**A/N: This epilogue just did NOT want to form, but I was determined to have this story done before February, and, at 11:30 pm, I just barely made it under the wire. I have to give a shout out to Chibisunnie for helping me talk my way through the formatting of this. The POV was all over the place, and in truth there's still a few spots where I technically head-hop. Buuuut, it's as polished as I'm going to get, and it's fanfiction, so I need to remember it doesn't HAVE to be professional quality. I hope you can still enjoy it. And thank you all for being on this journey with me!**

- EPILOGUE -

Chat Noir's hand hovered above the glass. It had been a few days since he had visited Marinette as his superhero self. He had no real excuse to be there that night. Well, he did have one, but the point was that Marinette wouldn't be expecting him. Was it rude to just stop by unannounced? Then again, how was he supposed to announce himself? It wasn't like he could call her and let her know that a superhero was planning on swinging by in the next twenty minutes.

You're overthinking this. Chat Noir works on instinct and impulse, he reminded himself. Taking a breath, he softly tapped on the skylight, like he did the second night he learned how to crochet.

There was a long pause, and he wondered if she was even in her room. She could have been out with Alya, or playing video games with her father. Chat Noir was starting to doubt this impromptu meet-up was a good idea, but he had missed her on Christmas, so he was determined to see her that night.

He tapped again, and this time it was almost immediately answered with a high-pitched squeak, some hurried shuffling and clanging, and then Marinette's surprised face welcoming him at the skylight.

"Merry Christmas, Marinette." Chat Noir nervously waved and gave her an unsure smile. "You free?"

He scooted back a little so she could open the window and poke her head out. "Uh, yeah, I'm free. Give me a second." She then pulled herself up onto the rooftop balcony. Her outfit looked new, and warm. Perhaps something she got for Christmas, or something she had made for herself.

Instead of her normal pink jean capris, she had on cozy looking red pants, with white turned-up cuffs covered in red polka-dots. Her usual white shirt with a cherry blossom branch on it was also replaced by a fleece gray shirt with a little ladybug embroidery on it. Finally, she had on a thick, evergreen-colored jacket with cuffs and lapel that matched her pants, instead of her regular gray three-quarter-sleeve jacket. It was delightfully festive, while being very low-key about the Christmas-y feel the outfit put out. She seemed so relaxed in the new get-up that Chat Noir couldn't resist smiling.

"Chat Noir? Is there something on my face, or on my clothes?" She quickly examined her whole body with a rapid pat-down to check for anything loose or dirty. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Nothing. I was just admiring your new look." He gestured to the outfit. "It seems warm."

"Oh!" She looked herself over, as if she had forgotten what she was wearing. "Thank you. It is so comfy, I love it. Did you need something, though? A blanket or anything?"

"No, I'm good. I just- well- I came here tonight to say that I'm sorry I didn't make it over here yesterday." Chat Noir dug his toe into the tile behind him. He couldn't hold eye contact with Marinette, stealing glances before instantly looking away.

"No! That's fine. You don't have to apologize. Really. I get it, you were enjoying your Christmas, and didn't need to visit. I'm happy for you." She walked closer to him, raising her hand to rest on his arm, but hesitated. "Besides." Marinette shifted to her balcony banister, and admired the Notre-Dame across the river. "It's probably for my safety that you don't regularly hang out with me. If Hawk Moth found out who your friends and family are, we might be in danger-"

"You don't want to be friends?"

"N-no! No, that's not what I meant! I like you a lot- no-no! Not- not a lot. I mean, I do want to be friends with you, but I get it if you don't want to hang out here. Because you're a superhero."

"Do you think I shouldn't be your friend?" Chat Noir inched away, his head hung low. "Am I being selfish if I want to, though? If I like hanging out with you here?"

They stared each other down. Each one studying the other. Each one trying to find the right answer. Each one waiting for the other to speak up first.

"I like you hanging out here, too." Marinette walked back over to Chat Noir, again stopping before taking his hand. Her outstretched fingers quickly coiled into a loose fist as she rested her arm by her side.

