12-25-21, 8:55 am

Eunice stood up to open the window and get a bit of air in. Sabrina and she caught up to the happy kids opening their very own gifts, their laughs of delight being brought by the winter breeze.

"Thank you Marinette!" exclaimed all of them simultaneously.

Digging into the nearly empty bag, one of them spoke up. "Huh...who's this one for? Can I have it?" asked a little girl, Julianne, with beady eyes.

Marinette only laughed. "That's not an extra Lianne, that's for Eunice." Julianne ruefully handed the well-wrapped gift to the confused Eunice.

"You...really shouldn't have." Eunice held it in disbelief. "This isn't your own money isn't it?"

"It is, actually. Don't worry about it," said Marinette. "I won a spelling bee competition just a month ago, won a check, and bought these in advance."

"Ah! I remember. You used to practice with Axel and Louise in the other room, right? You were so nervous." She giggled. "But...thank you, really. I'll check it out later," said Eunice, putting the gift aside.

"No worries. If not a Christmas gift, then a thank you gift," said the blunette.

Her head craned. "Thank you? For what?"

"Your mom made me an assistant! I was over the moon," said Marinette, eyes sparkling like the lights hanging across the room.

"Hey, congrats! I didn't know that was possible for second dan." Eunice clapped her hands. "Mom kinda had trouble with constant lessons and homeschooling me at the same time. All I could do was get her favorite caramel macchiato. You deserve it though, you'd been working so hard with extra lessons. I'm glad she chose you to help.

"Anyway I'll have to clean this mess up," said Eunice with dread, looking at the pieces of wrapping paper scattered on the floor.

"I'll help," said Axel, the eldest among the orphans, gleefully.

"Someone's in a good mood. Like your camera's new neck strap, hm?" Marinette raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe," hummed Axel, running to the other room to get a broom.

Marinette looked back to Chat Noir. He'd been silent for some time. "I see you guys have met Chat Noir..."

"I've been here for only some minutes, and I'm almost as close to them as you are," said Chat Noir proudly.

"I shouldn't have brought you up"—she crossed her arms—"and you say Ladybug's haughty."

Charles immediately questioned, "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Perhaps soon," said Chat Noir simply.

Marinette laughed. "What? This pathetic boy?"

"But Chat is really cool! He saves Paris all the time, and has a lot of fans," said Louise with great enthusiasm.

The other kids began raving on and on about the adventures Chat Noir had told them about the past hour. Their laughs rang beautifully to the ear, as they all explained what he had said in great detail. Although Marinette hadn't really hoped for the hero's appearance, the enthusiastic chatter of the orphans was exactly what she had come for.

It was Louise in particular who loved stories no matter the genre, thus, her gifts of fairytale storybooks. "Then he helped Ladybug escape, and he somehow knew the villain's akuma was in his boutonniere!"

"I'm sure it's Ladybug who mostly does the work, Louise. You shouldn't be fooled by everything Chat Noir says," Marinette told her in a calm yet irritated voice, earning a perplexed glance from the boy in black.

"That's only because she bosses me around," said Chat Noir, his nose scrunching up as though he'd taken a bite of a lemon.

"Maybe because you don't do your job right?" she criticized.

"Not true..." he insisted. "Er— well, she did give me a chance the last akuma. It caught me off guard, but it felt nice to be treated as an equal," said Chat Noir admittedly.

Marinette sighed, quite relieved she'd chosen to change how she treated him during battles. It did feel nice not to belittle him all the time, even if he would. His insults weren't that offensive anyway.

"Hot chocolate!" shouted Axel happily as he and Eunice held trays of hot chocolate enough for everyone. The children stood up in excitement, running to the two to either help them or get their drink.

Chat Noir saw Marinette's lips stretch to a rare smile as she looked at them, teeth showing just a bit. 

It blossomed onto her face so delicately that it made him smile too. Ever since the girl had walked in, he could sense the connection between her and the children. She treated them so well.

The girl—as sweet as the pastries she would bake—was always willing to help those in need. Be it stray animals, the needy, or orphans.

Like mother.

Behind her severe attitude towards him, Chat Noir could tell she would trust his intentions soon. He admired her so much.

