Ladrien June 2022

Aspik

Annnnd here we go back to angst! Please read the end note after you're done with the oneshot!                                                                                                                                      -Colorado

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Numbers had meaning in Adrien's life.

Anytime the number 7 popped up, a smile came to his face thinking of his first love. Whenever 22 came up, Adrien became lost in memories of the day his mother disappeared. His first shoot had him wear 5 outfits, so the number 5 was always special.

25,913. For nearly three months Adrien tried over and over and over again to save Ladybug. Three months of nothing but trying to outwit Desperada. Three months of failing over and over again. When he had finally ripped off the snake miraculous, nothing had changed for her. Nothing had changed, for anyone. But he had gone through three months of watching the love of his life die over and over and over again.

25,913 was the worst number to exist, even worse than 22. So, it was a good thing that he didn't run into it all that often!

But that number was all that rang through his head as Ladybug nervously explained to him that Viperion wasn't available, she needed the snake miraculous to defeat the akuma, he already knew the limits of his power, blah, blah, blah. He wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to her. His eyes were drawn to the bracelet in her hand.

Three months. Three whole months.

He couldn't do that again. There was no way he could handle it.

"Adrien, are you okay?" Ladybug's voice cleared his thoughts. He shook his head, giving her a shaky grin.

"I-I'm fine." He promised, but Ladybug's skeptical look told him that she saw straight through him.

"I've got a plan this time, don't worry." Ladybug gave him a reassuring grin. "And you won't be on the front lines. Our problem is that we don't know what powers the akuma has. We want you to observe and report back to us. Once we know, I can assess whether or not I need the snake miraculous."

"I-" Adrien couldn't find the strength to speak. Of course, Ladybug had to see him in the alleyway right after he had detransformed. Because life seemed to have a personal vendetta against him. Maybe it was a side effect of being the bearer of bad luck.

"I understand the last time you were Aspik, things didn't go as planned-."

"I failed you." Adrien cut her off. "I failed you 25,913 times."

"You remember the amount of times it was?" Ladybug gasped.

"Of course I do." Adrien laughed bitterly. "I spent nearly three months trying to save you and every time I failed. What makes you think I won't fail this time?" His voice cracked.

"Oh Adrien," Ladybug pulled him into a hug and his heart skipped a beat. "You didn't fail me. Each and every time you were able to face Desperada again. I'm sorry that I made you feel like you had to try over and over again."

He melted into her, his arms finally embracing her. He held her close to him, not out of love, but out of relief. Ladybug was here and she survived. She was alive. She hadn't been shot down by Desperada. He hadn't messed up that badly. 

"You were the one who suggested Luka in the first place." Ladybug said quietly. "You had the strength to say that Aspik wasn't working, and I needed to try something else out. That's something I'm not sure if I could do. If it weren't for you, Viperion wouldn't have existed and we would have never defeated Desperada, let alone the hundreds of akumas Viperion was present for. We won those because of your decision. So, believe me when I say that you didn't fail anybody." Ladybug finished her speech, pulling back from him. "I never blamed you, ya know and I certainly never thought it was your fault."