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4: Christmas cookies

"... It doesn't show signs of stopping," the voice of Dean Martin crooned from the radio in the background as Marinette moved the icing gun across the Christmas tree cookies with practiced ease, "and I've brought some corn for popping..." the teenager's smile spread as she hummed to the tune "the lights are turned way down low. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!" Glancing out the front of the bakery as her mother finished with a Christmas order, she indeed saw pure white flakes falling to the ground.

"Don't you just love the Christmas season?" Marinette asked her parents for the fiftieth time that day. "Everyone caring for each other, bringing goodwill to those they love."

"Yes, honey, it's one of the greatest seasons of the year." Tom remarked as he pulled a second tray of cookies over. These were designed as Santa Claus heads. Picking up the icing gun, he started working. "Didn't you say some of your friends were coming over to help?"

"I texted Alya, but she said that she and Nino were visiting the local children's hospital with Mr. Damocles. They're going as Santa and his helpers."

Sabine looked at her. "You could have gone with them, honey. We could've made the cookies..."

"You needed my help here, maman." Marinette said with a smile. "Besides, I like helping out at the bakery."

"Did none of your friends decide to come and help?" Tom asked.

"Alya said she would send someone over, but..." about that time the door chime rang, and her next words got caught in her throat. A blond mop of hair bounced through, while a pair of emerald green eyes and a smile that made her legs feel like gelatin stared back at her.

"Hello, Adrien." Sabine said with a smile. "Did you have an order?"

"No." the blond model said with a shake of his head. "I was actually asked by Nino to come help you decorate cookies."

"Y-Your father let you..." Marinette stammered, a blush warming her cheeks, "I-I would've though he h-had you at home..."

Shaking his head, Adrien blushed a little as he gave a shrug. "I... actually had to ask him to take Christmas gifts to all my friends, and he accepted the request, but told my driver the truth." He smiled at Marinette. "Are you alright with teaching me what to do?"

"Of course, son." Tom smiled. "Just take that jacket and gloves off, go wash your hands, and throw on an apron."

Adrien did as he was told, and returned to the table. When his driver came in, the larger man helped with packaging up the cookies while the quartet worked on decorating. Tom gave advice, and offered to have him work on the candy cane cookies first, since they required only novice skill, but after only half an hour, the teen model was getting the hang of decorating. "How has school been for you, sweetie?" Sabine asked when she was sure he was comfortable with some casual conversation.

"Oh, it's fine." Adrien answered. "My grades are good."

"That's not what I'm asking." Sabine countered. "We're wondering if you're enjoying your time at school. Marinette says that up until a couple of years ago you've been home-schooled, so we want to make sure you're enjoying your time at school."

"I am, actually." Adrien was a little stunned by their concern. "I have friends, which are the most precious things in the world to me right now, and teachers I like. My social interactions are a little on the slow side, although I'm hoping to get better." He then glanced at Marinette with a broad smile. "Actually, it's because of Alya, Nino, and your daughter that I feel the most comfortable with people."

Marinette looked at him, her ears and face burning, while her heart thudded against her ribs. "That's... a really thing sweet say... I mean, a really sweet thing to say, Adrien."

Smiling at her, he didn't catch on to the way her blue eyes practically danced, but her parents did. "I meant every word."

"Yeah, Marinette is a very sweet girl." Tom admitted, and somewhere behind the teens Gorilla nodded with a thumbs up. "She'd make a terrific girlfriend for some lucky person."

"P-Papa!" Marinette sputtered, looking at him.

"You know, he's right." Adrien said with a smile. "My hope is that some lucky guy finds out just how amazing you are, Marinette, and sweeps you off your feet the way you deserve." Sabine smiled at the two teens, hope blossoming that Adrien would see what's right in front of him, and ask her daughter out… but seconds turned into a minute with the Dupain-Cheng family waiting for him to take that obvious next step, but he just returned to the cookies.

The two parents watched as Marinette glared at them as if to say 'See what I have to work with here?!' before she too returned to decorating her cookies. With her ardor cooled a little, the young woman spoke softly. "Are you and your father doing anything special for Christmas?"

"No." Adrien said with a sigh. "Just the usual. Nathalie is staying over with Gorilla, and we're planning on having another quiet Christmas at home. After what happened last year, father wants to avoid any possibilities of a repeat performance."

"Understandable." Marinette sighed. "That was quite the comedy of errors."

Adrien nodded. "I'm just happy everything turned out alright in the end." he was just putting the finishing touches on the last candy cane. "Okay, I think I'm just about done."

