**A/N: The lovely Taurus Pixie included me among four friends she had gifted her story "Twelve Days of Chatmas" to (it's fantastic; go read it!). My heart was so full of how amazing her story was making me feel that I wanted to gift something back to her. I had actually planned something completely different for her originally, but it didn't seem "Christmas-y enough", so that idea is going to have to simmer until her birthday or something. In the meantime, please enjoy, and don't forget to comment if you feel compelled. I live for comments. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!**
- THE REQUEST -
The evening was warm despite Christmas being a week away. Marinette breathed in the crisp air as she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Paris was quiet, and lit beautifully before her. The Seine sparkled beneath the City of Lights, and even the stars above seemed to shine brighter in the clear sky. It was peaceful out on her private balcony; a place for her to re-center herself after surviving the stress of being a superhero, completing school work, helping her parents with the bakery, dealing with Chloé Bourgeois's bullying, and failing time and time again to let Adrien Agreste know that she was in love with him.
Out on her balcony, with her gorgeous city laid out before her, there was no Chloé Bourgeois. Her parents didn't need her help in the bakery. School work was a breeze. She was a regular high school girl living a normal life. And most importantly, Adrien loved her back.
Her balcony was her sanctuary, and her escape from reality. So it was quite the surprise when the imaginary walls barricading her from the real world were crashed through by a simple word.
"Um, hello." Chat Noir cleared his throat, startling Marinette from her reverie. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Chat Noir sat perched on the brick wall blocking her part of the roof off from the rest of the terraced building her family's apartment was in.
"Chat Noir? Wh- what are you doing here? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah. It is. I mean, at least Paris is alright. But I-" He shifted from his cat-like pose to a more casual position. He swung his legs out from beneath him, sitting upon the wall as he kicked his feet out, clicking the wall with his heels on their return swing. He began off-setting his kicks, swinging one foot out as the other clicked against the wall. "I was wondering if you- Well, I was hoping that you could-"
"That I could?" Marinette coaxed as she raised her eyebrows and leaned in, wondering why a superhero had purposely tracked her down for something. True, she knew Chat Noir very well, and even considered him one of her best friends, but he didn't know that. Did he?
"You're the girl who designed the cover of Jagged Stone's latest album cover, right?"
Of course. She vaguely remembered a starstruck Chat Noir asking Jagged Stone for an autograph after they had cleansed the akuma that had turned the rock star into Guitar Villain.
"I'm sorry, Chat Noir, but I don't know Jagged Stone well enough to contact him and ask him for his autograph. He and his assistant Penny tend to reach out to me and my parents; not much the other way around."
"Huh?" Chat Noir cocked his head to the side and blinked a few times before shaking his head and hopping off the wall. "No. Oh, no, that's not- You also made those dolls that Puppeteer wanted. The Ladybug and Chat Noir ones, along with some akumatized villains."
"Yes." Marinette drew out the word as if it were a question. She had no clue where he was going with all of this.
"I also started following your friend Alya's other blogs after seeing how good she was with the Ladyblog. I think I remember her posting something on the school blog about how you designed that feather derby hat for the Gabriel fashion show, right?"
"Chat Noir, is there something you needed from me?" Marinette tugged on her shawl again, wrapping it a touch tighter around her. He knew so much about her as a civilian. She was beginning to feel a bit exposed. Did he follow every civilian the same way?
"Oh, right. Well-" He scratched the back of his head and turned away from her. "The thing is, with how talented you clearly are, I was hoping maybe, possibly, if it isn't too much trouble, perhaps you could help me make something?"
"Make something?" It was Marinette's turn to blink a few extra times as her mind quickly reset.
"Do you remember the night when Glaciator was looking for you? The picnic I had set up for Ladybug?"
"You want to make something for Ladybug?" Marinette hoped it was too dark for Chat Noir to see her blush, even with his night vision.
Chat Noir nodded, dipping his head sheepishly as he then looked back up at Marinette with pleading eyes. She knew it was a bad idea to agree to help him make her superhero self a gift. She had no clue how to politely duck out of the request though.
Chat Noir walked over to the banister of Marinette's balcony, and looked down at the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue nestled at the southern entrance to the Place des Vosges.
"I know she's in love with someone else." He dropped his head down to the banister, leaning on his arms. "But I still want to give her something nice, something that would let her know how much she means to me. I want her to still feel special, and know that I value her friendship more than anything else."
Marinette walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You know she already knows all of that, right? I-I mean! You two are partners, so I'm totally sure she knows." Marinette awkwardly chuckled. "You don't need to gift her anything to prove it."
Chat Noir nodded softly before pushing away from the banister.
"Still. I really want to do this. Please?"
Marinette tapped a finger against the banister as she looked just past Chat Noir; struggling to find a way out.
"I don't know if I can-"
"Oh, you're-" Chat Noir sadly nodded. "I get it. You're busy with your own things. It was silly of me to think you'd have the time to teach me anything in a week. I'm sorry I bothered you." He hopped up on to the banister; readying to leap away.
Marinette grabbed his belt-tail; not wanting him to leave, especially sounding so sad.
"You know you're not a bother, right?" She refused to let his tail go until she heard the answer she wanted.
