The Closet

Chapter Four - Escape

- Chat Noir/Adrien's POV -

     "LADYBUG!"  I shouted.  My heart stopped.  My breathing stopped.  The bands released her.  To my surprise, the string released her.  Released us.

     And yet,  I didn't look.  I got up to face Manipulator.  He was laughing.  Cynically. 

     I hadn't seen Ladybug's face.  I didn't want to if she were not awake.  Tikki and Plagg were unsuccessfully and very urgently trying to wake the girl up.  I heard them.

    I looked at Manipulator with cold eyes.  He'd done this to her.  He'd made her unhappy.  She cried.  She cried because of him.  I stalked over to him and snatched our Miraculouses back, throwing Ladybug's next to her.  I slipped the ring on my finger.

     "Plagg..." I muttered..."Claws out."  Since I hadn't been forced to detransform, Plagg was still able to transform me again.  "Cataclysm."  My voice was low, cold, and angry, and I was surprised my voice could do something like that.

     In the background, I heard the girl stir.  She was awake.  "Chat...Noir..."  Her voice was much weaker than I had expected, and it killed me.  More anger to add to my claws.

    Blood splayed out onto the ground.  She had coughed up blood.  This was more urgent than I thought.

     I flipped back to Manipulator, my Cataclysm aura dead black.  It's never been as black as it was that day.  I hated him.  I wanted him to know and pay for what he did to her.  And so, moving mechanically and without my mind's input, I punched him in the forehead.

     I don't know what I expected Cataclysm to do to him, but I knew the girl was watching.  I tried to block her view in case the Cataclysm did something horrible to him and she would get PTSD or something.

     But it didn't.  It just transformed him back into the writer, on the ground, panting, unharmed.  A little black Akuma flittered out and I wondered how I was going to destroy it before I heard...

     SNAP!  "Bye-bye, little butterfly."  Ladybug was there, beside me, the butterfly flying off out of the room.  Once the butterfly had left, I found a light in the closet and snapped the door shut.

     She fell on the ground, tired and exhausted.  Tikki flew out of her as a flash of light told me to turn around.  I flipped around, hearing Tikki groan with exhaustion.

     "You'd...better get me......lots of cookies....when we get home..."  Tikki said, weak. 

     "Ladybug...you can look if you want.  I won't look at you..."  She didn't respond.  She lay with her back to me, panting slightly.  "M'Lady?"  I asked.  I turned around slowly, seeing Marinette on the ground in front of me.  No.

     It had been Marinette all this time, staying by me, helping me with the Akumas!  And it had been Marinette who played video games with me, helping me with everyday things, supporting me.  She'd been one of my best friends.

     No.  She coughed up more blood. 

     No!  She lay on the ground, still and unmoving, except for the shallow, steady rising and falling of her chest and diaphragm.  

    

 No!  Her eyes opened slowly and her lips, blue and weak, parted, trying to speak, but no words came. 

     NO!  "Marinette!"

     I transformed back and Plagg went over to look at Marinette.

     "It's magic.  Powerful.  She...she could d-die."  Plagg muttered just barely loud enough for me to hear him.

     If it's magic...if it's like fairy tales, then...

     "Dark.........Cupid."  Tikki whispered to me.  "Ladybug kissed you during.......during the D-Dark Cupid at-attack to s-s-save you..."  She was weak but the words were unmistakable.  She had kissed me during the Dark Cupid attack to save me, just like the fairy tales.

     Without thinking, I did what I had been wanting to do since the day I met Ladybug.

     I kissed her.

     I kissed her briefly, shortly, but nothing happened.  I lifted my head above hers, searching for any movement.  None.  Her eyes remained closed.  Sleeping.  Desperation filled me.

     I kissed her.

     This time, it was longer.  I felt her hands, holding them, wanting her to know that everything would be okay.  Wanting her to know that, even if she did die, I would be there for her, no matter what.

     I loved Ladybug.

     And now I loved Marinette.

     And there I sat, embracing her as Plagg and Tikki watched, breaths held, waiting for any sign that Marinette was still going to be okay.  And then...And then...

     I felt her hands begin to soften.  

     I felt her breathing strengthen.

     I felt her kiss back.

     Not taking my lips off hers, I helped her sit up.  I surveyed her face, her body, and she appeared to completely fine.  No cuts from where the string had sliced, either.  When we finally broke, she smiled and said my name - my real name.  The name my father and mother gave me.  The name that belonged to the person behind the black cat mask.

     Of all the places in the world, Ladybug chose to patrol with me that day.

     Of all the things in the world, Marinette chose to survive and come back to me.

     And of all the actions in the world she could be doing, she sat in that dark closet, the closet that had been our prison for over two hours.  

She sat there, and she kissed me.

Sooooooo I hope you guys enjoyed that little short story!  I try to make my stories short because I have a life and I know you guys do too and you probably shouldn't spend all your time staring at some WattPad story!  

Anyways, I will see you guys in the next little story!