Chapter Text
“It looks like Christmas threw up in here.”
“Oh come on, Alya, don’t be a spoil sport.” Marinette sighed and nudged a snowflake that hung from the ceiling.
Her room was decked out in the most festive decorations she could find or make. Red, green, and golden garland was strung around the edges of her room and wound around the metal railing of the stairs leading to her bed on the loft. A string of multicolored lights was tacked to surround each window around the room and hung around her bedposts. Her computer monitor was decorated with a single red bow on top. Various colored ornaments and candy canes alternated, settling on the various strings of garland.
“I’m not, I’m not. I love Christmas as much as the next person but isn’t this a little… much?”
“I don’t think so.” Marinette planted her fists onto her hips.
Alya snorted, touching a finger to a picture of Adrien that was tacked to the wall. A little paper Santa hat had been taped onto his head. A blush crept onto Marinette’s cheeks, a nervous laugh escaping from her lips.
“Well, isn’t garland supposed to go on a tree?”
“I’ll have you know that garland can be hung anywhere.”
“Candy canes are supposed to be eaten, not for decoration.” Alya said as she plucked a candy cane from its perch on a string of green garland and began to unwrap it.
“No, Alya, don’t eat the decorations!” Marinette launched herself at her best friend.
Alya dodged and popped the candy in her mouth. “Anyways, have you talked to Adrien yet?” she asked, her speech muffled slightly from the candy cane.
Marinette froze, her face twisting in embarrassment.
“Oh Marinette. Come on, girl. You said you’d talk to him before winter break.”
Marinette’s head turned to the side, eyes downturned. A voice from below cut through the silence.
“Girls, dinner’s ready!”
“We should…” Marinette started towards the hatch that led to the lower floor, but Alya dashed past her and beat her to it. Her foot pressed down over the handle.
“You have to promise me you’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
Her bottom lip protruded into a pout, but she nodded her head anyway.
Alya removed her foot, giving Marinette access to leave the room. Alya followed her down the stairs with a smile. “I really like the snowflakes, by the way.”
***
It was the last day before winter break. A Friday. The whole student body was buzzing as they entered the school that morning. Many teachers had planned small holiday parties for that day, so a few students held containers of sweets or gift bags in their hands accompanying their school bags. Snow fell slowly, collecting in the crevices of winter clothing and knitted hats.
Alya’s hand clapped down onto Marinette’s shoulder outside of the main school entrance on the front steps. Marinette jumped and Alya broke out in a chuckle.
“Hey, calm down, girl. Everything is going to go great.” When Marinette groaned, Alya cut her off and added: “I have faith in you.”
Alya’s other hand collided with Marinette’s other shoulder to spin her around. Marinette squealed in surprise and was about to scold her friend when her eyes locked with someone else at the bottom of the concrete stairs.
Adrien.
Marinette felt her stomach twist in anxiety and her palms start to moisten. She heard one whispered phrase in her ear before the warmth of Alya’s hands left her shoulders and all she was left with was a wave of cold winter air.
“Good luck.”
Thanks, Alya, I’m going to need it.
Marinette was Ladybug, for goodness sakes. Luck was in her blood. Her hand rested on her bag that was slung around her shoulder, feeling the slight pressure of Tikki silently cheering her on.
Adrien’s face brightened at the sight of Marinette and raised his hand to wave.
“Hi, A-Adrien.”
Damn. Luck wasn’t going wasn’t going to rid her of her stutter.
Adrien didn’t seem to notice though as he bounded up the steps.
“Hey, Marinette. How are you?”
“I’m fine, t-thank you.” She smiled as she started to feel her face getting hot. “Yourself?”
“Pretty good, yeah. Are you ready for that test today in Physics?”
Her stomach did a flip. He was making conversation.
“Y-yeah I guess. I was studying all night last night but physics i-isn’t really my strong subject so who knows?” Her words tumbled out of her mouth rapidly, letting out a nervous laugh that concluded her rambling.
Adrien chuckled, bringing a gloved hand to his mouth. “Yeah. It’s going to be a killer exam. Nino and I were quizzing each other over the phone last night.”
