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“Oh my gosh! I’m super late.” Marinette exclaimed as she rushed around her apartment, fluffing pillows on the couch, straightening up the refreshments on the kitchen island, and checking each stocking (eight to be exact, even though her parents wouldn’t be attending tonight) to make sure the designated presents were in their place.
“Calm down, Marinette.” Tikki said as she floated above her, licking at the end of a candy cane. “Your party is gonna be great!”
“Thanks Tikki, but it’s my first time hosting and I want everything to be perfect! If it’s not perfect then no one will want to come and visit me after this.”
Tikki shook her head. “That’s not true, Marinette. They love you! Of course they’ll come visit you if you ask them to!”
“I’m not sure about that, Tikki, so I have to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect .” Glancing at the coffee table that held multiple games and icebreakers, Marinette gasped. “Oh no! I forgot the coasters!” Then she was hurrying out of the room.
“Oh, Marinette.” Tikki sighed after her chosen before a thoughtful expression came to her face, quickly turning into a smirk. “I think I know just the right thing to make sure Marinette has a good time.”
Then she zoomed out of the room.
Ding Dong!
Marinette squeaked as the ringing sound echoed throughout the apartment.
Her first guest was here!
Tugging at the cute Santa dress she was wearing, Marinette glimpsed the clock as she rushed to the door and immediately knew who it was.
Opening the door, she smiled. “Fifteen minutes early, as always.”
Kagami gave her a small smile. “You should never aim to be on time, but early.”
Marinette grinned before her eyes dropped and widened. “You look amazing!”
Her dress was a mix of reds and blacks that Marinette wanted to reach out and touch because the fabric looked so smooth and sleek.
Cheeks darkening, Kagami swept her hair behind her ear with the hand that wasn’t holding a present wrapped in pink. “I could say the same for you. If Santa looks even half as good as you, it’s no wonder why everyone gets excited for him.”
Marinette’s own cheeks pinked. “Thank you. Please come in.” She moved to allow Kagami inside, but the other woman put a hand on her shoulder.
“Hold on.”
Confused, Marinette paused and turned around only to be pulled into a kiss by her friend. Confusion swiftly morphed into surprise and then joy as Marinette felt her heartbeat quicken.
Kagami was kissing her.
Kagami, one of the ladies of her dreams, was kissing her!!!
…
Why was Kagami kissing her?
The question swirled in her mind, but even as Kagami pulled away and offered her another smile, Marinette was speechless. “Um-”
“It’s tradition, isn’t it?” Kagami asked.
Marinette’s eyebrows lifted, as she couldn’t think of what tradition Kagami could be talking about, but, instead of asking, Marinette nodded. She knew Kagami wasn’t usually the type to celebrate tradition so if this was one she did want to celebrate, then who was she to question it? “R-Right! Tradition! Come on in!”
Kagami’s eyes scanned the brightly decorated apartment. “You did a magnificent job.”
“Th-Thanks. I wanted to make sure everyone would love it.”
Kagami nodded as she knelt to leave a present under the bright tree. “They will, I’m positive.”
Ding Dong!
Someone else was here!
Excusing herself from the talk with Kagami, Marinette moved to the door.
“Marinette!” Alya and Nino, dressed in a candy cane dress and suit respectively, cheered as they wrapped her in a hug. Before pulling away, both pressed kisses to her cheek.
“Hey you guys.” Marinette smiled. “Welcome!”
“Banging decorations!” Nino complimented as they stepped into the apartment.
“Thanks, Nino.”
“No really, Mari! This looks amazing.” Alya said and, before stepping on the threshold, gave Marinette another lingering kiss, this one on the lips.
Marinette blinked a few times and then Alya was pulling away. “Als?”
“It’s tradition.” Her best friend winked before brushing past her.
“Oh right! How could I forget? Come here, Dudette!”
Marinette was spinning on her feet and into Nino’s arms as the DJ pressed a quick kiss to her lips before tipping his hat. “Thanks for inviting us over!”
Marinette found herself nodding and licking her lips. Wow. Was it Nino or Alya wearing the flavored chapstick? Shaking her head, she responded. “No problem.”
“Woah! This hot chocolate is freaking amazing!” Alya shouted from the kitchen area. “What did you put in it?”
“It’s a top secret family recipe, Alya!” Marinette called and closed the door.
