"You look ready to go out," Sabine peered through the steam that danced above her mug of hot chocolate, a curious smirk hinting at the corners of her eyes.
Marinette glanced up at Sabine as she reached down to grab the package waiting at her feet, "Y-yes, Maman."
"Dolled up, even," Sabine added before quickly taking a sip.
Marinette stopped adjusting her dress coat to stare warily at her mother. When Sabine's smile widened, Marinette turned away with a pout, "I don't know about 'dolled up'..."
Marinette slipped past Sabine and started to open the door, "Bye, Maman, I'll be back in a bit-"
"Marinette! You aren't going to bake Christmas Eve cookies with us?" Tom's head poked out from behind the stairs.
"Ah… no, Papa, sorry. I was gonna visit… a friend."
"Oh, alright. Have fun!"
Marinette smiled awkwardly and turned back to the door with a small wave.
"It's Adrien, isn't it?" Sabine wasn't going to let her go that easily.
"Goodbye, Maman!" Marinette shut the door with a click.
"Bring him some leftover cookies at least!"
A faint groan was all that was heard before a second door could be heard slamming shut… followed by the door reopening, some rustling in a distant cabinet, and the shutting of a door again.
Sabine turned to Tom, "It won't be long before she brings that boy home again."
* * *
Marinette was still grumbling as she walked down the block. The frosty wind and tiny slips on the patches of rock salt didn't help her mood either. She couldn't say she didn't expect this from her mother, otherwise she would've invited Adrien over instead. This way she'd be alone with him.
On the downside, it might be a bit awkward with just the two of them. She couldn't help but imagine a dull, undecorated house, so quiet you could hear your echo return from another floor. No music playing, no mistletoe, no delicious smell from the kitchen. Just Adrien sitting in his room, waiting for the holiday to pass. Ever since she heard from Alya, who heard from Nino, that Adrien hadn't indeed gone missing last year but had left out of loneliness - something she technically wasn't supposed to know, but Nino couldn't keep things from Alya… no one could - she knew she had to bring the holiday spirit to him. Hopefully, he wouldn't be weirded out or annoyed by the gesture.
Marinette looked down at the two packages she embraced. She smiled fondly. She couldn't visit Adrien in a sour mood. Marinette straightened her back and picked up the pace, she couldn't wait to see him.
Just as Marinette was turning to cross the street, something caught her eye. On the roof of the building to her left, a shadowy figure was leaning against the chimney. Chat Noir. His legs were out in front of him, knees bent so he could rest his arms.
Marinette stopped for a moment, looking between the crosswalk that went in front of her and the crosswalk that went over to where Chat Noir was. She took a deep breath and crossed the street to her left.
"Tikki," Marinette looked up at the large 'EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY' printed on the door in front of her, "Think you could help me out disabling the fire alarm?"
Tikki flew out of Marinette's coat, "Why can't you transform into Ladybug?"
"Well, technically Ladybug isn't supposed to be out and about any more than Chat Noir is…"
"Then why not just call him down? It's much easier."
"What if he doesn't want company? He might leave," Marinette stepped closer to the door with a look of determination.
Tikki whizzed in front of Marinette, inches from her nose, "I'm not sure about this. You could get in trouble if you're caught."
"I know, Tikki," Marinette looked down at the packages again, then out to the dead leaves being blown about by cold winds, "But this is important."
Tikki lingered for a few moments before sighing and phasing through the door; seconds later the door clicked and Marinette went through.
The metal stairs that wound around to the roof from the highest floor echoed with each step. Once Marinette had reached the top, she saw Chat's ear twitch back before he peeked over his shoulder.
"Marinette?" His voice had a bit of a trill to it. He cleared his throat and a low rumbling suddenly stopped.
"Were you purring?" Marinette sat down beside Chat Noir, wincing at the coldness of the asphalt roof; thank goodness the chimney they sat behind blocked most of the wind, which was where the worst of the cold came from. He quickly rubbed his eyes of a light glisten.
Chat sniffled, his face looked damp and broken, "Uh… I guess so?"
Marinette watched Chat's smile twitch into place. Would it be more draining for him to keep the smile up or for her to question him?
"Chat, what are you doing out here? Are you ok?"
"Yes, of course! It's nearly Christmas after all," Chat Noir leaned forward; Marinette could hear his purring roar to another start. She knew what purrs could mean, she saw right through him.
