Dec 15, 2020
@mlsecretsanta Secret Santa gift for @twilightchildriku ! I hope you like it, I went with a meme redraw for MariChat fluff ^w^
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@mlsecretsanta Secret Santa gift for @twilightchildriku ! I hope you like it, I went with a meme redraw for MariChat fluff ^w^
Merry Christmas @artisticpixie !
I am your @mlsecretsanta for 2020.
Thank you for the opportunity to draw this for you. Xxoo
Hope you like it.
Happy Holidays, Frostysaucey!
@frostysaucey, I’m your Secret Santa for the @mlsecretsanta gift exchange!
I hope you appreciate this little ML Squad Holiday Fluff! You can also find the speed edit of the drawing under my Instagram page and a better quality upload of this on my DeviantArt :) Instagram || DeviantArt
This was really fun to draw, I hope you appreciate your gift!
Winter Love
HELLO hi @coffeecomicsgalore this is my @mlsecretsanta fic for you! I had so much fun writing this one, happy holidays! Massive thank you to @adrienettes-hamster for beta-ing!
Also on FFnet and AO3!
Mid-November is when the chill of the impending winter started to set in. Not cold enough for snow, but cold enough that Ladybug had begun to notice her kitty shivering while on patrols. Granted, she was quite cold herself, but she was handling it better than Chat Noir.
“Do you need to stop, Chat?”
“No, I’m fine,” he stuttered out between chattering teeth.
“Chat, go home and get warm. We can patrol again tomorrow night.” Her voice was soft but commanding, and his ears drooped. “I’ll bring some hot chocolate, okay?” His ears perked up a bit at the mention of that.
“Okay then. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he replied with a small smile, turning and bounding away with his staff.
She watched him for a moment before turning herself, luckily only needing to travel a few blocks to her own home. The dull light of the lamp she had left on before heading out cut into the darkness. It was still relatively early in the night, only around 9 o’ clock, but she knew that her parents would already be in bed, ready for next morning’s early rise.
Marinette landed on her balcony and hopped down through the skylight onto her bed before calling off her transformation. When Tikki swirled out of the earrings and into her hands, she was also shivering.
“Yeah, it is a bit too cold tonight,” Marinette mumbled to her as she cupped her hands around her kwami. “Let me grab us some hot chocolate, okay?” Tikki nodded, her little head bobbing up and down as vigorously as Chat’s jaw was. Marinette gently slid her onto her pillow then climbed down the ladder to the rest of her room, then the ladder to the rest of the apartment. Finding her favourite mug clean and ready to be used, she ducked down and grabbed the teacup she had hidden for Tikki. It was almost matching with her favourite design, covered with florals over a white background, and it had belonged to one of the dolls from her childhood doll house.
Marinette hummed while she filled the mugs with the still-steaming hot chocolate from the flask her mother had left out for her. She wondered whether or not it would snow soon, and if it would shut the school down. Would the snow mean Hawkmoth would slow down on attacks? Or would he send out more akumas?
She wondered about her friends. Alya would probably spend most of the time babysitting her sisters, Marinette by her side of course. Nora might be home for the winter. Nino would probably be glued to his computer, creating new tracks and networking with other DJs. Adrien…
Adrien would keep up his studies with Nathalie. Marinette knew how tough his dad was on him based on how detailed his schedule was. Mandarin lessons, fencing, piano, modelling and school? And she thought she was busy between school, sewing and saving Paris. Then again, saving Paris was never on a set schedule. She supposed she and Adrien weren’t too different in that aspect.
Adrien had been shivering a bit in class recently. While everyone else bundled up in their warmest sweaters and thermals, Adrien’s outfits didn’t seem to hold the same temperature. Did Gabriel favour style over comfort? The very thought burned Marinette.
She stopped pouring as she realised it was about to overflow her mug, and set the flask down with a hardened resolve. This Christmas, she was going to knit something warm for her two favourite people. The gears in her mind began ticking over as she thought of what to give each of them. She still had Adrien’s head measurements from when she created the hat for the contest a year or two back, and his body’s measurements from the designs she had made for her website... maybe a sweater? Or a beanie?
She didn’t have Chat’s measurements though. She supposed if she worked hard and fast enough she might be able to squeeze in a blanket. Now she had to think of patterns for both...
Marinette made her way back up to her room, carefully balancing the mugs in one hand as she pushed the trap door up then set them down on the floor to climb inside.
“Tikki?” She called out gently. “Hot chocolate has arrived.”
She set them down on the bench by her computer as she opened up her sketchbook. Knowing it would take longer, she began working on the blanket’s design, but stopped short as she realised that while she knew her partner, she didn’t really know him. She vaguely remembered his favourite colour was green, and funnily enough was a cat person, both literally and figuratively. Marinette began to worry that what she makes wouldn’t be good enough for him, or that he wouldn’t like it.
