Hi everyone! I'm back and writing again for the MLB universe here on Fanfiction, Ao3 and Tumblr! This is going to be 25 chapters of stand-alone one shots (unless otherwise indicated) in reponse to a 25 day challenge on Tumblr. So without further adeu:
Day 1: Santa 'Claws'
Summary: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but even Chat needs some help finding his Christmas Spirit. When Ladybug shows up with a surprise and some Christmas Cheer, Chat realizes something about his lady and his friend, Marinette, that makes his greatest Christmas wish come true. MariChat, Adrienette
It was that time of year again.
Another year of wondering... waiting... wishing.
Adrien always had mixed feelings when it came to Christmas. It use to be a time when the whole Agreste manor would be decorated from top to bottom and become a twinkly, glittery, frosty wonderland filled with candy canes, peppermint, and hot chocolate! There would be music and laughter while the two of them played the piano. His father would sing the lyrics and dance with his mother. There would be gifts under a massive tree that lit up the whole den downstairs next to the hearth.
His mother would read Christmas stories to him, telling him how Santa came through the chimney to deliver gifts to the good children and gave coal to the bad. He snorted and his lips twisted in a bitter half-smile. I doubt Santa Claus will be able to grant my wish this year, he thought as he walked down the snowy street.
Plagg, the kwami embodiment of destruction, didn't know how to help. He could feel Adrien's pain through their bond, and he ached with him. From the pictures, videos and memories that the blond shared, Felicity Agreste was the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas.
This year there was no music, no laughter, no dancing, no warmth... only a lone faux table tree that Nathalie gave him to 'decorate.' The ornaments were generic and plastic, albeit they shined prettily. None of them were the handmade, family ornaments that would've hung on a tree downstairs. Mr. Agreste forbade that the manor servants to bring out any of the decors. Thus, leaving the manor cold and unlit in the City of Lights. After an hour of watching his kitten silently mourn, he offered the only gift he could. In a flash of emerald light, Chat Noir escaped out of the manor and into the twilight.
He wandered the rooftops for hours, searching for any kind of distraction to take his mind away from the melancholy memories. But no matter where he looked, it seemed like even Paris's criminals were observing the season and staying out of sight and out of trouble.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."
At first, Chat didn't hear the singing, but Plagg did. "Do you hear that?" he asked through his link with the hero.
The question snapped the blond-haired hero to attention and his black ears perked. At first, he didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. He listened to the jingling of Christmas bells and the laughter of people ice skating.
"Everywhere you go,
Take a look in the five and ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow!"
Chat Noir instantly recognized the singing. He turned just as a whizzing sound flew past his ear and wrapped around a chimney. A blur of red, black and white flew through the air to land beside him. "Whoa!" Ladybug yelped when she slipped on the roof and nearly lost her footing. Chat shot out a hand and caught her, helping her regain her balance.
"Careful!" he warned, his ears perking at the soft chime of Christmas bells. His lips parted in surprise as he took in Ladybug's new hairstyle. She had forgone her usual pigtails to wear her black hair in a ponytail. The strands were held back with a green hair band with silver bells that rang when she moved. She also wore a festive Santa hat that was decorated with ladybug prints and emerald green kitty pawprints. His heart skipped a beat at the attire before noting the massive, but equally festive, bag that was strapped to her back. "Special occasion, my Lady?"
Ladybug blinked in surprise before smiling, "It's Christmas, Chat! It's my favorite time of year!" She hefted her bag on her back and caught the tightening in her partner's eyes. "Is everything okay, Chat Noir? Is there something wrong?"
Chat tried not to flinch, but his lips twisted into a half-hearted smile. His lady was always intuitive. "It's nothing really. I guess I'm not feeling very festive this year, that's all. Nothing to worry about my Lady."
Ladybug's blue eyes lost some of their shine, and she looked over his shoulder and into the night. " Are your parents not home this year?"
Chat did flinch this time and he looked away. "My... my mom... my mom normally is the one to bring out the Christmas spirit. But she can't this year and dad's not... it's a cold Holiday season this year."
Ladybug grasped his hand and Chat turned to look at her. Her cheerful smile was gone. Granted he'd seen her serious many times in their countless akuma battles, but he'd never seen her face so... pained. "I'm sorry to hear that, Chat." She bit her lip, looking down at their hands. Chat squeezed her grip gently, feeling her warmth in his palm. His heart ached so bad that he had to fight the fresh onslaught of tears that he held behind his eyes. Suddenly, she met his eyes again. "Then... maybe you can help me!"
