The Meaning of Flowers

The first time it happened was two days after the Evillustrator. It had been the first time she'd work with Chat Noir as a civilian, and was a bit nervous on how to act around him. She didn't want him to find out about his identity, after all.

Then Sabrina came barrelling in, making her forget shortly that Chat was supposed to come to protect her, so when he fell from the skies, she was momentarily startled. Then she remembered her plan – to act like a starstruck admirer, the furthest from their teasing relationship when she was transformed into Ladybug, and he seemed to buy the act, turning his flirtations to her.

But as time went by, Marinette began forgetting that she had to hide the companionship and complete trust – laced with a bit of exasperation – she felt around him, so she inevitably ended channelling a bit too much her Ladybug self, more so when action demanded her sole focus.

Luckily, he didn't seem to catch up with her change or demeanour, or maybe he did, but he didn't link it with her spotted counterpart. Both were fine for her.

So when, two days later, she found a little bouquet of flowers on the lounge chair of her terrace, she'd been surprised. She picked up the flowers, looking at how the little buds fit beautifully in colour and shape. They were a combination of pinks and whites and bits of red, her favourite colours, and even though this was a simple bouquet, she couldn't help but think it was one of the most beautiful ones she'd ever seen.

But… what was doing that bouquet in there?

"Oh, interesting choice of flowers," Tikki said from above her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"It seems that the one that made the bouquet seemed to know a bit about the meaning of flowers."

"The meaning of flowers? Like roses meaning love and stuff?"

Tikki nodded. "Every flower holds a meaning, from its species, to their colour and distribution in a bouquet. In the Renaissance, it was very common to send messages with flowers. It was pretty funny to discover all the feelings they tried to convey."

Marinette hummed. She brought the flowers to her room, looking pensive at the tiny blossoms. She looked around for a vase, and put the flowers inside, rearranging the flowers so they looked perfect.

"And what do they mean, Tikki?"

She floated around the bouquet, and her tiny hands raised a white tiny bell-shaped bud. "This is a white Heather. It symbolizes protection. And these-"she flew to touch a flower of one densely packed floret. The movement made a sweet scent come from them. "- are Hyacinth. By their colour they mean playful and loveliness."

Marinette looked at the arrange of flowers. So protection, playfulness and loveliness? What the hell did that mean?

Tikki noticed her lost expression, and giggled. "Basically, what the bouquet is trying to express is that the person who made the bouquet thinks you're lovely and playful, and that they would like to protect you. Well, at least that was what it would mean, if someone had given it to you."

"What I don't get is, why were those flowers in my terrace? It's not like people can go leaping from the rooftops like it's nobody's business, is it? Well, unless they have a miraculous, I guess."

"Maybe Ladybug gave them to you," Tikki teased.

Marinette rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face. At that moment, a white Hyacinth fell from its floret, landing softly on the table. She brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes at the sweet scent.

Well, the flowers were beautiful and smelt nice. She wasn't going to complain.

The second time that happened had been when Chat was on his solo patrol. She'd forgotten to water her plants that evening, and was just climbing up to her terrace, with a sprinkler when he saw him, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

She stepped out, frowning slightly, when she remembered that he had patrol on this side of the city that night. Instantly relieved, she turned to her plants, trying to make as little sound as possible to avoid catching his attention, but not a minute after, she heard the clicking of his boots on the banister.

"Good evening, Princess. Fancy meeting you here."

She turned around, placing the sprinkler to her feet. "Oh, Chat Noir. What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, don't worry. I was just patrolling around, saw you here and decided to drop by. After all, it is my duty as your faithful knight to protect you of all deeds."

He bowed and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. She quickly tugged her hand out, but something in what he'd said had caught her attention. What was it…?

"Ah, such dedication to your work. I feel safer already," she said dramatically, but her voice betrayed her playfulness. Chat's face brightened up anyway, so that was what counted, right? He deserved it, after all. "Paris is lucky to have you."

Oh god, she could see his ego skyrocketing now. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea, after all.

"Why thank you, Princess. It is my honour. Whenever you're in distress, this cat will make sure to aid you in any way. I'll protect you with my nine lives."

She turned around so he didn't see her rolling her eyes, and looked back at him. "Would you like to have anything? Cookies, perhaps?"