Marinette smiled, feeling Tikki once again from inside her bag. She channeled her inner Ladybug. “Hey, maybe we could, you know, do some extra studying together before class starts. You can quiz me.” She internally congratulated herself for not stuttering.
His face brightened. “Yeah that’d be awesome. Let me just put my coat in my locker.”
Marinette considered her options: One, she could wait for him in the classroom, or two, she could walk with him to his locker. The Marinette before today wouldn’t have even gotten this far. It was time to be even braver.
“I’ll come with you!”
“Okay, sure.”
Marinette’s face broke into an even wider smile. Adrien leaned forward and opened the door, stepping aside for Marinette to enter first.
“Ooh, such a gentleman.”
They both laughed and stepped inside, shaking out the snowflakes from their hair. Marinette took off her crimson beanie and smoothed down the hair that had gotten a bit tangled. It was slightly wavy from the moisture that the snow had provided, and it wasn’t tied in her signature twin ponytails.
Adrien was momentarily stunned at the sight. Had he ever seen Marinette’s hair down before? He resisted the sudden urge to reach out and touch her soft curls. A sheepish smile appeared on his mouth.
Marinette turned her head and locked eyes with him. She instantly shrunk back at the sight of him staring. “What?”
Oops. Adrien’s smile disappeared as he noticed his mistake. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”
Marinette returned to her full height, biting her lip. “About what?”
“Your hair looks really nice like that.” He felt the heat on his cheeks as he started walking forward down the hall.
Marinette’s eyes widened as she watched him walk forward in front of her, her own feet frozen to the tile. She was not prepared for that. She was getting luckier by the second.
“Are you coming?” Adrien asked. Marinette noticed he had stopped and turned around a few feet ahead of her.
She nodded and skipped forward, humming in agreement.
Marinette was practically glowing when she entered her classroom slightly ahead of Adrien; an unwavering smile on her lips and a light dusting of rose on her cheeks. Alya raised her eyebrow and slid a small slip of paper in front of her friend as she sat down at her desk.
How’d it go?
Marinette chuckled at the familiar scrawl. She took out her pen and wrote back.
It’s still going.
Alya’s face swiveled to look at Marinette just as Adrien was turning around in his chair, a packet of notes held in his hands.
“Okay, so did you want to ask me some questions, or should I ask you?”
“We can switch off. You go first” handsome boy, her thoughts automatically tacked on. Marinette’s head was swimming with her new found confidence.
But luck had to run out at some point.
Adrien’s face grew red and both Alya and Nino had started laughing.
Oh no. Had she really just said that out loud? Marinette’s smile disappeared as her hands flew up to her mouth. “I’m so s-sorry.” She squeaked. Damn that stutter. Adrien was going to hate her now. He was going to turn right back around in his seat and never speak to her again.
After a short moment, Adrien smiled, his breathy laugh dissipating the tension between them. “It’s totally fine.” He paused, glancing down at the paper in his hand. “What is the difference between power and energy?”
Her breath ran out in a rush. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding it.
By the time their teacher sauntered into the classroom with a leather briefcase in her hand, Alya and Nino had joined the little study session, all taking turns asking and answering questions. There was some arguing about certain answers and why they were right or wrong, but nearing the end, they were all laughing and smiling despite the fact that they were studying for Physics.
Marinette stood up and handed her test to Ms. Mendeleiev, knowing that she was probably going to get full marks on it. She spun on her heel, sauntered back to her desk and spotted another little piece of paper sitting on her chair. She picked it up and read it without gaining attention from the teacher.
Ask him to hang out over break.
“What?!” she whispered, a little too loudly than she had anticipated.
A few heads turned to look at her before realizing that it wasn’t anything worth their attention. The teacher was too busy writing all over tests with red pen to notice.
Marinette’s eyes darted around the room, checking for clearance before responding.
Are you kidding? No way. He’ll laugh.
She handed the note back under the table. The response came quickly.
Do you really think Adrien is the kind of person to laugh at something like that?
