Forty-Eight: Merry Chatmas

Author's Note: It's Christmas, so I've banished Hawkmoth for a bit in order to provide you a double-sized portion of pure, unadulterated snow-white fluff for this chapter as Chat experiences a true holiday with a caring family.

Happy holidays to you and yours – however you celebrate this time of year. -ep

It was snowing once more in Paris on Christmas Eve as Ladybug and I landed on our final rooftop of the evening. After last Christmas's escapades with Santa, we'd decided it would be prudent to be out and about on the off-chance Hawkmoth turned his attention to the jolly old elf, but it turned out to be a peacefully quiet evening. The deep coating of snow blanketing Paris had muted the usual noises of the night, making the hushed calm all the more pronounced. Lights twinkled in windows no matter what direction I turned, and wondrous scents from various kitchens reached my feline nose – and made my equally as feline tummy growl at being empty after the night's activities. I presumed Plagg felt the same way, and silently promised him a generous wedge of Camembert once we were back at the mansion.

Ladybug was standing in front of me, her back pressed into my chest; my arms were enveloping her in a gentle hug. "I could exist in this moment," she said with a sigh. "You, me, the fresh dusting of snow. It's holiday perfect."

I gently placed my chin on her head. "Purrfect," I repeated as I purred out the syllables. "I am not going to sleep a wink tonight," I added as I reached up to flick a stray snowflake from her pigtail.

"Me either," she chuckled. "And given the sounds coming from your stomach, it will be time well spent."

I craned my neck around to her. "Wait, what? Are you baking all night?"

"Yep," she smiled. "It's traditional. Besides, you eat enough for two, so…"

"I do not," I said defensively, knowing it was, in fact, actually true.

"Anyway," she said as she swung herself out from me and kissed my lips quickly. "I should go. Be to the Bakery as early as you can."

"I will," I said with a Chat smile.

That gave her pause. "What are you cooking up, Chat?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and placing her hands on her hips. "Don't get yourself into trouble."

"I won't," I smiled wider. "But what you don't know can't hurt you."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Now I'm worried for sure," she said as she pulled out her yo-yo and sailed away into the snowy night.

I waited a few moments before leaping away toward the mansion, arriving in my bedroom just a few minutes before midnight. Crouched in the middle of my bedroom, I automatically shook off the snow that had accumulated on my mane before realizing I'd sent waves of melted snow to the four corners of my room. Despite the saving grace that the cleaning staff had the next day off, I nonetheless vaulted into my bathroom to grab a towel to wipe down as much as I could. I'd nearly gotten all of it when my feline ears picked up footsteps from the main hall.

I froze.

I'd been fairly stealthy but hadn't been as careful as normal and must have attracted the attention of someone downstairs – the most likely candidate being my bodyguard. Except, as my feline ears continued to twitch, I realized at this hour, he'd normally be in his room up on the third floor.

Warning bells started going off and I vaulted toward my bedroom door, then pressed a feline ear to it. Sure enough, I could hear booted feet down on the marble, though they didn't appear to be coming up the steps. Curious, and concerned, I cracked open the door as silently as I could and cautiously sniffed, tail arching into a question mark.

Immediately, the scent of candy canes, milk and cookies flooded my senses, and I smiled, for it had a very familiar ring to it. Carefully, I slid the door open further and skulked out to the mezzanine, all of my feline senses on full alert. Slowly I poked my mane over the railing.

Below me, Santa Claus was bent over his massive red bag, rooting around for something. He paused, and I immediately shrunk back, but not before his infectious laugh rang out. "Come on out, Chat," he said. "I'm not a secret to you any longer."

Placing a paw on the railing, I flipped over and landed in my pounce-crouch beside his bag; as I sailed to the ground, I'd scanned the space and couldn't see how he'd managed to get into the house. "Santa," I smiled, though I kept slightly tensed. "Making your rounds?"

"Of course," he laughed as he stood up, a small package in one gloved hand. "I make it a point to visit all of the children on my list on Christmas Eve; you of all people should know that."

I nodded. "That I do," I replied, smiling a Chat smile. "Ladybug and I were out earlier, just in case you ran into any trouble. We didn't see you, though," I apologized, "otherwise, we'd still be out there."

Santa let out a massive ho-ho-ho that lead to that laugh again, and I shot a glance at the light emanating from beneath the door to the atelier, worried that Father might hear. "I don't usually get going until midnight, Chat," he laughed again. "I appreciate your concern. But it's been a quiet run so far."

"I'm happy to tag along for a bit if you want," I offered. "Just in case."

"No need," he laughed again. "Besides, you have to be up early to get to Marinette's home."

My masked eyes widened. "How—"

He simply tapped his nose with a gloved finger, and then laughed again before handing me the box. "This is for you," he said.

"Me?" I said, shocked, as I took the package. "Uh," I said, face flaming as I saw the tag said, indeed, Chat Noir. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"This is your home, isn't it?" he smiled.

"No!" I said quickly, face flaming further as I darted another glance toward the atelier.

