They spent hours gathering up autumn leaves to staple them together into a cute fifties style rock and roll dress. It was a lot less comfortable than it looked. It looked amazing considering they were leaves. Chat took many photos for her portfolio, because a week later, the leaves were dust in the hoover bag. The photos were now pinned on her wall. She sat on a stood, staring at that wall, trying to figure out which photos to put on a stall that she was considering advertising herself on at Christmas. The stool she was using was the stool from the stall that the family rented every Christmas. The family stall for cookies and treats that Marinette manned from this stool so often that it was fair that she got to advertise her designs there too.
When she got fed up of that, she started knitting another jumper for Tikki for winter. Chat "helped" by chasing the yarn, until Marinette made him sit down with the yarn rolled over his hands to keep him still. While he wasn't so distracted, Marinette taught him how to knit. He was slow at first, and a little uncertain at how he could keep it neat. Marinette knitted beside him, calmly, offering help when he needed it. He got the hang of it after a few sessions and was well on his way to making a scarf. Three weeks in, Marinette presented him with a palm sized green jumper with a black paw in the centre.

"What's this?" He asked.

"You said Plagg hates the cold," she said.

His eyes widened. "This is for Plagg?"

"Yep. Let me know if it's too big or too small. I can make a new one," she said.

"He'll love it. He'll pretend he doesn't, but he will. Thank you Mari," he grinned.

Marinette shrugged like it was nothing. "Anytime kitten."

He was going to need that jumper desperately soon. December was only a few days away. Adrien needed to start thinking of Christmas presents. Until, that is, Alya and Nino got into an argument. On December first, they broke up. By December fourth Adrien and Marinette were still trying to stop their friends from getting akumatized, which turned out to be a round the clock job.
One morning, about a week before they broke up for the holidays, Marinette sat down beside Adrien. They hadn't been able to talk much recently, since they had to put their best friends first, so Adrien was pleased to see her.

"We have to fix this," she declared.

"Alya and Nino y'mean?"

"Yes! She says she's fine but she's driving me crazy!"

"Nino's new DJ mixes have been miserable. To be fair the rest of Nino had been too."

Nino and Alya were, at that point in time, freezing to death huddled in the bushes, spying on them. Their plan, to get those two together by getting them back together, hit a snag when Adrien and Marinette began to avoid each other, to avoid being asked how their best friends were doing. Their ruthless following of the mates before dates rule ruined Alya and Nino's plans. They didn't know where to be annoyed or proud. That's when they decided to amp up the crazy. Alya still felt guilty about have to almost burn Marinette's hair with the hair straighteners her mother had brought her, while pretending to be distracted complaining about Nino.
Adrien's hand automatically reached for her head when she showed him the singed hair, but he stopped himself before touching her.

"What's the plan then?" Adrien asked, laying his hand back on the table between them.

"Isn't it obvious? It's Christmas?" She said.

"So?"

"Mistletoe?"

"Oh!"

She chuckled. Bless his oblivion. No wonder he never realised she was in love with him if he forgot the wonders of mistletoe this close to Christmas.

"Where will we get it?" He asked.

"I don't know, but we're gonna need a lot. We need to hang it practically anywhere they're likely to go at the same time," she sighed.

Adrien picked up his phone to start searching where the best places to buy mistletoe were. Alya sighed warmly and laid her head on Nino's shoulder as Marinette leaned against Adrien to try and see his phone better. Nino chuckled affectionately and kissed Alya's hairline gently. His nose was so cold she could feel it on her forehead, but she smiled anyway. The bell went and ushered them to class.

"Can I walk you to class?" He asked.

"We're in the same class," she said.

"Is that a yes?" He asked.

Marinette laughed at the hopeful tone in his voice, "yes!"

Adrien grinned. He stood up, gathered his things, and hurried to her side so they could walk to class together. She grinned at him, and led the way, discussing her plans for how to trick Alya and Nino together. Alya and Nino peered out of the bushes to watch them leave.

"Go to class. I'll follow in a minute so it doesn't look like we were together," Alya said.

