A Christmas Wish

<<6>>

Walking outside of the Agreste mansion the skies were still grey, but it looked as though the rain was finally gone, at least for now. Adrien decided that since he had been stuck in his bedroom for days, he wanted to walk to the markets. Marinette notice that Adrien's bodyguard followed a short way behind them. As they walked she felt his hand brush against hers. Without a second thought, Adrien took Marinette's hand lacing their fingers together. Neither of them said a word, but there was nothing awkward about the silence, just a warmth that radiated from their entwined hands. Marinette wasn't sure what it meant, him holding her hand like this, but she was in no way going to question it.

As they approached the market stalls, the mix of aromas from the different foods on offer had their tummies rumbling. Being so close to Christmas, the markets were crowded with people. Adrien scanned the tables full of diners, eventually spying a free one. He sat Marinette down at it so they wouldn't lose the table while we would go and get the food.

"Oh, here." Marinette was about to get her purse out when Adrien stopped her.

"After the gift of the tree and baubles, not to mention your beautiful company, I owe you much more than a bowl of soup." Marinette wanted to protest despite her blushing, but he wasn't going to have it. "Trust me, this place makes the best spiced pumpkin soup you have ever tasted." He threw a wink her way before he headed over to the vendor.

Marinette watched him as he walked over to join the line. He was wearing a long black tailored Gabriel coat which made his blonde hair stand out more. Marinette saw he stood a good head and shoulders taller than most of the people around him, thanks to that growth spurt he had last year. She had noticed Chat had grown much taller too at that same time. She touched her hand to the scarf again. Her mind wanted to tell her that Adrien couldn't be Chat Noir, but everything inside her was telling her heart it had to be true, that her kind, sunshine classmate she had been crushing on for years and her brave and loyal partner that she fought against loving were the same person. Just one look at the back of the scarf and she would know for sure.

"Tikki." She whispered. "Tikki I need your help." The little red Kwami popped her head out of Marinette's bag holding her phone to her.

"Here, hold this so you don't look like your talking to yourself again." Marinette had to laugh. It would have been more than once that Marinette had received strange looks for talking to her bag. She took the phone smiling at her clever Kwami and held it to her ear.

"Tikki, I think Adrien is Chat Noir!"

"What makes you say that?"

"This scarf." She replied, looking around as though she was talking into the phone. "It's the same one I made Chat last year, I'm sure of it." Tikki had to be careful. She wanted to shout out that Marinette was right but it was important that her chosen figure it out for herself.

"Is there something unique about the scarf? Would you be able to tell it's yours?" Marinette nodded. "Then why don't you look?" Her chosen looked down at her.

"I'm scared to. I told Chat that I could never be in love with him, that it was too dangerous. But if he's Adrien then I have been in love with him all along and Chat..." her eyes widened. "He's been in love with Ladybug...me." She shook her head. "No, not me. Adrien's been in love with Ladybug. He loves a mask, not Marinette."

Marinette looked towards where Adrien was at the vendor. He had been served and was waiting for the order. He turned to look for her and when their eyes found each other across the crowd his face lit up into a sunshine smile as he waved. Marinette still held her phone to her ear as she shyly smiled and waved back. Tikki watched from under the table.

"Are you so sure he doesn't love Marinette?" Tikki asked, Plagg's conversation ringing in her ears. The bluenette looked back down at the scarf. Maybe he is her Kitty, and maybe she did love both sides of him, but would Adrien only love her if he knew she was Ladybug? Could he love the girl behind the mask? "Are you going to check the scarf?" Tikki queried. Marinette shook her head.