#marinettelove

***

Alya and Nino were more than happy to step up and help Chat of course, I only hope that they can look away from each other during the battle long enough to help out. Those two are inseparable lately since I revealed their identities, so it was easy enough to track them down.

“Am I interrupting?”

Alya and Nino jerked away from each other, eyes wide until they realized who was standing in Alya’s balcony doorway.

“Ladybug!”

“I need to ask you two for a favor,” she said, stepping into the room and placing her hands on her hips. “Consider it a special mission.”

“Sure thing, dudette,” Nino tipped his hat.

“Yeah, anything you need!” Alya echoed, perking up as Ladybug tossed them their Miraculous boxes.

“I have to go out of town for some secret uncover work, and I need you two to assist Chat Noir while I’m gone. I’m leaving him my Miraculous in case an akuma attacks, but he won’t be able to do it alone. Can I count on you two?”

“Totally!” Alya nodded, fastening her necklace.

“We won’t let you down,” Nino said confidently, and Ladybug’s face softened into a proud smile.

“Thanks, you two. I’m glad I can always rely on you,” she said, backing toward the balcony and tossing her yoyo across the street. “I’ll retrieve your Miraculouses when I get back. I’m counting on you!”

I’m really happy for them, but also a little jealous because I wish that Adrien and I could be like that. Then we could all go on double dates to the movies, but I feel like I’d accidentally spill my drink in his lap and ruin the mood. Truthfully, I have a long way to go before I’m ready to be in a relationship with Adrien. Besides, he loves Kagami right now anyway, so I have to keep trying to get him to notice me. Then one day we can get that house and three kids and a hamster named-

Her pen skidded as the plane hit turbulence, and she held onto her seat until it passed.

Anyway, Chat Noir didn’t take the news as well, but I guess that was to be expected. He really is in love with me which is incredibly sweet, but my heart will always belong to Adrien.

“You’re leaving?” Chat gasped, mask furrowing and lips pursing into a pout. “How long will you be gone?”

“Just a week,” she said reassuringly, but he threw his head back with a whine.

“I can’t see you for a whole week?” He said incredulously.

“You’ll be fine. Rena Rouge and Carapace are gonna help you,” she said, patting his shoulder.

“But I won’t get to see you for a whole week,” he reiterated, and she chuckled in amusement.

“I’ll bring you back a souvenir, how about that?” She promised, ducking around the corner of the building. “Ready?”

Chat puffed his cheeks grumpily but turned around his corner as well. In a flash of light, they dropped their transformations and passed their respective jewels to their partner.

“I’ll see you when I get back, chaton,” she said sincerely, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“I miss you already.”

Chat Noir is always so dramatic, but I suppose he has nothing on his kwami.

She paused her writing to peek into her purse where the lazy bones was sleeping. Like owner, like kwami she supposed.

Those two really are a perfect pair, always full of silliness. In fact, Plagg gave me a bit of trouble the night before while I was trying to finish packing.

“My, my what’s in here?” Plagg asked, lifting the lid of Marinette’s secret gift chest, and she raced over to shut it, cheeks pink.

“Don’t snoop around! You’re a guest, remember?” She scolded, but Plagg was already floating across the room to get into something else.

“You sure do have a lot of pictures of this boy on your wall. Someone got a crush?” he remarked, looking a little too smug as he batted his eyelashes, and Marinette puffed out her cheeks.

“None of your business,” she said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, he looks like a bit of a flake to me.”

“Take that back! Adrien is the nicest, most incredible and handsome-” she stopped short under Plagg’s taunting smirk, turning away once more to hide her blush. “Don’t tell Chat Noir.”

“My lips are sealed…at a cost.”

“What do you want?” She quirked a brow, and he rubbed his greedy hands together with a cackle.

That mangy cat burned a hole in my allowance buying cheese.

Part of her missed Tikki, but she knew leaving her behind was for the best. Paris needed someone to purify the akumas, and she needed to find whatever it was that Master Fu wanted her to see.