“C’mon girl! We’re closer than sisters!”
“If I tell you, then I’d have to kill you!” She sang, but made her way to the kitchen anyway.
Ding Dong!
Leaving Alya in the kitchen with a fresh cup of hot chocolate, Marinette made her way to the door.
Zoe, in a beautiful snow white knitted dress, stood at the door with a present in her hand and a hesitant smile on her face. “Hey, Marinette.”
Smiling, Marinette pulled Zoe into a hug. “Hey Zoe, I’m so glad you could make it!”
“Me too.” She said, eyes glancing to the side before she took a deep breath.
Marinette became a little worried when she repeated the movement twice more. She was just about to turn around to see what was causing Zoe so much stress when the blonde stepped closer to her, put a hand on her shoulder, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
Marinette gasped quietly and felt her friend sigh against her lips before pulling away.
Zoe’s smile was much more confident when Marinette opened her eyes. “For tradition!” Then she was running into the apartment and hugging Alya.
Marinette was confused but decided that she could live without knowing why her friends kept kissing her… and why she liked it so much.
Ding Dong!
Marinette felt a rush of excitement as the last of her guests arrived.
Opening the door, Marinette couldn’t help but “aw” as she spotted Adrien, dressed up as Rudolph with antlers and a red nose, and Luka, dressed as a very suave elf, locking lips on her doorstep. “You two are adorable.”
Pulling away, Luka smiled at her. “We’re just following the new tradition.”
Marinette’s brain buzzed. Tradition? What tradition are they talking about? Every single one of her guests had mentioned it and she couldn’t, for the life of her, understand why!
“Speaking of which…”
Before she could respond, Marinette found herself swept into Adrien’s arms and dipped towards the ground in a kiss full of joy, love, and passion. Marinette’s head spun and her heart raced as Adrien kissed her like he meant it: tongue swiping across her lips, nose bumping into hers, and fingers tickling the skin of her back. When he finally swung her back up, Marinette was breathless.
Seeing her flushed face, Adrien winked. “I like your new tradition, Milady.”
Marinette’s brow furrowed. “My tr-?”
Then she was swept into Luka’s gentle arms. “You look amazing in that dress. May I?”
Marinette laughed softly. “Do your worst.”
Then Luka’s lips were pressed against hers and Marinette melted . Everything inside of her turned to mush and the only things keeping her upright were the tight circle of his arms. She could barely hear his soft chuckle over the sound of the blood rushing to her ears as the tip of his tongue gently caressed hers for the barest of seconds before pulling back.
Marinette was dizzy as he slowly released her, arms out to make sure she wasn’t going to fall over.
Luka opened his mouth and Marinette spoke first. “Let me guess: tradition.”
Luka smiled. “Exactly.”
Nodding and licking her lips, Marinette waved them inside.
Left alone on her doorstep, Marinette allowed the cool breeze to calm her down and bring fresh thoughts to her head. She was extremely curious as to why all of the guests at her party had kissed her!
Had it been a preplanned prank?
A last minute gag between all of her friends?
Marinette wasn’t too sure, but she honestly didn’t mind. Every single one of her friends were amazing and conventionally attractive, and she’d- at one point in time or another- had a crush on every single one of them.
How could she not?
Kagami was beautiful and stoic.
Alya was smart and loyal.
Nino was funny and brave.
Zoe was talented and shy.
Adrien was flawless and kind.
And Luka was understanding and empathetic.
They were all wonderful in a plethora of different ways and Marinette honestly couldn’t be blamed for liking any of them and enjoying the surprise kisses they had given to her.
At peace with the randomness, Marinette spun on her heel to go back into her apartment when a red and black sign above the door - that she had not hung - caught her attention.
Stepping closer, Marinette’s jaw dropped upon reading it.
Kiss me! It’s my new tradition!
-Marinette
What???
How???
WHO???
All of her questions were answered as a quiet giggled met her ears and Marinette looked up and saw a flash of red and black phase through the front door.
That sneaky little kwami!
Throwing open said front door, Marinette shouted, “TIKKI!”
The kwami was still in stitches as Marinette left her in the bedroom, but Marinette didn’t care.
Tikki had set her up!
“I know how lonely you’ve been and how you wanted this night to go well, so I decided to help!”
“How did posting that sign help?”
