49. Chapter 49

Epilogue

Ladybug ran after a pair of bank robbers when one of the black-masked criminals turned and pointed a pistol at her. The crack of gunshots reverberated in the alley, making her ears ring.

In a blink, Chat appeared in front of her, his staff a blur as he deflected the bullets. "Sorry I'm late," he yelled over the din.

Her mouth fell open at his sudden appearance. Last she checked, he was halfway across the city stopping a mugging. He was either getting faster or had found a potion in the spellbook to clone himself. With the way he'd been going, she was inclined to believe the latter.

Grabbing her yo-yo, she threw it low, under Chat's spinning weapon, and hooked onto both of the criminals' ankles, then gave it a good yank. The pair crashed to the floor in what had to have made a thud, but her poor eardrums still rang. She hated guns.

Chat used the phone in his staff to contact the police as she walked to the men trying to free themselves. One snarled at her. The other shook in fear. She merely snatched the bags of money from their grasps and turned to Chat. "We're still on for tonight, right?"

He nodded. "I'll see you in an hour."

Knowing him, he would squeeze in a fire rescue, three crosswalk assists, one tire change, and two more criminal apprehensions within that hour.

Part of her wanted to shake her head because it had been three months since the funeral and he had shown no sign of slowing down his need to redeem himself. Instead, he just looked for more forms of punishment. One of which she was not particularly fond of. She pursed her lips as dismay filled her.

oOoOo

Marinette curled into Adrien's side on the couch as they watched a movie. It was one of their rare night's off, no studying, no business talk, no superhero work. It was just warmth, cuddles, and yummy takeout food.

Containers littered the coffee table and the movie was nearing the end, though she hadn't really paid attention to the plot. His dizzying scent filled her nose and his body against hers was simply too distracting.

She slipped a hand under his shirt and ran a finger over the dips and curves of the muscles in his stomach. His breathing stilled for a moment, but then returned to normal. She rubbed her leg against his just enough to get his attention. Again, the rhythm of his breath momentarily changed.

Gritting her teeth, she sat up and his arm slid off her back. The frustrating man had fallen asleep, head resting back on the cushion, completely dead to the world.

Silently getting to her feet, she turned off the tv, then draped a blanket over him before heading to her room with her lips pressed in a thin line.

oOoOo

Upon seeing Adrien still asleep on the couch in the morning, she purposefully clomped down the stairs.

He stirred and stretched his long limbs. The blanket fell off him to the floor and his shirt rode up to expose those smooth lines of muscles she'd been touching last night. An ache low in her belly stirred, but, as usual, she did her best to ignore it.

His eyes fully opened and he looked around him in confusion before his gaze landed on her. He smiled and the ache worsened. "Did I fall asleep during the movie?"

She nodded.

Walking to her, he pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

She sighed into his touch and softened. "You shouldn't work yourself so hard. Paris has already forgiven you."

Ignoring her comment, he leaned back and looked at her work clothes. "Are you going in today?"

She wanted to shake some sense into him. "Don't think I didn't notice you changed the subject, but, yeah, I have a meeting with Matisse and several clients."

"Oh." His look of dejection made her heart flutter.

She gripped his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. Her body erupted into tingles that made her want to climb into his arms and coax some kind of response from him. The yearning was growing unbearable. Every day at the most random times, she'd think of how his hands and mouth had been on her during that one and only night they'd been intimate. Any moment, she was going to explode in a ball of hormone-fueled fire.

He broke the kiss and they panted against each other's lips for a long moment. "You better get going," he finally said.

"I can tell Matisse to start the meeting without me."

His muscles tensed under her touch and he took a step back, letting her hands fall from his chest and neck. "You're still learning the ropes. You should go."

Knowing it was pointless to argue, she said her goodbyes and left, her lips pursing in what was quickly becoming their normal state.

oOoOo

"You just have to be patient, Marinette," Tikki said between bites of a cookie.

Marinette sat alone in her office, blinds closed and door shut, to eat her lunch. She swallowed a mouthful of chicken. "I just want him...fully. Like how it was before. He's always keeping himself at a distance."

Tikki gave her a chastising look. "You know it can't be like before. He's gone through too much."

"I know," she drawled. And she did, but it was so hard.

"Plagg said…"

When she didn't continue, Marinette prompted her with a look.

"Adrien still doesn't feel worthy of you."

