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The bell over the bakery door dinged, and Marinette looked up from her spot at the counter as cashier.
“Adrien! What are you doing here?” Marinette blushed, hurrying out from behind the cash register to greet him. She’d gotten control over her stutter over the years, and grown a lot closer with Adrien due to Alya and Nino dating. She and Adrien always ended up third-wheeling, and well, one thing led to another.
“What, I can’t visit my best friend?” Adrien ruffled her hair playfully, messing up her ponytail.
Oh yeah, that was a development too.
Best friends.
Friends. God did Marinette hate that word.
“Not if you’re going to ruin my hair,” Marinette stuck her tongue out. “Brat.”
“Can I have a chocolate croissant, please?” Adrien looked at her pleadingly.
“You had seven at school!”
“But-”
“Marinette, give the skinny boy some food,” Sabine cut off Adrien’s protests, making him grin victoriously.
“Sabine says you have to give me croissants, ha!”
“Maman!” Marinette complained, although a smile had crept across her face and tugged at her lips. “I never get more than two sweets a day! Why does he get eight?”
Adrien slipped the croissant from her hand. “I’ll take that, thank you. And I get eight because she loves me more.”
“The betrayal,” Marinette sighed. “Papa, you love me more than Adrien, right?”
“Huh?” Tom looked up, pausing UMS III as he did so. “Adrien, son, good to see you! Oh, what was that you wanted to ask, Mari?”
“Nothing,” the bluenette grumbled. “Stop stealing my parents, Adrien!”
“When Ladybug and I get married, I need to have your parents like me so they can make our wedding cake! Of course I’m going to keep stealing your parents.”
“And what about Chat Noir?”
“Of course, you’ll marry him, and the four of us can live happily ever after.”
“Delusional dork. I don’t even like Chat Noir.”
“Well, a little birdy told me something about a Weredad akuma, and besides, you love me.”
Marinette’s face heated up. “No I don’t!” She denied vehemently, knocking over a thankfully empty platter in her haste to deny it.
“Woah, just joking, Mari!” Adrien caught her by the waist before she fell, and Marinette’s already red face turned the color of Nathaniel’s hair.
“Yeah, of course! I knew that, just spazzed out by accident. Anyways! Christmas is in two days! Yeah! Any plans this year?” Marinette word-vomited as she jetted out of Adrien’s grasp, ending up a good five feet away.
Adrien’s face fell, not noticing her behavior. “No, Father’s away on a business trip this year too.”
Shit, wrong thing to say, Marinette. Try cheering him up. “Well, we can host you again! Last year was so much fun, but you should sleep over on Christmas Eve too this time instead of just coming over on the twenty-fifth.”
“Sounds good!” Adrien’s face lit up, and Marinette tried to stop her ‘fond’ from showing, as Alya described it. “Are you sure I wouldn’t be imposing, though?”
“Adrien, you could never,” Marinette insisted, putting a hand on his arm. “Tell you what, we could call Nathalie and your bodyguard over for dinner on the twenty fourth and bribe them to keep it quiet from your dad too.”
Adrien threw his hands around Marinette, and she stiffened before relaxing into the hug.
“You’re the best, Marinette.” He whispered into her hair, and Marinette melted at the sound of it. His voice was so sincere - he did wonders for her self-esteem. God, she loved this boy.
From the corner of the bakery, Sabine and Tom watched their daughter and her friend hug in exasperated silence.
“They’re so dumb.”
“I know, honey.”
“I just want to tell them!”
“I know, honey.”
“Can’t she just make him our son-in-law already?”
“I wish, honey.”
A groan sounded from Tom, muffled by a pillow. “I thought we brought her up with better game than this!”
“I did too, honey.”
“Honey?”
“Yes?”
“Can we bring out the mistletoe?”
***
a/n: just pretend they have school on christmas eve i wrote this at 2 am
“What did you get Nino for Christmas?” Marinette asked Alya, biting her nails anxiously as she watched her friend pack up for the day, ready to head home.
“I got him tickets to see that new artist he likes so much and a pair of headphones,” her best friend grinned, zipping up her backpack. “Had to save up for months but I can’t wait to see the look on his face!”
Marinette bit her lip. “That sounds perfect for him,” she mumbled. Why couldn’t her gift for Adrien be half as good?
“Girl,” Alya pinned her with a stare, “are you overthinking Adrien’s gift again?”
The guilt on Marinette’s face was more than enough of an answer.
