When Adrien got back to the mansion he went straight to Nathalie's desk. He made sure to crouch next to her chair since he found that she had a more difficult time turning him down when he was both this close and not standing over her like looming doom.

"Nathalie, I really need to see my father. Today," he looked up at her pleadingly. "Before the gala," he added.

She looked down at her tablet before looking back at him. "I'm sorry Adrien, but your father is not to be disturbed at all. He's even considering skipping the gala to finish this."

"Oh no, he's got to be there, Nathalie," Adrien said with some feeling as he put his hand on the arm of her chair. "Marinette is going to be absolutely stunning in that dress. He should be there to see his greatest achievement to date."

Nathalie didn't say a word but looked into Adrien's eyes. She gave a little nod and he saw that she blocked out the gala time on his father's schedule. "This means I can't get you in to see him at all," she warned.

"Nathalie, I've got to tell him that last night I asked Marinette to be my girlfriend and she accepted, because there's no way that I'm keeping any of those stupid rules another second!"

Nathalie permitted a small smile to cross her face. "Congratulations, Adrien," she said as warmly as she dared putting a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment. "Don't worry about telling your father," she said as she began looking for some file on her tablet, "I'll make sure he knows before he leaves."

"Really, Nathalie?" Adrien's face lit up in a big grin. He threw his arms around her in a hug that she had no way of returning as her arms were pinned to her sides, but she managed to place her cheek against the crown of his head before he pulled back. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he said, happy tears shining in his eyes. "You're the best!"

Nathalie shook her head putting her business persona back in place. "Go on up," she told him brusquely as she waved him away. "Your suit is waiting in the closet."

"Thank you Nathalie," he said as he stood up and headed toward the stairs. He waited until he was at the top before calling back down, "You really are the best!" Then he ran to his room chuckling before she could glare back at him.

Nathalie found the file she had been searching for. She read the contents, added a date, and then sent it to Gabriel for final approval flagged for immediate review. In a matter of minutes her desk phone was buzzing.

"Yes, Mr. Agreste?" she said as she switched the speaker on.

"Nathalie, what is this press statement you have sent me?" he asked.

"It seems fairly clear, sir."

He bagan reading, "It will come as no surprise to anyone following Parisian fashion that Adrien Agreste is often seen in company with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It is with pleasure that the Agreste family announces that as of December 22nd M. Agreste and Mlle. Dupain-Cheng are an official couple. News reports may now strike the phrase "good friend" from any mention of the two and and simply use the title "boyfriend/girlfriend" as appropriate."

"Yes, sir," Nathalie said waiting for his next comment.

"Very well," was the terse reply. "I suppose the dress wasn't actually needed after all."

"No sir," Nathalie tried to keep the smile out of her voice. "However Adrien says that Marinette will be stunning in it tonight."

"Naturally, that's what I designed it for" was the reply. "Change it to read "with great pleasure" and then send it out."

"Yes, sir."

"And Nathalie..."

"Sir?"

"Have you finished typing up those dating contracts for Adrien and Marinette?"

"They are being printed even as we speak," she said as she hit the print icon. "May I suggest that you bring them out at Sunday brunch?"

"Yes, that will do," he confirmed. His phone clicked off.

Nathalie smiled to herself. She'd given Adrien a few days of freedom from Gabriel's rules to enjoy his time with Marinette. Then she sighed. She'd only bought him a few days, but maybe it was enough? She was pretty sure that by the time Sunday rolled around Adrien would be loathe to follow any of the rules set forth in the Dating Contract. Nathalie paused before starting her next task. She was looking forward to brunch, sure that at least one Agreste was going to learn that he doesn't get to make the rules that apply to Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The tiniest of smirks accompanied the thought that it was more than likely going to be two Agrestes that learned the lesson. Then she shook her head and got back to work.

Adrien took his time getting ready. Marinette had told Gorilla not to let him come back and the man would follow her directions to the letter. Adrien smiled knowing she'd had the protective soul wrapped around her little finger for ages.

He took a leisurely shower making sure to exfoliate every inch of skin he could reach and then used the body wash he knew Marinette liked. Once out of the shower he began to carefully shave, but Plagg started teasing him over the uneven height of his sideburns. It took the use of every measuring instrument he had at his disposal to calm down from his ten minute freak out and reassure himself that the little black godling was wrong and just trying to get under his skin. Plagg's cackling could still be heard as Adrien combed and styled his hair.