Surprised by the sudden change in mood, Chat's ears lifted to attention. "I'm at your service, my Lady."
"Christmas is in a couple of days and I have some gifts I still need to deliver. Would you like to come with me?"
Chat chuckled, "Playing Santa's elf?"
Ladybug blushed a little, "Something like that. Come on! Maybe it'll even help you get into the Christmas spirit."
Unable to deny his lady anything, he did follow. He even joined her as she sang Christmas carols as they went from house to house. Many of the homes he didn't recognize. But wherever Ladybug stopped, he helped her deposit a carefully wrapped gift with her signature and a note stating not to open the package until Christmas morning. House after house, gift after gift, song after song, Chat felt his sorrow falling away, and a familiar joy took its place.
After hours of delivering gifts and to wish passing Parisians a Joyeux Noël, Chat Noir realized that his lady's bag had emptied to the last three gifts in her bag. "Where to next, my Lady?"
"The Agreste manor," Ladybug announced cheerily and swung off. Chat nearly fell off the roof in shock as he scrambled to catch up. His heart jackhammered in his chest, brain struggling as he tried to think of a reason for Ladybug to be visiting his home!
"I think I misheard you," he called as he caught up with her. "Where are we going?"
"The Agreste manor," the red heroine repeated, throwing her yo-yo to her next perch. No, he heard her perfectly the first time. Excitement fizzed through his veins at the thought of receiving a Secret Santa gift from his love. Even if she didn't know it was him beneath the mask, it touched him to see that she thought of him.
"Oh? The model boy? Are you a fan?"
"Not a fan," Ladybug replied. "But he's my friend and he's having a hard Christmas this year too. I thought that maybe I could offer him a little Christmas cheer."
Heat blossomed in Chat's cheeks at the revelation. Ladybug was his friend? Ladybug knew his civilian self and considered him as a friend?! She was close to him without either of them realizing it? Who was she? His brain scrambled as he tried to control his thoughts and excitement as they reached the manor. Ladybug dropped down to the ground below his window and waved him over.
Ladybug pointed upwards, "Can you give me a lift? There's nothing for my yo-yo to grab onto."
Chat Noir grinned and opened his arm and held her close to his side. "Elevator Chat, going up! Which floor, m'Lady?"
Ladybug rolled her eyes at his antics, thinking his sour mood cured after their night's endeavors. "Three, please. We're right below Adrien's window."
How did she know which room is mine? he wondered as he rang the bell around his neck twice and then extended his baton. When they reached his window, Ladybug carefully peeked inside, "He's not asleep?"
"Maybe he's downstairs somewhere," Chat quickly supplied, trying to dissuade any suspicion. Ladybug hesitated at first before nodding in agreement and pushed carefully on the window pane. Of course, it was unlocked. He needed a way back inside his own house after all. When Ladybug slipped inside, Chat handed her the bag and crawled in after her. He looked around his bedroom, ears drooping involuntarily.
"It is pretty sad, huh?" Ladybug asked, her tone remorseful.
"Yeah, it's cold in here."
Ladybug didn't say anything, but she walked straight up to the tabletop tree on Adrien's desk. She opened the bag and fished out two packages. One was a gleaming red and gold present, which she placed under a tree, and the other was a velvet bag. She carefully opened the bag and revealed an ornament and hung it on a branch where Adrien would see it. His heart warmed, touched at the gesture and stepped up closer to look. His lips parted in shock.
While the ornament was simple, it had so much craftsmanship in it. The main body was a picture of his smiling mother, all dolled up in her holiday regalia from a previous year with his father and a younger Adrien sitting on either side of her. Below were glimmering charms of a camera, a music note, a cookie, a ladybug and a black cat's paw. Never had he received such a thoughtful gift!
"Chat? Are you okay?"
"What? Oh yes, I'm purrfect," he grinned. "I bet Model Boy will love it."
"I hope so," Ladybug smiled and motioned that they should leave the way they came. "Marinette put in a lot of effort into it. She forgot to bring it when she visited earlier today," she told him. "She asked if I'd deliver it for her." Chat's ears perked at attention and his eyes whipped back to look at the ornament again. Now it had a double meaning for him. Just like his Princess to give a gift without realizing the significance of it. Once Ladybug was sure the window was firmly closed, the two of them hurried away, as if afraid that they'd get caught by a particular blond resident. Little does she know, Chat thought, a tear escaping his eye.