Alya rolled her eyes. “Mari. You designed and stitched that coat from scratch. And you made it Ladybug themed! He’s going to love it. He’s seventeen and still plasters his walls with Ladybug posters. As Ladybug’s number one fan, I can confirm that I would literally die if someone gave me that coat. Besides, Christmas is tomorrow. You don’t have time for a new gift.”
Reassured, Marinette gave Alya a grateful smile while stuffing her history textbook into her backpack. “Thanks, Alya. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Probably worry yourself into a heart attack, girl. Anyways, are you free to hang out tonight? After your Christmas Eve dinner?” Alya leaned on their desk, waiting for Marinette to get up.
Marinette mentally ran through the days and patrols in her head. “Um, today’s Thursday, right? I don’t think I can make it.” Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays were joint patrol with Chat Noir.
“But Mari,” Alya whined. “You’re never free! You’re just like Adrien and his nonstop photoshoots. Ugh. Guess I’ll be at Nino’s again.”
“An ‘ugh’? Is that really how you feel about me?” Nino teased, having overheard their conversation from his seat in the desk ahead of them.
Alya rolled her eyes. “Yes, Nino. Absolutely.”
“I’m heartbroken.”
“Sounds good.”
“I hate you.”
“Love you too.”
Marinette groaned. “Your flirting is so weird. Let’s go, Alya.”
“Finally!”
***
Marinette grinned, placing the final touches on her gift for Chat Noir, placing it in the box she’d bought from the discount store down the street. They were basic and extremely common, but that was one of the reasons she’d bought it: they looked professional and were neat.
“Marinette! Come down for dinner!” Her dad called, and Marinette jumped.
“Coming, Papa!” Marinette placed her gift for Chat under her bed with the others, and opened her cookie stash. “Tikki, chocolate chip or a macaron?”
“Macaron please!” Her kwami swooped in and plucked out the pink cookie from the tin. “Thank you, Marinette!”
“Of course, Tikki. Remember, you have to hide tonight, Adrien’s coming over for a sleepover. Will you be okay?”
“Yes, of course. Go have dinner!”
“Alright, bye!” Marinette flung herself out the trapdoor, heading downstairs as quick as she could.
“You look amazing, darling!” Sabine sighed. “Adrien’s going to be swept off of his feet.”
“Maman!” Marinette hissed. “I dressed up like we do every year, not for Adrien.”
“Sure,” Sabine grinned, turning back to where she was setting the table. “Not at all for Adrien. Understood.”
“Maman! Stop,” Marinette whined, dragging out the ‘o’.
The doorbell rang just then, and Marinette hurried forward, checking her reflection in the mirror as she went. “I got it!”
“Hi Mari!” Adrien’s eyes shone with excitement as he stepped into the Dupain-Cheng household. “Woah…” He stared at Marinette, frozen.
Marinette looked at her friend in confusion. “Adrien?” she chuckled. “You good?”
“Um, y-yeah! I just - right. Yeah. I-I’m fine! Um, thank you again for letting us come over.”
“Of course! Right, come on in. Hello Nathalie, Adrien’s bodyguard.”
“Good evening, Marinette. I brought flowers,” Nathalie said, handing over a bouquet of roses as she stepped inside.
“Thank you, Nathalie,” Marinette smiled.
Adrien’s bodyguard grunted and handed her a Gabriel gift card before following Nathalie into the dining room, and Marinette grinned in excitement. “Thank you!”
Adrien looked at his feet with red-tipped ears. “So, my gift is - not the best? But I hope you like it anyways-”
“Adrien.” Marinette shook her friend by the shoulders. “I’m sure I’ll love it. But you didn’t need to get me anything! Seriously. Last year ring a bell?”
The year before, Adrien had tried to gift Marinette a pair of sapphire earrings.
That cost eleven thousand euros.
Needless to say, it hadn’t gone over well and ended in Marinette attempting to march Adrien back to the department store on Christmas night, and ended with her having a second pair of piercings.
She still hadn’t forgiven him.
(“I mauled my ears for you!” had been her response to every little thing Adrien had said for three weeks.)
“It’s not like that! It just sucks.”
Marinette heaved a sigh. Adrien needed more self-esteem. For a world-famous supermodel with a dedicated fan base, he had a remarkable number of insecurities.
“No more gift talk until we open them tomorrow, alright?”
“Fine,” Adrien grumbled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
***
“Bye! See you tomorrow!” Adrien waved Nathalie and his bodyguard away after dinner, before turning to Marinette with mischief in his eyes. “So. What are we doing this year?”