"But I've forgiven him!" Realizing her voice was too loud, she lowered it. "Paris has forgiven him. Same with Nino and Chloe. Even Nathaniel."

Tikki looked around Gabriel's old office, now decorated with a lot of pink. She sighed and finally let her eyes fall on Marinette. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but, apparently, his therapist is helping him learn how to forgive himself, especially for getting you injured."

She knew it wouldn't be easy for him, but she didn't realize how hard it would really be. "How can I help him?"

Tikki just shrugged.

Once again, her lips squeezed together, but this time in thought.

oOoOo

Marinette looked at her parents, Master Fu, Alya and Nino, Nathaniel, Chloe, then finally at Adrien, all eating at the big table in Chloe's large apartment. It was their third monthly dinner after everyone had vowed to remain close after they'd defeated Hawk Moth and, surprisingly, it was always fun. But this time, she came with a plan.

Focused on Adrien, she cleared her throat. "You sure saved me from those bullets yesterday," Marinette remarked carefully, watching his reaction. "I don't know what I would've done had you not been there."

"Bullets?!" her dad exclaimed, still not entirely comfortable with the dangers of her being a superhero. She had a feeling he'd thought the Miraculouses would've been put away once Hawk Moth was defeated.

She ignored him and continued staring at Adrien.

The blond must've felt her gaze on him because he looked at her. "You would've deflected them with your yo-yo."

"Yeah, but if I had been distracted, then—"

"You're never distracted. You're the epitome of a professional superhero." He smiled at her.

"That's not true."

He laughed as if she was just being self-deprecating.

"I'm being serious. Do you remember that time back at Dupont with Lila when I used my position as a superhero to…" She shifted in her seat, realizing that she was about to tell everyone an embarrassing moment from her younger days.

Adrien waved a hand. "That was a long time ago. You've changed."

Chloe leaned forward and looked her in the eyes. "And here I thought Ladybug could do no wrong. Spill."

If it helped Adrien, she would suffer the embarrassment. "I kind of yelled and intimidated Lila. All because I was jealous that she was trying to get closer to Adrien."

"That's it?" Chloe picked up her fork. "I thought it was going to be good."

Alya assessed them as if putting together pieces of a puzzle while Nino just kept on eating, barely paying attention.

Sabine lowered her brows. "Marinette," her mother chided her.

"My point is that I'm not perfect," she said loudly to get back on topic. "No one is."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Even Nino stopped eating and looked around.

She'd just laid it on too think, hadn't she? Well, no point in stopping now. "All I'm saying is that it's great to have my partner back." Now if she could just have her boyfriend back as well.

Master Fu sat up straighter. "We're all glad to have you back, Adrien."

Everyone nodded or voiced their assent.

Bless that beautiful old man.

But Adrien still didn't seem convinced. Sure, he flushed slightly under the attention and thanked everyone for their support, but his smile was a little too strained to be genuine.

Her lips pursed at the sight.

oOoOo

"Have you tried seducing him?" Alya asked a quickly sputtering Marinette as they walked to the university's cafeteria.

"No. Yes. Maybe." She breathed out hard. "I've tried to show my interest, but he changes the subject, transforms and runs out to save someone, or falls asleep."

"Maybe you're not trying hard enough. Have you showed some skin? Let your hands roam?"

"Well, no. I've been respecting his need to heal."

As they passed a building and several students on bikes, Alya walked in silence, clearly thinking. Finally she said, "Maybe if he sees how much you want him, he'll finally get that he doesn't need to keep beating himself up over the past. At least, in regards to you."

Maybe. But… "You think he doesn't already see that I'm dying over here?"

"You know how oblivious he is."

Marinette nodded.

"He could be thinking you're doing it out of obligation or that you get close to him because you're cold." She bit back a laugh and continued. "Or that you kiss him because your mouth is dry."

At her friend's full blown laughter, Marinette couldn't hold back her own chuckle. But she did have a point, she thought, lips thinning.

oOoOo

After stopping by a lingerie store, Marinette tried to position herself in an alluring way. She'd started leaning against the wall opposite the front door, but didn't want to scare him. So she'd stood by the stairs and propped a bare foot on one of the steps, but that just made her think she'd conquered a foreign land.

Her gaze roamed the space to land on the couch. She sat on it demurely and stuck a finger in her pouty mouth, then groaned at how stupid she felt and fell back onto the cushions.