Adrien strode from his bathroom to his walk-in closet. Everything had been laid out for him, as it always was for these events.

"Just once," he thought, "it would be nice if I could choose for myself what I'm wearing."

Still, he had to admit that his father had chosen well for tonight's event. The suit jacket and trousers were black, naturally, and tailored to perfection. The shirt was white, but had a warm tone that would keep him from looking pale and washed out in pictures. The vest was where his father had really splashed out. It was a red satin tapestry fabric with poinsettias woven using black threads to create the image. Green mistletoe and ivy were embroidered twining up the front seams and grew along the neckline toward his shoulders. Small, cream colored pearls acted as the white fruiting bodies of the mistletoe. The buttons were glittering rubies and the cufflinks and tie tack for his crossover bow tie matched them perfectly. The tie was the same red fabric as his vest and brought attention up to Adrien's face. He smiled as he looked at himself in the mirror. He and Marinette would be the embodiment of Christmas at the gala tonight.

Now, what to do for another fifty minutes? He sent texts to Nino, Alya, and Marinette as a group and individually. Nino was the only one to really reply. Especially after Alya sent a text threatening a slow and painful death if she had to start the twist over again because Marinette was obsessively answering Adrien's texts. He'd forwarded the message to Nino who immediately called him to warn him to leave the girls alone. Nino didn't have long to talk as he was helping his parents, but he asked for a full report of the dance before signing off. Adrien played a little on his computer, but even the vastness of the internet couldn't hold his attention. He tried to concentrate on some piano playing, but that didn't last long either. Eventually he settled for pacing his room while trying not to work up a sweat. A knock on his door startled him.

"Adrien," Nathalie said through the closed door. "We're leaving now. We'll see you and Marinette at the gala."

Adrien opened up the door and saw her in the simple black dress that she wore to every function.

"You look lovely this evening Nathalie," he said as he smiled at her.

She took a moment to look him over and straightened his tie a bit before saying, "You look very nice yourself, Adrien."

"Well, I am paid to look this good," he said as he tried to emit debonair charm.

Nathalie gave a little eye roll. Each time she swore it was the last time she'd react to that line, but it always got the corners of her mouth to turn up slightly.

"Gorilla is waiting to take you," she said quietly and watched as Adrien's face practically lit up. "I think Marinette will forgive you for showing up a little early."

Adrien hurried into his room to grab his jacket. He hastily put it on and offered Nathalie his arm.

"May I escort you to the garage, madam?" he drawled.

Nathalie hesitated for a moment before placing her arm through his. "How could I possibly say no?"

Adrien laughed and together they hastened toward the future.

Tom and Sabine hadn't returned when Adrien and Gorilla pulled up to the bakery.

"You might as well come inside," Adrien said to his driver as he was exiting the car. "We can't leave until Sabine gets to take her pictures."

Gorilla grunted and locked the car doors. He'd had to turn the car around enough times over the years because Sabine hadn't been able to take pictures that he knew they'd have to wait. He also wanted to catch Adrien's face when he first saw Marinette in Gabriel's creation. It was a sight he wouldn't miss for the world.

Alya opened the door for the two men and let them in.

"You stay right here, Agreste," she said sternly. "Marinette is waiting till everyone's here before she comes down." She looked Adrien up and down. "I'm warning you right now, if you mess up my hard work on her hair before you hit the red carpet I will end you."

Adrien wanted to laugh, but the look on Alya's face made him reconsider. He wordlessly nodded his confirmation.

"However," her expression changed from threatening to conspiratorial, "if you haven't messed it up thoroughly by the time she gets back home from the ball, I will be severely disappointed in the both of you."

This time Adrien laughed and he even heard the rumbling chuckle of the Gorilla. "Got it Alya, hands off the hair till after the event."

"Yes, now make yourself comfortable," she said as she headed toward the stairs. "Tom and Sabine are about ten minutes out and I have to keep Marinette's hands distracted-" she looked back at Adrien, "No, I think you'd do better at that. Please start texting the girl again so she doesn't have time to pull my masterpiece to pieces."

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Adrien said with a salute and pulled out his phone.

He was busy texting with Mari when Sabine came bursting through the door.

"Oh good!" she said brightly. "You're still here."

Adrien went to the door to greet the woman. "Good evening, Sabine." He stepped back from the hug she had given him. "Of course we're still here. There's no way we'd leave for our date without you capturing it for future generations first."