Oh, his eyes sparkled when those words came from her mouth. Although he tried to turn her offer down, she could see his eyes, his big, cat-like eyes, begging for the taste of her cookies. Then those eyes turned into puppy-like, and it was so much she could do to stop herself from swooning at the cuteness.

Damn puppy eyes.

"Wait here, I'll come back with the cookies."

"But Marinette-"

"Just wait here!" she frowned at him playfully, and she climbed down to her room to pick up some.

Tikki observed her with wide eyes as she placed some cookies on a plate and climbed up again, closing the hatch behind her. She threw a look down, making sure Tikki was out of sight, then walked forward to meet Chat. He had an unreadable expression on his face, cheerful but not quite. Content, she decided. He looked content.

She handed him the plate of cookies and talked with him while he ate. He didn't stop cracking up jokes between his flirtations, and Marinette found herself laughing at them. Time flew without them noticing, and when she checked her phone, it was almost midnight.

Chat, upon noticing how late it was, bid her goodbye with a flourish and leaped to the void, his body getting out of sight at an amazing speed. Marinette stared fondly at him until she couldn't see him anymore, picking the plate afterwards and returning to her room. It had been unexpected, but she'd enjoyed it nonetheless.

Then, in the morning, she found another bouquet of flowers at her terrace. She carefully picked it up, tracing with her fingers the soft surface of the delicate-looking pink petals. If possible, that bouquet was prettier than the other one.

Tikki sat on her shoulder, looking at the flowers. "Well, I guess we know where those flowers were from."

"What do you mean?"

She floated around the flowers, caressing the petals of one of the bigger flowers. "Pink carnation. It expresses gratitude." She then hit playfully the stigma of the other flowers, the pollen staining her little hands in orange. "And Amaryllis. It stands for splendid beauty."

Wait… didn't that sound like…?

Tikki continued. "Now that we know who gave these to you, we can assume that the full meaning of this bouquet is 'Thank you, Princess'."

Marinette's eyes widened and looked at the flowers again. Chat Noir had brought her flowers? Why, For giving him cookies? Now that she thought about it, this was so like him. But why didn't he give them in person?

No matter how many questions she asked, she wouldn't know the answers until she asked him directly. Shaking her head, she smiled to Tikki.

"Let's put them with the others, shall we? We don't want them to whither too soon."

"Will you use them as inspiration for your designs, like the last ones?"

She buried her nose on the flowers and breathed in. They smelled really sweet. "… we'll see. They're beautiful, aren't they? It'd be a shame otherwise."

She brought them to her room and put them in the vase where she had put the other ones. She threw a fond look at the horizon. She'd had a great time With Chat Noir the night before; it'd felt refreshing to talk with him without the pressure that came with being Ladybug. Ladybug had to stay professional, but Marinette could allow herself to be loose and be friends with him, to get to know him better.

She hoped her chaton would visit soon.

It was five in the morning, but that didn't stop Chat Noir from vaulting over the rooftops. He was looking around, trying to find a specific place he'd visited just twice. Just as he spotted it, he let his body fall to the floor, the wind whipping his hair from his face, and his stomach clenching instinctively from the drop.

The feeling of falling was one of the things that most allured him into being Chat Noir.

Once his feet touched the ground, he bended his knees to absorb the impact. Standing up, he took a deep breath and released his transformation, picking up the kwami coming out of his ring.

"I hope this is the last time you use me as your personal taxi, kiddo. Miraculous are not meant to be used this way."

"I know, I know! This is the last time, I promise. You'll have your wheel of Camembert too."

"You said that the last two times," he grumbled, "yet when that pig-tailed girl is concerned, all your promises fall on deaf ears. Why do I always get the smitten kittens?"

"Y-you know it's not like that with her. And was that a pun?"

Plagg just rolled his eyes. "You've been making googly eyes at her since 'The Umbrella Incident'. You're bringing her flowers every time you bump into her in the job, and you literally see her at school every day!"

He scoffed. "Don't call it like that, Marinette became my friend because of it, and you know it's not like that. Moreover, Adrien isn't bringing her flowers, Chat is."

The tiny kwami crossed his arms and huffed. His charge was ridiculous sometimes. "Yeah, because Chat and Adrien aren't the same person. Adrien, you have to admit it, at least. I mean, you're corny enough to think of their meaning when picking them. Who does that in the 21th century?"

