Epilogue
Rain. Rain dropping. That was the first sound Marinette heard, when she first opened her eyes. As for the second one, it was her alarm clock, telling her to wake up. Silencing it, Marinette just wanted to go back to sleep. After the crazy day she had the day before, she did not want to give up the warmth comfort of her bedsheets. Still, she knew she had to go to school, or else she would get into trouble. As she threw the sheets to the side, a crazy thought crossed her mind; as a superheroine, she ought to be entitled to take a day off, after saving the city of Paris. Still that was not going to happen, at least, not on that day, but she tried not to think too hard about it. Instead, she thought about the fact that once she got to school, she was going to see Adrien, and she was going to kiss him. That thought alone gave her the strength she needed to get up and face the day.
"Good morning, Marinette." -Tikki said, as she showed up in front of Marinette, smiling to her, as she stretched her arms. –"Did you sleep well?" -she asked her.
"Very well." -Marinette answered her, as she stretched her arms once more. "I'm still a little sore from yesterday, but I'll be back to good old self in no time. Especially because I want to test if Adrien's kisses cure tiredness or not." -she giggled, as she remembered the previous night. –"That first kiss between us, was just perfect… and the others as well. Plus, I found out that his lips taste like sour apples. That was a bonus."
"What are you talking about?" -Tikki asked her, with a puzzled look on her face.
"I'm talking about last night, Tikki. A magical night, which I will forever treasure, for as long as I live." -Marinette giggled.
"A magical night? Marinette, don't take this wrong way, but you must have imagined or dreamed all of it." Tikki declared. –"I would remember if anything had happened." -she said.
"What? Stop joking, Tikki. I think I can make the distinction between a real life and a dream. And what happened last night was not a dream. I told Adrien I loved him, and he told me that he also loved me, and we kissed." -Marinette told her.
"Sorry to tell you this, Marinette, but you must have dreamed about it. Nothing happened last night. You were talking about going to Adrien's place and tell him you love him, but then, you chickened out and never went. Shortly after, you went to sleep. That's what happened." -Tikki stated. –"Like I said, you never went out. It was probably just a dream." -she said.
"What?! A dream?!" -Marinette asked, shocked –"All that was just a dream?" -she asked. –"But it looked and felt so real."
That was the first thought that crossed Marinette's mind. She remembered Adrien and her had begun dating. She remembered kissing him, and cuddling next to him. She remembered the sweet words he told her. She remembered the way he caressed her face before kissing her, again and again. If all of it had been a dream, it was the most realistic dream she ever had.
"It was a dream…" -Marinette sighed, accepting it. But then, she saw Tikki's facial expression changing little by little. Her serious face, slowly turned into a mischievous smile.
"I'm just kidding with you! It all happened for real!" –Tikki said, as she burst into laughs. –"Oh, the look on your face was priceless." -she joked, as she continued to laugh.
"Tikki!" -Marinette exclaimed, upset with the prank her kwami had pulled her. –"That wasn't funny!"
"Sorry, Marinette. I just wanted to see how you would react, if I tricked you into believing that everything was just a dream." -Tikki declared, as she stopped laughing. –"But seriously, it was a beautiful night, and what happened between you and Adrien was beautiful and magical. I told you this last night, but I'll say it again
"You can be really mean, when you want to, you know?" -Marinette said, in an upset voice. –"I thought you were better than that." -she told her.
"I'm sorry, Marinette, I really am. Forgive me." -Tikki apologized for the bad prank.
"Fine, but don't that again. I thought that doing stuff like that was above you. Plagg's the one who usually likes to do that." -Marinette said, as she got up from bed and looked out the window. –"Where did this storm come from?"
"I don't know. But because of this storm, this day has been turned into of those days, when you don't go out." -Tikki said. –"Where did the Sun go? It was sunny yesterday." -she pointed out.
"I'm with you on that one. I'm not a rain person. I would rather have a sunny day, instead of a rainy one. You can't do anything fun on a rainy day." -Marinette sighed.