“You sound like we’re stuffing the whole year into a night.”
“Oh, shut up.”
“Well, I actually need to run an errand first. I’ll be back in thirty minutes max, okay?”
“Abandoning me on Christmas Eve! And only at-” Adrien checked his watch - “nine o’clock? Wait. Nine? Actually, go on your errand! I’ll just call Nino. Bye!” He grinned.
What the fuck.
“Yeah…” Marinette said, sliding away up to her room. “I’ve just gotta get something.”
“Yeah! I’m gonna like, use the bathroom.”
Marinette didn’t think she’d had a more awkward conversation since she was fourteen in college.
***
“M’lady!” Chat grinned, already waiting for her on top of the Eiffel Tower. “We’re going to have to make this quick, I’ve got to get home. My best friend is running an errand, she’ll be back in twenty five minutes.”
“Aw, is your best friend more important than me? You know, I still won’t accept that you don’t have a fat crush on her.” Marinette swung down next to Chat, seating herself on the railing next to him, dangling her legs over.
“She’s just a friend!” Chat’s cheeks burned bright red, and Marinette felt her heart twist for Chat’s friend. God, the number of times she’s heard that phrase from Adrien…
(There is absolutely no slight sense of relief that Chat still likes her. Absolutely none.)
(She also has absolutely not developed a crush on Chat and absolutely did not feel jealous the first time Chat raved about his new best friend.)
“Sure, chaton. Anyways, here’s your gift.” She handed over the box carefully, vibrating with excitement and nervousness simultaneously.
“If it’s from m’lady, I know I’ll love it,” Chat grinned in his cheshire-cat manner, and lifted the lid of the box, before staring at it.
Silence. He hated it, didn’t he?
“Um, I know it’s not that great, but I noticed that you get cold often on patrol and I thought that gifting you that would maybe make it easier to bear? Sorry it’s not that great,” Marinette rambled.
“No, I love it!” Chat scrambled to reassure her. “I was just in shock because it’s perfect, I love the humor. D-did you commission it?”
The humor? “Um, no? I made it myself.”
Chat fell off the Eiffel Tower.
***
“What were you thinking?” Marinette hissed, having caught Chat with her yoyo in midair.
“It’s you!”
“What’s me?”
“The - my best - what?” Chat gaped.
“Chat, you’re not making any sense. Calm down,” Marinette’s hand went to his hair, and she scratched at it lightly, eliciting a rumbling purr from his chest. “That’s more like it, kitty.”
“You’re her!” Chat yelped. “Marinette!”
This time, it was Marinette who fell off the Eiffel Tower.
***
“How did you know?”
“You signed it, idiot,” Chat sighed. They’d both hung back from the railing, knowing they’d probably fall off again.
Marinette flicked her partner’s forehead. “Asshole. But… I didn’t sign your gift, just Adrien’s - fuck, did I give you his?” She grabbed at the box, sighing at the Ladybug themed coat inside the box. “That’s what you meant by the humor! No, I’m not a narcissist, Adrien’s just a huge Ladybug fanboy. Wait - Chaton, I need to be home. I said I’d be back soon and it’s been nearly thirty minutes. Can we pick up this conversation tomorrow? Or on the twenty-sixth, at four in the afternoon.
“I’ll bring you your real gift day after tomorrow too!"
“Wait-” But Marinette had already swung away.
***
“Adrien!” Marinette burst into her room, grinning at the sight of her best friend sprawled on her bed.
“Marinette!” He returned, his tone teasing. “Okay, real questions only. Home Alone or Santa Clause?”
“Home Alone, unless it’s the second movie. I don’t need to see Trump’s cameo.”
Adrien grinned, although there was something different about this one. More joyful? But they were just talking about movies? What?
“I love how much you hate him.”
“He’s just - him and Owens - ugh . The dude incited an act of domestic violence and didn’t even get impeached over it, held double standards for Black Lives Matter protests and the Capitol riots, and some of the House Republicans were all ‘oh, we can’t impeach him this close to a transfer of presidency,’ like. Come on. You managed to swear in Amy Coney Barett, a woman who’s publicly been homophobic and transphobic and couldn’t name the five fucking freedoms? Just-” Marinette cut herself off, sighing. “Sorry. Anyways, Home Alone One sounds good.”
