A/N: please enjoy this ridiculously fluffy segment. The next one is slightly more angsty, but nobody needs that right now. It all ends happily in the end, I promise!

"Hi Sabine," Alya said, ducking into the bakery on boxing day morning. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Alya!" Sabine smiled back. "Come to see Marinette?"

"Yep! I've got her present," Alya replied, gesturing to her bag.

"Just like every year. She's in her room, head on up, you know the way." There was a strange smile on Sabine's face, one Alya had learned to be a little wary of over the years. But before she could ask what was going on, Sabine had turned to the customer waiting in line. So, journalistic curiosity nipping at her heels, she made it up the stairs in record time. At the base of the stairs, she heard two voices. Two familiar voices.

She froze on the stairs, eyes wide, completely unable to believe her ears. There was no way she could possibly be hearing what she thought she was. Carefully, she made sure to take the completely silent route up the stairs, skipping the fourth, stepping carefully in the one silent spot on the sixth that didn't creak (she and Marinette had perfected the route on many a sleep over), carefully listening to the voices she knew so well, trying to figure how what she was hearing could possibly be true.

"I don't believe it!" Came her best friend's voice. Perfectly reasonable. It was her room that Alya was trying to sneak into.

"Really, princess, you wound me! You think I'm lying to you? They were everywhere, it was absolutely awful." Said the voice she couldn't believe she was hearing. Slowly, she straightened until her eyes were just through the floor, just enough to take in the scene.

She couldn't believe it.

"Why father thought an angel theme was a good idea, I'll never know, but it was the worst shoot of my entire life," Adrien said. Because Adrien was in Marinette's room. Adrien who had apparently called Marinette Princess. Adrien, who was sitting behind Marinette on her chaise, chatting comfortably, smiling softly, and doing Marinette's hair in a french braid.

The evidence of her eyes could not be denied. This was really happening. And, since it was there was one other person who had to be told, if this was really going on, she raised her phone and snapped a quick picture and sent it to Nino. They'd been betting on when this would happen for months.

That being dealt with, she finally did what any best friend would do.

She squealed.

"ALYA!" Marinette cried, jumping at the noise and then running across the room and jumping into her best friend's arms.

"Princess..." Adrien said feeling slightly resigned as her ridiculously soft hair slid through his fingers. He'd loosened his grip as soon as he noticed Alya sticking her head up into the room from the corner of his eye. He'd thought something like this might happen, but he'd wanted to have every last second close to Marinette, hands running through her insanely silky hair. Not that he hadn't gotten plenty of sense memory both last night and this morning, but still, it was so nice to be touching someone, especially if that someone was Marinette.

He looked fondly at the girl who'd brought him so quickly from hell to heaven as she jumped around excitedly, her half finished braid unravelling. She was adorable adorable like this. Not that he hadn't found her attractive when she'd practically pinned him to her couch and made out with him last night, or that she wasn't amazing when she was being the confident class president everyone loved, or beautiful and fascinating when she was talking about fashion, but seeing her like this just made him sigh happily. He could have watched her all day.

He might have, too, if his phone hadn't rung, demanding his attention. He frowned, reaching for it. Nathalie wasn't supposed to come back until later, so who would be calling... Oh?

"Hey Nino," Adrien said, bringing his phone to his ear.

"Dude, you can braid?" Was the first thing his friend said. Adrien shot Alya a dirty look, even knowing she wouldn't be paying attention. Apparently that picture hasn't been as innocent as he thought.

"I've lived in the fashion world my whole life," Adrien justified. "You pick stuff up."

"Dude, you can braid," Nino repeated.

"Did you call for other reasons aside from making fun of my hair and makeup skills?" Adrien snapped.

"You do makeup too? Damn dude! As if your looks weren't enough, you have to have skills that make you even more attractive to women. You are finding time in your schedule to teach me your ways!"

"You... Want to learn how to do hair and makeup?" Adrien asked, kind of confused. He'd thought Nino would make fun of him. And women found that attractive? He hadn't gotten that impression... Then again, curling Marinette's hair last night had certainly been something.

"You somehow managed get Marinette to stop being the blushing, crushing, mess she's been around you since forever" Marinette? Crushing? Forever? Since when had she had a crush on him?" and treat you like a normal person and have her calm enough to just hang out with you in just this morning. Damn straight I want to know your ways!"

"Since when has Marinette had a crush on me?" He demanded of his best friend.

"What part of forever did you not get? Seriously Dude, I'm not sure how you missed it."