Marinette considered Alya’s comment carefully. Sure, Adrien wasn’t the kind of pompous and arrogant model that you always hear about on gossip sites. But she didn’t really know enough about him to actually imagine what would happen if she did ask. Adrien was sweet and kind. He wouldn’t laugh… would he?
The approach of the sound of heels on the tile shook Marinette from her thoughts. A hand snatched the note from her desk. Marinette felt her face grow hot.
“Miss Dupain, I’m sure you’ll recall the first day of class when I specifically stated that passing notes will not be tolerated.” Ms. Mendeleiev spoke in a harsh whisper, her thin figure hunched over the desk.
Marinette nodded.
“And because of your frequent tardiness to my class, I’m afraid this offense will not go unnoticed. Please see me after class.” Ms. Mendeleiev straightened, taking one glance around the room and finding that half the class had paused their test taking to watch them. She cleared her throat. “Carry on.” The click clack of her heels made their way back to her desk at the front of the room.
Marinette buried her head in her hands. There was no doubt Adrien had heard all of that. How was he going to respect her after that catastrophe? Why would he ever want to spend time with someone like her?
She picked up her head to look at Alya. Oops, Alya mouthed, shrugging her shoulders.
Marinette sighed and let her head fall back into the soft cradle of her arms.
Her punishment wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Ms. Mendeleiev gave her extra work to do over the break, which she could easily do sometime in the next couple weeks. Alya waited outside the classroom for her after everyone else had gone.
“Hey, girl. What’s the damage?”
They started down the hallway towards their next class.
“Just an essay.”
“Ooh, you got off easy.” Alya said.
Marinette shrugged. “Not really.”
Alya raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Adrien probably thinks I’m an idiot. I have been messing everything up all day. It’s not even worth it to ask him about hanging out over break.”
“Hey,” Alya gripped Marinette’s shoulder, turning her so that they faced each other. “Don’t sweat it. I’m sure Adrien knows exactly how you’re feeling right now. We’ve all been caught by Ms. Mendeleiev at some point. And if he does think that way, then it’s his loss. You are an amazing human being and you have to show him that you’re better than this.” Alya smiled. “Now, go talk to him.” Alya pointed over Marinette’s shoulder.
Marinette’s eyes widened as she looked behind her. Adrien was standing by his locker, putting books into it and talking to Nino.
“You’ve got this.”
“I’ve got this.” Marinette repeated. She straightened her clothes and hair briefly before starting towards the boys.
Alya ran ahead of her and put her hand on Nino’s arm. “Hey can I ask you something?” No sooner than when Nino nodded, Alya dragged him away, giving Marinette a wink as they left.
“I’ll see you around, Adrien.” Nino said from a few feet away.
Adrien waved and closed his locker.
“Um, hi, Adrien.” Marinette said, holding up her hand in greeting.
“Hey, Marinette. How was the test?”
“Oh, um, y-yeah.” She said before shaking her head and realizing that that wasn’t a proper answer. “I think I did really well. How about you?”
Adrien and Marinette started toward their next class. “Probably aced it, if I’m being completely honest. Physics is just one of those subjects that I understand pretty well.”
“That’s good.”
He nodded. There was a moment of silence with them just walking side by side. Marinette internally prayed that Adrien wouldn’t ask about the note-passing incident.
“Oh yeah. How did your meeting with Ms. Mendeleiev go?”
Marinette’s stomach sank. “Uh, not bad I guess. I have to write an essay.” Her voice came out in a squeak as she shrank back, preparing for the worst.
“Well that’s good. Ms. Mendeleiev is usually pretty harsh with her punishments.”
Marinette laughed, relief washing over her. “She must like me, then.”
Adrien turned his head to look at her. He smiled. “Of course she does. Everyone likes you.”
Her head shot a look at him in surprise, a blush creeping on her cheeks. She laid a finger on her lips in thought. “Not Chloe.”
He shrugged. “Well Chloe’s Chloe.”
