Red And Black [AU] - ON HIATUS

Paralyzed

Marinette ran her finger across the window's glass, following the trail of an airplane gliding through the dark cloak of night that had been draped over the Parisian sky. A few hours ago, Adrien Agreste had told her that he was leaving; and her world had been torn apart at the seams that she'd only just recently sewn back together. The news didn't just crush her, it destroyed her. Fury, sorrow, regret and hatred all worked together in a symphony of pain that played a rare haunting melody, charging the negativity that coursed through her veins; mercilessly torturing her with the soundtrack to her heartbreak. She had most definitely been hurt before, but not like this. This time, it hurt like all the sharp words, cuts and bruises had all come back and brought reinforcements to make sure that she wouldn't survive this beating; that she would be finished off once and for all.

But all that pain had mysteriously subsided - though she knew more than anything that it would inevitably return - , leaving her paralyzed. Like when you'd been punched in the face so hard that you couldn't feel it anymore, a little bit of pain would hurt, a bit higher than that and it would be a burden; but the highest form of pain would hit you like a punch in the stomach, fade away into the darkest corners of your mind - planting a seed that would make sure that the pain would never be able to leave - , before coming back to finish what it had started, creating a form of pain that would make living unbearable.

Marinette knew this, so she'd decided to make the best out of these few rare minutes without anxiety and depression pounding at her door; forcing their way in. Her eyes glazed over a slight tan on her finger, warming a small part of her shattered heart for a split second at the story behind it.

*Flashback*

"Hey, Mari?" Little five year old Adrien asked, a small innocent smile plastered on his face.

"Yes~?" Her singsong-like tone made the smile on his face grow into a wide, childish grin.

"I have a question," He began "Why do the some of the grown-ups wear rings on their fingers?"

Furrowing her brow, she answered "Maybe it's because it's like a friendship bracelet,"

He stopped walking on the pebble stone pathway of the park to face her "A friendship bracelet? Aren't those usually for kids?"

She gave it some thought before replying "Yes, maybe that's why they wear a ring instead," the five year old version of Marinette shrugged, wondering the exact same thing as her companion; why do some adults wear rings on their fingers?

He chuckled "Yeah! Maybe that's why," His eyes roamed the scenery of the park before landing on a small array of stalls that sold an assortment of toys, jewellery, food, and anything a passerby would need or want during a walk in the park. Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind "I have an idea. Since the rings are like friendship bracelets, why don't we both get one?" He suggested.

"Sure, why not?" They both made their way to the stalls and decided to go in separate directions to surprise the other with the type of ring they each got for the other. After a few minutes of searching, they bought two small rings and a black-red coloured kite.

"What's the kite for?" The blonde asked his friend with a puzzled look.

"Oh, nothing. Just thought that we could fly it after, it's been a while since I've flown a kite,"

"Cool," He gushed, admiring the patterns on the ornament before turning to his friend and pulling the ring out of his pocket "Okay, I have the ring; what do I do now?"

Her eyes lit up "How about we each make a small speech? I usually see grown ups do that when they give the other a friendship ring,"

A cheeky look replaced the confused expression Adrien had on merely seconds ago "Marinette Dupain-Cheng," He took a small pause, giving his speech some thought as Marinette eyed him with a shy smile "Got it!" He announced triumphantly, making her giggle.

"Get to it already!" She laughed.

"Okay. With this ring, I give to you a promise." He said, trying to remain serious. Pulling out the ring with a small ladybug gem that he had picked out, he continued "You will always remain in my heart, every second of every day; and nothing would ever keep us apart, not even mountains in our way. So now I ask, Marinette Dupain-Cheng; will you be my best friend?"

She gaped at his words before chuckling and giving him her hand for him to slip the ring onto her finger "Okay!"

He laughed at her reaction "Your turn,"

"Oh, um okay. I'll try to top that," She smirked, bringing her hand - that she had been keeping behind her back - forward; revealing a ring with a black gem and a paw print tucked safely in her palm. "With this ring, I give to you a promise." Her heart raced as she tried to figure out what to say, not wanting to disappoint her best friend.

"It's okay, take your time," He whispered, offering her a comforting smile.

Marinette nodded and took a deep breath before continuing with a sweet smile "Your memory will always be kept safely in my mind, whether present, future or past; and no matter what the reason is, no goodbye will ever be our last," He was quiet as she took his hand in hers, a hint of a blush tainting his cheeks. "So now I ask, Adrien Agreste; will you be my best friend?"

"Hmm..." He said, pretending to think with a smirk. "Seriously?" She asked, shoving his shoulder playfully before a chuckle escaped his lips "Well...obviously!" He told her as she slid the ring onto his finger with a small, breathy laugh.

"So, now it is official!" He cheered.

"Yup," Marinette rolled her eyes, but not being able to resist a smile "I'm stuck to you for good,"

He turned to face her with the same elated expression "Exactly. And you can never get rid of me, I'll be sure of that,"

*Flashback Ends*

The memory felt so distant, yet so close; close enough so that she could relive it whenever she wanted a small sense of peace and tranquility, but distant enough for her to know that she could never go back to that time again; to a time where she could still feel her heart swell as her lips morphed into a childish smile, a time where she wasn't living every second of her miserable life in anger, hatred or confusion, a time when she still had the privileges of living a life filled with emotions instead of agony. But all of that was gone now, that was for sure. She couldn't fight it, that battle would be in vain; she knew because she tried and had gotten nowhere. No matter how hard she wished for it, Marinette couldn't go back to the life she had before.

Now, all she had was a few more moments of numbness before the unbearable suffering returned.