“What are you working on, Marinette?” Tikki asked sleepily while sipping her hot chocolate.
“Both Adrien and Chat Noir haven’t been dealing with the cold well, so I figured I’d knit them both something warm for Christmas,” Marinette replied as she began writing in some notes. Tikki peered over the book and looked back at Marinette.
“A blanket? Will you have time to make that? Christmas is only a month away.”
“I know, but I figured if I work on it in all of my spare time then I might be able to get it done in time. Hopefully there’s a few snow days in the next few weeks,” Marinette said as she glanced out the window. The window stubbornly continued to show no sign of snow, though there was the twinkling of stars between the clouds.
Tikki took another sip of her drink. “Who’s the blanket for?”
“Chat Noir. I have Adrien’s measurements, so I was thinking either a beanie or a sweater, but I’m not sure of Chat’s. What do you think?” Marinette picked up a green pencil and began to shade in the sketch. In each corner there was a small, blocky cat face with light whiskers.
“He does tend to wear that short sleeved top a lot. I think sweater.”
Marinette hummed and nodded in agreement. “I think you’re right. What about the middle of this?” She held the page up to Tikki, who had ditched the now empty cup and was snuggled into her neck. “I was thinking maybe the initials C.N. but that might be too obvious.”
“What about a Yin Yang symbol, but a ladybug as the white dot and whiskers on the black dot?”
“Tikki, you’re a genius!”
And so Marinette got to work, having most of the yarn colours she required already. Quite a few rows in, she started to nod off and, seeing that it was now well past her bedtime, climbed the ladder to her bed and whispered goodnight to Tikki.
----------------------------------------------------
“That’s… a lot of yarn, Marinette,” Alya said with mild concern. “You surely haven’t gotten this low by now?
Marinette shrugged, or at least shrugged the best she could with her arms piled up with rolls of yarn. “I’ve got a few commissions and wanted to be sure. I can use what’s left to make some gifts as well.”
Marinette had dragged Alya on a shopping trip for materials after school the next day. She had some pocket money saved up from chores and her birthday. Half an hour later, they emerged from the fabric store with a lot of yarn and some new shearing scissors, an early gift from Alya.
“Ooh, who’s commissioned you? It must be a big project!”
Marinette almost stumbled, unsure if she should tell Alya, even if she did have the perfect cover up for it. But then again, she knew her best friend.
“Uh, Ladybug commissioned a blanket as a gift for Chat Noir. Apparently they’re having a tough time on their night patrols with the chill.”
Alya’s eyes bugged out of her head and she squealed, “Oh my god, that is so cute! She’s totally in love with him!”
This time Marinette did really stop. “No way! She did not give off that vibe at all when she came around! It’s just really cold at night!”
“Babe, you don’t just commission a whole BLANKET for your friend!” Alya shook her by her shoulders, a few rolls threatening to fall out of Marinette’s arms, who gasped a loud “careful!”
“They’re friends, Alya, and friends can share a blanket when it’s cold. Can we please drop it?”
Alya huffed and rolled her eyes. “Sure, but you know I’m right!”
----------------------------------------------------
Later that night, Marinette was zooming through rows of knitting on her balcony. She barely stopped for a few bites of the dinner that her mother had brought up earlier. When her hands began cramping, she turned back to her sketchbook to work on the design for Adrien’s sweater. She figured it best to keep it simple, and made it light green in shade with darker green and black accents. When the cramping had lessened, she picked up the needles again and started knitting furiously again.
Around 8 o’ clock, Tikki nudged her and reminded her that she needs to meet up with Chat Noir. Marinette thanked her and transformed, grabbed the bag of treats she had snuck up earlier, then leapt off the balcony with her yoyo flying off into the distance.
She found Chat Noir on their rooftop an arrondissement away, huddled next to the chimney for warmth.
“Chaton, look what I brought!”
His ears perked up and his lips curved into a wide smile. “That doesn’t just smell like hot chocolate, m’lady. Is that…” his eyes lit up as she lifted the Dupain-Cheng bakery box out of the bag after the flasks, “croissants? And macarons?”
She matched his smile and replied, “all of the above, plus pain au chocolat. Only the best for the cat hero of Paris!” She had to set down the box quickly as he crushed her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around him as well, happy that he was happy. She didn’t miss his murmur of “what did I do to deserve you?” and simply hugged him tighter, almost shielding him from the cool wind. He let go after a few more moments, diving for the flask of hot chocolate and sitting against the chimney.
“Half hour of snacking before we make the rounds?”
