'A- I'm on my way, be there in fifteen'

'M- Okay! Did you eat breakfast?'

'A- oh no I forgot to haha'

'M- I'll have something waiting for you, so just come on in and up to the kitchen when you get here'

'A- you don't have to! I'll be fine'

'M- you know I'm gonna'

'A- okay fine, be there soon'

Adrien was very awake, already having showered and gotten dressed. He ran to where his coat sat waiting for him, slipping it on quickly as he started to get Plagg ready as well.

"You're all set up dude," Adrien said aloud to the grumpy black cat floating nearby. "Look! Loads of cheese for you in the bag, it will last you for a while if you pace yourself."

"It better be good stuff, nice stuff, I'm going to be stuck in your sweaty gym bag for hours and hours while you goof off."

"Come on Plagg please, it won't be that bad I'll find some excuse to let you out at some point okay, don't fight me on this." Adrien wasn't quite begging, but he wanted to get going and be there already, Plagg scowling uncooperatively.

"The bag is lousy with cheese Plagg and its warm and your mitten is in there and it smells like cheese now nothing else."

"The nose knows Adrien," he groaned, but much to his charge's relief he floated sourly towards the bag, settling in to his cozy side pocket to hide until Adrien took out the console later on and gave him free reign of the space.

"Thank you Plagg I'll make it up to you," he called into the duffel bag, zipping it up and lifting it gently before practically sprinting out the door. It was about 9:20 when he made it out of the house, looking up in surprise at how heavily it was snowing, before laughing it off and barreling down the street. It was terribly cold outside but he was plenty warm, his coat, earmuffs and scarf helping him out as he rushed across Paris. He knew he would get there faster if he just took the car but he liked the journey there, getting more and more excited as he left deep impressions in the snow. The chill burned his lungs but he liked it, relishing in the exercise since he hadn't had much of it once the weather turned cold. He couldn't wait, he knew Mari would be a good sport about it even if games weren't her thing but he was sure she would like it. He was going to walk her through everything, be her companion character.

He laughed out loud at the weird comparison, aligning himself with guide/support characters like Navi and the King of Red Lions. In his head he imagined Marinette dressed as Link, holding a map and looking confused while he stood nearby helping her out, themed like a black cat assist guide or something.

His attention was forced to refocus as his feet slid sharply on ice, his body naturally twisting to regain balance as he let out a panicked yelp. He managed to right himself, stumbling back into a run and letting out a heavy sigh tinged at the end with laughter as he kept his pace. If he didn't pay attention he was going to wipe out. Luckily though he was almost there, just a few more streets to go.

-

Marinette was giggling uncontrollably in the kitchen, totally overwhelmed in her over active daydreams as she darted around. Her mother was standing beside her at the stove, helping her daughter prepare breakfast for her friend but watching her all the while, smiling at how giddy she was.

Marinette was lost in the idea of cooking for Adrien, indulging in a happy fantasy of making his meals as he darted home to her through the snow, sliding in with a "Honey, I'm home!" and grabbing her for a kiss. Mind you the image was a little silly, considering well... everything, but she couldn't help it. A whole day with Adrien, just relaxing while he taught her about something he loved. Maybe they could have hot chocolate!! And cookies and go out for lunch when they wanted to take a break and walk through the snow and hold hands and- oh god she was over the moon. Friends, she scolded herself, trying to calm her frantic heart. Friends first, don't be weird, don't make it weird you are doing so well don't make it weird. Friends.

She could do friends, because so far it was one of the greatest things in the world.

She felt her phone go off in her pocket, breaking away from her preparations to check it and seeing it was from Alya.

'Alya- Is he there yet?!'

Marinette giggled again, knowing her friend was almost as excited as she was. Ever since she had found the time to fill her in after Adrien left for his shoot she had been bombarding her with texts, demanding updates.

'M- Not yet, he's on his way. Alya I'm making him BREAKFAST'

The response was instantaneous.