Santa smiled and nodded. "My mistake, then," he laughed again. "But I'm glad I ran into you. I've also left another gift under the tree for the child who does live here," he added, tapping his nose again. "Make sure he gets it, would you?"

"I will," I said, fearing my crimson face was spilling all of my secrets. In my defense, it was freaking Santa Claus there in my home, standing next to the tree.

"Oh – and give this to Ladybug when you see her later," he said suddenly as he reached in and grabbed another small box.

I accepted it solemnly. "Absolutely," I promised, noting her box was red with a black ribbon, where mine had been black with a green ribbon. Without thinking, I put both boxes aside and reached up to hug the old guy. "Thank you. From both of us," I said, winking.

"You're welcome, Chat," he said. "And congratulations, by the way."

I arched a masked eyebrow. "Thanks… but for what?"

Santa leaned down. "You were number two on the list this year," he said quietly.

"I should hope so," I smiled. "Ladybug's gone way above and beyond—"

"As have you," Santa said. "So, as a result, I've decided to grant you your wish."

"My… wish?" I said, dumbstruck.

"Yes," he laughed again. "It's about to be delivered, though, so you might want to get back upstairs. And hide those feline ears of yours."

"But—"

"No buts. Take those boxes and go," he said firmly.

Grabbing both boxes, I hurled myself up the staircase, then vaulted into my bedroom. As I closed the door, I heard a commotion from the atelier and hurried toward my bed, dropping my transformation as I dove under the covers – hiding the boxes under the bed as I landed.

Less than a minute later, there was a knock on my bedroom door. "Adrien?"

I mussed up my hair a bit. "Yeah?"

The door opened, spilling light from the atrium into my darkened room; Nathalie came around the divider. Despite the unholy hour, she was as put together as always, though I thought I'd also heard her cough slightly before entering.

"I'm sorry to wake you," she said in that expressionless voice of hers. "Your father has to go to Hong Kong immediately, and will likely be gone through the new year. Your bodyguard was supposed to have the holiday off, but we are recalling him now—"

"Don't do that," I said quickly, smiling. "I can stay with Marinette and her family."

Nathalie looked at me and started to say something.

"Don't ruin his holiday," I pleaded with Nathalie. "He deserves the time off."

She looked at me longer before nodding slowly. "I'll tell your father. Pack what you need, and I'll drop you off on our way to the airport."

"On it," I said as I slid out of bed and hurried to the bathroom, pausing at the door to wait for her high heels to fade away before doubling back to retrieve my cell phone. Marinette picked up on the first ring.

"Adrien?" she said, eyes wide with surprise. "Are you still up?"

"I am, and you are never gonna believe what just happened…"

Less than thirty minutes later, I was standing in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, waving to Nathalie and Father as they screamed away in the sedan. Marinette had snuck out to meet me, and as soon as the car was out of sight, the two of us hustled to the side alley so I could transform – for as far as her parents knew, it was Chat Noir who was suddenly an extended houseguest. I wasn't entirely certain how we were going to pull that off, exactly, but first Plagg, and then Marinette, had convinced me we could.

Once the green glow of transformation had faded, we continued to the residence entrance and she helped me schlep my duffle bag into the apartment. Sabine and Tom were hard at work, filling the tiny kitchen with wondrous smells; save for a quick hug from her mom, we were shushed out of the space and told to get some rest. Marinette tried to protest, but it fell upon deaf ears.

I trailed her up the steps to the next floor, and the spare bedroom they had prepared for me at the far end of the hallway. It was tiny (massively tiny, compared with my space at the mansion) but I immediately fell in love with every square meter of it. The small twin bed had a cat-themed comforter pulled back to expose the generously sized pillow. A small dresser was nestled into the angular space next to an oversized window that fronted the park; I smiled, for it was big enough for me to slide out of as Chat as needed. I harbored no illusions that Hawkmoth would give us the time off.

"Thank you," I said as I kissed Marinette.

"I'm still impressed that Santa came through like that," she said.

"Me too," I smiled. "It's quite honestly a dream come true." I laughed slightly, though, as I waved my paws over my costume. "Although I didn't expect to have to stay transformed for the entire break."

"Says the boy who finds any excuse to stay transformed," Marinette laughed.

I felt my cheeks flaming slightly. "Well… still. Plagg hasn't had to be called to that sort of duty before."

Marinette smiled. "Don't worry," she said as she placed a hand on my bicep. "Tikki and I have a plan for that. We'll get Plagg some downtime when my parents are distracted."

"Good," I laughed, "and I packed plenty of his super-expensive cheese, too."

Despite it being close to one at that point, neither one of us felt like grabbing any shuteye, so Marinette and I relocated to her room and fired up her Xbox. She took it to me for the first hour, but by the end of the second, I'd managed to claw back some dignity. At some point, however, I fell asleep, only to awaken some hours later protectively curled around Marinette.

Carefully, I slid out from my position, then quietly luxuriated in a full feline stretch to get the kink out of my back. As stealthily as my full abilities allowed, I snuck down the trapdoor and hurried to my room. Once inside, I leaned against the closed door and breathed quietly: "Plagg – claws in."