They finally came to a stop at their favorite spot on the Eiffel Tower and looked out over their city. "Thanks for your help tonight, Chat," she said.
"Anytime, LB."
"Oh, before I forget!" Ladybug turned to her bag and fished out one last package. This one was different from the other gifts the pair had delivered that night. Granted it was just as brilliantly wrapped, the paper was black and gold with a red bow on top. "Joyeux Noël, Chat Noir."
Chat gasped softly and took the present carefully in his hands. "Ladybug, you didn't have to."
"What are you talking about? You're my partner, Chat. Of course, you're getting a gift for Christmas!"
This time, tears did fall as Chat Noir wrapped her up in a tight hug. Ladybug squeaked in surprise but then returned his embrace. When they pulled apart, she tapped his bell around his neck. "You can open it now if you'd like."
"Are you sure? But... I didn't give you your gift yet."
"You can give it to me on our next patrol. Go ahead, I want to see your face."
Chat Noir beamed as he cut the tape and paper, unwrapping his gift carefully to reveal a black Santa hat with white fur trim and a gleaming green cotton ball on the end. There were even holes for his ears! Below the hat were, "Mittens?"
"Even kittens need their mittens," Ladybug giggled, then her smile sobered into a pained expression. "But... I guess since your momma cat isn't- eep!" Chat swept her up into his arms for a second time, tears falling from his eyes. Ladybug turned her head to look at him, startled. "Chat? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry. I thought they'd be a cute gift-"
"They're perfect, my Lady," Chat sniffled. "I love them, thank you."
Ladybug's shoulders relaxed, and she returned the embrace. She carded her fingers through his wild mane of hair, letting him cry. When he let go, he wiped his eyes and carefully fitted the Santa hat over his ears. "How do I look?"
Ladybug smirked, "Purrfect."
Chat's emerald eyes bugged out in shock. "My Ladybug, did you just pun?!"
"Don't get use to it," she giggled. "Try the mittens on, I want to make sure they fit. They can open to let your fingers free, see? She unhooked the mitten's end from a silver bell near the wrist and folded it back to hook on the other side. "But they you can stay warm for the rest of the winter. Oh good, I spaced the holes right for your claws."
"What? You spaced them?"
Ladybug blushed, "Yeah... I made them."
All the air rushed out of his lungs as he carefully flexed his hands. He brought them up and felt the softness of the yarn against his cheeks. "A Ladybug Original. I don't think my gift will hold a candle to yours, LB."
"I'm glad you love them, Chat Noir."
Christmas Day, the Dupain-Cheng Bakery
It was that time of year again.
Another year of wondering... waiting... wishing.
But now Christmas had a new meaning for him now. Apparently, he wasn't the only one of his friends to receive some of his lady's kindness. Alya and Nino also received gifts from her. Nino got a brand new set of custom headphones for his music, and Alya had a custom-made camera bag for her new camera that her mother bought for her.
"I have a gift from my favorite heroine, Aaah!" she screamed her excitement. When Alya sent the mass text announcing her find, both Nino and Adrien replied that they too had surprises for them that Christmas day. They agreed that they would wait to open them until they got to Marinette's house to exchange gifts. Adrien's green eyes gleamed with pride as he slipped into his new winter jacket and buttoned it up. He knew that his lady had made this gift as well since it felt so warm and it smelled just like her.
"Looking sharp, Adrien," Nino shot finger guns at him with a grin. "What did you get from Ladybug, Mari?"
"Oh, I didn't get a gift from her," Marinette blushed. "She asked if I could help her out with a favor, and I accepted. I consider that my Christmas gift." Her blue eyes flicked Adrien's way, and he did his best to put on a dubious expression.
"You got to talk to Ladybug?!" Alya gasped and immediately reached for her new camcorder. "You have to give me an interview. Please, Mari? As a gift for the Ladyblog?"
Marinette groaned playfully, "If I must."
"Yes! We're live from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery where my best friend Marinette Dupain-Cheng had an up-close encounter with Paris's favorite superheroine! Marinette, is there any reason why Ladybug went through the whole Secret Santa? Not that we're not buzzing with excitement from the surprise!"
"Well, Ladybug came to me a few days ago with the Secret Santa idea and I jumped at the opportunity. She wanted to thank me for helping her and I asked for a favor in return. That's basically it."
"So you helped her plan this whole thing?"
"Some of it, yeah. She needed some help with gift ideas, but the rest is all her."
