On Point

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

By Rena Rouge

It's that time of year again! Tonight is the annual event at the local community centre for children in need and their guardians. Once again, the businesses of the surrounding area have pulled together to put on a night of entertainment and festivities, including musical performances, wonderful tasty treats and, of course, Paris' greatest Santa Claus.

We hope all attending have a wonderful evening, and we look forward to seeing what other surprises the team has in store for you.

*****

Marinette wasn't entirely sure where time had gone. One minute it was the summer and she was auditioning for Agreste, now it was a couple of weeks into December and the Christmas Gala was approaching at an unprecedented speed. Their dance had been coming along really well, but she hadn't had time to do much else. She understood now how much Adrien was counting on this, and she was determined to make it the best she could.

So, between rehearsals, nights at Tikki's studio and movie nights with Luka (where they were both falling asleep with exhaustion), she hadn't had a chance to do much else — she'd rarely even seen Alya. But tonight she was away from the studio and from exhaustion, she finally was getting a night to relax, chill out, and see her parents. And tonight was special. Every year on the 10th December, the local community centre held a special evening for children in need to come and meet Santa, collecting a present and filling their tummies with 'T & S' treats.

Marinette always loved baking something extra special for the youngsters, this being the first year in over a decade that she hadn't. As she wandered in the general direction of the bakery, she shifted her glare to the tall man beside her, one who was fidgeting more than what she did on her audition day.

Adrien shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he walked beside her passing the full decorated lamp posts and homes. Every shop was glowing with Christmas joy, the opening of doors supplying them both with a festive soundtrack to continue on their way with.

A puff of steam appeared from his puffed out cheeks, the 4th in the past 30 seconds.

"Will you stop it?" Marinette laughed, shaking her head at him.

"Stop what?" he asked, trying to play innocent. None of it was passing her though. He looked as though he was about to be laid on the table for the evening's meal.

"These deep, 'scaredy cat' sighs!"

He sighed again, which caused her to laugh even more.

"I'm the great 'Chat Noir' if you'd never noticed."

She took a glove off and swiped it at him before positioning it back over her frozen hand. He'd been in this mood all day, almost dropping her numerous times on her head as he lost focus, and then going back to his defence by being a bit of a prick. She'd got it sussed out now though, if she just refused to do anything he would stop.

She'd called him out on it instantly, both taking a break to go and check up on the others and see how 'The Nutcracker' was piecing together. It was incredible, as expected! She was so enthralled she'd forgotten exactly who was dancing the parts. And as she watched and felt for the Nutcracker and Clara she couldn't help but feel her heart get pulled from her chest.

Luka and Zoé were breath-taking together. It was like watching two streams of liquid meet and form only one, both joining and moulding effortlessly together. Their tunes were perfectly aligned and there was obviously something there. Whether it was past feelings beginning to channel into the dance, or the remainder of something that was unfinished but stolen from both of them she didn't know. But even when they fumbled and made mistakes the looks he gave her were heartfelt and warm...very similar to how Luka looked at her.

She couldn't help but wonder if their late night training sessions were more than just practising. Were they reconnecting? Were they going out for meals or drinks together?

Like... you and Adrien?

Marinette felt so guilty for the time she was spending with Adrien and not with Luka, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him it was more than just rehearsals. Luckily, nothing had been posted on social media after their impromptu trip to the market together, and, because of Luka practising so late, she failed to mention her maman had asked Adrien to come and join them for dinner this evening. Luka didn't even know that's where she was tonight, he just thought she was out with some old dance friends. She hated herself for lying but with everything happening with Adrien, she felt like she was cheating on him.

Adrien suddenly pulled from her self damning thoughts and back to the present moment. More precisely, what they were about to do.

"Sorry, it's just, I've never 'met' parents before."

"You make it sound like we're dating," Marinette chuckled, though it came out a little more focused than she would have liked it to be. Even though this certainly wasn't that, it did feel oddly like it.

They finally made it to the front entrance, Adrien opening the door for Marinette to step through first. A gentleman at his finest.

"Maman?" Marinette called out into the empty bakery once the chimes had finished ringing. The display cases were already bare and glistening from their late night clean, so she was guessing her parents had cleared up for the day and were ready for their visitors.