“Works for me,” Chat Noir replied in between sips, visibly settling down as the drink warmed him up from the inside. “How did you get the Dupain-Cheng goods? Aren’t they closed by now?”
“They are, but I picked them up just before they closed for the day, so they’re pretty fresh.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, she did get them from the last batch her father made for the day.
Chat Noir hummed as he bit into a macaron, savouring the taste. “They are the best in town, no competition.”
“You’re not wrong there.” Ladybug took this moment of comfortable silence to take the top off of her flask and have a long drink of her hot chocolate. They sat together, shoulder to shoulder against the chimney and the wind started to settle down.
The sun had well and truly set by now, the moon as bright as ever with the stars shining like the streetlights below them. Tonight, there were no clouds, and nothing above them but the open sky. Ladybug loved the sight, and found it to be the second best perk of being a superhero, the first being partnered with Chat Noir. Her friend, Chat Noir, she thought, thinking back to Alya’s words earlier in the day. She was in love with Adrien and absolutely, definitely, totally had no such feelings for Chat Noir.
----------------------------------------------------
Marinette was exhausted, to say the least.
It was now the beginning of December, and the blanket was just over half done. She had resorted to bringing in her spare needles and knitting before and after class to start on Adrien’s sweater, and ignored anyone and everyone that asked about it with a small blush.
She also resorted to ignoring any pressing by Alya on Ladybug’s “commission” of the blanket, which had not died out as time had gone on. Alya wanted to know everything from the words Ladybug said to her expression and body language as she spoke about Chat Noir. Marinette now highly regretted giving in and telling her anything.
Thinking of the blanket, she thought about the surprise she was given when Chat Noir dropped in a few nights before.
A gentle rapping on the window shook Marinette from her concentration as she began a new colour for the Yin Yang. She looked around as she heard the telltale swoosh of Tikki hiding and saw Chat Noir waving from her balcony with a sheepish look on her face. She set down the blanket, laying it flat on the floor, and climbed up her ladder to open it.
“Chat Noir? What are you doing here?”
“Forgive me, but I saw your light on while I was out for a run. It’s getting very cold and my own place is a bit too far for me right now. Do you mind if I warm up in here for a few minutes?”
She wasn’t aware of any patrol they had planned. She double checked the day it was in her head and confirmed yes, it was their night off.
“O-Of course you can, would you like anything to eat or drink?” She moved aside for him to jump in, and watched as he looked around the room in wonder.
“Some hot chocolate, if you have any, please,” he replied, eyes moving from the chaise to the various mannequins and designs strewn about the room.
Marinette dearly hoped he wouldn’t know it was the same he had had just a few weeks ago, and a few times since as the temperature continued to drop.
“S-Sure thing, I’ll be right back.”
She climbed down after him, throwing a panicked glance to where Tikki was hiding and subtly gestured for her to follow. She climbed down the trapdoor to the kitchen and turned to Tikki.
“What is he doing here?” Tikki asked.
“I don’t know! It’s not patrol night! He’s going to recognise my recipe for sure!” She began to pace the kitchen.
“Calm down Marinette, he might just think you sell it here. You said you bought the treats from here didn’t you?”
“I mean yeah, but what if his civilian identity comes here often enough to know it’s not sold?” Marinette could not keep calm, but she kept her voice quiet. No need to freak out both her parents and her unexpected guest.
“New product for winter?”
That stopped Marinette in her tracks. “That could work.” Her nerves stilled, she grabbed two mugs and the flask, filling them and turning back to Tikki again with a smile. “You always know how to calm me down.”
Tikki giggled, “Kwami of luck and maybe logic as well. You best get back to him, we’ve been down here for a while now.”
As if on cue, they heard a soft knock on the door, and an even softer, “You okay down there?”
Marinette took the mugs by the handles, calling back, “Can you please open the door?”
The trapdoor opened as Marinette climbed up, and Chat Noir hastened to take one from her hand, and helped her up with his other one. Claws brushed her wrist as his grip tightened on her hand and while she shouldn’t have been surprised, his strength as he pulled her up caught her off guard slightly.
“I just couldn’t find my mug, I always have hot chocolate in it,” she raised her mug as she spoke.
“That’s a nice one. And this is really good,” he said, taking a sip. Marinette watched his eyes as a hint of recognition flickered over them, but he didn’t say anything about it.
“It’s a… family recipe. We just began selling it in the bakery for the winter.”
His face relaxed, and Marinette let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
“What are you knitting?”
Man, if this cat didn’t stop. Sure, it’s an innocent question on his part, but Marinette was getting increasingly worried about hiding the truth.
“Oh! Uh, it’s a blanket for a friend of mine. They’re a… big fan of you and Ladybug.”
