Epilogue

"-marvelous, simply marvelous!"

Adrien nodded and grinned, the expression almost genuine. While his praise was true, there was only so many times he could repeat it before falling into a routine. "Keep an eye on her, she's a rising star."

Madame Moyen's eyes glittered, her lips curving into a sly, knowing grin. She was one of the Grand Dames of the fashion world, a kingmaker – the kind of woman who could make or break a reputation. "From what I hear, she has a muse, Monsieur Agreste."

His eyes twinkled. "That may well be," he said coyly. "A very handsome man, from what I hear."

She tittered. "I heard he's a dangerous one."

"Oh?" He tilted his head. "I suppose so. But danger and beauty go hand in hand, don't they?"

She tittered once more, her eyes shining with approval.

A gentle touch brushed his spine. "Madame Moyen," Marinette said softly. "It's such an honor to meet you."

"Speak of the devil."

"Devil?" His Lady smiled her most innocent smile. "I'm afraid you must have me confused with my muse. Whom I must steal away now."

"Help, help, I'm being monopolized."

"Oh, shush."

Adrien let himself be led away, Madame Moyen's soft laughter drowning out his sigh of relief.

"Part of me wants to unleash you on the rest of them to watch you work your networking magic," Marinette said, "But mostly I want to take you home and spare you the pain. Are you okay? Your smile looked really strained there."

He brushed his lips along her temple. "You're worth it. And this is your official debut, so I'm willing to put in some extra effort."

Marinette Dupain-Cheng's designs had rocked Paris Fashion Week, as he'd known they would when he'd confidently strutted on that catwalk. Now it was time to capitalize, no matter how tedious the process.

While Adrien had been slowly detaching himself from the world of Haute Couture in preparation of his enrollment as a Physics freshman in the fall, this had only increased demand for his brand. And he was not above taking advantage in order to give Marinette a little boost.

"But you hate it," she said, pursing her lips.

"It's just another battle to be fought." His fingers curled around hers and he raised her hand to his mouth. "Now go and kick their asses."

"You make it sound like we're in the middle of enemy territory."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't we?"

"Dork."

"Weep not for me, my love. Leave me behind and conquer."

"The biggest dork."

Adrien grinned widely.

"Cat me some slack, would you? I have to get my entertainment from somewhere."

She rolled her eyes and sauntered off to charm more prospective clients. His eyes scanned the crowd for his next target, briefly fixating on Nino who was in deep conversation with an American film director. Alya stood by her boyfriend's side, one arm loosely linked with his. When her lips moved, the trio broke into laughter.

His schmoozing capabilities clearly not needed on that front, Adrien's searching gaze moved on. It landed on Nathalie who was staring at a set of four large prints hanging on the wall. Her fingers were absently curling around a silver pendant, the one Adrien had gotten her for her birthday.

"Do you like them?" he asked, sauntering up to her side.

"Your girlfriend is very talented. I think I'll snatch her up now that my best client is leaving the industry."

"I'll be happy to give you a most glowing reference."

"Thank you, Mr. Agreste." She fell silent, adjusted her glasses, and then cleared her throat. "It looks like you."

Adrien smiled.

He had been through thousands of photoshoots, but he'd never truly recognized himself in the final products. The design in white was no exception in that regard. That was just him in some skimpy clothes, face contorted in his standard seductive smirk.

But that other one…

The photo showed him laughing, head thrown back in joy which exposed the golden ribbon tied around his neck, a stark contrast to the black of his suit.

"It does, doesn't it?"

His tail twitched as the predator lay in wait, patiently anticipating his chance. When the last human turned his back to the buffet, he struck. Dashing out from beneath the heavy cloth's edge, he swiped at his prey, collected the supple flesh for him to devour, and disappeared back under the table.

Then, because he was a generous God, Deception shared his catch.

But Destruction was an ungrateful bastard and declined the offer by waving a cheese-smeared paw. Vile stuff, cheese. Trixx would never understand why Plagg had chosen to trade blood and meat for rotten milk. Once he and the black kwami had feasted on bone and sinew together. Ah well. More for Trixx.

