The first time her alarm went off she hit the snooze button. Easy enough, she fell asleep again. The second time she looked at her phone to see she had an hour and fourty five minutes till she was meeting with Alya. Shutting off the alarm again she began to rest. The third time the way too cheery alarm tone rang from her phone she was half tempted to throw it across the room to stop that annoying sound. Gathering her senses she got up and turned off the ringing.
Humming a soft tune she began to get ready for the day. As she slipped on her shirt she realised... It was Christmas day!
Tearing down her trap door and alist tripping down the stairs Marinette looked over to her tree to see it's bottom covered in gifts. Her parents came out after her and smiled as she beamed at them their presents she made for them in hand.
"Oh, Marinette!" Sabine sighed in pleasure. "You didn't have to get us anything!" She started ripping the wrappings off the medium sized box.
"Of course I did! You care for me everyday, and every Christmas you spoil me! You deserve this." She said handing her papa his box. Her mother practically squealed in joy as she took out a gracefully decorated apron with many floral designs embroidered into it. Her father trapped her in a bear hug holding her with one hand and in the other was his soft blue, beautifully embroidered, apron.
"Thank you dear!" Sabine hugged the other ravenette in glee.
"It was no problem at all!" She waved off the 2 weeks she spent planning, purchasing, designing, embroidering, and wrapping like it was nothing. She began opening her presents as her parents gawked at her handy work.
After opening every amazing and thoughtful gift, there was about 30 minutes until Marinette had to meet with Alya. Marinette walked down the street, her backpack filled with her new designing gifts: Gabriel brand sketch books, Gabriel brand pencils, Gabriel brand erasers, Gabriel brand everything. Of course three crossiants were also stuffed in her bag. She left just enough room for anything that she might buy while she was out. Seeing no Alya in sight she sat down out in the front on a public bench. Zipping open her backpack she snatched a pencil and a new sketch book and began to draw.
She saw many beautiful dresses, hats, scarves, pants, and shirts while sitting there. She started sketching people and their outfits. One woman had on a big blue heavy snow jacket, jeans, and a white knitted or crocheted beanie. Mari drew her with a smaller more stylish coat to match her hat and pants. She sat there joyfully until blonde hair pulled her out of her creative daze. Then she remembered what happened yesterday.
The party! The dancing! The confession. She practically screamed. How could she forget?! Looking over to the blonde hair and the person who owned it she sighed in relief. It wasn't Adrien. It was just another guy with blonde hair. There were a lot of people with blonde hair! She calmed herself. But one of them is Adrien Agreste, the one who broke your heart. A part of her whispered back. She sighed, twisting up her features and closing her eyes. As she opened her eyes she saw Alya walking towards her.
"Hey girl! Hope I wasn't making you wait out here too long!" the auburn haired girl smiled.
"Nope! I was perfectly fine out here!" The ravenette grinned and put her supplies back into her backpack. "I actually got a lot of great inspiration from looking at these people's outfits!" They began walking through the entrance doors of the mall, while the girls began to talk.
"So... you alright... after ya know..." Alya looked around as if she would get arrested for saying the next part of her sentence, "last night?"
"Totally!" Marinette blurted, she didn't want her best friend to worry about her. Inside she was in fact the oppisite of "totally alright". She wanted to break down in tears. She wanted to scream and bawl on the ground. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until she could no longer breathe. But she couldn't. Luckily she had become accustomed to hiding the truth or as she referred to it "dancing around the question". Not completely a lie, but not completely the truth either. She should change the subject before she starts weeping.
"Hey! I forgot! Want these crossiants? I got two chocolate filled ones with your name on it!" She grinned reaching into her pink bag for the small baggie of goods. Finally finding it buried under all her art supplies she snatched the bag and pulled out the two warm, chocolate filled, powdered sugar covered pastries. Alya accepted them with a thank you as she stuffed her face with the amazing treat.
"Thoz war soooooo gowd!" Alya said, mouth still stuffed to the brim with gooey pastry. She rubbed her cheeks in pleasure as she swallowed. "Thanks so much again! I completely forgot to eat my breakfast!" She giggled.
