Appreciating Chat Noir

Epilogue

Adrien glanced at Marinette and let the corner of his mouth lift in a smile. After everything that had happened between them, he was so glad that he had her by his side.

"I can't believe school is finally over." He told her.

"We graduated."

"Yeah, we did." He could allow himself this small happiness after all the chaos. It was a good thing. It also meant they are on the precipice on a great change. For once, they were both about to embark on a great adventure of a different kind – entering the adult world.

"So... are we going to talk about what you said earlier...? Or are we just going to continue to ignore it?" Marinette blurted out suddenly.

He glanced at her suddenly and sharply inhaled. So, they were going to talk about it.

"To be quite frank, it really bothers me that you didn't tell me about this earlier, Adrien!"

"I- I thought perhaps you might want to go with me."

"I have to stay here in Paris!"

"Why?"

"In-case another Hawkmoth comes up again! If it can happen once, it can definitely happen again."

His heart sank. His father definitely messed up more than just his childhood. "But we defeated him. We finally freed Paris. We're both off the hook."

She gave him a long, hard, look. "I don't know if we'll ever truly be 'off the hook' with this one, Adrien. Someone needs to look after Paris. If not us, then who?"

"I think we deserve some time off. We defeated Hawkmoth, he's in jail, and now we get to go enjoy our lives. Why don't we get to live them? Why should we have to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good after the fighting is done?"

She looked up sharply at him. "That's what hero's do Adrien."

"Okay, sure. But we finished with that part of our lives. Now, we get to live them. I don't see why we should let my father mess with the rest of our lives too."

She looked into the distance. "We finally graduated high-school and now we get to choose what to do with our lives. But for the first time this year, I realise perhaps that may not be the same thing."

She looked up as she said that last part.

His heart grew sad as he looked at her. But he realised she was right. He couldn't force her to come with him on an around the world gap-year trip that he was about to embark on any day now, anymore than Marinette couldn't convince him to stay in Paris. He also wasn't going to stay in Paris either and go to the same college that Alya, Nino, and Marinette had all decided to go on. Just because they decided to go that route, doesn't mean he had to.

As much as he cherished his time with his friends, perhaps it was time to part ways. To let go.

"I think you may be right." He finally said.

They looked at each other for the first time that year with fresh eyes. With new understanding. It slightly sad, but not entirely bad.

Maybe they weren't ready to be together. Maybe they had to figure out how to be their own people first, before they were truly ready to have a relationship. Maybe this was a good thing.

"I love you, Adrien." Marinette told him, eyes shining with tears. But a smile on her face. Heartbroken but happy.

"I love you Marinette." He shared the sentiment.

"Are we breaking up?"

"I think so. Maybe we need to be apart for a while doing different things, before we are ready to date each other."

"Then let me do this first." She told him before leaning forward embraced him before leaning forward for a kiss.

"We'll keep in touch though still, right?" He asked her after they parted.

"Of course." She nodded.

And then it was over. They were graduated, they defeated Hawkmoth, and now they could move on with their lives. Together or apart, they were about to embark on a great new adventure. And it would be, Miraculous!

THE END