'Alya- Oh. My. GOD. GIRL THAT IS SO DOMESTIC THAT'S THE CUTEST THING EVER'

Then an immediate follow up.

'Alya- Nino got a selfie and I am damn outraged I didn't get one, if I don't get some cute ass photo of you two sitting by a tree or something I'm going to lose my mind'

Marinette snickered, catching her mom's attention again as she typed out a reply.

'M- I'll see what I can do, I've got to go wish me luck!'

'A- Good luck girl!!!'

Marinette quickly tucked her phone, throwing herself back in and announcing, "I'm going to get some croissants from dad!"

Sabine smiled, almost finished with the omelets. "That's a good idea, get some fresh ones for the both of you."

"Right!"

She sprinted away, leaving her mother to smile at the empty air. It was so wonderful, she couldn't imagine a nicer boy. So polite and handsome, he had obviously caught her daughter's eye. Not to mention what potential there was, she could see it all. Her Marinette was sweet and genuine, and she could see from just saying hello to him that those were things he needed, things his life lacked. She had her suspicions that something was wrong with his home, and she had discovered it was the truth from Marinette when she told her that she had bought an ornament for him. You could see it for a moment, flashing through his eyes at the strangest of times. Something sad and longing, or distant and unsure when he would see something simple. Like Tom hugging their daughter, or when she made him something to eat, like he wasn't used to seeing... family.

She focused again on the food, finding a simple dish of eggs suddenly that much more important. Her daughter would be a good friend for such a lonely boy, maybe he wouldn't feel so alone when he stepped through her door again. She very much hoped so.

Just when Marinette had made it back upstairs she heard the door downstairs chime and her father greet someone excitedly. She rushed to grab the plates, holding them out for her mother to slide the omelets from the pan so she could place them on the table. She was setting the baked goods on the plate, her heart pounding and her giggles barely withheld in her throat when up the stairs came the gorgeous smiling boy, snow in his hair.

"H-hey Adrien!" Mari greeted him, bouncing a little in place when he beamed at her.

"Hey Mari!"

His breathing sounded a little heavier than normal but she chalked it up to the cold, her mother speaking up.

"Hello sweetheart, Marinette just finished making you some food! Feel free to set up in the living room, I promise Tom and I won't bother you too much."

"You could never be a bother mam'," Adrien answered quickly, grinning while the mother laughed.

"Such a charming young man. If you have want for anything let me know okay?" She stunned him by hugging him as she passed, stretching up to pat his hair and dust off some of the snow as she passed him.

He stood still for a moment, the friendliness paralyzing him before finally moving again with a happy laugh.

"Wow this looks really nice," he said, looking at the food for the first time, then looking at her sheepishly. "You really didn't have to go through the trouble."

"I wanted to! I-it's no bother, really." She was smiling at him like a fool, just so glad that he was there again, before remembering herself and saying, "Uh want something to drink?"

"Water would be fine, thanks for this it's really cool. And it looks great!"

Once they had their drinks they settled down to eat, Adrien remarking on the quality and making her blush shyly with the praise, claiming the credit belonged to her mother but he found a way to thank her anyways.

Marinette's eyes drifted over towards their sitting area with the TV, blankets and pillows and such in extra supply around so they could be comfortable. She was eager to start, mostly to see how excited Adrien would get, and she knew just how to get him going.

"Okay, so Windwaker. What do I need to know going in?"

His eyes widened a little, his fork halfway to his mouth before he gave her an adorable grin. He shoved the last of his food quickly between his teeth, swallowing and throwing his hands out in wide excited gestures.

"Okay!! So there's a hero, cloaked in green and savior of the ages, his name is Link. Well-" he paused, suddenly deep in thought, before shaking his slightly damp blonde hair. "Okay well lore will sorta be explained in the intro, uh, how many games have you played before?"

Marinette was slow to reply, pulling into herself a little with a shy smile. "Not a lot really. Never any, like, fighting games."