The boy's gaze remained unwavering; it felt like the world stopped for just a moment, that the heavy snowfall ceaselessly falling, the rapid talk in the background, and the outside noise were all barely noticeable. How could a girl be so beautiful?

"What are you looking at?" she grumbled.

"Someone just very pretty," said Chat Noir, palm resting on his chin.

"Ew." She stood up and went to get her hot chocolate.

How many times has she said that to me already? Chat rubbed his nape and murmured, "Cute."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

The children including the older ones gathered around Eunice to hear one of the stories Marinette had gifted, whilst drinking their hot chocolate topped with fluffy white marshmallows. The entire ambiance was warm and comforting; the hero wouldn't choose to be anywhere else.

Though at the corner of his eye, he caught a little boy away from the others, sitting in a corner with his nose in a book. His drink was untouched, and growing cold. His light brown eyes were engrossed and determined. The kid sort of reminded him of someone.

Chat Noir patted Marinette's shoulder to get her attention. "Psst."

"What?" She shrugged his gloved hand off.

"Look," said Chat, pointing to the boy who seemed to be secluding himself.

He could see Marinette's eyebrows rise immediately, her frown turning into an upset expression. "He's just like you."

"That's different. He should be enjoying," said Marinette with a grunt, standing up to sit opposite the boy. The blonde followed her.

"Dom, you need help?" asked the girl, squatting and adjusting herself.

"Marinette! Thank you for the stationery set," said Dominique, gratefully. "Yes, please. I'm trying to solve this word problem in at least sixty seconds. Only, figuring out which of the given should fit the unknowns is hard."

"But isn't this too advanced? You're in fourth grade," said Marinette worriedly.

"I see you do it! I want to be like you," replied Dominique.

"Huh...so this is your influence then?" The cat whispered. She only hit his ribcage with her elbow, receiving a pained groan.

"Say, if I help you, will you promise to study just a bit less and maybe enjoy Christmas with the others? This doesn't happen every day, you know," said Marinette gently.

The little boy thought it through, finger tapping on his chin. "Deal!"

"In Lily's garden, there are 5 rose bushes the first year. Each year, she adds two new rose bushes. She has 20 tulips..." Marinette read, realizing it was about flowers. That only made her more willing to help.

She began explaining to the little boy, as he vigorously nodded every end of her sentences. It was quite an endearing sight to Chat Noir. Marinette was incredibly patient when it came to answering Dominique's questions and correcting his mistakes.

As they tried the trial and error method, the little boy kept erasing his solutions in irritation. Although, that didn't concern the blunette one bit. She guided him composedly — both of their brows were identically furrowed, and both of them were equally focused.

"Wait...I don't understand this concept...if the line of our created equation faces left in the graph, which direction is above or below? The line is infinite, right?" questioned the boy. "Ugh, I already solved the problem, why do I have to graph it?" he complained.

"Shading and graphing are tough to explain with words, especially since this is your first time learning about them." Marinette fell into thoughtful silence. "You're more of a visual learner, aren't you Dom?"

Dominique scratched his head. "I guess."

Marinette stood up from her position. "I'll go to the reading area. I'm sure there's a specific book about this."

"You're the best, Mari," said Dominique.

"Reading area? Why not just call it a library?" questioned Chat Noir as he stood up to follow.

"You'll see." She turned the doorknob, entering the room. It was well-maintained and small. There were three tall shelves of books, one shelf filled with fiction and fantasy, the second revolving around academics, and the third had dictionaries, bibles, magazines, and more fairy tale books. In the middle of it all was a blue mat.

"Ah..." He looked around. "It's cute though."

"Most of these are from me. It's nice to see they've been reading them," said Marinette.

So she really does visit the orphanage often...

He caught a glimpse of the phone in her pocket. There, Chat Noir saw a keychain with a glimmering snowflake dangling from the string. "So you liked my gift, huh?"

"Gift?— oh, erm, yes..." She looked like she was panicking as she tucked the phone deeper into her pocket. "Thank you. You were the first to give me one."

"I'm glad it means something to you," said Chat Noir, containing his happiness.

