bees!

Chloe had meant to sneak into the hotel to detransform, and she had almost done it without a problem. Unfortunately she had never really paid attention to where her sister's room was, and had ended up just a few doors down.

She about jumped out of her skin when a familiar voice had gently called out to her. "Queen Bee?"

"Uh--yeah! That's--that's me!" Chloe had laughed nervously, internally more than a bit pissed off that Zoe couldn't keep her nose out of other peoples' business.

Sure, Chloe was somewhat going through her 'redemption era', as she had begun to call it, but that didn't mean she was just going to jump to putting up with Zoe. She needed to build up a tolerance.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe had been worried, something that had originally made Chloe want to roll her eyes in disgust. Everything Zoe did seemed so insincere, as fake as her actress smile. Really, who even pretended to care as much as Zoe did?

"Oh, you know, just... Keeping an eye out. You never know where the next Akuma might come from." Chloe smiled.

"Ohh. You're keeping an eye on Chloe, then?" Zoe's lips twitched into a smile and Chloe half thought Zoe was onto her. The other half of her was incredibly offended.

"Right. Chloe." Chloe coughed awkwardly. "Yeah." It was a good cover, at least. No one would question of Queen Bee had to keep an extra eye on Chloe of all people... She could understand that logic, even if it made her chest burn with resentment. "So, uh, I'll be off now."

"Oh, okay." Zoe seemed a bit sad at that. "Next time I could show you around, if you want?"

Chloe hesitated, still unsure if Zoe was onto her. Still, it was an easy cover, and surely next time she wouldn't get caught, anyways.

"Sure. Next time, then."

There definitely wouldn't be a next time.

Or at least, she had thought that would have been a one time thing. Of course, things never really go to plan when it's up to Chloe. Or Zoe, apparently, and eventually Chloe did have to take her sister up on the offer for a tour of their own home.

She wanted to sigh, to complain, but reasonably couldn't under the circumstance. Besides, part of keeping the bee Miraculous meant actually improving herself. She wanted to be a hero. A hero would accept a tour from Zoe, at least.

And oddly enough, without the pressure of her name or their lineage behind them, Chloe found she actually enjoyed Zoe's company. She'd never really appreciated before Zoe's dry sense of humor, but as Queen Bee she found herself amused by every word Zoe said. It was odd, but in a way... freeing.

The other heroes didn't know her identity and they were a great clean slate; they knew she was hotheaded, but they had no idea exactly who she was. She could carve out an identity with them, perfect who she should be, hammer out all those sticky details about heroes and teenage bullies.

Zoe was the same, but she was also.... Different. With Zoe, it wasn't just who Chloe should be. It was who she wanted to be.

The hotel was huge. It was easy to drop buy for more than one tour. And then, when they really ran out of places to see, it was easy to sit out on one of the covered pool areas. She could be on alert while still chatting with her new friend.

Her new friend that was also the sister she couldn't talk to during the day. The longer that went on, the more uncomfortable it felt. She knew, reasonably, that she couldn't be friend with Zoe as Queen Bee without making an effort as Chloe. She needed to change.

And there by the pool, sprawled out on a mess of pool chair cushions they had stolen from three different floors, changed seemed possible. It felt more real.

But it was also so close to being ripped from her hands. One day Zoe would know who she was. Would she be proud that Chloe had changed? Or disappointed that her new friend was only her sister?

Zoe bumped their shoulders together. Chloe giggled and bumped back. She'd never had this before. Not with Zoe, and really, not with anyone. She'd never allowed Sabrina this close. Anyone. It wasn't easy, necessarily, it still stung every time Zoe mentioned her. The bullying, their mother, it all made a dark cloud hang over their meetings.

"Our mother is why Chloe is the way she is." Zoe sighed. And yeah, Chloe was pretty sure Zoe had no idea who she was. That level of petty was beyond her. "Well, her dad is part of it too, but... She's just a smaller version of our mom."

"You used to live with your mom." Chloe said softly. They had settled in beach chairs, shoulder to shoulder, heads inches apart. It felt taboo to speak louder. "What was that like?"