“And the other needles? I like the different shades of green on it.”
“That’s going to be a sweater, for another friend. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of warm clothes so I’m hoping this will help him.”
“That’s a really lovely gesture, Marinette. One of my friends is into fashion as well, you would get on great with her.”
Marinette hummed in agreement, then said, “I hope you don’t mind me returning to it, I’m trying to get them both done by Christmas.” “Of course not. I should get going now though,” he tipped his mug towards her, empty already, “Thank you very much for the drink, Princess.”
Marinette’s jaw dropped slightly and almost dropped her needles as well. “I-I… you’re welcome, a-any time.”
“I’ll take you up on that,” he replied suavely, adding a wink. Marinette waited until he was safely back out onto her balcony before rolling her eyes with a smile, and got back to her knitting. Stupid cat and his flirting.
Seeing that Madame Bustier was running late, she took Adrien’s sweater out of her bag and began to knit. She had switched out her small clutch for a larger, water-proof bag once she realised she’d need to bring the yarn and needles to class in order to finish it in time. Most of the class had been asking about it so far, including Nino and Alya, but Adrien had been quiet about it until now, when he walked in right as Marinette started another row.
“Hey Marinette, you’re early. What are you making?”
“Oh! Adrien, sweater- hi, uh, I mean-”
“It looks great so far. Green would look nice on you.”
Marinette squeaked and went bright red. “O-oh, uh, thank you, but it’s for a friend,” she giggled nervously.
“Well then, they’re a lucky friend!” Adrien smiled as he began unpacking his notebook and pencil case, and turned to the front. Madam Bustier walked in a moment later, gesturing for Marinette to put away the needles. Marinette didn’t miss the slight shiver that Adrien had to his frame, nor the goosebumps beginning to raise on his arms and the back of his neck.
----------------------------------------------------
“Chat Noir!”
It was the week before Christmas, and Marinette was in the home stretch of finishing this blanket. She was knitting on her balcony, hot chocolate by her side and just sheltered from the light snowfall. But now, she could just see the silhouette of the cat hero a few roofs away. He turned his head in surprise and as a result, almost fell off of his staff. She waved her hand, gesturing for him to come over to her.
As he got closer, she called out, “What are you doing out in the snow? It’s way too cold for someone in a skin-tight suit to be out here!”
“But Princess, you’re out here too!” he called back, now standing in front of her.
“I am wrapped up in sweaters and fuzzy pants, with a blanket over me, not a skin-tight suit, as I said! You should be at home, as warm and wrapped up as I am,” she finished on a gentler note as his ears drooped.
“I… don’t want to be home right now. I got into a fight with my father. Can I stay here for a bit?”
Her heart dropped and her eyes filled with sympathy for him. She knew it was a bad situation, but not leave-the-house-in-the-middle-of-winter bad. “Of course you can.”
She opened the skylight, carefully plopping down her almost-finished blanket and needles, then climbed in after it. He shook the snow from his hair, passed her half-empty mug of hot chocolate to her and hopped down onto the bed. She put the mug on a ledge next to her bed and said, “Do you need a hug?”
Almost immediately, he wrapped her in a bear hug not unlike the one he gave Ladybug a few weeks prior. She raised her arms just in time and curled them around his neck and if she happened to feel a tear or two slide onto her shoulders, she didn’t mention it.
Her hands weaved themselves into his wild hair, holding him close. She stayed silent, knowing words couldn’t convey the comfort she tried to give him. His arms were so long, they almost doubled back to himself. Together, they shivered, as he cried onto her shoulder silently and the wind blew through the skylight above. She untangled one of her hands to reach up and close it, but Chat Noir took this as a sign to let go and step back. Her other hand still tangled, she lost balance and they fell, Chat Noir landing on top of her as she hit the bed with an “oof!”
Marinette drew in a sharp breath as Chat Noir’s head hit her collarbone. That’s going to leave a bruise, she thought with a wince.
“I’m so sorry, are you alright?”
“Yeah, just knocked the breath out of me,” she replied, finally removing her hand from his hair. She sat up as he hurried to get off of her and sat at the end of her bed, both of their eyes wide open.
“So, um-”
“I-”
They both tried to speak at once, giggling when they stopped. Chat Noir gestured for her to speak first, so she did.
“Do you want some hot chocolate?”
“Please,” he replied gratefully, moving aside so she could climb down the ladder, following after her. She returned after a few minutes, setting their mugs down next to her computer. “Can you pass me down the blanket, please? I’m so close to finishing,” she asked as she held out her arms for it to be dropped into. She stumbled when it landed; it felt heavier than she expected it to be. Oh well, she thought, this means it should be extra warm.
