An umbrella in the cold? A smile formed across Marinette's lips, her eyes refusing to drift away from the blonde boy, his breath forming clouds in front of his face, his green eyes sparkling like gems against the white backdrop. His smile growing warmer as his left hand held out the umbrella, so similar to the first day of school, the rain falling to the pavement around them-

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Marinette's head snapped upwards at the stern voice edged with irritation. Purple-rimmed glasses met her gaze, as well as a face painted with disappointment. Marinette blinked the sleep out of her eyes, the daydream still replaying itself in her mind.

"Can you tell me the chemical formula for element 87?"

"Uh... I..." Her mouth opened, and closed again, and opened, as if she was a fish out of water and beside her Alya glanced at her with sympathy-filled hazel eyes. Marinette cleared her throat, her eyes finding the floor. "Sorry," she mumbled. The teacher let out a huff, pushing her glasses up her thin, sharp nose. "Don't let me catch you daydreaming again, Ms. Cheng." The younger girl bowed her head, looking down at her desk. Snickers came from a seat diagonal to her own, and Marinette didn't even look to see the maleficent gaze of the smug blonde and redhead duo.

"Looks like she was dreaming about how horrid her fashion sense is," Chloe whispered, earning a quiet taunting laugh from the other.

"Now, the chemical formula..." Words drifted in and out of her ears as they did before, Marinette's bluebell eyes catching Adrien Agreste's emerald green ones, and she could feel a blush wrap around the back of her neck like a suffocating scarf. An idiotic smile played across her face, keeping her transfixed on Adrien long after he had looked away. A shoulder bumped her own, and Alya smirked at her, smug eyes behind her oversized frames. "Come on, head-over-heels, it's time to pay attention." Marinette smiled sheepishly at her friend, resting her head on her hands and trying her best to concentrate even slightly on the lesson, but behind her eyelids were beautiful fantasies that she could not ignore.

"Where were you at school?" Alya teased, her arms crossed over her flannel shirt. Marinette chuckled, her cheeks reddening. "Oh, just-"

"Thinking of Adrien," they said in unison, Marinette's a breathy sigh, imagining her heart melting at the sight of his gaze softening as a shy smile found its way across his lips-

"Hey hey, stay with me, girl." Alya laughed, her hands on her hips now. "Try not to- Oh hey look! Snow!" Turning her head to where Alya was pointing, Marinette was captivated by white ballerinas floating, dancing, gracefully to rest on the ground. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

"Right?" her friend agreed, her attention caught by something- someone else. "Hey Nino! What's up, Adrien?"

"A-Adri-?!" Marinette whipped around, alarm coursing through her veins. She felt her face heating as their eyes met for the second time that day, his gaze branding itself into her brain, and everything inside her seemed to melt.

"Yo," Nino greeted, grinning. "The snow's cool, isn't it? Guess your umbrella came with a use anyway, right dude?" Adrien laughed and Marinette realized he was no longer looking at her, his emerald orbs no longer searching hers.

"Better safe than sorry." He shrugged with a chuckle. "Wouldn't want to get caught in a storm, Nino." Nino snorted. "Yeah, totally." Their conversation was interrupted by a loud ringing over the loudspeakers, making Marinette jump.

"See you guys in class." The two boys waved, making their way to the restroom. Once more, Adrien's eyes caught Marinette's and the blue-haired girl looked away, flushing redder than her ladybug costume.

Marinette couldn't see for two feet. Her view was shrouded by a sheet of white, specks of ice stinging her face as she put up her arms, attempting to block it.

"Tikki," she complained, "there's no way I'm gonna get through this snowstorm!" A scream rose in her throat, but she held it back, fighting to stay calm.

"Come on Marinette," came the high-pitched voice of her kwami. "Don't let a little snowstorm bring down the miraculous Ladybug!" Marinette sighed, tucking the red entity back into her purse. "Alright." She exhaled, taking a single step before a gust of wind blew shards of snow right into her face again. "ARGH!" she cried in frustration, violently waving at the snow as if it were a mosquito. "I can't-"

"Marinette?" Her eyes widened and she spun around, facing a very concerned Adrien, black umbrella in hand.

"Adrien?! W-What are you d-doi-" she stuttered, and "surprised" couldn't even start to match her feelings right then. Didn't Adrien have fencing class today? Or was she getting his entire schedule mixed up? Was the snow toying with her brain? "Nino wasn't lying when he said you carried an umbrella everywhere." What was that, Marinette?! she scolded herself, heat rising to her cheeks. Of course he was going to be carrying an umbrella, it was snowing in torrents!

"Snow kidding," Adrien snorted, a grin creeping smugly onto his features that reminded Marinette the slightest of Chat Noir. Maybe it was the cold that pinched her cheeks, or the snow that clouded her eyes.

"You need an escort?" he asked, his gaze alternating between the umbrella in his hands and Marinette's cheeks, red from the cold- at least that's what he thought. Her jaw dropped. Did she hear him right? Was he offering to- to- to walk her home?!

"I-I-I- Uhh-" she stammered, "S-Sure?" As soon as the words tumbled off her lips, she put her gloved hands to her mouth. Did she just say "sure"?! Adrien smiled warmly, melting her heart despite the piling snow around them. "Great, 'cause I was just going the same way." He held out the umbrella. "It should be big enough for both of us, so..." He trailed off once he noticed her trembling legs. "Marinette?"

"Uh- N-No worries, I-I'm just cold!" she lied, her hand closing above Adrien's on the umbrella handle. Marinette could almost swear she was about to explode from embarrassment, but something about the warmth and pure kindness radiating from Adrien's presence calmed her, though it usually did the opposite. They walked towards the bakery in silence, the only sound that Marinette could hear was the beating of her own heart, coupled with the howling winter wind. Between the blood rushing in her ears and her own uneven breathing, she didn't notice when Adrien stopped in front of the bakery door.

"Marinette?"

"Y-Yes!"

"I said, we're here." He chuckled, amused by her unsteadiness.

"O-O-Oh. U-U-Uh, thank you! So much!" she said, a silly smile plastered across her face. Her teeth chattered but she could hardly care less, staring into those beautiful green eyes and having them stare back, when Adrien caught her chin between his gloved fingers.

"Your lips are blue," he observed. Marinette just gaped, heat rising to her cheeks again, her lips trembling more than they were before. She could barely comprehend what was happening before her mouth was met with sudden warmth that overflowed her senses, igniting sparks in every crevice of her body. Her arms moved on their own, cupping the blonde boy's cheeks and pulling herself closer to him, greedily absorbing his warmth. His lips were soft against hers, and she could feel where they were chapped in certain areas. When he pulled away, they were both breathless, their breaths clouding the air in between them.

"See you tomorrow," he whispered, his hand drawing a last streak of warmth on her cheek before dropping to his side as he walked off. Marinette only stared, dumbfounded, the last traces of his lips still tingling on hers, as she watched the imprints his shoes made in the snow as he left her.