#this user voted for chat noir | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

currentfandomkick · 4 years

Text

JL confronts Marinette

From bio!dad Strange au, where they made her kryptonian to keep her alive. This is post-Hawkmoth (debating using a random and revamping Gabriel altogether tbh)

“Don’t.” Marinette was tired of heroes, tired of being one. She had to handle hawkmoth’s fallout, keeping so many secret identities (hers, JL, miraculus team, her gotham family’s) and she just wanted to sleep.

Flash found her first, but Superman grabbed her and put her in the air for a ‘talk’.

“Don’t what?” She knew superman wasnt a detective. She knew he was a reporter though and she could see baiting and needling just under the surface. He’s an interrigator then, she decided.

“Don’t come in and try to fix what the miraculous team already handled. Paris was abbadonned by your league.”

She figured this was about Ladybug. Paris is always going off the the miraculous holders and ladybugs were always deemed the defacto leaders. She liked that Daesuqa (Talia) took over leading long term missions for the most part, handled meetings and politics so her and Chat and the others could be more like the teens they are in theory.

And everyone knew Marinette was Chat Noir’s favorite after she got how many akumatized people to release their akuma on their own? And that she supplied mirauclous users with kwami food (though it was common for many other civilians). It was common knowledge to all, but Hawkmoth apparently, that if Chat or his miraculous team or the entire team was needed, you went to Marinette.

Superman furrowed his brow at that though. “I didn’t know there was an active team here.”

So it wasn’t about the miraculous or years of magic terrorism her city endured?

“Been here for years. Hawkmoth’s sentencing is in a few hours.”

She hoped it was the kwami’s choice. Tikki murmured that people were surprised by what they could live through, and she is thw kwami of life. Tikki would make him wish he was dead routinely. He deserved it for regualrly slaughtering the city.

“No, that’s...” superman shook his head. “I came here to talk to you about...” he gestures to her then. She didn’t get it until she realized she was floating on her own.

When did he let her go?

“I know you’re Princess.”

Marinette’s blood stopped then. No. He can’t. They can’t.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I know Chloe changed my handle to Princess of Paris a few years ago but indont think heroes can stalk teens for that.”

Good, play into that. Distract until someone you trust can come. She hit an alert on her phone while he wasnt looking.

Pegasus should be here soon.

“I know you know it only as the Chimera project.”

Wrong. It was the surgery that kept her alive.

“And i know you’ve been poisoning yourself to stay hidden.”

Antidotes came from venom. It was fone to ise the stickers, they kept her human. The crystals were for emergencies only.

“What I don’t get is why.”

Why would she want him to kidnap, or abduct her? Take her from her family? Her life?

Don’t show that you’re who he thinks, anvocie whispered. Keep being the Paris Marinette from social media. The savage who snarled Weredad into submission.

“I really think you have the wrong girl. Its listed under my file as a volunteer flyer that i’m a flying meta, like most of the flyers.” Good, keep it up.

“And superman, if I had to guess why some girl that i look like would supress their powers, its becuase this is France and until the Miraculous team came clean about some being meta, you were imprisoned on suspicions of being meta, even infants were, are in the rest of France. Paris is the only place you arent imprisoned for it.”

Superman paled at that. “I. I wasn’t aware.”

“why would you be?”

Superman did respond to that.

“And if this Princess of yours is still hiding, she might be protecting her loved ones. Or maybe she thinks you’d steal her away from her life and home? Everyone knows about the fortress of solitude and i dont think anyone besides you would like living there, especially so far from people.”

Marinette watched him process. As long as Red Robin didnt see her, didnt confirm her identity, she was in the clear.

“Now if you’d excuse me, I’m needed to finish filling out a report on the final battle.”

That had superman’s attention.

“Final battle.”

“Yes, we just took down Hawkmoth a week ago.”

“He already has his trial, in a week.” Disbelief. Not worng either.

“It took the citizens of paris a week to finish voting. Finally tallies come in tonight if we try him as humans or if the kwami—gods of various concepts—are the ones to try him for his crimes. Afterall, he enslaved one kwami and abused another.”

Superman was not doing well, far too pale. Shock? No, they sent so many videos before the JL banned them.

Guilt. Regret, too. Probably.

“Now can you put me down somewhere? I’m not out as a meta and indont plan on being out anytime soon. Any supporting the miraculous teams do have their enemies too, and i dont want to be targetted.”

Superman nodded. Numb? Possible.

She let hersef be taken down.

Pegasus was there, Flash on his way. Another person who could make her.

She had to move fast.

“I hope I cleared things up?”

Superman nodded.

Max was ready to fight, glaring at the blue boyscout.

“Ready to go Miss DC?”

Marinette nodded, letting him guide her to the portal.

Flash didnt make it in, but he didnt see her face either. She’s take the narrow victory.

They exited in the Paris Grande Hotel. The Mayor had Batman and Red Robin with him. Crap.

“Is this...”

“Our civilian contact, Miss DC,” Pegasus stated almost too professionally. Great, now Red would know they know each other as friends. batman too.

“Batman, Red Robin, correct?”

“Yes. We, we just found your heroes videos and came to help. I see we’re too late too.”

Marientte nodded, avioding eye contact with Red. She wasnt sure if he learned to act infront of Batman yet, and wasnt risking it.

“I heard you came up with many of the emergency procedures and built the comms system with Pegasus.”

“As a flyer, yes. As Miss DC I just make sure the team stays fed and Chat doesnt forget to sleep.”

Batman shot Red Robin a look as he said, “I know the feeling.”

Marinette didnt fight the smile then. Yes, that was her Hero Stalker Tim alright.

“Would you two be interested in helping the league develop a better system to sort incoming messages?”

Pegasus moved first. “If we do, Miss DC is to be left alone. Her mother is very atrict about her not getting involved in science, and refuses to believe that her daughter has been actively helping the miraculous team.”

Batman turned his attention to Marinette then. “Is that so?”

Marinette nodded. “My birth father and her left on... terms i never got the jist of. He and his friends teach me in secret. Mama,” not maman, she forced herself to say, “she said something about it being destructive and dangerous, so she wants me to stick to the arts instead.”

Batman nodded. “Experiments can be, but that doesnt undercut the good you’ve done. I’ll tell the league you will work off-site should you accept.”

Marinette nodded along. “I can help where Pegasus gets stuck, and be contacted through him but otherwise would prefer not to be contacted by the League. I’m a civilian, and no offense, but there ahve been leaks before.”

“Understandable. The league thanks you for your help, and apoligizes for what you went through.”

Marinette could feel the hole Red Robin was burning into her. He earings. And the fox miraculous. Shit. He knew.

Marinette wanted to punch the league in their face collectively.

“All May i go now, i have a meeting to get to.”

“Of course.”

Pegasus opened the portal and escorted her out.

They both waited five minites, Max feeding Kaalki, for the call.

“So why didnt you tell me?” Tim was pissed.

“Media blackout. Any time i tried to call it was blocked.”

Tim swore. “Alfred!”

“You are so lucky Pegasus doesnt know anything about gotham.”

“He’s there?”

“I work with him alot.”

“So when you visited Gotham...”

“French government would know. Not hard to connect the dots of girl leaves to see gotham fmaily and suddenly the league shows up after banning all of Paris from contact.”

