December 25th, Christmas, first date :
-Tikki? Asked Marinette while she was making a mess in her bedroom.
The Little red Kwami came out of her cocoon and flew quickly to her carrier.
-Yes, Marinette? -I'm sure there were 25 gifts and yet I can't get my hands on the last one. Would you be involved in its disappearance? Asked Marinette with suspicion.
The little ladybug fled the young woman's gaze and replied slightly contrite: Maybe… Yes…
-Can I have it? Asked Marinette with excitement.
- I have only a part of it, replied Tikki, holding out what appeared to be a small pale pink paper, rolled on itself in a small cylindrical roll and held closed with a small satin red ribbon.
-Only a part ? Repeated Marinette incredulously as she grabbed and rolled out the small paper.
"I love you." These were the only words, simple but sincere, that were written. She really needed nothing more for her heart to accelerate and for a pleasant warmth to invade her from head to toe.
Those three words made her smile strong.
-The other part is in the Miracle Box, breathed Tikki.
Once again, Marinette was confused, but curious and suspicious, she took the Miracle Box out of the furniture where she kept it hidden and she opened it by pushing on five colored circles in a precise order.
Tikki plunged into the center of the Box and came out with all the Kwamis. All of them had a small paper cylinder between their legs similar to the one the little ladybug had given her just a few moments before.
It was Mullo, the mouse, who first handed her his little word, which she hastened to take and clear of its red ribbon to unroll it. "And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, 'cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are…"
With a big smile and the heart full of love, she raised her nose from her reading and met the green and serene gaze of Sass, the snake, who in turn handed her an other paper cylinder.
"Don't look behind you wondering why. Look ahead and say: why not?"
The snake looked at her with a warm and peaceful smile. She gave him a warm smile as well, while meditating on her partner's wise words.
It was then Fluff, as in his usual very restless and disoriented, who gave her what he held between his rabbit paws.
"Whatever is worth it, take time."
In her words, she felt guilty for taking so long to understand the feelings that had always been present for her partner and that she refused to allow her to fully develop.
The other kwamis followed each other in front of her to give her the little words they had for her. They were "I love you" written in a multitude of different languages and by dozens on each of the papers.
The little fox, Trixx had just given a little word that made Marinette smile and vibrate her heart: "Love is sharing the same illusions to face together the disillusionment of the world."
Not only Chat Noir, was an exceptional partner who knew the powers of each of the kwamis perfectly, but he was also extremely loyal and sincere. This little quote reminded her of their own oath: You and me against the whole world.
Wayzz was the last Kwami to introduce herself to her with a paper cylinder that the young woman took and unfolded delicately.
"We can be extraordinary together rather than ordinary apart."
That's right. She had finished tormenting herself with miles of doubts and uncertainties. She and Chat Noir were powerful and better together, that was undeniable. He was the only one who saw both parts of herself, the one who knew her best, he was the one who made her extraordinary by appreciating each of her facets. She wanted to be with the only man who knew her as well. She wanted to be with Chat Noir.
Marinette was surprised to see Tikki hand her another cylinder, it was again a small word, the last one according to the little ladybug.
-You know Chat Noir, he never has enough when it comes to you, said Tikki merrily. What made her carrier laugh cheerfully also tensed that she was opening the little word.
"All I want for Christmas is you."
Me too, kitty…
Tikki observed Marinette restless and pacing all day while waiting for the fateful hour that would change her life.
The young woman's watch was finally at 8:45 pm: without losing a second more she kissed her Kwami who kept telling her how happy she was for her and Chat Noir, then she transformed herself.
She passed her head through the hatch leading to the outside, a few snowflakes fell on her balcony, she turned around, grabbed a scarf that she tied around her neck and then hurtled towards the Eiffel Tower.
Chat Noir stood at the top of the sumptuous monument. He was leaning against the metal structure, looking at the play of lights that Paris offered in the night and some snowflakes that began to give the landscape a postcard look.
His feline ears began to shake, capturing familiar noises which immediately took him out of his contemplation.
He heard his partner's yo-yo wire stretch out, the latter's tinkle hitting the metal of a beam as she wrapped around it to ensure the young heroine a stable grip, then the sound of the wire relaxing and totally retracting to end up distinguishing that she repeated the operation again to get closer to the top where he waited for her.
Ladybug had mentally prepared a whole bunch of things she wanted to say to her partner: she wished to tell him that it was not the material that had made her head turn in recent weeks, but the fact of becoming aware of her partner's sincere love for her, of becoming aware that he was a true pillar for her and that she could never live without him, she wished to tell him how much she had always loved him even if she refused to give herself to the evidence.
But when she set her feet a few meters from Chat Noir, each of the words carefully prepared in her mind died in her mouth to give way to the surprise and shock of an unexpected revelation that took her breath away.
In front of her stood the silhouette, whose contours were impeccably drawn by the light of the moon, of her partner.
Her partner who wore an incredibly familiar blue scarf around his neck, a scarf that she would have recognized between a thousand because she had knitted it with her own hands.
Adrien.
Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste.
The two wonderful boys who had found a way to her heart were really only one.
A mixture of feelings and emotions had taken hold of her, forcing her to fight to suppress the tears that formed in her eyes and threatening to sink on her mask in order to prevent Chat Noir from noticing.
A struggle against her own state of mind which had not escaped her partner since he was now slowly and delicately approaching her as if he were approaching a kitten which he did not want to frighten.
-Good evening, my Lady. Are you... okay? Did he ask, aware of a certain tension in his partner, which he too felt since he had arrived to wait for her.