The girl began trying to look for a specific book on the second shelf, tracing them with her fingers. To the hero, she looked absolutely cute when focused to accomplish a task. He went right behind her, and found the book on the very top.

Chat Noir took it, arms around her as he flipped the pages of the book in front of her face. "I may not be nine inches taller, but," said the blonde, self-satisfied, "you were too short to spot this, little lady."

He could feel her shoulders tense; Marinette seemed quite flustered. It surprised him that she didn't move. They stood there for a while in each other's company, thinking: 'If I did this, would it be weird?'

Marinette ducked out of his grasp, taking the book as he calmed his own heartbeat down. The girl looked nervous, but he couldn't see even a hint of pink on her cheeks. "That...still doesn't excuse you from calling me that."

"Anything you wish, my queen." Chat Noir bowed, but when he looked up, she was no longer there. 

As Chat caught up to the girl, they heard a muffled voice say, "Take it out!" 

"What's that?—" Marinette's hand flew to her mouth as she saw Delphine come into the room with a big cardboard.

The cardboard painted in white had all kinds of red and green flowers pasted on top of it, forming a heart. There were Carnations, Roses, and Peonies, all vibrant in color and pleasant in smell.

"Merry Christmas! It's our gift to you," said Raphael, clapping his hands.

"I have no words..." she trailed off, looking overwhelmed. "Thank you, everyone."

"It was Eunice's idea! We just helped," said Delphine.

Marinette put her gift down and hugged Eunice tightly. The short-haired girl gave into her hug, and they stood in that embrace for a while. "You've just done so much for the kids. We had to return the favor.

"We polished it this morning actually. I intended to bring it to your house because I didn't think Sabine would let you out," said Eunice with a chuckle. "And when Sabrina and I talked, I told her about it."

"When I saw you leave to get a book for Dom, we took the opportunity to surprise you now," Sabrina added. "Eunice said that Chat Noir even volunteered to help with making it better."

"You helped?" Marinette let go of the hug and stared at Chat Noir.

He shrugged. "Take it as a thank you for putting up with me."

And again, her lips had split into a big grin. This was the first time she smiled at him, genuinely. It nearly extended to her beautiful, monolid, bluebell eyes. There was not even a trace of sarcasm in it; it was filled with pure delight. Whatever he wished to say, words would be stuck in his throat.

He's seen hundreds of smiles, but none could compare to this one. Hers was like an enchanting spell that could lure you into a trance.

The beauty of the flowers themselves couldn't surpass her smile alone. Something about it made his heart jolt so suddenly, and caused a pink tinge to appear on his cheeks. Something about it just made him willing to surrender to the world if it meant he could see it just a few seconds longer. 

Her voice as silky as a hum pulled him from his thoughts. "...Thank you, then. I appreciate it."

"I-it's no problem," he stammered unwillingly, still in a slight daze.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"Thank you Chat Noir, Marinette, and Sabrina!" voiced all of the children happily. "Merry Christmas!" 

"Merry Christmas! Behave yourselves, alright?" Marinette smiled. 

"And be safe," said Chat Noir with a salute. They nodded, clutching their gifts to their chests and waving goodbye.

The three left the orphanage, being met with the cold and ceaseless wind. The moon blessed the night with its dusky luminescence, deepening their shadows as these supposed lifeless things danced on the snow.

The orange-haired girl took two umbrellas for herself and the two which this time, fit for more than one.

"Would've been more enjoyable if Lila was here," said Sabrina.

"She's rarely with us unless it's at school or one of my academic or your sports competitions," replied Marinette a bit sadly. "Lila's always like that though."

"Lila?" asked Chat Noir. Honestly, they'd almost forgotten about him.

"Oh!— S-sorry, Chat Noir. Lila's a classmate at our school and our friend," Sabrina explained, embarrassed.

The name was familiar to him...of course, he'd seen her at school, but it's like he's met this Lila girl somewhere else too. Memories could be deceiving though. Chat Noir supposed that maybe he's encountered someone with a similar name and similar looks. As a model, he'd met many people.

"Don't worry about it." He chuckled. "Which direction are you going?"