"But you'll be late," Nino said.

"Don't worry about it, just go," she said.

He stopped to kiss her cheek goodbye, before running off to tail Adrien and Marinette. Alya grinned.

"Dumb boy."

For the safety of a meeting where Alya and Nino wouldn't find them, Adrien invited Marinette back to his house. Marinette had only been there once before. Ladybug had been there a few times, but Marinette only once. Well only inside once. She'd gone inside when she had to apologise to Gabriel for stealing his book (although she really didn't like the idea of apologising to the man she was so sure was her arch nemesis) but only got to the gate when giving Adrien his birthday present, which his father took anyway. Neither fact Adrien was aware. He believed this was the first time she had been inside the house ever. Last time she, Alya and Nino had had to stay in the garden with the other guests at his father's party.
Needless to say, Adrien was a little nervous about letting her see his room. He'd spent so much time in hers, he couldn't help but notice the difference. Hers was more like a bedroom, his was more like a play pen. You know the kind. The one that keeps the toddlers safely out of the way where you don't have to deal with them as much?

"Well this is my room," Adrien paused outside the door and glanced at her over his shoulder. "Sorry about the mess... I asked the maid to let me clean it myself but... I'm not very good."

Marinette smiled and shrugged. "At least you're trying. That's all the matters."

He smiled softly as he opened the door. He was trying. He was glad someone noticed. Marinette followed him into his bedroom when he opened the door. She glanced around to take it all in as he took his place by the end of his sofa. He watched her anxiously, waiting for her approval. She smiled at the posters of Ladybug pasted up along his walls.

"You're a fan, are you?" She smiled.

"Of bugaboo?" It rolled out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Bugaboo?!"

Adrien blushed, "Chat called her that and I just sorta... picked it up?"

He must have picked it up from that stupid interview. She still couldn't believe he called her bugaboo live on tv! Under her breath she muttered, "I'll get him for that." Although if she tried it would definitely end up in yet another pillow fight where a pillow would explode and they'd arm themselves with feathers to tickle attack each other again. When Chat left that night he looked like he'd set the cat among the pigeons again.

"Did you say something?" Adrien asked, eagerly.

He was overly keen for his friend's approval of his room. They weren't usually allowed in so most of them never got to see it outside backgrounds for video chats.

"I said what's that?" She pointed to a tree in the corner.

Plagg wasn't allowed to help decorate the seven-foot giant in the main hall or he could risk being seen. Instead, so he wouldn't feel left out, Adrien brought a smaller, artificial tree for his bedroom, for Plagg to help decorate. It was kind of a mess now, but they had had fun decorating it. Almost as much fun as Adrien had watching Plagg open each drawer of the reusable advent calendar he had filled with different types of cheese, each morning. Yes he'd had to add a lock on each drawer, and no that didn't stop Plagg going through the locked twenty-fifth drawer, and stole the camembert, but Adrien wouldn't find out for weeks yet.

"It's my Christmas tree," he said, proudly.

"Then who's does the tree by the stairs belong to?" She asked.

"My father."

"Is he over compensating for something?"

The words that left her mouth were Alya's, not her own. Two weeks of constant, unfiltered, relentless conversation with Alya had left her words in Marinette's head, so they fell out as easily as they were her own. Yet she turned red when she realised what she said. Poor, innocent Adrien, didn't understand. He breezed past to try and prevent himself looking stupid. Marinette was relived.

"Alya and Nino were happy until when?" He asked.

"They started arguing," She answered.

"Why did they start arguing though? I don't understand. they didn't even drift apart, they went straight to arguing. Why?"

"Alya says he's too clingy. When she wanted to chase that akuma last week, y'know the clown one, he wouldn't let her just go alone."

Adrien frowned. "He's clingy because he wants his girlfriend to be safe?"

"He's clingy because he won't let her go alone to further her career," Marinette countered.

"What career?"

"Her career as an investigative journalist!"

"That's more like her hobby."

Marinette frowned at him. Something in her felt like arguing to defend Alya, even though she agreed with Adrien's core point. It was coming to a choice between her best friend and her crush. That would be a choice that Marinette would have to live with. So she chose Alya.

