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“Sorry to keep you waiting, My Lady.” Chat Noir swiftly hopped on the roof next to Ladybug. “Anything out of the ordinary?”
Ladybug shook her head as Chat carefully sat down next to her, their legs hanging from the rooftop. It had been weeks since the last akuma attack. One would think that she and Chat Noir would finally get to enjoy some peace and quiet, but they were both growing more anxious, the longer they were waiting for a new attack. Ladybug had decided it wouldn’t hurt to take the time for a patrol once every couple days, just to make sure everything was actually okay. Truth was, she was actually enjoying said patrols with Chat. They usually spent a few hours hopping from rooftop to rooftop and coming up with ridiculous reasons why Hawkmoth had suddenly decided to lie dormant. Ladybug’s favorite theory was that he left a window open and all his butterflies froze to death, so now he had to wait until his new akumas grew. Or maybe he had to catch them? Ladybug had no idea where he got all of those identical white butterflies from, though she did find the mental image of Hawkmoth running around with a butterfly catcher pretty amusing.
“Why were you late, Kitty? Is everything okay?” She could tell Chat was hiding something behind his back.
“Yeah, I was busy making a Christmas present for the prettiest girl in Paris and forgot to look at the time.” He winked playfully. “Here you go, My Lady. Merry Christmas.” The thing he was hiding behind his back was a little box that she could easily hold in one hand.
Ladybug took Chat’s gift but didn’t open it. “I actually made you something too.” She pulled a small package out of her yo-yo and handed it to her partner. “I hope they haven’t gone cold.”
Chat Noir’s ears twitched happily. “If whatever you made me is anything like my love for you, it would never go co-“
“Yes, yes, shush now and eat your cookies before they turn to stone.” They both laughed and opened their gifts. The small box contained a single Christmas tree ornament. Ladybug picked it up so she can look at it better. It was just a ball with a string on top, but what was special about it, were the drawings on the ball.
“You…drew little Christmas Chat Noirs on an ornament?” They looked so cute she could cry. Maybe she was slowly becoming a cat person. Chat looked very pleased with himself as he munched on his Ladybug-with-a-Santa-Claus-hat-shaped cookies in delight.
“My mom would always say that each Christmas tree needs a new ornament every year, so we’d usually make them ourselves. Do you like it?”
“I love it! Do you like your cookies?”
Chat hummed his affirmation since his mouth was busy chewing again. He waited until finishing the rest of his cookies before speaking again. “I didn’t know you could bake.”
“You don’t know a lot of things about me, Kitty. Now let’s go because I have a Secret Santa gift to finish.”
Chat’s smile suddenly disappeared from his face. “Oh no. I completely forgot about that.”
Ladybug rose an eyebrow. “You forgot about my Secret Santa?”
“No, I forgot about mine. Sweet cheese, the gift exchange is the day after tomorrow.”
“So…you still have tomorrow, right? Don’t you dare ditch me right now, Kitty.” She got up and took his hand to pull him back on his feet. “It’s not like anything’s working this late anyway.”
“Yeah, I’ll figure it out.” Chat’s grin was back. “After you, My Lady.”
Hopping from one rooftop to another, they quickly disappeared into the night.
“That will be €5.99.”
“Yes, of course, just a second.” For some reason Marinette was having a really hard time finding the money in her purse. It took her a full minute to realize that it was because she had forgotten to take any money before she went out to buy the last things she needed to finish the scarf she knitted for Juleka. “Uh, I’m so sorry, it appears I don’t have-“ Marinette’s cheeks had turned bright pink from the embarrassment she felt, but a familiar voice interrupted her before she could finish.
“It’s okay, I’ll pay for that.” Adrien made his way to the cashier, handed the money to him, then waved to Marinette to follow him outside the store.
“Hey, Marinette.” His smile was as charming as ever.
“Hi! Thank you so much for saving me like that. I really don’t know if I could’ve been able to live with the embarrassment I would’ve had to go through. Do you mind coming with me to the bakery so I can pay you back?”
“Oh, that really wouldn’t be necessary.” Adrien shook his head and a few snowflakes fell from his hair. “I could walk you home if you’d like though?”
“No, no.” It was Marinette’s turn to shake her head. “I want to pay you back somehow.”
“Well, you could…help me find a gift for the Secret Santa tomorrow?”
Marinette frowned in confusion. “Wait. Alya told me Nino told her that he was going shopping for presents with you?”
Adrien laughed at the memory. “We did, actually, a while ago! But he refused to help me, because he feared that Alya is going to torture him into telling her who I got a present for, so she’d figure out who’s whose Secret Santa.”
Marinette snorted. “Oh, she really would. That’s her favorite part about the Secret Santa. She always says “The secret is the gift, who gives it to you is a mystery that you have to unravel!” and then bullies me into telling her whose name I pulled out of the hat.” They both laughed and Adrien shot Marinette a hopeful look.
“So…will you help me?” He looked like a stray kitten and there was no way Marinette could refuse.
“Yeah, of course! Who are you getting a present for?” She just hoped the answer wasn’t Chloé, since she really wouldn’t be able to help in that case.
