**A/N: So sorry, everyone, for the week-long wait on this chapter. Christmas week got... frantic. I was only able to add another couple hundred words each day. I really did mean to have this up on the 26th. So sorry again for the wait. I hope to move a bit faster from now on. Thank you for the reviews, the faves, and your patience.**
- CRAFTING -
Chat Noir shifted the bag strapped across his back before tapping on the glass. He tried to use the tip of his nail so it would sound like a pigeon pecking, in case Marinette wasn't alone.
"Chat Noir?" Marinette slid into view of her skylight and yelled through the window pane. "I wasn't expecting you a second night in a row."
He stood up so she could open the skylight for him. Then he simply replied by sliding the bag off his shoulder. Opening it up, he showed her three skeins of red yarn, an unopened package of assorted crocheting hook sizes, and a small sleeve of tapestry needles.
"I know I'm asking a lot," Chat Noir knelt down to be closer to eye level with Marinette, "but do you mind if I start my actual project here? That way you can help me if I screw up again?"
Marinette's chest jerked, like air caught in her throat for a second.
"I have a lot of my own projects to finish up so I can have them done in time for Christmas."
"You can work on them. I'll be quiet and hide in a corner. I can even stay out here and work. I just- I want to be close enough to quickly ask you for help if I need it. Please?"
A blush raced across Marinette's cheeks, and just as quickly vanished.
"Alright. Quiet as a mouse though. I'm here to help you if you need it. Otherwise I'm free to finish my own crafts. Deal?"
"Deal!" He nearly scooped her up into a hug. There was no way Ladybug wasn't going to love his gift if Marinette was helping him make it. He still wasn't sure what he did to deserve knowing someone so amazing, let alone two people, Ladybug included.
Marinette scooted across her bed so Chat Noir had space to jump into her room. Then they each climbed down the ladder from her lofted bed.
"I'm going to be mostly using my sewing machine, so you can take the chaise again." Marinette waved over to the chaise by the south wall before she walked in the opposite direction.
"I really appreciate all of this, thank you." He nestled himself onto the long lounge and took meticulous care to remember how to start his scarf. "Um," he squeaked after a minute, "Sorry to interrupt so soon but-" He held up his package of crocheting hooks and shrugged.
"Oh, right." Marinette popped the package open and pointed out how the millimeters were written on each hook. "It really depends on how tight you want each stitch, but tight also means more stitches for the same overall project size. I'd go with the five millimeter. It's pretty standard for most patterns, and a fairly average size stitch. It should keep it tight enough to be functional, but large enough that you can finish in time."
"Thanks again, Marinette." Chat Noir accepted the offered hook and slid it into his slipknot. He chained about twelve centimeters worth of stitches as Marinette watched. He then did his first turn with some reminder instruction from her. Feeling confident that he was able to keep going on his own, Marinette went back to her sewing machine on the other side of the room.
Chat Noir and Marinette sat quietly in their respective corners for nearly ten minutes before the hum of the sewing machine called to him. Slinging his bag of yarn back over his shoulder so he could walk and work on his scarf at the same time, he slowly shortened the distance between him and Marinette. She was so engrossed in her own work that she didn't notice Chat Noir's approach, instead she hummed Christmas carols to herself as she led the fabric through her machine. She did so with such effortless grace Chat Noir became entranced, forgetting his own project as he watched.
"What are you making?"
Marinette jumped at the sound of Chat Noir's voice so close to her. He was grateful that he had the forethought to wait until she was done with her stitch before asking her anything. She probably would have been irritated if she had screwed up her hemline and had to undo it all.
"I thought we were staying in our own corners; working on our own projects. Doesn't look like you're even working on yours anymore."
Chat Noir looked down at his stilled hands. Realizing he had lost focus, he quickly got back to making up the neglected stitches.
"Did you need something, Kitty?" Marinette's voice was softer; warmer. The irritation of being interrupted already washed off her.
"No. Sorry. I was just being curious. Cat and all." He didn't stop crocheting as he gestured to himself with the hook.
Marinette held up the pink-cloth project she had been working on. It was fairly small, but thick, and clearly inside out. Being mindful of the pins for the sides she hadn't sewn yet, Marinette flipped her project so it was in the right direction. It was a small bag, just large enough for a wallet and perhaps some pens. There was a triangular flap that covered the top opening, decorated with a small rose appliqué made out of an old necktie.
"A purse?"
Marinette nodded before inspecting her work.
"A gift for my friend Rose. I still need to finish attaching the lining, and then I need to seal up the bottom seam here. I should be done in about twenty minutes or so, then I can attach the strap, and I'll be done with another gift."
"How many are you making?"
