Chapter Twelve: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry.

There's a class Christmas party going on and a mountain of sweet treats to tempt Tikki.

Okay, Tikki was ready to say that she officially loved Christmas! How could she not when there was all of this amazing food?

Christmas pudding cookies, fruit cake, petit fours, chocolate buttons, candy canes, gingerbread houses and gingerbread men, the wondrous invention that was the sharing tub of chocolates that apparently didn't need to be shared… this was sheer heaven!

It was also hell!

Tikki had to watch from her hiding place as Marinette placed tray after tray of all of those mouth-wateringly delicious treats on her teacher's desk, ready for the class party she had organised that afternoon. Mlle. Bustier had been all too happy to approve the small class gathering for the holidays when Marinette had admitted she was going to bring bakery treats for everyone.

There was a selection of savoury food too - sandwiches, mini quiches, gougères, and cheese straws - but Tikki wasn't interested in them. She only had eyes for the mountains of sugary sweet treats.

Treats that Tikki could watch but not touch! It was just too cruel!

The bag suddenly shifted and Marinette held it up to the table. "Okay Tikki, the coast is clear. Help yourself before the others get here!"

Tikki certainly didn't need to be told twice. She zipped out of the bag and dashed from tray to tray, scooping up cookies and cakes and flinging them into Marinette's bag before darting back inside herself. "Done!"

Marinette just laughed and Tikki couldn't help but giggle along too. She had been a little silly, racing around the table as if she hadn't eaten for days, and now she was sat here on her pile of sweet treats like a dragon on its hoard - or Plagg on a wheel of cheese. That image just made her laugh even more.

"Are you sure you'll be alright in there for the whole party? I'll keep my bag cracked open so you can see what's going on, okay?"

"I'll be fine Marinette. I've got these yummy treats, I'm not cold, and I'll still be able to see and hear all the fun."

"If you're sure?"

"I am!"

Marinette closed the bag but left it slightly open by using the special catch she had added when Tikki had started using it to hide. It wasn't noticeable unless you knew what you were looking for and this way Tikki could open and close the bag whenever she wanted, peek out without anyone seeing her, get some fresh air, and not have to hide in the dark.

Tikki loved it. Now that she had a mini mountain of snacks, it felt almost like she was watching reality TV.

Alya was the first to arrive and coo and awe over the food, photographing everything as she went as she usually did, and then the rest of the girls walked in. They made small talk until the boys arrived and Kim immediately challenged Alix to an eating contest. Those two were hilarious!

Thankfully Mlle. Bustier was the next to arrive and she quickly put an end to all food based challenges.

When Nino arrived with Adrien Tikki swore she could feel Marinette's heart racing as she fought not to swoon over the model. She made it through the conversation without fainting or muddling up her words though, actually having a whole conversation with Adrien about the snacks she had brought, and Tikki couldn't be prouder of her Ladybug!

Once everyone had arrived Marinette started moving around the room a bit more, chatting to her friends, posing for photos, and even being dragged into a dance by Alya when Nino set up an impromptu Christmas disco in their classroom. Tikki turned her attention to her snacks then, letting the conversation flow over her, but making sure to pay extra careful attention whenever they were near the snack table.

Like now.

Maybe Marinette would be able to sneak her some more cookies? She'd only grabbed five and now they were all gone. Ah. No, she couldn't do that right now. Not with Adrien perusing the snack trays and...

Wait, why was Adrien hiding food in his bag? And why only the savoury treats? She knew he had a gigantic sweet tooth when it came to Dupain-Cheng recipes. Yet here he was sneaking cheesy treats into his bag without anyone noticing. It was odd. Quite out of character from what Tikki had observed of Marinette's crush.

There could only be one explanation.

He must be on one of those model diets that she had seen featured in one of Marinette's magazines. Obviously it was a silly thing to do at Christmas so he was sneaking food away to eat later, without letting anyone know he was cheating on his diet.

Tikki didn't blame him. Not when the food was this good. It might also give Marinette a golden opportunity to speak to him. She'd have to tell her about Adrien's preferences the next time there was a lull in the party.

Author's note: Oh Tikki, Tikki, Tikki. So close and yet so very far. Better luck next time. My usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.

Replies to reviews:

yellow 14 - you're right about the cheese. Adrien will do anything to keep that out of his room.

KayKay0606 - glad you liked it. It was surprisingly easy to change the lyrics - but then again Christmas songs can be quite cheesy already.