I’m excited to see my family, but also kind of nervous. We haven’t visited since I was really little, and I barely speak any Chinese. Hopefully they like me…I’ll update you as soon as I can. Bye for now, diary.

She closed the cover and leaned her head back with a contented sigh. She hoped that Chat Noir would be okay back in Paris. Of course, she trusted him, but she still worried and had to keep telling herself that everything would be fine. If Master Fu approved then surely things would all work out. She fished out the note he’d given her and read over it once more with a creased brow wondering what it could be.

“What’s that, dear?” Her mother asked, lowering her book, and Marinette folded the note back quickly.

“Oh, nothing, just an old note from school I found in my bag,” she said with a nervous grin.

“Well, you should try to get some sleep. It’s still going to be a while before we land,” Sabine advised.

“Kay,” she tucked the note back into her front pocket and shifted to recline her seat a little.

“Good night, sweetie,” Sabine leaned over to kiss her cheek. “We’ll be in China when you wake up.”

“Night, maman.”

Several hours later, her mother shook her shoulder, and she sat up, blinking against the sunlight. Sabine pointed out the window with a smile, and Marinette perked up, pressing her hands on either side to peer out.

How could anyone say that? About their own daughter, no less.

“Marinette.”

She blinked. “Huh?” She looked up and found Master Fu sitting in front of her.

“I said, thank you for returning the Bee Miraculous, Marinette.” He smiled and bowed, hands pressed together. “I knew I chose you for a reason.”

She blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Of course, Master Fu. I’m still really sorry about losing it in the first place.”

He shrugged. “We all make mistakes. Is there something the matter?”

“No, master….” She looked down and tapped her knees, but then looked back up. “Well, actually, yes. I need to be somewhere soon.”

“I see, well, you are free to leave.”

“Thank you, Master Fu.” She bowed briefly and stood up. Then, turning to Tikki, she asked, “Do you have enough energy for another transformation, Tikki?”

Her kwami nodded. “Mmhm. Just say the magic words.”

Marinette smiled and brushed the hair over her earrings away. “Spots on!”

-

She landed on the roof of Le Grand Paris and glanced around before de-transforming.

“Um, Marinette, this isn’t your house.”

“I know, Tikki,” she said, stepping over to the roof access door.

“But you need to pack to go to New York City with Mme. Bourgeois! She won’t be happy if you’re late!”

“I’m not going with her,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Tikki. “I’ve got something more important to do.”

She opened the door and walked down the steps until she reached the top floor of the hotel. After getting her bearings, she moved towards the only room in the hall. She could already hear Chloé sniffling on the other side.

She raised her fist to knock but faltered. There was a tug on her purse strap, and she looked down at Tikki.

“Marinette,” she whispered, “what are you doing?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but a crash cut her off. She gasped and stepped back, but then heard a furious cry, followed by a choked sob. “Why won’t you love me!”

Marinette faltered, but tightened her fist and swallowed down her fear. She looked at Tikki, who retreated into her purse, giving a small, reassuring smile as she went.

“Okay,” she breathed, “here goes nothing.”

She knocked. There was a sniffle, followed by another, then Chloé shouted, “Go away!”

She waited a moment before knocking again.

“I said go away!” Chloé screamed. “Leave me alone, Jean! Daddy! Whoever you are!”

There was a moment of silence before she went back to sobbing. Guilt and pity twisted her gut painfully as she stood there, listening to the girl who’d bullied her for years in the most vulnerable state she’d ever been.

Whatever hatred or rivalry they’d had, she didn’t care. This was about more than past judgements and retribution. Someone pettier might’ve chalked it all down to poetic justice, but Marinette put it at a tragic childhood that no one should’ve ever endured.

She checked the door and found it unlocked. Opening it, she stepped inside Chloé’s room and found her curled up on the ground, back facing her. A vase was shattered nearby, shards, dirt, and roses scattered across the carpet and marble tiles. Beneath her shoe was the sunglasses she always wore, some of the glass sticking to her soles.

Marinette took in the sight with a grimace, but then found her resolve and took a step forward.

