forgive. I want to b-be surroun-nded by the people I l-love, always, but now I’m d-dying and they’ll never eve-en know why this ha-appened or who I was.”
Chat Noir didn’t respond, he couldn’t. He didn’t know what to say, and couldn’t reassure her of anything, because there was nothing to reassure. She wouldn’t want them finding out she was ladybug this way. She wouldn’t want false comforts, because he didn’t know what happened when a person died, no one did. All he could do is be there for her, and do anything she requested of him.
“I’m s-so scared. I do-on’t.... I don’t want to be-e alone, Chat. Will y-you came sit n-next to me? You don’t ha-ave to look, but I j-just want you close.” As she spoke, the sobs continued, but she was also wracked with coughs. Speckles of red decorated the surrounding area and her arms, but she couldn’t find it in her to care about it.
He didn’t move for a moment, not that she could hear anyways, and then suddenly he was right beside her. His eyes were closed, because he was afraid that when he opened them she’s leave. If they remained close, then he could pretend none of what happened was real. He felt her hand slide into his, and he gripped it, holding on for dear life.
“Can I- Can I te-ell you who I am?” she asked him, voice growing quieter as a tiredness crept into her very being. The kind of tiredness no living thing experiences unless they’re on the verge of death.
Finally, Chat Noir managed to speak. She deserved that at least, right? She was the one dying, and yet she still spoke. So he should try to speak too. “My Lady, you can t-tell me anything you want,” he told her, giving her hand a squeeze.
The frail attempt at squeezing his hand back sent a fresh wave of tears down his face. “I’m M-Marinette-” his heart squeezed painfully- “just a nor-ormal girl with a normal life- “ a breath hitched- “but th-there’s something abou-out me no one knows yet- “ he opens his eyes but tears blind him- “’cause I have a secret-” he wipes them away to clear his vision- “I lived a li-ife that was full of fun- “ a strangled noise comes from him at the past tense- “it kept me sh-sharp and on the run-” he can see her now- “when e-evil came, I found a wa-ay to use my force and s-save the day-”
Coughing interrupts her speech this time, and she supposed she’d asked for it by rambling on as she had. Deciding to stay quiet for now, she looked over at her partner and met his gaze. She couldn’t help but smile sadly at him.
“My Lady... My Princess... Marinette,” he said, eyes wide and heart beating painfully against his rib cage. “I’m- I’m so sorry I didn’t notice earlier, I should have. I should have. There is no one else in Paris, in the world, who is amazing as you. As Marinette or Ladybug. Mari, I’m-” he begins, getting choked up. He’d already been losing his best friend, but now he was losing two. Two amazing girls that were one. “I wish I had been there for you, back when we met. I w-was awkward, shy... new to school, new to everything. I thought you didn’t like me,” he laughed, a sound void of the humor that was normally there. “And then I found out how wrong I was to think that. Mari, I’m-”
“Adrien.”
“Y-yeah, how’d you know?”
“I’ve known for awhile. Figured i-it out when I stopped being like ever-ry other Agreste fangirl out there. Got to kn-know Adrien, got to know Chat Noir, and soon I couldn’t see the d-difference between you. So I too-ook my time, getting to know b-both of you. And I found that l-love is so much better when you ta-ake your time with it.”
Chat Noir listened to her every word, for they were lifelines, and when she stopped talking, he whispered, “I wish w-we had more time.”
Both of their faces were filled with sorrow.
A green light washed over both of them, and suddenly, on that rooftop where they sat, were two broken teenagers. Two broken teenagers who risked it all for their city, asking for nothing in return. Two teenagers who were broken beyond repair- one physically, one mentally. But broken as they were, they had strength not many possessed, and it showed as they grasped and clinged to life.
“Adrien?” she asked. His heart fluttered at the strength her voice held each time she said his name.
“Mari?”
“W-will you tell... tell them- my family, Alya, Nino... the class, e-everyone... will you te-ell them that I loved them s-so much? That I didn’t w-want to leave? Tell Alya she’ll be the greatest r-reporter, and that Nino w-will be the best dj? Tell Chloe th-that I hope she finds h-happiness. Alix and Kim and Max to stay p-passionate. Mylene and Ivan that they’re a gr-great couple. Lila that sh-she’ll be capable of great thi-ings. Sabrina that she is s-such a good friend. Rose and Juleka to a-always stay kind and ama-azing.” she said, voice growing weaker and cracking as she went along. She was blinded by the tears that formed endlessly in her eyes, and she sniffled before continuing, “T-tell my par-rents that I l-love them s-so much, that I w-was so thankf-ful for them. T-tell them to take c-care of you and Nino and A-Alya.”
“I-I w-will, Mari, I promise. I pr-promise,” Adrien told her,knowing that she only said all of this because she knew time was short. Because she knew soon, she wouldn’t be able to say it.
“And Adrien... Ch-Chat Noir, K-Kitty, you are th-the best part-ner, the b-best friend I c-could ever ask for. You d-deserve only happiness a-and a loving family and gr-great things... I love you m-more than I have e-ever loved something b-before.”
“M-Mari-” he started, unable to keep the raw emotion and pain from his voice.
“Adrien.”
He looked at her, shocked at the ferocity of the words and the passion, the love, the strength in her eyes as he looked at her.
She took a deep breathe, a shaky one, and forced herself to speak without fault. “Don’t blame yourself. Don’t. Recover. Love again. Make your own happiness if you can’t find it.” As soon as she said those words, she fell quiet, and just stared at him, hoping her eyes would convey the rest of her message. She thought they did, because Adrien bent forward and kissed her on the forehead.
“Okay. Okay,” he said, leaning back and settling next to her. He didn’t take his eyes off her for a single second.
Even as she began to face before his very eyes, he couldn’t look away. He couldn’t miss what life she had left. He couldn’t abandon her by looking elsewhere. He knew she would understand, but still he watched her.
And then, over the span of two minutes, her eyes slipped close. Her breathing, painful and frantic, slowed to a stop. The hand that had gripped his own relaxed and became limp. Her body slid from its upright position and leaned into him.
She was gone.
Physically, that is. He still held her in his thoughts and memories.
He still held her in his heart.
Several minutes passed before he called for his kwami, who had silently floated over to Ladybug’s- Marinette’s kwami. In another flash of light, Chat Noir stood. He pocketed the miraculous, and gently placed the Kwami in his other pocket.
He stared out for a moment, at the unknowing city.
The city that would never really miss their Ladybug because the guardian would choose another.
He sighed, breathe coming out shaky, and turned around. It hurt to look at her, to touch her, but he did it. He scooped her up into his arms, and she was so small he almost broke down, but he couldn’t. She had been strong until the very end, and he would remain strong too. For her. Until he carried out her wish, he would stay strong.
He leapt off the roof, closing his eyes. He didn’t need to see, really, because he knew exactly where he was headed. He knew every building and road between him and the bakery that wouldn’t be quite so warm anymore.
With each footstep, he grew closer, and with each footstep, his legs and heart and body grew heavier.
But he didn’t stop.
Because she had asked for him to keep living.
And he would do just that.