December 18th, gift number 18:
This morning, Marinette woke up in an excellent mood. It was the last day of the week, and especially the last day of class before the winter break, the last day before two weeks of well-deserved vacation. She stretched and came down, for once, quickly from her bed.
She stopped by her meridian and, like every morning, she grabbed the present corresponding to the date of the day. Today, she caught gift number 18: A small red bag with golden Eiffel towers represented on it by tens.
She carefully removed the staples from the bag, opened it and came out... a golden key ring representing the Eiffel Tower, and an enigmatic note.
"My Lady,
The first key-ring you received, I chose it because it represented both of us and I found it really nice. This one, although also linked to us to some extent, has another purpose: it will be used with the key.
You will have more information on December 23.
Your kitty who's maliciously playful. "
Marinette took a few seconds to reflect while adding the Eiffel Tower keyring to the first keyring; now with a key suspended from two keyrings.
So the key and this new key ring are two pieces of the same puzzle? Two clues, from a riddle she had to solve? And she had to wait until December 23rd to use the key.
Okay, so for the moment, Chat Noir was really mysterious.
Perhaps another part of the solution, another clue would be to be found near the Eiffel Tower?
Her reflection was interrupted by Tikki, who had lodged herself in the lower part of her back and pushed her with all her might towards the exit of her room.
-School is your priority, Marinette!
-Dupain-Cheng, totally tacky and ridiculous, wearing a high-end watch. Did your parents close the bakery to do a real job and make more money? Chloe exclaimed, mocking, with a considerable lack of tact.
-Shut up ChloƩ, said Alix from the back of the classroom
As a reflex, Marinette lowered her sleeve on the watch and ignored the pretentious blonde's reflection to silently regain her place next to Alya.
But this remark, drawing obnoxiously on the lack of respect, left the blond young man sitting in the front of her.
-Chloe, it was really disrespectful, you can't judge people's professional lives in this way, said Adrien in a highly disapproving tone.
-It is ridiculous, totally ridiculous, groaned ChloƩ, turning away from the gaze of Adrien, who weighed heavily on her with discontent.
Adrien rotated to face the classmate who was sitting just behind him, and he reached out his hand to discover the young woman's wrist. Marinette jumped at Adrien's gesture, too surprised to say anything or get out of the way, she let him show the watch that dominated her wrist.
When Adrien's eyes rested on Marinette's wrist, he smothered a hiccup of stupor.
This is the same watch I gave to Ladybug. If my math is right, she got it yesterday. And I've never seen Marinette with that watch before today. Was it possible that it was a coincidence? Yes, that's right, Marinette must have had the same, and he just never realized it.
Hiding as best he could his astonishment and his questioning and the heart beating frantically in his chest, Adrien could not help but fix his gaze on the watch and make a comment.
-I've never seen it before, she looks good on you, Marinette.
-T...thank you, A... Adrien.
This adorable stutter is identical to that of his Lady a few days before. It couldn't have been a coincidence.
-I have found you,he whispered barely audibly.
- W...what?
-I find it very beautiful, said Adrien nervously to correct his previous words.
Adrien swiveled instantly to regain his initial place, eyes wide open, the beats of his heart perfectly rivaling the drums of the Rio Carnival and the realization striking him with full force.
Marinette is Ladybug. Ladybug is Marinette.
Suddenly, everything lit up: Marinette always disappears quickly during Akuma alerts. Marinette who is always late. Marinette who is altruistic, courageous and intelligent, like her Lady. Marinette for whom, he has always felt something particular that he is unable to explain and that he now explains by the fact that his heart has seen beyond the mask. Marinette who has the same morphology as Ladybug. Marinette, with beautiful blue eyes, a bright smile, and hair tied in two pigtails, like her Bugaboo. Shit... how could he have been so blind?
She was there all this time, right in front of his eyes. At that very moment, he realized all the power of the miraculous magic that protected their identities, because it was now obvious that Marinette was hiding under the mask of Ladybug.
-Bro, you look like someone who's just saw a ghost? whispered Nino to Adrien.
Adrien came out of his lethargic state and breathed in suddenly, realizing that he had briefly stopped breathing for a few seconds because of the shock. -Yes, yes, I'm just annoyed by Chloe, he whispered in response, and it wasn't quite wrong, even if she was the least of his worries at the moment.
Adrien had to call on an incredible self-control not to turn to Marinette all day and thanked the heavens that today was the last day of class before the holidays, because he was not sure he could hide his love for the young woman more than a day. And love for her: he had a lot, he could even say that he had a lot more since he had discovered the exceptional young woman hiding under the mask.
to be continued...
And now, Ritoru deito, I told you to keep an eye on day 18, I hope you're happy with with the turn of events.
I'd love to hear from all of you on this chapter, so my readers, feel free to step out of the shadows and leave me a comment if you like my story. I look forward to reading and responding to you