“I. When did it happen?”

“Before Chrismas. I would have had Nonna tell you but she didnt know either until after the fact and they said if she told anyone itd be me going to jail for her.”

“That’s. What hellscape do you live in?”

“I died so many times i don’t even know now.” She stopped keeping track after she got into the eighties. That wasn’t even a full year into being Ladybug.

“That’s not comforting.”

“Please tell me that you’re not outing me to Bats. I just got two leaguers off my tail.”

“I won’t tell him, but if the new Robin does i’m not stopping him.”

She almost forgot Talia’s son was a Robin. She didnt see him in uniform yet—as Damian (not wayne but damian who was mourning lost family, damian who didnt know how to talk to people his age). She knows he’s a bit thick with social cues, and his detective skills need work in her opinion but he’s skeptical and has good insticts. He might make her as Marinette if he’s there.

“Is he...”

“He’s with the Titans now, but theyre debating coming here to yell at the league.”

“Videoing it?”

“Obviously. Want a copy?”

“Ill make popcorn before watching.”

“Rkc are doing well by the way—stopped a human trafficking ring and i think they took the victims.”

“Harley’s working with them,” marientte got he update earlier. “Hood and zsasz took out the lower and mid tier that woudlnt snitch. The case should be smooth sailing—the sirens put out a blanket hit on anyone trying to touch the witnesses.”

“So managing two teams this whole time,” red murmured, almost... bitter, or disapointed in something—no someone. Himself?

“Just tweaking things. Daesuqa handles most the team since she found me and Chat. Apparently she was compatible enough to do a lot of the non-fighting work. I still did battle strategy and all but,” Marinette shrugged.

“She focused in survival aspects here, and long term stability for Gotham. Daesuqa has handled most of non-kwami work here outside of kwami and candidates,” Max added. “On top of her work as a student and designer and inventor.”

Red Robin groaned. “When do you sleep?”

Marinette hummed. “I have meds to make me. And angry family to make me take them.”

“Her... what are we calling him now?” Mac was asking about Felix, adiren’s gremlin cousin who’s mom isntryign to adopt her. Also a fellow reverse theif and possessive friend.

“Uh, gremlin.”

“Her gremlin calls to let is know if she does get rest on the weekends and we trade off on weekdays.”

Red robin hummed into the phone. “So staying to the shadows?”

Trixx and Tikki looked up at Marinette at that. tikki wanted her to be the Ladybug, the be seen and everywhere and she...

Trixx knew why Marinette liked the shadows and background. Trix understood that bit.

“Yeah, i’ll still play in between and have some kwami things for life now.” She and Chat were working out gaurdian duties still.

She wasnt interested in the JL.

@emeraldpuffguide @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @mystery-5-5 @weird-pale-blonde-person @dast218

#maribat au #maribat #bio! dad au #bio!dad strange #bio!dad au #ml au #my au #my idea #marinette strange dupain cheng

192 notes · View notes

caterinawrites · 7 years

Text

Chapter 14 is here finally!

I know it’s been like a million years since LC has been updated, but it’s finally here! And you can read it:

FF | AO3

Chapter 14 Identity

“Knock, knock,” His familiar voice echoed through her mind bringing a smile to her lips. She pictured opening a door and pulling him inside, and he landed in front of her moments later with one of his famous boyish grins. “Good evening, my radiant princess.”

“Can you be serious?” She chided, though a huge grin of her own refused to stray from her lips. “This is an important business meeting.”

“C’mon, Bug!” He whined. “This is our first dream meeting since finding out our identities. We’re on like a whole new level of trust now!”

“Okay, but we still have business to discuss,” She laughed, shoving his shoulder playfully. “We need to talk about patrols.”

“But that’s so boring! Can’t we talk about that later?” He fell across her lap and looked up at her, those perfect lips of his formed into a pout. “I know you’re just as excited as I am.”

“Of course I’m excited, kitty cat,” She bopped his nose with her finger. “My very best friend is my partner, and I’m walking around with his memories in my head. I’m glad things worked out for us, but we also need to take care of the important ‘boring’ stuff too.”

“Ugh, you two are plaguing my dreams now too?” A new voice groaned, and Adrien shot up from her lap. “As if I don’t have to put up with enough of your flirting during akuma battles.”

��Queen Bee?” The other two gasped, exchanging worried glances. Both wondered if she could also see their unmasked faces, but she was clad in her superhero suit and seemed relatively unconcerned with them so they relaxed slightly.

“So, what exactly is going on?” She placed her hands on her hips. “One minute I’m laying out tanning, the next thing I know, I’m watching you two flirt like newlyweds.”

“We were not flirting,” Mari interjected defensively.

“Of course you weren’t,” Bee rolled her eyes. “So, are you going to explain or not?”

“Well,” Adrien dragged the l out and glanced at Mari for guidance.

“Allied Miraculous users that trust each other can sort of, sometimes, share dreams to talk about hero stuff that can’t normally be discussed in the regular world. Protects our identities and what not,” She explained roughly.

“What and you two use it to hook up and snog?” She grunted, cocking a brow.

“Well, you know…” Adrien smirked and waggled his eyebrows which rewarded him with an icy glare from Marinette so he cleared his throat. “We are always strictly professional.”

“I could tell,” Bee nodded.

“Okay, Chat Noir and my’s behavior aside, you being here is actually kind of a big deal,” Marinette shifted the subject. “It means you trust us, and we trust you which is a good thing.”

“Yeah, now you can be in the know when we talk about boring stuff,” Adrien added, casting a sly smile at Marinette.

“Like saving Paris,” She elbowed him, and he suppressed a chuckle.

“So, we have superhero business meetings?” Bee clarified.

“Yep,” Marinette and Adrien nodded in affirmation.

“This is a lot more work than I thought,” She threw her head back with a groan. “I always thought you two just sucked at your jobs, but this is really hard.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Mari folded her arms over her chest, throwing a glare in her direction.

“I said used to. Obviously not anymore,” She insisted sheepishly.

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter now,” Adrien cut in. “So, Ma- Ladybug, you wanted to talk about expanding our patrol routes.”

“I think it would be beneficial if we did. Since there are three of us now, we can cover more ground. Especially with how often akumas are popping up, we need to keep the people of Paris as happy as possible.”

“We’ve worked out a map to divide the area up evenly,” Adrien started until Mari cleared her throat. “Okay, Ladybug came up with a map.”

“I’ve noticed that all of the akumas tend to span a limited area which tells me that Hawkmoth’s power to sense negative emotion only stretches so far. I’ve divided us up into three sectors which should be patrolled daily if possible,” She explained. “I’ll send your assignments later today.”

“Splendid, are we done now?” Bee whined.

“Yes, you can go back to your fake tan,” Mari rolled her eyes.

“Thank goodness! Now how do I get out of her-” Before she could finish, Marinette pictured shoving her back through the door and slamming it shut.

“Temper,” Adrien smirked.

“Sorry, her whining wears on my nerves after a while,” She groaned.

“Need I remind you who picked her?”

“I know, I know, and it’s done her a lot of good so I shouldn’t complain,” She grumbled sourly.

“She really trusts us to be able to share dreams so quickly,” He commented thoughtfully. “And you know what else it means…”

“Shut up.”

“You trust her too, Mari,” He grinned.