Chat touched Marinette's nose, "What about you? What's a sweet princess doing out all alone on a cold Christmas Eve?"
"Actually, Kitty, you haven't answered my first question yet. What are you doing out?"
Chat rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah, watching over Paris?"
Marinette crossed her arms, "You don't seem so sure. And where's Ladybug? I would think that you two would've agreed to have a small break over the holidays. Is she forcing you to do extra work?"
"No! I- I made this decision on my own," Chat looked away, down at the street.
Marinette would've asked more questions if he didn't look like he wanted to drop the subject. It was already enough that she was invading his space, she wouldn't invade his privacy.
Marinette broke the silence first, "I was going to visit a friend."
Chat raised an eyebrow.
"Just now," she continued, "I was planning to visit a friend for Christmas Eve."
He smiled, "Oh, you're friends with the Ladyblog girl, right? Alya?"
"Ah, yes but… that's not who I was talking about."
"Oh?"
"Yeah… I meant Adrien," Marinette giggled a bit on the name.
Chat Noir's back straightened; again, the faint purr seemed to fade away. He shifted around towards Marinette, "Oh! I, uh, didn't know you were so close to him."
She laughed, "I didn't expect you to. Although, we're not as close as I want us to be… but I guess it's up to me to help that along, huh?"
Chat smiled shyly, "Well, I guess you should get going then."
"No, I changed my mind. Besides, I won't just leave you here," Marinette turned to the wrapped box and paper bag settled next to her, "I have something for you, by the way."
Chat peeked around Marinette, "Is it food?"
"No- I mean I do have these cookies, but not for now," Marinette whirled around with the box, "Here."
Chat Noir looked Marinette carefully in the eye, then down at the package. A small card was taped to the front; on the back 'Adrien' was written in cursive. His arms tensed before they could reach the package.
His voice faltered as he stumbled for words, "Woah… uh-"
"Ack!" Marinette scrambled to snatch the card, "I don't usually remember to sign things…"
Chat Noir finally took the package, looking at it with a concerned look, "Princess, is this for someone else?" He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "Adrien didn't reject your gift or something, did he?"
"What?! No, I- this isn't some sort of rebound gift or whatever you wanna call it… I just… thought it'd suit you better. I'll give Adrien something more fitting for him."
"Well…" Chat put the box on his lap, "May I open it?"
A bit of wind brushed against Marinette, she shifted further behind the chimney. She saw him do the same and nodded quickly.
Chat tore through the wrapping paper. He hesitated to lift the cardboard lid, looking over to Marinette, "I don't have anything for you…"
Marinette's smile was brighter than ever. She leaned over to touch Chat's arm, "That's fine! Trust me, spending time with you is more than enough."
"No...Mari…"
"Oh, no you don't. Don't even try. Your gift to me can be accepting that."
Chat snorted, "For now. I'm definitely getting you back."
Marinette rolled her eyes, "Sure… well?! Open it!" She clasped her cold hands together, suddenly excited.
He lifted the lid and a small gasp escaped him. Just beneath the folds of the green tissue paper, a dark gray coat could be made out. He quickly lifted the coat away from the packaging. It was a long, wool peacoat with a forest green lining and black trim, and six golden buttons lined in two rows over the front.
"Ooh! I was right, it'll definitely look great on you," Marinette beamed.
Chat blinked in awe a few times, bringing the coat closer to his chest and rubbing his thumb against the collar.
He chuckled, "So, you were going to give this to Adrien? Do you have something against his father's fashion line?" he cocked his eyebrows tauntingly, "you'd think he has plenty of coats."
Marinette tilted her head to the side, "Well, if he does he clearly doesn't like wearing them! Last year he went missing and was found with nothing but a hat on."
Chat Noir continued to laugh, "He was running about stark naked in the winter?!"
"You know what I meant!"
"I don't, actually," he smirked.
Marinette gestured desperately, "He was just… wearing a short-sleeved shirt with jeans and sneakers! Someone put a blanket on him and gave him hot cocoa apparently but… is he out of his mind?!" She pouted.
"So," Chat began to unbutton the coat, "you thought as long as it was yours, he'd wear it?"