She got settled in her desk chair, the blanket flowing down past her feet as Chat Noir settled on her chaise with his mug. They sat in a comfortable quiet, the only sounds in the room coming from the whirring of her computer, the clacking of the needles and a sip from Chat Noir every once in a while. She’d look up from time to time, and see his bright eyes staring back at her with a shy interest. There were hints of dried tears on his face, and she subtly elbowed the tissue box beside her towards him.
At last, she finished the last row of the blanket. She cast off, spreading it out on the floor and stepped back to look at her work. Chat Noir joined her, looking over it in wonder.
“How long did this take you?”
“Just under a month. I’ve been knitting as fast as I can and spent almost every waking moment on it. Except for when I’ve been at school, which I spent working on this,” she said as she pulled out the sweater for Adrien. “It’s for my friend Adrien. His father doesn’t really let him wear clothes that would give him comfort. I mean, I get that as a model he’s always representing the brand, but what kind of father chooses style over comfort for his own son? I’m surprised he hasn’t frozen to death already,” she tried to lighten the end of her rant as she realised she was getting angry.
He took a gentle hold on her elbow, and she looked up to face him. He had an odd look on his face, like he was embarrassed, though he had no reason to be.
“You’re an amazing friend, Marinette, and I’m sure he is going to love yo- it.”
She beamed at his praise and set it down on the chair, hugging him again with her whole body, his own arms wrapping tightly around her.
“Thank you for the hot chocolate, but I think I should go before my father realises I’m gone.”
She squeezed him tighter for a moment and whispered, “Will you be okay there? You know you’re welcome at any time, okay?”
He squeezed her back and replied, “I think I’ll be okay, but I will let you know,” and stepped back, taking care to not step on the blanket. She watched as he climbed the ladder and up onto the balcony, only looking back to wave her goodbye. She waved in reply then folded the blanket up, putting it into the bag she had reserved for patrols.
With only half a sleeve to go, she picked up the needles and set herself back down on the chair, continuing her work on Adrien’s sweater.
----------------------------------------------------
Conveniently enough, the next morning was announced to be the last school day before holiday break, as the weather predicted heavy snowfall for the coming days. Unfortunately though, it gave Marinette only today to give the now-completed sweater to Adrien. It was wrapped and labelled to and from (both Marinette and Alya made sure of it) but Marinette was frozen when she reached the classroom, causing Alya to bump into her back.
“Marinette! You can do this,” she heard her hiss, but she just couldn’t. There Adrien was, sitting and laughing at something Nino had said. She squeaked, almost losing her balance trying to step forward, which caught Adrien’s attention.
“Hey Marinette! What’s that you have there?”
Alya nudged her, and this time she did start to slip. This is how I die, she thought with a great internal sigh.
Quick as lightning, Adrien was in front of her, keeping her steady with concern masking his face.
“You okay?”
Marinette couldn’t do anything but stammer. “U-uh, you, I- gift! For you!”
“F-For me?”
He looked down to her hands, which were now shaking with the present between them.
“I-I mean…” Marinette looked helplessly back to Alya, who gave her a gentle nod, then looked back to Adrien and took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s for you. Merry Christmas, Adrien.”
The whole class was silent now, watching the two. Even Chloe watched, clearly fuming with a glare in Marinette’s direction.
He took it from her gently, their hands brushing for a moment. Marinette could swear she felt a spark, something warm in the cold room when they touched, but it disappeared as the package left her hands. She didn’t expect for him to set it down and sweep her into a hug so loving it reminded her of Chat N- no. No feelings for Chat Noir, only Adrien.
“Thank you,” he whispered into her ear with a squeeze.
In the middle of winter, Marinette felt like she was on fire. She tentatively raised her arms to hug him back, only for him to step back at the same moment and suddenly she was cold again.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered back as he turned away to open the gift. His eyes lit up with happiness as he unfolded the sweater, gushing, “I’m the lucky friend?!”
Marinette giggled, “You have my lucky charm, remember?”
That made Adrien snort, “Marinette, I think you are my lucky charm.”
The class dissolved into a chorus of “aww’s” and the two suddenly remembered where they were, both blushing furiously. Fortunately for them, Madame Bustier walked in to start seconds later.
He wore the sweater proudly for the rest of the day, and home, as far as Marinette saw.
----------------------------------------------------
“Tikki, spots on!”
Later that night, Marinette transformed once again into Ladybug. She made sure the lamp was on and her goodie bag was secured around her body before launching off of the balcony towards their meeting place for patrols. The snow was falling lightly, looking magical in the night. Chat Noir was already there, holding his own bag that fell by the side of the swea- sweater?
