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No. No. No. No. No. NO!
It wasn’t possible. She’d done everything right. She’d tried everything, ran every plan in her head, until she’d found one that resulted in him making it through this, even if she didn’t. And he had to be stubborn. He had to ruin it.
Stupid-Stupid kitty.
Masked eyes widened as she tried to salvage the situation before he---- It was too late. She knew that it was too late when his transformation failed, and blood blossomed over the familiar apparel of the one person she couldn’t stand to lose.
“Please no---- Adrien-----”
Someone---- not just someone, Hawk Moth, had reached into her chest, and twisted her heart before ripping it right out. This wasn’t happening.
The smallest laugh escaped from the bleeding boy as arms pulled him in, cradling him to a red and black clad chest. Tears dripped from her eyes falling onto his face. And she winced ever so slightly when a weak hand rose and wiped away her tears. “----Heh, Don’t cry, Princess. I’ll----” He coughed, “---- be alright.”
Liar. Dirty, rotten, Liar.
And still, she cried. Tears dripping down her face, as she tried to laugh it off because she was sure that was what he wanted. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t lose him.
“I’m sorry---- This---- This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
His breathing faltered, and her heart stopped for a second, before he pulled in another. “You have to go after him, Mari.”
She shook her head. The entire idea of it absurd. She couldn’t make herself chase after the man who’d done this. She couldn’t make herself leave Adrien to die alone. It was cruel, and it was beyond her. Had it been almost anyone else---- She may have listened. But it wasn’t. “You deserved better---- I’m not strong enough. We’re partners------ I should’ve been able to protect you.”
No. She wasn’t strong. He was dying because she wasn’t strong. She wasn’t a hero. Never had been. Not really. She just wanted to be normal. She was broken.
Adrien’s features, he was growing weaker by the second. She could see it. She just wanted him to live. She was practically willing him to live, even as his next words were choked and broken non-sentences.
“Don’t say that. You------- better than---------- credit for.”
His words ran together in low mumbles making some of them difficult to understand but she still managed to get the point. And a soft smile came to her lips. He grew still in her grasp. Completely unmoving and a sob escaped her throat.
His weight became enough to crush her.
“I’m sorry----- I’m sorry------” She choked on her words, lips pressing to his forehead. “I couldn’t protect you.”
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She bolted upright. Sweat slicked her hair, steady breathing echoed beside her. Her eyes turned to face him, her husband. Her beautiful, wonderful, somewhat annoying husband. Her hand moved before she could stop it. Fingers trailing over the exposed flesh of his chest. Right over the wound that he’d gotten protecting her from Hawk Moth during their final battle.
A wound that would’ve been. Should’ve been fatal. But by sheer luck and grace of God he’d managed to live through it. Only barely. Tears mingled with sweat, and she choked on her breath, on a sob that was fighting its way free.
Green eyes snapped open and protective arms held her tightly. A reminder that he wasn’t gone. He was there. He was alive.
“I love you… I’m okay….. I’m here.”