"Me." he shrugged. He didn't see why it was that big of a deal.

Before he could answer, he grabbed Plagg from where he was floating and hid him on the inside pocket of his shirt. The poor kwami squawked, out of breath.

Adrien stepped out of the alley, ignoring Plagg's muffled protests. The streets were empty, and most of the shops were closed. He heard a metallic sound from his left, and he spotted the shop he was looking for all along. He felt the corners of his lips tugging up as he drew closer to the shop.

A man in his mid-fifties looked up then, and smiled at the boy. "Ah, good morning, boy. It's nice seeing you again."

"Good morning, sir."

"You've come to pick some flowers again?" Adrien nodded. "Well, let me finish with this and I'll help you."

"Do you need a hand?"

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Nonsense. I've opened this shop on my own since I was twenty, I'm still too young to be needing help. Why don't you go looking while I finish, boy? I'll be out in a minute."

"Of course!"

The man went inside the shop again, while Adrien stayed out, looking down at the vibrant flowers in front of him. All of them looked fresh and smelt wonderful, but Adrien had already in his mind what he wanted.

He spotted the tiny bulbous flowers first, their white rounded petals glistening with the morning light. He grabbed two florets, then looked for the other ones. The sweatpeas were easy to find, with their big petals of dark pink and purple, and he grabbed some of them to give colour to the bouquet. And then, for the final touch, he grabbed one single daffodil, the star-shaped white flower being the centre of the bouquet. He touched the delicate flowers with his fingers, fixing the position of the flowers.

"Ah, I see you've already finished, boy."

He looked up at the florist, who was looking back at him with a soft smile. He brought the bouquet to him, and fished for his wallet.

"Hmm, Lily of the Valley, Sweetpeas and a single Daffodil. A curious choice, full of meaning. Is this all?"

Lilly of the Valley, which means sweetness and purity of heart, for Marinette is the sweetest girl he's ever met. Sweetpea, for shyness, and a single Daffodil for uncertainty and hope, as he doesn't understand why she is so shy with Adrien when she can be so witty with Chat, but he hoped she started opening up to him. That was everything he wanted to convey on the bouquet.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Don't you want to put some chrysanthemums, maybe a pink rose?" the man teased. Adrien's eyes widened, and his cheeks got a beautiful rosy colour as he shook his hands in reply.

"N-no! no! It's not like that. We're friends, that's all."

Honestly, what was it with people today?

The man chuckled, throwing at him a knowing look. He then proceeded to prepare the bouquet carefully, listening to Adrien's corrections, and presented it to him once he finished.

"How does it look?"

"Perfect!" he picked up the bouquet.

"I hope the girl understands what you're trying to say with those flowers, son."

Smiling down to the flowers, he answered, "I hope so too."

After what happened with the Gamer, Marinette was already expecting the flowers. She didn't like that Chat spent so much money on buying flowers for her, but she'd grown to enjoy the unexpected presents she got every time they met.

Last time they'd seen each other it had been in the middle of the battle. The Gamer had been following her, she had been unable to escape, to transform… Then he came, ready to save her again.

The feeling of his arms around her while he carried her to safety had been so raw, so unlike anything she'd ever felt before. His heart beat like crazy against her chest, his hands cradled her body like she was a fragile doll, and she had never felt so treasured in all her life. It didn't matter they'd been at the exact same position multiple times, but that had been Ladybug, not Marinette, and that somehow changed it all.

She couldn't help but cling to him for dear life. Her body asked for things she couldn't comprehend, to stay just like this for as long as they both could, felling him alive and well against her chest. And god, wasn't it difficult to let him go, although she knew she would be meeting him again in the fight.

Those resurfacing feelings were way too confusing, and Marinette decided to put them aside for now. Some would say she was running away from them (and they would be correct), but she had more important things to focus on. Saving Paris was way more important than the fact that every time she thought of Chat's silly smile her heart skipped a beat just to increase its speed-

Goddamnit, stop.

She picked up the flowers and brought them directly to her room, ignoring Tikki's curious glances (she'd already pestered Marinette enough to start facing her feelings, and she was a bit annoyed with her). Surprisingly, that bouquet wasn't made of pink and white flowers like usual, but of bright yellows and soft whites that reminded her of the warmth of the summer.

