Good morning princess." Adrien gently whispered in her ear as Marinette began to stir. He had been awake for a while, used to Nathalie getting him up early of a day, but he had been content just to watch her sleep. Marinette slowly half opened her eyes to look at him with a sleepy smile before closing them again. Her hair was everywhere, and he was pretty sure she had been drooling at some point, but in the early morning glow he thought she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"Princess huh?" She mumbled. He grinned at her.

"Well I may have called you that as Chat once, but no one else knows that. I would call you my Queen, but it kind of reminds me of Chloe for some reason." Marinette snorted at that. "But you know you'll always be my Lady." He kissed the back of her hand prompting her to slightly open her eyes. As Marinette slowly became more aware her eyes flew open in slight panic.

"Oh! I better go back up to my room before mama and papa come down." She went to get up when he grabbed her hand and called her back.

"It's alright, your mother knows. She came down about two hours ago to the kitchen." He reached out and tucked some hair behind her ear. "I guess they don't have any objections to me being your boyfriend."

Memories of last night came flooding back into Marinette's mind, of all the kisses and the late night revelations. She had to remind herself that this had all been real and not just another dream. She giggled as she gently touched his face. "Silly Kitty, of course not. They love you." She softly kissed him on the cheek. "And so do I." Adrien brought her lips back to his and felt the warmth of her wash over him again. He may still be feeling uncertain about his future, and he wasn't entirely sure how his father was going to take any of this, but he knew in his heart he would fight the world to keep her in his arms. She was his, and he was hers and nothing was going to take that away.

"Come on Sabine. Let's get these kids awake and open some presents." Tom's voice rang out from the stairs.

"We're awake papa." Marinette called out, still looking in Adrien's eyes.

"We'll have breakfast first." Sabine said as she looked in. "Tidy up the room before coming to the kitchen." The two teens nodded as they started to get up.

"I don't know about you m'lady, but I think I already got the best present of all." Marinette smirked at him with a mischievous glint.

"Oh really, and what might that have been?" She leaned over so her nose was just blushing on his.

"Your dad's croissants." Marinette's mouth flew open in mock horror as his laughing intensified. She dived on him, whacking him on the head with a small pillow amid his protests for mercy. He wrapped his arms around her waist, her hair hanging down lightly brushing his face as he looked up into her bluebell eyes. "Your the best gift of all Marinette." He said gently, cupping her face with his hand before bringing her down to him for another kiss.

"Okay, I've got one for you, what do you call a deer with no eyes?" Tom asked. Adrien shook his head with a shrug. "No eye deer." Marinette hung her head as Adrien laughed. "Wait, there's more." Tom continued, his grin getting wider. "What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs?" Marinette cringed in anticipation while her newly minted boyfriend eagerly awaited the answer. "Still no eye deer." The bluenette groaned loudly as Adrien and her father collapsed in laughter.

"Papa, it's bad enough reading the lame jokes in the crackers, you really don't need to add to them." But they both just grinned at her annoyance.

"Come now Tom, no more jokes at the table. Adrien dear, would you like some more." Adrien eagerly held up his plate to Sabine for a second helping. Over the years she had known him Sabine often worried Adrien wasn't being fed enough for his height. She hoped that he would get to be part of many more family meals where she could feed him up. He was wearing the beanie that Marinette had made for him, minus the cat ears. It was black with green trim, just like his scarf. His Chat beanie she gave to him separately, another concealed paw print hidden inside. She in turn was wearing the red and green charm bracelet he had made. In Between the beads she had found a little ladybug charm and cat charm. Adrien explained to her later that it was the gift he had originally intended to give Ladybug. It was almost a perfect match for the necklace, which she intended to wear always.

"Tell us about your plans for when school finishes Adrien? Marinette has wanted to be a designer ever since she first picked up a pencil" Sabine asked. Adrien thought how best to answer, but felt a truthful answer would always be the best policy.

"Honestly, I'm not sure." He sighed, feeling Marinette's hand take his under the table, giving an encouraging squeeze.

"You don't want to work for your father?" Tom queried. The blonde knew Marinette's parents were just making conversation and with their daughter being so sure of her plans, they were most likely not expecting a complicated answer.

"I don't want to work as a model for my father, no." He answered. "But right now he is being extremely stubborn and isn't giving me too many options." Marinette could see the conversation was making Adrien uncomfortable, but when he met her concerned gaze, he gave her a reassuring smile. He might not like talking about it, but he figured if he is going to date their daughter, and hopefully have a future with her, then they had a right to know where he stood.

"I want to go to university and study physics, but my father thinks it's a waste of time. He wants to keep me as the face of the company because it helps his bottom line." Adrien paused for a moment. He knew that made is father sound awful, but it was the truth. "If we can't come to some kind of an agreement, then I intend to leave home as soon as I turn 18 when I have access to my trust fund." Up until now the only person he had told of this plan was Plagg. Saying it out loud though just made him more determined and committed. He turned to look at Marinette, worried that she might have been upset at him. He knew that she had always admired his father as a designer and this could very well blow her chances of an internship at Gabriel. To his relief he could see total support in her eyes. Tom reached over and placed his large hand on the boys shoulder.

