The rain had been drizzling on and off all morning. In typical December fashion, the sky's over Paris had been grey for days and now that the holidays were approaching, the clouds had decided to open up making the days look even more bleak. Looking into Miss Bustier's classroom though, you would never have known the day outside could be so miserable.

With Christmas just around the corner, Miss Bustier had allowed the class free time before lunch, since most classes were winding down anyway. Everyone was excitedly talking about their holiday plans. Marinette couldn't help but be pleased to overhear that both Lila and Chloe would be out of the country for Christmas, but she was a little disappointed to find out that both Alya and Nino would also be away this year too with their families. Already now half way through their senior year, Marinette had hoped to be able to spend as much time as possible with her friends before school was over. With the festive season being one of the busiest times of the year for the bakery, they naturally would be spending Christmas at home. Not that Marinette minded. After all, Marinette couldn't very well leave Paris unprotected since even Chat Noir would be away most of Christmas week.

"What about you Adrien? You going anywhere for Christmas?" Nino addressed his best friend who was now turning around to join the conversation.

"I'm going with my Father and Nathalie to Geneva for some work thing for a few days, but we will be back on the 23rd, so before Christmas." Alya raised an eyebrow giving Marinette an elbow in the ribs.

"There you go Marinette, you won't be the only one here at Christmas." Marinette looked at her with big eyes, but Alya continued addressing Adrien. "Maybe you could keep our Marinette company for me while I'm away." By now Marinette's face was turning a deep red, but Alya saw Adrien give her that endearing look he always did where Marinette was concerned.

"I'd like that, if it's alright with you Marinette?" It took a moment for Adrien's words to register in her mind. Over the years Marinette had managed for the most part to get over her fluster and embarrassing stutter when she was around the blonde model. With Alya and Nino being a couple for so long now, and their best friends, Adrien and Marinette had been thrown together on more than one occasion. Getting to spend more time together and actually talking helped Marinette not only strengthened their friendship, but had made them quite close. Besides Chat and maybe Alya, Adrien was one of the few people she really trusted. She had realised that even if Adrien didn't feel the same way about her, and even if she could never fully get over her crush on him, she didn't ever want to lose his friendship.

"Y-Yes, absolutitilly." She responded a little too loudly, mentally facepalming at her flub. "I mean, I'd love for you to come round. I...um...usually make gingerbread on Christmas Eve if you'd like to help me decorate them." Despite tripping over her words and feeling like she was 14 again, she had to smile at the way Adrien's eyes lit up.

"That would be awesome. I've never decorated gingerbread before so you can teach me." Marinette couldn't help that her heart still fluttered for him and his adorable dorkiness over something as simple as decorating gingerbread. Her smile soon dropped though when Adrien broke out into a coughing fit.

"Dude, you okay? That sounds nasty." Nino queried, patting his friend on the back. Adrien managed to recover waving off their concerns.

"It's all good." He smiled, noting the worry in Marinette's eyes. There was something really comforting in those bluebell eyes, he mused. Something familiar. He pulled his thoughts back to his concerned friends. "Really, it's just a little cold, I'm fine."

"Well I know a magical cure for that." Alya piped in. "Marinette's famous hot chocolate." That damn blush was starting to creep back over her cheeks but seeing Adrien so readily agree to the idea of going to the bakery for lunch warmed her heart.

"Oh I'm down for that." Nino chipped in and Marinette messaged her mother to let her know.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, the four friends gathered up their things and headed out of the classroom. The rain had started to become heavier again, but thankfully, Marinette had come prepared.

"Agh, I left my umbrella in my locker." Adrien just realised. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up."

Alya wrapped an arm around Nino, who had once again forgotten his umbrella, and headed into the rain. Marinette fiddled with her umbrella which had become strangely uncooperative. Suddenly, it flung open blowing inside out and tearing in the process. She gaped at it, trying to find a way to make it salvageable to get home. Nino looked back and saw her predicament

"Shouldn't we go back and help her?" Nino asked his girlfriend, who didn't even look back towards her best friend.

"She'll be fine." Was her only response. Nino looked perplexed at her nonchalance.

Marinette stood looking at her broken umbrella and the rain pouring down down before she felt a warm hand on her arm.

"Need a hand?" She looked up into a pair of soft green eyes. She was momentarily transported to a day that felt almost a lifetime ago, when she first really saw those eyes looking at her though the rain. She blinked at him and saw that he was still waiting for an answer.

"Oh..ah...I...ah...don't think it can be saved." She avoided looking at him, mortified at how much she had been stuttering today. What was wrong with her? She hadn't felt this flustered around Adrien in a long time.

"Well allow me to be your knight and rescue you from the rain fair maiden." Marinette was about to go into a meltdown when he then winked at her. Was he...flirting? And that smirk on his face, it reminded her of another blonde boy she knew so well. Without warning Adrien simultaneously slipped his arm around her waist as he opened his umbrella over them. "Stay close, I wouldn't want you catching a cold." Almost on cue, Adrien started coughing again. Forgetting her nervousness, she put her hand on his chest as he recovered from the cough.

"Are you sure you should be out in this weather? I could stay here with you at school." Adrien cleared his throat and smiled at her concern shaking his head.