She put the flowers on the vase, as usual, and breathed in their smell, as always. A soft smile tugged at her lips at the sweet aroma, and hundreds of designs danced against her closed eyelids.

Then Tikki began giggling on her shoulder.

Marinette's eyes snapped open and looked down at the kwami, confused. Tikki had her hands covering her mouth, and was basically bouncing where she was sitting. Her gaze was fixed on the flowers, and she could hear the squeals she was trying with all her might to cover. You would think that after receiving so many flowers she would've gotten used to it.

"What? What's wrong with the flowers?" she asked finally, curiosity gnawing on her.

She couldn't supress the squeal that came out of her lips that time. "Nothing! This is far from wrong!"

"Then, are you going to tell me what they mean?"

Tikki giggled. She looked at Marinette and giggled again, twirling and dancing in the air. She floated around, diving in the flowers and coming out again in the middle of the sea of white and yellow petals. She picked one of them, and showed it to Marinette.

"This is a white gardenia. It means purity and sweetness, they tell the receiver that they are lovely. Then, we have yellow chrysanthemum, which stands for secret admirer. Marinette! Chat Noir likes you!"

She stared at the flowers, her mind processing Tikki's words. Chat thought she was lovely? Chat liked her? Marinette, not Ladybug? Wh… what?

Tikki laughed as she saw Marinette blushing in a bright red, her eyes widened and hazy, and looking at the horizon. She flew from her spot on the flowers and touched her nose, getting the girl's attention. Said girl spluttered and her eyes widened some more, and she drew her hands up to cover her burning face.

"Isn't it great, Marinette? Chat Noir likes you for who you are, not because you're Ladybug!"

Marinette became a tight ball on the floor and squeaked in response. Tikki landed on her head, petting the loose threads of her pigtails. Who would've thought that this Chat Noir would be a romantic?

The cat and the ladybug were dancing around each other without any of them knowing, and Tikki couldn't help but think of all their predecessors. All of them were shielded by their identities, and by the end, every one of them had left them behind for something way greater than them. Love had been one of them.

And now that she saw Marinette, so innocent and with so many years before her, discovering what real love was for the first time, she felt warm inside. She felt so honoured, so blessed of watching her grow…

Tikki smiled secretively to the skies, thanking for her life alongside Marinette.

The next time she bumped into Chat again, she was in her room. It was a beautiful evening, and the light of the twilight came through the windows when she noticed movement outside. Raising her eyes to the window, she spotted something black moving out of the way, and she stood up quickly. Climbing up the stairs to her bed as fast as she could, she opened the hatch to her terrace and jumped up, trying to get a glimpse of him.

And there he was, jaw tense, hands gripped on his staff, and quickly getting away.

"Chat!" she called for him without thinking, and he stopped.

His shoulders were visibly stiff, and he didn't turn around immediately, worrying her to no avail. She was seriously thinking he'd turn tail and go, but he turned around instead, greeting her with a wide grin that didn't reach his eyes. He extended his baton and jumped to her terrace, bowing dramatically, in his face the perfect mask of cheerfulness.

Marinette hated it the second she saw it.

"Princess! Fancy meeting you here. I was just passing by, relishing the beautifulness of the twilight, but I am thrilled you stopped me. That way I can pay you… Marinette?"

It was then when he noticed her stand. She was hugging herself, eyes casted aside and mouth slightly pursed. She flinched when he muttered her name, and when she drew her eyes back to him, he had to stifle a gasp at the sadness he saw in those deep orbs.

"Chat, please, stop. You don't have to tell me anything, but please, don't lie to me. Don't try to make it seem like you're okay when I can clearly see you're not."

Chat felt her words like a blow to his stomach. He looked down, and he could see his hands shaking. He frowned, trying to regain his composure, but he knew it was useless. He ran a hand through his hair, a pained smile on his face.

"You know me too well, Marinette."

He turned around and put his arms on the banister, looking at the sunset. Then, some seconds later, he could feel her doing the same, standing beside him silently.

"My home is very quiet," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the horizon, "I should be used to it; I kind of am, if you think about it, but there are some days where I can't stand it. Everything's so quiet, so still, that it gives me shivers. It's numbing and stifling at the same time. I had to get away today, I couldn't stand it anymore."

He could feel more than see her head turning to look at him. He continued talking.

