Chapter Eighteen: Christmas Baking.

There's nothing like home-baked treats at Christmas time.

Wednesday 18th December 2019. 12 p.m. Marinette's home.

Marinette had realised within months of meeting him that Adrien, for as much as she and her friends teased him about being the only teen to like going to school, actually liked getting to spend time with his friends away from his large and empty mansion. He had always looked happy at the start of the school day and when returning from lunch at home, but recently he had started to look ecstatically happy when leaving school too. The fact that this coincided with all of his lunches and outings with her wasn't lost on her either.

Which is why, as she let them into her home for lunch now that school had finished for the day, she was very surprised to see that his normal enthusiasm had somewhat diminished. He was still unbelievably happy to see her. That much was obvious. But there was something bothering him and dulling his bright smile.

She waved him to the table where her mother's cooking waited for them - wonton soup, Marinette's favourite - and decided to wait him out.

She didn't have long to wait at all.

"I need your help," he grumbled before they had even touched their meal.

He didn't sound scared or pained or worried so she assumed it wasn't anything bad. "Of course," Marinette said. He didn't even need to ask her, she would always be there for him. "What with?"

"My Secret Santa gift."

"You still can't find anything?"

After discovering that Alix already had the skating equipment that Adrien had bought for her gift, Adrien had been spending all of his spare time searching for a replacement. Marinette had helped him where she could, sending him links to online shops, helpful articles about women's sporting equipment, and texting him every little thing she could remember about Alix's preferences.

It had apparently all been in vain though.

Adrien shook his head. "Everything they had was either not her size or style or she already has it. I've given up on the sporting angle, but the only other things I know is she likes shortbread - and you've given her unlimited access for the rest of the month."

Marinette knew he was underestimating just how much Alix loved shortbread. "You could still give her some as a gift. Trust me, she will not say no. She'll love it."

"But €20 of shortbread seems like I just gave up," he sighed. Marinette was about to reassure him that it wasn't, that Alix really would love all of those biscuits, but Adrien suddenly looked around the kitchen with interest. "Wait, would it be better if I made her some? It's the thought that counts right? And you said it was one of the simplest biscuits to make."

"Well, it is, it's just a 1:2:3 ratio," she shrugged, thinking of the thousands of times she had made shortbread over the years. Sugar, butter, and flour, mixed in that order, made it one of the best beginner recipes she knew. Adrien probably could make them easily enough if he could sneak into his kitchen at home and… Marinette shook her head, pulling her thoughts back into order. Baking the biscuits wasn't the issue here. "Adrien, I know that Alix would love the shortbread whether or not you made it." Marinette then made the mistake of looking at him and her resistance crumbled. He looked like a sad little kitten. "How about this? If Nathalie lets you stay after lunch, I will help you make some for her."

Adrien was pulling his phone out of his pocket before she had even finished speaking and Marinette wondered just what she had let herself in for.

"She said yes. Thank god."

Marinette gave him an indulgent smile and hoped she didn't regret this. "Good. Let's eat now, kitten. Then we can decide exactly what to make."

3 p.m. Marinette's home.

Adrien was giving the small biscuit in front of him his utmost attention as he moved the icing bag over it and gently squeezed a thin line of icing out.

He was extremely pleased to say that Alix's shortbread were made almost totally by him. Marinette had had to help him with a few things, such as showing him how to properly hold and use the icing bag without making a gigantic mess, but for the most part she had given him instructions and hints while sitting back and watching.

Adrien had creamed together the butter and sugar, mixing until Marinette told him it was blended well enough, that added the flour and rolled it all out on the kitchen worktop. He was covered in flour and bits of caster sugar at that point but he was having the most fun ever so he didn't care. He just had to make sure that Nathalie didn't see him looking like this. Marinette had given him a box full of hundreds of shapes and styles of biscuit cutters and he had chosen five different designs - a Christmas tree, a present, and a star because 'tis the season, and a kitten and a roller skate because they were for Alix.

He had cut them out and while the first batch was baking Marinette showed him how to make piping icing and colour it black, red, green, and yellow. While the first batch was cooling and the second went in to bake she showed him how to apply just the right amount of pressure to control the flow of icing.