"A rainy and windy day. Look at the trees outside." -Tikki said, as she pointed to the trees that were being blown by the wind. –"You better put on some warm clothes, or you might catch a cold." -she advised her.
"I'll do that. But before that, I'm going to take a shower. A shower is just what a person needs to wake up and be in a good mood." -Marinette told her.
While Marinette was in the shower, Tikki decided to help her out, by making her bed, as best as she could and picking up a couple of things, mostly clothes, that were just lying around. After a well-slept night, the ladybug kwami was feeling great. And on top of it, the joy and happiness of knowing that Marinette and Adrien had begun dating, gave her an extra boost of energy. Feeling like listening to some music, while tidying up things, Tikki turned on the radio. But instead of music, what she got was the news, which were reporting a terrorist attack in New York City.
"So far, no one has yet claimed responsibility for this terrorist attack, which has eradicated most of Central Park, from the face of the map, in the first hours of the day. But the presence of the Omni-Team, as it was captured by numerous cameras, has led the authorities to believe this was an attack by the Forever Knights." -the radio announcer spoke.
"And here I thought they would be talking about our victory against Aphrodite." -Marinette said, as she got out of the bathroom, wrapped in her bathrobe and heard the news.
"Guess that's old news, with this attack in New York City." -Tikki sighed. –"It's been a while, since we heard any news from them." -she said.
"You're right. It's been a little while. You know, it's kind of strange. We save Paris almost every week, but the Omni-Team seems to just disappear under the radar for weeks in a row, only to show up when no one is expecting." -Marinette admitted, as she opened her wardrobe and tried to decide what she was going to wear on that day. –"Hey, do you want to help me with this? I can't decide what to wear today. It's got to be something warm, I know, but I don't really know what it will be." -she told Tikki
"Well, do you want to feel pretty, or do you want to feel comfortable?" -Tikki asked her, as she hovered in her direction.
"I don't really know… how about both?" -Marinette giggled.
"You never make things easy, Marinette." -Tikki giggled back. –"Now, let's see… oh, this is a pretty blouse. And it would look really well with these jeans here."
Following Tikki's fashion advices, in a matter of a minute or two, Marinette had decided what clothes she would be wearing on that day. She looked both cute and comfortable, just like she wanted. But because it was raining and it was so windy, she decided to put on a beanie, her raincoat and a scarf. The
"Aren't you going to wear the pendant Adrien gave you, yesterday?" -Tikki asked Marinette, as she finished putting on her raincoat.
"No. I'd rather save it for a special occasion, like our first date." -Marinette told her, as she grabbed her favourite scarf. –"Besides, it's a really expensive piece. He didn't tell me how much it cost him, but being from that particular jewellery, I know it can't have been cheap. I don't want to lose it." -she said, as she put on the scarf.
"Makes sense." -Tikki told her.
"Well, I'm all set. Time to go down and have some breakfast." -Marinette told Tikki, as she grabbed her backpack.
Going down the stairs, Marinette heard someone moving in the living room and wondered if it was her mom, or her dad. It did not take her long to see it was her mom, who was moving around the living room, as if she was looking for something.
"Good morning, mom." –Marinette greeted Sabine. –"What are you doing?"
"Oh, good morning, Marinette. Don't you look pretty today." -Sabine smiled at her daughter. –"I came up here to get the book where I keep the special orders, which I can't seem to find anywhere. And, once I managed to find it, I was also going up to your bedroom, to see if you were ready, and to tell you, you have a visitor waiting for you, downstairs in the bakery."
"A visitor?" -Marinette asked, surprised. –"Who is it?" -she asked her.
"Oh, it's no one special. Just a very handsome boy with blond hair and a cute smile." -Sabine told her.
"Adrien is here?!" -Marinette exclaimed.
"Yes. He said something about coming to give a ride to a very special girl, because it's raining and he didn't want that very special girl to get wet, on her way to school." -Sabine giggled.
