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Thank you so very much. Enjoy!

Marinette had a complicated relationship with winter.

She adored the idea of it. A blanket of snow bundling up her city in a chilly, fluffy embrace. Jack Frost kissing everyone's nose and leaving cheeks red and flushed. Sitting with a steaming mug with your choice of liquid comfort and cuddling up next to a warm heater. The other seasons didn't make her heart nearly as warm as the thought of winter did.

Then, that romanticized time of year finally arrives, and it's suddenly not everything she's been fantasizing about.

Walking home in the snow was equivalent to making your way through a frozen hell. Jack Frost is biting at every unprotected expanse of skin and smacking your cheeks to the point of numbness. Marinette slips onto her backside with nearly every single time she walks outside; the grace of Ladybug flying out the window along with the warm embrace of autumn.

When she started to date Adrien there was a small part of her that hoped he would change things. That he would melt away all the cold ideas she felt towards winter and show her why it was the most wonderful time of the year. But, alas, Marinette's discomfort with the season only grew.

Adrien was busy nearly every day of their winter break, with the exception of his day off. Marinette thought that that one day would be enough to satisfy her for the rest of their vacation. Yet, it only fed her desire to see him even more. She found herself growing cold in her bed without his body heat beside her. Hot chocolate didn't seem like such a sweet beverage when she wasn't drinking the taste off his lips. Not even cheery Christmas music could rid her room of his overwhelming absence.

When Christmas rolled around she thought she would see him without a doubt. Marinette had been planning on giving him the present she had worked herself to the bone over. It was a long, black coat that would sweep across his knees. She had insulated the inside to fight off the frigid chill in the air and the buttons were a dark gold. They had reminded Marinette of Chat's golden bell and she had bought them immediately after seeing them in the store. The inside pockets had dark green paw prints embroidered into them, hidden unless you were searching for them. After one long month of searching for fabric, needles pricking her fingers, and long nights spent huddled over a sewing machine, it was finally done.

She had texted him the night of Christmas Eve, nerves fluttering around in her stomach at the thought of his reaction. The last time she had given Adrien a gift had been a success. Well, in the sense that he had loved it. He still doesn't know that she was the one who had made it for him and Marinette wasn't sure she would ever tell him that she had. There was something new in his smile that day, something blinding in the way his eyes shined. Something that would be erased if Marinette had told him the truth.

Alya had insisted she get proper credit and even threatened to tell him herself if Marinette kept refusing. She had a good point that it wasn't fair that his father had stolen her gift and claimed it for his own. But the scarf was no longer an article of clothing Marinette had stitched together using her heart strings. It was something that would warm Adrien even when Paris was back to it's bright and sunny days. Marinette wouldn't dream of taking something like that away from him.

However, since it hadn't just been the gift that had made Adrien happy, but rather the thought that it was from his father, meant that Marinette could be giving him something he wouldn't like.

At first she thought it had been a cute idea, making Adrien a coat that was designed after Chat. She had thought of it like an inside joke, a secret shared only between the two of them. But as days grew on, she thought that perhaps making a coat from scratch was a little too much for a gift to her boyfriend. Especially since they had only been dating for about a month.

After the first negative thought towards her gift started to simmer in her mind, a hundred other ones popped up along with it. It had gotten to the point where Tikki had to keep her from pitching the coat altogether and starting from square one all over again.

She wished desperately that she could ask Alya for advice, but Alya has yet to be informed that Marinette and Adrien had begun dating. A secret that was eating Marinette alive inside. She knew that if Alya found out there would be questions about how in the world that had happened and Marinette hadn't figured out a suitable lie in place of the truth. Which would reveal Chat Noir's identity and Ladybug's as well.

Just when she thought her curiosity would be satisfied and she would finally get to see his reaction towards her gift, he had texted her back saying he would be working until midnight on Christmas Eve. On Christmas his father was holding an event that would run late. He had profusely apologized and promised that he would try and see her again before school started up.