"Son if you ever need a place to stay, your always welcome here. Day or night our door is always open."

Adrien could almost feel a tear in his eyes as Sabine nodded in agreement. He could see why Marinette was so wonderful, she had been brought up by the most amazing parents.

"You should always follow your heart, Adrien. It won't ever lead you astray." Sabine smiled. Adrien looked back at Marinette, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it.

"I know." He said as he saw pink taking over her face, and a shy smile on her face.

After lunch, Adrien helped Marinette clear away the dishes. A break after eating was definitely warranted before diving into Tom's special recipe Christmas Pudding so the couple decided to walk some of lunch off. Marinette ran up to her room to get her coat just as Adrien's phone rang.

"Oh hi Nathalie, Merry Christmas." Marinette heard behind her as she entered her room.

"Merry Christmas Tikki, and you too Plagg. I bought you both some treats." Tikki eagerly dived into her cookies, as Plagg savoured the flavours of his favourite cheese puffs.

"Have you been having a nice day Marinette?" Tikki asked, cookie crumbs over her face.

"I feel like I'm dreaming Tikki. It's like all my Christmas wishes suddenly came true."

"Meh, you wouldn't think that if you had to spend most of your time inside his sweaty shirt." Plagg scoffed.

"Hey, I'm not sweaty." Adrien counted as he came up into Marinette's room. Marinette could see his smile wasn't as bright as it had been earlier.

"Is something wrong?" She asked holding his arm.

"Not exactly. Natalie said the roads had cleared and her and father were already on a train headed for Paris. They should be back around nightfall and I will have to go home by then." He leaned his forehead against hers holding her hands up to his chest. "I guess I just didn't want to go yet. I was looking forward to spending another night with you." He kissed her softly before calling for Plagg to hide in his coat pocket. Tikki likewise dived into Marinette's bag as they headed outside.

As they headed for the door, they both spied a small bunch of mistletoe hanging down from the bakery door. Marinette giggled as Adrien waggled his eyebrows at her. He slid his arms around her waist as she brought her hand up into his hair. They were so wrapped up in kissing each other, they weren't aware of being watched until they heard the click of a phone camera. Looking towards the sound they found Tom trying to hide behind the counter.

"Papa, did Alya put you up to that?" Tom gave her a cheeky grin before feigning innocence.

"Maybe." He said as he casually walked away while whistling, leaving a laughing Adrien and a blushing Marinette.

It was a pleasant enough afternoon outside. Children were running all around the park playing with their new toys. The two secret heroes saw many of the children with Ladybug and Chat Noir action figures and dolls. It filled both of them with a sense of pride in their shared secret. The two found a quiet alcove in the gardens and took a seat on the bench. Marinette leaded her head on Adrien's shoulder as he held her hand tighter.

"Something else was said in that call wasn't it?" She asked quietly. "You've not been the same since." Adrien didn't say anything immediately, but Marinette gave him time and waited for him.

"I love you Marinette." He said with all the conviction he could muster. "My father is just being...difficult. Nathalie said he wants us to keep our relationship a secret and publicly say we are just friends, but I'm not going to do that. Lord knows I said that for too long as it is. I love you and I'm proud to have you by my side." Marinette frowned with worry.

"He doesn't approve of me does he?" Adrien could see heartbreak starting to cloud her eyes. He swiftly took her face in his hands and pressed a firm kiss to her mouth.

"I don't care what he approves or not. He can't keep trying to control every aspect of my life, and he is not going to tell me who I can love." He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "It's always been you and me against the world m'lady, but we have Nathalie on our side, and your parents too. It'll be fine, we'll be fine, you'll see." He pulled back slightly and brushed the hair away from her face. She had been wearing her hair down today, and he loved the softness if it around her face. "Besides, he'll soon change his mind when he sees I have the most beautiful girl at the New Years Eve Ball." Marinette's eyes widened.

"But, that's an invitation only event that Mayor Bourgeois hosts." She gasped. Adrien chuckled and nodded.

"That's right, I'm invited and you are going as my guest. Usually father makes me go with Chloe but since she will probably still be in New York he told me to find someone else. I'm certainly not going to be asking Kagami, so please don't leave me to go on my own." He gave her a wide Cheshire grin and battered his eyes. It was so Chat if him, yet so Adrien.

"Well what kind of girlfriend would I be if I left you to go on your own?" She smiled.

"Do you think you can have that dress you showed me done in time?"

"Yes, I'm sure I can." She said. He leaned in and gave her another soft kiss.

"I know you can. Now how about we get some of that awesome smelling pudding your dad made before I have to go."

It was with much reluctance that Adrien left the warmth and homeness of the bakery for the stark cold of the Agreste Mansion. He did however promise Marinette he would return later for a late night patrol. Nathalie was at the door to greet him as he arrived. Adrien saw she looked worn out, though her smile for him was genuine.

