ωнαт ιѕ ℓσνє?

What Is Love

I walked through the palace, searching for him. "Chat! Come back, I need to talk to you, please!" Peering through a balcony door, I saw the cat staring out into the darkness.

"Chat." I whispered, noticing his watery eyes, I ran to wrap my arms around him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and hesitantly returned the hug. I stepped back to look at him. Quietly probbing for an answer. Chat sighed and rested his head on his hands. "I don't know what to do, Marinette...The last paw print's about to disappear. I'm never going to be normal again..."

My eyebrows furrowed. I looked at him, confused. Paw print? "What are you talking about?" I said, tilting my head to the side.

He looked away and took a shaky breath, ears pressed closly to his head.  "I've been cursed, Mari, by a sorcerer called Hawkmoth. He always had an eye on our riches and gold. Wanted to take the throne from my father as well. I should've known." He groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Even my father didn't see it. Hawkmoth tricked us all. He used his magic and turned me into this, " He gestured at his suit and mask, "Now I'm never going to be normal again."

I stared wide eyed at him. "Y-you mean, you're not really who I thought you were?"

He nodded. "I'm not Chat Noir. At least I wasn't born like this. Hawkmoth and his magic, he done it."

"But you can turn into a human again, can't you?"

Chat glanced at me then looked down at a ring he wore. "He left behind this ring with five paw prints on it. When the last one disapppears then I stay like this forever. But it can be prevented. If I find my true love, and they love me back, before the paw prints vanish then I can be me again."

True love, huh. "How many paw prints left?" I questioned.

"Only one." He looked at the ring and twirled it around. It was almost as if he lost faith and accepted that fact that he was going to be this way forever.

"I'm sorry, Chaton." I gripped his hand in mine to comfort him and could see the light, but sad, smile playing on his lips.

We stood there for a minute and just enjoyed each other's company.

"Tikki always says that this is a lesson. That I should learn the values of true love. To realised what a strong bond two lovers have and what it feels like. But she doesn't understand that I have loved...Once." He looked at me, tears building up in his emerald eyes. "I loved my mother. She always held the biggest part in my heart. But after the year she disappeared, I forgot what love was. Tell me Marinette, what is Love?"

I sadly smiled up at him, placing my hand on top of his resting one on the balcony rail. "I'm sorry, Chat but I can't tell you that. You have to feel it for yourself to truly know. But it's something...Miraculous. Almost Magical. When you see your loved one, you smile and feel butterflies in your stomach. You enjoy every moment with them and when you're not together, you think of them day and night. It's like you'vs known them your whole life."

Chat sighed, "It seems that you've been in love before then. I wish that somebody loved me like that...But I guess I'm cursed with bad luck forever."

I looked at his face, wanting to wipe those tears away from his eyes and make him see. See that he was loved. That somebody actually liked his stupid jokes and cheeky grins and messy blonde locks and vibrant green eyes, which had become so dull now. I wanted to make him see. That I loved him...

Squeezing his hand in reassurance, I made him look up at me again. "Don't you see Chat? Someone does love you. They enjoy being with you and cherish every moment together. They see your kind heart, your passionate soul and your thoughtful mind. They love everything about you to your stupid puns and and can't imagine the rest of their loves without you there. They need you, and want you. So please, for their sake, don't you ever say or think that you're not loved. Because you are."

He gazed at me, mouth parted in shock. "They actually feel that way about me?"

I nodded and he pulled me in for a tight hug. I could feel his claws pressing on my back. Wow, can this boy hug!

"Thank you, Mari."

I pulled back. "For what?"

He smiled warmly at me, all the earlier sadness disappearing from his eyes. "For this."

I smiled back. "Don't mention it, Chaton. After all, I love you, you stupid cat."

We both laughed at that and hugged each other even tighter than before. "Marinette?" Chat asked.

"Yeah?"

He gently lifted up my chin and looked into my eyes. "I love you too." He said, stroking my cheek.

I reached up to cup his face with my own hands and smiled warmly at him. Our eyes slowly fluttered shut as he captured my lips in his, closing the already small gap between us. I moved my hands up to his hair, combing through the golden locks. The taste of his sweet peppermint lips left me wanting more. "Chat." I whispered as he planted small kisses on my neck and jawline, slowly coming to meet my lips. He gazed at me through his half-lidded eyes and grinned capturing my lips again. Oh, how could a person be this deeply in love with somebody they just met?

We parted lips to take a breath, chests heaving up and down and hearts beating.

Chat rested his forehead on mine and grinned. "I think I found my true love." He said and then I was forced to close my eyes as a bright green light emerged.

"C-chat?" I called, shielding my eyes from the light that had now disappeared.

"Over here, M'Lady." A sweet voice called, almost unrecognisable. I looked over at the voice and my mouth dropped open.

"A-adrien?!"