His hand had been shaking so badly when he had started to ice his first biscuit, a tiny little kitten, but once he had ice two green eyes and a set of black whiskers it had looked so adorable he just had to do another. Marinette had just giggled and asked if he was making them Chat Noir themed or whether he was doing a portrait of Plagg.

Plagg hissed and Adrien laughed so hard that he squirted out far too much red icing onto the present shaped biscuit. For a moment he thought he had ruined it until Marinette demonstrated how they could fully ice these biscuits rather than just adding a little detailing like on the kitten biscuits. The presents were completely red with a bright yellow bow.

The Christmas trees were completely iced too, green from tip to trunk with a few blobs and lines of red and yellow for baubles and tinsel. The roller skates were left mostly bare though, with the wheels coloured green and the laces piped in thin black icing.

"And… done!" Adrien finished the last of the skate laces and looked proudly at his handiwork. Four out of five designs were finished, with a third batch in the oven right now. "What design would look best on the stars?" he asked Marinette.

She picked up the yellow icing bag. "How about this?" with a few deft movements she outlined the biscuit then drew a line from the centre point to each of the five tips. "Is that good enough?"

Adrien smiled. It was way better than merely good. "It's perfect my princess," he smiled up at her and then froze. He had been paying so much attention to the biscuits that he hadn't noticed that she was as messy as he was. "You, uh-" he vaguely gestured at her face.

Surprisingly, she understood right away. "Icing?" he nodded, entranced by the tiny smear of green icing under her right eye. She looked good in green, he realised. In his colour. She touched it gently and gave a resigned sigh when her hand came away coloured green. "It's an occupational hazard. Can you pass me that cloth?"

"I could."

Later, Adrien would blame his actions on the fact that the icing was green and seeing her in his colour knocked his brain offline. He picked up the cloth but instead of handing it to her he bent down towards her and quickly kissed it off her cheek. When he pulled away she was previously unseen shade of red. "Or I could do that," he smirked, overjoyed that he could have such an effect on her. "That icing was wonderfully sweet, Princess."

He should have expected her to retaliate.

She glared at him, still that delightful shade of red, and then jabbed her piping bag onto his cheek and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss off the icing. Adrien swore he had died and gone to heaven at the feel of her lips on his cheek and holy cats she was lingering there way longer than she had to.

"You're right, kitten." Marinette pulled back and smiled at him and, yep, this was heaven, he had to be dead, she killed him. "It is sweeter this way."

Adrien whimpered. "I think you killed me."

"Why would I do a silly thing like that? I like you alive and well."

Was it his imagination or did she sound a little breathless?

Adrien's brain finally came back online and he registered just how close she was standing. There was the smallest of gaps between them and her hand was still on his elbow from when she placed it there to lean up to kiss his cheek and his hand, when did that even happen, had come to rest at her hip. She was so close, and she was looking at him with so much open affection. His eyes flicked down to her lips. It would be so easy, so very easy, to lean down and finally kiss her. Her head was already tilted upwards to him, her eyes were sliding shut, he leaned forwards and…

… the oven alarm went off.

He sighed and pressed a kiss against her forehead, chuckling when she nuzzled under his chin in apology before hurrying to the oven to stop the biscuits from burning.

Adrien turned his attention back to the already iced biscuits on the table but found himself staring at their two kwami instead. So far Plagg and Tikki had mostly stayed out of the kitchen, sitting on the sofa and watching silly Christmas films, but now they were here and Plagg was looking at him in what could only be described as frustration. He looked between Adrien and Marinette before letting out a strangled sound and burying his face in his paws. Tikki gently pat his back in comfort and sympathy before looking at Adrien. She very deliberately pointed at him, then Marinette, and then made several exaggerated kissy faces. What are you waiting for?

Adrien shook his head at the two of them. They were way too invested in his love life.

He shooed them away, ignoring their scowls, before returning to his critical examination of the shortbread. It looked amazing, surprisingly so given that this was his first time baking, and he was actually starting to think that Alix would really like this.

He turned to Marinette who was sliding the shortbread onto a cooling rack. "You know, I don't think we need the back-up batch. These turned out perfect."

Marinette snorted. "You're only saying that because you want to eat them yourself."

"Not just for that reason."