His mouth dropped open, before snapping shut back into an excited grin. "Okay so starting from the ground up. We should just start, it will be easier to break down controls and stuff if you're playing it. You're going to really like it I know you are, are we going to be in the living room?"

She laughed a little at his enthusiasm, nodding and pointing at the TV. "Yeah, you can start putting it together if you want while I clean up."

The only thing powerful enough to stop the intensity of his nerdness was his need to be polite, stammering out, "Oh wait did you want help? I can help clean if you'd like you already made food I can-"

"Its fine Adrien," she cut him off, "you set up. I want to see it!"

He smiled at her again, saying excitedly, "You're gonna like it! I'll get it going!"

He darted off, taking his bag and setting it down by the TV. She watched him for a little, soaking in his eager joy before giggling to herself, turning around to get the plates away as quickly as possible. He was talking to her all the while, connecting wires and pulling out a controller, giving her vague hints about stuff that could happen to get her more excited. She hesitated, then cleaned the pan, not wanting to cause her mother trouble since she had been so helpful, and started putting everything away. Since it took her the extra few minutes, she looked up when she heard a triumphant "Yeah!!' and the start of exciting adventurous music coming from her TV. You could see the logo for the game displayed prominently on the screen, a red boat with an elaborate figure head swaying in an invisible current while gorgeous stylized islands flashed behind it. Adrien caught her eye, holding his arms wide and presenting the game like it was made of gold.

"Ready to be a hero of wind? Cause I am."

"Let's do it!"

Marinette rushed over, plopping down right in front of the TV and making grabby hands for the controller, which he happily relinquished. He too ignored the couch completely, sitting incredibly close by Marinette's side and quickly going over the buttons. 'I'm sitting this close so I can help her easily,' he rationalized weakly in his mind, choosing to ignore it and lean forward excitedly.

Marinette grinned at him before dramatically pressing the start button, the two of them cheering lamely when the screen faded into the menu and laughing at each other.

Adrien hovered, teaching her how to navigate the menu and pleased with how quickly she understood things, it was mostly all intuitive anyways. When she got to the part where she was meant to name the character she titled her head.

"I thought his name was Link?"

"Well it is, like in canon that's his name but when you play you can name him whatever you want."

"What do you name him?"

"Link," he laughed, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at her. "Nothing else ever seemed right."

"Link it is!"

She entered the name, and something warm and great settled in his heart. She wasn't shying away from him. He could tell she noticed his proximity, he had as well they were both aware of it, but they still didn't move. He could count the number of times she had stuttered since he arrived on one hand, and she was just as pumped to play the game as he was.

He had only just sat down, and he honestly never wanted to move again.

Marinette was an incredibly quick learner, and just the hilarious moments where she tried to master using the camera and moving at the same time was enough to floor him with laughter. He had removed his coat and earmuffs, keeping the light blue scarf that Marinette seemed to like and was leaning over her as she tried again.

"Look, like this! See? You're a seamstress! Doing a bunch of stuff at the same time will be like second nature to you."

His hands were on hers, he realized, the two of them holding the controller as he informed the way she used it. Her fingers were a little cold, and he realized his own were incredibly warm, heating hers a little the longer he stalled. He looked at their hands for a moment before blushing fiercely, about to pull away when she said, "L-like this?"

The camera jerked sharply, and he hesitated to take his hands away, instead continuing to show her. "More like this."

He could see how warm her face was, but he could also see the slight smile. Her fingers were warmer now, and with a small surge of humor he realized she was doing it on purpose.

He chuckled without really meaning too, prolonging the contact without really intending it, smirking in a way he hadn't expected. He didn't mind that she had tricked him, which surprised him. Shouldn't he mind?

No. He was teaching her how to play, there's nothing wrong with that.

After a little he did pull back, though they shared weight between their shoulders now in a comfortable way. Her camera control improved remarkably after that (suspicious suspicious) and she took to exploring the intro island with ease.

Once his nerves from the accidental hand holding had finally faded he found himself laughing constantly, always entertained by the way she decided to play.

