Unravel- Miraculous Ladybug AU [discontinued]

21~ The Girl and the Ghoul

So I originally meant for this to be part of another chapter, but the scene just stretched on until it exceeded 1,000 words (which is the usual minimum for one of my chapters) and I thought I'd just post it and continue on in the next chapter.

Oh well, at least I'm finally giving everyone's favorite gays a moment together.

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Juleka hated her luck.

She wasn't healing, and hadn't eaten in who knows when. With the way her body currently was, it was impossible for her to leave her house, let alone kill someone. Rose has been stopping by every other day, after Juleka had texted her that she'd been in a car crash a little over a week ago.

The ghoul didn't know how much longer she could last. Her room was already littered with empty coffee cans and containers of the un-ground beans. It wasn't helping.

Thank god Rose wasn't meant to stop by today.

Rose was so sweet, so innocent, she didn't deserve to live in such a messed up world. She didn't deserve to be stuck with a friend like Juleka.

Another wave of pain brought her back to reality. The combination of having not eaten in over a month and the injuries that refused to heal combined into the worst feeling ever.

The sound of her apartment's door unlocking echoed through the small home.

Juleka froze, the scent of flesh filling her mind as the front door swung open.

"Damn it, Rose," she mumbled.

A hand shot to her eyes as she shut them, the familiar sensation of her kagune activating sending fear through her body.

"Juleka! I brought you some more coffee, since I saw you were out. And I stopped by the bakery for some macaroons!" the girl called in her cheery voice.

Juleka'd hand gripped a blanket from her bed, wrapping it around her and reminding herself that this was Rose. It was Rose, her best friend. The one she could count on for anything.

"I was thinking we could binge watch Netflix and-"

Rose was cut off when she opened Juleka's bedroom door only to find her friend curled up on the ground, in an obvious pain.

"Juleka!" Rose cried, dropping the bag she held and rushing to where her friend was.

In response to the smaller girl's touch Juleka flinched, using her arm to shove her off.

"Leave," she growled, turning to glare at the girl only to realize that her kagune was activated.

The shock on Rose's face temporarily brought her out of her hunger-induced haze. She wasn't aware of the blood that had begun sleeping through the bandages on her torso and through her shirt.

"Rose, I-"

"You're hurt!"

Juleka froze. Right. She was still hurt from her run-in with Adrien.

"You don't understand, Rose, you have to leave..."

The ghoul trailed off, wincing as her hand flew up to where blood was now proceeding to drip down her chest and stomach. Great, the makeshift stitches must have come undone.

Realization seemed to dawn on Rose's face as she took in how Juleka's injuries were still as bad as they had been a week ago, and how the ghoul's kagune wouldn't dissipate, despite Rose not having known about Juleka being a ghoul.

Well, that was a new bit of information. It would appear that Rose had the macaroons to herself.

Rose promptly sat down, a look on determination on her face as she confidently reached across her chest and pulled down the sleeve of her shirt, exposing her shoulder. Bracing herself for pain, she spoke.

"Eat."

Juleka didn't seem to process her friend's words, "What?"

"I said to eat," Rose repeated, and, despite the confidence of her words and actions, she found herself trembling.

It's just Juleka, she reminded herself, she's still Juleka.

"Wha- You're an idiot, Rose!" Juleka mumbled, "You have to leave before you get hurt!"

"But you'll die if you don't eat!" Rose retorted. She was trembling, and that sight alone terrified Juleka.

"Who the hell cares about me?"

"I do!"

Rose suddenly glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on a small sewing kit that rested on the bookshelf to her right. Rose decided to get it for Juleka after coming to school with one too many torn t-shirts. There was bound to be a pair of scissors in there, if she remembered correctly. She quickly reached to it, opening the kit. There were no scissors, but a small circular blade meant for cutting fabric.

It would have to do.

Juleka's eyes had been shut tight, so when she heard the small click of the blade sliding open it was too late for her to do anything.

"What, Rose?"

The said girl quickly dragged the sewing blade across the skin of her shoulder, wincing as blood began to bubble up from the stinging cut.

"No—"

The scent of blood reached Juleka's nose, and her eyes seeped into the familiar black and res of a ghoul. Before she could even think about restraining herself, her body moved on its own. She was across the room in a split second, her teeth sinking into the soft skin of her best friend.

She smelt of roses. That was something Juleka always noticed whenever she was close enough to her. It was a sickeningly sweet smell, and at first Juleka wondered how the small girl was still alive, having not been a target for a hungry ghoul.

As expected, the small girl's blood was sweet, and it reminded her of the flower for which she was named. It made her feel sick, and for that moment she resisted the urge to clamp down even further, ripping the skin and muscle from the small girl.

A gentle hand graced the back of Juleka's head.

"It's okay," Rose whispered, though her voice shook, "Eat."

It was most certainly not okay.

"I don't want you to hurt anymore," Rose continued.

Juleka felt tears pricking the edges of her eyes. This girl, the one human she'd sworn on protecting, just happened to be another one she consumed to survive.

It was clear that the piece of flesh on her shoulder was severed, and Juleka gently pulled away, allowing the meat to travel down her throat and into her empty stomach.

"I'm okay now..." Juleka whispered, tears welling up. She wiped blood from her mouth, ignoring the sickeningly sweet scent.

Rose was too good for her.

"I'm awful," she mumbled, "Come on, we need to get that treated at a hospital before you loose any more blood."

Rose nodded, "I'm glad you're okay."

Juleka found herself smiling.

She definitely needed to protect Rose.

The girl was too naïve for her own good.