“No,” She turned away from him. “Shut up!”

“It’s not a bad thing,” He laughed. “We’re all a team. Trust is good.”

“Yeah, I guess,” She muttered, turning back to him. “I just wonder…”

“Wonder what?” He laid his head in her lap again, folding his hands neatly over his chest as Mari started trailing her fingers through his soft, golden locks.

“Well, since we know each other now, and we both know who she is…”

“You think we should tell her?” He cocked a brow, and she nodded.

“It just seems unfair. It’s like when we started sharing dreams, and I knew I trusted you, I started to wonder if maybe we should tell each other. Since the only secret is us to her now, I think it’s only right to tell her who we really are,” She shrugged.

“It would make coordinating easier,” He offered. “But Chloe Bourgeois would know you’re Ladybug.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. At least she’s gotten over her fangirl obsession with me,” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Yeah because she’s too busy talking Queen Bee up now,” He snorted. “So in other words herself.”

“Typical Chloe,” Mari giggled, sobering after a second. “I just can’t come up with a reason not to tell her. I mean, we’re all friends in and out of costume now, so…why not?”

“I’m jealous. It took you a whole year to trust me,” He huffed dramatically, and Marinette rolled her eyes, squishing his cheeks together with her hands.

“I can’t go around trusting just any old stray tomcat,” She teased.

“And you thought I was a player,” He mumbled before she released her hold. “Which I’m still hurt by.”

“Maybe if you’d focused on fighting instead of flirting, I wouldn’t have come to that assumption,” She folded her arms over her chest with a smirk.

“Why can’t I do both?” He threw his arms out to the side.

“Because Hawkmoth is up to something, I’m sure of it now that there’s three of us; he’s going to up his game, and we need to be ready for whatever he’s going to throw at us,” She explained.

“Well, when can I flirt with you?” He leaned in close, brushing his lips against hers as loud buzzing began to sound around them, and things began to shatter.

“See you at school, chaton,” She laughed.

Her voice echoed in his brain as he sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, reaching for his phone with a groan. It was hard to tell if she was being serious sometimes, and he wondered if she’d thought about his confession the night of the party. They’d both agreed that they needed time to sort out their feelings for each other, and he had been flirting with her before Queen Bee showed up, but… He felt like she was acting pretty normally. Not to mention, she was quick to deny that anything had been going on before Bee showed up, and she always did bring them back to business.

He fell back against his pillows with a sigh. Maybe he’d give her more time. If he’d learned anything recently, it was what rushing her decisions led to, and he wasn’t keen on starting another fight so soon after resolving their last one. For now, he was grateful that she’d accepted him and that things were going smoothly. It was a new start for them, and he’d be damned if he was going to ruin it.

Chloe

“So, truth or lie?” Lila asked at lunch that afternoon. Chloe had only mildly paid attention to her story because she figured out it was a lie after twenty seconds. It was more of her and Marinette’s game anyways.

“Mmm, truth,” Mari said after a moment tapping her chin.

Chloe rolled her eyes but couldn’t bring herself to make a smart remark like usual. Her mind was too preoccupied with the note she’d found in her locker that morning, and the dream she’d had the night before. She’d initially thought it was, well, just a dream, but when she found a note in her locker with an address, date, and time along with Chat Noir and Ladybug’s signatures, she began to realize that maybe it had been real after all.

But the more important question was how they knew who she was. If they knew who she was. Did they? Why else would they ask to meet? That is what they wanted right? Should she show up as Chloe or Queen Bee? If they didn’t know who she was, would showing up transformed be a dead giveaway? What if it wasn’t really from them? What if it was a trap?

Ugh. Now she was just being paranoid.

It was probably nothing, and she was just overreacting. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about it all day.

“Is there something on your mind?” Lila asked with a knowing cock of her brow as they headed back to class. Marinette had gotten swept up by Alya as soon as they made it back to school, and they trailed several paces behind them. “You were unusually quiet today.”

“I’m just tired from working at the hovel so much,” She lied smoothly, adding an exasperated sigh for good measure.

“Nice try, but I’m a professional liar, which means I’m also a professional lie detector,” She folded her arms over her chest. “Is it Adrien related?”

Chloe remained silent for a moment, figuring Lila was likely to pick out another lie, and she wasn’t about to reveal her secret to her. So she kept walking, letting her lack of response lead her to believe what she wanted.

“You should tell him how you feel,” Lila prompted, seeing that Chloe’s face had fallen.

“What would that solve? He’s completely enthralled with Marinette,” She grunted.

“You’re never going to move on unless you tell him,” Lila pointed out with a sympathetic smile.

“So when are you going to tell Marinette how you feel?” She shot back, attempting to redirect the awkwardness she felt back onto Lila, but it backfired.

“Well, I’m not giving up yet, so I just need the time to be right. I know I’m only a friend in her eyes right now, so I’m working on it,” She twirled around with a crooked smile. “Hey, maybe if I take Marinette, you can have Adrien.”

“Doubt it,” Chloe sighed. “He’s known me too long. I’m pretty sure I’m like a sister to him by now.”

“Ouch. The sibling-zone. More inescapable than the friend-zone. Well, either way, I still think you should tell him,” She shrugged. “Do it soon, mkay? You’ll feel better.”

“We’ll see,” Chloe waved as Lila skipped off to her class.

She had enough on her plate right now as it was with akuma battles, work, extra tutoring sessions, whatever “dream-sharing” thing that happened last night, and now whatever they wanted with her. Lila may have had a point about obtaining closure with Adrien, but now may not be the best time to get it. She wasn’t ready for the heartache she knew would inevitably come afterward.

Watching the way he looked at Marinette from her spot in the back only made things worse. God she’d kill to have him look at her that way at least once, and Marinette was almost completely oblivious. Chloe wanted to hate her, operative term being wanted to, but she’d spent far too long hating her, and, frankly, she was tired of hating.

Never in her life did she ever think she’d accept Marinette the way she did nor did she think that she’d ever refuse to resent her for being the center of Adrien’s attention. Something inside her just couldn’t even if she wanted to because Marinette had forgiven her for all those years of torment and ridicule and done her best to help her since. It wasn’t surprising to Chloe that Adrien preferred her, but it still stung more than she wanted to admit.

Marinette was kind and encouraging, dare she even say pretty, and for years she had wished that people would notice her the way they did Marinette. Not that she’d ever admit it out loud, but part of her felt like Marinette already knew that. Which was absolutely humiliating, and she’d deny it if it ever got brought up. Still, relinquishing the one leg she had up on Marinette, if she’d ever had a leg up at all, was a hard pill to swallow, but something about seeing them together just felt right. So much so that even she couldn’t deny it.

Adrien was her oldest friend, and an unfortunate lesson she’d learned from Marinette is that friends support each other. It would probably kill her inside, but she’d do her best to help him with Marinette if it made him happy. Because he’d never looked at her that way, not even once, and he probably never would. She loved him enough to wish for his happiness above hers, and despite the heaviness in her chest, she wasn’t going to let those two pine around like idiots anymore. If she was going to give up Adrien to Marinette, they were going to be together! So, as reluctant as she was to make nice with Nino and Alya, she approached them at the end of the day to offer her assistance.

“You want to what?” Alya cocked a skeptical brow.

