6 Months Later
One day after Graduation
For the last year, I have been so scared of this. My first day being completely finished high school, wondering what will come next.
Suddenly, I'm where I was once so afraid to be. And truly, it's not nearly as awful as I expected it.
I was scared that my life would fall apart, like a cookie that wasn't baked long enough. Crumbling into pieces the moment I was removed from the only environment I've really known for these last few years.
Then it hit me.
None of it is that serious. I made this day out to be this giant monster looming over me, like a ticking time bomb that was going to explode and leave me broken and damaged. But in reality, as I brush my teeth and stare at my reflection, everything is the same.
Sure, summer is now here and it's my last summer with all my friends in the same place. But that doesn't change much, because we'll always come back home eventually. We all have dreams to go out and achieve, and some are staying behind while they figure out what those dreams are. We all work at our own pace, and truly, it's a beautiful thing.
My parents will always be here, as will our bakery and my home. This room that I've spent the better part of my life in, will remain untouched even if I'm gone for a long time. My parents have promised me that I will always have my room here.
Hawkmoth is gone. He's been unmasked, exposed, and imprisoned. I no longer have to remain in Paris to try to fight him. I'm completely free, and it's not really that scary.
Since Gabriel's arrest, Adrien and I have been working extra hard to boost our grades, and it has certainly paid off. We both graduated with honours. My average was 86% by the time school finished, and Adrien had an impressive 94%. Turns out, being Chat Noir never really affected his grades too much. Somehow, despite going through so much in life, Adrien has always persevered and excelled at whatever he put his mind to.
It's incredible.
I put my toothbrush away, combing my hair as I divide it into two sections and toss them into two long ponytails. Applying some light mascara, I just brush my eyebrows and swipe some chapstick over my lips. Lastly, I put a few pumps of facial moisturizer on my fingertips and rub it into my skin. Even if my face is already so soft, part of the reason I continue to do this is because the routine of it makes me feel at ease.
I head downstairs, smiling to myself. I'm going to enjoy this summer with everyone before I head off to New York. The most exciting yet nerve wracking change is coming, and I honestly can't wait. Adrien and I are moving to New York together, to start university.
He's going to be attending New York University to get his Bachellor's in Business, so he can startup his own modelling agency. Specifically, he wants to specialize in underage models, so he can help protect them from the predatory behaviours that the modelling industry normalizes. Especially for younger models, who don't know better and don't want to risk their careers. From his experience, it's easy to get roped into sets and photoshoots that make you uncomfortable when you're being told you have no choice, that it's something you have to do if you want to be a successful model. I'm so proud of him for finding something he's passionate about that he wants to pursue.
As for me, I'm attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, also in New York. My plan is to study fashion design there, and begin my own brand of ethically manufactured clothing that is super cute yet affordable. It'll be like high-end fashion that doesn't break your bank. I don't know what my brand would be called, but I think my slogan would be 'affordably adorable'. That is, obviously, subject to change. With Adrien starting his own modelling company, we could always partner up together. I'll hire his models to show off my designs, and in return he helps promote my brand.
It's a match made in heaven. We'll both have our own careers, but those careers can intertwine here and there to be mutually beneficial for us both. It's the perfect plan.
I won't lie, I wasn't sure I'd get accepted. However, not only did they accept me, but they also gave me a full scholarship! There are quite a few conditions, like maintaining an average above 80% throughout my entirety of schooling, and having good attendance. But I'm certain I can do that, no problem. To my surprise, being Ladybug actually helped me get the scholarship. A lot of schools were reaching out to me, offering me whatever they could to make me choose them. I suppose being a superhero was a rather impressive extracurricular. A lot of schools wanted to say they were the university that Ladybug attended.
Adrien wasn't as lucky, since we've managed to keep his identity as Chat Noir a secret. He may not have received any scholarships, but he did get accepted into NYU in the first place, which is still incredibly impressive. That school has an acceptance rate of 13%. His admission was deserving of a celebration in its own.
Since I was a little girl, my parents always put money aside for me so I could go to school without worries of how I was going to afford it. They were so happy that I managed to get a scholarship, which meant they wouldn't have to cough up their life savings. Despite saying they have more money set aside, I knew that spending so much money would stress them out.
However, they're still giving a good chunk of that money to me to help pay for an apartment in New York that Adrien and I can live in together while we're going to school. We're both so excited, already having found a cute and cozy place not too far from either of our schools. We've already been accepted into the unit, with the move in date of September 1st.