"Carry on up, honey, just lock the door behind you." Her mother's voice drifted from the staircase behind the shop. She was obviously carrying something up the staircase and to the apartment.

"Sure," Marinette called back. She moved past Adrien and locked the door, before turning back to him and smiling sweetly. "Whatever you do, don't show fear."

She watched Adrien gulp and couldn't help the laugh as she made her way up the stairs to the main apartment, Adrien dragging his feet behind her.

"I don't know if you're being mean and joking or whether I should turn around and run for my life."

They continued to walk up the stairs and Marinette felt a sudden buzz of playfulness.

"Just don't make out with me at the dinner table." She turned and dropped him a wink, noticing the rosy tinge stretching across his face. Sometimes she couldn't help but think she was the more mature one in this relationship partnership. Damn it!

She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him the last few stairs and towards the open door on the left.

"Maman? Papa?"

Marinette made her way into the apartment only to notice the huge and completely over the top display of food smothering the table. Maybe her mother had got the wrong end of the stick yesterday?

"Yikes!" She heard Adrien whisper behind her. "They do know I'm not allowed to eat most of that right?"

Marinette turned, a cringy smile on her face as she spoke through her teeth. "I did tell them, it seems they didn't listen. We can go if you want to?"

She watched Adrien look from her, to the magnificent banquet fit for a King that was laid out on the table, his lips pouting and, if she wasn't mistaken, a tiny line of drool escaping the corner of his mouth. She needed to get a petition started for this guy... #feedAdrienAgreste2k23

His tongue came out to lick his lips, and she was ashamed of the blush creeping on her face from the innocent action. Her eyes now locked on the glistening peach of his lips.

"Well," he eventually said, "it would look disrespectful to not at least try some of the food. I don't want to seem like an ungrateful guest after all. It seems like your parents have gone to quite an effort."

"They have, Kitty. And you would look so ungrateful if you just picked at the celery."

She looked into his sparkling eyes and had to control her giggle. It was almost hilarious how little persuading he needed.

"I like your thinking, Shortcake."

Feeling the heat on her cheeks and seeing the pink blush take over his, they both looked away from each other, Adrien's hand snapping up to rub the back of his neck.

"Who would like some wine?" Her papa's voice boomed through the space, making her jump and turn around, her cheeks a blossoming pink as she tried to look innocent... not that she wasn't, but she was 100 percent over thinking things. And the nicknames and the looks... they really were sending off some mixed signals.

"Yes, please," Marinette said, bringing Adrien into the main part of the apartment and completing the introductions. Her stomach was tense, and she felt on edge. She wanted this to go well, not just for her sake but for Adrien's too. It was like bringing a stray cat home, if all were happy with its behaviour it could come again.

They finished the meal through easy conversation, and a lot of laughs. It seemed Adrien had a thing for puns which only encouraged her father more. He'd gone down a storm with them both, and Marinette was quite sure they were thinking about when Adrien could join them again. Mission: Stray Cat, accomplished!

As her father and Adrien moved down to the bakery to gather some of the remaining pastries from the storage unit, Marinette stayed with her mother, clearing the table and loading the dishwasher.

She stood at the sink and began to move her feet to the sides. Pointing it out to the side, before bringing it into a retiré devant before pointing it out again and stepping onto it, unconsciously humming their music as she did so.

"So, Adrien?" Her mother's voice stopped her from dancing and instead had her focusing on the dishes in the sink. She scrubbed harder than what she had done a minute ago.

"What about Adrien?"

"You seem to have quite the special relationship."

Marinette shrugged. He was her dance partner, of course they had a special relationship. It was based on trust and teamwork, and when this was over she hoped that they would remain friends for life.

"We work well together," she said in answer.

Her mother sighed and placed the dish towel on the counter. "Well that's obvious. He adores you."

Marinette snorted, then coughed, then tried to speak and choked. There was no way Adrien Agreste adored her; they'd come a long way but that was a step too far.

"Adrien doesn't 'adore me', he just about tolerates me."

"Not what I'm seeing, sweetheart. The looks he was giving you reminded me of when I first met your father. I was with someone else at the time you know. We'd been seeing each other for a while and then your father came in like a tornado. We made each other the best versions of ourselves and I had to take the risk."