"And miss out on your legendary hot chocolate? No way." Adrien couldn't help but be pleased with himself that he had made her blush again, although he was sad to see her hand go. For some reason he enjoyed seeing her that way, all sweet and unsure, the rose in her cheeks bringing out the blue of her eyes...whoa, hold up there! Friends, she's just your friend Agreste. You shouldn't be thinking about her that way.

Nino had been looking back watching the scene unfold between his friends. He then looked at the smirk on his girlfriends face. "You didn't have anything to do with Marinette's umbrella breaking did you?" Alya just shrugged and continued to smile to herself.

"Nino, I've had to sit watch those two idiots dance around each other for 3 years! First Marinette mumbling and bumbling around a hopeless crush, and now Adrien clearly being in denial about his feelings for her. I mean let's not forget those failed attempts the two of them had with Kagami and Luka. Now that was painful." Nino cringed at the memory. Even though both 'relationships' didn't last more than a few weeks, it made Alya more determined than ever to get her oblivious friends together.

Marinette held on to the strap of her bag with both hands. She didn't trust her hands now, even though it had felt so natural. Something she would have done with Chat without thinking twice about, like the hand that was currently on her waist. Marinette could feel Tikki push her thigh as they walked. She knew her Kwami was trying to give her some encouragement. This was ridiculous, Marinette scolded herself, you talk to him everyday at school. Admittedly though his hand isn't always on her waist. "So…" Yeah, great start Marinette. "Are you looking forward to going to Geneva with your dad?" Adrien looked wistful as he shrugged his shoulders. Marinette was sure his grip on her waist tightened slightly.

"It's a work trip for my father really. I won't see much of him to tell you the truth. Most likely I'll be cooped up in the hotel room and only brought out to meet and greet some shallow girls and shake hands with old men." Marinette looked at his face as he talked. It wasn't bitterness as much as disappointment in his voice as he spoke. A feeling of being trapped almost. "But at least I'll have something to look forward to when I come back." There was that look again, those soft eyes looking down to her full of something that Marinette could never put a finger on. Instead of melting into a blushing pile of goo though, Marinette smiled back and Adrien's eyes lit up and a warmth settled on his heart.

Reaching the bakery, Alya turned to see her friends slowly approaching. Adrien still had his arm around Marinette, keeping her closer than was strictly necessary to keep her dry, their faces smiling at each other. Alya had seen the two of them get closer over the last year or so, but just couldn't seem to get Adrien to just admit what was so clearly obvious to everyone else.

"I'm running out of time Nino." Alya said quietly. "I needed to get them alone together more, especially over the holidays and I'm not going to be here to oversee it. What if Marinette has a freak out over the gingerbread thing, or Adrien changes his mind or heaven forbid Kagami comes back or…" Nino put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.

"Or maybe we should just trust them to work it out themselves." Alya didn't like to admit it, but maybe Nino was right. It was a start at least seeing them looking so cute under the same umbrella. It drove her mad knowing how wonderful they would be together, if only she could make it happen!

Tom and Sabine gave the quartet a warm welcome as they entered the bakery. Marinette's parents gave each other a knowing glance as Adrien fussed over the fact their daughter's hair had gotten wet on the way through the door insisting on getting a towel to dry it. Watching how natural they had become around each other, anyone else could have been forgiven for thinking they had been together for years. Like everyone else, they had noticed a change in the way Adrien seemed to have been paying more attention to Marinette. They really did like the boy, and had gotten to know him quite well through the friends group regularly coming to the bakery together for lunch and study, but they had also noticed a sadness behind that dazzling smile. Marinette had told them about how strict his father was and it made them all the more determined to make sure he always felt welcome - and fed.

Marinette headed into the kitchen to make the hot chocolate while Alya left for the bathroom, leaving the two boys alone.

"So, when are you going to ask Marinette out?" Nino casually dropped setting the model off on another coughing fit.

"What?...Where did that come from?" Adrien spluttered, hoping Marinette hadn't heard. Nino leaned in dropping his voice.

"Come on bro, we've all seen that soft look you only ever give to Marinette and the way you act all protective around her. You even put Lila in her place in front of the whole class just last week when she started being dirty on Mari again." Nino noted the blush in his friends face and decided to push on. "You're seventeen dude, and the only kind of relationship you've had was that failed attempt with Kagami."

Adrien looked away from Nino, inadvertently looking towards the kitchen. Nino had a point, even if it wasn't a complete picture. That disastrous date with Kagami a year ago wasn't the only relationship he'd had though, he still had his partnership with Ladybug. It might not have been a romantic one, and reluctantly he had resigned himself to that fact some time ago, but it was still a relationship he treasured. But what about Marinette? Why was it that when he looked into those bluebell eyes she could make him feel like the only person in the room? That was going to be a thought for later because she was coming with Alya and the hot chocolates.

"Here you are boys, Marinette's special secret recipe." Alya beamed as she helped place the steaming drinks down and a few pastries Marinette's mother had gathered for them. Adrien gleefully took the piping drink in his hands, taking a sip of the rich chocolatey liquid.

"Your amazing Marinette." He blissfully breathed before he became aware of three sets of eyes looking at him. "Oh...I...um mean the drink, yeah, it's amazing." Marinette wasn't sure if the pink in his cheeks was from the hot drink or something else, but she smiled at him sweetly making Adrien's heart skip a beat.

"Your welcome." She said softly, her eyes fluttering up at him behind her lashes, and Adrien knew he was in all kinds of trouble.