"Daddy, daddy! Wake up!"

Adrien grinned as he felt Emma bounce on the bed and shove at his back. He tried to hide his smile by rolling over and pretending he was still asleep.

"Daddy!" she cried, though he could hear the smile on her face. She flopped over his back. "Wake up! It's Christmas."

He pretended to snore.

She crawled over him, her little hands shoving at his shoulder as she leaned over close to his face. "Daddy."

He cracked an eye open to look at her.

"It's Christmas."

"It is?" he asked teasingly.

"Yeah!" she squealed. "Come on. Let's go open presents!"

"I don't feel like it."

"Daddy!"

Adrien chuckled, his laughter growing when Emma scrambled on top of his back again.

"Let's go! Get up!"

With a smirk growing across his whole face, he reached behind him, pulling Emma off him and onto the bed to tickle her sides. She squealed, squirming out of his hold, but he pulled her back down to the bed and pinned her there. "Tickle monster!"

She tried to escape his hold, laughing and giggling all the while. He eventually stopped and yanked the blanket over their heads.

"See, it's dark. You have to go back to sleep."

"No it's not, daddy," she giggled, shoving off the sheets. "Come on. Open presents."

Adrien sat up in bed. "We have to wait for Grandfather and Grandmother."

Her face fell in disappointment.

He brought her close against him, hugging her tightly and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "How about we make breakfast?"

"Okay."

"Chocolate chip pancakes."

Emma positively lit up. "OKAY!" With that, she bolted out of the room faster than he could blink.

Laughing, Adrien got out of bed and followed after Emma, excited to make this special breakfast for her. Marinette had been giving him pointers for Christmas breakfast, and he was ready to put it all to the test.

He pulled out the recipe card Marinette had given him, only for Emma to scramble up on her stool beside him and shift the pink card in front of her. "Ch-o-c-o-"

Adrien patiently waited for Emma to finish, smile on his face the entire time. Ever since Marinette had taken up baking with Emma on a regular basis, she'd made Emma read the ingredients off the pink cards. And Emma happily did so.

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" she cried, having finished the title.

"Very good!" Adrien said, holding up hands for her to high-five. "Want to help me make them?"

"Yeah!"

So Adrien let Emma read the ingredients off the card, then allowed her to help him measure out all the ingredients and put them together. They let the batter rest while the pan heated up-one of Marinette's tips-and then made them one by one. Adrien made the mistake of letting Emma sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the first cooking pancake. He decided the next one would have no chocolate chips in order to balance out the one in the pan.

Eventually, they were seated at the table, quietly devouring their breakfast. Adrien cheered over how good they were, mentally patting himself on the back for a job well done.

They were cleaning up, with Emma helping, when the doorbell rang. "They're here! They're here!"

Adrien put the last dish away before answering the door. "Merry Christmas, Father. Merry Christmas, Nathalie."

"Merry Christmas," his father said. "The gifts are in the back of the car."

"I'll help you with them. Emma will, too."

She gave a firm nod. "Mm-hmm."

Gabriel looked at Emma before giving Adrien a once over. "In your sleepwear?"

Adrien shrugged. "It's Christmas."

So, after offloading all the gifts his father and Nathalie brought over, most of them for Emma, they sat around the Christmas tree, Gabriel and Nathalie sharing the loveseat while Adrien sat cross-legged on the floor. Emma was looking over the gifts, trying to figure out which ones were hers, so Adrien told her to read the name cards. She slowly spelled out each name, before handing it off to whoever it was for.

Adrien could see the pride in his father's face as he watched Emma read each name card, saying who it was for and who it was from. It filled him with a sense of pride.

It took a while for Emma to complete the organizing task, but they heaped praise upon her for doing so. It made her the happiest girl alive.

They took turns opening gifts, Emma opening more than all them combined. She quickly lost herself playing in the large dollhouse Nathalie bought for her while Adrien cleaned up the wrapping paper.

"She's getting very good at reading," his father commented.

"She helped me make breakfast this morning, too. Reading off all the ingredients."

Gabriel grinned. "Well, I'm very proud of her."