"I can't believe it… I've got the best boyfriend in the world." -Marinette giggled, excited about going to school, together with Adrien.
"Boyfriend?!" -Sabine exclaimed, surprised. –"You mean…"
"Oh, right! Sorry about that, mom. With everything that happened yesterday, I forgot to tell you and dad about it." -Marinette apologized herself. –"Adrien and I are dating now! He said yes. Grandma Gina's chocolate cake did its magic." -she smiled.
"Dating?! Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you." -Sabine declared, as she hugged Marinette. –"You couldn't have picked a better boy to be your boyfriend. And I know that Adrien couldn't have picked a better girl than you, to be his girlfriend." -she told her, as she broke the hug. –"Wait until your father knows about this."
"Don't worry, I'll tell him, on my way out." -Marinette said. –"Which reminds me. I'm going to try and bring Adrien over today, after classes. Do I have your permission to do so?" -she asked Sabine.
"Marinette, honey, you don't need to ask me permission to bring the boy you like for a little snack. But I'm still glad you did. And the answer is yes. You know that Adrien will always be welcomed here, and even more now that he's your boyfriend." -Sabine answered her. –"Boyfriend… my little Marinette is growing up so fast." -she smiled tearfully.
"Mom, I'm not that little anymore, and thanks." -Marinette smiled at her. –"And mom, when we arrive, remember, no baby pictures and no embarrassing stories about me, okay?" -she warned her in a serious tone. –"At least, not yet. I don't want to scare him away with one of those baby pictures of mine, where I'm crying or with food all over my face."
Hearing her say that, Sabine could not help but to laugh at that last joke of Marinette. She could tell she was truly in love with Adrien. And know just how important that was for her, she was going to make sure that when they arrived, they would have a small feast waiting for them. She would even ask Tom to make something special just for the two of them, if he had the time.
"Alright, no baby pictures, I promise you, Marinette. And I promise that I will leave you two alone. But I only speak for myself. I can't control your father on that department. You know he's going to flip, once he knows you're dating Adrien… if he hasn't figured it out yet." -Sabine chuckled. –"Now, go, you shouldn't leave him waiting for you." -she said. –"And honey, I know I already said this, but I'm very happy for you and him."
"Thanks, mom. See you later." -Marinette smiled, as she waved goodbye at her mother.
"Aren't you going to have any breakfast?" -Sabine asked her.
"I'll steal a couple of croissants and some cookies at the bakery, to eat on my way to school, don't worry." -Marinette told her.
It filled her heart with joy that her mother was so happy for her. Her parents had over time began to ship them two of them, because they looked so cute together, whenever Adrien came over, and now that they were dating, it was almost like one of their biggest wishes had come true. But it was not just their biggest wish, it was Marinette's biggest wish too. She was already on cloud nine, knowing she was going to see Adrien that morning, but when Sabine told her that he had come to pick her up, so they could go to school together, her heart skipped a beat.
Going down the last flight of stairs, Marinette inhaled the sweet scent of freshly baked croissants. Until she smelled them, she was not very hungry. But once she smelled them, she felt like she could eat a whole dozen, and still have room in her stomach for an éclair or two. Opening the door that led to the bakery, the first thing she saw was Adrien, on the other side of the counter. Looking at him, she could not help but to feel a little nervous, with her stomach feeling like it had a swarm of butterflies inside it. As always, he was accompanied by his bodyguard, Gorilla, as he liked to call him. They were the only ones inside the bakery right then. Not seeing her dad, she figured he had gone to the kitchen to get something from the oven.
"Oh, good morning, Adrien." -Marinette smiled at him, as she came from behind the counter.
"Good morning, Marinette." -Adrien smiled back at her, as she approached him.
"How do you do?" -Marinette smiled at Gorilla, who grunted at her. –"Cheerful as always." -she thought to herself.
"And what am I? Chopped liver?" -a voice called her out. She immediately recognized it, as being the voice of her father, Tom, who was coming from the kitchen, with a tray filled with still warm croissants.