“Why do you know so much about American politics?” Adrien asked in awe. He mumbled something that sounded like ‘hero without mask too,’ but Marinette was sure she misheard.
“I use social media,” she deadpanned. “Americans are the laughingstock of the world right now, haven’t you heard? Their left-wingers are basically our right-wingers.”
“That’s... embarrassing,” Adrien winced. “Anyways, get in bed, I brought the big laptop so we can watch more comfortably.”
“I can’t believe you managed to get Apple to personally manufacture a nineteen inch MacBook for you. Rich people make no sense to me. I use a two hundred euro HP laptop, why do you need a MacBook that has next to no extra features but costs two thousand euros more?”
“So I can have movie nights with my best friend. Because you didn’t let me buy you a TV.”
“Rich kid!” Marinette pointed at his face accusingly, climbing up to her loft bed.
He sighed. “Yes. And you never let me use it on you. Brat.”
Sabine stuck her head up the trapdoor. “Home Alone One? Good taste, kids. Want anything for dessert?”
“A strawberry macaron, please Maman?” Marinette pulled out the best puppy dog eyes she could, and Sabine rolled her eyes.
“Of course. Adrien?”
Adrien just grinned.
“Two chocolate croissants and a strawberry macaron coming right up!”
“Hey! Why does he get two-”
“She loves me more,” Adrien said, grabbing at Marinette’s ankle to steady her as she climbed under the sheets.
“Bastard.”
“Just watch already!”
***
Adrien closed the laptop, ignoring Marinette’s protests to watch Home Alone 3. His Lady’s protests.
He still couldn’t believe it. He was so lucky.
“But it’s only eleven! Come on, Adrien,” she complained, poking his chest.
“Mari, you get what, three hours of sleep as it is? There’s no way I’m letting you stay up again. Besides, if we sleep now we can get up earlier to see our gifts from each other.”
Although he did already get the best gift ever. The coat was one thing, but finding out his best friend (who he most definitely was in love with but knew was out of his league) and his Lady (who he was also in love with and was also out of his league) were the same person?
The shame he felt at loving two different girls disappeared and was replaced with another heartburn, because of course he was in love with the same girl.
Of course he fell in love with the same girl twice.
Of course the girl he thought he could move on with was the same girl he was so hung up on.
And of course this girl was never going to love him back.
“-Adrien?”
“Huh?” He snapped out of his Marinette-induced stupor to see said girl snapping her fingers in his face.
“You went all catatonic again. Thinking about Ladybug?”
Adrien blushed. How could she tease him about herself so confidently?
“Knewwww itttt,” she sang, snuggling closer. “Your celebrity crush is a little too big, if you ask me.”
“Hey!” Adrien pressed his feet against her calves in retaliation, grinning in validation when she yelped and moved away.
“Get your - cold - feet - away - from me!” Each word was punctuated by a laugh and a push, Marinette’s face lighting up the closer he moved to her.
And for the third time that day, someone fell from a high place.
“Adrien!” A muffled voice came from the floor, and Marinette lifted her head to glare at him. “Oh you are so dead.”
He just gave her a shit-eating grin, receiving a stuffed animal to the face.
Yeah, Adrien Agreste was whipped.
***
“Wake up, kids!” Tom Dupain-Cheng yelled, sticking his head through Marinette’s trapdoor. “It’s Christmas! Rise and shine!”
Marinette groaned, sending pleasant shudders through Adrien’s chest, where she was currently situated. “It’s too early for this, Papa.”
“But gifts! Come on, Adrien, don’t you want to open yours?”
Adrien was dead to the world, dreaming of his three kids with Marinette and their hamster named Bob.
(His sleeping brain wasn’t very imaginative.)
“Adrien!” Marinette yelled in his ear.
“Aah!” He yelled on reflex, jolting off the bed, throwing Marinette off of him and onto the floor again.
“Seriously?” Marinette moaned, curled on her side on her fluffy carpet. “I hate you.”
“Only eyes for each other and none for me,” Tom grumbled, unbeknownst to a confused Adrien and a pouting Marinette. “Teenagers.”
***
“Merry Christmas, Sabine, Tom!” Adrien skidded into the kitchen, grabbing the island to keep himself upright. “I come bearing gifts!”
Sabine nearly cried. “You are way too peppy for a seventeen year old at eight o’ clock on a Friday.”
Tom grinned. “Sabine and Marinette aren’t morning people at all. Must be genetic.”
