Miraculous Christmas in July 2020

Day 2 - Mistletoe

Marinette rang the doorbell, her teeth still chattering from the cold as she admired the decorative wreath on the door. She pressed her hands to the bottom of the plate she was holding, trying to take advantage of the residual warmth from the cookies.

Alya pulled open the door excitedly, grinning and dressed in red and green.

"I'm so glad you could make it, M!" she gushed, pulling her friend in for a tight hug and almost knocking the cookies to the floor. Marinette laughed happily, thankful for the warmth.

"Me too," she smiled, the two friends kissing each other's cheeks. Alya invited her in, taking the cookies from her as she shedded her layers and slipped off her wet shoes at the door.

The rest of the class was already inside, but Marinette didn't mind being the last one to arrive. She watched as everyone smiled brightly, chatting and playing games and just having a good time. It warmed Marinette's heart.

But when her eyes landed on Adrien, her heart stuttered and struggled to beat again. He had promised that he wouldn't miss the party for the world, but everyone knew how unpredictable his father could be.

So seeing him there, wearing a pine green button up and laughing with Nino, Marinette swore it was the happiest she'd ever felt.

"Hey," Alya whispered loudly to her, grabbing her attention again as she pulled her scarf from her neck and hung it up.

"What?" Marinette whispered back, walking down the short entry hallway towards her friend. Alya pointed upwards, and Marinette tilted her head to look, seeing a cluster of mistletoe hanging at the line that divided the hall and the kitchen. Marinette looked back at Alya, her eyes wide.

"Why'd you put that there?" she asked, her stomach clenching. Alya laughed, pushing her friend's shoulder playfully.

"Because this is your first Christmas as Adrien's girlfriend! You two have to kiss under it," she said excitedly, and Marinette couldn't help the butterflies she felt. She pressed her lips together, watching her boyfriend finally look over and see her.

Seeing his eyes light up at the sight of her was one of her favorite things. To know that he enjoyed her presence, and to see it genuinely displayed on his face, was something she would never take for granted.

Alya touched her arm, winking at her before gently nudging her in the direction of the blonde that was rushing over. Marinette blushed, glancing one last time at the brunette and remembering her words before turning to meet Adrien.

He enveloped her in a big hug, her feet leaving the ground for a second as he scooped her up. She squeaked happily, feeling like she could float if she wanted to. She hugged him back, breathing in his familiar scent and knowing that she was going to thoroughly enjoy the party.

"I'm glad you made it safely," he smiled as he pulled back from their embrace. She smiled back, admiring the way he'd pinned back some of his hair. It had been growing longer and longer, and she couldn't deny that it suited him. She smoothed out a wrinkle in his shirt, gazing up at him.

"I'm happy you were able to come," she said, her cheeks beginning to tingle from smiling so widely. The look he was giving her was warm enough to make her forget all about the chilly wind outside, and it made her feel fuzzy.

"You look really pretty," he told her, tilting his head a little and pulling away to get a better look at her outfit. She shrugged and smiled, not wanting to tell him that she'd spent way too long thinking about what she would wear. He knew her well enough that he would probably guess as much anyway.

"Thank you," she replied. His eyes wandered to her lips, and she blushed in response, drawing his eyes back to her own.

"Sorry, I just--" he started, laughing a little. "I like your lip gloss." She pressed her lips together subconsciously, smiling. His comment brought her mind back to the mistletoe, but she had no idea how she would bring it up casually.