"She's building a portfolio and a critical following online. That can get her into a good university, she can go far!"

"Can she? There's a million students for every one internship, and they're unpaid. Maybe Nino's right and she shouldn't bother so much," Adrien said, calmly.

"Are you saying she should give up her dreams because Nino thinks so?" Marinette demanded.

Adrien's eyes widened. "N-no!"

Adrien and Marinette ended up getting into a heated debate. Their voices rose slightly. Adrien didn't want to argue. He didn't like arguing, which is why his father often got the better of him, but right now he was defending his best friend. He felt the need to argue.

"Alya would never ask Nino to give up being a DJ even if it took him away from her, because Alya knows that music is his life just as much as journalism is hers!" Marinette argued.

"DJ-ing is different!" Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Because it's Nino's dream?" She demanded.

"No because it doesn't put him in danger!" Adrien huffed.

"Oh right because there's never any mass shootings at concerts or drug over doses at parties, or suicides in bands is there?!"

"Marinette that's danger that other people bring into a calm situation, they're rare! Alya goes out deliberately to seek dangers that will certainly be there!"

"But there are always dangers! You don't think Ladybug's boyfriend would dare stop her defending the city, do you?"

"What boyfriend?!"

"I don't know!" Marinette threw her hands in the air, too frustrated to think of any other examples of people, "Chat Noir!"

Adrien choked and shook his head as he knew more than her. "Ladybug is not dating Chat Noir!"

"Maybe she should because he wouldn't tell her to stop going into dangerous situations just because he worried!" Marinette huffed.

"She goes in to stop them, Alya doesn't! She just reports-"

"People have right to know about things that happen in their city Adrien! Alya is fighting for that right!"

"And she's clearly very good and enthusiastic, but if she focuses too much on that blog she'll put herself into danger that might get her killed before she gets to be a journalist!"

Marinette cried out in frustration and Adrien stared at her, frowning. They never argued like this. She barely spoke to him most of the time, and now they were supposed to be working together they were arguing. That's what Alya would call interesting, or suspicious, or both. Like there was something under the surface that caused this new dynamic in their relationship, that she would have to dig out and examine.
Marinette was overcome with a need to kiss him. He had never been so passionate, and she had no idea how to handle it. Then it struck her, just as it had for Alya and Nino.
Mistletoe.
With a new plan in her mind that needed immediate attention, Marinette turned on her heels, and ran back out of the house. Adrien groaned guiltily. He chased after her.

"Marinette wait! Marinette! I'm sorry Marinette!"

He stopped halfway down the stairs and sighed as she ran out the front door. It slammed shut behind her, and Plagg crept out of Adrien's jacket.

"We're going to visit her to apologise, aren't we?" Plagg sighed.

"I didn't mean to upset her. I wanted to defend my friend," Adrien sighed.

"What do you think she was doing?"

"I know... I have to apologise."

"Give her time to calm down first," Plagg said.

Plagg really was smart when he wanted to be.

Imagine Chat Noir's surprise when he spotted Marinette's grey beret in the crowds at the winter market. He'd only stopped because he saw a plush black cat with a little green bow around its neck and huge green eyes that had made him think of her. Then, after he brought it to give it to her for Christmas, he heard her voice. She hadn't gone home like he thought she would. Well it saved him a wasted journey. Chat Noir landed in the market beside Marinette. She was standing beside a market stall searching for something to give to Chat Noir for Christmas. Her brown paper bag was full to the top of green and white bows of mistletoe, bound together with crimson ribbons. It sat on her hip and blocked her view so she didn't see Chat. Not until he ran a claw down her spine. She yelped and threw the bag up urgently. The mistletoe flew into the air too. Chat leapt forward to try and catch as many as he could. He managed to catch four of the five in his hand, and laid them in the crook of his other arm. The fifth, he hooked on his tail. It hung above his head, on his tail. He flashed her a triumphant grin. Her eyes were wide and she was pink. His face fell, confused as to why she wasn't as impressed as he expected her to be. Then he looked up.
The mistletoe on his tail hung over the both of them. She suddenly gave a small, amused smirk, stepped forward, and kissed his cheek. He turned bright red. She smiled, and turned around to unhook the mistletoe from his tail. Once he managed to stop himself stammering, he gave a sheepish smile.