Marinette pulled a tote out from under her desk. It was already packed with homemade gifts. Chat Noir was able to see some scarves that Marinette knitted, as well as a lap blanket she quilted, some headband ear warmers, a satchel, a very large apron that must have been intended for her father, and a purple and black purse that matched the one she was making Rose; clearly a gift for Juleka.
"You made all of those?" Chat Noir looked at the progress he made on his scarf, and then glanced back at the tote. How did Marinette have the time? Especially when she was now helping him make a last-minute gift.
"I started about August. I nearly have something for everyone in my class, my teacher's gift is done, and I have my parents' done. I still need to finish up my gift for my grandmother, and I have a couple of gifts for my best friends that I need to complete."
Set in a small pile on the far edge of her desk were the last of the presents Marinette needed to work on. There was an earflap winter hat that looked like Nino's baseball cap, a scrapbook with pictures of Marinette stacked beside it, and a small container of beads next to a coil of jewelry wire. Chat Noir's heart stalled for half a second as he remembered the lucky charm bracelet Marinette had given him as Adrien. The beads appeared to be reporter and ladybug themed, so he was pretty positive the new bracelet was earmarked for Alya. Nothing in the pile looked like it was destined to come to him on Christmas, and he wondered if his gift was in the tote of completed projects, or if Marinette forget about him.
"It looks like you still have a lot to do." Chat Noir fought to keep his voice light and cheerful. Marinette thought of Adrien as a friend, he knew she did. His gift was probably in the bin with the rest of their class. He didn't need to feel sad that nothing in her To Complete pile was aimed at him. He cleared his throat and wandered back to her chaise. "I'll let you finish."
"Oh, well, okay. Let me know if you need help."
Chat Noir hummed confirmation as he plopped back down in his spot. He had his own gift to focus on. He didn't have time to debate with himself if Marinette had made him something. Of course she had. Plus, now he would be surprised when he opened the gift. It would have ruined it if he had spotted it before hand.
Another half hour passed. Chat Noir was lost in his thoughts, which usually resulted in him unraveling five minutes worth of work once he realized a bit too late that he had screwed up. Marinette, on the other hand, seemed to breeze through her work, even when lost in thought. Rose's purse was done, and the strength of the product was tested before it was put in the tote with the other gifts. Marinette then started working on lining the winter hat she was making for Nino. All the while she hummed more Christmas tunes. It made it all the harder for Chat Noir to concentrate as he got lost in the lovely warmth of Marinette's voice. It reminded him of his mother humming through their large house, making it feel lived in and more like a home. He missed being wrapped in that sensation.
"How's the scarf coming along?" Marinette rolled her shoulders and stretched a bit before walking over to Chat Noir. "It looks like you're tightening the stitches a bit here, which will throw off the edging, but otherwise it looks great. See? Scarves are easy."
Chat Noir stared blankly at his project, carefully undoing his last row so he could redo the stitches at the same tension as the rest of the scarf.
"Marinette, why did you make a gift for everyone instead of buying something?"
"Hmm? Oh, well, I guess I enjoy having people feel like I know them. It personalizes the gifts, and lets them know that I care enough to take my time to make them something. Same reason why you're making Ladybug a gift, I guess." Marinette plopped on to the end of the chaise and leaned back on it a bit as she glanced up at her skylight. "Besides." A smirk flashed across her lips before it was replaced with her normal, sweet smile. "Making gifts tends to be cheaper." She laughed and tapped Chat Noir on his knee with her fist before standing back up.
She did a few more stretches to pop the tension in her back, shoulders, and arms after sitting in front of a sewing machine for the better part of an hour. She then scooped up the scrapbook and pictures before spreading everything out across her floor. With a contented sigh to ready herself for her next project, Marinette flipped through the pages of the scrapbook she already completed. There were shots of her with her friends, of her family, and of the projects she had completed throughout the past year. Chat Noir mentally counted the number of photos he saw with Adrien in them. He was both surprised and warmed to know that his civilian form showed up roughly once every page.
"Hey, Marinette, what's that picture?" Chat Noir felt guilty about peeping in on her scrapbook project, and even worse calling attention to it with his question. His curiosity was killing him though.
As she gave him a questioning look, Chat Noir used his toes to point out a glamour shot of Jagged Stone. The whole picture had a purple hue to it that blended well with Jagged's hair. Sparkles shimmered throughout the image, and Jagged Stone's face was angled upwards, like he was preparing for water to be splashed on him. The drawing looked amazing, but it didn't look like Jagged Stone's style. It was too much like a perfume ad. Chat Noir was surprised his father didn't think to have a few of his Adrien cologne ads done up like it.