“Adrien is a lost puppy when it comes to girls. He likes to think he can handle them, but I’ve known him almost his whole life, and he can’t. I want to help him get with Marinette, and I know you two are always scheming so…”

“Is this the same Chloe that once threw paint on a girl after she said hi to Adrien in the hall?” Nino tilted his head to the side.

“Or the girl who got Adrien to sign a giant poster of himself on the sly that said he worshipped the ground you walk on to keep other girls away from him?” Alya added.

“Or who constantly kissed him whenever other girls stared too long?”

“Or who-”

“Okay, I get it! I used to be possessive of him, so this is weird, but we’re all civil now, and if Adrien loves her, I want them to be together!” She stomped her foot, and Alya’s lips curved into a smug smile.

“This is very big of you, Chloe,” She praised. “I hate to say this, but…I’m impressed.”

“Shut up. I’m doing it for Adrien, not for any other reason,” She glared in the opposite direction.

“Right,” Nino rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, I’m willing to help you losers set them up so don’t bug me about the past,” She huffed.

“Not a chance,” Nino shook his head, and Chloe’s lip twitched in annoyance.

“Whatever. I’m going to work,” She grumbled through clenched teeth before stalking off.

“We’ll fill you in later, okay?” Alya called after her.

What had she gotten herself into?

The next day, she headed up the street after work to the address on the note. She’d scoped it out the day before, and Hunni promised her it was safe. Even still, her heart hammered in her chest as she approached the small shop, hand hesitating on the knob.

“Are you gonna stand out here all day or are you gonna go in?” Hunni growled in her ear.

“What if it’s a trap?” She hissed back, mindful of the people on the street.

“Girl, you have superpowers. Two words, and you can take down anyone behind that door,” Her companion reminded somewhat impatiently. “Just go in.”

“Okay, fine,” Chloe caved, taking a deep breath before heading inside.

The front seemed to be a small reception area that led to a short hallway. Chloe glanced around nervously before she spotted a neatly folded card on the front desk.

Come to the back. LB & CN

“Hunni, I don’t know about this,” She grimaced, nervous pits churning in her stomach.

“Woman up, scardy-bee. It’s fine. I know this place,” Hunni urged.

“Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?” She snapped.

“Because you’re supposed to trust me,” Hunni argued. “I’m here to guide you, but I can’t do that if you don’t take my advice.”

“Well, why should I trust you? All you ever do is yell at me, and I don’t even know where you came from or why you ended up in my room!” Frustrated tears welled in her eyes, and her fists closed around the card, shaking at her sides.

“I can tell you about that,” Chloe turned to see that Ladybug had emerged from the end of the hall with a kind smile. “I know it was kind of mysterious for us to ask you to meet here this way, but it’s okay.”

“Ladybug!” She sighed with relief, throwing herself into her arms. “I was so worried it was a trap, and Hunni was being so mean, and-”

“Sorry. We just wanted to meet in person for this discussion. Why don’t you come back and have some tea,” She chuckled guiltily.

“Okay,” Chloe sniffled, hugging her arm for support as they made their way to the back. “Can I ask something?”

“You want to know how we knew who you were?” Chloe nodded. “You’ll find out soon.”

The room in the back was small and filled with old Chinese antiques. Chat Noir sat cross-legged on a mat with an older man chatting and sipping tea. The two looked up when they entered and smiled.

“The Queen arrives at last,” Chat remarked with a wink.

“Took her long enough to make up her mind,” Hunni groaned, flitting away from her sweater to the small bouquet on the table.

“Hey!” She gasped, glancing around nervously.

“It’s okay. We’re all familiar with Hunni,” Ladybug assured her. “Some of us a little too familiar.”

“It’s not my fault it took you so long to decide. At least my chosen doesn’t take as long as you do to think about things,” She shot back. Ladybug folded her arms over her chest with a scowl, and Chat Noir suppressed a snicker. “There’s a reason your power is luck cause it’s a miracle you can figure out how to use those charms so quickly.”

“That’s a lot different than- Okay, ya know what? Never mind,” She huffed, plopping down on the other side of the old man who watched with an amused gait. “Why don’t we get down to business?”

“Ugh, you make it sound so serious,” Chat rolled his eyes.

“This is serious,” She chided.

“But it’s also fun!” He retorted, and Chloe glanced between them nervously as Ladybug sighed.

“So, are you two going to tell me what’s going on or do Gramps and I need to leave the room and give you two some alone time?” Chloe interjected. The two exchanged a series of looks, and Ladybug folded her arms over her chest.

“No, no, you go. I apparently make everything boring,” She insisted, so Chat Noir turned back to her.

“We’ve been thinking, and by we, I mean Ladybug-”

“I asked you about it too!” She cut in defensively, but Chat ignored her.

“And we think it’s unfair for us to know who you are when you don’t know who we are,” He continued. “So, we’ve decided to introduce ourselves without the masks.”

“So, who’s the old guy?” She pointed to the man sitting quietly between them. For some reason she got a calming vibe from him despite her suspicions.

“Perhaps I should go first then,” He smiled, and the two heroes nodded respectfully.

“My name is Shen Fu, and I’ll have you know I’m only 187,” A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes, and Chloe was certain her eyebrows would raise right out of her skull. “This is my partner, Wayzz. Together he and I guard the Miraculouses and their secrets.”

“He’s the one that picked Chat Noir and I to be heroes,” Ladybug added. “This shop is a little safe haven of ours.”

“My chosen ones are welcome here any time. Guardians are given expanded time to learn to understand the Miraculous in their possession so that they may better guide the chosen ones on their paths. If ever you are troubled, I am always here,” He bowed calmly before them.

“I guess that means it’s my turn,” Chat Noir spoke up, and Chloe shifted her gaze to him as he took a deep breath and gave the command to change back. Her eyes widened with horror as the green light cleared and those heart-melting green eyes settled on her. “Hey, Chlo.”

Without thinking and before she realized, her palm collided with his face. She looked down at her tingling hand in shock as Adrien touched the red mark on his cheek, eyebrows furrowed. Had she really just slapped Adrien?

“Did I do something to deserve that?” He glanced at Ladybug who shrugged. “Probably,” She smirked.

“I’m so sorry!” Her head snapped up, and she threw her arms around his neck. “I panicked because I wasn’t expecting it to be you!”

“It’s fine,” He laughed good-naturedly. So like him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” She pulled back with a nod as the small black cat floating behind him cradled a piece of Camembert cheese.

“That’s Plagg doing what he does best,” Adrien gestured with his thumb.

“Don’t patronize him,” Ladybug cooed, scratching under the kwami’s chin.

“He does nothing but patronize me all the time!” Adrien threw his arms out with an exasperated grunt.

“Yeah, but you deserve it,’ She giggled. “I guess it’s our turn now. Tikki, detransform me.”

Chloe felt her stomach drop to the floor. Of course it was her. Who else would be by Adrien’s side? No wonder they were so close now. It should have been obvious to her because they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. They were a team. Unstoppable. Inseparable. Undoubtedly made for each other. She’d always thought those things about Chat Noir and Ladybug long before she ever joined them. Their energies work well together, and she’d recognized that in Adrien and Marinette without even realizing. It sucked because now she knew for certain that Adrien would never look at her. Even being a superhero, Marinette was always one step ahead of her, and Chloe was almost certain that she was his soulmate.

