Not Alone: A Miraculous Ladybug Story

Epilogue

 Ten years later, and Adrien stood in another suit. Charcoal gray this time with the sage green cravat she always said brought out his eyes. His hair was shorter now, more professional, but still long enough so Marinette could tousle the top like she loved to.

He was freaking out, not in a scared way, but more in an anxious "why haven't I done this sooner?" kind of way. He went over what he was going to say for the hundredth time, and for the hundredth time he stumbled over his words.

"Argh!" he balled his fists into his hair, ignoring the disapproving look from his mother. She had combed it back into place about four times now. Nino just chuckled.

"You want me to call Alys? She can do her voodoo and you can pretend you're actually talking to Marinette."

Adrien smiled. Seeing her would definitely help. Seeing her always helped. Imagining having a Marinette illusion reminded him of the night they took down Germain.

"It was an illusion, dad," Chloé explained to her father later when they all gathered in their penthouse apartment. "It's Alya's power." She gestured in the direction of Alya, who was passed out on Nino's shoulder, Trixx in a similar state in her lap. As easy as it came to them, Alya was still new at using her powers, and maintaining such a solid illusion of Ladybug for so long completely drained her. The three espressos and tons of food she ate barely kept her upright for the rest of the party. Thankfully it didn't last too much longer, everyone was worn out from the 'excitement' of the night. They danced for a bit and then the mayor gave his closing speech and everyone started to file out.

"So you really are Ladybug," André turned to address Marinette.

"Yes, sir."

"And Adrien, you're Chat Noir?" He let out a laugh. "I've known Chat Noir since he was a baby."

Adrien laughed a bit uncomfortably, but also said yes.

"Well," the mayor sobered, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders paternally. "I'm happy to know Paris is in such good hands."

And it was. While there was no Hawkmoth--as both his parents had retired their miraculous, though Nooro and Duusu continued to live with them until another holder had been chosen--there was plenty of crime. They continued to patrol most nights, taking shifts, and helped the police and fire brigade where they could. For the most part, though, they were under the radar and allowed to live their lives.

Adrien continued modeling, although he was still pursuing school and was currently working on his doctoral dissertation in quantum physics. He'd explain it, but as Marinette always said, it was gibberish. Sexy when he said it, but gibberish nonetheless.

Marinette started working for his father as an intern in university. After taking a year to work for a company in London, she came back to Paris and started her own line that skyrocketed to success. She recently signed a deal to the Agreste Agency and would be debuting her first solo line under the family brand in about a month.

Nino was an underground sensation in Paris and was in high demand across Europe. He'd traveled for a few years while the rest attended university and he created enough name recognition now to make a living doing select shows in Paris, traveling when he wanted to, and discovering the next generation of talent.

Alya shocked them all by moving to Africa and the Middle East for a few years. She went undercover covering the refugee crises and dictatorial governments accused of UN violations. She used her miraculous when she needed to, but Trixx was just as happy to go along with it. She'd testified against warlords and spoken out against injustices, and Marinette's eyes shone with pride every time she talked about her to others, but it was obvious she was grateful to have Alya back in Paris and out of harm's way. Her and Nino took a break before university, but lately seemed to be getting cozier.