Her jaw dropped and she almost missed her target with the yoyo. Chat Noir caught on evidently as his face dropped with fear and he reached out for her.
“Ladybug, are you okay? What happened there?”
“Where did you get that sweater?”
His face split into a grin as he ran his claws along the accents. “Oh, isn’t it so cool? A friend gave it to me for Christmas!”
The pieces both fell together and shattered at the same time. Her face dropped in shock. “But I… y-you… I mean… Adrien?”
His mouth fell open and he stuttered back, “M-Marinette?”
They stared at each other in shock for a few moments before Chat Noir snorted, which made Ladybug break and they both just burst into laughter. It felt unbelievable, but made so much sense to the pair. The two who always got everyone to safety so they could be alone; they felt like idiots. Finally their laughter died down, but as Ladybug brought out the Dupain-Cheng box, they started up again. More things began making sense and they couldn’t help themselves.
They found their way to each other, holding on like they’ve been separated for years.
“I can’t believe it’s you,” Ladybug mumbled. Chat Noir’s body shielded her from the oncoming snow as they held each other.
“I can’t believe it either. We thought we were smart,” he laughed, and she could hear his smile.
“You’re gonna love this then,” she stepped back and opened her back, pulling out the blanket. She actually thought he might cry then and there. She held it towards him, who took it with such soft hands.
“You made this, for me?”
“I didn’t know your measurements- well, as it turns out I do, but I figured it would be something for us to keep warm under before patrols.”
“Marinette, I love you.”
They both paused, the phrase seemingly slipped out on its own, but she couldn’t help but reply, “I love you too.”
Winter patrols suddenly became a lot warmer.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Hi @bizarrelovesquare! I’m your secret Santa for this years @mlsecretsanta exchange!! I hope you enjoy your gift!
Miraculous Ladybug || A tart from me to you
In which Chloe Bourgeois attempts to make an orange tart for her girlfriend, Kagami.
Only she hasn’t baked or cooked anything since she was five, it is not going so well, but it’s a good thing she has some good friends.
Chloe/Kagami, Alya/Nino, Adrien/Marinette, ~2.5k words
Note: my @mlsecretsanta gift fic for @snail-noir!! Sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy this!! Happy (belated) holidays and new year 😊
--
Chloe Bourgeois did not like to admit she was in the wrong, nor did she like to admit she had failed something.
In this case, however, there was really no other way of explaining it.
Strewn around her kitchen counters and floor were ingredients and equipment for an orange tart that she had, mistakenly, assumed to be a simple task to make. The website had certainly made it seem simple enough, with a preparation time of twenty minutes and a cooking time of forty-five.
Although, if she was honest, she hadn’t been expecting it to be easy in the first place. She’d never baked or cooked anything in her seventeen years of living (at least not since she was five and had made breakfast in bed for her mother on Mother’s day only to be critiqued on every aspect and then forced to watch as her mother pointedly asked Jean for a ‘real breakfast’).
Chloe just hadn’t thought it would be impossible.
“This is ridiculous,” She muttered, ripping into the dough with unnecessary force. “You’re supposed to become a ball! Why—ridiculous, utterly ridiculous,” She huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at the recipe on her laptop screen. Toss gently until it forms a ball that holds together, the recipe read. She’d done exactly that and the ball was… not holding together. Probably reflective of how well she was holding together.
Glancing at the clock, Chloe chewed on the inside of her cheek; 10:10. The others were due to arrive any minute to help prepare for Kagami and Adrien’s surprise lunch celebrating their advancement into the national fencing semi-finals. It was a small occasion; only her, Marinette, Nino, and Alya would be there, but Chloe still didn’t like the fact that she’d end up having nothing to give since her orange tart was going so well. Sure, she was the one offering her room as the venue, but that wasn’t much when it was due to the fact that no one could really offer space themselves.
And she was a little disappointed considering she’d wanted to make this orange tart, one of Kagami’s favourite kind of tarts, herself. As a show of, maybe, being a good girlfriend.
“Oh, forget it,” She hissed, slamming the laptop shut before washing her hands to leave the kitchen in disgrace. She’d compose herself first and clean it up before the guests of honour arrived.
Only the doorbell rang and Chloe nearly cried out in frustration. She hadn’t even had time to consider whether she’d compose herself on her couch or her bed.
“Coming, coming,” She called out, getting to the door and opening it to see her friends. In Marinette’s arms was a tray of pastries, as expected from their resident baker; in Alya’s, a box of what she assumed were decorations whereas Nino held the board games they’d all brought. There were bright smiles on their faces that Chloe desperately attempted to match because regardless of however she was going, she wasn’t going to let anything ruin Kagami lunch. Waving them in quickly, she shut the door after them.
