Merry Christmas Marinette

It's the last chapter of my book! I am so proud of ho much I wrote (38047 words, which is insane). Thank you to anyone that actually made i this far. I really hope you enjoyed it. I have a couple ideas for one-shots so let me know if you want any of those or an epilogue which I also have a bunch of ideas for. Please give me feedback, positive or constructive, so I can know what to improve on and what I did well. Please comment and vote. Thank you for reading my book! Maia xox

I thought today was going to be a good day. I'm not sure why, I just woke up feeling positive. That made finding this out much harder. I don't know what to say. I had been so happy that Adrien got to come to school because it meant some normality for him and now its being taken away. Adrien is getting taken out of school at the end of term, which is in one week. I'm not sure what to do because that's not all that's changed, I know Adrien is Chat Noir and I don't know what to do.

ooooOOOoooo

I have made a grave mistake. I woke up this morning dreading the reveal, dreading telling everyone I was leaving. It was easier than I thought. Just as Marinette had assured me last night, all of my friends were supportive and promised to keep in touch. I had gotten up at the start of class and announced it. My eyes had searched the class, seeing everyone's sympathetic faces before they landed on Marinette with her eyes open wide and hand held in front of her mouth. She knew in that moment that I was Chat Noir and there was nothing I could do about it.

ooooOOOoooo

I hear a knock on my window and my muscles tighten. I juggle my two options for a moment; I could either ignore him until he goes away or I could let him in and hear what he has to say. After a moment of indecision I slowly stand up and head to the door and open it tentatively. Chat Noir, or should I say Adrien, walks in shoulders hunched looking up through his fringe just like he did the night he told me he was being taken out of school.

"I know I don't deserve your time. I know that I mislead you. I want you to know that I feel awful about how I manipulated you but, and I'm not sure this will help, the only reason I came to you as Chat Noir is because I wanted to get to know you, Marinette, better. I know it's a sorry excuse but it's the only one I've got."

I stand there for a moment unsure of what to say, feelings rushing over me.

"Am I the reason you were taken out of school?" I mumble under my breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that." Chat says sheepishly.

"I said," a sudden rush of confidence flowing through me, "am I the reason you were taken out of school."

Adrien stands up straight, mouth wide and fringe hanging over his eyes. Brushing it out of the way impatiently he quickly recovers and steps towards me, "Marinette how could you think that? It's my own fault. I didn't follow the guidelines my father set when he said I could attend school. It wasn't your fault."

"But surely I was part of it, I mean, your father seemed furious that day you brought me over."

Adrien laid a hand on each of my arms, crouching  slightly so he could see my downcast eyes, "That was entirely my fault. I knew my father didn't want me to spend time with you. Which is also not your fault," he added hastily before I could argue, "but I didn't care. I like you too much to just stop hanging out with you because of him."

He smiles as I slowly raise my head, blushing.

"Anyway it was worth it. I had a great time. Plus I got to prove that I can beat you in video games any day," he says with his trademark grin. I hit him on the arm slightly and he laughs before sobering quickly, "So, Marinette, do you forgive me?"

I look up at him, with hope gleaming in his eyes, the side of his mouth curved up slightly and his fringe hanging low and I do what I never thought I would have the courage to do. I kiss him.

It's gentle and he seems startled at first before quickly kissing back. I feel his hands move from my arms to my back and the nape of my neck, his fingers getting slightly tangled in my hair. I'm not really sure what I'm doing so I hook my fingers together behind his neck, pulling him closer which makes him give out a little squeak of surprise. I pull away after a moment and smile up at him with what I know, is a very red face and to my joy I see an equally red face looking back at me.

"So that was a yes?"

"Yes, that was a yes," I reply giggling.

"Okay that's good. Also, that was good, we should do that again. Uhh can I?", he begins to lean forward but I swerve to the right.

"I think it's best if we don't do that again," I stutter, a look of mixed feelings cross Adrien's face; hurt, confusion and surprise, "at least not until I tell you something very important."

"O-okay?" He slowly replies, eyebrows furrowed.

I suck in a deep breath before quickly saying, "I'm ladybug!"

I slap a hand over my mouth. It's done. Someone knows. And not just any someone, it's Adrien Agreste and/or Chat Noir. I stare at him as understanding weighs upon him, "So you- a-a-and I have kissed before now?"

"Seriously!?!" I muster, "I just tell you that I am one of Paris' superheroes, your partner, and all you are thinking about is that we've kissed?"

"Well yeah I was thinking about everything else as well but -ugh this is going to sound so lame, " he starts looking at the floor, his hand on the back of his neck, "but as you know I was totally in love with you as Ladybug. But what you don't know is that after I spent more time with you, I was struggling on the inside on which of you, or which side of you, I loved more."

"You have got to be kidding me. I was the exact same! I was head over heels for Adrien but over the last month and a half I found myself falling for Chat."

"This is perfect!" Adrien exclaims, picking my up and swinging me around before setting me back down. "Plagg claws in."

His transformation disappears and suddenly I am standing in Adrien's arms, but I guess I always was.

"May I m'lady?", he says pushing a strand of hair out of my face.

"May you what?"

"Do this," he leans in and our lips connect again, but this time there are no masks to separate us. He slowly draws away before whispering in a husky voice,

"Merry Christmas Marinette."