A hand wiped over Chloé’s face as a sob wracked her body. Marinette reached out a hand and touched her shoulder gently. “Chloé-”

The blonde girl jumped and swung an arm. She instinctively jumped away, dodging it by an inch. Her arch-nemesis scowled at her, running mascara turning her tears black and making the red of her bloodshot eyes pop out. “What part of leave me alone don’t you understand… Oh, it’s you.” Venom dripped from her voice. “What do you want, Dupain-Cheng? You’ve already won.

Her heart dropped and she opened her mouth to speak but closed it. Chloé glared at her for a second longer before she turned back around to burn holes into space. The tension was thick between them and she didn’t know what to say without setting her off.

There was a buzzing nearby and Marinette looked over to find Chloé’s phone on the ground. She glanced at the blonde girl before stepping over and picking it up. The screen was cracked, but not distorted enough for her to mistake the image of André Bourgeois.

She offered the phone to her. “Um, your dad’s-”

Chloé slapped it out of her hand before she could finish. The phone sailed into the next room over, hitting the ground with a crack. She cringed and backed away but couldn’t help the pitying look that crossed her face. “Chloé.”

Chloé, in turn, bared her teeth in a snarl, but halfway through expressing her fury, she let it go and slumped her shoulders. A few tears hit the floor before she wiped her face and sniffled. “Just… go away. Go to New York, at least you’ll be gone too.”

She looked down at the daughter of the mayor who’d always seemed invincible on her pedestal. Pity coiled in her stomach and her heart bled. Swallowing down her hesitation, she balled her hands into fists and took a deep breath. “I’m not going to New York.”

She waited. A second passed. Then, Chloé lifted her head up.

A weak “What?” was her response, followed by a confounded face. Marinette crossed her arms and looked away, wearing a frown the entire time.

“I… I’m not going,” she repeated. “I can’t-... I can’t do that to you.”

Chloé furrowed her brow and tilted her head, utter bewilderment all over her features. She could see her mind trying to wrap itself around the concept of her moral choice, but just not getting it.

“What game are you playing?”

Marinette frowned. “I’m not playing any game. I just… I can’t….” She shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh. “She’s your mother, Chloé, I can’t just go with her. That should be you.”

She expected an outburst. A confirmation. Some kind of Chloé-trademarked, snide remark. But all she got were falling eyes and drooping shoulders.

She shifted uncomfortably in front of the unusually quiet bully. “Chloé… why do you even look up to her?”

The blonde girl didn’t give an answer. She sat silently and Marinette watched her.

“Because she’s exceptional….” She curled up, drawing her knees to her chest. “She’s everything I’m not and… and I….” Her face scrunched up, something between anger and misery crossing her features. “I wanted to be her… ever since I was a little girl.”

She stepped over tentatively before sitting down next to her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Daddy used to want me to grow up like him. He wanted me to sit in a dusty, old office and sign papers all day, but mother… she wanted me to be like her. She wanted me to be her legacy, to be everything that was perfect about her and more.”

“But you didn’t live up to her expectations.”

Chloé glared at her. “Who’s telling this story? Me or you?”

“Sorry… but, I still don’t get it,” she rubbed the back of her neck. “Why her? Why not… anything else?”

“Why? because she has it all,” she snapped, rising up to stand over her. “Fame. Fortune. The love and adoration of her fans.”

“But?”

“But what? She’s got everything, she’s perfect.”

Marinette frowned. “But you’re not.”

It was less of a claim and more a prodding, a soft suggesting that Chloé confirmed with a brief glare before she flicked her eyes away. “All I’ve ever wanted was to be her.”

“Well, you don’t have to be.”

“What! Of course, I do!” She put her hands on her hips. “Weren’t you listening! She has everything! She is everything!”

“But she’s not you.” She stood up and looked her in the eye. “And you’re not her.”

Chloé pursed her lips before she bowed her head. “How could I ever be anything else?”

