Marinette was used to the smell of sweet things coming out of an oven, she lived over the best bakery in Paris after all, but it was unusual at this time of day. Most of the baking started early in the morning and was done well before the lunch rush, so she wasn't prepared to meet the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies as she and Alya walked through the door after returning from school.

"That's enough, Adrien," Tom's voice could be heard coming from the kitchen. "If you add too many almonds with the chocolate chips that are already in there, they won't have enough dough to keep the cookies together."

"But Mari loves slivered almonds in her chocolate chip cookies," Adrien replied.

There was a silence then, "That's true," he said. "Add another handful."

"We're home!" Alya called.

"We're in the kitchen," Marinette's father called back.

Alya and Marinette put down their bags and joined the others in the kitchen. Nino was taking cookies from the oven while Tom and Adrien were scooping little mounds of dough onto a baking sheet.

"Anything we can do to help?" Marinette asked.

"No, you two shoo!" Tom said as he waved them away. "This is my kitchen right now and I am trying to teach these two young fellows how to take care of their ladies."

"Papa…" Marinette began.

Tom put down the scoop he was using and clapped his hands together. "Gentleman attend," calling for the attention of the boys which he immediately received. "The female of the species," he made a motion in the direction of the girls, "is often trained to be a caretaker, a helper, a constant worker, in short she is the worrier of the group. This means that when presented with an opportunity to rest, she will immediately try to fill that with some other thing that she thinks needs to be done. After a long day of work, or having just finished a difficult semester of school, for example," he smiled over at Alya and Mari, "they will not do what we males often do which is slack off and turn into mindless zombies. Oh no, they will continue to work themselves to DEATH!" He waited as the boys murmured worriedly. "When you see the ladies in your life need to take a rest," he continued, "sometimes you must make them do it! This means you must always be aware of what's happening in their life and be thoughtful about how that is affecting them. Then you must think to yourself," he made a motion of deep thought, "how am I to get this person I love taken care of? Then you must do what you think is best whether that means taking over the house while you put them to bed or giving them a hug and a listening ear, you must try to do your best to balance the situation." He smiled slyly. "Here we have two such ladies that we all know and love. Can either of you name something that can be done to help them rest and refresh after they've been through their trying ordeal?"

Both boys raised their hands.

"Yes, uhhh," he looked around the room as if he were a professor in front of a lecture hall full of students, "Adrien, would you like to share your idea?" Tom asked.

"They have been out in the cold so they probably need a warm drink."

"Excellent idea," Tom said happily. "And what would the ladies like to drink?"

"Um, well, Alya usually likes a nice cup of mocha and Mari often prefers black tea with a little lemon, but um…" he hesitated.

"Yes?" Tom urged.

"Shouldn't we ask them what they'd want?" he said tentatively.

"Yes!" Tom shouted and gave Adrien a high-five. "Always ask! Never presume to know what your ladies think or want."

"Now Nino, what was your idea of how to get our ladies taken care of?" he said turning to Nino.

"Well, as Adrien said they've been walking out in the cold, so maybe they need to sit down and put their feet up?" He pulled Tom's thinking pose. "Maybe they'd appreciate a blanket to warm up with as well?"

"Another excellent idea," Tom gave Nino a high-five of approval. "Well gentlemen?" He looked down at them, "What are you waiting for?"

The boys immediately sprang into action. They ushered the girls to the couch while asking them if they'd like something warm to drink and what that should be. Then they proceeded to bring out blankets to tuck around cold legs.

"Alya do you have a hole in your boots?" Nino asked as he stuffed a bit of blanket around her feet. "One of your socks is wet."

Alya nodded. "They're my favorite boots and I keep forgetting to get them fixed."

"Can she borrow a pair of your socks Mar?" Nino asked the other occupant of the couch.

"Sure," Marinette said. "I'll go get her some."