"It wasn't like this before, you know? My home was big, but it was far from being empty. But now… now everything's different, and I still need to get my head around it. I got out to escape from it, but no matter where I go, it follows me." He shuddered. Then, he whispered something he didn't like to admit, even to himself, "I don't know what to do…"

He felt her warmth on his side. He looked down, just to see her leaning on his shoulder, eyes closed. Her long lashes were damp, and he hated himself for it.

"Come here," she said after a while, "whenever you feel like this, please, come here. I won't pry, I won't ask you anything you don't feel comfortable sharing. But please, come to me." She opened her eyes, and looked directly at him. "I want to help you just as much as you've helped me. That's the least I could do."

"You… you want me here?" She nodded. "I won't be my usual self. I won't be able to joke around or have fun as always. I'll be angry, upset, or scared, and you'll suffer for it. And you'll still want me around?"

"Yes, I will."

He turned her around and hugged her, burying his head on the crevice of her neck. She then felt the dampness on her shoulder, and buried her hand in his hair, rubbing lightly his scalp. He felt him sigh and relax against her, and she closed her eyes, trying to make him feel he mattered to her.

He left without saying anything, but his eyes were lighter, albeit a bit puffy. And when she woke up, she immediately spotted the flowers lying in front of her. She picked them up, cradling in her hands like no other bouquet he'd given her before. The flowers were a sea of deep purples, shades of cyan and soft pinks, and her heart lurched at the sight.

Tikki observed her silently. "Do you need help to understand them?"

She caressed the pink wavy petals with her fingertips, her mind going around all the books and webpages she'd been reading until then. "Pink carnations, just like the ones I received some months ago. They express gratitude." She then picked up one purple flower and brought it to her face. "Larkspur. It stands for beautiful spirit. And Hydrangeas," she whispered, "gratitude for being understood."

She then looked down at the bouquet, and found that the flowers were tied with a pink ribbon. She tugged at the ends and undid the bow, the soft but sturdy silk slipping through her fingers.

Standing up, she placed the flowers in the vase, and started to get ready for school. Actually in time for once, she took her time getting dressed, looking at herself in the mirror when she finished. She picked up the ribbon and tied it on her head, making it look like a headband. The scent of the flowers had stuck on the cloth, and her lips tugged up slightly.

"Ready to go, Tikki?"

The kwami nodded and flew to her purse. Marinette made her way downstairs, surprising her parents – come on, she wasn't late all the time – and after having breakfast, she left to school, feeling satisfied that she didn't need to rush for once.

She bumped into Alya at the entrance of the Collège, and her eyes quickly landed on her hair.

"A change of hairstyle?"

"Yeah. You like it?"

Alya nodded. "Love it! I love your pigtails, but this hairstyle is sweet too."

"Thanks." She smiled at her, and both girls made her way to class. It looked surprisingly empty, with only two or three students already sitting on their seats. She brought her bag to her table and began looking for her tablet, when she heard a soft gasp. She looked up, and her eyes met Adrien's.

"H-hi Adrien," she said, waving at him. He blinked, then smiled at her, something akin to playfulness in his eyes.

"Good morning, Marinette. Nice headband."

"Thank you." She reached for the loose ends on the back of her head, where the knot was hidden, and smiled at them. "It was a gift."

She looked up again, and was surprised to see the soft blush on Adrien's cheeks. What was it? was it something she'd said? However, he seemed to recompose quickly and coughed awkwardly.

"I-it looks good on you."

He turned around before he could thank him, and she looked at him with confusion. What was that?

Alya elbowed her, practically vibrating on her seat. She eyed at the blonde boy, then looked back at Marinette, a hand cupping

her mouth. "What exactly was that, girl?"

Marinette just shrugged at her, but instead of looking at the blonde's back, just as she'd have done months ago, she looked down again to her ribbons, then outside to the window, a soft sigh coming from her lips. And in the whole morning, her thoughts were filled with glowing green eyes and a devilish smile.

Christmas was getting near, and Marinette had never felt happier. She felt as though she finally knew what she was doing with her life, instead of trying to survive each day without dying of mortification.

Alya, Nino, Adrien and she had started hanging out together more, and every time they met, it was funnier than the one before. It was also getting easier and easier to talk to Adrien, and she couldn't help but feel thrilled by it. Finally, she could be a normal person around him, and she was getting to know him better for whom he was, not for what the magazines said about him.