"I thought she was just star shy! Some people are you know! Has... has she really had a crush on me for such a long time?"

"Since the day you walked into class, man. Hell, probably before that too." Something in Adrien wilted.

"She... she's just into the me in the magazines then?" he asked, already knowing the answer

"Adrien. Man." Nino replied in his 'this is real talk, pay attention' voice. "At first? Yeah, sure. But we've all gotten to know the guy behind the magazine since meeting you, and, if anything, I think she fell even harder for that guy."

"Really?" Adrien perked up at this.

"Yes, really. Jeeze, Alya and I are close and I hear about how Marinette feels about you a lot. Also, Alya's plans to get you two together. It's kinda scary." Adrien could picture the half concerned, half dreamy expression on his best friend's face. It was one that was there often when he talked about Alya. "Anyway, those aren't needed anymore, because, despite all expectations to the contrary, you managed, in just one morning, to make Marinette comfortable around you. Tell. Me. Your. Ways."

"It's not just this morning." Adrien defended himself, "I was here most of yesterday afternoon and spent the night."

There was silence on the other end of the line and Adrien took the opportunity to look over at the girls who were still talking incredibly quickly. Marinette was blushing (so cute!) And Alya had her eyebrows raised, but looked impressed.

"Dude..." Nino's voice sounded slightly awed.

"What?" Adrien asked.

"Dude." Nino repeated, still sounding slightly shaken. Adrien played back the conversation in his head, trying to figure out what would have his best friend acting like thi-

Oh. Oh dear.

"Dude!" Nino continued, this time with a congratulatory tone. And then, slightly more concerned "Please tell me you used protection. I mean-"

"Nino, get your mind out of the gutter!"

"I know you've had photoshoots for, like, every health class we've had, I mean, seriously, it's like your dad doesn't want you to know-"

"Nothing happened that would need protection!" He hissed into the phone, glancing over at where the girls still weren't paying attention to him, thank God.

"I mean, if you're spending the night with a girl, there are some videos I should probably send you. I mean, Laci Green for one."

Whoever or whatever 'Laci Green' was, Adrien was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

"I mean, Alya sent passed them along to me, and they're pretty good, even if they are English."

What was Nino even talking about?

"Also, you know that you still need to use protection for-"

"WE KISSED!" Adrien practice's screamed at the phone, needing Nino to shut up. "ALL WE DID WAS KISS! IT WAS GREAT, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! BUT THAT'S ALL THAT HAPPENED!"

"Um, dude, aren't you still over at Marinette's? Should you be yelling stuff like that? What if her parents overhear?"

Adrien almost dropped his phone in horror, before remembering her parents were down in the bakery and couldn't possibly have heard. Alya on the other hand...

Alya was staring at him, looking slightly surprised, but very pleased. Marinette, on the other hand, was approximately the colour of a tomato. Adrien winced. Apparently the fact that he was Chat Noir was the only secret he was actually capable of keeping.

"I hope you realise how much this is going to come back and haunt you." He said calmly, turning away from the once again shrieking girls so he could threaten his best friend without distraction.

"Eh, there's a reason I'm not in your fencing club, you can't stab me and have it look like an accident. So, what do you think of the new trailer for Batman vs. Superman?"

Adrien stared blankly at the wall in front of him for a moment, trying to place the non-sequetor.

"You called called me to demand I teach you my ways, make false accusations and... And ask me about movies?"

"I got the picture from Alya, which means she's there right now. This means that, as soon as she sent me the picture, she probably started squealing with Marinette. Am I right?" Adrien glanced over to where the girls were still deep in gossip.

"Yeah."

"And, given how long Marinette has crushed on you, and how long Alya's been trying to encourage her to ask you out, a sight like the one in the picture she sent is going to result in a lot of gossip time. I figured you could probably use a bro to talk to to pass the time. So, Batmas vs Superman?"

"You've had him here for less than 24 hours and you've already kisses him?" Alya asked. "Damn girl! Took you long enough! So, tell your best friend Alya all about it! Was there mistletoe? Did it happen outside in the snow? Was it-"

"I tripped." Marinette said flatly, feeling embarrassed.

Her best friend blinked at her once, twice, before rolling her eyes and pulling her into a hug.

"Only you, Mari, only you. So, how did your face falling onto his manage to be 'great, absolutely amazing'?"

