Marinette's Secret Santa

4: Mr. Snowmonster

With nothing else to do, Adrien decides to use his special ability to sneak off into the night in search of a gift for Marinette. Chasing the goal of buying a gift, Adrien as Chat Noir dashes from his window on the Paris rooftops.

By the time the moon is at its highest, Chat Noir has failed to find anything for Marinette. Many shops were closed when he arrived and what little was still open was not the type to browse.

Defeated, Chat Noir hops the roofs back to his home, but just as he was passing 12 Rue Gotlib he caught the eye of a familiar face. He stopped to hide behind a billboard to spy.

Marinette had bundled herself up with a soft blanket and a just as soft pink scarf as she sat on her balcony. The winter night paints her warm breath into the sky. She scrunches her legs to her body to keep what little warmth she has.

Chat noticed how cold she was and didn't hesitate to rush over to confront her.

"Marinette!" He shouted, scaring her out of her seat.

"Chat Noir?!" Marinette stumbled back into the chair.

"What are you doing out in this cold? You could get sick!"

"I'm fine." She hummed, adjusting the blanket back over her shoulders. "I just came out here for some fresh air is all."

Chat was taken aback. How could she be so calm when it was so cold?

"Besides, I could ask the same of you. Why are you out in this cold?" Marinette questions.

"I had an errand to run. Had to buy a gift for someone."

Marinette notices his empty arms. "Didn't find anything?"

"Nothing." He perches himself on the railing.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. Is it for Ladybug?"

"No, someone else." He stares off into the landscape of France.

"Oh," Marinette ponders who Chat could be shopping for. She notices his breath floating in the air. "Come here." She jesters for him to sit and share the blanket.

"No, I'm fine."

Marinette leans up, removing the light pink scarf. "At least take this. Super Heros get cold too." Chat leans so she can wrap the thing around his neck and ears.

"Thank you."

The two were closer now than before. Chat looked into her eyes and smirked which made Marinette blush and giggle. The laugh made him happy.

Snow starts to trickle down as the two stare into each other's eyes. Snowflakes land on their heads. A single snowflake falls on Chat's nose and without a thought, Marinette leans forward and rubs his nose with hers. The cat is taken aback, pulling away from her and then instantly regretting it, leaving Marinette embarrassed as she realizes what she just did.

Chat thought she was cute as she tried hiding her face in her blanket. He cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand to lift her face.

"Mari-"

BOOM!

Chat broke his focus on Marinette and listened as crashes and yelling followed the loud sound. He looked back at Marinette. "Super Heroes are never off the clock."

Marinette enters her room through her trap door as Chat Noir takes off after the sound.

Tikki flies out from behind a cupboard.

"Looks like Chat's right, Super Heroes are never off the clock." Marinette grins at her Kwamii friend.

In the streets of Paris, Chat Noir is taunting a giant snowman monster with his staff and a few puns. The monster swats at the cat who dodges. Just as the snowman was going to swat again, a yo-yo catches the monster's arm. Confused, the monster turns around but is tripped by the yo-yo string pulling him flat on his face.

Our yo-yo-armed Ladybug gracefully lands next to Chat Noir with a successful grin and pose.

"Lovely to see you on this December night Ma'Lady." Chat bows at his partner to make her laugh.

"I'd like to say lovely weather we're having but I don't care for the cold." Ladybug banters.

"Bet you wished you had one of these about now." Chat rubbed his pink scarf against his face.

"Well, not if your snot is all over it."

"Hey!"

"But look. The snow. It's piling up everywhere."

"Don't suppose our new buddy has anything to do with it don't ya?" Chat pokes fun at the snowman who retaliates with a roar, blowing cold air at the heroes.

Frozen, the two rush off to the rooftops for a better angle as the monster gets up to his feet. "He didn't like that." Ladybug stated through her sharp breaths.

"You're telling me."

A giant snowball hurls through the blistering air at them and in the split second, Chat grabs Ladybug and moves them out of the way.

Ladybug looks back at the snowman and notices something familiar about it. "Tell me that snowman looks like a certain ice cream monster we fight."

Chat turns to look and ponders comedically. "Ya know, I think you're right. Just instead of ice cream, it's snow. Yeah, like that makes sense."

"I'm serious! What if Aundre got akumatized again?"

"Then wouldn't he be ice cream?"

"Drop the ice cream! I mean it!"

"Okay, so then we pretend to be a couple again. Problem solved."

"I guess." Ladybug takes Chat Noir's arm and the two stroll up to the monster who watches intently. They embrace one another tightly. Ladybug shuts her eyes and focuses on the warmth of Chat Noir, pulling him closer. Chat makes sure to cover her ears from the wind and tightens his grip around her waist. He can't resist her warmth.

The monster ponders then roars his icy breath again. Chat quickly takes his staff and shields them from the ice.

"What now?!"

"Now," Ladybug uses the cover of her partner to use her special power. "Lucky Charm!"

From the magical ladybugs drops a red and black-spotted scarf which she wraps around her neck.

"Good! At least now you'll be warm!" Chat jokes even from holding back the ice.

Ladybug looks around with her special view, catching Chat and the two scarves in her plan. "I've got it!" Ladybug takes her yo-yo and pulls them from the stream of ice.

"Got a plan?"

"Of course." Ladybug fixes the two scarves around Chat's head and neck being sure to cover his ears and the bottom portion of his face. "The object has to be inside of the Snowmonster. I need you to go inside and Cataclysm it."

"Me? Really? But it's already so cold out here! How do you think I'll stand it inside the monster?"

"You'll be fine! You've been swallowed before."

"But not by a snowman!" Chat wasn't too pleased by this, but with an uplifting hug from Ladybug, he felt a little better.

"I know you can do this." She whispered to him as she held him tightly.

"As long as you believe in me Ma'Lady." Chat hugged back.

Chat stood on the roof of a shop and yelled at the monster. The snowman roared at him as he charged and leaped into its belly.