Marinette watched Tikki as she finished the last of her cookie. She smiled happily.

"I'm ready to go!" Tikki exclaimed.

"Good," Marinette replied with a smile of relief. "We need to find Creux and stop this madness."

"Transform, Ladybug!" Marinette exclaimed.

Ladybug exited the small closet and left the bakery, emerging out onto the cold streets of Paris. She frowned. The snow was gray, the sky was gray, everything was gray. Although Ladybug wasn't hit with the snow ball, she could already feel her Christmas spirit deteriorating at the sight of her surroundings.

Ladybug emerged back on the streets where Chat joined her.

"Feeling better, my lady?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yep," Ladybug replied. Her attention was then drawn to a particular person moping up and down the sidewalk. That person happened to be Alya.

Ladybug sprinted over to her friend, Chat following. "Alya, go take cover in a store or something," she instructed.

"Ok," Alya replied hopelessly. "But Ladybug," she mumbled quietly, her face pale. "You should go read my blog."

Ladybug smiled slightly. Although Alya may not have had Christmas spirit anymore, she still cared about her Ladyblog.

"I'll make sure to," Ladybug replied with a nod. She watched Alya slowly walk into a nearby store.

"Now how are we going to find our little friend?" Chat Noir asked curiously.

"I don't know," Ladybug replied, checking her surroundings. "I guess we just walk around until we see or hear something suspicious."

Ladybug and Chat sprinted down the street, their breaths visible in the cold air. They slid to a stop when a scream filled the air.

"Looks like we just found our first clue," Chat observed, glancing around.

The duo turned down a street, trying to detect the noise. The scream shattered the air again and Ladybug knew where the trouble was.

They traveled down a street with houses on either side of the road. The noise was closer now.

They stopped at the front of a house. Ladybug clenched her fists. "Get ready, Creux," she said.

Ladybug and Chat Noir kicked down the door. "You're done for!" she exclaimed righteously. She glanced at the faces and felt completely stupid.

Staring back at them was an innocent looking family all watching a Christmas movie together. They stared at the heroes in bewilderment.

"Well this is PAWkward.," Chat Noir said, inspecting the faces.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and put on an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him and his PAWful puns..." Ladybug chuckled while Chat gave her the thumbs up in approval.

The family just continued to stare at the duo in shock.

A scream erupted from the house next door, and Ladybug and Chat glanced at each other. Ladybug smiled in victory, exiting the house in a quick manner.

"Looks like that's our cue," Chat Noir told the family, giving a slight wave. He followed Ladybug out of the house.

Using her yoyo, Ladybug flung herself on the roof of the home next door while Chat simply leaped up on it. They peeked their heads into the window and saw Creux terrorizing the teenaged boys that had been pestering him earlier. He cackled and flicked razor sharp icicles at the boys' feet.

"Apparently terrorizing teenaged boys is apart of his evil plan?" Chat Noir asked, looking at Ladybug curiously.

"It's a long story," Ladybug replied. "Let's go crash their little party."

Ladybug and Chat Noir flew through the window and landed in front of Creux. They prepared themselves into a ready stance. The boys ran out the door, high pitched screams following them.

"Picking on teenagers. How low of you!" Chat exclaimed, shaking his head.

"I was teaching those brats a lesson!" Creux huffed at the two.

"No you weren't! You were terrorizing them," Ladybug replied.

"Yeah, so? They were terrorizing me!"

"Do you know who you sound like, Creux? The 6 year old I babysit! Drop the act!" Ladybug barked, wrapping her fingers around her yoyo.

"You're as rotten as those boys!" Creux yelled, and he held up his bell. "Go away!"

He was about to ring his bell when Ladybug threw her yoyo at it, knocking it out of his hands. The bell slid away on the ground. Ladybug reached for the bell, but Creux lunged at her before she could reach it. They hit the ground with a thud.

"I don't think so!" Chat yelled, swiping Creux off Ladybug with his metal pole.

Creux grunted as he hit the ground. He mustered up some icicles and threw them towards the two.

