Miraculous Christmas in July 2020

Day 1 - Gift Exchange

Marinette hurried through the snow with her gift as quickly as she could, trying her hardest not to slip and fall. Salt had been sprinkled on the pavement in front of the school, but a fresh layer of snow had fallen, making everything slightly slippery again.

Marinette clutched her gift to her chest, taking a deep breath and feeling her lungs nearly get frosted over with how cold it was.

Reaching the front steps, she used a gloved hand to hold onto the railing, stepping up slowly and finding her footing before shifting her weight. She was buzzing with excitement, but if she was too eager, she would find herself with scrapes and bruises.

"Need some help?" someone asked, and she turned towards the sound of the voice, the words slightly muffled through her earmuffs.

Adrien stood at the top of the stairs, a gloved hand outstretched to her. She felt her fluttering heart melt away some of the snow that had accumulated on her coat, and she smiled brightly.

"Thanks," she said with a gentle laugh, taking a few more steps before she could reach his hand. Even though they both had gloves on, that little bit of contact made her cheeks a little redder than they already were from the cold.

Adrien helped her balance up the last few stairs, steadying her when she slipped just a little. She looked up at him with a sheepish laugh, noticing that his other hand was holding his present. She couldn't help but become curious as to who he'd gotten for Secret Santa, more excitement shooting through her veins.

"Wonder when the snow will let up," he said, drawing her eyes back to him. She smiled, taking one last glance out at the wintery scene before stepping into the school. It wouldn't be totally warm until they got into a heated classroom, but it was shelter from the wind and snow for the time being, so she was grateful.

They both stopped just inside of the door to kick the snow from their shoes and to brush the melted snowflakes from their arms and hair. She glanced at him every once and a while, remembering how he'd looked as Chat Noir last night doing the same thing just before he'd kissed her.

"Ready?" he asked, and she nodded promptly, wanting to take his hand just in case she slipped again. But she settled for walking next to him, holding her gift safely in her arms and grinning when she thought about giving it to him.

They ascended the stairs to Ms. Bustier's room, hearing the chatter from all their classmates before they stepped through the door. Once they did, soothing heat washed over their bodies, and they both slipped off their coats.

"Hey!" Nino called, fist-bumping Adrien and tipping his hat at Marinette, she smiled and said a polite hello, taking a look around the room before starting towards her seat.

Marinette loved the holiday season. Everything was so soft and gentle, and snuggling up under a warm blanket (with her secret boyfriend) had recently become one of her favorite ways to fall asleep. Plus, everyone seemed to be in a better mood more often. All of it made Marinette's smiles more abundant and brighter than ever.

"Alya!" she called, bringing her friends eyes up from her phone as she sat on their shared bench.

"Hey girl! Are you excited?" she asked, shooting a look at the gift in Marinette's arms.

"Totally! I can't wait to see what you'll get!" she grinned, sliding her bag off her shoulder and setting it on the ground.

"Did you read my blog post from last night?" Alya asked, and Marinette raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. Maybe if she hadn't been so deeply buried in Adrien's arms the previous night she would have had time for other leisurely activities. But that wasn't the case.