Where Does the Red String Go? -Miraculous Ladybug AU Soulmates

Chapter 22- Awake

Marinette's POV

My eyes flutter open.

The light's so bright- like a laser cutting across my senses. A headache pounds my skull, and the insides of my mouth are dry and starchy. Where was I? What happened to the green meadow, the green rabbits?

It takes a moment to adjust to the bright colors of the real world. When I do, I realize I'm in a hospital. It's midnight, and someone forgot to leave the last light on, bathing the room in a ubiquitous glow. I'm in a thin undergarment, an IV is attached to my arm. My limbs are sore, like they haven't moved in days.

It takes a moment to register the noise coming in the room. Looking around, confused, I realize the noise is coming from under me.

I look down, and nearly gasp at the sight beneath me.

Adrien's sleeping on a thin mattress, his hair messily tousled and in his mouth slightly open. Soft snores reverberate from him. He looks so cute. I giggle.

How long was I in here for? My stomach rumbles.

Looking at Adrien, I lightly tap his shoulder, hoping he'll wake up and I won't have to resort to drastic measures. He doesn't even stir.

I try again, this time whispering "Adrien.". His fingers twitch but nothing else happens.

I begin to shake his arm rigorously. "Adrien!" I say. This time he stirs, but it isn't enough.

My arms hurt from shaking him, since they haven't been used for who knows how long. Not wanting to wake up the hospital, I decide on a different tactic.

"Help! Please!" I say. I'm hoping he'll hear that someone is in danger and wake up. He doesn't just wake up, he jerks out of his sleep instantly, running towards me in concern. Simping, much?

"Marinette!" he says. When he sees I'm awake a smile breaks across his face and it's so beautiful I'm mesmerized for a moment. "You're awake!" he laughs in disbelief.

Without warning, he springs forward and embraces me, and I freeze up in embarrassment. "I missed you." he says. His scent of springtime wafts up my nose. Seriously, they need to create a perfume based of him. Something along the lines of "Adrien, the fragrance.". It would be sold out in minutes because I'd buy all of them.

I laugh awkwardly, weakly reaching up to pat his arm. "Why'd I miss?" I say.

He tells me everything.

"You had nearly died, Marinette." he says. His voice changes, becoming tender and soft. I see how much it caused him in his eyes. "You were murmuring things, something along the lines of a cat and a snake?" he says. His words bring back the memories of the story in my mind, but the images are practically blurred. I can't remember the plot anymore, only recalling the fight between the cat and the snake. I didn't even know the outcome.

"I remember dreaming about it. Did something happen?" I ask. "You started choking. The doctor's had to interfere to prevent you from dying. He runs his hands through his hair. For the first time since waking up, I see the lines and creases on his face. There are bags rimmed under his eyes and he looks like he hasn't had a break for ages. I realize how much of an impact my hospitalization had on him.

"It doesn't matter, okay? I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." I say, wanting nothing more than to see his beautiful smile again. I embrace him again and bathe in his wonderful scent. Seriously, they really need to make that perfume.

I steel myself and ask about the conversation I'm dreading. "W-What happened t-to Luka?" I ask. No matter how much I still love him, the memory of his chilling voice when he held that knife at me still haunts me.

I slowly back away, my eyes cautiously fixed on the sharp object in his hand. "L-L-Luka?" I say. My words seem to turn him on as he holds out a hand and pushes me. I stumble back and land on the grass. I'm in a park somewhere.

"You little bitch. You thought that you could get away with breaking one of my rules?" Luka says. His voice is full of hatred as his hand connects with my cheek. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, so you never fucking mess with me again."

I begin to back away slowly, abandoning my motorcycle. Luka follows me, his siloutte taking the form of a beast in the moonlight. "Don't you dare fucking run, you little piece of shit." Luka says.

He stalks toward me, the knife in his hand seeming to grow longer and sharper. Bam! My back connects with a rock and my head whips around. There's no where else to go. I'm cornered. I'm going to die.

Luka smiles, which is the most horrifying thing I've ever seen. He edges closer to me, his steps silently counting the seconds until I die. "You're." He takes a step. "Going." He takes another step. He's so close to me. "To." I feel his breath on my face.

He leans in, his nose touching with mine. He raises the knife. "Die."

And the knife connects with my body.

I was supposed to die. But I didn't. Adrien jumped in front of me. He saved my life.

Luka's knife had connected with my arm instead, imbedded deep into my skin. I screamed, pouring my agony into the sound. I rolled over, and my eyes pierced Adrien's.

For a moment, there was no Luka, no knife, no wound. Just us, our lips inches from meeting. His green eyes pierced mine and my blue eyes pierced his. There was no words to describe what I feel for him, no description that could fit my emotions well enough. He was there. He was mine.

But then he was gone.

I was too delirious to process anything, my head too foggy to see my surroundings. But one things stayed as I was loaded into the hospital. One thing stayed as I was driven off into the desolate night.

His red string.

It was connected to mine.