Nathalie isn't able to help Adrien move for obvious reasons, but his bodyguard and Felix are going to give him assistance. And it should go without saying that my parents will be coming for the big move too, to give me a hand getting all my stuff there as well.
My mom randomly cries here and there, because for the first time ever I'm going to be pretty far from them. I'm talking almost 6,000 kilometres away. It makes me nervous too, but I know that Adrien and I are going to be okay. As well as my parents, they'll be fine without me. In fact, it will do them good to be able to have so much alone time together.
I'm actually really excited to start this new chapter of my life. The idea of things changing isn't nearly as daunting anymore. Rather, like a refresher knowing that I can freely move on in a city where no one will immediately recognize me as Marinette, the person behind the Ladybug mask.
Thankfully though, people in Paris never did attack or despise me as much as I feared they would. Sure, I still had some hate pages made about me, but they were taken down swiftly by Alya's super social media skills. I don't know how she did it, but she did.
Adrien got into a tussle with one person about it, defending my honour. But other than that, just like he predicted, it blew over and became a thing of the past.
"Good morning, sweetie." My mom calls out, finishing up a big breakfast filled with my favourite things. "I know you have a big day ahead of you with all your friends, so I made a huge celebratory breakfast!"
Big day is a bit of an understatement. Not only are we having a beach party, but Adrien and I have to go see Master Fu afterwards. Tikki and I have spent a lot of time together these last few weeks because I have a sneaking suspicion Master Fu will be taking our Miraculous back before we leave for New York.
I'm working on not panicking at the hint of distress. I'm sure it will work out, one way or another.
I stare at the table filled with delicious food, the enticing aroma making my mouth excessively salivate. There's steamed pork buns, dumplings, congee, jianbings, and fresh pastries that I can tell dad made himself.
"Morning!" I hear Adrien announce as he walks in, smiling over at us. "Oh my, it smells amazing in here."
"Adrien! Please, take a seat and have some food." My mom beams at him, her eyes soft as she glances between the two of us. I bound up to him to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
My life has become so sweet, with lots of gestures of love constantly being passed around. I couldn't be happier with how things have turned out.
"I would love to." Adrien smiles, his pearly whites on full blast. My dad joins us a few moments later, and before I know it we're digging into this delicious breakfast made with love. I can't help myself from stuffing my face, eating as much as I physically can.
"Your father and I are so proud of you Marinette, and you too Adrien." My mom announces at the table, taking a sip of her tea. "You both worked so hard to get to where you are."
"Yes, we're very proud." My dad confirms, reaching out to squeeze my mom's hand. The two of them are glowing, happier than ever with the small family we've made. Adrien fits right in alongside us, as if he was always meant to be here.
And who knows? Maybe he was. I never really believed in fate before, not until I met him at least. I felt as though he was my soulmate, but that it was fate's decision to keep us apart. I never thought things could ever work out the way it has.
I look at my boyfriend, relishing in the food my parents have made, expression both relaxed and euphoric as if this is the best food he's ever had. Or maybe it's because he feels as though he belongs here as well.
He speaks up, saying something in Mandarin to my mom. I catch it, though my Mandarin isn't very good I can still fill in the gaps. If I'm right, he just told my mom this food is delicious, and he thanks her for letting him become part of the family.
She responds saying something about the empty chair.
"What?" I ask, making my mom frown and shake her head.
"You should try harder to learn Mandarin, Marinette. It's in your blood." She scolds lightly, the way she always does when I don't understand something.
"She said," Adrien speaks up, drawing my attention back to him. His smile is full, and beautiful, "that this empty chair had been waiting for me for a long while now."
I look over at my mom, heart fluttering with joy. This is the best morning of my life.
"I love you, mom. And I love you too, dad." I smile at them, feeling extremely sentimental. "And you too, Adrien." I smirk over at my boyfriend who sat there waiting patiently for his turn. Like a dog who has been praised, he beams over at me with a glowing smile.
So long as I get to keep Tikki, then I think this might go down as my favourite day in all of my life so far.
—————
"Incoming!" Nino yells as he runs into the water. His movements are as graceful as a baby giraffe, trying to sprint through the gentle waves as he rears right towards Alya. She shrieks, laughter bursting out of her hysterically as she tries to avoid her bounding boyfriend, to no avail.
