The Scarf for Two

3 - The order

Warning! "Zombizou" and "Glaciator" spoilers below!

Unexpectedly, Cat Noir blushed. Despite embarrassment, he couldn't lie:

"About La-Ladybug."

"About Ladybug?" Marinette whispered with astonishment.

"Uhm, yeah." He nodded and stared at the darkness.

"But... Why?" she took all her courage to ask.

"Well, I told you once..." he hesitated, and she was out of breath. They shouldn't start this topic. It didn't help to solve her dilemmas at all! "It's just that... You know, Ladybug and I are partners. I think she's my best friend. I trust her immensely. And she seems to reciprocate at least this feeling..."

Marinette held back a sigh. She heard that note of regret as he emphasized the words "at least this feeling." On the other hand, she felt so happy hearing how much Cat Noir respected their friendship.

"I'm sure she does..." she whispered.

He glanced at her and added:

"The problem is that we don't know each other in the civilian lives. Can you imagine I don't even know when she has her birthday?"

Marinette giggled. Actually, she could tell him that Ladybug's birthday was very soon.

"I'd like to do something nice for her." He continued. "You know, at least to give her a birthday present. But how can you do that if you don't know the date?"

"You still can give it to her any other day." She said simply.

"You think she won't mind?"

"The present?!" she laughed. "She's a girl. Of course, she won't mind! Just buy her something pretty."

"Well... I'd like to give her something exceptional. Something that cannot be bought in the store. I think that all that happened today was because of we're not nice enough for each other." Cat Noir said. "Miss Bu... The teacher was akumatised because Hawkmoth told her he'd help her to make people nice to each other."

"It's not true." Marinette denied. "She... She..."

"Princess?" Cat Noir jumped off the railing, seeing that the girl started to panic.

"She was attacked, because she defended me..." Marinette admitted and started crying.

And Cat Noir instinctively embraced her and hugged her.

***

Time passed, and Cat Noir had no idea how long they had been standing hugged. He was stroking her head, she was crying. All emotions subdued during the day had been released. She couldn't stop them anymore.

"Hey, it's not your fault..." he murmured, when he heard she'd started to control herself.

"Not true" she denied, sniffling. "I was really mad at Chloe. It was so unfair! And then this butterfly arrived. The akuma. I was horrified. They've never... I've never been attacked before. I've always thought... that I'm safe."

"You're one of the most cheerful people in the world, Princess. I can't imagine that Hawkmoth would be able to send the akuma on you."

"Yet, he did. And Miss Bustier... She... She wanted to keep it away. I saw her defeat, I saw her fighting against all those things Hawkmoth was saying to her. And I saw... I saw when she gave up. That was terrible!" suddenly her voice broke and she was about to start crying again.

"I can imagine, how you feel. It's too much, isn't it?" Cat Noir sighed and hugged her again.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Marinette that he didn't even know how much it was in fact. She couldn't tell him that the whole class – person by person, including Chloe! – had sacrificed themselves to let Ladybug save all of them. It was terrible – seeing those kissing zombies catching them: one by one. Especially when they caught Alya. And when Nino offered himself to stay there with his girlfriend, something huge grew in her heart. A deep emotion. With a little pinch of the jealousy – that she had no one to sacrifice for her.

No one? What a nonsense! Of course, she had someone like that. Someone who had sacrificed himself this day. And many times before. Someone, who was standing next to her right now. Someone, who had no idea who was standing next to him. Someone, who didn't know why this day had been so hard for her. Someone, to whom she promised a kiss...

"Thank you, Cat..." she whispered finally.

"For what?"

"For comforting me. For... uhm..." she hesitated. "For being nice to me."

"Always at your service, Purrincess!" He grinned in reply.

Marinette did her best to not roll her eyes. It would be too much Ladybug-like.

"I think I can do something for you." She said instead.

"What? No! I didn't comfort you to get something back!" He protested, and she giggled.

"I can help you with the present you wanted to give your Ladybug."

"She's not mine." He sighed.

"Let it be." She nodded. "I can help you with the present you wanted to give not-your Ladybug."

"Really? You could do it?" he smiled.

"You know, I can design things. And I can sew too. So... You can order something."

"Anything?"

"Anything. Well, maybe except underwear..." she added quietly, and Cat Noir flushed.

"I wouldn't even..." he began, but he stopped, embarrassed.

"I think I'd kill myself if you ordered lingerie for Ladybug..." she murmured.

He looked at her in amazement, not really knowing how to interpret her words.

"Yes, I know, I've started the subject myself." She admitted. "Forget about it! So, what do you want me to do?"

"Except underwear..." he said with his catlike smile.

"Cat..." She sighed irritated. "I think I'll kill you instead of myself.".

"Ladybug will never forgive you if you do this."

"If she finds out that I have killed you because you wanted to buy her underwear, she will even help me to dig a grave." Marinette answered back, and Cat Noir began to laugh loudly. After a moment, Marinette joined him.

"So, what do you want me to prepare?" She came back to the matter when they had already finished laughing.

"I don't know..." he got lost in thoughts for a while. "Maybe... Maybe a scarf?"

"A scarf?" Marinette repeated in astonishment, and he blushed again.

"I have... I mean I've known someone... I mean... I think a scarf can be a nice present, don't you think?"

"I think that even a very nice present." She replied, and her thoughts went to a memory of the day when she had done one, particular scarf for Adrien. For his birthday.

"Can... Can you do that?"

"Oh, Cat! I can sew scarves with my eyes closed!" she laughed.

"Purrfect!" He smiled, and she mentally rolled her eyes.

"Any requirements? I mean the colour, pattern or deadline?"

"Er... I assume that the red scarf with black dots will be too cliché?"

"Oh, Cat... I'm afraid you have no idea about the fashion..."

Cat Noir only glanced at her and laughed.

"I should trust the professional then." He said after a while, winking at her.

"I'm not the professional. But I'll do my best. After all, it's a special order..."

"You know what?" he began shyly. "I think..."

"Yeah?"

"Could it be a... a green scarf?"

"Green?" she repeated in astonishment. "Ladybug likes green?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what's her favourite colour..." he said, embarrassed. "But... If it is a gift from me, I'd like it to... to remind Ladybug about me a little..."

Saying this he terribly blushed. And Marinette ran out of breath.