Adrien's attention was zeroed in on his blue-eyed friend. Something about her answers sat oddly with him. Ladybug went to Marinette for help with her Secret Santa project? His mind began flicking back through the last several weeks, remembering how Marinette had been oddly secretive; always sketching or bowing out of their group activities after school. He remembered when he spotted her leaving the fabric store one time, arms loaded with supplies, while he was on a solo patrol as Chat Noir. No way... it couldn't be.
When the video concluded, Alya elbowed Marinette in the side. "So did your friend like his gift?"
Marinette beamed, "Yeah, he really loved the mittens. That was a great idea Alya."
"Mittens?" asked Adrien, though his voice sounded distant in his own ears
No way!
"Yeah, Mari's got this friend who's a Chat Noir fan. So she did the 'kittens with mittens' thing and made him some mittens." Adrien's eyes slowly panned over to the raven-haired girl, staring at her intently. She blushed, and the light dusting of freckles on her nose and cheekbones stood out against her fair skin... just like Ladybug's mask. Slowly, the pieces started falling together, and his heart thrummed in his chest in shock. Marinette, the girl who sat behind him in school for the past year, who defended her friends with the same ferocity as his lady, who was equally talented in sewing and craftwork... was indeed his Ladybug.
He'd found his Lady.
An idea blossomed in his mind and slowly his lips pulled into a familiar cheshire grin. Marinette squirmed uncomfortably under the blond's attention. "Um... are you alright Adrien?"
"Oh I'm p-perfect," he said, catching himself before he could make the familiar pun. Despite what his Lady thought, she would be getting a special gift this year. But not from Ladybug.
Hours Later
Marinette stepped out of her shower, dressed for bed, and smiled at Tikki. "I think this will be one of my favorite Christmas memories," she told the kwami, touching the new picture on her desk of her and Adrien. The blond had insisted on capturing an image of the two of them to commemorate their shared favorite holiday. He had one arm around her waist, tucking her into his side when Alya snapped the picture for them. Marinette's face had been rosy pink with delight while Adrien's grin was infectiously bright. Even now it made her smile looking at it.
"Adrien certainly looked happier today," Tikki agreed. "He really does look awesome in that jacket you made him."
"Yeah," Marinette sighed dreamily. Sitting down at her desk, she pulled out her sketchbook and began to draw. It wasn't long until she heard music coming from outside.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Carolers, she thought, and she opened her window. Much to her surprise, Chat Noir was balanced outside her window, singing up to her.
"Soon the bells will start
And the thing that will make them ring, is the carol that you sing"
"Right within your heart, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," they finished the line together in harmony. Marinette giggled and Chat grinned up at her. "Joyeux Noël, Marinette," he greeted.
"Joyeux Noël, Chat Noir."
"Chat Noir? No, no! I'm Santa Claws! See?" He pointed a claw at his Santa had that Marinette had secretly gifted him a few nights before.
"Oh of course," Marinette rolled her eyes and giggled. "You're stretching for puns tonight, Chaton."
"Pssh, you love my puns," he leaned up towards her and Marinette stepped back so he could climb in carefully over her desk and into her room. She shut and latched the window, barely catching a blur of red as Tikki sped off to find a better hiding spot. Chat also caught the movement and grinned to himself as he took in the girl's decorated room. "I take it you had an exciting Christmas, Princess?"
"I did," Marinette confirmed and sat down. "Did you?"
"The best," Chat nodded. "I even got a wish that I never thought I'd get." Marinette held her breath, daring to hope that his mother had appeared for a Christmas miracle. "But I realized I hadn't given her my gift yet."
"Her? Who?"
Chat carefully reached under his hat and pulled out a small, neatly wrapped red box with a green bow on the corner. "For you, my Lady."
Just as Marinette reached for the gift, she froze. Her eyes slowly trailed up to Chat's face as he gazed at her. "Y-you know?"
"You gave me the clues, whether you realized it or not. I just put them together today."
"Clues?" Marinette asked, mind racing as she tried to figure out what on earth her partner could be referring to. Normally she was so careful about letting out anything about her civilian persona.
"Well, you also have your own bit of Christmas magic," Chat sounded like he was admitting a secret. He blushed, "I loved your gifts. The jacket will keep me warm."
"J-jacket?"
"Please, open your gift, Mari." Marinette's heartbeat thumped an unsteady rhythm as she tore the paper away from a jewelry box and opened it carefully. Inside was a necklace. She gasped softly and lifted out the gift, eyeing the two ruby red and emerald green heart pendants that lay delicately in her palm. "It's beautiful Chat."