The door creaked open and Marinette shot off the couch facing away from him, eyeing the stairs and ready to bolt.

Her name, sounding confused on his lips, stopped her from fleeing.

Cheeks heating, she faced him with a soft smile, hoping she didn't look ridiculous.

What was she thinking? Of course she looked ridiculous. Alya had talked her into getting the Chat Noir lingerie set, complete with cat ears pinned to her tousled hair.

She did her best not to fiddle with the bottom of her lacy corset as he stared at her, mouth falling open wider as his gaze traveled down the length of her body.

"Adrien?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

oOoOo

"So what happened after that?" Alya asked over the phone the next day.

Marinette collapsed back on her bed and draped an arm over her face, embarrassment flaring up in her again just from the memory. "He ran."

"He what?!"

"Then jumped out the window."

"Out the window?!"

Marinette groaned. "Maybe he doesn't like me like that anymore. Maybe when he sees me, all he can see is his mistakes. I'm probably just hindering his healing or something."

"Stop already. You're all he talks about when he's with Nino."

She sat up straight. "Really?"

"Have you tried coming onto him as Ladybug?"

"No. He's always busy saving cats from trees or helping old ladies cross the street."

Alya snorted. "Maybe you should try it. He hurt you as Ladybug, not as Marinette, so maybe that's where the block is. When are you doing your superhero thing?"

"Tonight." Every night if it was up to Adrien.

"Okay. I expect a full report tomorrow afternoon. Don't leave out any of the juicy details."

"My pathetic love life is just entertainment to you, isn't it?"

"Well...my shows aren't on right now."

"Alya!"

She laughed. "I'm just kidding. But I want my girl to be happy, so go bag that scaredy cat already."

Marinette pressed her lips together in determination.

oOoOo

Ladybug called Chat Noir, claiming she needed his help with moving a large dumpster out of the road. Not that she couldn't have picked it up and thrown it out of the street, but she thought this would be the perfect excuse to get him alone.

He landed a good distance from her, which wasn't surprising. He'd been avoiding her since last night's lingerie incident. "I'm here," he said awkwardly, not looking at her.

"Chat." When he still wouldn't let his eyes drift to her, she said, "Look at me."

He did, albeit reluctantly.

"Kiss me." And it hit her they had never done that as Ladybug and Chat Noir.

His green eyes widened. "Wh— What?"

"Kiss me."

When he took a step back, she pulled out her yo-yo and ensnared his legs before he had a chance to blink. "No more running."

She wasn't certain if she was doing more harm than good. Their stances vaguely reminded her of those dark days, but she had to snap him out of his self-flagellating funk.

"I thought you didn't want to hurt me anymore," she said as she stalked toward him.

"I don't."

"Your constant rejections cut deeper each time. It hurts."

He blanched and shook his head. "That's not. I. It's just that. But." His broken speech turned to mumbling and the only word she caught after that was 'worthy.'

Inwardly, she rolled her eyes. Why couldn't he see he was worthy? That she loved him? Outwardly, she pressed her lips together and stared at him.

After a long moment of him avoiding her eyes, she said, "If I didn't think you were worthy, I would've taken your Miraculous, moved out, and moved on. But I'm here"—she took another step closer to him—"asking you to kiss me."

He sighed. His tense posture collapsed and, when he spoke, it was barely a whisper. "You deserve someone better than me."

"I deserve someone better than the person who sacrificed everything to save me and my dad? Who works his ass off everyday to prove himself? Who cares about me enough to want better for me? Someone whom I've always dreamed of being with? Someone who knows me"—she waved a hand at her superhero attire—"and isn't intimidated? Someone who actually likes all of my quirks?"

His gaze had locked onto hers and, with each sentence she'd spoken, his eyes had become wider, softer, mistier, his mouth slackening, spine straightening.

"Besides, there's no one out there I want more than you." She released her yo-yo and grabbed the bell at his neck, pulling him even closer to her. "Do you hear me, Chat Noir? I only want you."

Before she knew what had happened, his lips were on hers, his arms encircling her, scooping her up, pressing her against him. And then they were moving, the wind brushing past her, pigtails flying, hands gripping, hearts thumping.

She had no idea where he was taking her and she didn't care. Feeling him finally let go made her chest ache in a glorious way. She nearly choked on the flood of emotions washing through her, cleansing her of the past.