"Thank you, sweetie." Sabine said with a smile. "You've been a big help."

Reaching back, he rubbed at his neck. "I... didn't really do that much..."

"Nonsense," Sabine countered, "decorating a tray of cookies for the donations to the children's hospital is more than enough." Walking over, she picked up a small box behind the counter, and set it on top. Looking at Gorilla, she smiled. "We have these for you both, if you're open to early Christmas gifts."

Gorilla's eyes widened, and his mouth spread in a happy smile, while Adrien slid on his coat. "Thank you Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. Oh! Let me go out and get Marinette's gift."

At that moment Marinette remembered his gift was upstairs. "Oh, I'll be right back with yours too, Adrien."

When the two teens separated, the trio of adults stood in the bakery with Gorilla opening the box of treats. "He really is oblivious isn't he?" Sabine asked.

Looking up at her, the bodyguard nodded, giving a languid sigh. He then pantomimed a pair of pig-tails, and a heart over his chest, before pointing a thumb back at where Adrien left. Tom just nodded. "She's had a crush on him since that first day she met him at school."

The driver cocked his head to the side with a look that said "Are you serious?!"

Sabine nodded. "She's tried to show him because she gets too flustered, but..." she shrugged. "It always seems to turn out wrong."

The bodyguard shook his head and made motions with his hands indicating the two teens, and how perfect they were for each other. "We agree." Tom said with a smile.

When the doors to the bakery opened, both teens walked forward, handing over their respective gifts to their recipients. Upon opening the gifts, the teen model found a pair of gloves and a hat the exact same color as the scarf he had gotten for his birthday. "This is wonderful, Marinette. Thank you."

Marinette looked at her gift, and her eyes filled with tears. "A-Adrien..." it was a framed picture of the two of them hugging, and she realized when the photo was taken. "W-Wasn't this during Chloe's party?"

"Yeah." his cheeks warmed at the memory. "I was talking to Alya and asked if she knew what I could get you, and she suggested something special. Something that centered around only the two of us, so I asked if she had taken a picture of when we danced at the party... and amazingly Juleka actually had the picture." He smiled at her. "I hope you like it..."

"I love it, Adrien!" holding it to her chest, she looked up at him before setting it on the counter and wrapping him up in a hug. "Best. Christmas. Gift. Ever."

Giving her a hug, he smiled. "Same here."

A small chuckle issued from Marinette's throat. "Oh please, a pair of gloves and a hat aren't that special."

"I was talking about the hug."

Looking up, she smiled with the blush still on her cheeks before leaning up, and giving him a kiss on either of his. "Thank you again." As the two teens dislodged themselves from each other, the model left with his cheeks burning and his heart pounding against his ribs. Gorilla still held the box of treats, and he had his new gloves and hat on as he slid into the back of the car. When the vehicle drove away, he reached up to his cheeks.

He was quiet for several minutes as they drove. "What do you think of Marinette?" he asked.

Gorilla gave him a thumbs up and a wink in the rear-view mirror. "She really does deserve to have someone who can give her the world, or at least just make her happy." He missed the eye-roll from his driver as he looked out the window. "Thing is, she never seems interested in anyone..."

Clearing his throat, Gorilla drew Adrien's attention back to him as the driver parked. Turning around in his seat, the driver looked at the teenager. Pointing at him, he gave a hug, and then made the pig-tails with his hands. The meaning was clear to the teen.

"Of course I like Marinette. She and I are friends." Adrien said with a nod. Gorilla then made a few more motions indicating pig-tails, a shake of his head, and a hug, pointing at him, before returning to the pig-tails, making a heart over his chest, and then pointing at the teen, nodding.

That thought had never occurred to him. "Wait... are you saying she's interested... in me?"

Looking at him with a face that screamed "Oh come on!" the driver then pantomimed dialing a phone, talking, and a pair of hands holding each other.

"Are you suggesting I take her out on a date?"

Gorilla nodded. "I would have to ask dad, but..." he then watched as Gorilla smiled, pushed a thumb at himself, and gave a wink.

"You'll cover for me?" Gorilla nodded.

Adrien smiled. "Thank you... I... I'll talk to my father about a day to ask her out, and then call her up."

Gorilla smiled and nodded just before the teen started to leave the car. When he was up the stairs the bodyguard drove the vehicle into the garage, and headed into the mansion. 'All of this over nothing more than a collection of Christmas cookies.' he thought with a smile and a shake of his head.

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Lady Rhi X