"It's no problem!" Marinette smiled at her best friend as she pulled out her plain crossiant and crumpled up the small paper bag. "We're happy to save a young lady from starvation!" She thrust her hand over her head dramatically.
"Har har." Alya pulled the hand from her friends forehead. "So, what shop are we gonna stop by first?" The two began to browse every shop.
At the end of the day Alya had full hands while Marinette had a bulging backpack. As they walked out the door satisfied with their shopping they spotted a head of familiar blonde hair. Marinette ran in the other direction. Adrien looked up from the photographer at see the designer running away. He looked around to find Alya staring him down. She stuck two fingers in front of her eyes then turned them to him violently. I'm watching you. He nodded nervously and averted his eyes from the furious journalist. He dared to look in the direction to see where the ravenette had run off to. With no Alya in sight he sighed in defeat. He wished that night had never happened. He loved Mari! As a friend of course! He really couldn't see her as more. She was a sweet, amazing, talented, beautiful girl. But he just didn't reciprocate her feelings.
Every time he posed, smiled, modeled, it always felt fake. But this time it felt even more arduous to give a small grin. He couldn't stop thinking of her. How she felt. How he had broken her. To the point she didn't want to even look at him anymore. Was she mad at him? Did she hate him? What was going to happen to their blossoming friendship?
As he was driven home he looked out the window to gaze at the beautiful Parisian buildings. Then he was greeted by a large gold T and S, Marinette's bakery! He sighed, even more dejected. He needed to speak to her. But she wouldn't want to face him! Then an idea struck him. She doesn't want to see Adrien! So she won't. How about a little Chat Noir to keep her company?
As soon as he was in his room he transformed and vanished into the night. When the black clad boy came to the house across from Marinette's he noticed a petite figure standing out there in the cold with a blanket around her shoulders. She exhaled and began to shudder. No, she wasn't shuddering, she was crying. Because of you, a part of him spat. He sat there staring at the girl before he was sitting here while his princess was sobbing, and he wasn't doing anything!
He landed softly behind her and laid an arm around her shoulder in comfort. She froze, then turned around to sock him in the face.
"Ow!" Chat screamed as he held his tender, recently punched nose. The ravenette squeaked in surprise.
"In so so so so sorry!" She said. "I just-just though you were maybe an Akuma victim, or some crazy burglar or something. But I just reacted by punching you! In the damn face!"
"In so sorry princess! It's completely my fault! I thought I could surprise you with a side hug! But you have some reflexes there!" He pointed to her right arm she used to punch him with. She rubbed it in embarrassment.
"So," she began pulling her soft light pink blanket closer ontoher shoulders, "why'd you come all the way over here to see little old me?" she joked.
"Well, I saw you crying and I couldn't resist a princess in need of her knight!" She blushed furiously at Chat's words.
"I'm fine, really! It's not something a super hero should have to worry about." She sighed and turned away to lean against her railing, admiring the city she called home. Chat joined her side.
"Yes it is, you are my purrincess, my duty, I must make sure that you are taken care of at all times!" He smiled softly and turned to her.
"Ok, well, I told my crush I liked him." Chat gasped at her words.
"I'm guessing he didn't take it well." He looked away in pain, knowing he did this to her tore him apart.
"Yeah. Honestly I really thought I had a chance. But no such luck for me, as usual." She sighed and shifted away from him. He came up from behind her to embrace her in his warmth.
"I'm so sorry, no man deserves you Marinette." He only used her real name when he was dead serious. She squeezed his arms that wrapped around her neck and smiled. Hey stayed in this position for a while before Mari almost fell asleep in his arms.
"Till next time," he bowed down before her and placed a lingering kiss on her hand, "princess." He stood and jumped from the balcony landing on the next building he vaulted off into the night once more. Adrien had to make it up to Marinette, he couldn't handle causing someone pain, especially someone he considered a very close and sweet friend.