"In that case." Chat Noir's face softened, and he moved over to her deck chair. Stooping down, he pulled a long, thin package from behind it. With a quick pivot, he stood up and held the gift out to her.

It was wrapped in lovely pink paper with snowflakes dotted across it. Unlike his awkward wrapping of Ladybug's gift the night before, this one looked like it was carefully folded, and properly taped. It even had a nice, thick, pink ribbon tied in a bow for an accent.

"I meant to give this to you on Christmas. It was already wrapped and everything, but I got caught up in a bunch of other things. I hope you don't think I forgot about you."

Marinette took in the beautiful package, and then the remorse in Chat Noir's eyes; an almost pleading that she know that she mattered to him.

"Marinette," Chat Noir took a step closer, nudging the package towards her hands, "You mean a great deal to me. You've been a truer friend than you could know, and you gave me a better gift than I could ask for."

"Gift?" Marinette was in a bit of a daze seeing Chat Noir holding out a present for her, but she snapped out of it the second the word left her lips. "Gift! Oh! I have one for you too. Hold on." In a flash she was through her skylight; vanished into her bedroom. There was some shuffling, a couple of thuds followed by a verbal confirmation that she was fine, and then the rapid creaks of Marinette's ladder as she sprinted back up to her bed.

Before Chat Noir could ask if she needed help, she was back on her roof, dusting off her pants, and holding out a box that fit nicely on her palm. It was wrapped in a wintery powder-blue paper, tied off with a simple bow of green yarn that matched Chat Noir's eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Chat Noir." Her breathing became slightly labored, as if something heavy suddenly sat on her chest.

"You didn't need to."

"Neither did you. I already have that lovely flower."

"I told you it wasn't your Christmas gift. It was just a thank you. This is your Christmas gift." He lightly shook the package in his hand for emphasis.

"Yeah, well, teaching you to crochet was just a friendly gesture, not a gift. This is a gift." She mimicked his package rattle by gently batting the wrapped box on her palm.

They both softly chuckled as they traded gifts. Neither moved, and neither verbally counted, but they both waited for the mental count of three before tearing into their gifts. The bows unwound in perfect sync, and the paper was discarded with matched time. Soon they were both holding generic white boxes. One more quick glance at each other, and the lids were also removed in mirrored movements.

"Oh, Kitty!"

"Marinette, this-"

They each pulled their presents out of their respective boxes, letting the white cardboard drop to the rooftop. They cradled the precious gifts, and examined the great craftsmanship put into them.

Chat Noir ran a finger across each bead on the bracelet Marinette made him. It was fairly simple. Small black and green beads alternated down one side, black and red ran down the other side. In the center was a small, sitting, black cat bead, and a bright, detailed, red ladybug bead. A single black bead connected them. The bracelet was latched closed with a simple, silver, barrel clasp; giving it a pseudo-masculine look.

Marinette brushed her hand across the beautiful stitching of her pink scarf. As she unfolded it, she noticed thin white stripes: three of them at each third of the scarf. It was the same exact scarf he had made for Ladybug, recreated for her in her signature pink and white. This one she could actually wear. She couldn't let anyone know who made it for her, but she could still wear it in public. Chat Noir could spot her wearing it around Paris, and it would just be a nod to their secret friendship. Her eyes welled up, and she quickly wiped a stray tear before it could roll down her cheek.

"Marinette, are you alright?" Chat Noir scooted closer to her, and gently cradled her elbow to catch her attention.

"I'm wonderful. This-" She shook her head, smiled, and wrapped the scarf around her neck, letting the one tail dangle over her chest as the other flopped over her shoulder and down her back. "This is such a lovely present. I'll cherish it always. Thank you, Chat Noir."

"A bit of a reminder of what you were able to teach me. You're actually a really good teacher, so thank you."