“Chlo?” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she glanced up at him, those haunting eyes of his filled with worry. He reached a hand out to steady the cup and saucer shaking in her trembling hands. Her gaze flicked to Marinette who wore a blank expression as if awaiting her inevitable judgement.

“Why am I not surprised?” She grunted finally. “Little Miss Perfect, aren’t you?”

“I’m not perfect. You know that better than anyone,” Chloe looked away.

“You might as well be,” She grumbled.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes as Ladybug. People have been akumatized because of me, including you,” Marinette winced.

“It makes sense now why you wouldn’t listen to me,” Chloe smirked. “And honestly I can’t blame you.”

“I should have,” Marinette shook her head. “I was biased, more than once, and I’m sorry.”

“I already forgave you for that. Our past is behind us, right?” She replied haughtily.

“I know you and I have had our differences, but we’re a team now, and it’s important to me that we all trust each other for who we are,” She held out a hand to Chloe, and after a moment, Chloe reached out and shook it, using all of her willpower to hold back a smile. She wasn’t very successful, so she pulled Marinette into a hug to hide it.

“I trust you,” She mumbled quietly.

“I trust you too,” Marinette replied even more softly as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear it.

“Aww,” Adrien cooed, and the two ripped apart in an instant, glancing in opposite directions. “Team Miraculous is all in!”

“Okay, fun’s over. It’s business time,” Marinette turned to Mr. Fu, and Adrien slumped but did the same.

“Trust is very important if you wish to defeat Hawkmoth, and it’s imperative that he not get his hands on any of your Miraculouses. Especially you, Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Fu warned solemnly.

“Not that I’m trying to suggest anything, Master Fu, but what will happen if he does? Why does he want ours specifically?” Adrien asked.

“The Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses hold the key to ultimate power. By wielding both the power of destruction and creation, he would have complete control over everything,” Tikki explained as Master Fu stood up and pulled a book from his shelf.

“And by ultimate power, you mean-?” Marinette cocked a brow.

“If he can think it, he can do it,” Plagg added sounding somewhat bored.

“With the ultimate power, he would be between all dimensions. He could see everything that ever was and ever will be, rewrite history or change the future before it arrives. Nothing would be outside of his range,” Wayzz said while his master flipped through his book.

“Whoa,” They all gasped in unison.

“Whose idea was it to create something like that?” Chloe huffed. “Of course if you create power like that someone is going to use it for evil!”

“Not much is known about the creation of the Miraculous or how many there are,” Master Fu started, and Adrien eyed the book knowingly. “I apologize if Marinette returning this to me caused you any trouble, Adrien.”

“N-No, not at all. I’m glad it’s back where it belongs,” He waved it away, and Master Fu nodded with a smile.

“The original author of this book received Wayzz and this stone from a man named Wei Fong. He was the first guardian of the Miraculouses I possess now, the ones I have given to you. The man he passed them onto was named Jun Luo who began documenting each gem and its powers.

He traveled in search of more Miraculouses until his time was up, and he took on an apprentice to teach everything he had learned. This book and the Miraculouses are passed onto each new guardian. My master was a man named Charles Dumont. He was a very wise man whom I admired greatly. It was during his life time that the ultimate power was last used.

It was also Charles who encrypted this book. Anyone can read it on a surface level, but the turtle Miraculous is the key to decoding its many secrets,” He raised his hands over the book, palms facing down as green light emitted from the stone on his bracelet.

Chloe felt her breath catch as a new wave of text seemed to scrawl across each page with detailed notes in different languages and handwriting. Adrien was adorned with a similar expression, but Marinette surveyed the page with a pensive frown.

“This book holds many secrets, and in the wrong hands it can be very dangerous. Many only know of the absolute control that comes with the ultimate power, but few know the cost. That much energy cannot be contained for long, and it was designed to only be used as a last resort because of the damage it can cause,” Master Fu murmured. “Few also know that it can be stopped.”

“How?” Marinette’s gaze flicked up to meet his.

“The power of all five of the lower tier combined is the check that keeps the ultimate power from being used improperly; however, in this case…”

“We wouldn’t be able to stop him if he still possessed his Miraculous,” Marinette’s eyes widened in understanding, and Master Fu nodded in confirmation.

“And I’m afraid at present, we’ve only got these two left to stop him if he is successful,” He held up his wrist and nodded to Chloe. “Which brings me to a mistake I must confess…”

“You lost Trixx?” Plagg shrieked, cupping his tiny paws on either side of his face in horror.

“Trixx awoke about a month ago, and I decided it was time to issue another test to find a master for her because she can be difficult to work with, but I failed and lost the true fox Medallion in the city. I do not know who came to possess it, but I would be on guard until they reveal themselves. I apologize for the trouble my mistake may cause you,” He bowed before them humbly.

“It’s alright, Master Fu. We’ll figure it out. We’re Team Miraculous, remember?” Adrien grinned, and the old man cast him a grateful smile.

��We can bet if Hawkmoth catches wind of a rouge superhero, he’s going to take advantage of it. We’ll have to find them before he does if he hasn’t already,” Marinette tapped her chin.

“My head hurts,” Chloe rubbed her temples, and Adrien placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“You learn to just roll with it,” He shrugged.

“So, Master Fu, you’re the one who gives out the Miraculouses, right?” She asked. “What made you pick me?”

“Not in your case,” Adrien smirked. “You were special.”

“I entrusted the Bee for Chat Noir and Ladybug to choose,” Master Fu smiled knowingly.

“This was before Mari and I knew our identities,” Adrien added.

“Wait, how long have you two known?” Chloe held up a hand.

“Since Halloween,” He winced.

“Then why were you two all over each other all summer?” Her eyes narrowed.

“We just started hanging out. It’s not a crime,” Marinette rolled her eyes, and she felt her lip twitch.

“Anyway,” Adrien interjected. “Master Fu gave it to me, I gave it to Marinette, and well…”

“Oh, just say it!” Mari growled. “I picked you, okay?”

“You?” Chloe scoffed in disbelief, and Marinette averted her gaze. “Why?”

Marinette considered it for a moment, lips pursed, then shrugged.

“The past is the past. We’re friends now in our own way. Though I have to admit, I knew for a while that it was you, but I was too stubborn to entrust you with it until I knew you were changing for the better. When you made an effort to make up for your mistakes…I thought it would be good for you,” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Whatever. You’re welcome.”

“Aww,” Adrien grinned again, pulling them both into a side hug which they accepted awkwardly, pulling away the moment it was acceptable.

“So, Adrien had a question for you, Master Fu,” Marinette cleared her throat, and Chloe felt him stiffen.

“Yeah, just, um…” He bit his lip, hands balling into fists. He took a deep breath and looked up. “What can you tell me about my mother?” Chloe’s brows raised in surprise.

“What would you like to know?” Master Fu asked patiently, and Adrien shifted.

“Everything,” He replied shakily. “Anything.”

Master Fu stroked his beard for a moment before pacing over to the antique chest and rummaging through it. Marinette shifted closer to him as he picked at his shoelaces nervously and placed her hand over his. She wondered how long those two had been sharing dreams, and how close they’d grown from being partners for so long. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense why they’d been so close. They were made to work together, so naturally they’d been drawn to each other outside the mask.