Marinette set the baking tray aside and walked over to stand next to him, examining the shortbread as he had just done. Adrien was delighted when she gave him an approving nod. "Okay kitty. We can eat the extras, but only after we've boxed Alix's up and after they've cooled. Yes?"

It was easy enough to agree to that.

Marinette had got a plain box from the bakery before they had started mixing the dough and helped him to decorate it with Christmas doodles while they were waiting for the shortbread to bake and cool. It only took a few minutes to fill and seal and then he was stood by the cooling shortbread with Tikki while he waited to dive in. Marinette snorted at their eagerness and handed Plagg a chunk of camembert.

It seemed all too soon when Adrien got a text from Gorilla telling him that he was outside with the car waiting to collect him and return him to the mansion.

Marinette walked him down the stairs and quickly stuck her head in the bakery. "Mama, baba, Adrien is leaving now."

Sabine couldn't get away from the counters quickly enough and so shouted her goodbyes but Tom dusted his hands off and came over to see Adrien off. Adiren smiled back when Tom gave the box an approving look. "Oh, let me get a closer look at that." Tom froze in the doorway, looked up, then pressed a theatrical hand to his forehead. "Oh, heavens no, Marinette ma choux, we've been caught under the mistletoe."

Marinette tried to flee but Tom grabbed her in a large bear hug and placed a large smacking kiss on her cheek and Adrien thought he would drop the box from laughing.

"Baba no!" she squealed and wriggled out of her father's grasp. She turned a mock glare onto Adrien. "He will do it to you too, don't let him catch you."

"Spoilsport," Tom winked and then walked away from the mistletoe to peer in the box. Adrien didn't realise he was holding his breath until he sighed in relief at Tom's approval. "They're beautiful son. Good job. I know that Mlle. Shortbread will love them!"

"Thanks!"

Gorilla was waiting for him by the car with a smile on his face. He nodded in greeting to Marinette before opening the car door for Adrien to get in. Adrien paused, then turned around to wave one last goodbye to Marinette, and the sigh of her beautiful smile knocked the wind out of him.

Or that could be because Gorilla grabbed him by the jacket and yanked him backwards, out of the way of a reckless bike messenger riding over the pavement, and crushing the box of shortbread that Adrien had accidentally dropped when grabbed. Gorilla glared at the biker then looked apologetically down at Adrien who tried to reassure him but found his arms full of Marinette.

"I'm fine, really, he didn't touch me." Adrien did his best to reassure both of them.

"But the present. We could-"

"Hey," he placed his hands on her shoulder. "It's fine, princess, I can grab something for her on the way home."

"Are you sure?"Marinette asked. Adrien thought she might even look more upset that he felt. "We could make more during lunch tomorrow?"

Fun as it had been to bake with her, Adrien really didn't want to waste another lunch with her in the kitchen. Not when he knew that Nathalie would almost certainly be demanding he eat lunch at home again when school resumed in the New Year. These lunch not-dates with Marinette were too precious to him.

"I'm sure," he reassured her again. "I'll just get her a gift that isn't so fragile."

She nodded reluctantly before kissing his cheek goodbye and walking back inside. Gorilla helped Adrien into the car before collecting the destroyed box and throwing it in the bin. Adrien couldn't believe his luck sometimes.

They set off and Adrien made a spur of the moment decision. "Can we make a quick stop at the sports shop on Rue du Jardin de Tatiana please?"

Author's note. Happy Hanukkah to those of my readers who celebrate it. Also, I've finally caught back up with the prompts so I will be doing some double posting over the next few days. Woohoo! I handwrote a lot of notes for this while my wrist was bad so I think I have the story in full. Yay. All I have to do now is to type it up.

Replies to reviews.

owlthewriter - Adrien is used to Plagg by now.

bunnywabbit29 - yep, mistletoe is a parasite, as my highschool biology teacher told us when she was trying to discourage too much Christmas romance in the lab haha. I'm glad you liked it, thanks for the review

yellow14 - glad you liked it, I couldn't get that song out of my head when I came to write the prompt. I'm so glad you liked my Julerose characterisation - tbh I have a hard time with background characters because there's so little to go on, but they always seem so sweet on screen. I just had to write them. And wow some people. Who could possibly hate love?

ELinkA - glad you liked it, thanks for the review.