Chat quickly jumped in front of Ladybug and began spinning his pole in a circular motion so fast that it shattered the icicles. Ladybug got to her feet.

"Get that bell!" she exclaimed. She jumped into the air and flung her yoyo at the bell. Creux growled and threw an icicle at Ladybug. She gasped and quickly dodged it. The shard of ice crashed into the wall.

Chat stepped in and tried to smash the bell with his metal pole, but Creux yanked it out of the way just in time. He pushed Chat back in the wall with a powerful gust of wind and then proceeded out of the house.

Ladybug followed Creux Noel out of the house and gasped. He was mustering up a giant blizzard. Snow furiously swirled in the air, stinging Ladybug's face. She shielded her face with her arm.

"Don't do this!" Ladybug yelled as loud as she could. "You'll destroy all of Paris with a blizzard that large and powerful!"

"I don't care!" he cackled. "This will take away all of the Christmas cheer for sure!"

"And a few thousand lives!" Chat Noir yelled, standing beside Ladybug.

The wind picked up furiously then and the two nearly fell over. "Lucky Charm!" Ladybug exclaimed in a desperate attempt to stop the madness.

A red bucket flew down from the sky, landing in Ladybug's arms. She raised an eyebrow. Then, an idea popped into her head.

"Try to get his attention!" Ladybug yelled to Chat, the violent blizzard making it impossible to talk at a normal volume.

"What?" Chat yelled back.

"Get his attention!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Chat finally processed her words and nodded. He faced the villain. "Hey!" he yelled, and started waving his hands in the air.

Ladybug quickly buried the bottom of the bucket in the snow deep enough so it wouldn't be carried away by the winds. She then joined Chat in his efforts to get Creux's attention.

"Hey! You want my Miraculous?" Ladybug yelled to the villain. He quickly turned his head at her in interest.

"Come and get them!" she shouted, and then pretended to take them off. She pinched her hands around nothing. "I know your boss won't let you keep your powers forever if you don't give him what he wants!"

Creux growled and then soared towards Ladybug. She quickly ran towards the bucket. Once she was in front of it, she watched Creux get closer and closer to her.

Chat looked like he was ready to intervene, but Ladybug told him to stay put. She swung her yoyo around and at the last second, threw it at Creux, wrapping the string around him. He was now immobile and flopped to the ground like a fish out of water. The blizzard calmed down.

"Get me out of this you little--OUCH!" Creux snapped in pain as Chat smacked him upside the head with his pole.

"Remember this bucket?" Ladybug asked, looking at Creux. "You used to spread love, not bitterness."

Creux ignored her and continued to thrash around.

"You helped people. Don't you want to do that again?" Ladybug asked him innocently.

Creux finally allowed Ladybug his attention. "You don't understand, pesky beetle. Those kids were brats. Everyone deserves to feel my wrath."

Ladybug nodded, and then glanced at Chat. She was hoping he'd understand her and use the distraction to get his bell. Creux was too unpredictable to just take the bell from him. He could summon anything. His mind needed to be taken away.

"Sure they were. But that doesn't mean you should torture innocent people. What about the ones that donated to your cause? You hurt them too," Ladybug continued, glancing at Chat every once and awhile. He finally understood the plan and nodded. He eyed the bell carefully that was held in Creux's hand.

"You don't get it, Ladybug. You're too kind and your aggravating me," Creux barked. The muscles in his hands began to tighten. If Chat was going to take the bell, he'd better do it now.

"Just look at the bucket. Relive your happy days," Ladybug said, pointing to it.

Creux did so after a bit of hesitation, and that's when Chat swooped in and grabbed the bell. He quickly tossed it to Ladybug. "No!" Creux yelled in anguish.

She caught the bell, smashed it, and the purple akuma flew out. "You've done enough harm, little akuma," she said.

She spun her yoyo around. "Time to de-evilize!" she exclaimed, and caught the bug in her yoyo. When it was released, it was a white butterfly again.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug waved. She then tossed the bucket in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

All was now restored, the Christmas cheer was alive again, and Creux Noel returned to himself. The middle aged man scratched his head in confusion.

