ML Winter Week Day 1 - Hot Chocolate
In the spirit of the holiday season, I decided to gift these prompts to people I think would enjoy them, or who have made an impact on me this year, or who I appreciate for their art and/or writing. For this one, I dedicate it to @australet789 @nyankittyblr and @fuckingchatnoir. Have a wonderful holiday season!
Chat Noir looked at the steaming pink cup in her hand. His nostrils filled with that chocolate smell that just made his mouth water. Slowly, he took it in his hands, hoping to come off polite, despite wanting to down the thing in seconds.
“Thanks, LB,” he beamed. “So what’s with the gesture?”
“Can’t I do something nice, just because?” she said. Yet, the boy could’ve sworn her cheeks took on a rosy color.
“What about patrol?” he asked.
“I thought we could take a break,” Ladybug shrugged. “Besides, it’s really cold. We won’t be of much use if we freeze our butts off.”
“Hm, good point,” he nodded. With a soft smile, he turned his gaze into the cityscape, marveling at the falling snow on the bright lights of Paris. He sighed contently, and brought the cup to his lips.
“Chat?” Ladybug suddenly said. Chat Noir hummed, lowering the cup. “Have… have you ever taken a risk? In love, I mean?”
The boy tilted his head. “What kind of risk?”
“Uhh…” Ladybug scratched the back of her head. “You know, like telling someone you have feelings for them, even though there’s a really good chance they’re gonna say no to you, because they like someone else?”
His lips parted. That was… oddly specific. How could someone not like her? That’s dumb, he thought.
“Any guy would be crazy to say ‘no’ to you,” he voiced, without thinking. As a response, he got a chuckle from the girl sitting next to him.
“I’m not saying I’m not good enough for him,” she corrected. “I know my worth. I’m just… wondering if it’s worth taking a risk on someone who already likes someone else.”
A frown crinkled his forehead. “I would say…” But he paused, thinking better on what to say. “Go for it.”
Ladybug rose her gaze from the ground. “Go for it?”
“You don’t lose anything from trying,” Chat Noir shrugged. “Besides, you may end up changing their view of you. You may even spark interest in him. Interest he probably didn’t know he was capable of…”
“You almost sound like you’re talking from experience,” Ladybug teased.
“Hehe, nah,” the boy chuckled nervously. “Just saying what I think.”
Ladybug hummed. She then turned back to look at the snowy rooftops, silently sipping her hot chocolate. The move made Chat Noir remember he was holding a cup of his own. At last, he took his first sip of the sweet drink. But it was more than chocolate, he realized. It had small marshmallows in it, and a dash of peppermint.
It was the same recipe Marinette had made so many times on his weekly visits to her terrace.
His heart warmed, remembering the pleasant evenings spent with her. The jokes and puns shared. The quiet moments when they spoke of their problems. The times she spoke of her crush on his civilian identity. Which had been reduced with time, to his dismay. But it didn’t deter him from continuing his visits.
“Chat?” The boy blinked and turned his eyes to the girl beside him. “What are you thinking about?”
He smiled. “Just someone I care about,” he said. He stared back at the hot chocolate in his hands, thoughts returning to the girl with the midnight colored hair. “And hope she cares back as much as I do.”