"Uh-uh," Adrien said. "You stay there Mari. I know where your socks are. Is there a certain pair she should or shouldn't have?"

Marinette shook her head. "She can have any of them. She's borrowed all of them often enough." She smiled at her friend who stuck out her tongue. "Just be sure to knock before you open the door."

Adrien smiled at her. "Of course, I know I have to give your "ghoul in the attic" time to hide before going in." He hurried off to get the socks.

Nino returned to the kitchen to get hot cocoa started for both girls and Tom promised to show him how to make whipped cream roses for the top.

"I brought you the fuzzy orange ones Al," Adrien said as he came back into the room. "Do you want me to put them on you or would you prefer to do it yourself?"

"As much as I love you and Nino waiting on us quite literally hand and foot, I think I'd like to put on my own socks, thank you Monsieur Agreste." She laughed as Adrien tossed the bundle at her.

"If you give me your socks I can put them up to dry," he volunteered.

"Thanks Adrien," she said as she handed the damp sock and its mate to him.

"No problem Al." He smiled at her before turning away.

He disappeared to another room while Nino returned carrying mugs with huge whipped cream roses floating on top. Adrien brought them a plate with cookies on it and both boys scurried back to the kitchen.

Marinette turned on a movie and as they rested against one another they listened to Tom giving out the last of his advice.

"Very good gentlemen, very good," he began, "you can see the tension leaving the shoulders and see those smiles? You have done the first part of the maneuver with great precision and efficiency. That is excellent." He paused and the girls suspected he was giving them hugs. "Now we move on to part two! You see that in our endeavors to pamper our lovelies we have created something of a mess in here? What kind of loving man would show his lady that he cares by leaving her more work to do later?" There was a long silence. When he began speaking again there wasn't the jolly tone in his voice and he lost the playful air of a snooty professor. He was somehow more somber, more serious. "I give you the benefit of my experience boys, may you never have the person you love break into tears because the very thing you've done to show them you care has left them feeling more a slave to your slovenliness than the light of your life." A breath later he continued, "Nothing can make you feel like less of a man than to crush the spirit of that person you were trying to build up. So, to avoid my pain, I advise you gentlemen to always go the distance and see a project all the way to the end."

Soon the sounds of washing dishes and cleaning up could be heard. Just as the movement was dying down a beep rang out.

"Perfect timing," Tom said. "Now you boys go take your drinks and these cookies and I'll finish up in here."

"But Tom," Adrien protested, "You just said we should go the distance and see a project all the way to the end."

"Yeah," Nino added, "What kind of men would we be if we left you with work to do while we go play?"

Tom's laugh erupted unexpectedly. "You both make very good points. I'm so proud to have such quick and attentive students." Another silence where he was undoubtedly squeezing the air from both boys' lungs and then, "Very well, let's get this done so you can go play."

After a few more minutes Nino was bringing in his own mug and a plate of cookies to sit next to Alya. She had been leaning her back against Marinette, who had been gently running a hand through her hair as they watched the show, her legs stretched out across the seat. Without saying a word he set the mug and plate down on the coffee table, scooped up her legs with the blanket still tucked underneath, sat on the cushion, and draped Alya's legs across his lap. Then he reached across her legs and picked up the plate.

"Want another cookie?" he asked her as he extended it toward her.

Alya shook her head. "No thanks, Nono," she said using the nickname his sister had bequeathed on him when she was only two, "I'm already slipping into a carb coma from the three I inhaled earlier."

***"Okay," Nino said as he picked up two of the cookies. "Did you want one, Mari?" he asked as he moved the plate in her direction, but she just shook her head so he placed the plate on the coffee table and started to snuggle down with Alya. "If you want some with almonds, Adrien's waiting for them to cool a bit more and then he'll be bringing them in."

"Oh, okay," Marinette said quietly as she looked away from him.