"Can I carry that for you?" He asked.

"I can do it myself," she said.

"I don't mind," he insisted.

She glanced towards her bakery. It wasn't very far, but she'd like the company. Not that Tikki was bad company, but since she couldn't be seen, sometimes she felt people thought she was going insane and talking to herself.

"Yeah ok," Marinette smiled.

Chat beamed. He took her bag from her and beamed at her. She glanced him up and down. The cold flushed his cheeks making him look paler than ever. She pulled her grey scarf off, and draped it around his neck.

"What's this?" He asked.

"I don't want you to get cold," she said.

"I'm fine!" He laughed.

"You'll get sick. No one needs a sick hero," she said.

Chat smiled warmly at her. She was a sweetheart. It was nearly impossible to go down a street and not pass festive houses with glinting lights that made the damp pavements glisten. Chat could see the trees in the windows all dolled up with sparkling tinsels and shining baubles. He could smell the intoxicating aroma of homemade cinnamon biscuits that perfumed the streets making mouths water, although most of that could have come from the bakery. The enchanting harmony of Christmas carols came carried on the whirling wind from a few blocks away. Icy wind and snow pricked his skin making his nose numb and his cheeks red. Despite the beauty surrounding them, his focus was entirely on Marinette.

"I had an argument with Lou... Adrien today," she said.

There wasn't much reason to why she didn't call him Louis this time. It just felt wrong. Like this was confession, and she had to be completely honest to get a real answer.

"What was it about?" he asked.

"My best friend. His best friend was dating her but they broke up and we're trying to get them back together," she explained.

"How did you end up arguing?" he asked.

"I started it. It's my fault," she sighed.

"That's not- I'm sure that's not true."

"It is. I'm far too protective of Alya... it's just that she's always protective of me, and I don't want to let her down."

"Adrien could understand that."

"I know he could. And I ran out without telling him why. I should apologise, he probably thinks I'm mad at him," she sighed.

Chat frowned. "You didn't leave because he upset you?"

"Upset me? No, he inspired me. But I did run out right after the argument... I can see why he would think I ran because I was upset," she said.

"Inspired you to do what?" Chat asked, curiously.

Marinette glanced at the bag in Chat's hand. Her heart beat faster, nervously. "I'm going to sort everything out. first, I'll get Alya and Nino together, and then I'm going to kiss Louis."

"YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT?!"

"Sometimes you've got to be brave to get what you want Chat. I love him. I want him. I'm going to try and get him."

"But what if…" chat couldn't bring himself to say it.

Marinette bowed her head and gulped. "Then at least I'll know. I can't move on until I do."

Chat felt a swell of pride in his chest for her. she was far braver than he gave her credit for. Sure she could run head first into danger to save someone's life, but any fool could do that. opening yourself up to someone, knowing that they could destroy you if you do, that was harder. Even Chat couldn't do that. the idea of Ladybug not loving him back destroyed him. living it would kill him.
they came to the bakery door, and Marinette too the bag from Chat. She didn't take her scarf back yet, just in case he was going to stay out in the cold.

"Do you want to come in for some hot coco?" she asked.

"Um…"

he glanced in at her parents who were teasing each other and laughing behind the counter in the empty bakery. His chest warmed to see them still so in love after all this time. he felt a hand brush against his, and looked up. Marinette smiled at him.

"Are you coming in?"

"Oh, um," he thought about what she had said about being brave. After all, Christmas was a time for love. "Not today… I'll come back on Thursday. Maybe we can watch the Labyrinth this time."

"I doubt it. we still haven't decorated the tree. Papa said we had to wait for you," she smirked.

"For me?" he repeated, confused.

"He thinks you don't have a home or a family to decorate with, and he doesn't want you to miss out. It's sappy, but he cares about you, so on Thursday, we're decorating the tree."

