Live for them

Chapter 34/Marinette

I opened my eyes to the emptiness of my home. Tikki was still fast asleep next to me.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position, the reality of my situation crushing my heart.

"Oh my god." I whispered as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

I hate nightmares. They were all I was having lately. And every day, it seems there's one more person screaming at me about their deaths.

"I'm sorry." I whispered through tears.

I got out of bed and walked around my room, hugging myself as I looked at the pictures that covered my walls. No longer only pictures of Adrien. In fact, the pictures of Adrien were almost all put away somewhere. (You didn't actually think I would have thrown them away, did you?) I stopped in front of a group selfie I took with my friends at our first carnival together.

We were posing in front of a Ferris wheel. I was holding the camera and smiling, while Nino looked like he was about to puke from all the rides, Adrien had this awestruck look on his face as he looked at a ride behind the camera. Alya had her arm around Nino and was holding up the large stuffed animal she had won. Chloe obviously had to strike the best pose. Making peace signs and sticking her tongue out.

I took the pin off of the photo and folded it up before putting it onto my pocket.

Now that I'm home, I can wear some real clothes and eat whatever I want.

And keep my friends safe from me.

I sank to the floor as I leaned against the chaise. Started to cry quietly and softly until the few tears streaming down my cheeks turned into a flood and my whimpers turned to wails.

Tikki woke up to the sound I was making as she floated toward me.

She then rested on top of my head, not saying a word, but starting to smooth down my hair.

Tikki floated off after a while and returned with a comb and some clips.

Tikki started combing my tangled hair out, which hurt a bit, but I just focused on letting all of my tears out.

Eventually, Tikki snapped the clips in, one on each side of my head near my temple, pulling my newly combed hair out of my face.

Tikki then cuddled into my wet cheek.

"Everything is going to be okay Marinette. You still have me! And you can never lose me!" Tikki reassured me, just as my tears stopped flowing.

I sniffed as I wiped my nose. "Thanks, Tikki."

Tikki then smiled at me then flew back to my bed, most likely to get more shut eye.

I got up and laid down on the chaise.

Then out of no where, the blanket from my bed gently covered me.

I looked over my shoulder to see Tikki as she floated away, quiet sobs coming from her.

I never really thought about how the kwamis felt about all of this.

I reached into my pocket and found the Bee Miraculous. I put it in my hair in place of the clips Tikki put in.

Pollen appeared in a bright flash of yellow, and she was floating there, crying as hard as I was just a few seconds ago.

Tikki zoomed straight into Pollen, pulling her in for a tiny kwami hug. Tikki led Pollen to my bed where eventually, the cries quieted.

Then I closed my eyes once more, needing to escape this reality of mine that was worse than any nightmare.

🐞🐞🐞