"Yeah, I don't think you're going to last that long." Tikki had commented when Marinette begrudgingly told her the news. Marinette groaned with a pout, her eyes unwillingly drifting to the present that sat on her table. The box was all dressed up in a cute wrapping paper she had found specifically for this occasion. The paper was cream spotted with tiny black cats all stretching in different poses. A big red bow sat on top. Though the gift looked seemingly harmless, to Marinette it loomed in the corner like a dark shadow. "You should give it to him tonight, or you'll be spending Christmas like this."

"I can't. He's working until midnight."

"You say that like you and Chat have never been out past midnight fighting akuma, when we both know that isn't true." Tikki replies, smirking.

Marinette couldn't deny her that. Sometimes her and Chat were out until sunrise with the promise of a full school day ahead of them. When she looked back at the present she felt nerves grip at her heart once again and decided she needed to get it out of her mind.

Which has led her to where she is now. Waiting outside the building where Adrien has his photo shoots and nearly freezing to death.

She had completely underestimated the cold, having been cooped up mostly inside for her break. The chill laughed at her sweater and sweat pants and she could feel it's breath roaming over every part of her. She had fallen on her walk over and her backside was now wonderfully frozen and damp. Her teeth were relentlessly chattering, filling her head with the sound of clacking. She was suddenly glad she had left Tikki at the house where it was warm and cozy, because the kwami would be a tiny red ice cube in her pocket by now.

The building stood before her, with warm light pouring out from the windows. She wanted to go inside and get warm but she had a crippling fear that she would run into Adrien's father. She wasn't sure if Adrien had told his father they were dating and didn't want to be the one to break the news to him if he hadn't. Rationally she knew that Mr. Agreste would most likely not be with his son and that if she did go inside she would probably run into Natalie instead. That however, was not much better. If Natalie did see her, she would tell Marinette to leave the present with her and that Adrien was much too busy to see her. But she knew from previous experience that her gifts to Adrien could not be trusted in the hands of others.

When Marinette finally saw Adrien walk outside, she felt relief wash through her past the numbness from the cold.

He was walking alongside a few people, who Marinette assumed to be the other models, and of course Natalie. Exhaustion was written clearly on his face and his shoulders drooped like at any moment he would fall face first into the snow and sleep for an eternity.

Maybe, Marinette thought, today was not the best day to be doing this.

Just as she was about to sink back into the shadows and escape back to her house, Adrien's eyes found her drenched in the light from the street lamps above.
He stared at her for a long few seconds, blinking. He then dug the palms of his hands into his eyes like he was trying to rid them of an unrealistic dream.
When Marinette was still there, shivering and smiling nervously, he immediately left the group of chattering models and rushed over to her. Marinette didn't miss the confused looks they exchanged among themselves before their conversations resumed.

"Marinette?!" Adrien exclaims over the roaring winds.

"H-Hi." She greets, breath rising in a cloud of steam only to dissipate when Adrien walks through it.

"What on Earth are you doing out here?!" Concern pulls his brows together, and he gives her a skeptical once over to make sure she was physically alright.

"It's Chr-Christmas. I w-w-w-wanted to s-see you." She can't manage a smooth sentence without her clattering teeth getting in the way of her words. It was worth it to say them, though, when she sees Adrien's eyes brighten and a his smile warms her up a bit.

Now that he's closer Marinette can see dark circles embedded beneath his eyes. She wonders briefly if someone will Photoshop them out of whatever pictures they had taken of him. How many pictures of him had she admired been edited to wipe away the fatigue from overworking himself. It sends a new chill down her spine.

Her fingers seem to act on their own accord and reach up to trace the purple bruises exhaustion had pressed beneath his shining eyes. The moment her skin meets his, he hisses and flinches away.

"Marinette," He breathes in surprise, snatching up her hand in his own and stepping closer to her. His airspace is like a furnace and she nearly hums in delight when he clutches her fingers to his chest. "You're freezing! How long have you been out here?"

"Not long." She lies, surprised at how smoothly the words flow out of her mouth. It wasn't easy to lie to Adrien and now that she knew he was Chat she found it hard to lie to him as well.

