A Flurry of Snowflakes

Chapter 1

"Are you doing okay Cockroach?" Claw asked Shadybug worriedly as she curls against him, coughing violently.

"Y-yeah, yeah I-I'm fine." She manages to say in between chattering teeth. "It's just really cold out here."

Claw looks over at Betterfly, not knowing what to do as the Butterfly Miraculous holder examines his partner. She sneezes again and more shivers rack her small frame.

"She's freezing!" Betterfly remarks upon feeling the iciness of her skin though his glove. "We should't have pushed her into coming along tonight."

"You should go on home Shadybug," the older hero murmurs softly as she looks up at him. "You'll get worse the longe you stay out here."

"B-but-" she tried to protest but another shiver racks her body and she sneezes again.

""No buts: you can't stay here." Shadybug's red eyes seem to dim and she looks away from Betterfly.

"I-I cant go home: m-my parents kicked me out." She whispered, tears springing to the corners of her eyes. It was still a fresh wound that left her heart in peaces.

Claw's hold on her tightens and his green eyes narrow into slits while Betterfly just looks horrified.

"W-what?" Was all he could manage to say in response. "But why?"

"Cause her mother's an asshole and her dad's a damn fool." Claw growls in response, his face screwing into a look of pure rage.

Shadybug's eyes water and she tries so hard not to cry, but ultimately fails. Claw pulls his partner into a tight hug as near-silent sobs rack through her small frame.

"It happened about two weeks ago: but she's still trying to process it all." Claw tells the Betterfly, his sad eyes meeting the older man's horrified stare. "I mean yeah, sure, didn't have the best relationship with her parents, but still... to kick her out like that? It toor her apart, and badly too." 

"I'll take her to the boathouse," the cat-theamed superhero spoke up, standing to his feet and shifting his partner a bit to hold her better. "Sorry about baling on patrol tonight Betterfly," Claw quietly apologizes over his shoulder as he prepares to leave.

Betterfly just sighed softly and shook his head with a somber expression clouding his face. "No mo, it's fine. I'm gonna need some time to process this." And with no more words left to be said, the two heroes parted ways for the night.

"Plagg, Daggers In." Claw's suit disappears in a flash of bright green light and in his place stands Emo Adrian.

He gently sets his partner down on the couch and goes to look for Julika. He calls Kagami too while he add it and informs her of the situation.

Julika isn't hard to find, one look at his face and she bolting past him toward the living room where he was pointing.

When the purple-haired girl arrives, she she's Kagami pull a blanket of the girl and Julika rushes to her girlfriend's side.

"She has a pretty high feever," Kagami informs her with worried edge to her voice. "We need to get her de-transformed and a cool washcloth."

Emo Adrian rushed to get a few things while Julika reaches up and gently pulls off one of Shadybug's earrings.

"We need to get her into something warm. Her clothes are soaked!" Julika doesn't hesitate in racing back to her bedroom and grabs a pair of leggings and a long-sleved shirt and sweatshirt from her closet.

"Oh no! I'm her kwami and I could't even tell that she was sick!" Tikki cried worridly as she nuzzled against her owner's ice-cold cheek.