"Let me get my camera," she called as she hurried back to her room.

"Better hurry up, Bien," Tom called out as he stepped through the doorway, "I want to see Mari in that dress." He gave Adrien a hug. "You are looking pretty sharp this evening, Adrien."

"Thank you," Adrien said distractedly, "but I'm kind of eager to see Mari in her dress, too."

"Before she comes down," Tom said as he put an arm around Adrien's shoulders and walking him to the side of the room, "there's something I wanted to give you." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a box of capotes.

Adrien started blushing when he realized what they were.

"Now I'm not saying that you'll be needing these tonight," Tom said matter of factly, "but you two might start getting a little carried away, and I'd like for you to be smart and protect yourselves. It's true that I can't wait to meet my grandchildren, but maybe it would be best if they took a couple of years before they show up?"

Adrien didn't know what to say. He simply nodded as he took the box from the man's hand and put them in his pocket..

"Good, good," Tom murmured. "Do you know how to use them? It's not complicated, but I want to be sure you're comfortable about them."

"Yes, sir," Adrien said, finally finding his voice. "We did have a unit on safe sex practices in our health class and we all had to demonstrate putting on and removing a condom correctly."

"Excellent!" Tom exclaimed and gave Adrien's shoulders a quick squeeze before letting him go. "Maybe now you'll get to put the theory into practice." He laughed to see Adrien's face turn red. "Don't be embarrassed about showing your affection, Adrien," he said quietly, "Love is the greatest gift we can give another human being." He leaned in close, "And I happen to know that you have a worldful of love to give my little girl."

Adrien was stunned, speechless once again, so all he could do was nod in agreement.

Sabine came bustling back into the room with her camera around her neck. "Tom did you give Adrien our present?"

"Yes, my love," Tom said with a chuckle. "I just hope they have enough."

This time Adrien groaned as he hid his face in his hands.

"Well if they need more, I put some in Mari's desk last night," Sabine replied as she adjusted something on her camera.

"We have some in the car," Gorilla said matter of factly.

Adrien looked up sharply, "Et tu, Gorilla?"

The man shrugged. "Not like you won't need them," he replied.

Adrien groaned again. "Can we please just get this date started?"

"Yes," Tom said. "The sooner you start the sooner you can get to the big finish," he said with a wink.

"No, more sex talk please!" Adrien begged as he stood at the foot of the stairs facing the room. "I just want to go on a date with the most beautiful woman in Paris! I want to dance with her, and show her off to the world, and possibly eat some of the best mini cupcakes ever with the most wonderful girlfriend in the universe. Is that too much to ask?"

"Adrien?"

Marinette's voice came from the top of the stairs and when he turned to look he was staggered by the sight. The dress was even more gorgeous when it was on her, her hair was twisted up into a complicated knot studded with crystals sparkling like stars in the night sky, and her makeup was bold accentuating her eyes, but that wasn't what he found breathtaking. It was the look of love that she was giving to him that nearly dropped him to his knees.

Marinette saw Adrien's face grow slack and worried that he might be having another attack. She rushed down the stairs toward him. She was in such a hurry that she tripped on the bottom stair.

Adrien caught her easily one hand on her back resting on bare skin, apparently there was some kind of cutout he hadn't seen earlier. He was too busy getting lost in those deep blue pools to worry about dress construction however.

His eyes had yet to leave hers.

"You're stunning Mari," he whispered.

"So are you," she replied with a smile. "I-I-I mean, you're very handsome."

Her stammer broke the spell and Adrien found that he could breathe normally in her presence once again.

Adrien reached up, but a screech broke into their little bubble. "NOT the HAIR Agreste!" And suddenly they were both aware of the others in the room.

"Come on you two," Sabine said, "You know the drill."

Indeed they did. They went to stand in the usual spot where pictures always began. Sabine took a few of them posed as if they were taking formal pictures. Then a few of them being more relaxed together. They moved to the various spots that had become part of the picture taking tradition. Their final pictures were in groups with the people in the room. Alya insisted on standing in between the happy couple. She even had them take a picture with her holding up Nino on her phone. They took pictures with Tom and Sabine, the former making puns that caused even Sabine to groan. Marinette insisted on pictures with Gorilla, the man breaking out in a rare smile for the occasion. Then Sabine had Tom fetch her tripod so that the whole group could take a final photo.

Once she judged the final photo acceptable, they were allowed to head off to the gala.