"Do you like it?"
"They're beautiful. They almost look real!"
"They are real."
Marinette's eyes snapped up to Chat's face and gaped. "What?"
"They're real gems," he repeated, his belt tail switching back and forth in pride at her expression.
"Chat! They're- that must've cost a fortune!"
"Nothing is too good for you, Princess. Trust me, this wasn't an expense."
"Not an expense?!" Marinette held up the necklace. "This is a real ruby and a real emerald! They're... I can't-"
"Mari, it's been my dream for years to shower the one I love with gifts like this," Chat told her, closing his hand carefully overtop hers. "I would really like you to have them."
Marinette stared into his eyes, her heart jumping in her chest as she took in his serious expression. She blushed, "You're really okay with this? With... with me being Ladybug? Giving me this?"
"I wouldn't have anyone else, Marinette. I'm so lucky it's you," he told her. "I just hope you like the guy in the catsuit who likes dumb cat puns." His eyes strayed over her shoulder to the picture frame on her desk and smiled. A flutter of paper caught his attention, and he looked higher... and let out a gasp of his own.
"What?" Marinette turned to look at what he was staring at and her face re-erupted in a fierce blush. "Oh! It's-it's not what it looks like, I swear Chat! Adrien- he's my-I mean- he ah... fashion and-clothes-good-hotmodeland-I MEAN-!"
Chat looked down at the stammering girl, and his lips stretched into a Cheshire grin. "Ah, so my lady does have a crush on the model. I hate to disappoint you, Princess, but he's no prince-"
"YES HE IS!" Marinette burst out, cheeks flaming with embarrassment. "A-Adrien isn't just a model. He's kind and sweet, and he's selfless! He deserves nothing but the best, and I know that he'll be somebody big one day, even if it's not in fashion. He took time out of his schedule to volunteer at the animal shelter last month. He listens to his friend's problems and is always there for them, no matter who they are and still makes it to his extracurriculars to make his dad proud! And- mmph!"
Chat sealed his lips against Marinette's. Heat surged between them, and Marinette pressed her hands to his chest to push him away. Chat held her firmly in his grip and let go, only to wrap his tail around her waist. "Marinette, I never thought I could fall deeper in love with you. But you keep proving me wrong."
"What?"
In a flash of emerald light, Adrien stood before her, one hand wrapped securely around her waist while the other held the necklace between them. He grinned at her, "Hello Princess."
"Adrien!?"
"Surpurrise Princess," he grinned. He watched as her eyes widened as she stared at him, her brain slowly going over details of her own realization, much like his own, pieced itself together in her mind.
She laughed softly, "You're never there when Chat appears."
"And you disappear when Marinette appears," he confirmed.
"You were with me during the whole Secret Santa delivery."
"You left me a beautiful ornament and the best Christmas ever."
"You had a crush on Ladybug and I had a crush on you. We've been chasing each other this whole time!"
Adrien blushed, "Y-you had a crush on me?" Marinette's cheeks flushed a dark pink as she nodded. The blond grinned and held her hands in his, kissing her fingertips. "This honestly is the best Christmas gift I could've ever asked for."
Marinette blinked, "What do you mean?"
"You return my feelings, Mari. That is your perfect Christmas gift."
Marinette giggled softly, "Even better than mittens?"
Adrien laughed and kissed her again, "Even better than mittens."
Marinette hugged him, reveling in the warmth as Tikki flew into view, joined by a black blur that she assumed to be Adrien's kwami. "Finally! The cat's out of the bag!"
"Plagg!" Tikki moaned.
"What? That one never gets old!"
And yet, Marinette and Adrien both laughed despite themselves.
This was supposed to be a drabble... a DRABBLE DAMMIT! Why can I never write drabbles... *sigh*
Welcome to the first installment to my the Miraculous Ladybug 25 Day Challenge that was posted up by youreyeslookliketheocean on Tumblr. You can find it on my page if you search KestraEchowolf with the symbol in front ;)
I'm happy to report I'm back in writing force and I'm working (again) on getting my fics cross posted between here, Ao3 and Tumblr. You can find my social media links on my Ao3 posting and in my Tumblr account so come by for a visit. Drop me a prompt, send a request, the ask boxes are OPEN!
See you on Day 2: Ugly Sweater
JHC how am I going to write that one?!
-Kestra
