Love is a Song One-Shots

The Ring of Life

Adrien sat on his sofa, twisting and turning the ring between his fingers as the sunset on another day in Paris.

So that was it?

He wasn't real.

He was just the fabrication of a heartbroken woman who wanted a child so badly she turned to magic.

He lifted the ring in front of his face, watching as the last remaining flickers of sunlight hit off the silver band, shining at a brightness mocking his sudden dullness. He was a sunshine boy, but right now he felt anything but.

There it is, his amok, his heart, his soul. Was anything about him real?

Never in a million years did Adrien think that beating Hawkmoth would mean this. Yes, he was prepared to learn who his lady was, yes, he was prepared to face off against his father, after all they'd learned his identity weeks ago leading them to the final attack. But the one thing Adrien wasn't prepared for, was to find out that he wasn't real.

Was he a monster? He didn't feel like a monster, but he couldn't be sure. They'd been called sentimonsters ever since Scarlet Moth had led one into battle, so obviously they were monsters. They were evil. He was a monster, did that make him evil? Given the circumstances of his fathers villainous ways there was definitely a possibility there.

Though, what did his lady call them? Sentibeings. She believed they could be good, that they could live their own life, but would that work for him? Son to the nefarious terrorist of Paris. His arch rival.

He sighed as he considered where to go from here. Obviously he'd need to speak to Plagg about going to another holder, about being with another Chat Noir. Just thinking that felt like poison to him. This was the best thing that ever happened to him but right now he wasn't worthy. Monsters can't be allowed to wield such a powerful entity. Monsters, if he was being honest, didn't deserve to live. So why was he still here?

The ring had been pried from his fathers hand as Carapace and King Monkey had held him down. His father had tried to control him, to get him to attack his lady, to attack Marinette. He remembered heading towards her, tense and angry at himself, when he stopped. He ... just ... stopped, and it was like magic. The ring glowed on his father's bare finger. Then it happened. Chat Noir continued walking as Gabriel hollered out command after command after command, but it didn't matter anymore. Adrien had broken out of it. He'd broken out of his amok form, he was no longer following the demands of his father, just listening to the supportive voice of his Lady, of Marinette.

She had been there the whole time, supporting him and pushing him on. Every step he took to get that damn ring off his father was thanks to her, the most extraordinary girl he'd ever met. The girl he loved most, no scrap that, the person he loved most. He missed his mother for sure, but he'd grieved her. He'd long since said goodbye. His connection with Marinette was something different, something more.

So here he was. In his room, with the ring that controlled him. That had been controlling him for years. No wonder he couldn't remember his past, no wonder he had no ideas of his own, he was only allowed to do what others said. Firstly, his mother and then his father, but now ... who? Could he really be in control of himself?

Ring placed firmly in his hand, he clenched his fists tightly around it, feeling the smooth metal embed in his soft palm causing unknown injuries to the skin, muscle and bone. Did he even have those? Did he have feelings? Did he have a heart? He must do ... the tears running from the corner of his eyes were proof of that.

Slumping his shoulders, he sat and waited. Waited to see what would happen next. Technically he was now homeless. No father, no mother, nothing, just a small black ball of fur with a cheese addiction.

Wiping fiercely at his eyes, he failed to hear the sound of feet making their way into his room. He jumped as a hand perched itself on his shoulder. It wasn't tentative like it should have been. After all, they were touching a monster, shouldn't they be a little scared about what he might do.

"You're not," the small voice said next to him, "you never were and you never will be."

A new selection of tears left his eyes, as he cried out his sorrow, his anger, his frustrations and his uncertainties. He really thought he loved the person sitting next to him, really thought his heartbeat for her, but now he wasn't so sure. Could he do that? Could he actually be capable of feeling love?

A head rested on his shoulder. Adrien flinched and moved away quickly, standing up and heading to the other side of the room.

"Don't," he whispered out. "I don't want to hurt you."

Marinette stood up from her seat on his sofa and slowly made her way over to him. Keeping eye contact, and making sure she made no sudden movements. Not because she was scared, oh no, but because she didn't want to scare him. He meant too much to her.

"You're not going to hurt me, Adrien. You never have and you never will."

"How can you be so sure? I'm a monster!" He shouted out, the anger being the feeling that overpowered his spinning cocktail of emotions.

"No, you're not a monster." She kept her voice smooth and low, "You never were."

"But -" he tried to get out through the tears, "but I am. I'm not real!"

Marinette had finally made her way next to him and placed her hands on his face, feeling the curves and the crevesses as she trailed her fingertips over his skin.

"This feels real," she said, looking him in the eyes before moving her hands into his hair, "and this feels real too."

Her hands moved over his shoulders, to his arms, hands and chest, working their way down to his ribs where she dug her fingers in and moved them around. He squirmed and squealed as she tickled him. Her face displayed a smile as he tried to get out of her grasp.

"I'm quite sure that felt real too."

His face sobered again quickly and he closed his eyes, opening his palm again and offering out the ring.

"Take it." He said. "Take it, please. I know you'll look out for me, and this way you will be able to direct me in battle better, whether it's to stop punning, or - or - I don't know, go and get coffee -"

"Adrien, no!" She stepped forward and took his hand, closing his fingers over his ring of life. "It's time for you to make your own decisions, and live your life free from control. Take it and finally be what you want to be."

He looked at the ring again as he opened his palm. Taking it in his fingers and holding it up to the window, again the light reflected off it but this time he saw a future.

"Senti beings are not monsters unless they're created that way, Chaton, and you were not. You were born out of love. You were wanted and adored. You might not have been born a conventional way, but who's to say what that is these days? You were still a baby, a baby that's grown into a wonderful boy. You learned to talk, and walk and read, you learned to sing and dance and be kind and caring. You learned to fence and climb, to play video games and be a superhero. That ring has not defined who you are Adrien, you are still you. Your father just used it to manipulate you the way he knew he could. You are Adrien, you are Chat Noir, you are Nino's best friend and Paris' sweetheart. But most of all, you are my Kitty, my friend, my partner and I love you."

He stared into her blue eyes. Was she right? He didn't know, he supposed only time would tell. One last glance at the ring, he slid it onto his finger. A pulsing overtook him and he felt more alive than ever. His heart felt whole, and a whole new array of emotions spread through his body. He felt like the Grinch, perhaps his heart also grew five sizes that day.

"Time to stop being Adrien Agreste, and just be Adrien - the fun loving, kind and caring boy who handed me an umbrella to save me from the storm."

Tears shed from his eyes again, but this time in hope and love, reaching forward he took her into his arms holding her body as close to his own as possible. He needed to feel, he needed to feel her.

And for him, his lady had once again saved the day, bringing him back to life to live, laugh and love.