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Marinette screams in her sleep.
It's a jarring realization for Alya. Never would she have ever expected her friend - her sweet, kind, sheltered friend who grew up in a loving household and only experienced minimal abuse from a playground bully - to experience night terrors that make her yell and choke and writhe in her sheets. The pink covers twist around her arms like chains, tangling and tightening the more Marinette flails. Her voice is hoarse already, desperate and terrified as she begs with words that don't fully form but sound suspiciously like "please" and "don't" and names.
(Alya's not stupid, she's had her theories for years. But then that means Marinette's been fighting a terrorist since she was thirteen with no way to get the help she clearly needs.)
(As Marinette screams, she wishes with all her soul that her theories were as solid as dust, but deep down she knows it's in vain.)
Marinette's trapped in her sheets and thrashing like a trapped animal. Alya's head screams at her to help but her fear freezes her, all thoughts blocked out by her roaring panic. She watches, gaping and frozen, as Marinette's face twists into odd mixtures of snarling and pleading and grieving as she tries to fight her nightmares.
Then, Alya's name is ripped from Marinette's lips with a gasp, shortly followed by "no, NO" and a choked off scream.
The world blurs and Alya lurches forward.
"Marinette, Marinette!" Alya's cries go unnoticed. Marinette arches off the bed with a scream, sheets tearing as she finally starts to break free of her cotton prison. Marinette's voice is ragged with grief and fear but now there's an undercurrent of black rage and white fury, teeth flashing as she snarls.
"MARINETTE!"
Marinette lurches forward with a shout, her head smacking into Alya's and her hands flying to grip Alya's biceps. Her bright blue eyes - usually so cheerful and mischievous - are dazed and red and slide from Alya to the dark room and back again like Marinette can't focus or decide she's actually awake. Alya's fingers are going numb from the way Marinette's fingers dig into her arms but she pays them no mind, just calling Marinette's name - quieter now - as she waits for Marinette's ragged breathing to even out.
A hot tear lands on Alya's bare thigh. Alya startles (she hadn't even noticed Marinette's tears amongst everything else- God, she's so stupid) and Marinette finally focuses back on Alya. Her wide eyes dart up and down, disbelieving, and Marinette's claws release Alya's arms so she can drag them up and down Alya's sides and face. Alya just barely catches the muttered "you're fine, you're okay"s as Marinette's hands explore.
"I'm here," she murmurs, voice scratchy.
Marinette's already exhausted expression crumples and she sags forward with a loud sob, her head landing in the curve of Alya's neck, and she wails into Alya's shoulder. Marinette's arms worm their way around Alya's waist and yank Alya against her, fingers squeezing the fleshy part of Alya's waist as though she were afraid Alya would turn to dust any second. Alya buries her hands in Marinette's hair and scratches her scalp soothingly as she cradles the girl close. She murmurs random promises and reassurances she can't remember into Marinette's ear soothingly, heart pounding as she rocks Marinette through her grief.
Marinette gasps against Alya's skin, hot pants cool as the blow across the tear trails webbing Alya's neck. "Don't leave me," she whispers hoarsely. Marinette shudders. "Don't ever leave me. Please."
"Never," Alya promises in a hushed whisper. After all, Ladybug has watched over her for years, it's about time she start returning the favor.