"My word, what happened?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Pound it," Ladybug and Chat Noir chimed, bumping fists with each other.

Ladybug's earrings beeped. She looked at Chat apologetically. "Gotta go," she said, giving a wave. Chat got on one knee.

"Merry Christmas, my lady," he cooed, kissing her hand.

"Uh, you too!" Ladybug replied, and then ran away. On her way to isolation, she ran into Alya.

"Ladybug!" Alya exclaimed. "Can I have a quick interview with you for my Ladyblog?"

"U-Uh, I can't! Sorry!" Ladybug stuttered as her earrings beeped again. She quickly dodged her friend and raced down an alley. She hid behind a dumpster as her transformation wore off. Tikki flew out of her earrings and landed in her hands, exhausted.

"I'm pooped," Tikki mumbled.

Marinette pet her friend comfortingly and lay her down gently in her purse. "Don't worry, we'll get you some food and then you can rest all day. Sound good?"

Tikki smiled warmly. "Yeah."

Marinette clipped her purse shut and stood up. She glanced around before exiting the alleyway and emerged out onto the snowy streets. People were rejoicing in happiness. She smiled. Then, a thought came to her and she felt her world crumble to pieces.

Marinette frantically checked her watch and gasped. "Oh no! The Christmas dinner is tonight and I STILL DIDN'T GET ADRIEN A GIFT!" she exclaimed.

"Marinette!" Alya called, jogging over to her. "Where did you go?"

Marinette widened her eyes and frantically thought of a lie. "U-Uh well, you see, I was pelted with a magic snowball thingie, and it made me hate Christmas. So I somehow found myself destroying the Christmas shop..." she lied.

Alya gasped. "Me too. Kinda. Ladybug led me to safety. She definitely must've read my Ladyblog."

Marinette laughed nervously. "Yeah. But we have a bigger problem at our hands! The Christmas dinner is tonight and I DON'T HAVE A GIFT FOR ADRIEN!"

"Hey girls," a voice said smoothly from behind. Marinette froze at the sound of the voice and turned around. To her dismay, it was Adrien. He smiled warmly at her, bundled in a heavy jacket with earmuffs and gloves.

"H-Hi Adrien," Marinette greeted through a creepy grin.

"I'm looking forward to the dinner tonight," he replied. "I know your parents are the best bakers in town."

"Y-Yeah, they're pretty good," Marinette said, scratching the back of her head. "Anyone would accept a dinner invitation if they knew my parents would be serving them."

Adrien moved closer, catching Marinette off guard. She held her breath as his emerald eyes stared into hers. "That's not the reason I accepted the invitation. I accepted it because I knew I could spend time with you," he said with a heart wrenching smile.

Marinette giggled awkwardly as her heart fluttered. "That's--wow. I don't know what to say."

Adrien winked at her and laughed. "I'll see you later." He began walking away swiftly and Marinette wondered if he had gotten her a gift. If he did, it gives her more of an incentive to get him a gift.

"Aww," Alya cooed from behind, startling Marinette.

"I forgot you were there," Marinette admitted, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

"You two are adorable. Kinda wishing I could go to the dinner just to see you and Adrien together..." Alya said.

"Please do," Marinette laughed. "It'll be majorly awkward and I'll need some comfort when I witness my parents embarrassing me in front of him."

Alya laughed. "Can't argue there. But I can't because I'm visiting relatives that live 2 hours away... Talk about convenient, right?"

Marinette nodded sadly. "Yeah."

Alya checked her watch and gasped. "Geez, girl! Your dinner is in an hour and we're talking?!"

Marinette shrieked and grabbed her head. "Ah! I kept forgetting! I need to find Adrien a gift!"

She started racing down the sidewalk with Alya on her tail. Marinette went from window to window, but couldn't find Adrien anything suitable. 45 minutes later, she was on the brink of giving up.

"Ugh," she groaned. "I need to get him something he won't ever forget."