To be honest, he sometimes reminded her of Chat Noir. It wasn't something very noticeable, just tiny details here and there; like when he would throw in an awful pun casually and then looked at them like the cat who ate the canary, waiting expectantly for their reactions (mostly groaning, maybe one snort here and there). Or maybe it was how his eyes would twinkle when he was about to take a rash decision.

Maybe that had been it, she thought, maybe it had been the memory of him what had made her lose her fidgeting and hesitance around Adrien.

Talking about the cat, he'd make it an habit to visit her after that time. He was all face-splitting smiles and teasing banter, something she was relieved to see back on the catboy's face. The only time that it had reminded her of that raw hurt was when he'd told her he'd be alone on Christmas eve. Naturally, she'd invited him to come over.

She couldn't fight against those big, round puppy eyes when he pouted.

It'd been more than a year since she started being Ladybug, and it payed of. She felt calmer, more confident. All the times she'd let her bad temper overcome her had taught her an important lesson; that if she let her bad feelings rule her, everything went awry, so she'd tried her hardest to try to control her temper, and it became easier and easier as time went on.

But of course, Chloe came to test her patience.

She always tried to block her mindless blabbering, knowing that acknowledging her badmouthing whoever her victim was at the moment wouldn't do her any good. It often worked, to the point that she blocked her without trying, but sometimes, her shrills and hurtful words trespassed her anti-Chloe walls risen in her head, and she had to physically stop herself from jumping at the blonde.

Today's words had been Chat Noir.

"Look at Ladybug!" Chloe said, shoving her phone to Sabrina, who had to make an effort to stop the device from falling to the floor, "she looks so perfect in every picture, even though they are in the middle of the battle. But look at Chat Noir, sprawled on the floor, being an annoyance as always."

Marinette's eyebrow twitched and she rose her eyes to look at both girls. Grave mistake. Chloe snatched her phone from Sabrina's hands, and began scrolling down with a face of distaste.

"Ugh, so useless. Even when he came to protect me from the painting Akuma, he left as soon as Ladybug wasn't out of sight. And he wasn't there when the painting guy came again! What a low excuse of a side-kick, always getting possessed, or unconscious; he can't even protect one single civilian! And he leaves Ladybug to fix all his mistakes. I'm sure she would be better without him."

Every word felt like punches in her stomach. She gritted her teeth all the time Chloe had been speaking, but it were her final words that made her bolt from her seat, fists clenched at her sides.

She must had made some noise when she did, it, because Chloe was now looking at her with distaste.

"What do you want, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

She hated how Chloe pronounced her name.

"You take that back," she said through gritted teeth

"Take what back? You'll have to be more specific than that."

"What you said about Chat Noir. It was wrong and totally uncalled for."

Chloe stood up and cocked her hips, resting a hand on it. She looked at her with a sneer. "Oh, I don't know. What I said was the truth. Chat Noir is useless as a superhero."

"No, he's not! I dare you pull out half of the things he does when he's battling an Akuma, see how it goes then."

She waved a hand dismissively. "You're crazy, right? I've got no superpowers, but if I had I'd be way better than him!"

"I seriously doubt that," Marinette muttered to herself. However, it'd been loud enough for Chloe to hear it.

"What was that!?"

"The truth! Even though you had superpowers, that doesn't make you a superhero! A superhero has to be kind, responsible, and put the safety of others before themselves! Have you seen how many times he's thrown himself on the way to protect civilians from Akuma? To protect Ladybug? If she'd received half of the blows he'd covered, there would be no Ladybug anymore. In my opinion, Chat Noir is more of a superhero than Ladybug."

"You're crazy! There's no way in hell that mangy cat is better than Ladybug. She's the one who comes with the clever plans and purifies the Akumas, the one who fixes everything that's broken, who brings people back. If there was no Ladybug, Paris would be doomed."

"And that's why they're a team! Ladybug's and Chat Noir strengths balance each other, and that makes them work as flawlessly as they do now! They're partners, and they'd be lost without each other." She took a deep breath and continued, her voice calmer. "I've been protected by Chat Noir too once or twice, and he did brilliantly on his own. I would bet my life on him as I would bet it in Ladybug."