She nodded softly, unable to answer for the time being, still realizing the wonderful but unexpected revelation that had been imposed upon her.
Chat Noir held a small remote control in his hand. He pressed a button and faint, soft notes of music from a small portable speaker he had brought floated gently around them, as he reached out to Ladybug.
-Would my lady agree to offer me this first dance to chase away the anxiety of this first date? He asked with a warm and reassuring smile.
The young woman breathed deeply, searching for the courage that had obviously flowed away at the same time as her ability to speak, then took timidly the hand gloved with black that her partner was holding out to her and blew, against all expectations, words that she had not prepared to say to him but that she could not hold back.
-This...This is not our first dance, my kitty... A... Adrien... she whispered softly as he dragged her into a slow dance and she put her arms around his neck.
Damn it, why does he look so amused and not look surprised?
-You're right, this is our third dance... Marinette…
She didn't prepare for it either.
He felt her stretch in her arms.
Predictable, he thought with tenderness and amusement.
Delicately he brought the young heroine closer to him, and tightened her arms around her waist.
-Relax Bugaboo, or maybe you prefer Maribug now? Or purrincess? Did he whisper mischievously in the hollow of her ear.
She straightened her head gently to see his face and was caught by his beautiful emerald gaze, a mischievous and loving gaze.
-Since when... and how...? She asked then that the answer came to strike her like lightning at the same time as she was questioning him.
-The watch, they blew in unison before laughing at the splinters while quietly spinning to the rhythm of the music.
-The scarf? He asked with curiosity. He hadn't thought about the fact that Marinette had already seen him wearing this scarf in his civilian life, when he had wrapped it around his neck before leaving, after all, it was a simple blue scarf, as there must have been thousands of others.
She nodded with a nod and a smile that seemed to hide something.
In turn Adrien was struck by the realization.
-That was you, wasn't it? It wasn't my father who gave me this gift, but you?
Again, she shyly nodded, this time with a sincere and loving smile.
-Why didn't you tell me? He was surprised.
-Because you were happy, and... that's the only thing that mattered to me at that moment. See you happy, Adrien.
Chat Noir gave her an even tighter grip, leaving no space between their two bodies while they were still dancing. Without ever leaving his feline gaze with her captivating cerulean gaze, he whispered to her as a promise the last words of the song that resonated around them.
"And all along I believed I would find you. Time has brought your heart to me I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more."
Neither of them could tell when their lips had met, nor whether it was she or he who had initiated the kiss first, as they had both been desperately and maddly longing for it for far too long.
It was at first soft and tender, then their lips began to search for each other, to caress themselves delicately by intensifying the passion and the meaning of this first kiss, each pouring every ounce of love that he felt for the other in each of his caresses.
Together they whispered without breaking contact with their lips: - Spots off / Claws in.
For Adrien, Marinette's lips were the most pleasant sweetness he had ever tasted. They were soft, warm and had a light, subtle taste of cinnamon lip balm. Her hair floated in the wind as he had just detached the two red elastic that held them together. The vanilla smell of her shampoo mixed with the smell of hot bread tickled the nostrils of the young man nicely and slightly. How did he ever make the association between the perfume of Ladybug and Marinette while he had been in contact with both as a Chat Noir ? He easily found this familiar scent at this moment by kissing Marinette. Fucking miraculous magic power, he moved inside.
Marinette had completely melted into the kiss, clinging to Adrien's neck with all her strength, uncertain that her legs still supported her at the moment. Their lips fit perfectly together, like two gears designed only to work together and in perfect symbiosis.
The burning lungs, and avidly crying for oxygen, they separated, reluctantly, out of breath, but happy.
Adrien delicately drew Marinette to a mountain of cushions and blankets that he had spent the day transporting as discreetly as possible to the top of the Eiffel Tower (thanking his lucky star, or maybe his lucky Ladybug that the streets of Paris were deserted on Christmas Day) to prepare them a small corner where they could snuggle comfortably without taking the risk of catching cold.
He discreetly grabbed a small box that he had previously hidden under a pillow and handed it to Marinette who accepted the package with surprise.
-The real gift number 25, he whispered, drawing her between his legs, her back against his chest to extinguish her.
-Adrien... What you set up with Tikki and the other kwamis was already a wonderful gift.
-Well, let's say it was a gift from Chat Noir. This one is from Adrien.
Marinette gently opened the small square red leather case she held in her hands and found a pink gold necklace. The pendant was a symbol of infinity in which was embedded a sapphire in the upper part of the left loop and the opposite in the lower part of the right loop was an emerald.
-It's... just... just perfect, thank you Adrien, she breathed with emotion as she passed the necklace around her neck. Adrien grabbed the clasp gently to help her and tied the necklace in her neck.
-Do I have to deduce that you also agree to become the girlfriend of the paw-some and purr-fect Adrien Agreste? Did he murmur in a most teasing tone. Old habits die hard.
Suddenly, she gave him a heartfelt kiss that came so naturally from her innocent heart that he would not have wanted, for all the gold in the world, to discuss with her, her answer.
-I love you, kitty .
-I love you too, Marinette.
The End... Almost! Merry Christmas to all! I have a little gift for you... an epilog! So that's not really the end of it. See you on January 1st.
I would like to thank you all very much. Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments, thank you for your loyalty and your passion for this story, it makes me really warm to have had so many returns and I hope to have more for this "almost" last chapter.
Merry Christmas to all!
I give you an appointment on the first of January for the epilog. In the meantime, feel free to leave me a review. I'd be happy to do that and I'll be happy to answer.
