Catching Wire [The Miraculous Games Book 2]

Eight

"Stop!" I shout at the top of my voice.

"Get out the way girl! He's broken the law and now must pay the consequences." The akuma raises his hand with the whip and goes to strike again. I dive in front of Luka's broken body as the whip moves down and strikes me across the face.

I scream in agony as I feel the blood beginning to ooze from my cut. As I hold my hand near my cheek I hear someone else shout. Adrien steps in front of me, followed by Fu. Grabbing me round the face Adrien gently lifts my head to look at the cut.

"What do you think you're doing?" A purple butterfly outline has covered the eyes of the akuma with the whip.

"I think you're making a mistake here. You don't want three Victors dead, do you?" Fu speaks up. For once he doesn't sound drunk or afraid of the consequences. He actually sounds pretty strong.

Something must be talking to the akuma as he is silent for a while proceeding to nod his head, there is still a purple outline around his eyes. It looks a little like a butterfly.

"Yes, master." He finally responds and hands his whip over to another guard. "Count yourselves lucky. Hawkmoth believes he has paid his price for his rule breaking."

"Thank you." Adrien responds, pushing me in the direction of Luka. I scramble to him and untie his arms from the pole he is tied to. He's passed out cold.

"But next time he is caught outside of the district it'll be instant execution."

"I couldn't agree more." Fu stated before turning to help pick Luka up. Adrien easily picked Luka up himself, throwing him on one shoulder.

I scurried back ahead of Fu and Adrien to reach my house in the Victors Village. Charging through the door I called for my mama. She appeared in a matter of seconds with a startled expression on her face.

"Luka's been whipped pretty badly." I sob. My mama runs up to me and hugs onto my small shaking body before goes into work more, throwing commands to wherever they're needed. She opens the cupboard holding all our supplies as the door bangs open and Adrien appears with Luka passed out over his shoulder.

"Place him on the table." My mama orders. I haven't seen her like this in years. Luckily, Manon isn't staying with us at the moment so it's just us in the house. My mama has always been a talented nurse however she stopped her work at the hospital after a complicated birth with me. She always helped people out on the Seam, from those who suffered mining injuries to those who had gotten on the wrong side of an akuma. I believe my mama blames herself for my papa's dead because she couldn't save him. It wasn't her fault. He died instantly when the mine exploded.

I watch as Adrien places Luka delicately on the table before listening for orders from my mama. He moves around the room swiftly and efficiently as he is directed by my mama. I crouch by Luka trying to calm him with my voice but I can't keep my eyes from flickering back to Adrien. He's strong jawline is clenched tightly shut as he heads outside to get snow to put on Luka's red, hot disfigured back.

I pull my eyes away as Adrien goes outside and hold onto Luka's hand. My mama suddenly injects something into him and within a matter of seconds he is out cold. The frown line on his face smooths out and heavy breathing is the only noise to be heard in the house.

Adrien appears and helps my mama cover the whip marks with cloth soaked in snow. She tells me it'll take the swelling down and she then gives me a piece of cloth too, for my cheek. Adrien and my mama move in perfect harmony and soon every inch of Luka's back is covered in cloth.

"Let me have a look at your face." Mama asks me. I take the bandage off and she nods. "That's not too bad." She puts the cloth back on my face and wanders into the kitchen.

I walk over to Adrien and wrap my arms tightly round his waist. He resists.

"Perhaps I should go so you can be with Luka." I feel like I've been kicked hard in the stomach. I need him here with me, I need him to comfort me.

"I need you here, please don't leave me." He looked back at me obviously torn. He looked over at Luka and then back at me before wrapping me into a tight hug.

"I love you." He whispers into my hair.

"I love you too, but you need to stop with the jealousy act? You were fine this morning. What changed?" We settle down onto the sofa opposite where Luka is lying peacefully on the table. I tuck my feet up under myself as I lay my head on Adrien's chest. He places both his feet in the wooden table in front of him and strokes my hair. Every time his nails glide over my head I shiver in anticipation of something more. After a period of silence he speaks.

"He has a bond with you I can only dream of. My heart is whole because of you, but I understand yours might be split . I'll have whatever piece you're willing to give me but not being together will hurt ... a lot."

I pull one of his hands down to my lips and place a small seductive kiss on the back of his hand. I let go of his hand and he places it back into my hair and begins his stroking again.

"laying like this with you reminds me of the time we spent in the cave." He tells me.

"I could have stayed there forever."

"Me too, you looked adorable in your outfit."

"Adorable?" I yawn, "I was meant to look deadly."

"You were the most deadly Ladybug I've ever seen." He bends down and kisses my nose.

"You kept me so safe."

"You saved me."

"You helped me sleep."

"You fed me."

"You kissed me."

"You kissed me first."

He was smiling, as were I. We had silly arguments like this a lot. I grabbed hold of the back of his neck and pulled his lips to meet mine. We smile at each other as he pulls away and I settle onto his lap ready to nap. He continued to stroke my hair until I fell asleep.

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I stirred around for a bit, not sure what was happening. I knew Adrien had moved as I was flat against my sofa cushions. I could hear hushed voices.

"I understand you're upset but it's her choice." That was Adrien and he sounded very protective.

"Yeah well you have no idea how long I've loved that girl and you just waltz in and pretend ..." he was cut off by Adrien. My heart stopped in my throat. Pretend?

"Pretend? You've got to be joking. You really think I'd do something so cold and condescending to her? I am in love with her."

"Well so am I!" I could hear the venom in Luka's voice. This was followed by a huffing noise. Obviously he'd moved in a way that pulled at his wounds. He continued to groan as he made himself more comfortable.

Their was silence and I was unsure whether to move or not. I didn't want them to know I'd been awake and listening in. Suddenly Luka's voice broke the silence.

"Well I suppose it's her problem to decide between us."

"I think you just need to respect her choice, and know that I love her with every piece of my heart. You have strong feelings for her yourself, I understand that, but don't ever try to second guess mine. That beautiful, strong girl has became my life, and the first family I've ever had." My heart was pounding our my chest. I wish I could fall back to sleep and ignore the conversation that had just taken place in front of me.

I could hear footsteps making their way over to where I was sleeping before a ditch forming in the sofa cushions beside me. Adrien had come back, I could tell by the smell of fresh bread seeping from him. He cradled my head to place on his lap and began to stroke my hair again. I drifted back into a dream filled sleep of two beautiful boys fighting their own games.