That was not the reaction he had been expecting. He knew as well as Adrien that those were her favorite cookies and he knew that Adrien was just about her favorite person in the world, so why did she look like she'd just been told her hamster had died? He sent Alya a text.

Adrien came in with his cocoa and the plate of still warm cookies. He looked at Alya and Nino obviously texting each other, and smiled to see them so comfortable together. He offered Marinette a cookie before sitting next to her. He was close enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from him, but as always he maintained a little distance waiting for her to invite him closer.

"What!" Nino suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone looked at him. He cleared his throat. "Um, I'm sitting right here Alya," he said nervously, "if you wanted another cookie you could have just said it."

Alya had been watching him closely. "I'm, uh, being lazy right now Nono. Just hand over the cookie and no one gets hurt."

Nino reached over and picked up a cookie. The look he gave her as he handed it over was not the hormone fueled gaze he usually wore when they were communicating "telepathically" but it was no less intense.

"Uh, thanks Nino," Alya said slightly confused. She started nibbling on the treat and waited for the others to resume watching the show before she continued their texting conversation.

"WHAT?!" This time it was Alya that all eyes were staring at. "You can't send that to a person without some kind of a warning Lahiff!"

"Sorry Al," Nino said, but the grin on his face suggested it was a lie.

"What did he send you?" Marinette asked trying to peek over her shoulder.

Alya clutched the phone to her chest. "I'm not showing you!" she declared. "You are too good and pure for this world." She glared daggers at her boyfriend who was having trouble containing his laughter.

"See how you like this," she said as she started to text back.

She looked up waiting for his response. His face was a scowl as he read but soon his fingers were flying over his phone. A smile broke out on his face when her phone buzzed.

Alya read her message and then said aloud, "You had better be right."

"Aw, Allie have I ever let you down?"

She smiled back at him. "Never," a mischievous grin took over and she added, "at least not when it counts."

"Thanks babe," he said with a blank face then rolled his eyes. He went back to typing while the others watched their show.

Adrien felt his phone vibrate and checked the notice. He looked up from the phone to meet Nino's gaze. He nodded and then said, "Uh, Nathalie wants me to call her. I'll just take this in another room."

Marinette noticed that Nino was still texting, but Alya didn't seem to be responding very often. She was a little worried that they were fighting, but after a careful look at their faces she decided that they were fine. She leaned back against Alya and rested her head on her shoulder. It was so hard to be near Adrien today. Knowing that he hated the thought of them together so much, she was a little surprised that he chose to sit so close to her. No, those kind of thoughts had to stop. Every brush of his sleeve or touch of his leg against hers couldn't be savored like they were her precious jewels. She just had to get it through her head that she was no more important to Adrien than Nino or Alya, not that he didn't love and care for them, but he wasn't in love with any of them. And that just had to be okay. What kind of a friend was she if she couldn't accept him as he was? You can't make people feel what they don't feel! Marinette continued to lecture herself about giving up those hopes and expectations while Adrien was out of the room.

He returned and sat very close to Marinette. "Sorry about that," he said very quietly in her ear.

Marinette just nodded as she looked straight forward.

"Nathalie wanted to remind us about the charity Christmas Gala tomorrow night."

Marinette's gaze dropped to her hands in her lap. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"She wanted me to tell you that Gorilla will be dropping off your dress by five. Is that okay?"

Marinette nodded. It was the first time that Adrien's father had insisted on designing a dress specifically for her. He had started supplying gowns for her once Adrien had made it obvious that he wasn't asking anyone else to these things, saying that as a representative of the Agreste empire she needed to be suitably attired, but this was the first evening dress he had designed just for her. She almost wanted to cry. She'd been so excited when Adrien told her the news, wondering what THE Gabriel Agreste would make for her, but now?

"You know, they're having the lighting ceremony for the displays in the park tonight," Adrien said a little louder so that Alya wouldn't have to strain to overhear what was being said, "I think we should go."

Marinette turned to look at him in confusion. "You want to go back?"