Chat Noir gave a little nod, the corners of his mouth tugged slightly with a sad smile.
"Thanks anyway, Marinette. Merry Christmas."
Marinette held his tail firmly in her hand. She couldn't let him leave when he needed her. Maybe while they worked on his gift for Ladybug she could try to convince him that chasing after his superhero partner was a bad idea. Either way, she couldn't abandon her kitty in his time of need.
"Come on inside. We can figure out what you want to make, and if I even have the time to help you." Her hand slid down the length of the tail and finally let go as she walked over to the skylight trap door to her bedroom.
Chat Noir stared as she retreated to the window. His breathing slowed to the point where he resembled a gargoyle frozen protectively on Marinette's balcony banister. As Marinette disappeared inside her room, he finally leapt back down to follow her.
The multitude of Adrien Agreste pictures still papered her bedroom walls, but there was no harm in Chat Noir seeing them now. He already knew how many pictures she had hidden throughout her room; the most embarrassing moment was long gone. She just hoped he was so focused on his gift for Ladybug that he wouldn't also try to question her about Adrien Agreste's face coating her room.
He did glance at them, taking in the room, but graciously left his questions unasked.
Marinette patted on her chaise as she rolled her computer chair next to it, a notepad in her hands. Chat Noir accepted the chaise, and sat cross-legged.
"Alright, so what did you want to make her?"
"I- Well-" Chat Noir tapped his chin with two fingers as his eyes drifted to the ceiling. "Honestly, I was so focused on asking you for help I didn't even think of what to make." He slumped a bit before meekly looking at Marinette again. Then his eyes widened and his mouth puckered into a small O. "Marinette, did you make that shawl?"
"Huh?" She rubbed the yarn still draped around her shoulders. "Oh, yes. I crocheted it. I don't think we'll have time to make Ladybug a shawl though. Besides, how would she wear it while fighting akumas?"
"Well, she doesn't have to wear it while she's Ladybug, but you're right. A shawl is too much. A scarf though? Those are easy, right?"
"Yeah. Did you want to knit or crochet one?"
"Um, which one's easier?"
Marinette chuckled. "Both? Neither? It really depends on the person. Your nails might snag a knitting project a bit more frequently than a crocheting one though." She put her notebook down and rummaged through a bag under her desk. She reappeared with two crocheting hooks and two skeins of yarn. She poked one of the skeins with a hook and lobbed it to Chat Noir.
"Okay," Marinette plopped onto her computer chair again and slid it so close to Chat Noir her legs were practically laced between his. She created a slipknot in her yarn, and slid her hook through. "Watch me as I show you how to chain. You ready?"
Chat Noir's eyes dropped to how close Marinette's legs were before his glance bounced back up to her hands: poised to show Chat Noir his first crochet stitch. He scooted back a little on the chaise before leaning forward to get a good view. Creating a slipknot in his yarn, he slid his hook through.
"Yeah, I'm ready." He wrapped the tail of the yarn around his hand the same way Marinette had hers, and he mimicked how she held the hook.
"Okay, so you're going to hook the yarn like this, and just pull the hook through your slipknot like this. You see? That's called chaining." She looped a few more stitches slowly to show him again and again.
Clumsily, he made his first stitch. It kept him a couple tries to keep the yarn on the hook, but once he figured out the angle, he was able to chain the next few quite quickly in order to catch up. He held up his hook, the yarn and the chain dangling from it.
"Like this? Did I do it right?"
"Purr-fectly." Marinette teased as she winked and bumped his shoulder with her elbow.
He huffed through his grin.
"Ha. Ha." He fought the smile tugging at his cheeks before looking back down at their hands. "Alright, get all the cat puns out now."
"Nah, I'd rather hold on to them. Besides, I haven't quite figured out the wording yet for my joke about you playing with yarn."
"You're gonna make me earn your help, aren't you?"
"A week before Christmas? You better believe it, Kitty." She flicked the bell along the collar of his costume and gave him a soft smile. Instantly she regretted the decision. Ladybug called him Kitty, and played with his bell like that. If she wasn't careful she would give herself away. She had no clue why she was being so playful with him in the first place. It just felt natural to fall into that dynamic, even outside the mask. Especially outside the mask, when she wouldn't be Ladybug leading him on falsely.
Chat Noir fidgeted as the sound of his bell softened into an awkward silence between them.
"Do- Do I still do this chaining thing?" Chat Noir held up his hook again, careful to not let the yarn fall from his hand.
"Oh! Right, sorry." Marinette shook her head to refocus. "How wide did you want the scarf? You want to chain until it's as wide as you want your finished product to be."
He quickly chained a half-dozen more stitches before eyeing up his work.
"Will this do?"
"Maybe a little longer." Marinette chained until her project was about twelve centimeters long. "Like this."
Chat Noir caught up before nodding for Marinette to continue.
"Alright, watch me again. We're going to do our first turn to start the next row." She showed him how to count the chained stitches, how to yarn-over, which stitch to put his hook through, and how to do a half-double stitch.