An ugly smile came to Chloe's face, her eyes twinkling maliciously. "Oh? Maybe the truth is that you have a crush on him, and that's what makes you so defensive of him. The stupid cat and the baker's daughter, a match made in heaven."

All the fight left from her body as the blonde sneered those words. She realized that, no matter what she said, it wouldn't change the opinion of someone not willing to listen. She sat down again, shaking her head.

"If you opt to say this instead of using solid arguments, this discussion is useless. Think what you want, Chloe, I'm tired of speaking to you."

She rose her anti-Chloe walls, ignoring her screeching and turned to her friends, who looked at her with something akin to amazement in their faces. Alya's face split in a face-splitting grin, patting her shoulder excitedly.

"You go, girl! You're totally right! I didn't realise we were taking Chat Noir a bit for granted. Maybe I need to give the black cat more appreciation in the Ladyblog?"

Marinette let herself smile. "I'm sure he'd love that, and Ladybug too."

She turned to face the boys, but she was struck with how red Adrien's face was. His mouth was slightly ajar, and there was something in his eyes that made her want to shiver from head to toe, yet there was something somewhat familiar in it, even though she was sure she'd never seen him with such an intense look. She would have combusted in the place otherwise.

However, instead of feeling like she was about to burst, she felt warm inside, like a memory of something that had been there – that still was; he'd been her first love, after all, and that just didn't go away – but her heart no longer beat like crazy.

So, that was it? Had Chat Noir buried himself too deep in her heart that he'd put Adrien aside? Chat Noir, the mysterious boy that kept on surprising her every time they met, every time he showed a part of himself he didn't know.

However, as much as she wanted to bury herself in her daydreaming, Adrien still hadn't said anything, and it was beginning to worry her.

"Adrien, are you okay?"

That seemed to snap him out of his thoughts, and he shook his head, his hair looking a bit wilder because of it.

"Fine! I-I just… I need to go." He bolted from his seat and left the classroom, ignoring that Mme Bustier had just come in to start the class. The three boys threw similar looks of confusion and concern to the door.

"Is he okay?" Marinette asked Nino, who just shrugged.

Adrien didn't come back to class. All of them kept sneaking glances to either the door or their phones, but he didn't answer any of his texts.

When school finished, Marinette made her way home, still worried about the blond boy. Once she arrived to her room, she dropped her bag to the floor and lied on the chaise, feeling mentally drained. She buried her head on the cushion, rubbing the numbness away, then turned her head to the side.

And then's when she saw them.

She scrambled to her feet and rushed to her desk, where a new bouquet was resting on a vase she'd never seen in her life. She studied the fresh flowers, and her breath caught in her chest when she got the meaning of the flowers.

White carnations stood proudly in full bloom. They meant pure love.

In the sea of white, fuchsia stripes of amaranths gave the bouquet colour and warmth. They meant never-fading feelings.

And then, hidden in the middle of them, a single daffodil rested, once again telling her of his uncertainty.

"You dumb cat, why do you feel uncertain?" She smiled softly at the flowers. "You already have my heart."

She couldn't wait to see him again. She couldn't wait to tell him about her feelings, but days went by and he didn't come. It wasn't like they had a schedule or something, but he'd never spent so long without visiting. She met him at patrols and when they fought random Akumas, but Ladybug couldn't ask him why he wasn't visiting Marinette, now could she?

She woke up the morning of the 24th of December with an idea. She told Tikki about it, who thought it was brilliant, and both of them went out to buy what she needed for it. It was a short trip, and that left her with way too much time to overthink what she was planning to do.

Was it really a good idea? What if Chat hadn't meant to leave those messages in his flowers, and it all was a crazy coincidence? She was going to make a fool of herself, wasn't she?

Tikki managed to calm her down a bit and make her stick to the plan. After having dinner with her parents, she gathered everything she needed for her plan. She let her hair loose, tying his ribbon in a bow on the top of her head, and she threw a heavy blanket on herself. She stepped out to the terrace, her eyes trained on the skyline of Paris with avid eyes, trying to spot the dark-clad figure running on the rooftops.

And there he was.

She felt her heart pounding wildly at the sight of him, relief filling her instantly. He'd come!

She adjusted the blanket around herself and waited until he landed in front of her. His face wore his usual grin, but there was something off about him. He looked… nervous?

"Merry Christmas, Marinette!" he said chirpily, bowing dramatically. She found herself chuckling at the sight of it. She'd really missed him.

