Multimouse crept in through the window of Adrien's bedroom, Tikki and Trixx following.
'Phase one, complete! Okay…Tikki, you guard the window. Trixx, you take the door.'
'No problem!' The two kwamis zoomed over to their assigned spots. Multimouse then opened up the backpack and set to work. She placed Adrien's gifts all around his room. The socks went under his pillow, the watch on the piano, the tie upstairs on a shelf, the scarf on the football table and the pen in his closet.
'Well that was easy.' She zipped up her now empty backpack. 'Now to get out of here!'
'Marinette!' exclaimed Tikki. 'Someone's coming!'
'What?' Multimouse made to look out of the window, but Tikki flew frantically in her face.
'No time! Hide, now!'
Multimouse knew to trust Tikki. She lobbed the backpack under Adrien's bed, pulled off her skipping-rope tail and threw it in the air as the two kwamis dived through the nearest walls.
'Multitude!'
Within seconds, she was shrinking down, down, down, into eleven tiny, identical Multimice. They all scattered, running as fast as their little legs could carry them, each making a beeline for the nearest piece of furniture. Some ended up under the bed, where they climbed inside the backpack, some under the sofa, and some under a stray shirt that had fallen off the back of his desk chair. When everyone was safely hidden, they stood waiting. Who had Tikki seen coming towards the window, and why was it so important to hide from them?
Cat Noir vaulted over a rooftop.
He'd given the photographers the slip. He never normally rebelled like this, but he couldn't bring himself to do a three-hour photoshoot on his birthday. Didn't his father care? Had he even remembered his son was fifteen today?
This sucks, he thought as he flew through the air. Since his birthday was a Saturday, he didn't even get to see his friends. He should have planned something with Nino, Alya, Marinette, and all the others. But now it was too late. And he knew his father wouldn't have allowed it anyway, especially after what had happened last year with Nino. As funny as it was to imagine his father and Nathalie floating in bubbles in outer space, they probably hadn't appreciated it.
He'd just have to read some of his fan mail or something. At least half of Paris would want to wish him a happy birthday, even if no one else did.
He somersaulted through the window and executed a perfect landing on his bedroom floor, as he had done hundreds of times before. He was milliseconds away from calling his detransformation phrase when his feline nose twitched. Someone was in his room. He could smell them. But he couldn't see anyone. He inhaled deeply. It was a familiar scent – like freshly baked bread and dressmaking fabric, and…mice? The smell was strongest in the direction of the bed. There were two other scents too, but he couldn't put his paws on what they were. It was hard to tune out the stench of Plagg's stupid Camembert, of which he had a whole cupboard full.
He prowled around the room. It seemed to be coming from several different places – as if the person had split themselves into lots of little…
Suddenly the pieces all clicked into place. He knew exactly who was in his room. But…why? What was she up to?
If he'd detransformed, his classmate would have found out his secret. He was stuck as Cat Noir for now. A smirk played at his lips. This would be fun.
Four Multimice stood huddled under the sofa, hearts beating wildly. They could hear footsteps. Why had Adrien come in through the window? Was it Adrien?
'Hmm…where are you hiding?' came a voice. It certainly sounded like Adrien. And he knew she was there. How did he know? How on earth was she going to explain this? She should have put the Fox necklace on. That would have been a good idea.
'Aha,' said the voice again. Three of the mice realised what was happening and made a run for it, but one was just a second too slow. Something grabbed her by the tail.
She cried out as she was dragged out from under the sofa and lifted up, limbs flailing madly.
'Aaahh! I'm so sorry Adri-'
But when her captor held her up in front of his face, it was not the face she'd been expecting. She gasped as she beheld a pair of huge green eyes, a black mask, and a mop of unruly blond hair topped with cat ears. She froze, dangling in mid-air.
'Well, well, well. What have we here?' he said slowly, savouring the moment. 'I thought I smelled a rat. Or should I say, a mouse. A very cute little mouse, I might add.'
The two heroes stared into each other's eyes.
'You should count yourself lucky I'm not a real cat. Otherwise, you'd be in trouble.' He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
'Cat Noir?' she squeaked, finding her voice at last. 'What are you doing in Adrien's bedroom?'
He narrowed his green slitted eyes curiously.
'I might ask you the same question...Multimouse.'
'I'm…dropping off some birthday presents for him. Can you…uhhh…put me down? Please?'
He smiled, held out his free hand and placed her in his leather-clad palm. Then he walked round to the front of the sofa and sat her gently on the top.
'I assume Ladybug knows you have the Miraculous?'
'Yes. She leant it to me. But you haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?'
He thought for a moment.
'Same as you, little mouse. I'm dropping off a present for Adrien too. From his…fan club in Brazil.'
This was the first thing he could think of, and it seemed like a reasonable answer, since Ladybug had once done it. Confusion flickered across her little face.
'Where is the present, then?'
He frowned. This mouse was too clever for his liking.
'It's…it's in my baton. I can store things in there. But never mind that now. Care to tell me exactly what is going on here?'
'What…what do you mean?' She tried to look casual, but it was hard when you were only four inches tall and wearing a superhero costume.
