Adrien Agreste stood bored by the door of the boutique as his girlfriend flitted about the well hidden store. He didn't see what the point was for her wanting to come into "Miraculous Ladybug Boutique" when his father could have designed her a hundred dresses similar to ones here. But she was his girlfriend and the mayor's daughter, so whatever she said went.
"Adrikins! I'm going to go try on these!" Chloe Bourgeois rushed over to him, pulling him by the arm to a back area where there were several changing rooms with mirrors, along with a platform in the center where she could stand on in case of alteration that may be needed. He sat down in a chair while she hauled her choice dresses into a room, Adrien pulling up his phone to check celebrity news.
His assumptions appeared correct as there he and Chloe were, titling the celebrity gossip with their appearance in the shopping district of Paris, rumors already circulating if their five year dating relationship was going to end this Christmas with a proposal at his father's holiday party Christmas Eve.
Not in a million years, Adrien scoffed to himself.
Within the past year alone Adrien had been contemplating breaking up with the heiress more times than the year before when he realized he couldn't see a future for the two of them. But with pressure from their parents and his girlfriend, he kept up the farce for publicity sake.
"Is she doing alright in there," a girl with honey blond and dark brown layers underneath approached him, the way her hair was pulled back into a pony tail split the honey blond from the dark brown in a straight line. Her big brown eyes were warm and welcoming.
"Yeah, we'll let you know if we need anything," Adrien squinted to read the girl's name tag.
"Pollen."
"Alright," with a smile and a bounce of her ponytail, the girl headed towards the back, leaving Adrien alone.
Mostly alone. Chloe was still in the changing room, leaving her twenty-seven year old boyfriend to wait for her return. He looked back to see an older lady with poinsettia red hair littered with white hairs tending to the cash register. Adrien heard a door open to see Pollen struggling with several boxes.
Without a second thought, her rushed over to help the small girl.
"Allow me to help you with that," Adrien took off the top boxes, leaving the girl with one manageable box while he held the other three.
"Thank you sir, um, this way," the girl led him over to a rack of dresses, and instructed him to set the boxes down.
"You look like you are having a lot of fun," she teased as she pulled out a dress from the box some how unwrinkled as if it just was finished being made.
"Well you know, men do what they must for their women," he joked.
"True," the girl blushed, probably thinking of her own special beau.
"You have someone special this holiday?"
"Oh yes! He is absolutely wonderful despite working with my Uncle," Pollen sighed dreamily as she hung up another dress along the rack.
"Already in the family business?" Adrien leaned against the wall, careful not to bump anything.
"His choice. Aunt Tikki knew I had found the perfect man for me after that."
"I hope your Aunt is right."
"She usually is," the girl's eyes sparkled, knowing something Adrien didn't as she took the empty box away, passing the older lady with a smile as she did. Seeing how he was no longer needed, Adrien made his way back over to the waiting area, passing the older woman as he went.
"Any plans for the holiday," the older woman asked, Adrien reading her name tag to say Tikki. Probably the same aunt Pollen had mentioned.
"Corporate and Society functions," was his stiff reply.
"That sounds boring. Hardly anytime for romance with a special lady," Tikki looked at him with with an kind of caring Adrien hadn't seen on anyone for a long time. One of a mother or grandmother you wanted to tell all your troubles to, knowing you would get a cookie for your troubles in return.
Confident Chloe was out of earshot, he leaned towards the counter.
"There hasn't been any romance for me for a long time," he whispered, the old woman nodded knowingly before pulling out a tin from under the counter.
"Cookie," she offered, a remedy Adrien remembered fondly as he plucked one out.
"ADRIKINS!" came Chloe's shrill voice from the changing rooms, Adrien and Pollen rushing over to see what was the matter.
"These dresses are horrible! Absolutely horrible," Chloe opened the curtain, dressed in her street wear. She shoved the dresses back into Pollens arms, the girl scrambling to catch her load. As much as Adrien wanted to savor the cookie, he shoved it in his mouth to help Pollen collect the dresses.
"Nothing fit right, it made me look frumpy, or too poofy, or too shiney. I almost blinded myself on that last one.
"It's fine Chloe, my father will be designing your dresses for the Christmas events anyway," Adrien attempted to pacify, but it wasn't working.
"This establishment is an outrage if it thinks it can get away with having me wear it's hideous outfits," Chloe was already storming towards the door. Adrien sent an apologetic look to Pollen before racing after his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," Tikki offered as Chloe passed, "Would you like a cookie," the woman offered.
"Ugh, no! Those things have way too much carbs," Chloe continued on her way out.
"Sorry about her," Adrien apologized in passing, Tikki nudging the box towards him.
"I know you want another one," the older woman insisted.
Adrien smiled and took another cookie, this time allowing himself to savor the first bite of the treat, feeling as if he was taking a bite of cinnamon flavored hot chocolate. It almost made Chloe's voice disappeared as she yelled after him.
"Adrien! We are leaving!"
Slightly disappointed, Adrien finished the rest of the cookie before Chloe could see, "Thank you," he responded with a smile as he followed after his girlfriend.
"She's going to be nothing but trouble," warned Pollen as she stuffed the dresses Chloe tried on into a box. Tikki only nodded, with a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Adrien quickly wiped any remaining crumbs from his mouth as he followed after Chloe, who was still ranting on how terrible the store was and what terrible customer service they had.
Adrien thought the store was quaint in it own way, filled with some sort of feeling he couldn't feel if Chloe was to drag him to department store. But Adrien said nothing, letting her rant as he stuck his hands in his coat pockets.
He felt something strange as he did, certain he didn't put any receipt in his pocket from anywhere else. He pulled out the paper to find a ticket.
"Admit One. Miraculous Christmas Ball. December 24th at 10:00 pm"
"Adrien?" Chloe stopped her rambling once she noticed Adrien was paying more attention to the small strip of paper instead of her. She read over the ticket.
"Adrikins! You shouldn't have! Besides, we have your father's Christmas party that night," Chloe pulled her man into a hug and kissed his cheek.
"I didn't," he commented, mystified how the ticket got in his pocket. He checked all his pockets to find the answer to the question he was dreading to answer for her.
"And I only found one ticket."