"Good morning, dad." -Marinette smiled at Tom.
"Good morning, honey." -Tom told Marinette, as he placed the tray of croissants on top of the counter. –"You took your time. Your boyfriend and I, we had a little conversation, while waiting for you to come down." -he declared.
"Oh, did he tell you?" -Marinette asked her dad.
"Yes, he did. After your mom went upstairs to check on you, he decided to tell me, all about it." -Tom answered her.
"Sorry if I forgot to tell you and mom yesterday." -Marinette apologized.
"It's okay, Marinette. Better late than ever." -Tom told her.
"Don't tell me you have given him the "overly protective father talk", like he always says he will, to any boyfriend I might have?" -Marinette joked.
"No, not really. He just served me a second breakfast. He also did ask my bodyguard here if he wanted something, but unlike me, he decided not to. I think he must be on a diet or something." -Adrien said, whispering the last part to Marinette's ear in a playful tone, who chuckled as she heard it.
"I had to. You look so skinny." -Tom joked. –"Besides, I know you well enough to know you'll never hurt my little girl's heart… because if you do, just remember, that they'll never find your body." -he joked with a sinister voice.
"Dad!" -Marinette giggled. –"Stop scaring my boyfriend." -she told him.
"I'm just kidding, Marinette. You know I wouldn't hurt a fly. Plus, Adrien knows that I'm just joking." -Tom said. –"Besides, his bodyguard there wouldn't let me lay a finger on him, I bet." -he said, as he looked at Gorilla. –"He doesn't talk much, does he?"
"Not really. But don't take it personal. He's not very talkative." -Adrien told Tom.
"Thanks for coming to get me." -Marinette thanked Adrien.
"The pleasure is mine, milady." -Adrien said, making her giggle.
"But before we go, I better get something to eat." -Marinette said. –"Dad, can you put some of those croissants and some cookies in a bag?" -she asked Tom.
"Of course, honey." -Tom said, when he heard the alarm from the oven ringing. –"Oops, I guess those loaves of bread I had in the oven are done. Could you give me a hand with them, before you go, please?"
"Sure, dad." -Marinette said, before turning to Adrien. –"Would you be a dear and take care of my breakfast to go, while I help my dad?" -she asked him.
"No worries. Two croissants and six chocolate chip cookies, right?" -Adrien asked her, with her nodding to him, as she went into the kitchen to help Tom. Adrien already knew this by heart, because Marinette tended to arrive at school so many times, and that was always her breakfast. The croissants were for her, and the cookies were for Tikki.
In the kitchen, Marinette quickly helped her dad taking the large tray of loaves from the oven. Like always, they smelled beautifully and looked even better. Tom had the unique ability of making everything he did look like it came out of an anime or a Hayao Miyazaki movie.
"Sorry if I had to ask you for help on this, honey. I didn't tell your mom, but I think I sprained tendon tonight, while I was sleeping." -Tom explained it to Marinette.
"Then you should go and see a doctor about it." -Marinette told Tom, worried.
"I'll be fine. This will pass in a matter of hours, honey." –Tom assured her.
"Alright, if you say so. But remember, if it gets worse, tell mom and go to the doctor. And don't say "But I can't leave the bakery unattended.", dad. You know that your health is way more important to us, than anything else in the world." -Marinette warned him.
"Okay, honey, I promise you." -Tom chuckled.
"Oh, and dad, I already told mom about this, and I'm telling it to you now. I'm going to try and bring Adrien over, after school, for a little snack." -Marinette told him. –"Marinette said.
"Understood. I'll try and make something special for the two of you, if I find the time." -Tom told her.
"Thanks, and dad, remember, no baby pictures and no embarrassing stories, okay? I know that you love to tell stories about me and show my baby pictures to everyone you think will love to see them, but please, don't do any of that… at least, not today." -Marinette begged him. –"You can show the pictures to Adrien, and tell him all the stories you want, some other time, and I won't stop you." -she smiled at him.
