Into Another World (kotlc/mlb au)

Chapter 19

Adrien's eyes fluttered open to see Ladybug curled up next to him. This felt natural, it felt right.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. These were their final moments together.

After everything that had gone down last night, he was even more heartbroken about today.

"I don't want to leave," he whispered.

"I know," she said softly as they stared at their fingers, gently entwined together. "But it's for the best."

"I won't let them hurt you," he promised.

"You can't promise something if the court will make it happen."

"Who says I have to tell them we met you?"

Ladybug grinned a little as they kissed again. He tried to savor it, knowing this would be their last kiss.

He couldn't lose her, not after they'd found one another in full.

He brushed a stray lock of hair off her face. "They won't know a thing."

His hand cupped her neck, supporting her head as they laid there, unable to move. He tried to memorize the feeling, trying to remember every single bit about this girl, the one he loved, the one who loved him.

Unfortunately, time was not on their side and they had no choice but to stand up, heading up towards the final altar where they'd see each other for the last time.

"You two have been quiet for a while," Keefe said.

Adrien shook his head. "It's complicated."

"Considering you two went to have a private conversation and then we didn't see you until the next morning and you were both on the verge of tears, it's obvious something happened. Not that complicated."

"Okay fine. We're... we're not happy, okay? There's a stupid system out there called the Vacker Court and it's tearing us apart."

"You do realize you just insulted the place you're spending the rest of your life."

"Who cares?" Adrien let out a sound that was a cross between a grunt and a growl. He'd never felt so angry against this court before. The kiss had broken something inside of him. He couldn't pretend. He couldn't go back to Everglen and pretend nothing had happened.

He saw the beginnings of the steps, leading up to the structure that made him sick to his stomach.

An amulet.

There it was. The very last one.

He couldn't breathe as Sophie unwound the pale purple necklace from the spire. "That's it. The last one."

Adrien sucked air between his teeth, blinking back tears.

"I can't do this," he blurted.

"You what?" Sophie raised an eyebrow.

"I can't go back," he tore his hands through his hair. "I can't go back."

"Adrien, please," Ladybug said, hiding her tears as well. "Don't make this harder."

"That's the problem, it's too hard already," he wiped his eyes. "I can't leave you to be alone again. I can't be there. That's not living."

She sucked in a rattled breath. "You think you're the only one who won't be able to live like this, do you?"

He bit his lip. "I know you'll be struggling too, I just... at least you can really act like nothing happened. I'll have people breathing down my neck, reminding me that I have to smother everything from this, and I know that'll just make it a million times harder. I just know one day I'll crack and they'll know everything. They'll use this... whatever it could've been... against us. I would rather die than see you be used like that."