She nodded as they came up to Miss Bustier’s classroom, realizing that there was never a better way to describe Chloe. Before Adrien could enter the room, Marinette lightly pawed at his shoulder. He turned back to her, waiting for her to say something. Marinette’s stomach fluttered. This was her moment. She was going to shine. For one day, she was going to be ladybug without the mask.
“Hey, I was thinking that we could hang out and spend some time together over the break.”
He nodded. “Okay, sure. I think that’d be fun.” A wide grin spread across his lips. “Here, I’ll give you my cell phone number.” He took out a piece of paper with a pen from his bag and scrawled across it. “Text me and we can plan something.”
She took the paper and gripped it in both of her hands, staring at the 10 digits written on it. “Okay. Thanks. I’ll text you tonight.” She said, tearing her eyes away and looking up at him.
He nodded, and together, entered Miss Bustier’s classroom.
***
All Adrien ever wanted was to get to know her. Every day, in school, he would watch her animated expressions and gesticulating hands and just wonder why she turned into a stuttering mess every time she stood next to him. Was there something wrong with him?
Nino was adamant that it was because she had a crush on him.
But that couldn’t be it. Could it?
But he also couldn’t ignore that handsome boy remark.
Then wouldn’t she be like every other fangirl that ever caught sight of him? No. Marinette was different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he knew that she was different.
So when he finally got the chance to actually spend some time with the girl, he ran with it.
The second the door to his car was closed and he knew he had total privacy, he whipped out his cell phone and powered it up. In the same instant, Plagg flew out from inside his button-up.
“You got any cheese?”
“Not now, Plagg.”
“But I was quiet all day today. Doesn’t that deserve some kind of camembert-centered reward?” Plagg fiddled with his whiskers as he hovered in front of Adrien’s face. When Adrien didn’t answer, Plagg descended and sat on the phone screen. “What are you looking at anyway?”
Adrien swatted the kwami away, undoing whatever he had pressed while sitting on the screen. “Waiting for a text.”
“Oh yeah, from the designer girl?”
“Her name’s Marinette.”
“Yes, that’s right. But don’t you think it’s a bit early to be getting a text from the girl? She did say ‘tonight.’”
“I know.” Adrien brought the phone closer to his face, as if that would make the message arrive faster. “I just can’t wait.” He was practically bouncing up and down in his seat.
“Calm down. Why are you so excited about this anyway?”
He didn’t answer right away. There were too many reasons. Marinette just seemed so kind. And funny. She seemed like the kind of person that loved watching sunrises and ate chocolate croissants with tea in the morning. Her voice was the consistency of honey when she spoke slowly and without a stutter. Adrien wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of Marinette’s personality. He wanted nothing more than to be her friend.
Before today, he was just too nervous to initiate it. She had been the one to step up before him.
He didn’t know how to say this to Plagg. He didn’t know how to put his feelings into words. “She makes me feel good.” He smiled at his lame response, while Plagg scoffed and flew down to sit on the leather seats.
“You know what makes me feel good?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Plagg. I couldn’t possibly have any idea what makes-“
“Cheese.”
Adrien surrendered. “I’ll get you some camembert when we get home.”
“Whee!” Plagg zoomed around the car, bouncing off the windows and leather seats. Adrien caught him by the tail and stuffed him into his shirt. They were pulling up to the mansion, anyway.
After a large helping of camembert that had been snuck out of the kitchen, Plagg lay on Adrien’s desk and patting his stomach. Adrien took his phone out of his pocket again and held it at arm’s length away from him. He fell backward onto his bed.
Making friends wasn’t Adrien’s strong suit. He had Nino, yes, but Nino just had that kind of personality where he can just elbow his way into someone’s life when they least expected it. When everyone gawked at him for being famous, Nino was there to treat him like a regular person. Nino knew everything about Adrien and he didn’t even care about Adrien’s busy schedule or his overbearing dad. Adrien was very grateful that he had Nino.
When he was younger, he had Chloe, but he would never call Chloe a friend.
It suddenly struck him how little friendships he did have. He lived in a big, empty house with countless empty rooms and no one to fill them with. He felt so small sitting in the midst of all the empty rooms and surrounded by servants that didn’t take the time to get to know him or become his friend. Even Natalie was always distant, always keeping her place. He was just so lonely.