"I'm sorry to have to bring you away Adrien. I hope you did have a good day." Adrien smiled and nodded his head, the fondness in his face evident to the assistant.

"More than good Nathalie, and I know I have you to thank for that." Nathalie put a friendly hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I had a good talk with your father on the train, but the rest will be up to you, and her. He wants to see you before you go to your room." Adrien nodded in understanding and thanked her again before heading up the stairs to his father's office. Knocking on the door, he entered to see his father standing behind his screen.

"I understand you have entered into a relationship with Miss Dupain-Cheng." No greeting, no how are you or Merry Christmas son, just straight to business. His father's voice was flat but didn't appear angry so Adrien figures at least that was something.

"Yes Sir, I have." Ask a blunt question, get a blunt answer.

"She's not of our...standards." Adrien could feel his blood boil. Of all the things his father could have said...

"She is to me." He said through gritted teeth. "And I intend to take her to The New Year Ball with me. She has a dress of her own design to wear and even you wouldn't be able to fault it." Gabriel could see the defensiveness in Adrien's eyes. He quickly realised that there was a lot more to this girl than anything Kagami had brought to the table. "Besides, wasn't mother's family the one with the money when you were just a struggling designer?" Gabriel frowned at him, but more in confusion at how much he seemed to have known.

"Who told you that?"

"Felix." Adrien folded his arms. Gabriel eyed him warily before letting out a sigh.

"I'm at least glad to see you decided to start talking to your cousin again."

"Well I only have the one cousin. No point being mad at him forever." It took some time for Adrien to really talk to Felix again after that video stunt he pulled over a year ago, but recently they had started messaging each other and Adrien felt that perhaps Felix had grown up a little since then. At least he hoped he did.

"You make a fair point Adrien, but understand I'm just trying to look out for you against girls who would take advantage of you, especially aspiring designers who might try to use you."

"Marinette's not like that father." He was struggling to keep his anger in check as he felt Plagg patting him in his shirt to keep him calm. "I've known her for years and she had never taken advantage of our friendship. I even told Marinette I would walk away from all of this if you continue to refuse to allow me to make my own decisions. She supports me completely, even though she knew that it would ruin her Internship opportunities with you." Adrien wrapped his arms around himself and looked earnestly at the older Agreste. "I love her father, and she loves me. I won't let you take her away from me." Nathalie had watched the exchange from the corner of the room. Gabriel now looked over at her and she nodded in return. Nathalie had always tried to keep a professional distance, but she couldn't help her fondness for Adrien prompting her to try to help him.

"Alright then Adrien." he sighed. " I see you have made up your mind about this girl and I won't stand in your way." Adrien's eyes lit up. "I will give your Marinette a chance. Invite he to dinner tomorrow and ask her to bring the dress." Adrien could hardly believe his ears.

"Thank you father." He said. He looked at Nathalie and mouthed a silent thank you to her too before running back to his room to call Marinette.

"Adrien is a young man now with strong convictions Gabriel. You did the right thing." Nathalie put a hand on his as he rested it on top of the computer monitor.

"I don't want to push him away Nathalie. He's my only son and the future of this company. Marinette may still prove useful to me yet." He said looking at the growing pile of the designs he had rejected. "After Geneva, we need something to change." He said pointing at the sketches. "Perhaps someone like Marinette is what we all need."

That night, all was quiet in the city of Paris. Citizens slept with full bellies and warm memories of a perfect Christmas Day. High above the rooftops, two teens sat, one in black, the other in red with spots, wrapped in each other's arms.

Chat breathed in the cinnamon and vanilla of Ladybugs hair, kissing her head before resting his against hers. The moon was high peeking out from behind the clouds. The wind was cold, but Chat's heart was warm. He knew his father was still going to need some convincing, but he knew in his heart that him and Marinette were always meant to be. It seemed so right to him that he would be her Chat Noir, because he would give his life for her in a heartbeat, but he would rather live a lifetime with her by his side.

Ladybug looked up at her Kitty with all the love in the world in her eyes. Her Kitty, like it was meant to be. Even with Ladybug's luck she never thought that her luck would be enough for Adrien to be her Chat Noir, the person who was always by her side, that followed her lead blindly, trusting in her convoluted plans, the one who had sacrificed himself over and over again. She held him a little tighter at that thought.

"Look m'lady, it's snowing." Ladybug held a hand out and a soft flurry landed in her palm. "Your wish came true after all." She smiled softly at him.

"My wish already came true Chaton."

It may not have been the way either of them thought their Christmas was going to go, and there will still be challenges ahead, but for now the two heroes were perfectly contented in each other's embrace, because whatever may happen, they would have each other.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the French Riviera, Alya was cursing being so far from Paris. Not only did her two lovestruck, dorks of friends finally get it together, but the Ladyblog was being lit up with images of the two heroes of Paris stealing kisses under the moonlight.

Thank you for reading 'A Christmas Wish'. I hope you enjoyed it. This story will continue in 'A New Year Wish'