Alya whistled and crossed her arms. "Give him a kiss..."

"Honestly, I'm starting to think that's my only option," Marinette mumbled hopelessly.

Alya looked over at her friend excitedly. Marinette gasped and shook her head. "Not yet I mean!"

Alya's face fell and she crossed her arms. "So close."

"We need to keep looking," Marinette proclaimed as her phone rang. She answered it as she began walking.

"Marinette," her mom said. "There's a blonde haired boy at the door. I believe he's your friend. Where are you?"

"W-What?!" Marinette shrieked, nearly breaking her phone. She checked the time, and the dinner started in 15 minutes. He arrived early!

"I'll be there soon!" Marinette exclaimed, and turned the phone off.

"What happened?" Alya asked frantically.

"Adrien is at my house early! I gotta go!" she replied, racing down the street.

"You'll never make it!" Tikki whispered up to her.

"Ladybug can," Marinette winked.

She took refuge behind a parked truck. She made sure no one was paying attention, and transformed.

Ladybug leaped into the air and began swinging through the air thanks to her yoyo. She spotted her house and leaped on the balcony. She climbed down to her room and detransformed. She quickly tucked Tikki into her purse and checked herself in the mirror.

"You can do this," Marinette told herself, patting down her jacket. She smiled and then headed downstairs.

She froze when she saw Adrien sitting at the table, conversing with her mom Sabine. He glanced up at her and smiled. "Hey," he greeted, walking over to Marinette.

"Hi," Marinette replied through a creepy grin.

"Sorry I came so early," Adrien apologized. "I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, i-it's alright," Marinette said, waving at the air. "No back off my skin," she gasped. "I-I mean skin off my back!"

Adrien chuckled. "Your mom was just telling me some interesting stories."

Marinette nervously glanced at her mother. "Really?" she asked in fake surprise. She desperately hoped those stories weren't embarrassing stories about her.

"Yeah. I never knew this bakery was around for so long," Adrien replied, glancing around curiously.

Marinette sighed with relief as her mom winked at her. Sabine didn't tell embarrassing childhood stories to her daughters' crush. Yet.

"Yeah. Even I didn't know until recently. Hehe," Marinette confessed with a lighthearted laugh. Adrien smiled at her.

Then, her father Tom came down the stairs. He stuck out a hand to Adrien. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Agreste," he greeted formally, while Adrien shook his hand. So far so good. Marinette didn't want her parents ruining this chance for her.

"Nice to meet you, sir," Adrien replied.

Tom leaned in close to his ear. Marinette's heart froze and she leaned in so she could hear. "Don't break my little girls heart. Okay?" he whispered to the fretful boy.

Adrien laughed nervously. "Understood, Mr. Dupain."

"Dad!" Marinette cried. "This is just a dinner. We aren't d-dating or anything!"

Tom laughed. "I know, honey. But I know how supermodel boys are. They go from one girl to the next."

"He isn't like that..." Marinette mumbled.

"I promise I won't hurt your daughter, sir," Adrien assured.

"See?" Marinette said, pointing at Adrien. "He's nice."

"Alright," Tom sighed, then kissed Marinette's forehead. He lightly punched Adrien on the shoulder. "I was just teasing you son... maybe."

Tom walked away and began preparing the meal. Adrien looked shocked. "Does he like me?" he asked Marinette seriously, his eyes wide.

"Yeah," Marinette said, wanting to face palm herself already. "He's just... iffy around boys. But he'll get used to you."

Sabine sat down at the table. "Why don't you two join us?" she asked.

"Of course, but may I use the bathroom first?" Adrien asked kindly.

"Upstairs on your left," Sabine replied with a gentle smile. Marinette sat down with her mother at the table and waited for Adrien to return.

Adrien headed up the stairs and located the bathroom. He shut the door and let Plagg out.

"Man, Plagg. I'm so nervous," Adrien admitted.

"Whaaa? Why?" Plagg asked.

"I don't want to make Marinette's father hate me."

"You know what they say... just be yourself," Plagg yawned.

