Merry Christmas, everyone! For your enjoyment, an extra long chapter today.

o-o-o-o-o

Chat's instructions hadn't exactly helped Marinette decide what to wear. After some fussing around in front of her closet she had decided on her standard outfit, replacing her normal jacket with a blazer that made her look a little more grown-up but still felt like herself. Wrapped also in her green wintercoat and fitting scarf, she was standing on her rooftop balcony and enjoying the winter sun, feeling a bit silly as she was looking out across the roofs, waiting for Chat Noir to appear and whisk her away.
"Ma-ri-nette", she heard her mother call out to her in an exasperated voice. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"
Marinette turned towards the trapdoor, through which her mothers face appeared.
"So that is why you didn't hear me", her mum said, panting a little. "Marinette, there is a visitor for you. What are you doing out here?"
Had the crazy cat taken the front door this time?
But the boy that appeared behind her mother was … Adrien!
Marinette did a little double-take.
"A.. Adrien!", she stammered. "What are you doing here? Erm.. I mean, good morning", she managed to smile at him.
He climbed out and looked a little nervous.
"Hey, Marinette. I am here to pick you up for the.. er.. thing."
What was he talking about?
"That, erm, Christmas thing at school", he scratched his neck in a nervous gesture, looking over at Marinette's mum. "Your Friend … Ken Black… asked me to pick you up."
"I'll leave you two", Marinette's mother said cheerfully, ignoring his stammering. "Drop by the bakery on the way out if you like some croissants."
They both watched her disappear down the stairs.
"Ken Black", Marinette said, enunciating every syllable and suppressing a grin.
"I er.. had to improvise a little", Adrien said with red ears.
"So he is who I think he is?", Marinette was so stunned by the situation that her nerves hadn't picked up yet on the fact that she was alone on the roof, with Adrien.
"Kind of dark guy?", Adrien offered.
She chuckled. "Kind of a cat person, weird sense of humour?"
"Yes, him", Adrien smiled. "He asked me to meet you today. I'm guessing this is a surprise for you?"
"Yes", Marinette said, "And I have no clue what we'll be doing, either."
"Oh", Adrien smiled. "I see. Well, I hope it will be a good surprise."
"I am very curious", she said. Inwardly, she was doing a little dance. Chat Noir had gotten her a chance to spend time with Adrien! Alone! And she had washed her hair and was not in her pajamas!
"Well, would you like a croissant, Adrien?"
"Oh..", Adrien looked embarrassed. "I'd love one but my driver will report straight back to my dad if he sees me eat it."
"Well, do we have to leave right away?"
Now he was full-on smiling.
"I guess not!"

Adrien was chewing on the third mini croissant, watching Marinette as she leaned against the railing, holding her face into the winter sun. She was wearing cute ear warmers, and the wind was whirling through her signature pigtails. She looked stunningly peaceful.
He felt light and happy at the sight.
Light enough to pick another croissant from the bag of mini viennoiseries that Marinette's mum had given them.
"Lovely", he said quietly.
She snapped out of her daydreaming and turned towards him.
"Yes, the weather is lovely today", she agreed.
"That, too", he mumbled under his breath.

o-o-o-o-o

Chat Noir's surprise was a freaking tour of the Agreste design department! THE AGRESTE DESIGN DEPARTMENT!
With Adrien, on top of that.
Marinette was on cloud 9. Ah no, she was on cloud 20.
They had already spent a full two hours touring the different rooms, where the tour had probably been planned for less than an hour. But Marinette found everything so fascinating, and when she had overcome her initial shyness and started to fire questions at the employees about the materials they used and their sources of inspiration when coming up with a new line, they had opened up to her and shown her more and more. It probably helped that they all obviously adored Adrien, but Marinette liked to think that she hadn't made a complete fool of herself either.