It was just them. Chat Noir and Ladybug, Adrien and Marinette, partners, friends...lovers.

His warmth surrounded her, a cocoon she never wanted to break free of. His love permeated her, eliminating her fears and insecurities. It was as if he poured everything he felt for her into his kiss, his hands, and the urgency to get to wherever he was taking her.

They landed inside a room and the next second she was on a soft bed. She blinked open her eyes and realized they were in his bedroom.

"Claws in," he whispered along her jaw between kisses and nibbles that sent jolts from her head to her toes.

Plagg flew out of his ring and straight through the door as if in a hundred yard dash.

She muttered the command to de-transform and barely noticed the sensation of Tikki's power leaving her. With the surges, tingles, and warmth filling her, she could barely even think.

Tikki fled the room as well, and Marinette melted into Adrien's fiery embrace.

oOoOo

Neither of them had a morning class, so Marinette lingered in bed, listening to Adrien's soft, rhythmic breaths. A tiny, niggling worry slithered through her, leaving the happy moment with an uneasy edge. Part of her wondered if something catastrophic would happen now. But Hawk Moth was gone. They were free.

Warm fingers found hers, drawing her attention. He watched her carefully. "You okay?" he asked.

Doing her best to keep her thoughts from playing out on her face, she smiled. "Yeah."

He lifted onto an elbow and looked down at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She didn't want to remind him of Hawk Moth, which would undoubtedly remind him of what he'd done to save her.

"Are you regretting last night?"

Her cheeks heated. "No. Last night was…" She didn't know how to put her feelings into words. It had been even better than their first time. They'd been more certain, yet more eager, leading to sensations that left her in a boneless, blissful state. "Worth the wait," she finished, her blush deepening.

His lips quirked and he lowered to kiss her. "Care for a repeat?"

Her only answer was a squeak of delight as he disappeared under the sheets. Thank god there were no more akuma alerts to interrupt them.

oOoOo

"Ugh, look at them," Plagg said from the kitchen countertop opposite a smooching Adrien and Marinette. "They're not even eating. Their food will get cold."

Tikki sighed in contentment. "I think it's cute."

"Hey," Adrien said against Marinette's neck, "you have your Camembert, so mind your own business."

"I can't. In the suit, you're always thinking about her. Out of it, you're always talking about her. It's worse than before." His ensuing groan sounded so despondent, Adrien couldn't hold back a snort.

Tikki patted Plagg's head. "It'll calm down in a bit, like it always does."

At her words, Adrien straightened and turned to them, careful to stay within Marinette's arms. "So it's true? That we're soulmates or something?"

Plagg rolled his green eyes. "Or something."

Tikki smacked him upside the head and the feline kwami hissed. "More like highly compatible."

"Oh."

At his dejection, Marinette finally spoke up. "You wanted to be my soulmate?"

"It's a nice thought. That we're meant for each other."

"It's also nice that I continue to choose you, right? We're not together by some mystical force, but because we want to be." Her gaze fell away from his, a light blush gracing her cheeks. "I don't think it gets anymore romantic than that."

She was right. And he loved it when she was right. It made his heart jump and shoot sparks to the tips of his toes. They'd chosen each other over and over again. And he would continue to choose her everyday for the rest of his life.

AN - So this is it. I hope you enjoyed the silly, yet meaningful, epilogue. Excuse me while I go cry…

Seriously though, this story has been a big part of our lives for the past nine months. I'm going to miss it as well as you readers. Some of you have been with us since the very beginning. Your support has been crucial to the story's completion and is very much treasured. And some of you will jump in once it's marked complete. Which I totally get. I rarely read ongoing stories for fear they won't be completed. I get way too invested. Lol.

Regardless, thank you for reading and commenting. There have been many times my day was made exponentially better because of a comment and I ended up reading it like twenty times. I'm right at a thousand reviews which is craaaazy cool.

We'll be going over this to clean it up and make little improvements. If there's any areas you think we can tweak (no major rewrites) I'm all...ears? eyes?

Lastly, I'm in the middle of outlining the plot for an original fiction, but I've also started writing the next chapter for Marry Me. I don't know if it'll just be a two-shot or something more. I'm kinda letting it be a cool down/fun writing time after this behemoth. Aaanndd there might be a surprise chapter after this (epilogue pt2?) with an even bigger timeskip.

Thanks again and thank you to my sister for beta'ing. *hugs to everyone*