The green wave of transformation washed over me and my kwami floated up, yawning. "Hey kid," he said with (for him) what passed as a warm smile. "Merry Christmas."

"Same to you," I smiled before turning to the duffel and presenting him with a massive wheel of the super-aged camembert he loved. It had a small bow and tag with his name on it. "This is for you."

My eyes widened as Plagg managed to take the entire wheel into his tiny paws. "Thanks, Adrien," he said, and I thought I saw a small tear forming in one of his feline eyes. "I don't usually get gifts," he continued. "And I don't have anything for you."

I took the cheese back and put it on the bed before plucking Plagg out of the air to hug him to my chest. "You've already given me the best gift anyone could. The freedom to be me," I said as I let him sit on my outstretched palm after the hug. "And your friendship, even as trying as it sometimes can be."

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," Plagg replied. Quickly he zipped to the cheese and freed up a slice which was immediately devoured. "Thank you."

I watched in happy silence as he took two more slices from the wheel and then laid on his back; having known him as long as I had, I was able to detect how slightly distended his tiny tummy was. "I'd like to go look at their tree if you don't mind," I asked quietly. "I know I'm asking a lot for you to keep me transformed longer than normal. I promise—"

Plagg cut me off as he flew up to a position in front of me. "Kid, it's not a problem," he smiled, and this time, it was a genuine smile. "Of all people, you deserve a solid family holiday. If it means staying cooped up in that ring for a bit longer, it's worth it." He paused before zipping in to hug my bicep. "To me."

"Plagg, I had no idea you felt this way," I laughed.

He flew back to my face. "And if you tell anyone," he said, eyes narrowed in an expression I found I mimicked, "I can't be held responsible for any retribution…"

"Message received," I laughed again. "Your secret is safe with me. Ready?"

"Yep."

I re-transformed, grabbed a few more items from my bag and then stealthily snuck down to the family area. A petite tree had been added to the small living room, and though Marinette's parents had apparently finished in the kitchen, they'd left the tree fully lit. I snuck my gifts in between the other items beneath the tree; I'd brought my own special presents for Marinette and her parents and had mixed them in with Santa's goodies, and found myself smiling in anticipation of watching everyone open their presents. With nary a rustle, I then folded myself into my patient cat stance on the floor directly in front of the tree.

The tree was so unlike the one at the mansion – the very antithesis, in fact: small, warm and cozy, compared with the austere and yet ostentatiously overwhelming affair Father and Nathalie had put up again this year. I sighed again, relishing in the gift that I had been given, my masked feline eyes tracing every homemade bauble and LED light. One ornament caught my attention in particular, and I snuck a bit closer to the tree to examine it.

It was a small rectangle of cardstock, ringed with a bright ribbon that also served as the hanger, something likely done in preschool, and was a crayon affair. Clearly done by Marinette, it had a small child in purple pigtails holding hands with two grownups – one in dressed in a burly white outfit and chef's cap, the other, a petite form in an outfit with a stylized flower. I smiled, seeing that even at that young age, my girlfriend had the amazing artistic ability that had only flourished as she'd grown older.

Resting it in a paw, I tapped at it with a claw tip, I felt my eyes welling, for I had something similar back home; it had been the first ornament I put on the tree each year – that is, until Father banned it when Mother went missing. Now it sat in one of my desk drawers, easily gotten to when I needed to remind myself of better days. I let Marinette's drop back onto the branch and returned to my position on the floor, blinking furiously to clear my vision.

I'm sure how she did it, but Marinette materialized from the shadows at that moment, and gently wrapped an arm around my shaking shoulders. "Go ahead," she said. "Let it all out. Then we can start anew."

I have no idea how long I quietly sobbed there, embarrassed at my meltdown and yet relieved to have a literal shoulder to lean on. Once the tears ceased, I remained with my head on Marinette's shoulder. "You are so lucky," I said sadly. "To have a whole family. Mine has been broken for some time now."

"I know," she said softly. "But that's not the only family you have, Chat," she reminded me as she leaned into me. "You're part of my life – part of my family – now, and all that entails."

I tapped my tail against her waist and smiled. "Entails indeed," I smiled. "Are you sure they will accept me?" I asked, turning to her in concern. "They don't know who I am."

"All they care about is that you are my boyfriend, and I love you," she said gently. "That's enough for them. Someday, we'll come clean; but for now, it's enough."

I sighed and rested my head back against hers, and considered the tree again for a few moments. It represented so much of the future I desperately wanted, and for the first time in my life, I thought I could clearly see a pathway toward it.

Hope swelled in my feline heart.

"I am the luckiest feline in Paris," I purred. "I hope you know how much this means to me. Your love, sharing Christmas with you and your family: all of it."

"And I am the luckiest bug," she replied quietly. "Merry Christmas, kitty."

"Merry Christmas, Milady." I leaned down to kiss her. "Merry, merry Christmas."