The fox kwami happily bit into the mini-sausage.

"So I've been thinking," he said. "About our wielders."

"Ready to admit you got the consolation prize?"

It was a heated argument of theirs, born out of Plagg's wielder rejecting Trixx to pass him on to a clearly superior partner. But because Plagg had been first pick, he labored under the delusion that his kitten was better than Trixx's kit.

Deception snorted. "Far from it. Yet – I come bearing a proposition. My Alya has already agreed." In fact, it had been her idea. Oh, how Trixx loved that mind of hers, even though he had to show her the path to possibilities her pure thoughts overlooked.

Black ears perked up. "Oh?"

"My wielder wishes to play a prank on the Guardian, and your wielder could be of assistance. We could settle this debate of ours." The Fox grinned broadly. "Let's trade."

"Trade?"

"Yes. Don't worry, it will only be for a day or two. My wielder thinks dressing in black leather and cat ears while flirting up a storm would be hysterical." Trixx cackled. "If your wielder was willing to wear me while acting a little too familiar with the Guardian as well…"

Plagg, clever cat that he was, caught on immediately and laughed.

"I think Adrien could be convinced to assist in your endeavors."

Trixx steepled his paws. "Excellent."

"Do you ever get tired of needling Wisdom, Trixx?"

"No. Never."

"I'm just saying. Appreciate what your counterpart has to offer, and you will be richly rewarded."

"I do appreciate Wisdom. It's he who does not see that we could be just like you and Tikki." Trixx rolled his eyes. "He's too slow." But one day even his beloved would catch on to the meaning of the word foreplay. And with Alya has his wielder, Trixx had an entire human lifetime to make his case. Soon, he would be the favored predator while Plagg slept in the Void.

Trixx swallowed the maniacal laugh. The foolish Black Cat had no idea he was unwittingly aiding his own downfall.

"Just return Adrien in pristine condition, Trixx. No joy rides."

"On my honor."

They both laughed, knowing Trixx had none.

Plagg's voice grew deadly serious. "I mean it, though. Every scratch I find on my kitten, I will return a thousand-fold."

Trixx inclined his head. "I will respect your wishes, Destruction. But soon, once you've melded with her, you will be forced to concur that it is I who came out ahead in this round of Choosing."

"You keep telling yourself that." The black kwami licked the cheese off his paw. "Though I have to admit, I'm still baffled you think so highly of her."

"We are not so incompatible as one might think. She's decided to become a professional hunter." His paws curled to mimic air quotes. "A 'private detective' on the trail of those who broke Justice. We should be matched against our obvious type more often. Such fun."

Plagg grew still. Then he nodded gravely.

"Agreed. I think I've figured out why Tikki's been having the time of her life." He broke off another piece of camembert and stuffed it into his mouth. "She's been hoarding all the likable wielders."

He swallowed and licked his muzzle, voice thoughtful.

"Gentle hearts. Gentle hearts are the key."

One Year Later

She aimed the yo-yo with practiced ease, the string catching on a chimney to propel Ladybug to new heights. A grin tugged at her lips as the wind rushed through her hair, but she did not allow herself to dwell, the string already seeking its next target.

Beneath her, a shadow was darting from roof to roof. He was impossibly fast, but power flowed through her tonight and she would not let him catch her. No, tonight was the night she would finally win a race against her partner.

Ladybug fell from the sky, letting gravity accelerate her momentum. Catching herself at the last possible moment, she swept into her next arc, so close to the ground her boot almost skimmed the pavement.

The wind carried his alarmed shout, and then he slammed into her from the side. Together, they tumbled onto a roof, his big body shielding hers from the impact. Above, a black portal sealed shut.

"You cheater!"

Low laughter reverberated in her ear as Chat Noir squeezed her closer. "My Buginette was about to go splat on the pavement."

"I was not! You just didn't want me to win."

"You can't prove that."

"Cheater."

"Rules were made to be broken." Green eyes sparkled with mischief. "I did not choose the thug life, my Lady. It chose me."

She wiggled out of his hold, getting up just so she could target him with her most scathing look. He did not appear contrite at all, his grin supremely smug. "That's it. Next week I'm patrolling with Rena."