He tackles her down, the two of them crashing below the surface. When they come up for air, Alya is laughing so hard she's wheezing as Nino starts splashing her some more. The two end up creating an all out war, with everyone splashing each other.
Adrien and I sit on the sand, watching the whole ordeal. Chloe stands at an awkward distance, watching everyone in the water as well.
Everyone is here, including some friends we haven't hung out with in a long while, like Alix, Kim, Sabrina, Marc and Nathaniel. It's really refreshing being around everyone, the sun kissing our faces and our toes in the sand.
"This is nice." Adrien reiterates my thoughts, making me smile over at him. We really are such a perfect match, always on the same page.
"Yeah, it really is."
"What's going on with Chloe?" He questions, eyeing his childhood friend skeptically. She's the only one who looks as though she's not having the best time of her life.
"She's probably too shy to join them." I suggest, but he shakes his head.
"No, I don't think that's it. I think she's upset about something." He stands up, brushing the sand off of his swim trunks as he grins over at me. "Give me one sec, I'll go see what's up."
I watch as he walks over to her sneakily, jumping into a tackle as he closes in on her. The startled shriek she lets out makes Luka snap his attention to her. I watch the way his body slowly loosens up as he notices she's safe with Adrien.
But there's something else there, a jealous look that I'm certain I'm not mistaken, even from this distance.
I wonder what's going through Luka's mind right now?
Chloe and Adrien stand side by side, looking out at the water. I'm not sure what they're talking about, but judging by the way Chloe won't stop drawing hearts in the sand with her toes, I'm assuming it's about Luka.
Luka doesn't notice all his friends swimming around, trying to splash him to get his attention. His eyes are glued on Adrien, and I feel a familiar warmth in my chest. I know exactly how it feels to worry about the person you have feelings for, and the nerves you get when you think they might not reciprocate those feelings. Or worse, to watch them fall in love with someone else.
Something Luka is always very familiar with. A sharp pain of guilt pierces me.
However, that's just life. Sometimes things work out the way you want and other times it doesn't. It just means you weren't meant for it the way you thought. Most things are a blessing in disguise.
With that being said, Luka has nothing to worry about. Chloe is very clearly head over heels for him.
I decide to take pity on my friend, taking my sandals off. He needs some advice, and I'm happy to give it. Especially since Luka has always been there to guide me in the right direction, even when it meant it wouldn't work out the way he wanted it. But just like I said, that has turned out to be a blessing for the both of us.
I remove my shorts and tank top, exposing my red polka-dot swimsuit underneath. I quickly tie my hair up into a ponytail and head into the water. When I approach Luka, I watch as his eyes finally tear away from Chloe. The cold water nips at my skin, making me suck in a harsh breath of air.
I try not to think about the time I almost drowned, but the memories flash in my mind. I shake my head, willing my heart to slow down and focus on the present time. I'm safe, surrounded by all my friends. And right now, one of those friends needs my help.
"Hey." I smile, swimming up to him. His lips curve upwards ever so slightly, giving me a gentle nod. His eyes barely hide a storm of thoughts deep within, making me want to give him a hug. I decide against it though. "What's going on in your mind?"
"It's complicated." He says, making me let out a laugh, rolling my eyes.
"When has things ever not been complicated? Let me in, I bet I can help." I offer, watching him sigh as he lets out a soft chuckle.
"Touché. Well, I don't know what's wrong with Chloe or why she's sulking." He glances back at her, his jaw clenching with a ticking of the muscles. I cock an eyebrow, seeing the sight he's stuck glaring at. Adrien has his arms around Chloe, her face buried in his chest. She looks like maybes she's crying. "I don't know what's wrong with me either. I like Adrien, I do. But when I see him with her, I just get so angry."
"Because you like her?" I prod him, hoping to get a direct answer.
"It's more than that, Marinette. I'm in love with her. It feels like my heart is breaking every moment we aren't together. So we spend as much time together as possible, and yet it's never enough. But she's too stubborn, not admitting that she has feelings for me in return." He doesn't look at me, just staring at Chloe in Adrien's arms. "That should be me holding her when she's sad."
I should have known Luka would give me a direct answer. He's never been one to tip toe around the truth.
"Why isn't it you then? You could go and take his place, right now." I suggest, watching him finally look back at me.
"She told me if I don't keep my distance, she'll never come around anymore." He grumbles, running his palms down his face in exasperation.