"There"—Sabrina pointed to the path on the right—"please accompany Marinette home for me. Her mom would be furious if she would get home alone."

"Bye Mari," said the girl, walking away.

Marinette let out a sigh. It was embarrassing for Chat to know that she was someone who needed to be accompanied. "Bye..."

"So was it right of me to accompany you that night?" asked the hero with a prideful smirk.

"Please don't make it a big deal," said Marinette as she looked at the sky annoyedly. 

"Please? You're polite today," he commented.

She rolled her eyes. "Forget it. Why are you following me again?" 

Chat Noir slowed his pace to match hers. The boy had lost the usual shine of cheerfulness in his dark green eyes. All there was, was weight and pensiveness. His fingers were locked behind his back. His unusual demeanor made her worry a bit.

"I have something important to tell you," said Chat Noir.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Then say it? I don't have all day."

"No, it's not that simple." He took in a sharp breath. "You mind if we talk about it on your balcony?"

"And let you disturb me again? No way—" She interrupted herself. Marinette had never seen Chat Noir this contemplative as Ladybug or in her civilian form. "I guess I can...spare some of my time."

Chat Noir beamed, taking her by surprise. 

"Let's go, then."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"Taxi!" She waved. Luckily, the vehicle slowly stopped in front of her, and she came in.

"Here," said the girl, handing the driver her payment and making herself comfortable. She looked over to the distance and tried to collect her scrambled thoughts.

I feel guilty that I didn't go, thought Lila to herself. But I'm too curious.

She could remember seeing a billboard of that boy when she first moved to Lycée Carnot. She was still so young back then. He was young as well. The only difference was that he was already starting a modeling career.

Passing by, hand clasped by her grandmother's — she could remember the vivid increase in her heart rate and the hazy memories flashing before her eyes.

He's so...eerily familiar. The thought had been living in the back of her mind for so long it was eating her alive. I want to know why I feel this way. I want to know why he reminds me of something I can't even remember.

I want to know who this boy really is, thought Lila. Although, somehow, I'm scared to know the answer.

Seeing the model in real life, let alone moving to her school, only intensified her desire to know. How come she felt like she knew him, considering they'd never even had a conversation before? 

She'd never talked to him until that day of the project with Marinette either.

তততততততততততত

"This tastes good, thanks, Adrien!"

"No worries, what was your name again?" asked the blonde in front of me kindly.

"Lila Rossi." I shrugged. "Certified best friend of Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Well, that's all I wanted to do, I'll take my leave now. Enjoy your ice cream!" He walked away slowly, head turning to his shoulder. And with a raise of the arm, Adrien said, "It was nice meeting you, Marinette."

"What a jerk. He has no manners," said Marinette, clearly annoyed, "nice to meet me, but what about you?"

"It's not a big deal," I told her.

"And why'd you do that?" asked the other.

I shook my head, confused. "Do what."

"Do what you just did." She pushed me slightly. "Why did you introduce yourself like that?"

"I just wanted to make you look good. I think he likes you," I replied with a teasing nudge.

"Being my best friend shouldn't be your only personality trait. You're your own person too." Marinette frowned.

"Thanks," I said, taking a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth.

তততততততততততত

Strangely though, Lila has never envied Marinette.

Marinette was class president, number one in academics, and class representative. Not only that, but almost every person has had heart eyes for her and would run after her like desperate animals.

That didn't matter though. The secrets that hid behind her popularity and achievements were something Lila never expected. She felt blessed enough that Marinette had chosen to trust her that day on the swings. Marinette has always been her motivation to do better, along with Sabrina.

Her thoughts then focused solely on the model. 

When he came into the classroom introduced as the new student, she had a hard time masking her surprise. Why was that? How come her curiosity only grew every passing second she would think about it?

She wanted to ask Agatha, but knew all too well her grandmother's memory was slowly deteriorating. Lila felt her memory was the same. The thought of asking someone else already crossed her mind at the library. She was hesitant, yet knew that she was insistent to ease her mind of this chaos. Maybe today is the day, she thought.

Lila had a hunch it really had something to do with...her.

Maybe she could ask her.

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~3155 words~