Ladybug Blues

Her Funeral

The energy of the room was suffocating. Adrien couldn't bring himself to look her parents in the eyes. How they managed to greet and hug all of Marinette's 'friends' with so much love, he'd never understand.

He'd spent the entire night practicing how he'd apologize to the Dupain-Chengs, but when he saw their dull and glazed over eyes, he decided against it. So, he just sat there, fidgeting with his sleeves, unable to look anywhere but at the floor.

Finally, after a fierce whisper argument with Plagg, Adrien stepped towards the casket.

She looked so beautiful, he almost thought she was asleep. Adrien tried to resist reaching out to touch her face, but ultimately lost to the temptation. His fingers grazed her cheek, then her hair. The tears that had been threatening to spill since he'd first arrived at the funeral finally fell, landing softly on her shoulder. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead, feeling her cool skin against his own.

"I'm so sorry, Mari." he whispered.

Her eyes remained closed. The sun's glow seeped in through the windows casting a soft, warm light across the room. The funeral was quiet, with only the occasional sniffle from one of the chairs and whispers of condolences. Adrien wanted to leave, to get away from the overwhelming sense of loss that seemed to weigh down every breath he took. But he couldn't bring himself to move. Not just yet.

He shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at the pictures of Marinette that were scattered about the room. There she was, as a child with her parents, as a teenager with her friends. Each photo was a testament to her life, a life that had been cut far too short. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the memories that threatened to overwhelm him. Memories of their laughter, their arguments, their shared moments.

Adrien felt a fiery distain for Scarabella. She was an utter stranger, wielding his Lady's miraculous and acting as if it was nothing. He should have snatched the earrings from her ears the moment the opportunity presented itself. He wanted nothing more than to fight alongside Ladybug again, to hear her laughter, even to be scolded by her once more. His hateful thoughts were interrupted by a loud sob, and he looked over to see Alya collapsed in tears.

"I-I can't do this, I can't be here!" She wailed, ripping herself away from Nino's grasp as she ran out of the room.

Adrien's heart clenched. He shared a look with Nino, who nodded at him sadly.

He walked the halls until he heard faint sniffles coming from the women's bathroom. Adrien knocked on the door lightly, not wanting to startle Alya. After a few moments, she unlocked the door and peeked out. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face streaked with tears. She looked at him with a mixture of guilt and sorrow.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked quietly, a worried look etched into his face. He held out a hand to her, silently offering her support.

Alya sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her hand, and shook her head. "It's a-all my fault..." She mumbled, burying her face in her hands.

Adrien pried her hands away and held her gently by the shoulders. "Alya, you need to stop blaming yourself. You had nothing to do with this." He sighed, guilt prickling at his own chest. "We all wish we could have done something, but Marinette wouldn't have wanted us to be in pain like this. She'd want us to remember the good times. What could you have done to cause this, you were a great friend to her!"

The girl slid down into a seated position, avoiding Adrien's gaze. "No, I wasn't."

He crouched next to her, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he rubbed her back comfortingly. "What do you mean, Als?"