“Ivan.” She let out a sigh full of relief. “I really don’t know what to get him though…”
Marinette’s face suddenly lit up. “I do! Mylène asked me if I know who’s Ivan’s Secret Santa because she already got him a gift, but she had another idea. It turns out his favorite band dropped exclusive Christmas merch this year.”
Adrien looked extremely happy, but also a bit confused. “Metal bands have Christmas merch?”
Marinette shrugged. “Apparently they do. Should we go then? I know a merch store nearby.”
“Lead the way then.” Adrien gave her a soft smile as he extended his arm, his hand waiting for hers to take it.
Marinette knew he never realized when he was flirting with everyone around him and had already made her peace with it. She really didn’t mind though. She smiled back and took Adrien’s hand without letting it go the entire walk to the store.
“I never would’ve thought that The Zombie Skull Crushers liked Christmas so much they’d release fifteen different t-shirt designs.”
“I know, right?” Adrien let out a chuckle. “But you have to admit, the zombie reindeer look pretty cool.”
“They do!” Marinette checked the time on her phone and her smile suddenly disappeared. “Oh, I should really get going now. I still have to finish my gift.”
“I’ll walk you home then. I would’ve been completely lost without your help, so think of it as a little thank you.”
Marinette felt a rush of blood in her cheeks, but didn’t argue. She led the way to the bakery, her hands in her pockets this time, since it was getting colder outside. “Well, technically, you were the first one to save me today, so you could say that we’re even?” Adrien looked like he was about to say something, but Marinette continued her train of thought. “Though now that you’re walking me home, I guess you have no choice but to come in and try the cookies I made yesterday! Then we can say we’re even.” She had a smug grin on her face.
Adrien laughed and lifted his hands in the air to show he was admitting defeat. “Ouch, day-old cookies.” Marinette laughed too and softly pushed him to the side. “I guess I really don’t have a choice then.” They walked in silence for a few seconds. “Oh, I never asked you.”
“Mhmm?” Marinette was too busy focusing on the ice under her feet to look up.
“Who are you getting a present for?”
“Oh! I’m making a scarf for Juleka. I thought you just guessed after seeing the black and dark purple bows I bought earlier.”
“Yeah, now that you mentioned it, it does make a lot of sense. I think it’s really cool that you actually made the gift yourself!”
Marinette was suddenly flustered again for some reason. “Really?”
“Yes!! It’s awesome. I wanted to make Ivan’s gift myself too, but I realized the Christmas ornaments I usually make are a bit too personal and I don’t know Ivan well enough for that.”
Marinette suddenly stopped. “Christmas ornaments?” She realized she still has work to do at home, so she quickly followed Adrien, who hadn’t even noticed that she’d fell behind. She could think about the weird idea she just had while finishing Juleka’s present.
“Yeah. My mom always used to say that each Christmas tree needs a new ornament every year, so we’d usually make some ourselves. It’s nothing complicated though, we’d just get a few of those plain ball ornaments and draw silly things on them.” Marinette somehow already knew this. She had heard it last night. Could it really be… “I’ve only made one ornament since she…you know. It was for someone special.” It is, isn’t it?
“Oh.” Someone special. Sweet Kitty. “Whoever you gave it to must really appreciate it then.”
Adrien gave her a faint smile. “I hope so.”
“I’m sure they do. Oh, here we are. Let’s go in.” She knew what she had to do now.
Adrien was quickly dragged from the backdoor to Marinette’s room, since she didn’t want her parents to see them and say something embarrassing. He could imagine how she felt, though he’d never experienced it himself. Sometimes he wished he did.
“Give me a minute to get the cookies from downstairs.” Marinette smiled before disappearing.
Adrien took off his jacket and left it on what he assumed was something like a couch, though it looked like it could be a bed as well. He took a curious look around; the room would best be described as an “artistic mess”, the Christmas edition. Adrien could easily tell Marinette went out in a hurry, thinking she won’t be long, since she just left Juleka’s scarf on the desk with some sketches of the design around it. There were some Christmas decorations scattered around the room - garlands, lights, a stuffed reindeer and a tiny Christmas tree on the desk. Adrien wanted to take a better look at it, but Marinette was back before he could.
“I hope you like Ladybug.” She was holding a plate full of Ladybug-shaped cookies. The Ladybugs had Santa Claus hats on and they looked and smelled very familiar. Wait…she wouldn’t lie to him about making the cookies herself, right?
Marinette walked up next to him and left the plate of cookies on the desk. Adrien took a cookie only to find out they tasted the same too. This couldn’t be. He just hoped Marinette didn’t notice his growing confusion.
“I see you noticed my Christmas tree. I actually wanted to show you something.” She carefully turned the tree to show him one specific ornament on it. A ball with little Christmas Chat Noirs on it.
Adrien was thankful he had already finished his cookie, because he would’ve choked on it otherwise.
“Someone special made this for me. I didn’t realize how important it actually is at first, but now I do.” It really was her. He knew the realization was written on his face because Marinette gave him the widest, smuggest grin she had ever had. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”
Adrien couldn’t help but snort. “Very funny. I admit your puns are getting better though.”
Marinette laughed too. “Why, thank you! Do you want to stay for a bit while I work on Juleka’s scarf? I have a feeling we’ve got a lot to talk about.”
“I’d love nothing more, My Lady.”