Even though it was meant for Emma, Adrien absorbed that praise. "You can thank Marinette for that one."

"There are many things I thank Marinette for. I'm almost hesitant to suggest you tell her about a potential job because I'd much rather have her raise Emma."

"I've already decided that I will," Adrien said, his joy fading. "She'd be really good at fashion, and that's her dream. I'm not going to take that from her, even if it means finding a new nanny."

Gabriel rested a comforting hand on Adrien's shoulder. "Just be sure that she comes back every now and then. She's left quite the impact on Emma."

While true, Emma wasn't the only one who Marinette had touched so deeply.

"However, since Emma is distracted, may I speak with you a moment?"

Adrien nodded.

"I'll need you to run the company a few days come the new year. I have the annual audit I must oversee."

Adrien cringed. "But don't you have-"

"Don't remind me," his father interrupted. "I'll need you to fill in for those meetings."

"Your investors and business partners are not going to be happy that they aren't meeting specifically with you."

Gabriel rubbed his eyes. "I know. But I have to perform the annual audit of the company fashion houses and stockrooms."

Adrien paused, frowning hard in thought. "What if I go instead of you?"

"You don't have to, Adrien. I can take care of it."

"You have several other things on your plate besides the meetings. I don't want to go, but you need me to."

Gabriel frowned, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Father, this is the one thing that you really don't need to personally be there for. And if you do, then I'll contact you online and video chat your way through everything."

"Are you certain it's a good idea? I know what I'm specifically looking for."

"But it would be best if this was off your plate. I can manage the paperwork side of things from anywhere, meaning it would be easier for me to take that on instead of you trying to balance the meetings and phone calls and such on top of that trip."

Gabriel sighed. "As true as that is, are you certain that you can handle being away for five days? For Emma's sake?"

That was the kicker. Adrien hadn't been away from Emma a full twenty-four hours before. This was going to be a stretch.

"And are you certain Marinette would be willing to take on that task?" Gabriel continued. "Frankly, I would like nothing more than for you to take this particular task off my plate. If I sent someone else to check in on them, they might lax on some policies. However, I understand that this may not be something you can take off my plate, meaning I need your help in other areas to make up for it. And while I apologize that I'm telling you on Christmas, it's something I'd like to forewarn you about."

"No, I understand, father. Thank you for the warning."

His father nodded. "Of course. I will need an answer as soon as you can, however."

"Give me the week to think it over."

"Thank you. Whatever that may be, I thank you for the help."

"Of course, father."

The day after Christmas was when Marinette came by.

"You get two. And only two," Adrien warned Emma, who was reaching for the decorated gingerbread men.

She pouted, having already devoured one.

"You heard your dad," Marinette said before she leaned over to whisper, "and you can always beg for more after dinner."

Emma perked up at that.

Marinette winked up at Adrien, knowing full well her whisper wasn't quiet enough to keep her words secret from him.

Adrien shook a finger at her, tsking her playfully.

She grinned widely and innocently as she placed the plate of cookies on the counter out of reach from Emma. "Be nice to me. I come bearing gifts."

Adrien raised an eyebrow at her as she dug into her purse, making a show of digging deep and capturing Emma's rapt attention. Her face then split into a wide grin before she pulled out the package.

Emma beamed and took the gift, making quick work of the wrapping paper. She gasped then grinned as she held up a ladybug plushie.

"Now you have a good luck guardian, too," Marinette said. She then held out her keys, allowing the ladybug charm to dangle in the air. "Just like me."

Emma bounded forward, wrapping her arms around Marinette's neck and squeezing tightly. Marinette picked the girl up off the ground, holding her close. "Best teammate in the whole wide world," she whispered.

"Best teammate in the whole wide world," Emma returned.

That exchange always melted Adrien's heart.

They stayed for a little while before Marinette put Emma down. "Come play with me," Emma begged, grabbing Marinette's hand and tugging her along.

"I have to give your father his present first."

She paused but let Marinette go.

With a smile, Marinette pulled another gift from her bag and presented it to Adrien. "For you."