"You are quite welcome." Marinette's eyes drifted to the bracelet Chat Noir was still tenderly holding in his left hand. "I hope it fits alright. I had to guess how large your wrist was compared to mine. Although, I don't know if you could ever actually wear it, now that I think about it. Clearly it won't work while you're Chat Noir, and wearing it when you're not doing superhero-y things could be dangerous. If I saw a boy walking around with that on his wrist I'd know instantly it was you." Her shoulders slumped as she realized the bracelet was probably a bad idea after all. "Well, maybe you could keep it as just a lucky charm instead of a lucky bracelet."

"Lucky charm?" Chat Noir's voice caught as he gave the bracelet a second glance. Marinette didn't know it, but now she gave him two.

"Yeah, I- hold on." She jogged back to her skylight, laid on her stomach so she could dip head-first into her room, groaned a bit as she stretched for something beside her bed, and then pulled herself back up. The whole time Chat Noir kept his eyes focused on his bracelet, instead of Marinette's awkward positioning; determined to be a gentleman worthy of superhero status.

"Sorry, but here." Marinette held up a length of red yarn covered in an assortment of large yellow beads, along with a couple of blue ones in varying shades. The top of the yarn was tied into a loop, and the bottom was weighed down by a large yellow bead shaped like a bell. Around the center of the charm was a yellow bird, bookended by two blue beads.

"I don't-" Chat Noir's head tilted slightly as his eyebrows scrunched together. He couldn't quite figure out what he was supposed to do.

"This is a lucky charm a dear friend of mine made me." She smiled fondly at it as she cradled it across her palms. "He was feeling unsure of himself while we were practicing for a gaming tournament – the reason why Gamer came after me, if you remember -"

He remembered.

"-and, to try to help him believe in himself, I gave him a lucky charm bracelet very much like this one. He still carries it around, and he says it really does bring him good luck. So, he ended up making me one too. I can't carry it around in my pocket like he does, but I do have it hung up next to my bed, like a dream catcher, and, except for when Sandboy attacked Paris, I haven't had nightmares since."

Chat Noir had noticed the charm hanging next to pictures of his civilian self when Marinette first welcomed him into her room a little over a week before. He was going to ask about it, but wasn't sure how to do so when he wasn't supposed to know what it meant, or who gave it to her. He had figured, much like all the pictures of himself, she was using it as another example of Agreste Design, even if it wasn't his father that made it. His chest warmed knowing she was using it as a way to ward off bad dreams.

"So, this bracelet?" He held out his gift.

"A lot of people believe that black cats are unlucky, and I'm sure with a destructive power like Cataclysm, you might feel that way sometimes too. So, I figured I would help you balance out some bad luck with good. It's not quite a Ladybug Lucky Charm, but it's permanent, and maybe could bring you luck even out of costume. A- a way to keep you safe, or something. A way to remind you that you're not bad luck, or a burden. Just like the cat side takes up exactly half of that bracelet – I measured – you are equally important to Paris' safety."

Both of them softly blushed as their eyes met. Awkwardly laughing, they abruptly stepped away from each other, and looked in opposite directions. Chat Noir scratched the back of his neck, as Marinette rubbed her upper arm. In unintentional synchronization, they shifted weight from one foot to the next; trying to work out the nervous energy zipping between them.

After a few seconds, Marinette cleared her throat. "It's, uh, it's small enough that it should fit in your pocket. That way it can be with you both in and out of costume without you actually wearing it, if you'd like. Although, I'm not sure what happens to items you keep in your pocket when you de-power. Does it stay there? Or does it drop to the ground when the costume goes away? Or does it vanish forever?" She started panicking. She should have thought of a better gift for him, like he did for Ladybug.

"Wait, what do you mean 'costume goes away'? How do you know it's not a costume I actually have to take off and hide in a closet or something? It does have a zipper after all."

Marinette's unblinking eyes slowly widened. She talked too much. She had no clue why she talked too much around him. She did the same thing before Glaciator attacked them, when she told him they had met lots of times before.

