Birthday Surprises

Marinette, a girl with many hobbies and tasks and promises to keep. Hobbies like designing, baking, and drawing. Tasks like guarding the miracle box, creating new recipes for the kwamis, deciphering the grimoire, and homework. Promises like keeping the city safe, helping all of her friends with whatever they need help with, and being there for her kitty.

(The last one is her favorite out of anything.)

Right now, Marinette is sitting at her desk, her sewing machine active as a small hum fills the room. Tikki sits next to her on a little plush pillow she had made, Marinette's phone propped up so Tikki could watch some show or Youtube video she found.

Currently, Marinette is working on a gift for her kitty. Once he'd said he didn't get enough gifts, or things in general, so Marinette made it her mission to give the sweet stray presents whenever she could. At the moment, she's working on a hoodie for him, her fourth one for him at the moment. She loves making Chat hoodies. Actually, he's worn them a few times to patrol, and every time Ladybug asks where he got it, he always would proudly say he got it from Marinette and gush about her. (She didn't mean for that to happen–to talk about her so highly, but it always did. She genuinely only started asking because of two reasons: Ladybug doesn't know, and he loves talking about things that make him happy—and several times he's said Marinette makes him happy.)

This hoodie was mainly black on the outside, just like the others, but the lining was a bright green that matched his eyes and ring, and the cuffs had green stripes on them. Two on each cuff to be exact, and in the middle of the cuffs, she plans to embroider his superhero name. His left hand would say Chat, his right would say Noir, and they would be facing him on the inner side of the cuff because she knows how much he likes to admire her embroidery. No matter how many times she would say it could be better or point out flaws, he would always say, "Princess, you're wrong and dumb. I know good work when I see it, and this; this is magnificent." (She'd never say it, but every time he praises her for her work, or her kindness, or anything, she would fall just a little bit more in love with him.)

Ever since Chat Noir started coming to her balcony, (First, as the occasional check-up after an akuma; then, because they became friends; after, because he needed to vent; and now, he comes over practically every night.) she has known she's been falling in love with her kitty. Adrien will always hold a place in her heart, yes, and she knows that, but he is her first love so she has accepted it, but with Chat... Chat holds every other part of her heart in his delicate, clawed hands. And honestly? If Hawkmoth, Shadowmoth, Monarch, whoever—wasn't around, she is sure she would have confessed. A simple confession because Chat once said that while he loves extravagant gestures, he thinks he'd prefer a confession with hot chocolate and movies and cuddles.

Maybe this is another reason why Marinette makes her kitty so many gifts—so she can show she loves him without having to utter the words. (Several times she's asked Tikki if they can just drop the secret identities rule because she can't stand lying to her kitty like this, and every time, Tikki shakes her head with a disapproving gaze, saying that this shouldn't cloud her judgment. That if she really thinks it's a good idea, that of course she can, but that she should think about it. So for months, Marinette has thought about it. And every morning she regrets not telling her kitty.)

It's always been easier for Marinette to show her affection rather than speak the words. Not that the words themselves were hard to say, because she can say she loves anyone with ease, but when it comes to romantic feelings, it's like the words clog her throat and she's unable to do more than stutter out incoherent sentences. She'd never want to look like a fool in front of her kitty.

A knock raps on her trap door, so looking at Tikki to make sure she heard it and watching as Tikki shuts off her show to hide, Marinette climbs her ladder, a smile already on her face. The skylight opens easily enough, so as she looks, Chat's face is illuminated by the fairy lights on her balcony. "Hey," he says, waving. He drops down once Marinette moves.