“Hey girl, you ready to start decorating?” Alya asked as the other two started moving further into her apartment, talking to each other, so different to the first time they’d all come over (they’d all waited behind Adrien and Kagami the first time, all pretending to be so immersed by her apartment). Chloe was glad they had all become more comfortable with each other (although she knew it would have happened sooner if she’d only been a lot nicer, but that was a conversation that had already happened).
She clapped her hands excitedly. “Of course! This has to be perfect for Kagami, I won’t accept anything less for her,” She announced, hands on hips. Truthfully, she was a little nervous, hoping that all of this would make her girlfriend happy.
“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Alya asked teasingly as she walked past her to set the boxes on the couch.
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, about to retort who could possibly be more important than her girlfriend when Nino interrupted, “Don’t forget this is for Adrien too, dude.”
Oh, right. “I—of course I haven’t forgotten! I just—” She stopped at the soft giggling from the other three, flushing from embarrassment over such a mistake (in her defence, Adrikins was old news).
“Sometimes I think you’re just as bad as Marinette, just in a different way,” Alya said, getting cries of outrage from both girls. “Please, you’re both so head over heels for your partners—!” She laughed, shaking her head at them.
Chloe gaped at the journalist intern (similarities between her and Marinette were rare; not that her vendetta against the baker was ongoing, but it was still rather jarring to be compared to Marinette of all people), but one glance at other girl in question, also staring with a hanging mouth, had them both snapping their jaws shut and turning away.
If anything, it only made Alya laugh harder, holding onto the couch for support. Nino coughed, but no one could deny the smile that tugged at his lips.
“I—me and Chloe?”
“That’s ridiculous—utterly ridiculous!”
“As if you’re not as bad as us Alya!” Marinette retorted, marching to her best friend. “Do you remember just how long it took for you to finally decide on the best anniversary date idea? We spent days on deciding the location alone!”
Nino perked up on that, looking at his girlfriend with renewed vigour as Alya gasped, affronted. “Marinette! You promised not to tell!”
“W-well that was before you said that!”
Chloe smirked, crossing her arms smugly. “Oh so you think you’re immune to teasing?”
Alya rolled her eyes, smirking right back. “Please, I’m immune to your teasing, girl. Had plenty of practice.” She grinned, leaving Chloe to pout. It was mostly true; after befriending them all, her words had very little effect on them. Although, she supposed that was how a friendship worked.
“Alright, we should probably get back to fixing everything… the other two will be arriving in about an hour if their family celebration ends on time,” Nino reminded them, ever the patient one with their antics (well, most of the time he’d just put on his headphones or share an earbud with Kagami as the other three playfully quarrelled, Adrien desperately attempting to play peacemaker).
“Yeah, yeah, get your butt off the couch Alya and start helping. I’m going to put these in the kitchen for now,” Marinette announced, picking up the tray from the coffee table and heading for the kitchen.
For a brief, almost euphoric moment, Chloe Bourgeois lived in a world where she had not, in fact, made a tragedy of her kitchen.
A very brief moment.
“Nino and I will work on the rooftop décor, Chloe are you good to work on—Marinette?”
“I-I…”
Chloe looked up from sorting through the paper decorations box to see Marinette standing stock-still in the kitchen doorway, just as confused as the other two before realisation hit.
“Oh no!” She shrieked, leaping over the table and knocking the box over to place herself between the girl and the kitchen. In hindsight, not that it made a difference, considering she’d seen everything already. Marinette was still staring over her shoulder, her eyes wide with disbelief. “I can explain!” Chloe blurted, almost wishing the ground could swallow her—or even Marinette or all of them—up as if that would stop this.
Marinette blinked out of her reverie, a shaky, polite smile on her face. “Yes..?”
Alya and Nino appeared behind her, looking over Chloe’s shoulder into what they could see of the kitchen. Which was enough, if their utter shock was anything to go by.
“I… tried to make that orange tart I said I would make,” Chloe began, shoulders slumping as she stepped to the side to let them in. “And as you can see,” She spat out bitterly, “it did work out well.” If it was anyone else, the way the three stared at her kitchen as if it was an eighth wonder of the world might have made her laugh. But it was not anyone else; it was her, Chloe, and as much as she wanted to laugh in the absurdity of it all, she simply couldn’t. “It’s not entirely my fault,” She started, “the website said it was an easy recipe but they definitely lied. I might just get daddy to sue them, of course. It’s horrible, lying like that…” She trailed off as she realised how ridiculous she sounded, finally accepting the fact that she was just not good at baking and there was no one else to blame.