Usually they would travel down the red carpet as quickly as was deemed socially acceptable, but tonight Adrien strolled as slowly as he could. He'd stop to acknowledge a fan, or chat with someone he knew, which was so unusual that Marinette finally had to ask him about it.

"Adrien, what are you doing? I know you can walk faster than this."

"I'm taking this time to show off my hot girlfriend Mari," he said with a grin. "You wouldn't want to take that away from me, would you?" he asked with a small, calculated pout.

She sighed. "How could I resist when you ask so nicely?"

Immediately he brightened up. "Thank you. You really are the best girlfriend I've ever had."

Marinette chuckled. "I'm the only girlfriend you ever had."

"Not true," he said with a smirk, "I'm told that Chloe declared we were dating when we were three." He gave a big sigh, "It lasted almost a whole afternoon."

Marinette laughed heartily. "Celebrity couples, eh?"

Suddenly Adrien frowned. "Mari, you don't think that we-?"

Marinette squeezed his arm as she shook her head. "That won't happen with us, because we're going to make sure it doesn't happen. I know we're both willing to work for that," she smiled at him, "And, as long as we focus on making sure we keep our friendship strong and communicate honestly and lovingly, we will make it."

Adrien stopped their walk down the carpet. "You mean it? You want to go the distance with me?"

"With all my heart," she said as she looked into his eyes.

The grin was back on his face. They started walking back down the carpet. As they approached the line of fashion reporters the smile that Marinette had always labeled "Chat having a terrible but brilliant idea" was firmly affixed to Adrien's face.

Louis Danielou approached with his cameraman and somehow Adrien's grin turned almost predatory.

"Good evening, Monsieur Agreste," he began. "Do you have a moment to talk with us?"

"Certainly," Adrien said with a slight nod of his head.

"Is it safe to assume that you and your lovely companion are wearing Gabriel this evening?"

"That is a safe and yet incomplete assumption," Adrien said.

"Oh? Do tell," he said as he put his microphone closer.

"Well we're both wearing Agreste fashions of course, but my girlfriend is wearing a Gabriel original that was designed just for her." He took Mari's hand from his arm and brought her out so that the dress could be seen. Then he twirled her around so the skirt's movement could be demonstrated. "As you can see, the whole thing is a Christmas miracle. Much like her consenting to be with me," he added with a wink.

Suddenly the light dawned in the man's face. "So you and Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng are finally an item?"

Adrien's smile said it all. "Can you blame me for asking to be by her side?" He pulled Marinette back him, the fondness he felt for her plainly showing on his face.

"Not in the least," the reporter replied. "And you Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, how do you feel about all of this?"

Adrien cut off her reply by pointing to Nathalie. "I'm sorry Louis, but I see my father's assistant and I have the feeling that I may be in serious hot water if we are any later than we already are. If you're still here when the gala is over maybe Marinette can give you a short interview then?"

"We'll see if that can be arranged," the reporter said with his false smile tacked carefully into place. "Thank you for your time."

They both nodded and then hurried over to Nathalie.

"For someone who left the mansion early, you certainly took your time getting here," Nathalie said with one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Sorry," Adrien said as he ducked his head. "We had to take quite a few extra pictures this evening."

"Well, no harm done, but your father is getting testy waiting to see his dress," she frowned slightly. "With Marinette in it, of course," she hastily added

Adrien's eyebrows came together as he frowned. Testy was code meaning vexed which was one step away from about to bring down the wrath of a vengeful deity on the unsuspecting populace. They ought to hurry and enter the room before that happened.

Nathalie turned to Marinette. "Good evening, Marinette," she greeted the young woman with a cheek kiss. "You are positively glowing."

"Thank you, Madam Sancoeur. You look lovely tonight, too."

"Very well, go on," Nathalie said as she waved the young couple away. "He's at the bottom of the stairs so that he can watch how the skirt moves."

"Well," Marinette said as they approached the top step, "are you ready for this?"

Adrien smiled gently at her. "I am ready for anything if you're next to me."

"Then let's go enjoy the party!"

They walked together down the curving stairs in perfect unison. Marinette tried not to be too conscious of the people staring at them, but they were among the last to arrive so their entrance was regretfully notable. Marinette focused on the feel of the ruffles against her legs and the comforting strength of Adrien's arm as they descended. They were at the bottom and heading toward Adrien's father in the blink of an eye.

"Good evening, father," Adrien said his society mask firmly in place.