"Oh," Marinette's voice dropped, "that. Yeah, Jagged Stone's producer wanted Jagged to have a more 'youthful' look, like what XY had for his album cover. I'm not really a fan of it myself, so I'm glad Jagged rejected the design. My second attempt I'm definitely much prouder of." She picked up a print out of her album cover art and placed it on the page next to the glamour shot. "However, this first one is still artwork I did, and I promised my Nonna that I'd start showing her as much of my creative work as possible. I hope she prefers the drawing Jagged Stone picked as much as the two of us did."
"You should be proud of the glamour shot one too. I mean, sure, it looks like a perfume ad, and it's a very commercialized style, but it's still really good. I could see it professionally used in advertising." Chat Noir chuckled before realizing why. "With all the studying of the Gabriel line and Adrien Agreste's modeling, I'm surprised you didn't redo that image with Adrien instead. Really make it a perfume ad. Who knows? Gabriel Agreste might even use it, considering you're Adrien's friend."
Marinette blushed. She focused on the two versions of Jagged Stone's cover art she was gluing into the scrapbook, purposely avoiding Chat Noir's gaze. Her fingers lingered on the purple glamour shot as she smoothed it to the page.
"Thanks, Chat Noir." Her voice was small, and she frantically searched for the pictures she wanted for the next page of the scrapbook. "You- you should get back to crocheting."
Chat Noir held up the hook and the yarn wrapped around his hand. "I didn't stop this time." To emphasize his point, he crocheted a few more stitches and turned to finish his row.
"Oh, right." She awkwardly giggled before placing a few pictures down on the scrapbook page.
The duo sat in tense silence as she finished putting two more pages together. Marinette kept herself laser-focused on her work, never looking up from the floor. Meanwhile, Chat Noir curled into the arms of the chaise, and let his mind wander again while he crocheted. His eyes flitted to Marinette, but made sure to re-focus on his project whenever Marinette moved from the page she was working on.
"You really are a talented artist, Marinette." The quiet became overwhelming to Chat Noir. At least alone in his bedroom he could talk to Plagg. It was comforting to have Marinette there, but it almost made it more unbearable to have her so close and yet still feel so isolated.
"Um, th-thank you." Marinette started on a page dedicated to the Gabriel fashion show her derby hat was showcased in. She again lingered as she smoothed out the edges of the center picture: Adrien glancing over his shoulder while wearing Marinette's hat.
The conversation quickly died. Chat Noir wove a few more stitches, his eyes averted from Marinette's gaze. She bit her lip and glued down another picture from the fashion show.
"So," Marinette tried, "any further thoughts on how you are going to give Ladybug the scarf you're making? Do you have a meet-up planned for Christmas?"
"Not yet, but the next time we are on patrol together or have to protect Paris from an akuma I'm going to ask her if we can meet."
"What happens if she tells you she can't? I mean, Christmas is usually a very busy time to spend with family. Wouldn't you want to spend the evening with yours?"
"Mine-" Chat Noir's voice caught, "-doesn't really celebrate Christmas. Not anymore."
Marinette put her glue stick down and stared at Chat Noir. His face burned under her gaze, so he pulled himself further into a ball against the back of her chaise, hoping to hide behind the arms.
"It's not that big of a deal, but it does really make me hope that I can spend it with Ladybug at least. Even for a few minutes. It would-" Chat Noir stopped as Marinette's arms wrapped around his shoulders, her cheek resting against the top of his head. "Marinette?"
"I am so sorry, Chat Noir. Christmas is supposed to be a time to bond with your family and friends." She squeezed, nuzzling against his fake cat ear as she wrapped herself around him for a moment.
Chat Noir blushed before he closed his eyes and hugged her back, breathing her kindness in.
"Marinette, it's alright. Really it is. I'm fine. I have great friends, I have my lady, and now I have this great skill of crocheting thanks to you."
Marinette broke their embrace and knelt on the floor beside him. She gave his hand a brief, tight squeeze, before she shuffled back to her scrapbook.
"That right," she said with false cheer. "And if all else fails, my family will adopt you for the night. All the Christmas cookies you could want."
Chat Noir laughed and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb.
"Thank you, Marinette. You're a good friend."
"Of course, you stray cat." Marinette winked. "Now, get back to work or you'll never get that scarf done in time."
"Yes, Ma'am!" Chat Noir gave a salute before getting back to his project. The two of them continued to work in silence for the next hour, but this time the awkwardness was gone. The quiet was an unspoken promise to be there for each other from that point on.
**A/N: Awww, Mama Wolf Marinette caring for her kitty cat. I wasn't really sure how to end this chapter, and then she surprised me with that hug. These two are too cute sometimes. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I hope I can get the next one out a little faster. Thank you yet again for the reads, faves, and reviews. They are all my life-blood.
Also, I hope Taurus Pixie enjoys this continuation of her Christmas gift. Happy New Year, Pixie, may 2019 be kind to you.**