Chat lifted his head and looked in at Tom. He was the polar opposite of Gabriel. He was large and wide with softer curves, a moustache and a smile. Gabriel was skinny and sharp and scowling. Chat felt a rush of affection for this new family he had found.

"You know what, maybe I will come in for some coco."

"Go on Marinette, you can do it. start with the apology, and then be really calm as you look up, and try not to turn-"

"There he is!"

"Pink…"

Tikki sighed as Marinette's ears turned a shade of red that contrasted to the way that cold air was bleaching her cheeks. She waved to Adrien as he looked around. He smiled, and headed towards her. Tikki leapt back down into the folds of Marinette's scarf, and braced herself for embarrassment. A cold wind wound around her legs as Adrien came nearer, and Marinette didn't feel it. she was far too nervous to be anything but numb.

"H-h-hi Adrien…"

"Hey Marinette, um, look-" he began, nervously.

"No, listen, about the other day-"

"That's what I'm talking about, I never should have-"

"I shouldn't have said-"

"It was my fault-"

"I'm totally to blame, and what I mean it-"

"What I'm trying to say is well-"

"I'm sorry."

The two of them looked at each other in surprise at their sudden simulations apology, and then started chuckling. At least they could just breeze past that and get that awkwardness out of the way. Now for the next part. Marinette had waited until the last day of term to tell him, so she had the weeks over Christmas to get over it if it went badly.

"Adrien, there's something I need to tell you," she muttered.

"You can tell me anything prince- um, Marinette," Adrien bit his tongue.

He stared at her, urgently, desperately willing her not to ask questions. Marinette was so wrapped up in her own little panic that she didn't notice.

"Um, I, well, I mean, we – no, I mean I. I have, um, yeah, I put them up, because, um, I wanted to – what I mean is, I wanted to… to… err…"

Marinette's stammering explanation, and Adrien's patient curiosity was interrupted by a loud yelling match from Alya and Nino across the playground. They looked to see the two of them standing under a piece of mistletoe together.

"NINO DID YOU PUT THAT THERE?!"

"ME?! I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT! YOU POINTED IT OUT, YOU MUST HAVE PUT IT THERE!"

"I AM NOT KISSING YOU!"

"GOOD! YOU'RE A TERRIBLE KISSER ANYWAY!"

"THE HELL I AM!"

Nino yelped as Alya grabbed him by the collar and dragged him forward to kiss him. it was a long, lingering kiss, that melted from anger to embarrassment. Nino was pink and too embarrassed to remember how to talk when Alya pushed him away. She was going to yell again, when she burst into laughter. Nino was wearing her lipstick now. she pulled a tissue out of her pocket, and held it out to him. he stared at her, frozen in shock. She smirked, and wiped his mouth free of lipstick for him.

"At least you're cute," she muttered.

Adrien turned to see at Marinette, who was grinning triumphantly at how affective her plan had been.

"Something to do with you?" Adrien asked.

Marinette blinked at him in surprise. She'd forgotten he was there. She broke into a smile, and shrugged innocently.

"I don't know what you mean."

Adrien laughed, "You're a sly one Mari! But don't worry," he patted her shoulder and winked, "your secret's safe with me."

She gave a love stuck smile as he wandered away into the school, heading to class. Tikki crept out from the folds of the scarf, and propped her head up on her hand as the two of them watched Adrien wander away.

"Weren't you supposed to kiss him?" Tikki asked.

"huh?"

Tikki gestured to the bough of mistletoe hanging from the tree branch above them. Marinette swore inwardly. She'd forgotten that was there. Adrien glanced back at Marinette.

"She is far more mischievous that I thought she could be," he said to Plagg.

Plagg glanced up at the mistletoe above Marinette. "Yeah. Very sly."

"Well at least one things for sure now," Adrien said.

"what's that then?"

"Nino is not Louis. I wonder who it is then."

Plagg face palmed dramatically. He loved Adrien, but sometimes he wondered how on earth someone this oblivious could have been chosen to save Paris.