A LadyNoir Christmas

            Adrien picked up another silvery sphere and silently hooked it onto a green branch. It swayed gently before settling into place. The blonde boy took a step back to admire his work, but he was unable to enjoy it. The silver orbs hung uniformly on the tree, sorely lacking the joy and fun that he ached for. He stepped closer to the tree again and gazed at his reflection in one shining ornament. He lifted it and his eyes began to water. Golden hair, green eyes. He was the spitting image of his mother.

The silence hurt. This was Adrien's second Christmas without his mother. He remembered the years where he and his parents would hang colorful ornaments together as a family, laughing and smiling. Christmas music would play in the background, and sometimes his mother would sing, her beautiful voice clear, angelic, and full of delight. Then she'd kiss her husband underneath the mistletoe, and they'd urge their son to go to bed, teasing that Santa Clause wouldn't come if he didn't. They'd all laugh once again.

The memories came hard and fast. Adrien dropped the ornament, and it shattered at the same time he did. The crash killed the silence and peace that had held him together. He ran upstairs to his room, his eyes prickling with hot tears.

"Plagg, transform me!" he cried out through his tears. He leapt out the window mid-transformation and jumped from rooftop to snowy rooftop. He just wanted to keep moving and run from the pain. The cold woke up his senses. He was alert and energized. The snow crunched under his boots as he ran, not stumbling once. Finally, he collapsed, out of breath, on a flat rooftop caked with a few inches of soft white snow.

He hadn't felt anything while he ran, but now he was alone with his thoughts. He let the tears fall, dropping rapidly onto the snow and leaving marks in its smooth white surface. He didn't know how long he sat there, crying, but after a while he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, kitty?"

Chat Noir recognized his lady's voice immediately. He looked up and saw her bright red suit standing out in the dark night.

"Nothing." Chat Noir quickly wiped his eyes with the backs of his gloved hands, but the tears still flowed. "I was just...thinking, that's all."

Ladybug sat down in the cold snow next to her partner, her arm around his shoulders. "Well, I'm here if you want to talk about it. And, um..." The dark-haired girl pulled a small wrapped box from behind her back. "I brought you a little something. Merry Christmas."

Chat Noir untied the green ribbon on the box and lifted the lid. It was filled with beautifully frosted cookies. The detailing on the cookies was incredibly intricate: tiny red ladybugs, delicate snowflakes, perfect cats, and more.

"I made them myself. I hope you like them." Ladybug smiled.

"Wow, m'lady. I didn't know you could bake." Chat took a bite of one of the cookies. "Mmm," he moaned in pleasure. The cookie was absolutely perfect. "This tastes amazing."

Ladybug laughed. "Thanks. I'm glad you think so."
The duo sat quietly for a moment, watching over the city of Paris. Paris was always beautiful, especially at night, but on that night, it was exceptionally so. Christmas lights were strung everywhere and shone brightly in every color imaginable. Snow glittered as it fell to the already covered ground.

"Ladybug?" Chat spoke quietly.

"Hmm?" Ladybug responded.

"I think I'm ready to talk about it." Ladybug nodded, showing that Chat had her full attention. "Well," he began, unsure what to say. "Christmas is kind of...difficult for me, I guess. This is my second Christmas without my mom. I mean, it's hard all year round, but it's the worst around Christmas. That's when my family's best memories were always made. And now that she's gone... it's different. She's not there anymore and my father has changed because of it. He doesn't laugh anymore, he hardly even smiles. He completely isolates himself. He's just... cold and empty. Last year's Christmas went wrong with all of that 'Bother Christmas' business, but it all came together in the end. But this year, I'm spending Christmas alone. And I just keep thinking of the way things used to be and wishing it was like that now." Tears streamed quietly down the hero's face.