ML prompt: Marinette has to leave town for a week to go visit the miraculous temple in China and as a way to try to push her back to the right track deputizes Chloé into Ladybug while she’s gone
Okay, Anon- love the prompt. Here you go - this takes place after the season 3 Finale, I hope you like it!
Choosing Trust
Despite what her mother thought or perhaps in spite of it, Chloe Bourgeois knew quality. It was why, as much as she hates to admit it, she wakes up painstakingly early to go to the Dupain-Cheng bakery for breakfast every morning.
In times past, she would make her Father’s personnel fetch her breakfast from the Bakery. But, with the elections mere months away, her Daddy claimed that he needed all the hands he could get. So now, she was left to get it herself.
‘If there were better,’ she thought but never finished as she donned her “disguise”. She had a reputation to maintain; being seen entering or leaving the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, her self-declared enemy’s home – would be like admitting defeat. But really, all she did was leave her hair loose and slip a pair of over-sized sunglasses over her face but it was enough to make her feel unrecognizable.
She also wouldn’t admit to anyone, but right now, she liked feeling anonymous. Liked that her outward appearance was just as unrecognizable as her inner jumble of thoughts. That whole ordeal with Hawkmoth a few months back was… well, it didn’t do to think about it. Especially now, when the bakery was just starting to fill with the warmth associated with freshly baked bread. Chloe lingered in the doorway, as was her usual custom, waiting for at least three other early risers to make their purchase.
She strode forward as the last coin dropped onto the counter, considering that maybe she should try a new pastry instead of getting another spinach-gouda croissant, but dismissed the desire as a passing fancy – the spinach-gouda croissant was salty, warm, and familiar. And in the face of everything having changed for the worse – familiar was something she desperately craved.
“Good-morning Chloe.”
Chloe stopped a foot short of the counter and did a double take, in Sabine’s place stood Marinette.
“I, I want a spinach-gouda croissant.” Despite her shock she wouldn’t say please, she was talking to her arch-rival after all.
“They’re not ready yet,” Marinette said gravely with a straight face.
Chloe looked at the full display of spinach-gouda croissants through the counter glass and raised her eyebrows, “…Right. Look Dupain-Cheng, just give me my breakfast and we can pretend this never happened.”
‘Seriously,’ Chloe thought pinching the bridge of her nose, ‘what’s with this girl?’
“How about you come to the back and I make you some tea while we wait for the croissants to bake?” Marinette offered as if her request were nothing out of the ordinary. “Besides, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Okaay,” Chloe had no idea why she was agreeing to this. She told herself it was because she would receive a free cup of tea and an extra fresh breakfast, but really, the truth was simpler – it was the first time since the… Hawkmoth situation that someone had shown her positive attention. Even if the kindness was false, since Marinette clearly outlined that she was doing this to get something out of her, it was nice to be on the receiving end of it all the same.
She sipped delicately at the jasmine tea and waited for Marinette to speak first. Marinette clutched her teacup like it was a life-line and took a long gulp before beginning with “Chloe, I need to travel to Lhasa for a week for…personal reasons.”
“Tibet,” Marinette clarified when Chloe sent her a blank look.
“So you want me to what… take notes for you while you’re gone?”
Marinette waved a hand, “No, no – thank you, but I have Alya covering me for that.”
“Then why are you telling me this?” Chloe tossed her hair over her shoulder, “I swear, if this is a mean prank to make me late for school, then I –”
“I want you to be Ladybug while I’m gone!” Marinette blurted out.
Static overtook Chloe’s brain. Marinette was Ladybug? But then. But then that meant that Marinette knew how, how awful she was both in and out of the mask why would she want? Why would she want her to be Ladybug? Chloe’s near-empty teacup clattered onto the table.
“That’s a sick joke,” Chloe declared as she stood up, “Where’s the camera? Are your little friends watching?”
Tears fogged Chloe’s eyes – breakfast be damned. This was just cruel.
Chloe’s eyes snapped to Marinette, “If it were true, then why me? Why not any of your other friends?”
Marinette’s grip tightened briefly on her sleeve, “Because none of them would be as good!”
“…What?”
“Please, sit back down. I can explain, I promise.”
Marinette released her sleeve and sat carefully down, as if Chloe was a wild animal that would spook at any fast movements. Chloe wiped the gathering tears with the back of her hand, grimacing inwardly at the smear of blue and black that was left behind. She knew she should have used waterproof mascara that morning.
“Alright, talk.” Chloe demanded imperiously as she picked up her teacup.
Marinette inhaled noisily, “Ok, well. I’ve been watching you since Hawkmoth –”
“I don’t want to talk about that,” Chloe interrupted.
“Alright,” Marinette said soothingly, “So since that…day you didn’t leave for New York… I noticed how, without having any distractions…”
Chloe snorted at Marinette’s delicate wording, of course she would be too polite to say ‘since you lost all your friends’ but otherwise remained quiet.
“…and without you bullying me, how creative you got with your designs. You’re crafty in ways that no one suspects. Crafty enough to rival me,” Marinette paused to take a sip of her own tea,
“The Ladybug is creativity and kindness itself. It needs someone like me.”
“Like you,” Marinette corrected, “to reach its full potential. And as guardian, I deem you worthy.”
When no more words came from Marinette, Chloe tried to poke holes into Marinette’s reasoning, “But how can you say that? How can you be sure I won’t abuse the power and keep the miraculous for myself? Or that I won’t turn to Hawkmoth again?”
Marinette’s eyes pinned her down, “Would you?”
Chloe cast her eyes away from Marinette’s, “It happened last time. And the time before that.”
“True,” Marinette said softly and slid a lacquered box towards her, “But I have a feeling that you won’t this time. I’m choosing to trust you to do the right thing. It’s up to you to choose to honor that trust.”
Chloe’s hands trembled as her fingers closed around the box, “Thank you.”
On her way out, Chloe paused at the counter.
“Oh Chloe, dear,” Mrs. Dupain-Cheng said cheerfully, “A new batch of spinach-gouda croissants just came out – how many would you like.”
“Actually,” Chloe said slowly, “I think I would like some canelés, please.”
Maybe it was time to try something new, after all.
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