Marinette turned and rested her hip against the sink. "What are you implying?"

Sabine moved to the coat stand and took their coats, passing Marinette hers before slipping into her own.

"Just that sometimes, the scariest choices can work out to be the greatest. I thought I wanted a stable life in Shanghai with a normal guy, who had a normal high flying job, not a baker from Paris who was on a field trip with his university. I uprooted my life, and you know what? I've never looked back since. Just make sure you don't hang onto the wrong choice when the right one has an expiry date. Someone like him won't be available forever."

"But Luka?" Marinette questioned, unlaced emotion in her voice.

"Luka may be one on your path to true love, Marinette, but I think you know as well as I do, he's not your true love. As much as you like him, can you see a future?"

The sound of footsteps up the stairs had them abruptly ending the conversations, so many more questions remained unanswered, and now — looking at Adrien — she felt uncomfortable. Was her mother right? Was she falling for Adrien?

"Are you ready to go?" Adrien asked, smiling widely and grabbing one more box off the table.

"We certainly are. Lead the way." Sabine gave Marinette one last look as she followed Adrien out of the apartment. "Please lock up on your way out."

Grabbing her keys, Marinette stood for a moment thinking. She hated the thought of letting Luka down, but then again was he in the same position as her? Maybe he was feeling the same, neither wanting to let each other down but a deep hidden desire trying to break free inside their hearts. They needed to talk soon.

*****

The Dupain-Cheng's were everything Adrien had ever dreamed about when it came to a family. The warmth and love within the apartment was overwhelming and the fact he was so freely accepted was extraordinary. He hoped he'd get a chance to go back again at some point, to spend more time with this group of people who wore their hearts on their sleeves for everyone to see.

The more he learned about Marinette, her family and her life, the more he wished he could be part of it. Everything about her was a beacon of light, and not to sound too much like a Hallmark movie, she was thawing his frozen heart. It was like an angel had been sent his way in the form of this wonderful, beautiful girl. Someone who much rather had slapped him then danced with him, yet she'd given him a chance. All preconceived ideas thrown out the window as she made the judgement herself through time and patience.

If only there were two of her.

They'd arrived at the community centre 30 minutes before the evening's festivities began, and Adrien was completely in awe at the love and donations being given here from different businesses in the area. He was almost embarrassed to be walking in empty handed — metaphorically of course — his hands were currently full of the delicious treats from the boulangerie.

Two women with clipboards there came over and greeted them, warm pleasant smiles on their faces as they took the boxes from their hands and then looked between him and Marinette. "Oh, Marinette, you've brought a boyfriend with you this year? It's about time someone snapped up such a wonderful girl."

"O-oh no! This is Adrien, he's my dance partner." She stuttered out her words in the most adorable way.

"Oh, we heard about you getting into the Agreste School of Dance, does this mean you'll both be performing for us this evening?"

A performance? Had that been why Marinette had asked him to come along? She could have just said, this seems like a good cause and at least he'd feel better for his lack of donation. He turned to her, ready to announce that 'yes they would be performing', when he noticed the embarrassed look spreading over Marinette's face.

"Sorry, we won't be performing tonight."

Adrien's eyebrows pulled into a frown. That was unexpected.

"Could you kind ladies excuse us one moment please?"

Grabbing Marinette's hand, Adrien pulled her to the side and away from the others. There was no reason for her not to perform. They could do it — together. Even though their choreography wasn't ready yet, they could perform Tikki's. They knew they performed it well, their performance at the studio the other night being validation to that.

"Is everything okay?" Marinette asked, it was the most she'd spoken to him since they'd left the boulangerie.

"Yeah, yeah! Everything's great. Listen, I think we should perform for them. We have Tikki's routine perfected, and it would be a shame if no one saw it."

He watched as she bit down on her lower lip, a nervous nibble he'd grown to understand and adore. Her lips were so pink, so precious and as she bit down on them it drew his attention to them even more.

"But you don't like performing?" she said.

"For something like this, with choreography I love, and the best partner I've ever had... of course I want to perform. It would be an honour."

Her smile was the most dazzling and honest he'd ever seen, one which made him want to always make her happy just to see this smile. She'd seen him on his worst days and stuck by him, encouraging him that he could be better and thanks to Marinette, he was. He was finally healing.