“This looks like a warzone,” Alya whispered, getting a nudge from her boyfriend as she apologetically winced. “N-not that warzones are bad! Wait, that sounds bad—I mean they can look nice—I think? Okay, definitely not but—” She clamped her mouth shut at a look from Marinette, gingerly glancing at Chloe.
“It’s not all bad! We got the stuff from Marinette’s bakery right?” Nino tried, a hopeful grin on his face.
It was not necessarily the best thing to say, not to Chloe at least. Of course they had other food and of course the tart hadn’t been a necessity but she’d wanted to make it for Kagami herself, wanted it to be something from her. The same way Marinette bakes and designs for Adrien and Adrien supports her fashion design in every way he can. The same way Alya makes playlists and sings for Nino and Nino covers for her when she’s unavailable to get a journalism scoop.
Sure, Chloe wasn’t short on gifts herself; she could afford and get virtually anything Kagami wanted, but that wasn’t worth much when it was so, so easy to do.
A pair of hands landed on her shoulders and she looked up into Marinette’s blue eyes, pure determination blazing in them. “Don’t give up yet, Chloe. You can still make it in time.”
She blinked, mouth parted in surprise before she frowned. “You don’t have to lie, Marinette,” She muttered, “I get you want to comfort me but—”
“I’m absolutely not comforting you,” Marinette interrupted, Chloe recoiling at just how harsh the words sounded coming from the Marinette Dupain-Cheng. “This is a mess, but it doesn’t mean it’s all lost. You already have the dough. Working fast enough will get it done. But only if you’re willing to keep up,” Marinette said, giving her a hard stare.
“Alya and I can finish up the decorations ourselves. It won’t take long anyway,” Nino piped up, Alya nodding.
“You two just finish it up. If anything, we can distract the other two long enough anyway,” She added, the both of them giving an encouraging smile and leaving the kitchen to start working.
Chloe looked back at Marinette, this time holding her stare. She nodded, more determined than ever to prove herself—just as determined as the first time Ladybug had offered the Bee miraculous to her.
“Good.” Marinette smiled, going to wash her hands to start. “Move the laptop to the living room. We’ll use this counter since cleaning up everything else will take too long. We just won’t let Kagami or Adrien in here. I think I know how to make an orange tart so we don’t need a recipe—you’ll just have to listen to what I say and do it, so in the end, it’ll still be your tart,” Marinette continued, momentarily thinking about the technicality of it all. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Chloe answered immediately as she picked up the laptop, Marinette’s intensity so jarringly new to her. She’d witnessed it before (Nino’s surprise birthday party for his seventeenth had met some technical difficulties and Marinette had stepped up to direct everyone so impossibly well that no one would have thought anything had been amiss), but it had never been solely directed at her. There was a strange feeling of wanting to prove herself, something she’d only really ever felt with Ladybug, and before dating her, with Kagami.
Coming back into the kitchen to see the equipment set up and the dough already formed into a ball, Chloe couldn’t help but think how wonderful it felt to have such good friends.
For once, it wasn’t the first time she’d had that thought.
Later…
“I’ll take the dishes to the kitchen then,” Kagami offered, a chorus of nods and agreement coming from the other five, all of them preoccupied with either cleaning up the party decorations off the floor or taking it down. The sun was starting to set, the long hours of their celebration feeling far too short after countless board games, conversations, and slices of tart.
The first person to react was Nino, stopping in his movements to watch Kagami disappear inside. “Did you guys fix up the kitchen?” He asked into the comfortable silence. Instantly, the mood changed, straight into frantic energy.
“Kagami wait!” Marinette called out, leaving a bewildered Adrien as his three friends all scrambled to the door, Chloe beating them all in her panic.
“Oh no, not again.” Alya winced as, once more, a chair Chloe could care less about got knocked over.
Chloe froze in the kitchen entrance as she watched Kagami’s shoulders start to shake ever so slightly. She walked closer, trying to push down the squeezing feeling of embarrassment before a soft laugh bubbled out of her girlfriend’s mouth.
“So that’s what you meant when you said the first attempt didn’t go so well,” Kagami mused, looking at Chloe with a fond smile.
She flushed, crossing her arms and looking away. “Well—no, but what matters is the final product anyway. You-you did like it, right?” Chloe glanced at her, still nervous that perhaps Kagami was just being nice—that they were all just being nice about how much they’d liked the tart.
“Yes,” She answered, putting the plates down on the sliver of space left on the counter. Coming over to give her a kiss on the cheek, she added, “I wouldn’t lie if I didn’t like it, Chloe. I loved it. I’d love to learn how you make it,” Kagami said casually. “I’d like that as much as eating the tart.”
Feeling like an immense weight had lifted from her chest, Chloe smiled back. She let out a relieved laugh, waving her hand. “I… would like that too,” She finally said.