"The, uh, Ladyblog! Yes. That's it. I read it on the Ladyblog. It was just speculation, of course, but when Ladybug told Alya – while she was Lady Wifi – that your masks couldn't come off because they're magical, Alya thought the whole costume was magical, and that it just sort of vanishes when you aren't superheroes." She swallowed hard as she forced on a smile.

"Oh yeah," Chat Noir rolled the beads of his bracelet between a couple fingers. "I forgot about that article. That Alya really is a better reporter than people give her credit for."

Marinette forced a laugh, grateful that the article actually existed. She was so panicked about her accidental overshare she just grabbed at whatever explanation she could think of. Alya figuring it out seemed plausible enough to work. She had no clue what her excuse would be if Alya hadn't written an analysis of their costumes, and if Chat Noir had called her out on it.

"I'm not sure where objects tucked in my costume pockets would go either," Chat Noir shrugged as he unzipped one of his pockets. "I've never actually kept anything in these before. So I'll try my best to remember it's in here." He tucked the bracelet inside, zipped the pocket back up, and patted it. "It is nice to know that I have a trinket from a princess to make sure I come home safe." He playfully nudged Marinette with his shoulder.

"Princess?"

"Well, if I'm the brave knight, then you're clearly the noble damsel – or princess – I fight to protect and keep safe. You even have your own tower." He gestured around Marinette's balcony.

"Silly, cat! You've clearly read too many fairy tales. Besides, who says I need saving?"

"Let's see, Ladybug said you needed saving when she found out Evillustrator was in love with you, you called out for me to save you when Gamer attacked, and you again when your grandmother became Befana, oh, and don't forget the time Glaciator was after you." Chat Noir playfully counted on his finger each time Marinette was directly involved in an akuma attack. "Then there was the time that your whole family was trapped in your own bakery thanks to Troublemaker. Oh, and I nearly forgot that Reverser was after both you and Nathaniel. I don't know if you knew that Ladybug and I protected you from him."

"Okay, okay, I get your point!"

"Goodness, Princess, you sure do need a lot of rescuing, don't you?" He winked.

Normally, Marinette was quite capable of rescuing herself, but he was right about Gamer, Befana, and Glaciator, so she let it slide. What was the harm in letting him think he was her shining knight?

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you're always around, huh? Speaking of, are- did you want to hang out for a bit? I'm sure you were just here to give me the scarf, but I could make up some hot cocoa if you'd like. And we still have tons of Christmas cookies."

"Cookies made by the Dupain-Chengs? Sold." He flopped onto the deck chair with a toothy grin.

"Don't you want to come inside?"

"Are you cold? We could go inside if you're cold, but my costume keeps me pretty warm. Plus, it's so gorgeous out here with Paris still all decked out for Christmas."

"No, outside seems lovely, at least for a little while. It's not all that cold tonight. Besides, I now have this lovely scarf to keep me warm." She smiled and opened her skylight to her bedroom. "Alright, wait there then. I'll go get us some treats." Marinette then placed the charm she got from Adrien back on her picture board before heading to the kitchenette.

As she gathered up goodies for them to share, Chat Noir relaxed across her deck chair. The air was crisp, the garland Marinette wrapped around her balcony banister was festive, and the lights shining from the Notre-Dame and reflecting off the Seine were beautiful. He unzipped his pocket and pulled his new bracelet back out. She had made him two. Two bracelets to give him luck. How could anything ever go wrong for him again with two amazing Marinette Lucky Charms?

He glanced past his shoulder, towards the skylight, and listened for any sound of Marinette's return. Nothing. He probably had time. He wanted to de-transform so he could try on his new bracelet and see how it looked, but he knew it would be difficult to convince Plagg to transform him back in time for Marinette to not find out who he was. It would be simple enough – he just had to say "Claws Out" to transform; whether Plagg wanted to or not – but Adrien certainly didn't want to deal with the consequences of doing so.