"I'll try, Marinette, I promise you I will try." -Tom smiled. –"Now hurry up, you don't want to leave your boyfriend waiting for you… boyfriend, it's going to take me a while to get used to the fact my little girl is already dating." -he laughed.
"I'm not that little anymore, dad." -Marinette giggled.
"You'll always will be to me, sweetie." -Tom told her. –"You'll always be to me." -he smiled.
Leaving her dad in the kitchen, Marinette went to check on Adrien, who was holding the paper bag with the croissants and the chocolate chip cookies for her.
"Hope I did not take too long." -Marinette said.
"Not at all. You took the time you needed." -Adrien said, as he handed her the paper bag with her breakfast and Tikki's. –"But, it give me time to think of something. How about we go to school by foot, instead of taking the limousine?" -Adrien asked Marinette. –"We still have time, and that way we could chat a little more, just the two of us." -he suggested her.
"Very romantic." -Marinette smiled. –"But are you sure he won't mind?" -she asked, pointing at Gorilla.
"Will you?" -Adrien asked Gorilla, who shook his head. –"Alright. And don't worry, you don't need to go and pick me up at school, okay?" -he told Gorilla, as he waved his head in compliance. If possible, he wanted to hang out a little with Marinette after school. –"Then, are you ready?"
"I am." -Marinette smiled.
"Then, allow me, milady." -Adrien smiled, as he opened the door for her.
"Thank you, dear gentleman." -Marinette smiled at Adrien, as he then opened the umbrella.
"This way, we won't get wet." -Adrien said, as the two of them cuddled underneath the umbrella.
Outside, the rain kept coming down hard, with the sound of the raindrops echoing, when they hit the ground. The umbrella was not very big, but it was big enough for the two of them not to get wet. The whole thing reminded Marinette of the countless animes she had seen, where the two lovers share an umbrella, just before sharing a tender kiss, as the rain keeps coming down.
They waited until turning the corner, before sharing a kiss. Just like it happened the night before, as soon as their lips met, everything else became secondary. The only thing that mattered was them and just how much in love they were.
"You don't know just how much I wanted to do this, since we parted way last night." -Adrien told her, as he caressed her face with his fingers, making her giggle.
"I can imagine, because I also wanted to kiss you, again and again." -Marinette smiled at him, before kissing him again. –"Each kiss you give me, it's like I'm kissing an angel." –she giggled. –"Sorry if I'm being super corny."
"Don't be. I like it. It makes you even more adorable." -Adrien smiled at her. –"But, truth be told, you're the only angel in this relationship." -he told her.
"Angel, me?" -Marinette giggled. –"Who says I'm not the little devil in this relationship, who's trying to make you walk the path you shouldn't?" -she joked.
"Maybe because you look too angelical to look like a demon." -Adrien admitted.
"If you keep calling me that, you're going to make blush so much, I'll look like a tomato." -Marinette smiled.
"I don't see that as a problem. You already look so cute when you're wearing a certain red outfit with black spots." -Adrien teased her, which made her giggle.
They had never talked like that before, at least not as Marinette and Adrien. They had talked like that when they were both Ladybug and Chat Noir, but this was the first time they talked like that, when in their civilian identities. It felt strange, but exciting at the same time. It felt good to be able to talk like that with one another, without wearing a mask, without fear of the other finding out what they were really thinking. They knew, of course, that with time, their conversations as a couple would not always be like that, and that was not a bad thing, because it would mean their relationship was maturing. But until that happened, they were going to enjoy those little flirts with one another, while always making sure that they would never become one of those couples that would arrive at the end of the day, with nothing to tell each other.
"You're probably not going to believe this, but Tikki pulled a prank on me this morning. She tried to make me believe that what happened last night, was just a dream of mine." -Marinette told Adrien.
"Plagg did the same. Though I'm surprised Tikki would do such a thing to you." -Adrien told Marinette. –"She's usually the opposite of Plagg." -he said.