"Well, I didn't quite have my face fall onto his..." Marinette trailed off, not sure how she'd be getting out of this one. Realizing that she wasn't going to, she decided to enjoy the squealing. After all, what were best friends for if not for squealing? And the squeeling about what had happened yesterday had been so much fun. Well, aside from the shared look and anger and disappointment when she'd brought up that his father hadn't come home. Neither of them had been really surprised. Both had an idea of what Gabriel Agreste was like to his son. "I was going down stairs last night after I finished his present to put it on the coffee table where he'd find it in the morning. When I was putting it down, I tripped, yeah, I know, very Marinette. Adrien, who I thought was asleep but apparently wasn't, caught me and pulled me on him so that I wouldn't fall and break the table. Or my face. Or the couch. Or-"

"I am your best friend, Marinette, you don't need to keep listing things. I can imagine it plenty well myself. Now, get to the good bit," Alya smiled knowingly and giving her friend a nudge with her elbow.

"Well, he was there, holding me, and he asked if I was ok, and he was just so close and so beautiful and looked so concerned and the light was low and it was just still christmas and so I..." Marinette's blush was back now, "I kissed him."

Alya blinked at her... "You... kissed him?" A huge smile spread across her face. "Nino is gonna owe me SO MUCH money."

"YOU BET ON THAT?!" Marinette squawked indignantly. Adrien glanced over from his phone call. Marinette tried to smile reassuringly and waved his concern away. "Alya, I can't believe you!"

"Hey, just be glad I bet on you. Pretty much everyone else thought I was crazy to." Alya shrugged.

"Everyone?" Marinette asked, dreading the answer.

"Yeah, pretty much the whole class had a running bet. Odds have been heavily against you, what with your inability to string two words together around him, but you're my best friend, I had to support you!"

Marinette's deep blush was pretty obvious, even with her frown.

"Hey! At least I bet for you!" Alya defended herself.

"Yes you did..." Marinette admitted reluctantly.

"And I'm the best friend you could ask for?" Alya prodded

"Yes you are." Marinette gave a grudging smile before wrapping her arms around the best friend she could ask for.

"Good. So, what did he think of the present?" Alya asked as she pulled away from the hug. "I mean, if you actually gave it to him this time, then you couldn't have not signed your name- Marinette, what's wrong?" Marinette's face was white and her eyes wide. "Did he not like it? I know how hard you worked on it! If that idiot didn't like it then I'm going to-"

"I forgot to give it to him," Marinette whispered. Alya stared at for a full five seconds, mouth hanging open, before she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Marinette, Marinette, Marinette... How did you manage to forget to give him the gift?"

"Well, I tripped, and it fell next to the couch and then with all the kissing I just... Forgot..." Alya gave her old best friend a Look, before turning and calling out to Adrien.

"That Nino on the phone?" she asked.

"Yes." Adrien replied, putting his hand over the receiver. "Why?"

"Gimme your phone," Alya waved impatiently. Blinking and confused, but still incredibly cute, Marinette couldn't help but think, Adrien handed it over.

"Nino? It's Alya. You finished getting gifts already? Excellent. Bring them over. Yes now! I have yours and Marinette's and Adrien's with me and Marinette probably finished hers ages ago. So, see you in 20? Great!" she hung up and gave back the phone back to an Adrien who was looking rather taken aback .

"Did you have time to finish our gifts?" She asked Marinette, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I finished them before starting on Adrien's gift, so I would be able to give it all my attention."

"You did, did you?" Alya asked with a teasing lilt. Marinette blushed a little but smiled up at Adrien. She'd finally kissed him, and he liked her back. She didn't need to be embarrassed about her crush anymore. He smiled back at her, quick and bright and brilliant, before turning back to Alya and frowning.

"But I don't have gifts for any of you here!"

"You can give yours to us yours at school." Alya shrugged. "So, while we wait for Nino, you two want to tell me how Adrien ended up here?"

"Come sit, and listen," He took a seat on the chaise, and held out a hand to his Princess. When she took it, he gave a careful yank, making her squeak and fall into his lap. Good. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She was warm and soft and squawking slightly indignantly and just so completely there, it was wonderful. He had a woman who he loved (confusing feelings about Ladybug aside) in his arms and she was smiling at him and leaning against him. Her best friend was smiling at them and his would be there soon. He smiled. It was good to be home.

A/N: Laci Green does some awesome sex positive sex ed videos on youtube. Adrien does not know this. Feel free to check her out.

Next chapter, Gifts are exchanged, Nino tries to do make up, Somebody makes an unexpected appearance, and there's a reveal! See you next time!