'What's with – this?' He gestured to her tiny body. 'You're friends with Adrien, right Marinette? Yes, I know you're Marinette. I'm rather furmiliar with you. Why go to all this trouble? Why not just give him the gifts in person?'
Multimouse hesitated, blushing a little.
'I…it's complicated.'
Cat Noir was intrigued. He had to know what Multimouse – Marinette – was doing in his room. He flashed her his most dazzling hero smile.
'I'm sure it's nothing a superhero can't understand.'
'You'll just think I'm insane if I tell you.'
'Insane? Surely not.'
Multimouse was silent for about a minute, mulling it over while he waited patiently. She knew her partner could keep a secret. He hadn't revealed his identity to her, and she knew how badly he wanted to. What harm would it do to tell him?
'Promise you won't tell anyone. Especially Adrien.'
Cat Noir tensed. This was something she didn't want him to know. But curiosity was getting the better of him. It was about him. Surely he deserved to know…right?
'I purromise I won't go and tell Adrien, or anyone else. Cat's honour.'
Multimouse gave an embarrassed smile.
'Well, okay. I left a bunch of gifts for Adrien's birthday. They're all scattered around the room. I wanted to surprise him.'
'That's really sweet, Marinette. And nothing really weird about that…except the fact that you had to turn yourself into a mouse to do it. That is a little weird. But I'm here in a catsuit, so I guess I can't talk.'
'I haven't even told you the weird part.'
'Oh?'
'The thing is…'
Multimouse's necklace suddenly beeped.
'That…that means I'm going to turn back soon, doesn't it?'
'It sure does. Well remembered. But go on. You were saying?'
She chewed her lip nervously.
'I'm a superhero. I've seen plenty of weird things in my time. You can trust me.'
'Well…I wasn't going to sign the gifts from myself.'
'You were doing it anonymously?'
'No.' She sighed deeply. 'I think it's easier if I show you. You see that package on the football table?'
His eyes flickered over to it.
'Mmm.'
'Go look at it.'
He did as she asked. He walked over, picked up the small package and read the label. From the shape of the package, she remembered it was the scarf. A lifetime seemed to pass while he stared at it. Please say something, she thought.
'It says it's from Adrien's father. Gabriel Agreste. But it's not. It's from you.'
She nodded once, not meeting his gaze.
'Are they all like this?'
Another nod.
He paced slowly back over and sat cross legged to face her. Then he put a clawed finger under her chin and gently lifted her tiny face to meet his eyes. It felt like they were reading her thoughts.
'Why?' he asked simply.
She swallowed.
'Why, Marinette. Please tell me.'
'It's…it's because…' Multimouse almost felt ready to cry as she realised just how sad this situation was. Suddenly, it all came pouring out. She felt safe with her kitty, her partner. She trusted him.
'Last year I made Adrien a gift. A scarf. I posted it in his mailbox, I signed it from me, and I thought he'd get it, but then he showed up at school the next day saying it was from his father, and he looked so happy, I just couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth, even though my friend told me I should. I know Adrien's father is too busy to get him presents, so I thought if I…just…it would give him the perfect birthday.'
Her necklace let out another beep. It was down to three mouse symbols.
'I bet you think I'm an awful person for lying, for sneaking in like this, but…oh!'
She stopped abruptly because he had scooped her up with both hands. His eyes were shining. Why was he blinking so much? Was that a tear?
'You're not awful, Marinette. You're amazing.'
'I – I am?'
'Yes. Adrien has no idea how lucky he is to have you as his friend. Yes, it was dishonest, but you meant well and that's what matters.'
They shared a warm, tender smile.
'However…' His features shifted to sternness. 'That doesn't mean I'm letting you get away with this. Are you getting him a gift from yourself, too? One that you're actually telling him is from you?'
Her face told him the answer. Her necklace was now beeping rapidly.
'I…think I'd better change back to normal.'
'As you wish, little mouse.' He winked as he placed her on the floor. 'I wanted to say that one last time. Oh…wow. That's a lot of mice. This cat's in heaven.'
The remaining ten Multimice had scurried over to join their lookalike. He took a step back as they all combined to make one, human-sized Multimouse. Then she removed the necklace and the costume melted away to reveal Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Cat Noir smiled at the girl before him. It had been fun having her as a mouse – but seeing Marinette as herself made his heart swell. He couldn't believe that she'd do this for him.
Mullo took the necklace from her.
'I'm going to take this back to Ladybug, Marinette,' she said. 'I'll tell her I left you with Cat Noir.'
'Thanks, Mullo.' Marinette smiled appreciatively as the kwami zoomed away. Cat Noir smiled proudly.
'You made a mewvelous mouse, Marinette. Now…where were we?'
He sat down on the sofa and gestured for her to sit next to him. She did so.
'Your gifts to Adrien. How would you be able to stand having someone else take credit for all your hard work? And what about if he happened to tell his father? To say thank you? What then?'
Marinette shrugged.
'He didn't last year. I don't think the two of them are very good at communicating. And, well…I'd do anything to make Adrien happy. Even if it means he doesn't know it was really me.'