She hated how jealous it made her. It was petty and stupid to think that she had a right to him just because she’d known him longer, but something in the way Marinette looked when his mother was mentioned made her realize that Adrien had probably shared more with her than he’d ever tell her. It was as if she understood how he felt because even her hands shook a little too. At that point, Chloe wouldn’t have been surprised if they told her they were the same person split into two halves or some other bubblegum, fairytale bullshit like that.

Master Fu returned a minute later with a worn leather journal and handed it to Adrien.

“Part of my job as a guardian involves working with other Miraculous users at times. I’ve had many partners who have helped me understand the Miraculouses better, and I keep journals of our adventures. You mother was no exception,” He explained.

“My mom was a Miraculous user?” His eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

“We were good friends, she and I,” Master Fu nodded as Marinette flipped open the journal carefully. In the front was a photo of Adrien’s young mother along with Master Fu who looked relatively the same save for a few more gray hairs. “We both had an inclination for innocent mischief.”

“Who was she?” Marinette asked as she and Adrien studied the picture with fond eyes.

“Le Paon was what she called herself,” Master Fu replied, pouring himself another cup of tea. “She was quite the character.”

Adrien smiled down at the picture lovingly while Marinette flipped through more photos and journal entries. Chloe could only vaguely remember Adrien’s mom because she’d only talked to her a few times. Mrs. Agreste spent more time with Chloe’s mom while she and Adrien played together, and of course, Chloe had been too consumed with Adrien to really care. They’d come to her mother’s funeral, she remembered, but that was the last time she saw Mrs. Agreste in person.

“Whoa, you know Gabriel?” Marinette gasped, bringing Chloe back to the present as she lifted up a photo of Adrien’s parents with Master Fu.

“But of course,” He chuckled. “I remember when they met. Your mother couldn’t stop gushing about how talented he was and how she admired him. He never was a man of many words, but she loved him all the same.”

“That sounds like her,” Adrien remarked softly. “How did they meet?”

“I think that is a question for your father,” Master Fu dodged with a mischievous glint in his eye. “They married after only a few months of dating, and it was only 6 months after that when she told me she was expecting.”

“I’m expecting. A little boy, can you believe it, Fu?” Marinette read from the journal.

“My little Adrien,” Adrien continued. “Every day I feel him move, and I love him more and more.”

“Let’s keep Paris safe for him,” Master Fu recited with a nostalgic smile. “She loved you very much.”

“Yeah…” Adrien offered up a pained smile.

“Master Fu, do you know anything about her disappearance?” Marinette asked as she rubbed Adrien’s back.

“I’m afraid I know just as much as you do. I am sorry,” He bowed his head sadly.

“It’s okay,” Adrien shook his head, straightening his spine. “Thank you.”

“Why don’t you hang onto that journal for a while? I’m sure you will find more use out of it than I will,” He offered, and Adrien nodded.

“Thank you for all of your help, Master Fu. We’ll keep an eye out for the Fox Miraculous and check in with you later,” Marinette smiled at the old man fondly, a look he returned with equal emotion.

“I apologize for any inconvenience it may cause you,” He bowed slightly, and Adrien stood up, a defiant smile spreading across his face.

“There’s no way anyone can take us down! I’m confident that whoever it is won’t be a problem,” He declared confidently.

“Team Miraculous is unbeatable!” Marinette echoed energetically, fist-bumping him before they both turned to her.

“Yeah, well, this has all been fun, go team, whatever, but some of us have work to get to,” She waved them away, but after a moment of pleading stares, she touched her fist to theirs quickly and stood up. “Come on, Hunni. We’re leaving.”

“We’ll walk with you,” Adrien offered.

Great. The last thing she wanted was to watch those two play coy and make goo-goo eyes at each other. Still, they were her crime fighting partners and her friends. It would seem suspicious of her to decline under the circumstances. Not to mention, they were all most likely headed to the same place.

“Okay,” She said shortly, waiting as they gathered their bags and said goodbye to Master Fu.

“It’s not too weird for you, is it?” Marinette asked after they walked up the street in silence for a moment.

“I’m…adjusting,” She admitted. “I used to worship Ladybug, so I’m having a bit of a crisis now that I know it’s you. Ugh.”

“Trust me. I hated it as much as you do now,” She rolled her eyes.

“Hey, I’m still a huge Ladybug fan if it makes you feel better,” Adrien winked.

“Yes. Thank you. I feel so much better,” She retorted dryly.

“Me-owch. Do I need to bring up the-”

“No, you do not,” Marinette cut him off quickly. “Bring that up, and I will end you, Agreste.”

“Mmm, doesn’t stop me from thinking about it,” At that, Marinette groaned.

They had their own inside jokes, how disgusting. Of course, she knew it was just her jealousy talking, but they were so comfortable around each other. For as long as she’d known Adrien, he had always shied away from her touch, mostly because it was always forceful, but that was beside the point. She really was bad at making friends it seemed.

Her partners seemed to sense her unease, and she soon found both of their arms wrapped around her waist.

“We’re both Queen Bee fans too,” Marinette offered.

“And Chloe Bourgeois fans,” Adrien added.

“Well, the new Chloe anyway,” Mari corrected. “She’s becoming someone pretty great.”

If only she knew.

“Thanks,” She smiled softly as they rounded the corner to the bakery.

“Hey, kids,” Mrs. Cheng greeted as they entered the bakery. “Chloe, Tom just pulled some baguettes out of the oven a little while ago. Can you put them out once you get settled?”

“Sure,” She nodded, lifting her apron off the hook.

“We’ll be upstairs,” Mari said as they made their way to the back door.

“Finally, some peace and quiet,” She sighed once they were gone.

“Those two always light up around one another, don’t they?” Mrs. Cheng laughed. “Young love is so exciting.”

“They’re so annoying. They never shut up,” She groaned, stocking the displays up front.

“They can be a bit sweet, huh?” She admitted.

“It’s not that, it’s just…” She hesitated, fingers tightening around the tray in her hands. “I’ve known Adrien since we were little, and…he’s never looked at me that way.” She didn’t realize she was crying until Mrs. Cheng handed her a handkerchief, and she dabbed her eyes with it. “Which until recently I don’t blame him for,” She sniffled. “Even now after everything you guys have done for me, I just hate seeing him look at her! I’m just horrible, I guess.”

“You are a young girl who has had a rough upbringing and a lack of good influence,” Mrs. Cheng lifted her chin. “You lost your mother at a young age, and you mimicked the behavior you observed. Who you have been doesn’t equal who you are now,” When Chloe remained silent she continued, “Adrien may not love you, but don’t ever let that make you think you’re horrible. Everyone gets jealous sometimes, sweetie. It’s what you do with that jealousy that shows who you are.”

“Why are you so nice to me?” She hiccupped. “After everything I’ve done to Marinette…”

“Tom and I offered you a job here to help you. Not just financially but emotionally too. We saw a young girl who needed someone to show her another way. Someone who needed love more than anything. And you’ve made a lot of progress, more than you think,” Mrs. Cheng smiled warmly.

And that was where she utterly lost it, burying her face in her chest to muffle her sobs. It had been a long time since someone held her like that, and she had forgotten what it felt like. What it felt like to have a mom.