Adrien narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Uhh.. on second thought, scratch that. They'd hate Chat even more..." Plagg replied. He then lazily rested his head in Adrien's hand. "Who cares about this stuff anyway? I say we go home and eat some cheese!"

"Well too bad. We're here for Marinette, so make yourself comfy."

"Whatever," Plagg mumbled. "But you better snatch me some cheese!"

"Fine," Adrien replied with a grin. He tucked Plagg in his shirt and then exited the bathroom. Downstairs, Marinette and her family waited eagerly.

"Come, take a seat," Tom said, patting on a chair.

Adrien went over and took a seat beside Marinette. She smiled at him, unable to tear her eyes away from his gorgeousness. But it ultimately was when her mom began talking.

"So, how long have you been a model, Adrien?" Sabine asked.

"Almost my entire life. My father was at the peak of his succession when I was born and he kinda convinced me to start modeling when I was old enough," Adrien replied.

"Interesting," Tom nodded. He glanced over at Marinette and smiled. "My girl acted like she was a model when she was little. Always striking poses in the doorway and insisting on us taking pictures."

Marinette blushed from embarrassment and buried her head in her arms. Her dad was already ruining the meal. Adrien chuckled awkwardly.

"She always knew how to put on a show, that's for sure," Sabine added. "Then she fell in love with fashion."

"Yeah, Marinette is really talented. I've seen her designs," Adrien replied.

Marinette lifted her head proudly at the compliment. Adrien glanced at her with his seducing green eyes and smiled. Maybe the dinner wouldn't be so bad after all?

"Now, who's ready to eat?" Tom beamed proudly, getting up from his chair to retrieve the food.

Everyone nodded happily, and the feast commenced.

*

Eventually, the festivities ended and Adrien had to leave. It turned out that the dinner wasn't so bad after all. He got on Tom's good side throughout the little discussions they had. He seemed to enjoy the dinner which made Marinette feel happy. She guessed that Adrien didn't have very many family dinners, so seeing him that cheerful really brightened Marinette's heart.

Plus, Adrien learned a lot of things about Marinette. Such as her favorite color, animal, food, etc. He barely talked to her in class so the dinner was a beneficial thing for the both of them.

"I'm going to walk Adrien out," Marinette mentioned to her parents as the both of them put on their jackets and boots. Deciding to walk Adrien out was a big step for Marinette, so she couldn't believe it.

"Alright honey," Tom chimed happily. "Bring him over again sometimes!"

Marinette laughed. "Will do."

She opened up the door and the frosty air blew in the face. Adrien followed her outside where his limo was waiting for him. He looked at Marinette and smiled.

"Thank you for tonight, I really enjoyed it," he said.

"Thank you for showing up," Marinette happily replied. Then, she remembered she hadn't gotten him a gift. Now would've been the perfect time to give him one. She debated Alya's option... giving him a kiss... But it was too risky.

"Mr. Agreste!" his limo driver called.

"Sorry, I better go. I'll see you later. Merry Christmas," he told her kindly.

Marinette smiled as he walked away from her.

She bit her lip and watched his figure get farther and farther away. Then, she did something crazy. She ran up to Adrien and turned him around. In one swift movement, she grabbed his warm face and pressed her lips against his.

Adrien's eyes widened in shock and his face turned a shade of red, but then he let himself fall deep into the kiss. They stood like that forever.

Marinette finally let go, her heart racing with adrenaline. It didn't take long for her to realize that she had just kissed Adrien Agreste... Her long time crush. Oh, how proud Alya would be.

"Merry Christmas," Marinette replied to him with a smile.

Adrien, noticeably surprised and red as a tomato, exited into the cab and slowly waved to Marinette as the limo drove off down the snow covered street. She didn't shriek or anything when he left, which was something she was surprised of as well. She made a trivial discovery the moment after her lips made contact with his.

She had kissed those lips before.

THE END

*

Hey guys! So I hope you all enjoyed my little ML Christmas special! It was really fun to make! Yay for Adrienette! :D

-ladynoirshipper