She launched forward taking him into a tight spontaneous hug, before moving backwards and playing with her hands in front of her body.

"Ok," she giggled. "Let's do it!"

Heading over to the ladies, he watched Marinette gesture wildly, her hands flying around and in the direction of him. The smile was still prominent on her face.

"And what would you like for Christmas, kid?" The sound of a voice boomed in his ear, and he turned to see Marinette's father dressed as Santa, and he looked amazing.

"Woah! Mr Dupain! You look great!"

The big guy grabbed his stomach and let out a heartwarming 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' causing the woman around to giggle and Marinette's mother to tell him to keep it for the children.

Adrien could almost see Marinette's father breaking out into song with Michael Cane standing beside him. As amazing as he looked as Santa, Adrien was quite certain Tom Dupain would pass as a great Ghost of Christmas Present from The Muppets Christmas Carol.

"Less of the 'Mr Dupain' though, son! Just call me, Tom. Actually, for the next few hours I'll be going by the name of ole Saint Nick. But you never answered the question. What would you like for Christmas?"

Adrien's eyes moved to Marinette and straight away he realised what he'd just most likely implied to her father. Oh goodness! He was going to kill him! You don't ask for a person for Christmas and you certainly don't imply Santa's 19 year old daughter.

Sheepishly, he moved back to look at Tom, hoping that the next word out of the guy's mouth wasn't 'run'.

"I didn't mean — it's not — I — I'm going to leave now!" Adrien turned, set to get out of there — stat! Yet a hand firmly placed on his shoulder stopped him. He closed his eyes, praying whatever death he was about to experience was quick — not slow and painful.

"It's okay. Anyone within half a mile radius of Paris can see the way you look at her, son. And I can see the way she looks at you too."

"Like I'm a wounded puppy?" Adrien asked.

Tom shook his head and indicated to where Marinette was looking at them both, her head slightly tilted to the side and a smile showing off her perfectly white, dazzling teeth. She lifted one hand and gave them a small, shy wave — almost as if she'd been caught out.

"No, like you bring out the best in her. So, thank you for doing that. She looks the best she has done for months, and it's since she has been working with you and going to the studio with Tikki."

"You know about that?" Adrien winced.

"Of course we do. We're a close family, Adrien, and she was so proud of you and the girls, she hated not being there." Tom patted him on the shoulder again, and Adrien could recognise this as a sign of respect and of acceptance.

"It was okay, she had other plans that day. She called me as soon as she could."

"Which meant you were on her mind. Don't forget that."

"I'm starting to think you're trying to push us together, Tom."

He chuckled again. "I know she's with Luka at the moment, whoever Luka is, but I also know you make her very happy, and that's all I want for my daughter. To see her being her best and doing it with a smile."

Adrien's eyes widened and Tom realised what he said.

"Not doing it, just being happy and — oh, look! The children are coming in."

Tom moved in the direction of the door, his cheeks vibrantly rosie in a way Santa would be proud of.

Adrien began to move over to Marinette to see about possible costumes for the evening when a little girl in pigtails entered the hall with her mother. He recognised her from the studio, her face constantly etched in his mind because she was the girl who'd pulled out of the squad.

He watched the familiar girl smile, walking to Santa with two identical little boys, one holding onto each hand. He hadn't seen her since the week before the competition and looking at her now, she certainly hadn't broken anything.

His eyes studied the doorway, waiting for her mother to enter and it didn't take long. She looked completely bedraggled, nothing like the made up woman who brought her daughter to dance classes, not the woman who had the greatest little dancer as her daughter.

She stumbled in, a loaded backpack weighing her down and a screaming baby on her hip.

Adrien's lips grew dry. He really was a pathetic display of humanity. He'd worried about his future because his father wanted him to succeed, in comparison to this family who seemed to be battling a need to survive.

He had to do something. This community coming together tonight we're all here to help each other out, and even though he came empty handed, he could offer something. He could do something.

Walking to the lady, he reached up to take the bag from her shoulders. "Let me help you there, Mademoiselle."

"Oh, no, it's... Adrien! I — I mean — I'm here because..."

He continued removing the heavy bag from her shoulders, taking some of the weight from the poor stressed woman. "It's okay," he said honestly, "I want to help."