He took it with a small amount of surprise. Carefully, he undid the tape on the wrapping paper to reveal a plain, white box. He shook the top off the bottom, revealing black material within. Taking the fabric out of the box, he saw it was a jacket, one lined with fleece but made of a thick, suede-like material for the outside. He looked over the detail: the piping over the shoulders and down the front, the golden zipper pull, the zippered pockets. But he wasn't going to lie, the best part was the high collar. He slipped it on, finding it fit perfectly.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," he said, running his hands over the cuffs on the sleeves. "Wow. Did you make this?"

Marinette nodded.

"Wow."

"Your dad was kind enough to give me your measurements during one of the last dress fittings. He said he wanted to see the end result."

"Well, considering this is going to be the only jacket I'll wear for the rest of the season, he'll have plenty of time to see and examine it."

Marinette chuckled.

"We have a little something for you too," Adrien said. "Emma, do you want to go get the present you got for Marinette?"

Her eyes lit up, and she scampered out of the room to the Christmas tree.

"And my gift is under the tree to you, too. If you want to follow Emma."

Marinette's eyes widened, her lips shaping a surprised little 'oh'. "You didn't have to."

"Of course, I did," he argued. "You're one of my best friends."

A light dusting of pink rose to her cheeks. "You're one of my best friends, too."

He gave her a grin that turned that pink a little darker.

She quickly turned and headed to the living room where the Christmas tree was placed, only for Emma to immediately shove a little box and card at Marinette.

"Why thank you," she said, taking the box and sitting down cross-legged in front of the tree. She looked over the card, smiling at the drawing of her and Emma. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"Open the box!" Emma cried.

Giggling, Marinette opened the box Emma had insisted on wrapping herself. Marinette took the top off and stared down at the jewelry inside.

"They're ladybugs," Emma excitedly explained.

"I see that," Marinette said taking out the ladybug earrings to examine. "They're adorable."

"And the necklace, too. I picked that out."

Marinette smiled at the necklace before putting it on. The little ladybug charm came to rest in the hollow of her collarbone, and Adrien had to remind himself that he was a grown man and not a hormonal teenager.

Next, she took off her earrings to place in the ladybug studs, which made Emma immensely pleased. "I love them," Marinette said. "Thank you, Emma."

"Now the big one." Emma pushed over a large box to Marinette.

She looked somewhat surprised by it, glancing over at Adrien, who had taken a seat beside her. "That is a big box."

Emma nodded, and Adrien grinned.

Marinette turned back to Emma. "I might need help opening it."

"I'll help!"

Adrien's grin widened as Emma helped Marinette unwrap the box. "A shipping box," Marinette flatly observed. "What I always wanted."

Adrien chuckled.

Marinette peeled the tap off the top of the box, opening it to reveal a large pile of fabric. Her eyes lit up. "Ooooh!"

"A couple instructions that go with that box," Adrien commented. "All scraps are to be completely destroyed, not tossed. That was the condition that my father gave me when taking those."

Marinette paused, her brow furrowed until understanding dawned on her. "Are... are these...?"

"Exclusive fabric from the Gabriel line? Yes, all the scraps."

Her jaw dropped and her blue eyes were now comically wide. "These were going to be destroyed?"

"Well, they were leftovers from the prototypes, so they were probably going to sit in some warehouse somewhere for a while before that happened."

Marinette stared at the box with newfound excitement before releasing a squeal and digging in with gusto. She grabbed pile upon pile, unfolding and examining the fabrics that caught her interest before leaving them in a heap and digging in for more.

Good gracious, she was adorable.

"This is amazing! No. It's more than amazing. It's spectacular! You're spectacular. Wait. No. Well, I mean, you are spectacular, but not in a creepy way. Like, spectacular friend because oh my gosh, exclusive Gabriel fabrics!" She squealed and launched herself towards him, tackling him to the ground in a hug. "THANK YOU!"

He was frozen, uncertain how to process the fact the girl he undeniably had a crush on was laying on top of him, squeezing him tight with her face pressed against his chest.

With his daughter watching.

Marinette eventually popped up, and he became increasingly aware of the fact she was straddling him. "You are the best. Seriously. Thank you. That is super awesome."

He was a hundred percent sure his smile was strained. "You're welcome."