He tossed his phone behind him, hearing the plop of it hitting the mattress. He turned his head and glanced out the window on the far end of the room. The snow hadn’t stopped, but the flakes fell slowly and steadily.
His skin felt prickly and he rubbed at his arms. He glanced at Plagg, currently laying on his back in a cheese coma. He didn’t want to disturb his kwami in this moment of peace, but he also really needed to get out.
“Hey Plagg?” he was surprised at the hoarse and breathy voice that leaked from his lips.
Plagg stirred. “What?”
“Let’s go on patrol.”
Being Cat Noir was always a freeing experience for Adrien. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop on all fours, feeling the concrete beneath his fingers and the wind through his hair and cat ears. He didn’t have to worry about saying the right thing or always keeping his back straight. He didn’t have to smile perfectly every time. He could laugh, really laugh. He could explore every nook and cranny of Paris and discover every little thing that made his city spectacular. He could stand on the top of the Eiffel Tower and watch the hustle and bustle of Paris below him.
He heard the soft padding of feet behind him.
And, of course, he had Ladybug.
“My lady.”
“Cat.”
He turned around to see her standing behind him with one hand on her hip.
Ladybug. Sassy, sarcastic, confident Ladybug. His partner was there for him. As Cat Noir, Ladybug was his best friend.
He gave her his signature grin, showing every one of his white teeth, his eyes bright. Ladybug made him feel all right. He couldn’t be lonely if he had her.
“Paris seems quiet today. Well, besides the rush of the Christmas season.” Cat said, turning back around to once again glance at the city.
Ladybug stepped up beside him. “That’s good. I just hope the Christmas spirit is enough to keep Hawkmoth and his akumas at bay for now.”
Cat’s grin turned mischievous. “Yep. I bet civilians are feline pretty good.”
Ladybug covered a giggle with her hand, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. “I am so tired of your puns.”
“I’m purr-ty sure you’ll never be tired of my puns.”
“Silly kitty.” She turned away, taking out her yo-yo. “Let’s call it a night.”
His face fell ever so slightly. “Yeah. I should get home.” Home wasn’t even the right word, but he didn’t even know what else to call it.
Ladybug seemed to pick up on the sudden tension in the air around her partner. She gently laid a hand on his arm. The gesture was small, but gave him some comfort. “Something wrong?”
He stared at her hand on his arm. A frown pulled on the corner of his lips, but he wouldn’t let it. He couldn’t let his lady see him like that. His smile was only a little forced when he met her concerned eyes. “No. I’m okay.” You make me okay. He almost added, but decided that this wasn’t the time.
She smiled. Oh, could he fill a dozen photo albums with that smile. “Okay then. See you.” She gave his arm one last squeeze before pulling away and leaping off the Eiffel Tower, her yo-yo carrying her across the rooftops.
He remained on the Eiffel Tower, watching her leave. Even after he couldn’t see her anymore, he just stood, looking out over Paris until the lights blurred together and the sound faded as the city went to sleep. The beeping of his ring shook him back to reality. He had to get back. Someone would probably realize he was gone at some point- or not.
He leapt and hopped down the metal beams down the length of the tower, then took off down the road. Some remaining shoppers and citizens pointed and waved. He waved back. He even stopped and said hello to some children along the way. Cat loved this attention. He loved spreading happiness and letting the city’s residents know that they were safe. That feeling was arguably the best thing that came out of his transformation.
The house was dark when he arrived back to the window to his room. He released his transformation and reached into his pocket for an extra piece of gruyere cheese for Plagg. After flying out of the ring, he landed on Adrien’s comforter and immediately started grumbling about being hungry. Adrien tossed the cheese in the air and, as if he weren’t tired at all, Plagg leapt up and caught it in his mouth.
“Well, you were out longer than usual.” Plagg said.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What happened to waiting for that text from the designer girl?”