"Good evening, Monsieur Agreste," Marinette said with a small smile.

Gabriel nodded at the young people. "Good evening, Adrien." He looked the dress over before adding, "Good evening, Marinette. The dress was perfection. I may have to use that ruffle pattern again." He raised his champagne flute in their direction. "Congratulations," Adrien looked at him expectantly, "You two are certainly the best dressed couple here." Then he took a sip from his glass and moved away to talk to another designer.

"What does that mean?" Marinette asked Adrien quietly.

Adrien shook his head. "Every time I think I know what he's going to do or say he completely baffles me with something unexpected."

"Well, if he's not going to be clear then we'll just take it as his blessing and move on." She grabbed his hand and moved away from the elder Agreste.

"How about moving in the direction of Tom's cupcakes?" Adrien suggested with an eyebrow waggle.

Marinette laughed. "Are you sure you don't just like me for my family's pastries?"

Adrien pulled Marinette in for a quick hug. "I love you for who you are, Mari. The pastries are just a nice bonus."

Marinette booped his nose and pulled away. "Let's see which ones taste better, the red sprinkles or the green."

"My money's on red. They've got to be as sweet as Ladybug's lips."

Marinette blushed. "I'm sure it's going to be green. They must be as delicious as Chat Noir's kisses."

"Too bad they're not here so we could ask them to judge," Adrien choked out.

"Maybe they are, but they're in disguise," she put a finger across his lips. "No more, minou. Let's just find the cake."

They found the dessert table and happily handed over three times the price of a full sized cupcake for the tiny bites. Adrien paid for two baker's dozens and then proceeded to share them with Chloe and her table. They all declared them to be the tastiest of the treats on offer, especially after Marinette told the guests that Adrien had helped to decorate the little cakes.

Adrien and Marinette made sure to go round the room, greeting acquaintances and extolling the virtues of Gabriel's dress. Marinette enjoyed discussing the finer points of her outfit with the other designers and models while Adrien enjoyed watching Mari discussing her passion. Adrien also noticed his father gesturing often toward Marinette's dress through the evening. He tried not to be upset that this outing was only seen as an advertising opportunity by his father, and instead focused on knowing that he was with someone who loved and cared for him.

When a certain song began to play, Adrien asked Marinette to dance. She excused herself from the group and let him lead her to the dance floor.

They had only been dancing for less than a minute when Adrien felt a tap on his shoulder. He was loathe to let anyone cut in on their first dance, but the look of surprise on Marinette's face made him reconsider telling the jerk to back off. His face mirrored hers when he saw who it was standing behind him.

"May I?" Gabriel said. When Adrien stepped aside he gently took Marinette's hand and lead her deeper into the dancers before beginning to sway with the music.

There was awkward silence between them before Gabriel spoke. "You know, Marinette, I really must thank you."

"What for?" she blurted out and felt her face begin to redden. "I mean, I should thank You! This is such a beautiful dress. I love the way you-"

"We can discuss the dress at brunch on Sunday," he said dismissively. "What I want to thank you for is the smile you have put on my son's face."

He looked over at Adrien who was still standing in the spot they had left him, confusion clearly written on his features.

"Well, maybe it's missing at present, but it hasn't escaped my notice that he is much happier whenever you are around." He smiled down at the tongue tied girl. "I'm glad he finally realized his feelings for you. We Agrestes don't do feelings very well, I'm afraid, so thank you for being patient with him." He chuckled after looking back at Adrien, "That is another thing we Agrestes don't do well."

He stopped dancing with her and led her back to Adrien. "Thank you for loving my son," he said as he kissed the back of her hand then presented that hand to Adrien with a bow.

"You have a charming girlfriend, Adrien." And with that, he walked away.

Stunned silence followed in the man's wake. It took a moment for them to recover, but when they did it was with glee that Adrien twirled with Marinette in his arms. They laughed at each other's dazed reactions and the grins that followed the laughter were big enough to make their cheeks hurt.

They only had one more dance together when the music suddenly cut off and the akuma siren started blaring. People were rushing to check their phones to know where the akuma was and what direction it was moving in when Reyna came bursting into the room.

"Where is Adrien Agreste?" she demanded.

"Here!" Adrien called as he stepped forward.

"We've got to move you and Marinette Dupain-Cheng away from here," she said. "We're not sure if Crève-cœur is after you or her, but it's one of you."

Marinette stepped forward to hold his hand, "Let's get as far from here as we can so these people will be safe."