Marinette blushed, "No - at least not because it's mine - but it'd sure as hell be more of my business. Call it a message… and it gives me an excuse to tell him to wear a coat; even if I have to guilt trip him."
Chat gazed into Marinette's eyes. His wild smile was suddenly tender and sweet.
Marinette laughed nervously, "Anyway…"
Chat squinted playfully and leaned back on the palms of his hands, "Wow, Princess… I thought you were his lover, not his mother."
"Lover!? Nonono, Adrien and I aren't- what do you mean mother?"
"I dunno… just seems like you're babying him a bit," Chat winked, "what with all the scolding for not wearing a coat and giving him a new one."
Marinette's face fell, "Do you think he would've found it annoying?"
Chat shot up and took Marinette by the shoulders, "No! I was just teasing; this is sweet, really. I love it, by the way, thanks Marinette," He brought her into a tight hug.
She sat back after he released her, a serious expression abruptly replacing her smile, "Well, even if it was annoying, then good. Someone had to do it. Honestly, sometimes it feels like he doesn't take care of himself."
Chat raised his eyebrows and hummed thoughtfully. He took the coat, brought his arms through the sleeves and snuggled into it; he felt so much better to be wrapped in the thick wool. It smelled like the bakery, and more importantly, it smelled like Marinette. "How do I look?"
Marinette grinned, "Purrfect, but what else is new?" She reached forward and flicked the bell on his chest.
Chat Noir's jaw dropped, "I- you think I'm perfect?" His face attempted a smirk, but his delight was too sincere to pull off prideful teasing.
Marinette shook her head, "Now I've done it. No, I actually said you look purrfect."
Chat giggled, a wonderfully different laugh that made it tempting for Marinette to continue to feed his ego with pun-infused compliments. Speaking of feed…
"Oh, I almost forgot, you seemed hungry earlier," Marinette reached behind her and waved a bag of chocolate chip cookies right under Chat's nose.
His eyes lit up at the tempting smell and his hips shimmied a bit, "Mmmm, don't mind if I do!"
His hand dove into the bag and grabbed three cookies. He held two of them in his left hand as he bit into the one in his right. While chewing he peeked over at Marinette shamefully.
She waved her hand, "Don't worry about it, take as many as you'd like."
Chat watched a few crumbs fall from his mouth and onto his coat. He chuckled, "Maybe you should've given me the cookies first after all."
Marinette mirrored Chat Noir's laugh, "Silly Kitty," She dusted the crumbs off of his chest, resting her hand on it for a little while longer.
They stared at each other in happy silence until Chat took Marinette's hand in his, kissing her knuckles; it spread a warmth through her that made the winds forgotten.
"You know, Princess, I can't help but notice you look extra beautiful this evening."
Marinette took her hand back, "So I've heard..."
Chat leaned in, "Trying to impress someone?" He smirked.
"No, this is just ordinary winter clothing…"
Chat Noir looked her up and down. She wore a pastel pink peacoat dress with a black petticoat, black buttons, and black lining; a black scarf, and sheer black tights with black boots. Her hair was down; a gray audrey beret sat snugly on top.
"Are you wearing the same style coat on purpose? So we can match?" Chat tugged at the collar of her dress.
Marinette looked down at herself, flattening out her skirt, "It wasn't entirely on purpose, but it helped with deciding on the design," She ran her fingers through her hair, slightly shifting her beret.
Chat Noir squinted up at it, "What's that?" He reached up to pull her beret off, tugging it gently to avoid messing up her hair.
"What's what-" Marinette gasped in horror when a black and green beanie was taken from underneath her hat.
Chat unfolded the beanie and read the print on the brim, "'Kiss me'."
A wide smile crept onto his face as he noticed the green felt twigs and leaves with a red bow tying them together at the very top of the hat.
"Now, I don't mean to bring up your visit to Adrien again, but…"
"I- first- th- well I mean- BEFORE you say anything, it wasn't my idea! Alya got it for me and she told me to wear it and I… it was so embarrassing... well technically I'm still wearing it, right?"
Chat made an exaggerated dubious face, "Not really…" He grinned, "But, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you planned to pull this out either way."
Marinette put her hand across her chest, "Whaat? No…"
Chat nodded, "Mhmm, you were gonna go to Adrien, wait for him to turn his back and abracadabra out of your hat comes a classic holiday trick… a very sly trick if you ask me. Princess, I didn't know you played so dirty."