"Merry Christmas, Chat Noir. I was wondering if you were going to show up."

He flinched slightly. "Uh, I just-"

She shook her head at his discomfort with a fond smile. "I'm only teasing, Chaton. Actually…" she fidgeted on her feet slightly and oh, god, she could feel her face heating up. "I-I've got a present for you."

His eyes widened. "Marinette, you didn't need to give me anything! You didn't even know if I was coming."

"Shut up. You promised you'd come, and here you are. I just wanted to make you a gift – don't think I didn't notice you've kept your left hand hidden all this time."

He chuckled, and brought his hand out of its hiding, showing that, indeed, he'd brought a present with himself. He placed it on the table, and then turned around, looking at her expectantly. She bit her lip in hesitation, but nodded to herself – she had to do it.

Making sure the blanket wouldn't fall from her shoulders, she took out a pink rose and gave it to him. He placed his clawed fingers around its stem, holding it carefully, and he turned it a bit, looking at the flower with curiosity. Finally, his eyes widened a bit, and she knew he'd finally caught up with its meaning.

I admire you and appreciate all you've done for me.

Then, she brought out a jonquil, its white petals shining subtly under the moonlight. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath before he accepted it with trembling fingers.

I return your feelings.

Then, finally, she took out a yellow tulip, and her eyes didn't waver from his face this time. She could see the awe radiating from his cat-like eyes, which went from the flower, to her face, to the flower again. He shuddered, but instead of picking the flower he stepped closer, cupping her face with a hand. she closed her eyes, leaning on the touch.

"Say it out loud, please," he mumbled with hoarse voice.

"I love you."

He shuddered from head to toe, and his eyes looked misty all of the sudden. He placed the flowers on the table beside the present, and cupped her face with his both hands. Marinette moved closer, and the movement made the blanket fall to the floor. She didn't feel the cold anyway.

"I love you too," he said, voice thick with emotion.

"I know. You've told me with your flowers."

He leaned in, brushing his lips with hers in invitation. She closed the gap, and their lips met fully for the second time, but that kiss conveyed their love for each other, not only the need to save a partner. Her hand travelled to his hair, tangling her fingers with his surprisingly soft hair, and he groaned in response. His arms embraced her waist, tugging her closer until there was no air between them, until their breaths mingled, until their hearts beat into each other's chests.

They both slowed down the kiss until their lips were brushing again, calmness filling them. Neither of them felt willing to move.

Chat was the one who drew back first, and his expression was so earnest and warm that made her heart race wildly again. His eyes trained on her face, as if he was trying to memorise the moment. Then, as his eyes reached her hair, she could see the beginning of a grin shaping his lips.

"So… you were my present all along. You're very good at picking gifts, Princess." He tugged at her bow teasingly, careful not to undo it. Her face became fifty shades of red, and she squawked before freeing herself from his embrace.

"I can't believe you're making fun of me!"

Chat chortled and stepped closer to her again, determined not to let her escape this time. "I'm not! ayour present was perfect! Best present of the world. I love it."

His grin turned in a smirk when he saw her so bothered because of him, and he could feel the heat of her flaming cheeks against his fingertips.

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"Can you blame me?"

Her face softened. "I guess not. Do you want to come in? I have hot chocolate and cookies. How does that sound?"

"Honestly? It sounds pawsome."

Marinette let the pun slide – she was feeling way too happy to groan, anyway – and opened the hatch to her room, throwing the blanket inside before jumping to her bed. Chat followed soon, bringing the flowers and the present with him.

She brought up two mugs of chocolate and a plate filled of cookies, and they talked, and laughed and kissed until they both fell asleep in a warm embrace.

The present Chat got her was a necklace with a ladybug pendant. He'd had his suspicions for a while, but after her scolding to Chloe, and her emphasis put in the they are partners part, sounding way too much like LB, it just clicked.

Marinette discovers who he is at Christmas day, as they had both fallen asleep in her bed, and she wakes up to an asleep Adrien hugging her. She chokes in surprise, and the sound awakes him. He looks at her in drowzy confusion, then at his untransformed arms and says sleepy, "looks like the cat's out of the bag."

She swats at him, but they fall asleep again.

Oh, and they both bought the flowers at the same flower shop. The florist is their n1 shipper.