"Yeah, well, she's extra funny this morning." -Marinette declared. –"Sometimes I wonder if our kwamis didn't know more than they told each of us, regarding our crushes on one another." -she said.
"Well, if they're like Alya and Nino, I'm pretty sure they did. But they'll probably never tell us… whoa, hold on!" -Adrien exclaimed, as he stopped Marinette from moving forward. A few seconds later, a car ran over a puddle of water, splashing it in their direction. Luckily, Adrien prevented them from going forward, and by doing it, they did not end up absolutely wet. –"That was a close one." -he said, as he checked to see if it was safe for them to continue their way.
"Thanks. I was so caught up in our conversation that I did not even notice it." -Marinette told him, as they restarted to walk. –"By the way, are you sure your bodyguard, won't tell your dad about us?" -she asked him. She did not have any problems with people knowing they were dating, but she did not want Adrien to get in trouble with Gabriel, knowing just how adamant he was about certain things in Adrien's life.
"Gorilla? Not a chance, especially because I told Nathalie about us, and she talked to him and told him not to say a word about it to anyone. At least, not until I tell my dad about us." -Adrien told her.
"You're afraid of telling him about us?" -Marinette asked him. She knew just how sometimes Adrien was afraid to talk to his father about certain matters.
"A little… but I'm sure that when I tell him that I'm dating you, he'll be quite pleased. You know he considers you a very talented person, and that's halfway to make him like someone." -Adrien told her. –"Still, even if he doesn't' agree with us dating, I'm not letting that stop me from dating you. You are the girl to whom my heart belongs to, and I'm not going to let anyone, or anything stop me from loving you, and one day, marry you." -he smiled.
"M-Marry? Whoa, you're going way too fast, kitty." -Marinette giggled nervously. She did not tell him, but she liked the idea of one day marrying him. –"We still have a lot of time before any of that happens. And until then, I want you to know, that no matter what, my heart also belongs to you." -she smiled at him. –"And that will never change… like you said, "Happily ever after" endings do exist, and we'll both work hard for ours to happen."
"And it will happen. We'll work together for it to happen, and that's all that matters, my sweet bugaboo." –Adrien promised her
"It will, my sweet kitty." -Marinette said, as they kissed once more. –"Now come on, pick up the pace, or we'll arrive late, and I want to tell the good news of us dating to everyone." -she said.
"As you command, milady." -Adrien said, making her giggle.
The End (For Now)
And that's that... we finally arrived at the end of this fic. You guys have no idea just how happy I am that I finally finished it. It was a wild adventure this one, it sure was. It took me 3 years to get here, to the moment where Marinette and Adrien admit their feelings for one another and become a couple. And I don't want to brag about it, but I think that just like so many other writers in this fandom, I think I did a pretty good job handling it. The way I wrote it, it came out even better than I thought. I also loved to handle the other couples. We got Rose and Juleka to finally tell the others about their relationship, and I've laid the works for KimxAlix happening in the near future. I like to think that with the end of this seventh fic in this saga, that I've reached a milestone, which I settled when I first began writing this saga. And now, I already have other milestones set for this saga, which hopefully I'll be able to reach, and I hope that you all are around here to see me accomplishing them.
I would like to once again thank LaViolaViolaRosa for lending me her original character, Aphrodite, to be the main Akuma for this fic. I had a wonderful time writing it, and she sure gave the heroes a Hell of a fight. And I woudl also like to thank you all, for your support and for continuing to send me suggestions to improve my fics. Let me remind you all, that ust because I haven't used an idea that you sent me, it doesn't mean that I don't like it or not. Some might not work, given the course of action that this AU of mine will have, while others, I might not have used them yet, because I still couldn't find a way to used them, or because I haven't reached a part in the story where I will use them.
Last, but not least, the adventures of our heroes will continue. Tune in next time, to keep following the adventures of Ladybug and her teammates in "Miraculous Team: The Screamer". Until then, see ya around.