Reluctantly, he remained Chat Noir, and instead draped the charm across his wrist to get a basic idea. It was simple, and looked like it would fit him well. It was a shame Marinette could never know who Chat Noir was. He would have loved to secretly wear it to a photo shoot and see if he could sneak the bracelet into a magazine ad. That would have been a fun Easter Egg for Marinette; flipping through the latest teen magazine, spot an ad for Gabriel sports gear or something, and there, dangling off his left wrist, would be the bracelet.

If only, Chat Noir pondered with some melancholy.

"Sorry for the wait." Marinette popped back up with a green blanket rolled up and tucked under her arm.

Chat Noir put the bracelet back into his pocket, and then helped Marinette onto the roof. She rolled out the thick blanket, and gestured for Chat Noir to take a seat. She then scurried back inside. Chat Noir arched his neck, trying to see what she was up to. Soon enough, she re-emerged with an oval tray covered in large, star-shaped sugar cookies, and a pink thermos. Chat Noir crawled over to help her; grabbing the tray and thermos so her hands were free. Instead of joining him on the roof, Marinette disappeared once again.

Chat Noir carried the tray and the thermos to their little picnic spot, and laid both on the blanket. He picked up one of the sugar cookies, and sized it up. They were huge, roughly the size of his hand, and had a fine layer of yellow frosting painted on them. He took a quick nibble of one corner. The cookies were fantastic; exactly what he would expect of Marinette and her parents.

Marinette cleared her throat. "Couldn't wait for me?" She smiled to let him know that she wasn't truly offended, and she rested two mugs on her balcony before climbing up. Scooping the mugs back up, she settled next to Chat Noir on the blanket. Without another word, she opened the thermos and filled a pastel-yellow mug before passing it over to her visitor.

"A black cat?" He gave her a half-smile, and then tapped the front of the mug, which was decorated with the silhouette of a cat head.

"I thought it would be appropriate. Unless, of course, you'd prefer this one. I know how much you like Ladybug." Marinette gave him a sly smile as she held up the other mug: red and covered in black polka dots.

"Tempting." Chat Noir laughed, but then took a sip from the cat mug, "but I think I'll stick with the cat."

"Same." She held up her mug for him to clink, which he gladly did. "Chat Noir? I-I'm glad you had a nice day yesterday. I was worried that you would stay away so you wouldn't interrupt my family's Christmas, but I didn't want you all alone."

"It's alright, really. I had one of the best Christmases I've had for a while. I actually took what you taught me, and made my family scarves as well, and it really helped me bond. The second I saw my f-" Chat Noir's mouth clamped shut, and he shoveled the rest of the cookie in his mouth. "I mean, when I found out that someone important to me used to crochet, I knew I needed to use that as my gift to my family. It was like that person was still around to make us gifts. I think everyone really loved them."

"That's so sweet. I'm glad I could help."

"You did. You helped a lot. It's actually really appropriate that you're using a ladybug mug, because you truly are like an everyday Ladybug." He made sure to emphasize the same wording he had used as Adrien. Her mumbling the other night made him realize how important that phrasing seemed to be for her.

It was her turn to nervously nibble at a cookie to avoid having to talk.

"So, uh, about your gift to Ladybug-?"

"Oh! Well, I actually decided to do something else for her. She's under a lot of stress as a superhero, and even though she seems to be handling it all really well, I was afraid it might wear her down. So I ended up going online to learn how to make these things called Worry Dolls. I was going to ask you how to make them, but I was a bit embarrassed to ask you how to make a second thing. I found a simple design, and was able to make her one Worry Doll to look like each of us Miraculous holders, minus Hawk Moth, of course. She seems to really like them, so thank you for giving me the confidence to make her something at all."

"You're welcome, but I'm still a bit confused as to why you put in the time to make her a scarf if you weren't going to give it to her."