Adrien perked up and made a dash for his phone that was still lying near his pillow where he had thrown it. Unlocking it, he saw that, no, Marinette hadn’t texted him yet. Groaning, he fell backwards onto the bed, narrowly avoiding squishing Plagg in the process. Maybe she wasn’t going to text him.
“Nothing, I assume.”
“Plagg, shut up.”
“Well, someone’s cranky.”
“Plagg.” Adrien lunged for the kwami, but Plagg slipped out of his grip and hovered halfway up to the ceiling.
“Okay, okay, sorry.”
Adrien sighed and lifted himself off of the bed. Maybe a night’s rest would be best. He had to get up early for a photo shoot in the morning, anyway. He got dressed in his pajamas and climbed under the comforter. He plugged in his phone to charge and laid it next to his pillow. Plagg settled on top of the screen, humming with the warmth of the charging battery. “’Night, buddy.”
“Goodnight, Adrien.”
Adrien closed his eyes, but couldn’t keep his thoughts from wandering. He saw Marinette from behind his closed eyelids, a smile plastered on her face while she moved her hands wildly, apparently explaining something that excited her. He could almost hear her voice.
His phone buzzed. Plagg shot upwards, the annoyance clear on his facial expression. Adrien glanced at the screen.
Hey, sorry it’s so late, I was a little busy. I was wondering if you still wanted to hang out.
It was an unknown number, but Adrien knew it was Marinette by the message. He quickly registered her as a contact before responding.
A: Of course I do. When were you thinking?
M: Well the bakery is kind of busy on weekends, so I won’t be able to get away until Monday.
A: I have another commitment on Monday afternoon. How about Tuesday?
M: Yeah! That’s good for me.
Adrien sighed. This was finally happening. Before he could respond, another message popped onto the screen.
M: And sorry for waking you.
He laughed. A: Don’t be sorry. I was already awake.
***
Marinette was smiling like an idiot as she stared at the recent message from Adrien. She had been nervously trying to decide just how to form that text all afternoon. When she dropped back into her room after patrol, she decided that it was time for her to just go and do it.
“I told you he’d be okay with it. He totally likes you!” Tikki gushed from beside her.
“Or he’s just being nice.”
Tikki scoffed. “Marinette, you don’t give yourself enough credit. Who wouldn’t like you?”
Marinette hummed, her attention still directed towards her phone. It buzzed again.
A: Maybe I could meet you at your bakery at 1?
“Tikki, what do I say?” She suddenly shot a look at Tikki, panic in her eyes.
Tikki giggled. “Just say yes.”
Marinette bit her lip, touching the corner of her phone to her still-smiling face. “Okay.” Her fingers flew across the screen.
M: Sure. I’ll see if I can get some fresh cookies for us.
“Tikki, I’m so nervous.”
Tikki laughed again and flew up to Marinette’s face, touching a kwami hand to her cheek. “Don’t be. You and Adrien are already friends, right? You’re just getting to know each other a little more.”
Marinette nodded. “Alya’s going to want every detail.”
“Are you going to text her?”
“Probably. Not now, though. I’m seeing her on Sunday before she leaves for Strasbourg on Christmas Eve.”
“Does she have family there?”
“Yeah. Last year, her family came to Paris. They switch every year. Alya’s pretty excited.” She said as her phone vibrated once again.
A: Okay! I’ll see you then!
A giggle bubbled on Marinette’s lips as she fell backwards on her bed and kicking her legs in the air. She was going to spend time with Adrien. Adrien. On Tuesday. Four days away. She had so much to do to prepare. First priority: taking down the pictures on the wall. She had to secure Adrien’s schedule to the ceiling and change her desktop background on her computer. She’d have to worry about that tomorrow, though. She was much too happy right then.
“Hey, Tikki? Can you turn out the lights for me?”
A moment later, the main lights went dark. All that remained was the dim twinkling of the colored lights strewn around the room, leaving splashes of color on Marinette’s cheeks amid the blush that had bloomed there. Her smile was unwavering, even as she closed her eyes to sleep.
Neither teen could fall asleep for a while, their minds plagued with thoughts of each other.