Adrien looked down at her and grinned, "As long as you're beside me, I'll go anywhere."

"Follow me," Reyna said. "Carapace is slowing her down and the others will catch up to us."

Hand in hand Adrien and Marinette disappeared into the night.

Later, after Crève-cœur had been defeated and the rest of the heroes had returned to their civilian lives, Ladybug and Chat Noir took a moment to admire their city from their favorite perch on the Eiffel tower.

"We have to get back to the gala soon," Ladybug said quietly.

"Five more minutes?" Chat asked as he nibbled her ear lobe.

"You said that ten minutes ago," she said as she pressed her lips to his.

"True, but I've never been a good judge of time."

"We have to get back. They'll already be talking," she broke away from him. "You know how your father doesn't approve of negative publicity."

Chat sighed but moved away from her as well. "You're right, My Lady, as usual." He stood up and then helped her to her feet. "We should probably get back."

She put a hand up to cradle his cheek. "Look at it this way," she said with a smirk. "The sooner we get back to the party the sooner we can leave the party, yeah?"

A grin began to form on his lips. "Race you!" he called as he took off.

"You're on!"

Marinette smiled smugly when Adrien caught up to her outside of the gala. "What took you so long Chaton?" She straightened his tie. "Usually I don't beat you by so much."

He gave her a quick peck on her cheek. "I had to stop off for something."

She gave him a questioning look, but he just shook his head. "Later when we're back at your place."

They returned and spent the rest of the evening dancing and being teased by mutual acquaintances about their dating situation causing akumas. Fortunately, everyone had an akuma story or two and the evening ended with everyone telling their favorite Ladybug and Chat Noir stories.

When Adrien and Marinette finally left for the evening they were relieved to see that Monsieur Danielou wasn't waiting for them to get the promised interview. It meant they could leave right away.

Adrien took great pleasure in removing the sparkling pins from Marinette's hair as they were being driven back to the bakery. He made sure to give Marinette a kiss for each one and ran his fingers carefully through to search for any stragglers. The look of contentment that she wore from his gentle touch made him stop abruptly.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Mari," he whispered. He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm not just talking about how you look," he was quick to add. "You have the most beautiful heart and soul of anyone I've ever met. How did I ever get lucky enough to even know you?"

"I'm not sure, Adrien," she quietly replied as she put her hand up to his face, "But I feel the same way. I don't know what I could have done to deserve being this happy with you, but I'll take it."

They smiled at each other and were about to resume their tender ministrations when the car abruptly pulled to a halt.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning," Gorilla said after he opened the door for them.

Adrien was stunned when the man handed him a small bag that looked like it could contain a change of clothing and some sleepwear.

"No rooftops tonight," the large man said with a warning finger.

Both of the young people stared at him, but he calmly slid into his place behind the car wheel and took off.

Adrien looked down at Marinette. "I swear I didn't know that he knew."

Marinette's laugh rang out into the night air. "I can tell that by the look on your face, Minou."

"I'm not sure how many more earth shattering revelations I can take," he said as he shook his head, hand on his forehead.

"Come on," Marinette said as she opened the building door. "They're probably waiting to hear how it went."

Adrien smiled. This was certainly the best date with Marinette he'd ever had.

They were both still wide awake after they had told Tom and Sabine about their evening, well most of the evening. They made sure that Plagg and Tikki were fed and then changed into pajamas. Adrien made popcorn while Marinette readied a movie on her computer, then they snuggled together on her chaise to watch the show.

"When are you going to tell me what held you up on the way back to the party?" Marinette asked after a few minutes.

"Oh, let me show you," Adrien got up and removed something from the overnight bag Gorilla had given him. "I saw it in one of the trees near the tower and wanted to get some so we can have a memento of our first date." He put a sprig of green leaves with white berries in her hand. "I mean, the dress is nice, but you can't really put that somewhere easily seen," he said as he resumed his seat next to her.

"I wonder if it's true about mistletoe," Marinette said thoughtfully.

"If what's true?"

"If it's true that a couple in love kissing beneath the mistletoe will bring a long life of happiness," she replied.

Adrien took the small plant and held it over Marinette's head.

"Let's find out."

A/N: * Louis Danielou- Is an actual human being. He's an author of article in Vogue Paris. I hope he doesn't mind my using his name. He's not associated with this story in any way. I just really liked his name.

* Crève-cœur= Heartbreak