“Thank you,” She murmured quietly when her sobs had calmed considerably.

“It’s like I tell Adrien all the time, you don’t have to thank me for caring. I’m a mom. Caring about the little babies that pass through my life is just what I do,” She chuckled. “Now, let’s make some more meringues, shall we?”

Marinette

“Ya know, I actually think she handled it better than we thought,” Adrien said thoughtfully as Mari pushed open her trap door.

“I know. I’m surprised. Either she’s a good actress, or she really isn’t as freaked out as I thought she’d be,” She admitted, scanning the room briefly for any stray projects for his birthday surprise she was planning. Once she deemed the coast clear, she climbed up.

“She handled it much better than you did,” Adrien teased, following behind her.

“Oh, shut up,” She rolled her eyes with a huff. “We were a little different.”

“Yeah, cause we liked to play mushy face in and out of costume without telling each other,” He fell onto her chaise, propping his arms behind his head with a wistful sigh. “The good old days.”

“Yes, the days when I was tormented by guilt. Thank you for reminding me,” Her mouth pressed into a firm line as she crossed her legs in her chair carefully.

“Hey, we can play mushy face now, if you want. Guilt free.” He waggled his eyebrows, and she gave him her infamous absolutely not look.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to go back down that road yet…” Her gaze dropped to her lap. Sure, they were much closer now, and maybe they were flirtier than before, but she wasn’t quite sure she trusted herself yet. Because she was reminded of the reason she had to leave him in the first place. She’d gone too far, and she was afraid that if she let herself have feelings for him again that it would all end up the same. They both needed to grow up a little more before she’d consider it again.

“Okay…” He rolled onto his back and pursed his lips.

“I-I do care about you a lot, but…” She took her time formulating her next sentence. “I’m the first girl you ever fell in love with, and you’re the first boy I ever truly loved beyond a silly schoolyard crush, although it was silly at times, and I just think that maybe we should, I-I dunno, fish around some more?”

“You mean like…date other people?” He cocked a brow.

“Just to see who else is out there. What if we’re missing someone we’re meant to be with because we can’t stop looking at each other? I mean, things usually seem to end in disaster when we get too close, so what if we’re not meant to be? I just think that we should explore other options before we come back to each other,” She twirled her hair around her fingers nervously as she explained.

“If that’s what you want,” He winced. “I mean, I know things weren’t the greatest, and we were a little crazy about each other at times, but I thought we could work on that.”

“Maybe we will. Maybe we won’t find anyone else, but don’t you think we should at least consider it for a little while?” She shrugged.

“How long is a little while?”

“I-I dunno, until we’re ready?” She bit her lip, and he drummed his fingers on his chest.

“I guess,” He said finally.

“You don’t want to.”

“No, it’s not that. I-I just never really thought about looking at anyone else, but…it couldn’t hurt,” He insisted. “I’m just upset that you don’t still have pictures of me plastered all over your walls, and you don’t drool when I walk by anymore.”

“I never drooled!” She huffed, cheeks flushing pink. “Noticeably…”

“That’s because you were always hiding,” He teased, and she kicked her chair away from the chaise.

“See? This is why we should see other people. You drive me crazy,” She chided with a laugh.

“Yeah I did,” He smirked.

“Hey! Watch it, rich boy. I wasn’t kidding about ending you,” She pointed challengingly. “I have a lot of sharp tools over here, so don’t tempt me.”

“Oh? Are you going to knit me to death?”

“I could cut off all of your hair,” She picked up a pair of scissors and snipped them in his direction. Adrien sat up with a horrified gasp.

“You wouldn’t dare,” He placed a hand on his chest. “My beautiful golden hair that you spent months dreaming about running your fingers through-”

“I’m cutting it,” She stood up and crossed the room, Adrien grabbing her wrist when she got too close.

“No, I need it!” He whined.

“No, you don’t,” She shook her head.

“My father will be very angry with you if you cut it,” He shot back.

“Doubt it. He likes me,” She grinned.

“If you cut it off, you can’t play with it anymore,” He pointed out as the scissors neared his skull. She rolled her eyes and sat back, dropping the tool on the floor in a sign of surrender. “I’ve found your weakness.”

“Mine and yours,” She laughed as he scooched closer so that she could run her fingers through his soft strands. “You are such a cat.”

“Mmm, guilty,” He sighed contently. “Where am I gonna find another girl that likes to pet me like you do?”

“Uh, literally anywhere in Paris?” She offered.

“Yeah, but those are all crazy fangirls,” He pouted.

“Oh, like I wasn’t a crazy fangirl?” She cocked a brow.

“You were different,” He shook his head slightly. “You only thought I was cool and handsome, talented, ripped, dreamy, totally kissable-” She punched his gut so he finished, “After you found out I was nice.”

“Well, I wasn’t about to fall in love with Chloe, now was I?” She cocked a brow, and he shrugged, seeing her point. “Besides, you didn’t really look at me until Ladybug dumped you.”

“Not entirely true,” He defended. “I’ve always thought you were amazing, but I didn’t think you thought about me that way.”

“And you thought Ladybug did?”

“Well, didn’t she?” He smirked.

“Fair point, but it wasn’t about the you, you thought though,” She reminded him.

“Eh, I turned her head eventually, didn’t I?” He smiled, leaning against her shoulder. “Even if it wasn’t the her that I thought it would be.”

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up.

“Only after I realize he could be sweet under all of his theatrics,” She pushed his nose away gently. “Though now I’m realizing he has a lot more theatrics than I thought.”

“Well, I am my mother’s son,” He fell across her lap dramatically, pressing a hand to his forehead.

“Speaking of,” She pulled his bag closer with her foot and pulled out Master Fu’s journal. “I think you should read this.”

Adrien eyed it for a moment before taking it out of her hands carefully. He flipped open the front page again, and Marinette stood up, ruffling his hair.

“I’ll leave you alone for a while,” She smiled, pulling her chair back over to her desk where she pulled out Alya’s Christmas gift and resumed working quietly.

Occasionally, she’d hear him chuckle under his breath or attempt to hide his sniffling which brought a smile to her lips. It was good for him. She could tell from the look on his face as he scanned each page that it meant the world to him to know her again. What happened to her was still unknown, and maybe they would never know, but she just hoped that she could be there for him whenever he needed her, as a friend or otherwise.

Chloe

“Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien said graciously, waving as they headed out the door.

Chloe did her best to seem at ease, but she couldn’t quite get her spine to relax. Marinette’s parents adored Adrien, and why wouldn’t they? He was the perfect gentleman, and he very clearly liked their daughter. Mrs. Cheng had even admitted it. It was hard to look him in the eye when her heart hurt so much, so she hurried down the stairs to the front door, hoping to avoid him, but she should have known conversation was inevitable.

“Hey, Chloe, wait up!” He called, taking the stairs two at a time to catch up to her. “I’ll walk you home.”

She felt her cheeks warm slightly, but she folded her arms over her chest stubbornly.

“I walk home by myself all the time,” She huffed, but Adrien, being the oblivious cherub that he was, simply laughed.

“Oh, come on. Today hasn’t changed your opinion of me, has it?” He shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked, the most comfortable position she’d seen him in when they were alone in…well, forever.

“You usually hate being alone with me,” She pointed out matter-of-factly, dodging his question.