"It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. I had made the scarf, you seemed to have liked it – which is why I made you one just like it – and I was planning on wrapping it for Ladybug. Then I realized how much the scarf meant to me. It was this unknown connection between me and someone I really miss, and I wasn't ready to give that up. Also, I realized she wouldn't be able to wear it. You were right, it would be a bit awkward to wear the scarf while in costume, and while out of costume, wearing the scarf would be a dead give-away that she was Ladybug if I ever saw it. So, I held on to it. Maybe someday I could give it to her."

"It was really smart, what you did about the scarf, and also really sweet to make those dolls. It was kind of you to think of Ladybug like that. You're always her protector, aren't you?"

"I am sorry, my princess, but I do have other damsels who need my protecting, and I'm Ladybug's shield first and foremost."

Marinette chuckled. "You really have read too many fairy tales. Just don't get careless as you try to protect Ladybug. She needs you as a partner not as a shield."

They settled into a silence, the same one they had grown accustomed to while he visited to crochet.

"How did everyone like the gifts you made them?"

"They all really seemed to like them." Marinette then briefly told Chat Noir about the gifts she made for everyone, how she delivered them, and everyone's reactions. She beamed as she talked about finding the movie poster, and giving it to Adrien. She admitted that having to work with Chloé was a bit irritating, but it was worth it to see how much the poster made Adrien smile.

When she was done telling her stories, Chat Noir talked about his meet-up with Ladybug, and how it went so well he stayed out past midnight. He had meant to visit Marinette either before meeting up with Ladybug, or at least leave the present for her to find after his meet-up, but he lost track of the time in both cases. A theme that seemed to continue into that night.

They spent the next couple of hours drinking hot cocoa, eating cookies, and talking. They discussed their Christmases, and their plans for the new year, and how annoying all the akuma attacks were, but at least Hawk Moth had taken a break on Christmas; letting everyone have at least a happy holiday.

It wasn't until Marinette began shivering did they notice how long they had been talking.

"You should head inside. I'm sorry I kept you out here. I should have remembered how much protection I have in my suit compared to your jacket." Chat Noir gathered up the tray, thermos, and mugs before standing and holding out his hand for Marinette.

She accepted, and then leaned down to gather up the blanket.

"Don't worry about it. I had a nice time, but you're right. I should head inside." Marinette opened her skylight, dropped the blanket onto her bed below, and then took the tray from Chat Noir. "Chat Noir?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"I really enjoyed spending time with you this week."

"I did too."

"You're welcome here any time, so let me know if you ever figure out Ladybug's birthday." She winked, and lowered herself down into her room.

Chat Noir laughed back, before bowing to his host. "My many thinks, princess. I might have to take you up on your offer. In case I don't see you before then, though, have a happy new year."

"You too, Chat Noir."

He gave a slight nod, and then pole vaulted off her roof. He headed home, a place that no longer felt quite like a prison. All thanks to a new movie poster, a new scarf, and a new skill. All thanks to Marinette.

**A/N: So much for a "short" epilogue, huh? These two were bigger talkers than I originally thought. It was supposed to be simple: they exchanged gifts, talked about why they made them, and had a picnic... but, as per usual with my stuff, it became a bit more involved than that. :P

As I said in the opening chapter's A/N, I fear that I'm head hopping a little bit in this, but I also felt like I should have told a bit more in Marinette's POV. For instance, the noise from when Chat Noir first arrived at her home was because she still had the Chat Noir worry doll out, and she was fumbling to hide it before he could see that she had it. I just couldn't figure out how to show bits like that without hopping from Chat's POV to Marinette's. Even with all the polishing, I just couldn't figure out how to keep this epilogue FULLY with Chat Noir's POV in mind. Please forgive that.

I want to give Chibisunnie another quick shout out. She drew me a Christmas card of some MariChat goodness, and of COURSE I had to use her artwork as inspiration for the picnic scene. I really wish FFN would let me leave a link so you could check it out, but the best I can do is tell you to look for chibisunnie on DeviantArt.

Thank you all for taking this journey with me, and a very merry - and extended - Christmas to my buddy Taurus Pixie, whom I dedicated this story to.**