Adrien nodded as he smiled at her. "I've got to find Nath to tell him how much I loved his work."

Marinette was even more confused than ever. "You, you did?"

Adrien was nodding even more vigorously. "It was absolutely stunning! I couldn't take my eyes off of it," he blushed a little when he added, "well off of you."

"Really?"

He laughed. "Mari it was quite literally breathtaking." He reached out and took one of her hands. "You were breathtaking," he whispered.

Marinette's own breath caught at the look in his eyes.

"We ought to go back so I can see the rest of Nath's work," Adrien said as his thumb began to caress the back of Marinette's hand.

"What do you mean see the rest of it?" Marinette's head felt like it was spinning faster than when the cyclone akuma had caught her off guard and hit her with one of his twirling storms. She was trying to keep up with everything that was happening but she was simply overwhelmed. What she thought she knew wasn't true? Maybe he didn't hate her after all?

"I'm afraid all I saw was you," Adrien said tenderly, "and I couldn't bear to stop looking at your face to see anything else."

"oh..."

"Would you, would you like to go with me to the park tonight?"

"That would nice," Marinette said with a smile. "I'd love to go with you." She turned a little to nudge Alya. "You're coming, too right?"

Alya didn't even pretend not to have been listening in. "Gee, I don't know Mar-Bar. I might want to spend some time with just me and Nino tonight."

"Okay, I guess I can call Rose and Alix to see if they can come," Marinette said.

"Why don't you two just go?" Nino asked frustrated that this was getting off track, again.

"Nino I can't just go with Adrien alone," Marinette said with a frown. "That breaks Rule #9."

They all groaned. When Adrien started taking Marinette to functions, Gabriel had set forth ten rules for their behavior in public to prevent the tabloids from being able to manufacture any kind of false relationship. Rule #9 was that they had to go out in a group, or at least with both Alya and Nino, at all times.

Alya relented. "Okay Mari, we'll come with you."

Marinette reluctantly took her hand out of Adrien's grasp to give Alya a hug. "Thanks Al."

"But don't be surprised when Alya and I sneak off," Nino said with a smirk. "There are just some things we don't share with you two."

"And I thank you for that," Marinette said flatly. She turned back to Adrien. "It looks like I will be able to go to park with you tonight."

Adrien beamed at her. "That's great!" He dropped his gaze briefly to her lips before looking up into her eyes again. "And um, afterward, would you like to get something to eat?"

Marinette bit her lower lip as she thought. She didn't miss the way Adrien's eyes flitted down to follow the movement. "Well, if these two ditch us..."

"Oh we are so ditching you!"

"Then I guess we'd have to get take out and bring it back here?" she said as if Alya hadn't openly declared her intention of leaving the two of them alone.

Adrien nodded. "There's that Mediterranean place next to the park that we like. We can order enough for four people and share with your parents."

Marinette smiled, "It's a date!"

At hearing her words, her face started to get that familiar "I can't believe I just said that in front of Adrien!" look but before she could stammer out an apology or try to retract her words, he gave her a gentle smile. "It's a date," he repeated.

Marinette wasn't sure if the high pitched squealing was coming from her or Alya, and frankly didn't care. She was going on a date with Adrien!

"Dudes, finally!" Nino said as Alya was excitedly whacking at his nearest arm.

They all shared a laugh and then settled down to wait out the hours until the lighting ceremony.

Instead of leaning against Alya, Marinette relaxed onto Adrien. After a moment, Adrien moved that arm over her head and rested it across her shoulders.

"Is this okay?" he asked tentatively.

Marinette smiled up at him as she nodded. Then proceeded to cuddle into his side. Adrien reached across his body to guide her arm to rest across his stomach. As he covered her arm with his, Marinette couldn't help but feel content within the circle of his arms. Funny, she had thought that she'd be too excited to sit still if something like this ever happened, but instead she felt as if she was finally coming home.