Warm Smiles and Open Hearts Chapter Four
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | AO3
Written for Day Seven of Marigami Week: Teasing Each Other
This is the final part of Warm Smiles and Open Hearts. I wasn’t able to finish it in time for Marigami Week, but here it is (in all it’s slightly late glory).
Kagami held the bouquet of flowers tightly in one hand as she walked to Marinette’s house. She had spent all day getting everything ready for the date. Setting things up, texting Marinette about what to wear, lighting candles, picking out the perfect bouquet - it was a lot of work, but Marinette was worth it. For Marinette, Kagami wanted everything to be perfect.
“Hello, Kagami,” Mrs. Cheng greeted Kagami as soon as she stepped through the bakery door. “Marinette will be down in just a moment.”
“Please, call me Sabine.”
Kagami smiled. “Okay, Sabine.”
Just then, Kagami saw Marinette come down the stairs. Marinette was beautiful. She was wearing a white cable-knit sweater, black jeans, and black boots - warm, comfortable clothes, just like Kagami texted her earlier that day. The location of the date was still a secret, a secret that Marinette would hopefully enjoy.
“I got you flowers,” Kagami said, handing over the bouquet. Pale blue delphinium and white carnations held together by a pale blue ribbon - Kagami hoped that Marinette liked them.
“So pretty,” said Marinette. She was reaching for the flowers, but the way that she was looking into Kagami’s eyes made her believe that the flowers might not have been the pretty thing that Marinette was referring to. “Thank you.”
“I hope you like them. They reminded me of you.”
Marinette’s bright smile made Kagami’s heart skip a beat. “I have to go put them in water. Wanna come upstairs with me?”
“Sure.” Kagami followed Marinette upstairs, glancing at the framed pictures of the Dupain-Cheng family that decorated the living room as Marinette searched inside a cabinet for a vase.
“So are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Marinette asked innocently.
“Nope,” Kagami said, “It’s still a surprise.”
“Can I try and guess?” asked Marinette as she put the flowers in water.
Marinette narrowed her eyes at the implication that she wouldn’t figure it out, and Kagami had to turn away to hide her smile.
“You told me to dress warm, so it has to be outside. Botanical gardens?”
The duo said their goodbyes to Tom and Sabine in between guesses, both having too much fun to end their game, even after they left the bakery.
“Is there some kind of festival tonight?”
“Not even close, Marinette,” Kagami teased.
“This is totally unfair. You have an advantage. You haven’t even given me a single clue.”
“So you’re calling me a cheater?”
“I’m not not calling you a cheater,” Marinette teased. “One more clue. Please.”
“You’ll need a change of shoes, but I already have them for you.”
“Bowling,” Marinette blurted out. “Outdoor bowling.”
Kagami couldn’t stop herself from laughing as they entered the park. The stone pathway was still lit up by Christmas lights, not yet taken down after the holiday.
“It’s isn’t that crazy of a guess,” Marinette pouted. “I’m sure tons of people go outdoor bowling.”
“In January?” Kagami teased.
“Sure. Outdoor bowling is a year-round activity.” This time not even Marinette could keep from laughing. “Okay, fine. I give up.”
“The question to your question is right through here.” Kagami grabbed Marinette’s hand. The duo left the park path and started walking into the woods. “It’s not too far, don’t worry,” said Kagami. She could already see lights through the trees.
All of Kagami’s preparations had lead to this. She didn’t even have to look at the scene in front of her, she already knew it by heart. Instead, she watched Marinette. She watched the wonder and awe that light up Marinette’s face as she smiled, and then turned to Kagami.
“You did all of this for me?” It was a secluded spot, one that Kagami wouldn’t have found if she wasn’t Ladybug. Hidden, except from above, was a frozen pond in the middle of the woods, lit up by candles and fairy lights that Kagami put up earlier that day. It looked very pretty during the day when Kagami last saw it. She hadn’t expected it to look so absolutely magical at night.
“Anything for you, Marinette. You told me last week that you wanted to learn how to ice skate, but you would be too embarrassed to fall around so many other people. So I set this up so that I could teach you tonight.”
“Can I kiss you right now, Kagami?”
Kagami nodded, and Marinette pressed her lips against Kagami’s. It was good, for a first kiss. Marinette’s lips were soft and warm, and the kiss tasted like vanilla chapstick. A few moments later, when they separated, Kagami stared into Marinette’s eyes and said, “I really like you, Marinette. Will you be my girlfriend.”
Marinette smiled and nodded. “Only if you teach me how to ice skate.”
Kagami laughed. “The skates are in the bag to your left. I had to ask your Mom about your shoe size.”
Kagami laced up her ice skates, then helped Marinette put her own on. “It’s easy, Marinette. Just hold onto my hands, one foot in front of the other, and relax.”
Kagami had always enjoyed ice skating. It didn’t hold the same responsibility that fencing did in her life, and Kagami never felt the need to be perfect at ice skating. Instead, it was just something she did for fun. Which made it the perfect thing to do with Marinette.
They skated the night away, stopping for a break every once in a while to get a snack (Kagami prepared an entire picnic basket full of food for them to eat) or warm up a little (Kagami brought a portable heater along, aware of how cold it could get at night). It was the perfect night, just like Kagami imagined. Kagami wanted to remember forever the look on Marinette’s face when she first saw the lake, or the taste of Marinette’s lips during their first kiss, or Marinette’s smile when Kagami asked to be her girlfriend. She hoped that those moments would never fade from her memory.
When Marinette’s legs were beginning to get sore, and both girls’ fingertips felt numb, they decided to pack up and go home. Kagami pulled down fairy lights while Marinette blew out candles, and Kagami replayed every perfect moment of the date in her head. On the walk home, the girls holding hands to keep away the cold, Kagami asked, “Did you have a good time tonight?”
“A perfect time, Kagami. It was absolutely wonderful.”
“I’m glad.” They reached the bakery door, and Kagami was hesitant to leave. “Goodnight, Marinette.”
“Goodnight, Kagami.” Marinette pressed a kiss against Kagami’s lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow. Sweet dreams.”
Marinette gave Kagami one last smile before she turned to shut the door. “They’re sweeter when you’re in them.”
But Kagami had already made up her mind. The sweetest thing in the world had to be Marinette’s smile.