The technique was a bit tricky for him, so she unwound her stitch to show him again. He successfully turned, and she reminded him how to do the more advanced stitch. He got the first couple right, but once she left him to his own devices the stitches came out too long or too short. He heaved a sigh as the project collapsed to his lap.
"Hey!" Marinette put her crocheting down so she could pick up Chat Noir's instead. "Chat, look at me. Watch. It's not that big of a deal. You just pull gently on this string, and it unravels those stitches. See? All better. Now try again." She handed the scarf back to Chat Noir.
He accepted the fixed project, and tried the stitch again. Marinette watched him carefully as he finished the row slowly. At the end, she showed him how to turn again. She then gave him a brief instruction on the difference between front loop, back loop, and both loops. She demonstrated how to do the half-double stitch using both loops as an anchor. A few minutes later he was back to doing his crocheting on his own.
After crocheting for about an hour, Chat Noir had a little square with a lean on the edge. Marinette gave him careful instruction as to why his one edge wasn't straight, helped him unravel his project, and showed him how to fix his lines. Another hour (and a few tries) later, his square was perfectly straight. Marinette showed Chat Noir how to weave the loose ends of his yarn into his project, and then inspected his work.
"See?" Marinette held up the completed first project for Chat Noir to inspect for himself. "You could do it easily now. You know all the basics." She handed the square to him, and he stared lovingly at his work. "Plus you now have a pot holder. That's one more stocking stuffer off your list."
"Marinette, thank you so much for this." Chat Noir's eyes sparkled with a film of tears. "You really are an amazing girl. One might even call you a civilian Ladybug."
"Everyday Ladybug, actually," she muttered in response.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing. Nevermind." Marinette gathered up her supplies to put away. "I'm happy to help. I just hope you don't expect much more than gratitude when you give Ladybug her gift."
"No, I know. That's not really why I'm doing this. I just want her to be able to look at my gift and know that she's loved."
Marinette kept her face hidden, and her back to Chat Noir, taking longer than needed to put her yarn and crocheting hooks away. She waited for her cheeks to stop burning.
"Marinette? Something wrong?"
She spun back around, with a big grin plastered on.
"No! It's just, really sweet how you feel about her. I'm sorry she can't feel the same way about you."
"I just hope the guy she loves knows how special she is, and that she feels as loved by him as she deserves." Chat Noir brushed his thumb across his crocheted square before tucking it into one of his pockets.
Marinette wasn't sure how to respond. As far as Chat Noir was concerned, she didn't know enough about Ladybug to say one way or the other, but she wanted to collapse to the floor and weep that the man she loved probably didn't love her back. As much as she wanted the happily ever after, she was stuck on the same boat as Chat Noir: to forever pine for someone, and to feel the heartache of unrequited love.
"Oh, hey, don't feel so sad for me." Chat Noir placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "It's fine. I still have the world's greatest partner, and she's still one of my best friends. Better yet, she told me I was her friend in return. If she can't love me, then at least I can have the next-best thing. Right?"
Marinette couldn't hide her blush this time, so she tried to block Chat Noir's view by placing a hand on her cheek. She was all but positive that she couldn't convince Chat Noir to not give Ladybug a Christmas gift, and after a speech like that, how could she not accept the scarf he was going to make her? He was a lot sweeter and more humble than she had originally given him credit for, and she was intensely grateful that he thought of her – both halves of her – as his friend.
"Thanks again for your time, Marinette. I should probably head out though." Chat Noir climbed up to her bed, and unlatched the skylight. With a quick two-finger wave, he pulled himself up onto her rooftop balcony and headed out into the night.
Marinette latched the window closed after he left, then flopped out in a sprawl across her bed. Her heart beat faster than she thought it should have, and she quietly panicked about Christmas.
She was in love with Adrien Agreste. Nothing could ever change that. She knew nothing could ever change that. But she felt a peace and happiness whenever she was with Luka. She felt her heart quicken each time she heard his guitar and every time she felt his touch. She could never give up her love for Adrien, but Luka made her question if she could love someone else almost as most; if she could be happy with someone she loved second best if Adrien wasn't going to love her back.
Now knowing how much Chat Noir loved Ladybug; now knowing how sweet and wounded he was, Marinette felt her heart beat quicken like it did around Luka. She was in love with Adrien Agreste, but on Christmas, when Chat Noir would give her the homemade scarf, she wasn't so sure anymore that Ladybug would be able to turn him down.
**A/N: Okay, so this titling thing was a pain and kept me the better part of 3 days to come up with something not lame that still had the right thematic feel to it. Thank god for Dictionary .com's word of the day: today's was Heartstring. I instantly knew that was my title, but there's already a popular ML fanfic over on AO3 called "Heartstring", so it kept me another 2hrs or so to come up with "WOVEN heartstrings." Hope it all makes sense in the end.
Speaking of end, this was supposed to be a lovely little one-shot Christmas gift for Taurus Pixie. It... took on a life of its own. So there is more to come as things get a little... complicated. (So, have some extra Christmas gift, Pixie.) It's going to be mostly MariChat goodness, but there's some touching family moments sprinkled in as well. For now though, I guess you guys are going to have to wait to see how Marinette handles Chat Noir's gift to Ladybug. :3**