The best thing, however, had happened in the end. When they entered the last atelier, a tall lady was taking a model's measures and dictating them to a girl standing next to him.
"Marinette, this is Mariella Monfont, one of our chief designers", Adrien said, "And you have met her assistant Molly when we were in the collection room."
The two of them looked up and nodded at her.
"She always insists on checking new model's measurements herself", Adrien whispered.
"Adrien, I heard you would be coming in with your friend", Mariella nodded at them.
"Marinette, have you seen how we take a model's measures?", Molly smiled warmly at her.
"No, I haven't", Marinette said. The tailor made a gesture for her to approach.
When Marinette came closer, she realized that the tall model who was standing in front of Mariella Monfont was not much older than her and Adrien. He was tall, muscular, and had light bronze skin.
"Hello", Marinette said shyly.
If Marinette's heart wasn't for one hundred percent focused on Adrien, she might have responded to the guy's flirty wink and wide smile, but as it was, she just focused on Mariella's quick, skillful work.
Adrien appeared to her right and lightly placed his hand on her back.
"You must be new", he said to the other boy, reaching out to shake the boy's hand, "I am Adrien Agreste. This is .. Marinette Dupain-Chang."
The boy nodded eagerly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Agreste. My name is Gerard Bleu."
"Gerard might be joining the chimney campaign", Molly explained.
"Unless the flue keeps knocking out our design team and we have to cancel it", Mariella said dryly.
Gerard made a face as if he was sulking, looking at Marinette.
She hardly registered it because Adrien's hand on her back had moved a little bit.
Adrien had her hand on her back!
She was in the AGRESTE DESIGN DEPARTMENT and ADRIEN was TOUCHING her back.
Well, her blazer, but she thought that she still felt a little bit of his body heat through the various layers of clothes.
"Is Maya still sick?", Adrien asked.
"Yes, her, and Tania", Molly said.
They watched in silence as Mariella quickly took various measures around Gerard's legs.
"Are you a model, too?", he asked, looking at Marinette.
What an odd moment to make conversation with her, she thought… Then she registered what his question had been and she cringed.
"Eh, me? Eh, no, me.. eh", she stammered. Gerard was making her self-conscious, where she had felt so in her element the past hours, even – or especially – in Adrien's company. "I.. I.. could never.. I mean, I obviously don't have the.. eh.."
"Marinette is a designer", Adrien interrupted.
He looked at Gerard when he said: "She might have the looks to be a model, but she is way too talented to be in front of the camera."
Marinette looked at him with open mouth for an embarrassingly long three seconds before pulling herself together.
Mariella, Maya, and Gerard looked at Adrien curiously. Gerard had turned a bit pale and obviously decided it was better not to talk anymore.
"She made that hat for father's competition?", Adrien said to Mariella, "Maybe you remember.."
"Ah, yes, you mentioned that", Mariella said thoughtfully. "You know, if you're serious about this, Marinette, maybe during your next school vacations, you could come for a few days and assist one of our interns. You might learn some things."
"Oh that would be fantastic", Marinette said, "I'd be happy to do whatever is needed."
"Well, we cannot have you touch any of the actual fashion", Mariella said, "But we do have interns – graduates who just finished their studies in fashion. One of them might be interested to take you under their wings. Send your resumé to Molly and I'll see what we can do."
With that, she turned towards Gerard again and gestured for him to stretch out his arm.
Adrien checked his watch. "Shall we go?", he asked.
"Of course", Marinette said quickly.
When they stepped into the hallway, she let out a little squeal.
She was so excited by Mariella's offer to do job shadowing at the design department that it took her a moment to realize that as part of her happy dance, she had apparently thrown herself at Adrien and was hugging him tightly.
Even more interesting, however, was that he hugged her back and turned around with her on the spot, her legs flying through the air.
When he put her back onto her feet, she made: "Oops" and hesitantly removed her arms from his chest.
Adrien laughed. It was one of his much too rare, true laughs, and Marinette loved to see him so relaxed and happy.
He placed his hands on the side of her arms.
"I'm glad to see you're enjoying your time here, Marinette", he said, smiling at her warmly.
"Eh… thank… erm.. thank you, Ad.. Adrien, for all .. this of.. all of this."
Ok, she could have said this better, but it was fine. She had managed quite alright so far. Gotten through the day quite fine. It was ok to stammer a little bit now, given that his hands were still on her arms, and he was looking at her with that soft, soft, gorgeous smile and.. his thumb was moving across her arm, making it feel almost like a caress…
Marinette stared at Adrien.
Adrien stared back.

And then the door to the atelier flew open and Molly came rushing out, before she was frozen in space.
An Akuma attack!

o-o-o-o-o

Merry Christmas, you all! This is as far as I got while family is going crazy over our actual Christmas preparations. I will give this chapter an extra edit after the holidays, apologies for any mistakes as this one had to be written a bit quickly, but for now I gotta get back to my own gift workshop and decorating the Christmas tree. Ho ho ho!