Not much had changed about Paris itself over the course of five years. It had it's shake ups, like any world capital but that was always a given, and with the local band of superhero personalities, nothing was past the point of fixing.

But not every happily ever after story is one where no fault or sadness exists. It was true, the last Hawkmoth had disappeared, rumoured to have coerced the dying celebrity Gabriel Agreste into helping him get out of the city fast before delivering the once celebrated man to his deathbed.

With the untimely death of his father, Adrien suffered greatly and was akumatized into a revenge seeking black cat. However Ladybug was unable to take him down by herself, caught between her feelings and her duty, she enlisted her small team of heroes to finish the job and bring the sorrowed boy back to his painful reality. They were all only around 18 at the time, young and still unknowing of what would happen to their world now that Hawkmoth was gone and one of their greatest friends now left to live the rest of his life as an orphan.

They soon learnt that this was not indeed the end of the reign of Hawkmoth, however, as a young woman took his place who was once trained under his own wings and the only one who ever claimed to know his secret identity. The young heroes returned back to the grind with heavy hearts but heavier determination.

There were other complications in following years as wrong decisions were made and Miraculouses were trusted to the wrong people. Some bonds were never woven strong enough to begin evident with a number of blowouts that shook Paris and it's defenders.

Ladybug, Chat Noir and the gang were all grown up now, most of them being 20 years old with a few members being younger or older. They were all out of school and throwing themselves into their new lives all while remaining friends and a strong team. Most good things hadn't changed. Most things.

Admittedly there was still some romantic tension between the leaders of the group but they had both been trying to settle down. They both knew that their partners could be in danger if it was ever publicly said that the two had other romantic interests, so they kept up appearances, sticking with endearing nicknames and throwing in a few flirty glances at each other for good measure. No one was the wiser.

Marinette was in one of her favourite places in the world. She was sitting on the rooftop patio above her parents Bakery, the fresh smells of baking bread and pastry sweets mixed into the cool night air, filling her nose and making her feel calmer than she had in a long, long time. Her sketchbook lay in her lap in which she doodled ideas for clothing designs that she was being commissioned for. Marinette loved that she now had more time to focus her time on her own personal goals, helping her parents at home,both while being on constant call if Paris ever needed her. She reached over to her steaming cup of chai tea and took a sip, focusing on the feeling of the warmth of the cup rushing through her fingers as the hot drink warmed up her chilled body from the inside out. Marinette loved nights like this. Quiet, still and peaceful.

Unknown to Marinette, a pair of warm eyes watched her as they had done many times before. They knew Marinette was racked with responsibilities, many that they weren't unfamiliar with. The constant struggle of upholding a creative career, the emotional and physical strength it took to be a defender of an entire city while keeping a set of unbiased morals. No one said it wouldn't be hard.

'She never said it wouldn't be hard', he thought as his eyes scanned over her serene face. Disturbing her would be the last thing he wanted to do, especially when he knew more than most that she rarely got moments like this to herself. Although she had been out there for more than an hour and a half so before she retired herself to staying out in the night air until dawn, he decided it would be in her best interest to be interrupted.

"Marinette"

Marinette was pulled from her empty thoughts as she heard a familiar voice behind her. She closed her sketchbook and took another sip from her cup as she looked behind her at the only person brave enough to interrupt her rare moments of deserved laziness.

"You'll turn into a Marinette-Popsicle if you stay out her for much longer" He said.

She waved her hand dismissively at him, " I have warm tea to keep me thawed don't worry about it".

"Tea can only keep you warm for so long, Mari, come inside," He walked over to her and knelt down beside her chair, "There's going to be a movie on soon that I know you won't want to miss."

Marinette sighed, swinging her legs to the side of her chair and she looked at the man in front of her. She knew that he cared about her, he had always been incredibly well rounded and understanding, something she admired about him from the first time they met. "Alright," she gave in to him, " but this means I'll get to interrupt your next session of relaxation".

He chuckled at this, taking her cup from her with what was left of her tea, "I'm always glad to be interrupted by the likes of you."

Marinette's signature blush spread across her cheeks. He stood up and offered his hand to her, as he had done many times and she took it, as she had done many times in turn. He started leading her back inside.

"What movie is playing?" She asked on the way down into her childhood room, turned adult room and studio.

"One of Adrien's, it's the first time that its airing on TV." He replied, shutting the hatch door and following her to her living room.