"I think Chloe is afraid of love, if I'm being honest. She's scared of what getting close to someone will do to her. She's only really ever let Adrien in, and that didn't work out the way she wanted. Now they're just friends, and if I'm right, I bet she's scared the same will happen with you."
"But it's different, I've told her I like being around her. That I have feelings for her. And she told me to eat shit if I want to keep talking nonsense like that. Her direct quote." He looks the most conflicted I've ever seen him, and I can't help but let out a laugh. That's such a Chloe reaction.
"Trust me, Luka. I see things, and have seen it for months now. Chloe has feelings for you too. You just need to take it slow, let her chose the pace. She'll open up eventually. Now go on, get your girl and make amends." I shove him forward, the water rippling around from his flailing arms and legs. He smiles at me, finally looking like normal Luka again.
"You really think so?" He questions, reminding me of a small kid with big wide eyes and a bright smile.
"I know so. Now hurry, she's noticed us in the water and I think she might come kill me if we huddle together any longer." I laugh, watching the way Chloe glares over at me. Luka swims off, my attention drawn back to a retreating Adrien who is rushing to take his shirt off.
I'm stuck staring at his muscles for so long that I think I might have forgotten how to breath. This boy is gorgeous in every way possible.
He makes his way towards me, his expression a lot more serious than it should be for a happy beach day. When he reaches me, he pulls me in and our bodies press together. On instinct, I wrap my arms and legs around him, smiling at the love of my life.
"What happened to not going into the water without me?" Adrien asks, eyes searching mine. I laugh, patting his cheeks with my hand.
"You're so cute. I'm not going to drown, don't worry." I reassure him, touching my forehead against his. His warm breath fans my face, making it feel as if my heart is smiling. I've never experienced such happiness before.
It's addicting, making me crave these beautiful moments together. I hope we can continue to make such precious memories for the rest of our lives.
I wonder if it's possible to make so many precious memories that moments like this will fade from my mind? I think I'll begin a diary, and detail all these times where I'm so happy. That way, when I'm feeling sad, or nostalgic, I can read it and remind myself that even though I've been through so much, good times are still abundant too.
It will forever remind me that good times will always come. No matter how heavy the rainy season is, the sun will shine once again.
"Did you know you can't say any word with the letter L in it if your nose is plugged?" He blurts randomly, making me laugh.
"You're such a liar-"
"I mean it! Give it a try!" I roll my eyes, plugging my nose as I look at him with mock exasperation.
"I love-Hmph!" He slams me into the water, the coldness causing a startling yet delightful shiver down my spine and throughout my body. I'm quickly pulled back to the surface, bursts of laughter ripping from my lungs as I can't believe I fell for his little trick.
"Gotcha!" He laughs, making me smack his shoulder playfully. Best part is, I didn't panic once my head was below the surface. I was worried being fully submerged would cause my body to go into fight or flight mode.
Maybe I'm not as broken as I once thought I was. If I can tough this out, I know that I'll continue to heal.
"Mari!" Alya comes swimming over, throwing herself on top of me. "Let's play mermaids!"
"We just graduated high school, and you want to play mermaids?" I question, raising my eyebrow at my childish friend. She laughs, nodding her head enthusiastically. I hug her tightly, feeling not just insanely loved but also content. This really is a great day. "Absolutely!"
Alya and I swim around like we're mermaids, laughing and teasing the others as if we're magestic beings that they can't even comprehend. When I peer over to where Luka and Chloe are, I'm happy to see him giving her a hug, with her arms wrapped around his waist. It'll take time, but I'm sure the two of them can figure it out.
When he pulls back, she strips off her tank top and shorts, exposing her pretty yellow bathing suit beneath. She takes his hand, walking into the water and towards us.
"Chloe! Come play mermaids with us!" I call out, watching her curl her lips in disgust. Luka smiles at us, looking happier than ever. I can only assume the conversation with Chloe went well.
"Not a chance in hell."
"Come on!" Sabrina says, her orange-y red hair flowing around her as she lays on her back in the water looking over at her friend. "It's fun!"
I expect Chloe to shoot us down again, but to my surprise she just purses her lips and swims over to us.
"Fine. But I'm the queen Mermaid." She grumbles, making us laugh.
"Sorry, Chloe, but there is no Mermaid Monarchy here." I tease, watching her glare over at me. Her expression softens a bit, and as we all swim around pretending we're mermaids searching for treasure as the boys do their own thing, Chloe pulls me aside.