“Are you still lonely?”
Marinette paused. “No.”
“And is the night going well?”
“Well, yeah, but-”
“And did you enjoy the kisses?”
“...”
“Hmm?”
Sighing in defeat, she nodded. “Yes.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Much to Tikki’s smug delight, there was no problem.
Marinette could admit that now since the smile on her face felt permanent as she joined her friends to continue the games, drinking, and merriment. Especially as her friends continued showering her with love and affection - such as kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and lips and hugs, snuggles, winks, pulling her into their laps for quick cuddles, and so much more.
It was so overwhelming that Marinette could hardly stand it!
But she loved it with all of her heart.
She loved the attention, the affection, the all encompassing love that filled her from her head to her toes. It honestly assured her that - regardless of how well the party went - her friends would always be around and that’s all she really wanted… other than to repay their kindness.
And Marinette had the perfect way to do so.
When the end of the night rolled around, Marinette stood in front of the party goers with all eyes on her. “Time for presents!”
Cheers went up and her friends stood but Marinette quickly motioned for them to stay seated. “I’ll start!”
Unhooking Kagami’s stocking from the mantel, Marinette boldly walked over to her, leaned over, and pressed their lips together. Kagami’s soft inhale told her she had surprised her friend and Marinette couldn’t help but smile into the kiss as Kagami responded. When she pulled back, Kagami had a rare, bright smile on her face. It warmed Marinette from the inside out. “Merry Christmas, Gami.”
Alya and Nino were next. Handing the stockings to her best friend and her boyfriend, Marinette left sweet kisses on their lips. When she retreated, Alya blew her a kiss and Nino winked. “Merry Christmas, Als and Nino.”
Zoe’s eyes were already lit up before Marinette even approached her and Marinette fought a giggle as the blonde’s hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her into a searching kiss that left both of them breathless and Zoe dazed. “Merry Christmas, Zo.”
“Thank you.” Zoe replied.
Already up on what was happening, Adrien playfully pulled Marinette into his lap when she brought his stocking over. “I’m ready for my close up, Bugaboo.”
Rolling her eyes, Marinette stroked his cheek and smiled when they darkened. “Merry Christmas, Kitty.” Then their mouths slanted together and, before long, she was pushing away and standing again.
Grabbing the last stocking of the night, Marinette held it out towards Luka. Luka’s fingers danced over her pulse as he stood and pulled her into his body. Pushing to her toes, Marinette brushed their lips together once, twice, three times until he sighed against her. “Merry Christmas, Luka.”
Moving to the center of the room, Marinette smiled at all of her favorite people. “I love you all.”
“And we love you!” Alya exclaimed before grinning at everyone else. “Let’s show her how much! Group hug!!!”
And then Marinette was surrounded by her friends and their arms and she swore she had never felt so loved. It was perfect.
Honestly everything about the night had been amazingly perfect.
One week later
Marinette was cleaning up after her New Year’s Party when…
Ding Dong!
Marinette felt her heart in her throat and the anticipation of lips pressed against hers as she walked towards the door. Pulling it open, disappointment filled her at the sight of her totally welcomed parents who she was more than thrilled to see.
“Come in!”
As her parents settled in her kitchen, Marinette cursed the fact that every time she heard her doorbell ring, she now expected a kiss. It was definitely a problem. One she’d get Tikki back for!
“Hey sweetheart.” Marinette turned to her approaching parents and smiled at the way their faces were lit up and how a sweet aroma was filling the apartment.
She loved when her family came to visit. “Yes Papa?”
Sabine smiled as she grabbed her daughter’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’m so proud of you for making this place your home. Even though we knew you were nervous and afraid to be out on your own, you’re embracing it.”
Tom nodded happily even as confusion filled Marinette’s face. “Just look at you: making your own traditions in your own house! We're so happy to celebrate and honor them with you!” Then her parents leaned in and placed heart warming kisses on Marinette’s cheek and understanding dawned on her.
After hugging and thanking them, Marinette quietly and quickly stepped out to remove the sign.
It was good while it lasted! But now no more sign, no more tradition (outside of the few who already knew), no more kisses, but still all the joy and happiness in the world.
Marinette hung the sign above her mantel and smiled to herself. Of course she would get Tikki back for her silly but thoughtful prank, but Marinette would also have to thank her favorite kwami as well.