“Not always,” He defended, and she bit her lip.

“Fine,” She caved, glaring in the opposite direction to hide the hurt on her face.

Certainly it was against her better judgment to hope that this small ounce of attention meant he saw her as anything more than a friend, but she was going to savor every drop while she held it. Even if it was going to make it harder to move on, she still wanted to indulge for just a little while. For one last time. Because the road ahead would be a long and painful one. After all, a girl didn’t just get over the boy she’d been in love with for ten years in one day. No, it would take time to heal this wound, if it ever healed at all. Adrien was the only person she’d ever truly loved. The only one she ever thought was really hers.

But he wasn’t.

And he never would be.

“So, you’re really okay with…everything?” He cocked a brow after the silence dragged on for a moment. She weighed her answer carefully.

“I hate to admit it, but…I’m not surprised. I mean, I was surprised, but it makes sense now,” She shrugged. “You two are perfect for each other.”

“We’re all a team. That includes you, ya know,” He nudged her with his elbow. “Even if you and Mari don’t see eye-to-eye, she trusts you, and so do I.”

“Ugh, all this sappy teamwork talk is making me nauseous,” She grumbled. “More than the usual flirting you two make me put up with.”

“We’re not that bad,” Adrien chided, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Puh-lease, Adrikins. You two are worse than Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. It’s nauseating to listen to,” He slumped a little, so she hugged her chest, shivering slightly as a cool breeze blew by. “So what are you two anyway?”

“Just friends,” He said softly, eyes fixed on the ground.

“I find that hard to believe,” She grunted, but the sadness on his face was genuine.

I can’t believe I’m doing this…

“Do you want to get some coffee and talk about it?” She offered with a sigh, gesturing to the small café across the street. He offered up a weak smile and nodded, and within a few minutes they were sitting together at a small table huddled over their steaming beverages.

“So, just friends?” She cocked a brow. “What’s up with that?”

“Mari’s idea. She wants to see other people,” He commented, stirring cream into his drink absentmindedly. His eyes held a far-off gaze, a small frown curved on his lips.

“She doesn’t like you?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, finding that news hard to believe.

“I’m not sure…I-It’s complicated,” He shook his head. “We’re…complicated.”

“I’ve got time,” She prompted, taking a delicate sip without removing her eyes from him. After a moment, he let out a sigh and shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“This summer…Mari and I were kind of a thing,” He started, twirling a coffee stirrer between his fingers.

“Kind of?” She rested her chin on her fist, and he squirmed again.

“It wasn’t me and Mari, or at least at the time I didn’t know that it was her, but, well, she…I…” He took a deep, irritated breath. “I loved Ladybug for obvious reasons, and Marinette loved Adrien, and there was an art project, and she was just trying to help me out, and we got…carried away and it was secret and…dumb, and we shouldn’t have, and Mari realized that first so she ended it, and it sucked for a long time, and I moved on, or I thought I did, but Marinette didn’t want me for reasons that I didn’t find out until recently, and because of everything that happened between us, and now that we know everything, she wants to think about it, and she thinks it’s better for us to explore other options for a while, and-”

Chloe placed her hand over his and held it tight to quiet the trembling. Eventually, he dropped the crumbled up stirrer and ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.

“I’m sorry,” She said quietly, and he smiled softly.

“It’s not your fault. And maybe it’s what we need, I don’t know. She’s just…” His lips formed a firm line, and he shook his head again. “I was kind of hoping now that everything has settled down that we could try again, but I think she’s just too confused still.”

“Well, she should be,” Chloe shrugged, and his head snapped up in an instant. “Your history is messy, and in a way, I get that she’s trying to sort it out the best she can.”

“So, why not talk about it? Why not work on us? Why see other people?” He held his hands out in confusion.

“Because sometimes girls are private about their feelings. We want to take time to sort them out ourselves before we come to you. I think she’s trying to prevent you both from getting hurt again,” She explained. “It won’t hurt you to go out with someone else while she thinks. It’s not like you have to marry them.”

“I know that, but…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Why is love so hard?”

“Because this is real life and not a movie, Adrien,” She laughed. “Not everyone gets a happy ending.”

Even if you want one.

“I guess,” He grumbled, tapping the cup with his fingers anxiously.

Chloe finished her coffee, and they continued on toward her house in awkward silence, and for once, she didn’t feel the need to fill it with meaningless words. Neither of them were really in the mood for small talk anymore, both too preoccupied with their own unhappiness. When they reached her small home, she pulled him into a tight hug which he allowed willingly for probably the first time ever.

“Thanks for letting me vent,” He mumbled softly. “I know I’m just being selfish, but...”

“It’s okay,” She shook her head and pulled back. “Give it time. You’re a great guy, and she’ll see that eventually.”

“Thanks, Chlo,” He smiled, taking a step back and shoving his hands back into his pockets. “I’ll see you later.”

“Hey, Adrien…” She bit her lip as her heart sped up in her chest. He paused and turned back to her, curiously tilting his head to one side. “I love you.”

Her words didn’t faze him even a little, and he smiled that warm, familiar smile that she so often daydreamed about.

“I love you too, Chloe.” And as she watched him walk up the street, her chest burned with confirming grief.

After saying it to him for so many years, she wasn’t surprised by his automatic answer. After all, he’d never known the true emotion she was hoping to convey each time she said it, so why would he now? It’s not like he’d ever felt that way about her which surprisingly didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. He wasn’t hers. He never had been, and he never would be. That was something she’d known for years even if she’d never wanted to admit it. No, the hurt came in finally giving up. In letting go of her fantasy. Adrien was all she’d ever known of love, and now she wasn’t entirely sure she knew anything anymore. Just like Adrien’s heart was incapable of loving anyone but Marinette, would her heart ever let go of him?

Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn’t.

Of course she didn’t seem to think so as she spent a good portion of the night screaming into her pillow while her helpless father attempted to pat her back and offer reassuring advice until he ultimately gave up and left her to her own devices. Her life was in shambles, and now her heart was too. She’d become so reduced from the person she once was that the red-eyed, puffy-faced girl standing in front of her in the mirror didn’t seem like her at all, and the longer she stared the more unsure she became. Who was she? Without her wealth, without her power, without Adrien.

She glanced at the scissors in the drawer with a decisive frown and picked them up. It was time for a change, and with each snip, blonde waves floated to the floor until she became someone else. The old Chloe was dead and gone, and a new one was being reborn in her skin.

Losing her luxurious life was one nail in that coffin.

Snip.

Getting a job at Marinette’s bakery was another.

Snip.

Becoming friends with her long-time enemy, making amends for her past behavior.

Snip-snip.

Meeting Hunni. Becoming Queen Bee.

Snip.

And finally, losing Adrien.

She set the scissors down, and looked at the face again in the mirror. Her eyes were pained, but filled with determination. The old Chloe had no place in her life anymore. She was tired of letting her past haunt her, of letting everyone shove her mistakes in her face. It was time to become someone else, to shed her skin and find a new Chloe Bourgeois, or maybe the Chloe Bourgeois she was always meant to be. And as she examined the remaining waves still framing her face, she placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

It was a place to start.

#miraculous ladybug fanfiction #my writing #lady du coeur #chapter 14 #identity #chloe bourgeois

7 notes · View notes