"I don't know what you said to Luka, but thank you." She actually smiles at me, making my heart stop entirely for several beats. I pause, trying to remember how to manually breathe. Being on the receiving end of Chloe's friendliness is certainly a weird experience.
"I just told him to take things slowly. You clearly need time to adjust to this, and thats perfectly fine. He has a lot of strong feelings for you, and it's a good idea to not rush into things while you figure out your feelings for him." I watch her shift around rather uncomfortably, looking anywhere but my eyes.
"Well, I know how I feel about him. I would say this is the closest thing I've ever felt to love before, but I just want to take it easy. He's older, he's had time to think of what he wants in life. I don't even know what I want to study yet."
"You act like he's so much older than us." I laugh, my toes dipping into the sand beneath me as I continuously tap around to keep myself stagnant in one spot. "Just don't think so much about it. Go with the flow, and see how things naturally are between you two. I've been watching you guys develop feelings for each other for months now. I think you're just scared of opening up to someone, because you're afraid they won't like what they see."
"I don't need stupid advice from you of all people, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe blurts out, glaring over at me. I laugh, rolling my eyes once again.
"My point proven."
"It's not proven! I-I..." She lets out a long and dramatic sigh, looking over at Luka before turning her attention back to me. "Fine, maybe you're right. Thanks."
Chloe Bourgeois just thanked me?!
Today will go down in history as the day a member of the Bourgeois family was actually thankful for someone else's contributions.
"Don't mention it." I smile, not bothering to poke any fun at her. I don't want to risk losing any of the progess we've made.
Returning to our friends, the rest of the beach day goes by too fast. We had so much fun playing in the water, on the sand, getting ice cream, and just talking about all our future plans.
I couldn't possibly smile any wider. If I tried, I think the corners of my lips would split open from ear to ear. Today truly has be wonderful.
Adrien and I say our goodbyes to everyone, walking away hand in hand as we head to Master Fu's place. This is our last stop for the day, before we head back to my place for food and a movie marathon.
Here's to hoping this goes well.
----------
"Ms. Marinette, Mr. Adrien. A pleasure to see you both once again." Master Fu smiles as we enter his shop, inviting us to come sit with him.
"Hi Master Fu, it's wonderful to see you." I smile, Adrien and I both bowing out of respect to him. He beams over at us, offering us some tea as we sit with him. Taking it graciously, I sip away at the tea cup as Master Fu clasps his hands together.
"I'll keep this short and sweet, since you two have a fun summer to get on with. Oh, dear me, I forgot. Congratulations on graduating, and for your acceptances into university. I'm very proud to see how far you've both come." Master Fu reaches over, shaking our hands one at a time.
"Thank you so much." I smile, Adrien nodding, saying the same thing right after me. He's stiff, tension held in his shoulders as though he really doesn't want to be here.
And honestly? I don't blame him. We're with the one person who has the power to take away our Miraculous'. I'm nervous too.
"Lets get on with this then. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and Adrien Agreste, you have both been exemplary holders of your Miraculous. You have always used your powers for the greater good, protecting the citizens of not only Paris, but of the entire world too. Without your help, Hawkmoth could have possibly never been defeated. Because of this, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for being the heroes that I could never even dream of being. Especially in this old state." He chuckles lightly, taking a sip from his tea. When he lets out a sigh, his eyes meet my own before shifting to Adrien.
"I'm going to make you a deal. You may keep your Miraculous-"
"Really?!" I interrupt him, excitement lacing through me making it near impossible to sit quietly.
"Yes, really. On one condition only!" He warns, holding his finger up steadily. I nod my head, watching Adrien smile brightly out of the corner of my eye. "You must check in with me regularily, and stay out of trouble. You can not use your powers to fight crime on the street, nor can you let people know you still have your Miraculous', okay? If it's a known fact that you're walking around with something so powerful, you'll become a target for many thieves. You must do everything to prevent that. If one of you lose your Miraculous, I will have to confiscate the other one and you'll be on your own in trying to retrieve the lost one. Do I make myself clear?" Master Fu says seriously, but Adrien and I are too excited to answer properly. I quickly nod my head, thanking him over and over as tears stream down my cheek. Tikki flies out of my purse, nuzzling against my cheek out of excitement.
"Yay, Marinette! We get to stay together!" She exclaims, making me laugh.
Alright, I can finally let out the breath I was holding in my lungs this whole time. I can admit it now, without hesitation, that this day that I feared for so long has turned out to be the best day of my life.