Quiet Ice, Silent Nights

Her Song

"Cat?"

"Yes Princess?"

Marinette folded her arms around herself for warmth, leaning against the railing of her balcony and looking up at her perched feline friend, ready to flee into the steadily lightening night.

He looked down at her with a tired smile, having had a fantastic time watching her skate but now in great need of a cat nap before school.

"I was going to ask, that song you were humming. What was it?"

Cat Noir stiffened, an uneasy chuckle slipping out as he reached up to scratch lightly at the back of his neck. If she didn't know better she'd say he almost looked sheepish.

"It's not a real song. Or well, it is I guess but I made it up."

She gasped, turning to grip the railing in her hands and standing on her tippy-toes. She didn't look tired at all it was completely unfair.

"You made up that song?! But it's so pretty!"

He grinned playfully, his belt tail curling on its own accord. "Oh what since it's pretty I couldn't have made it?"

Their breath made white clouds as they laughed, the chill not bothering either of them very much, drawing out their interaction if only for a few more minutes.

"I just didn't know you were so good with music is all," she qualified, tilting her head cutely in the way she did when she was curious. "Do you sing?"

"Sing? No, no not on your life," he laughed, shaking his head at the very idea. He could sing, but he definitely chose not to if he had the option. Humming was different. "No, I play piano though. That's what I wrote the song on."

She gasped cutely again and it made him chuckle.

"I wanna hear it!" she surprised him by saying, the cat almost losing his balance as he turned his body to more easily face her. "I want to hear the whole song! What's it called?"

"Wait what!?" he blurted out, tail twitching nervously at the thought of actually playing it for her, but there was no way he could say that. He had no room to talk since she had just spent two hours skating so he could watch. But this was different, it was way more embarrassing (in his opinion). The song was actually about her. Oh there was no way he could tell her that.

"Please Cat? It would be fun I think, for me to see something you're good at. I showed you ice skating!"

"I was not aware this was an eye for an eye type situation when I got involved," he pouted, tail continuing to twitch and curl until it wrapped around his boots almost moodily.

"Will you really not even tell me what it's called?" she whined, bouncing a little as she pleaded with him.

He felt hot in the face as he searched for an answer.

"I-it doesn't have a title," he lied, knowing full well that it did, but her eyes narrowed, catching on to him instantly. She didn't press or interrogate further, she could tell he was cracking.

"You'd laugh at me if I told you," he added a moment later, still frying under her gaze as she continued to stare silently, until finally he sighed. "Okay, fine it's- it's called- don't laugh. It's called Ice Flower."

She didn't laugh like he had feared, in fact her reaction was probably more nerve wracking than laughing. She blushed, and he was instantly extremely embarrassed.

"This was before tonight! And I had seen you skate before for those few minutes and, well I sorta- I was playing and-"

"That's so sweet," she cut him off, his eyes widening as she smiled nervously, a blush still prominent on her face. His own was probably no better. "You wrote a song because you saw me dancing?"