She reached over to put a hand on her shoulder, but the blonde snapped up and grabbed her ponytail. “I’ve modeled my look after her when she was my age, ponytail and everything!” She picked at her jacket. “Even my entire wardrobe has the same color scheme! There’s nothing that’s not her!”

What hatred or sadness had plagued her before was replaced with desperation and fear. She was forced to grab her wrists before she started drawing blood with her nails.

“Hey, calm down! It’s alright!”

“Nothing is alright!” She struggled in her grasp, tears streaking her mascara further. “I’m nothing if I’m not her! I’m- I’m-”

“Chloé Bourgeois!” she shouted. “Your name is Chloé Bourgeois and you are exceptional!”

Chloé stared at her, eyes wide and mouth agape. She swallowed and let go of her wrists.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of you, especially your mother. No one can make you be something or someone you’re not.” She shrugged her shoulders and gestured over at the Ladybug themed carpet in the next room over. “Ladybug wasn’t always a superhero. She wasn’t always supposed to save the day. I wasn’t always going to be a fashion designer… I used to just want to play video games professionally.”

The blonde girl in front of her searched her face with lost eyes while she laughed awkwardly. “Look, the point is… you are exceptional, Chloé, no matter what anyone tells you. The only one who can tell you what you can or can’t be is yourself.”

They stood quietly for a few moments, studying each other. She wasn’t sure what Chloé was looking for, but she was searching for any hint that the blonde girl would be alright. She didn’t find it, at first, but slowly, the pain and anguish that’d stayed in her eyes waned away, leaving the blue a little brighter.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but she resisted the urge to break out into a grin. “I’m going to, um, leave now.” She pointed at the door and stepped around her. She stopped just past her and turned around, patting her on the shoulder. “You’re going to be alright, Chloé. If you ever need anybody to talk to… I’m always open.”

With that, she opened the door and walked out into the hall, daring one last glance into the room at her arch-nemesis.

-

“Nino?”

Nino raised his hand up front. “Here!”

Mlle. Bustier scribbled on her clipboard. “Rose?”

“Present!”

“Kim?”

Marinette glanced back at Kim, who was in the middle of a conversation with Max. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Mlle. Bustier, who was looking over her clipboard.

“Kim?”

The Vietnamese boy turned his attention down to the front of the classroom and flushed red. “Uh, here!”

Their homeroom teacher shook her head and laughed under her breath. Then, she frowned. “Has anyone seen Chloé?”

Everyone glanced over at her seat, their eyes lingering on the empty spot next to Sabrina. The redhead, herself, seemed crestfallen, almost depressed.

There was a nudge from her left and she glanced over at Alya.

“Bet she’s busy crying about mommy,” she teased.

She responded with a frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Adrien tensing up. Nino, beside him, looked over then back and up at them.

“Talking about Mlle. Unexceptional?”

“Guys.” She narrowed her eyes. “Come-”

The classroom door opened before she could finish and in came a tanned girl dressed in white. Her blonde hair tumbled down her head, freed from its usual ponytail and a new pair of sunglasses sat on her head. A simple, white designer purse sat at her side.

Marinette sat up and locked eyes with Chloé. There was fear in those blue orbs, of judgement and jokes, but she sent her a smile and an encouraging nod of her head.

Chloé swallowed and looked at Mlle. Bustier. “Sorry I’m late. I couldn’t decide on what to wear.”

Their teacher, who was usually on top of things, blinked and stared at the mayor’s daughter for a second longer before she regained her senses. “That’s… alright, Chloé. Just don’t let it happen again, okay?”

“Of course, Mlle. Bustier.” She nodded. “Thank you.”

With that, she strode to her seat, walking up the steps. While Sabrina stood up to let her in, she leaned over to Chloé and whispered, “I like your new look. It’s very… exceptional.”

Chloé almost grinned, but then glanced around her and reduced it to a small smile. “Of course, it is. It’s me.”

She sat down then but gave her a final look of gratitude before turning to pay attention. She would’ve done the same if Alya hadn’t nudged her again.

“Girl, what was that?” she whispered.