Zoe sighed. "Not great. She was gone most of the time at least. I'd only see her once a week at most, usually less. I think she'd forget I was there."

Chloe hummed.

"I wish I could get along with Chloe." Zoe's eyes closed. Chloe took the moment to look at her, really look at her, watch the smallest muscles relax and tense in her face. Watched the way her jaw clenched, watched her swallow, watched her relax.

When Zoe's eyes opened again Chloe was looking right into them, inches away.

Ah, too close. Chloe turned her head and looked away, back out at the city. Zoe rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"One day you will." Chloe promised. "It'll happen."

It was Zoe's turn to hum. "I love your confidence."

Everything good in Chloe's life had to go tragically wrong at some point. And no, that was not an exaggeration. It was the simple truth.

Looking back she knew she was an idiot. She knew there were signs she should have seen, signs she flat out ignored. It had just been so nice to have Zoe's attention, and it would have been awkward to push her away, and.. And...

And Chloe was pathetic. There was no way around it.

Holding hands, leaning on each other, being so close they could practically kiss, she knew what it meant, she knew how it must have looked to Zoe. Zoe, who had no idea who she was.

It was only when Zoe's nose brushed against her own that Chloe snapped back into her sense. This was too far. This was past the line of flirting with danger; this was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Zoe was quick to try and apologize when Chloe leaned back. "Hey, sorry, I thought...?" The confusion on her face sent a pang through Chloe's heart.

Chloe winced. "Zoe, I... I can't, you know I can't."

She'd give anything to stop the frown that spread on Zoe's face. She was hurt, and Chloe couldn't even explain why. "Because of your identity, right? But that's okay! No one has to know besides us, right? Is it really that different from you visiting me?"

Yes. Yes, it was different, because Chloe was too far gone in her lies to ever come back from them. Zoe's hand was warm against her own, their fingers linked in a way that was more intimate than anything Chloe had ever done with anyone. Her sister. Zoe would never forgive her.

"I can't tell you who I am."

"You don't have to." Zoe's patient smile made the guilt in her stomach even worse. Her sister's kindness really highlighted Chloe's own selfishness, her depravity. "I know what I need to know about you. Maybe I don't know your name, but I know who you are."

Chloe pulled back. This was wrong. This was so wrong. Everything she had built with her sister, every ounce of redemption she had earned back, was shattering into pieces before her. Zoe was in love with her. This was Chloe's own doing, her own fault.

"Zoe--" Chloe's voice cracked with emotion, "I'm not..."

"Hey, hey, whoa!" Zoe switched to panic and softness. She used her other hand to cup Chloe's cheek. "Okay, it's okay. I didn't meant to make you upset, Bee."

Chloe closed her eyes. Zoe's hand against her cheek comforted the storm inside her. Everything felt so clear with Zoe. So why was this so wrong? How could the obvious answer also be the only thing not allowed?

Their foreheads touched and Chloe wasn't even sure who started it. Her eyes opened and met Zoe's, just like they had all those weeks ago. At that distance Chloe couldn't pretend not to notice the tears in Zoe's eyes. Not that she would, not anymore.

"It's okay, Bee." Zoe whispered. "I understand."

But you don't. Chloe would walk away from this heartbroken, but knowing why. Zoe would never know--

Oh. Oh no. Zoe could never know.

Chloe swallowed. She couldn't tell her, not now. 'Hey, remember when you tried to kiss me? Remember when you fell in love with me and I let you?'

Chloe shuddered and closed her eyes. She'd never tell her.

...Which... Actually... If she was never going to know anyways...

"Bee?" Zoe whispered again, "Talk to me, Bee."

Zoe would never know. They'd already come this far, hadn't they? Chloe was already beyond saving at this point. What was one more night?

Selfishly--something Chloe had finally thought she was past--she closed the distance between them easily. Zoe didn't protest as their lips pressed together; why would she? This was her friend, the person she was in love with.

To Chloe this was all that and more.

She really, really wished the kiss had made things clearer. She wished she had pulled away disgusted with herself. She wished the kiss had changed Zoe's mind.

Instead she hardly pulled away at all. Zoe's hands pulled her closer and Chloe was beyond the point of caring.