Black ears drooped before instantly perking as his grin widened. "You won't. I'm your favorite."

Ladybug huffed, crossing her arms. "You can't prove that."

Oh no. He was doing the eye thing at her. It was so much more effective when he was transformed and could get his pupils to dilate for maximum cuteness. She whirled around, averting her gaze before he could break her will.

A moment later, his arms closed around her waist, tucking her against him. "My apologies, my Lady. I'm a bit high-strung tonight. Today's a special day."

"Oh?" She leaned into the embrace, and his lips brushed her nape.

"It's our anniversary."

Briefly, her eyes widened with panic. How could she forget their anni – wait. No, their anniversary had been a few weeks ago, and they'd gone to the same restaurant as their first date to celebrate it. She'd gifted him a green scarf, adding to his growing collection. "Are you sure your math's not off, Chaton?"

"I'm absolutely paws-itive." There was laughter in his voice. "You see, exactly a year ago to this day, I woke up in a stranger's bed and fell madly in love."

"You are such a hopeless romantic, kitty."

"Guilty as charged." His fingers curled around her wrist and suddenly he yanked her into a twirl. She yelped, but her enhanced body never lost its balance, fluidly adjusting to his movements. He dipped her down, his lips barely brushing hers, before she found herself in another whirl. The darkness of a portal enveloped her, swallowing his faint laughter.

And then they were dancing to the shine of flickering candlelight.

Ladybug's gaze darted around to find some clue about their location. Her breath left her as she took in the familiar scene on a familiar roof, painstakingly decorated much the same as it had been that fateful night when she'd first realized the depth of her partner's feelings for her.

She lost their rhythm and they stumbled to a halt. Chat Noir flashed her a shy grin, the pale skin beneath his mask darkening with a blush. Slowly, he lowered himself on one knee and raised a hand.

His claws unfurled to reveal a small velvet box.

Nino yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing. Late-night patrols were fun – well, what came after late-night patrols was fun, anyway, when both he and Alya were filled with restless energy. She'd developed a habit of pouncing, pinning him to the wall and he was more than happy to go with the flow.

But he definitely paid for the lack of sleep in the mornings. Nino yawned again just as the last drip hit the heavenly black brew, and he did not even wait for it to cool down before bringing the mug to his lips.

The first rays of the dawns were tentatively creeping in, not yet strong enough to overpower the incandescence of the two flowers planted in pots on the window sill.

Nino's fingertips ghosted over white petals pulsing with an ethereal glow, the floret closed around a kwami growing within. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn the petals had moved. Was the flower grown from Harmony's essence close to blooming?

"Nino!" The door slammed open and the whirlwind that was his girlfriend swept in, waving something in the air. "Look what came in the mail!"

She held out a small card and Nino plucked it from her hand, squinting at the elegantly looping script. Then he guffawed.

"I can't believe Adrien wasted a small fortune on buying himself a title."

"Never underestimate that dork's commitment to a pun. It even outweighs his frugality." Alya's shoulders shook with laughter. "I think it's cute."

"It's not very French. Clearly the man's been out of the country for too long and forgotten what we think of Aristocracy."

"Well, the name is French, at least." She grinned at Nino. "So, what are the odds that I can convince you to change your last name to mine?"

"Slim to none." Nino pressed a kiss to her temple. "And they're both changing their names, not just Adrien."

"Escaping the hyphen curse." Alya ruefully shook her head. "I mean, I have to give them credit for sheer audacity. They're taunting the universe. Practically inviting the glamor to fail."

"It's endured worse abuse than this. Besides, it's a normal name, they could have made it much more obvious." He'd half-expected one of Adrien's atrocious cat puns. "And I'm pretty sure we're the only ones who will be getting this version of the invitation." Laughing softly, Nino's gaze dipped back down to the beautifully inscribed calligraphy.

You are hereby invited

to celebrate the joyful union of

Lord and Lady Lenoir

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I did.

I would like to extend a special thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and share their thoughts. Reading your feedback, both kind and constructive, your speculation and your reactions keeps me motivated and fuels my imagination.