With a grin and a squeal, she turned, removing herself from him and going back to her box of fabrics. He forced himself up off the ground while Marinette showed the fabrics off to Emma. She was too young to understand Marinette's excited babble, but she seemed to enjoy playing with the fabrics.

A while later, the fabric was cleaned up, Emma was happily introducing Tikki to Plagg, and Marinette was prepping to leave. "Thank you again for the fabric. I'm really excited to dig into it."

"I couldn't tell."

The two shared a laugh.

"Thanks for stopping by, though," Adrien said. "It was nice seeing you."

"Yeah. I know I could have given you guys the gift after your break, but I thought 'why not'. Drop off some cookies-"

"Because we definitely needed more of those," Adrien quipped.

Marinette giggled. "Sorry. Emma always enjoyed making them. And it was always nice to get her reading some more."

"We had to drop off cookies at the neighbors," Adrien teased. "And take them to the office. Some still might be there."

Marinette sheepishly shrugged. "Sorry?"

Adrien stared her down with a teasing grin, watching her squirm as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"Okay, I'll forgive you. This once."

Her grin brightened and eyes sparkled. "How generous of you."

"I try."

She giggled. "So, yeah. And the gifts. And... I always do like seeing you guys."

He felt warm and fuzzy. The sweet, genuine tone of her voice paired with almost the shy way she admitted it stoked the fire in him, and he could feel the warmth flood his cheeks. "We always love having you."

Her cheeks held a bit of color to them as she smiled, her head tilting downwards so as to gaze at the floor.

"I... um... before you go," Adrien said. "I wanted to ask you about... well, a work thing."

She cocked her head, waiting for him to continue.

"My father has a lot on his plate come January," he explained. "And one of those things is an annual audit for his main design studios. I told him that I could oversee that so he can be present here for meetings and such."

Marinette paused. "Why do I feel like this is you going away?"

"Because it's a five-day trip. Most of it out of the country."

Her mouth formed a little 'oh' shape.

"I guess, before I ask if you'd be willing to watch out for Emma all that time, I should ask if you think it's a good idea."

Her lips pursed tightly. "It might be a little hard on her."

"And that's what worries me."

"But if you have to," Marinette said. "You have to."

"I... I would prefer doing this over taking my father's place for some of the other things. It would be best if he were the one attending the meetings and such. This is one of the things I could handle in his place."

"Then do what you have to do," Marinette said. "I'll take care of Emma. She'll miss you though."

"Video chat?" Adrien suggested.

"Would be the best option."

"Then we're just going to have to do that," Adrien said, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm already dreading this."

Marinette didn't respond.

"Thank you, though. For agreeing to help me."

"I wouldn't let you down," she assured. "I wouldn't let Emma down, either."

Adrien had to bring his mind to a screeching halt before he could overthink her words. "I'll get you more details as they come in, okay."

"Okay. How do you want to prepare Emma for you leaving?"

Adrien cringed. "Give me a moment to think on that?"

"Okay," Marinette said. "I'll do a little internet research. See if I can find anything helpful."

"I'd appreciate if you kept me updated on that."

"Sure thing."

"Thanks."

"No prob-" she abruptly stopped, staring up above him.

Slowly, Adrien looked up above his head, only to realize he never took down the mistletoe Alya had planted.

"Um..." Adrien said, shifting in his spot. "Alya."

"That... sounds about right," she said, her cheeks growing pink.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I... I'm sorry. Things just got really odd, didn't they?"

Marinette stared up at the dreaded plant handing above his head. "I mean, it's not like we're breaking tradition or anything by ignoring it."

He blinked a couple times. "What?"

She nodded. "Um... there aren't any berries on it," she shyly explained. "People usually forget the part where you kiss under the mistletoe and take a berry from it and that if there aren't any berries on it, then a kiss will bring bad luck."

Adrien's gut sank. "Oh."

Marinette nodded, rocking back on her heels. "Yeah. Uh... I guess I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah," Adrien said. "Yeah. See you next week."

She waved. "Bye."

"Bye."

With that, she walked out to her car, shutting the front door behind her.

And leaving Adrien to silently curse Alya.