Marinette was bright red, "It's not playing dirty!"
"So you admit it then! You were planning that!"
She clamped her mouth shut, her shoulders shrinking a bit.
Chat laughed, "Aw, don't be upset, Mari… I think it was pretty clawver," he winked.
He pulled the beanie over Marinette's head, "After all, he probably doesn't have any mistletoe at home."
Marinette perked up, "I was thinking the same thing! So you really think so?"
"Of course, have you met his father? He's lucky if he has a generically decorated Christmas tree," Chat rolled his eyes, "You kinda need a party to hang mistletoe anyway… and again- have you met his father?"
"Well, he had a party last year… sort of."
Chat shrugged, "Did he throw it himself?"
"I guess not…"
"Then, it was a once in a lifetime thing."
Marinette sighed, "I tried to organize one this year, but everyone seemed busy," She lifted her head suddenly, "Now I'm starting to wonder if Alya made everyone say no to get me and Adrien alone together."
Chat smiled, he scooted up closer to Marinette, "That's possible."
"Do you think he would've been weirded out? By me just barging in… alone… to hang out for Christmas?"
Chat lifted her chin to look into her eyes, "Marinette, your company is always more than welcome," he looked to the side lazily, "you know, I feel really bad."
She scrunched her face, "Why?"
"I kept you from kissing your crush on Christmas Eve, I don't know how to make it up to you…" he frowned, but his eyes twinkled wildly.
She chuckled, "Don't be ridiculous, I probably wouldn't even have come through with it, honestly."
"Marinette," Chat tapped on the mistletoe.
"Oh."
Chat waited for Marinette to close her eyes before leaning in. When their lips met, Marinette heard a squeak escape Chat Noir, a small tremble running up his spine. Whether it lasted five seconds or five hours, Marinette didn't know. What she did know was his lips were surprisingly soft; especially - she regretted to admit - compared to her lightly chapped ones, even covered with a pink lip gloss.
They separated slowly, neither of them in any hurry to back up further than a few inches from each other. Chat's breath still smelled like chocolate chip cookies, Marinette found a small crumb still stuck to his lips as she was staring at them.
He stroked the side of her face, "I like this hat better."
She snorted, "It doesn't even match."
"Oh, please, who wants to match on Christmas?"
Marinette lifted her thumb to Chat's lips and stroked the crumb off, "You taste like pink lemonade."
He blushed, "I'm wearing a flavored lip balm."
"Is it pink lemonade?"
"Yeah, actually!"
Marinette pumped her fist, "Yes!"
"You know… I have a lot more flavors, if that's the kind of game you like to play," Chat bit down a smile.
She tapped her chin, "Hmm, I'll have to take you up on that. But not now, it's almost time for my family's Christmas Eve dinner."
Chat Noir watched Marinette stand up, trying to brush off what dirt she could from the back of her skirt. "Oh, alright! Send your parents my-"
"You mean you won't be walking me there, like a true gentleman?" She smiled, rocking back and forth on her heels.
Chat stood up and reached for his baton, "How rude of me…" He reached out his hand as Marinette returned from scooping up the bag of cookies and gift scraps.
"And you'll be joining us, too," She took his hand, letting him drape it around his shoulders.
"Me? Marinette, I don't think your parents would appreciate me barging in-"
"They'd love to have you. Please, Kitty? There'll be lots of delicious food and pastries we'll never be able to finish alone! We'll need some help…"
Chat launched the two of them into the sky, "Well, I guess a hero is supposed to help others."
* * *
A few days after Christmas, Marinette got together with her friends to see a movie. She didn't quite know what she was going to do when she saw Adrien. No matter how much she had tried to prepare for it, her stomach was still in a knot as she waited outside the theater with Alya. At least this time there wasn't any news on Adrien 'going missing' again, and he didn't expect her to come nor did he know about her feelings… yet how could she have skipped out on him like that? And with the pawthetic excuse she had, not to mention the horrible pun she just thought up by mistake-
"Nice coat, Adrien."
Marinette nearly snapped her neck from how quickly she looked up. As soon as she caught sight of Adrien, her nerves were on edge for an entirely different reason.
"Thanks, Alya," Adrien smiled playfully at Marinette, "Someone special gave it to me."
Marinette smirked fondly. What a dirty trick.
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