"What about HERE!" she exclaimed, driving the character to dive through a row of pots and searching for a hole to crawl through. She was so paranoid of missing something good after Adrien had shown her the secret hundred rupee under the house.

She spent almost twenty minutes chasing pigs and making him wheeze with laughter, another ten staring at seagulls, another five splashing through the water. She was so intense about saving people, getting her weapon and charging fearlessly at the enemies with adorable battle cries. He was so wrapped up in it, not the game really, but her. The way she grinned devilishly as she did a jump strike, the way she giggled when at one point she decided she wanted to travel exclusively via backflips for a while, the way she gasped in horror when her virtual little sister was kidnapped. She stared at him with utter betrayal in his eyes because he SAID nothing bad happened to the sister he SAID. He had lied, obviously, and it took him getting up for a snack run to make her forgive him.

"I can't believe you would do that to my little sister Adrien," Marinette pouted while he was grabbing some chips and soda.

"I didn't kidnap her! It was Ganon! It's not my fault, but I'll help you get her back."

"You better, she was so cute and nice up until she was literally snatched from a cliff by a giant bird."

He laughed, returning to the living room and placing their stash in front of them, backtracking before sitting to grab a large fluffy comforter from the couch as well as a mountain of pillows.

"Nice! Yeah set them up here," Marinette gestured behind her without looking away from the screen, engrossed in the dialogue with her in-game grandmother just before leaving the island.

"Isn't the grandma super guilt trippy?" he said, setting up the pillows so Marinette could lean backwards and then lounging beside her again.

"I know! Like, seriously grandma my little sister might be bird food, I have to go."

Adrien laughed again along with Marinette, throwing the comforter over the two of them and pulling the snacks into the little cave beneath the blanket, setting in on their legs.

Occasionally to make her laugh Adrien would disappear beneath the blanket, sinking down to steal some of her food while she was caught up fighting some moblins or something. She would squeal and giggle, trying to push him away with her leg to save her pretzels but there was no stopping him, and he would pop up again with the bag grinning at her triumphantly.

When she arrived at a place called the forbidden fortress the two of them got very quiet, glued to the screen as Marinette guided their hero through the enemy infested rooms, totally weaponless and trying to find the prison cell the little sister was being kept in. They would both jump whenever they were almost spotted, Adrien back seat gaming whenever she would try and sneak past a gurad.

"You're too close he's gonna see you!"

"No he's not I've got this sh!"

"You're gonna get caught," he would tease, just waiting for the guard to whirl around and catch her, but with a quick roll and a dash for the door she would clear the room and he would cheer along with her.

"I told you I had it!"

"You did I'm sorry, I shouldn't have thought what happened the past three rooms in a row would happen again."

"Oh sh! I did it didn't I?"

He chuckled, sinking into their little fort of blankets and enjoying himself. He would pipe up to give her hints, tell her interesting facts about the game and how it was made, tell her things about the lore, or even just to distract her during a particularly stressful combat portion. She was so cute while she played, the controller clutched close to her chest, leaning whatever direction it was she wanted the character to dodge, and letting out a little "Hiyah!" whenever she would attack. He couldn't help it after a while, he was eventually just as goofy about it as she was. They gave voices to the characters and had long running jokes that made them double over wheezing anytime they brought it up. At one point Marinette earned the nickname Pearhead because of her obsessive use of the pear item in the game that let you fly around as a seagull.

They had been laughing till they had tears in their eyes at some terrible joke they had made when they heard someone come upstairs, greeting them as they walked in.

Tom was grinning at what he found, delighted to see that the kids were having fun. Adrien and Marinette were side by side, wrapped up in a big blanket with snacks scattered around, looking absolutely adorable. With the huge Christmas tree in the corner, lights twinkling in the window, and the snow falling outside it looked like a typical holiday commercial about Christmas morning.

Adrien looked a little caught out, not sure how to react now that someone else was there, so Tom was quick to jump in.

"This looks fun! Are you two enjoying yourselves?"