It was now Cat Noir's turn to blush. He prayed that his mask would somehow cover it.
'You'd do…anything for him?'
'Yes,' she said simply. 'Just like…you'd do anything for Ladybug. I know how many times you've sacrificed yourself to save her. And yet everyone notices her more than you. It's not about being recognised. It's knowing you did the right thing. For them.'
He couldn't deny that she did indeed have a point. There were several reasons he sacrificed himself for Ladybug during their battles. It was practical, of course. She had to be around to purify the akuma. But the real reason he did it was because…
Suddenly he understood.
'This was more than just a favour for a friend, wasn't it?'
'Yes,' she breathed.
'You love him. Adrien.'
'With all my heart.' She said it so quietly that he might have missed it if not for his powerful feline ears.
A dreamy look glazed over her face as she lapsed into thoughts about him. Cat Noir simply stared at her. He couldn't snatch his eyes away. Pieces started to fit together in his brain.
'That time we met on your balcony. You said you'd had your heart broken. Was it by him?'
'Oh…yes. But that wasn't his fault. His father hadn't let him come out with us and our friends. We were getting ice cream, and everyone was in couples. You know what Andre is like. I got jealous.'
'What…' Cat Noir hesitated. He might not get another chance to ask her this. If she worked out it was really him, she might go back to being a stuttering mess. 'What is it about him? That makes you love him?'
'Where do I start? He's just so kind, sweet, and gentle, not at all like his father. You'd think being a super-famous model would make someone big-headed, but he's just so humble. I was wrong about him at first. He was friends with Chloe, and he's rich with a famous dad, I thought he would be like her. I even thought I'd seen him putting gum on my chair. But then he gave me his umbrella to apologise, and well, I've loved him ever since.'
Cat Noir had to keep his mouth from falling open. Since the day they'd met?! He'd barely thought about that umbrella. He'd just bought a new one. But to Marinette…it was probably one of her most treasured possessions now.
She loved him. That was exactly how he felt about Ladybug, too. Everyone loved her, but she never let that distract her from what was important. His heart had been hers from the moment she'd dropped out of the sky. It was now aching, torn between his Lady and his sweet Marinette.
He snapped out of it, suddenly becoming business-like.
'Where are the rest of the presents? Can I see them?'
Marinette nodded. She went around the room, collected the five gifts, and deposited them on the piano.
'Is this all of them?'
'Yes.'
'Good.' One by one, he removed the labels, ripped them up so that they were unreadable, and put the pieces into the bin. He would have liked to cataclysm them, but that was out of the question. Marinette made a tiny noise of protest.
'Here's what you're going to do. You're going to take these home, rewrite these labels and sign them from yourself. Then you're going to go and give them to Adrien.'
'But…'
'I'm not saying you have to tell him about what happened here. That can be our secret. But you have to tell him they're from you. If Gabriel Agreste doesn't care enough to get his own son a birthday present, he doesn't deserve someone like you to do it for him. And I think Adrien would prefer if you didn't lie to him.'
Marinette hung her head. He was right.
'And while you're at it, telling him how you feel about him wouldn't be such a bad idea.'
She gawped at him.
'Are you crazy? There's no way! I can't even get a sentence out around him, let alone tell him I love him! Do you have any idea how many times I've tried?'
'Hmm…' He studied her carefully. 'I'm guessing…a lot?'
'So many. Our friends are all in on it too. They're always trying to set us up together.'
He swallowed hard.
'All…of your friends? And he hasn't noticed?'
'Nope. That's partly why I came up with this plan, although it seems silly now. Because none of my attempts ever work. It's like I'm cursed! I've tried confessing, but I always get tongue-tied. I wrote him a love poem on Valentine's Day, but I forgot to sign my name. I've baked his favourite flavour of macaroon and tried giving it to him, but that didn't work either. I recorded him a message, but his cousin took his phone and deleted it. And I've tried sending him presents, but someone else always gets the credit. So I figured that's how it's meant to be.'
He put both hands firmly on her shoulders.
'That's not how it's meant to be. It's even more of a reason to tell him. He'll be delighted. I promise.'
'And if he's not?'
'Then he needs his head fixing. Maybe with my cataclysm.'
'Cat Noir!' She pulled away in horror.
'I'm just kidding! But seriously. Promise me you'll at least try.'
She made some incoherent mumbling noises.
'Marinette.'
'Okay. I promise.'
'Good. Now, I think we've both trespassed long enough. What do you say we get out of here? The last thing we want is Gabriel Agreste or some housekeeper finding us.'
'Yes. Good idea.' She retrieved the backpack from under Adrien's bed while he watched with an amused smile.
'Thank you, Cat Noir. You're right – I'll never get anywhere with Adrien if all I do is lie to him. I'm glad you found me. Even if you did scare me a little.'
'My apologies. I guess I let my cat instincts get the better of me. May I escort you home to make up for it?'
'Yes, please. That would be a real help.'
'Hold on tight, then.' He swept her into his arms. She leant her head against his warm chest and could have sworn she felt the tiny rumble of his purr. But a moment later they were soaring through the air. Perhaps she had imagined it.