“I’ve become one,” Adrien replied, sitting down at the kitchen table, making heart eyes at the chocolate chip pancakes in front of him. “Too many sunrise shoots with Giovanni can do that to a person.”
“I’m here!” Marinette skidded down the stairs. “Pancakes! Thanks Papa.”
She took a seat next to Adrien, piling three onto her plate. She reached for the syrup, only to have it yanked away from her by Adrien.
“Hey!”
“Mine, I was here first,” Adrien turned his nose up at her, and Marinette huffed. “Papa! Tell Adrien to give me the syrup-”
“Have you brushed?” Tom pins the two teenagers with a glare.
“Yes and that was just once, the cookies looked too-”
“Alright, presents first then.” Tom rushed them to the living room, where their presents lay under the Christmas tree.
“Adrien, Tom and I got you something this year, so here, open this first,” Sabine handed Adrien a package.
“For me?” Adrien’s eyes widened.
“Adrien, how are you seventeen and not used to getting gifts from the people that love you?” Marinette slapped her best friend lightly, motioning to the gift. “Open it!”
Adrien carefully opened the wrapping, and his eyes widened. “A pun apron?” He goggled. “This is insane! Oh my god, I love it!”
He lifted out the apron, which read “Purrfect Purrito” over a cat wrapped in a burrito.
Marinette sent her parents a withering look. “Fueling his love for puns? Don’t we get enough of that from Chat Noir?” she grins jokingly, letting Adrien know the sentiment was lighthearted.
(He thought he’d die if the girl he loved couldn’t stand his puns. He couldn’t live without them.)
“Me next!” She bounced on her toes, handing Adrien the same box from the night before, and he grinned, already knowing what would be inside.
Lifting off the lid, he peered inside, ready to try on the Ladybug coat, but was greeted by the sight of a pure black sweater patterned with little neon green cat paws and white stitching over the chest, reading “I’m pawsitively purrfect” upon closer inspection.
Huh?
He pulled the sweater over his head, a matching pair of earmuffs falling out. This must be the gift she made for Chat, he realized.
“I love it so much! Did you make this?” Adrien grinned up at Marinette, who stood stock still in shock, having scrambled to her feet upon seeing the sweater.
“I - um, yeah! I thought I switched them though?”
Sabine and Tom exchanged a look at that, backing out of the living room and heading to the kitchen again.
“Looks like you didn’t, m’lady,” Adrien grinned up at Marinette, who just stared at him.
“M’lady?”
“Merry Christmas?” Adrien offered, scratching the back of his neck. “Here’s my gift for you!” Still sucks, he thought ruefully, holding up the badly wrapped package.
“Wait - what?”
Adrien offered up the pair of scissors helpfully, standing up as well. “This might be helpful.”
“Oh, give that to me,” she sighed, snapping out of her stupor. “It can’t be,” she mumbled under her breath, but Adrien caught it and hid his smile.
“I love it,” Marinette breathed, flipping through the scrapbook Adrien had gifted her. He’d filled it with pictures of them and their adventures over the past few years, each picture accompanied with a diary entry covering the day.
“Oh my god, you stupid cat,” Marinette looked up at Adrien, her eyes blazing. The scrapbook was open to the last page, with a picture of her leaving the Eiffel Tower the night before, captioned with the simple (but humongous) Sharpie lettering “I LOVE YOU, M’LADY. FOREVER YOURS, CHATON.”
“Surprise?” Adrien grinned sheepishly, and Marinette opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Then punched him.
“Asshole!”
Adrien just laughed. “I love you,” he wheezed out while Marinette punched his arm more.
Marinette glared at him. “I hate you.”
“Do you really?” Adrien’s voice softened, and he looked down at his feet nervously.
“Chaton?”
“Yes?”
“I love you too.”
“But the boy-”
“The boy I love was you, you idiot. And I’d been falling for you over the past year and I was so confused and you’re the same person and I-”
“Princess?”
“Yes?”
“I really want to kiss you right now.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” The challenge was clear in Marinette’s eyes, the teasing glint making her face light up further, and that was all Adrien could take before his heart burst.
He leaned down as she tiptoed, and when their lips met, warmth spread through Adrien’s body in a way he’d never felt before.
Marinette’s arms were Adrien’s home.
And he was never going to let her go.
(They absolutely did not accidentally tip over the Christmas tree because they were too caught up in their kiss.)
(And Sabine and Tom absolutely did not tell this story to their grandchildren every time they came over twenty years down the line.)
(Absolutely not.)