"Well, let's get you somewhere warm." He mumbles with a frown. "Come on, snow angel."

"W-wait!" She pleads when he tugs her towards the building. She ends up colliding with his chest in her attempt to stay put and is surprised to find herself unable to pull away. How can someone be so unbelievably warm in this kind of weather? "I wanted to give y-you this."

She slips the gift box out from under her sweater, ignoring the fact that it was now crushed and the bow was flat. It wasn't how she had expected to give it to him, but it would have to do.

Adrien looks less than pleased when she refuses to follow him, but the moment he sees the box his glare softens.

"What..." He trails off when she shows him the bow and he realises what it is. He reaches up to take the gift from her hands but hesitates. As if when he touches it, the box will vanish into thin air. He looks at her tightly, like he wants her to confirm that it's not going anywhere. She pushes it into his waiting hands.

"Merry Christmas."

Adrien crushes her to his chest, squishing the gift between them. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and digs his fingers into her hair. The feeling is like nothing Marinette has ever felt before and suddenly she is warmer than she ever has been. Winter melts away around them along with every other cold and bitter thing in the world. She digs her hands beneath his coat so she can wrap her arms around his middle and nuzzle her nose into his chest. The sound of his heartbeat sprinting like it's desperately trying to jump into her hands fills her ears and she smiles.

"You don't even know what it is yet." She says, her voice steady and muffled by the soft fabric of his shirt.

"It's amazing."

"Adrien, you haven't opened it." Marinette giggles. "You might not even like it."

He is silent in response, his arms tightening around her almost to the point where it's hard for Marinette to breathe. Though, that might be because the boy of her dreams is hugging her like there is no tomorrow and she was finally able to give him something she had been working on for weeks.

She suddenly felt silly for being afraid he wouldn't like it. Adrien wasn't the type of person who would throw away someone's gift to him. Especially not something she had poured her heart into. Marinette was on the verge of laughing at herself when she felt something unexpected.

Adrien was shaking.

Oh right, it might have been warm wrapped up in his arms but outside it was a wasteland of ice. She lets herself bask in his heat for a second longer before she pulls away.

"Okay, let's go to that warm place you were talking...about...Adrien?"

Marinette had never seen Adrien cry and she had known him for a long time. She's seen him at his worst, when he's covered in gashes and bruises after a fight that would bring tears to her own eyes. But he was always full of smiles and reassurances that he was fine. Now, his eyes are gleaming and tears fall down his cheeks like rain trickling down flower petals. His gaze is stubbornly avoiding her own.

"S-Sorry, princess." He says unevenly, laughing thickly and wiping his face on his shoulder. "I," He swallows roughly. "I don't know why I'm crying. It's just been a while since I've gotten a Christmas present, I suppose. I'm sorry-" He sheepishly glances at her, a mixture of embarrassment and unadulterated happiness creating a blush on his cheeks. But his smile drips down his face with the remainder of his tears. "Hey, why are you crying?"

Marinette wants more than anything to say something like they do in all the cliche movies. She wants to kiss away his tears and make that distant sadness in his eyes disappear. But she can't stop blubbering like a baby.

"I don't know! You started crying! So- so I don't know. I just-" She bites down on her lip, tears pouring down her face.

"Nonono, I'm okay! Really, I'm fine." He frantically fits his hands around her jaw and wipes away her tears with his thumbs. "I'm better than okay. I'm wonderful. I promise. These are happy tears- I'm crying happy tears."

He rests his forehead against her own, the hopeless smile returning to his face. Somewhere along the line, the distance had faded from his eyes and he looked at her like she was the only thing left in the world. He touched her like he was going to cherish her more than anything. That should have gotten her to stop the flood of tears, but it somehow only made them ten times worse.

She disappears back into the warmth of his chest, knowing all too well that her tears and snot would be left behind on his shirt but she cant find it in herself to pull away.

She feels him chuckle against her. His lips find her ear and plant a kiss there. "Merry Christmas, Marinette."

...

The next day, everybody could not stop talking about Adrien Agreste's new coat.

Peppermint- Warmth of feelings