HP: god of potions

Chapter 151

Adrien, in stark contrast, blinked a few times, then slowly, his lips curled into the widest, most joyous grin he'd ever had in his life. "You're Marinette," he breathed in awe, eyes filled with nothing but pure admiration. "You've been my Lady all along… That means—" His heart practically leaped out of his chest as realization struck him. "The girl I love, the one I've been chasing after for so long—she's been my girlfriend this entire time!" He let out a breathless chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is the best day of my life."

"THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE?!" Marinette shrieked, hands gripping her hair as her world shattered and reassembled at the same time. "I— You— Adrien! You don't understand! Do you know how much I suffered? I was in love with you for YEARS! And meanwhile, you—" she gestured wildly, her words tumbling out in an incoherent rush, "—you were out here SIMPING for me as Chat Noir every single day?!" She groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, this is so embarrassing…"

Adrien blinked at her, realization dawning. "Wait… so, you were in love with me as Adrien, but you rejected me as Ladybug? But I was in love with you as Ladybug, and you were my best friend as Marinette—" His brows furrowed as he tried to piece it all together. "—which means… We were in love with each other the whole time?"

"YES, ADRIEN, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS!" Marinette threw her arms in the air, groaning in frustration. "I—I cannot believe this! I spent SO much time agonizing over you, thinking you were untouchable, and all this time, you were RIGHT THERE!"

Adrien's grin widened, his eyes practically sparkling. "Marinette, my lady, my princess—" he said dreamily, stepping closer, "—this is amazing! We're literally made for each other! Fate—destiny—LOVE! It's all been leading us here!" Marinette's face burned even redder. "Don't—Don't say things like that! I need a minute to process this! This is too much! I just—I need to sit down." She plopped onto the ground, still cradling her head. Meanwhile, Rachel and Gray stood a few feet away, watching the entire spectacle unfold with amusement.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, Gray?" Rachel remarked, folding her arms, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips. Gray, grinning from ear to ear, crossed his arms and let out a chuckle. "Oh, come on, Rachel. This is fun! Plus, as their fan, haven't you been waiting for the reveal? Now you're experiencing it firsthand." Rachel tilted her head slightly, considering his words before letting out a small laugh. "To be honest, it's more amusing this way." The two simply stood there, watching as Marinette panicked, Adrien swooned, and their entire world turned upside down.

Adrien and Marinette sat across from Gray and Rachel, their hands tightly clasped together. Though the initial shock had passed, neither could bring themselves to let go of the other, as if afraid the moment would slip away if they did. Their gazes flickered between their supposed future son and his mysterious girlfriend, still struggling to wrap their heads around the revelation. "So… you're our future son?" Marinette finally spoke, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is unbelievable." "I know, right?" Adrien chuckled nervously, squeezing her hand. "I can't believe we get married in the future."

Marinette's expression quickly shifted from astonishment to sheer curiosity as she turned back to Gray. "Okay, I need answers. What's your name? How old are you? Where did you live? What are we like in the future? What do we do? Do we stop Hawkmoth?" Gray merely took a calm sip from his tea before setting the cup down and meeting their expectant gazes. "My name is Gray Knight… well, actually, Gray Agreste." He gestured toward Rachel. "And this is my girlfriend, Rachel Roth."

Marinette and Adrien turned to Rachel, who simply offered them a polite, knowing smile. Adrien, still trying to process everything, frowned. "But… if you're from the future, then you must know how everything turns out, right?" Gray sighed, shaking his head. "Technically, no. I have no idea what your future entails."

That answer only deepened their confusion. Marinette furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? If you're our son, then you should know what happens in our future." Gray hesitated for a moment before finally replying, "Yes, I am your son. But… you left me at an orphanage in the 1990s. In a magical world." Silence. Adrien and Marinette both stiffened, their eyes widening in pure shock.

"W-What?" Marinette's voice trembled. She shook her head violently. "No. No, that's impossible. We would never leave our child in an orphanage." Adrien, equally as horrified, nodded. "She's right. There's no way we would ever abandon you." Gray let out a quiet sigh, his expression unreadable. "The only reason I even know who you are is because of them."

He reached deep into his soul, calling forth the ancient energies within him. In an instant, two small, battered figures emerged—Tikki and Plagg. But these weren't the ones Marinette and Adrien knew. These Kwamis were old, worn, and clearly had endured the test of time. Marinette and Adrien gasped in horror as their present-day Tikki and Plagg materialized beside them.

"Oh, Tikki…" Present Tikki immediately flew toward her future self, wrapping her in a tight hug, eyes filled with sorrow. Present Plagg, on the other hand, simply stared at his future counterpart before bluntly stating, "You're old. What happened to your ear?" Future Plagg, whose right ear had a missing top, snorted. "Kid, you wouldn't understand."

Gray, watching the exchange with a small smile, continued, "I came here not just to meet you, but also to leave them with you. They're better off in this timeline, with you both. Though, I advise you let them rest for a while." As he spoke, the teacup in his hands glowed faintly before seamlessly transforming into a case—one designed to hold the two weary Kwamis safely. Adrien's jaw dropped. "Whoa. How did you do that?" Gray simply smirked. "Magic. The world your future selves left me in was filled with it." Marinette's eyes sparkled with excitement. "So, you're a magician?"

Gray glanced at Rachel, who nodded, before turning back to his parents with a smirk. "We both are." Marinette, despite everything, felt an undeniable sense of pride swell in her chest. "So… what has your life been like?" There was a hint of concern in her voice. She may not have raised him, but she was still technically his mother.

Gray leaned back, offering a reassuring smile. "I went to school for wizards. I was the best academic student. I became a famous potioneer, which means I'm, well… extremely rich. So, life hasn't been tough for me." Rachel gave an approving nod beside him. What Gray didn't say—what neither of them said—was that his life hadn't always been so easy. That he had struggled. That there had been hardships and loneliness. But telling them now would do nothing but cause them worry.

Instead, they spent the rest of the day talking. Or rather, they listened as Future Plagg and Future Tikki regaled them with just enough details about their future—not too much to risk the timeline, but enough to give them a glimpse of what lay ahead. And for now, that was enough.

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A/N tomorrow it would be time to start the ending of this fanfic.