#nathchlo

“Ugh! How are you supposed to draw what I want on my wall if you aren’t paying attention!” she hissed.

Chloe had announced that morning that she wanted someone to paint a mural on her room wall. She stated that none of the world famous artists that her ‘daddy’ had called were available, so ‘one of them would do’. Surprisingly enough, Chloe had picked him to design and paint her wall.

“What!? Me?” he asked incredulously as she walked up to him, the whole class staring.

“Yes. Alix’s graffiti is tasteless-“

“No it’s not-”

“And you’re the only one that has a mixture of sophistication in your work. I will pay you obviously.”

And he had said yes, because he knew that Chloe would pay him well if he did a decent job and he could save the money to get more materials. Money had called his name and he had said yes.

He was regretting it now. He had sketched over ten different designs for her over the school day and she had rejected every single one. He was tired and done. Damned be the money.

“Okay, Chloe. You are being impossible. I’ve drawn the entire day and you’ve rejected every single one. I think I need to go home-”

“But you said you’d do this for me!”

“But I’ve taken into account everything you’ve asked for and you’re just rejecting! You’re not saying ‘oh this is nice or I don’t want that’. You’re literally berating every attempt!”

“You’re an artist! You’re supposed to know what I want!” she argued back and he rolled his eyes.

“I’m also not a mind reader! I can’t draw anything you like if you don’t give me anything to start with.”

“Then why did you accept this job in the first place?”

“You came to me remember?”

“You could’ve said no!”

“I did it for the money!”

This made Chloe stop, her eyes widening a fraction, before lowering to the ground.

“Of course you did…” she mumbled and he threw his hands up in exasperation.

“Well, why else would I do this?”

“I…um…I don’t know…because I want to be friends?” she stuttered, her ears going red with shame and she buried her face in her hands.

Nathanaël stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He didn’t think she’d react like this.

“Chloe…I…um-”

“I wanted to show you I’m a better person. That…that I’m not the same person that I used to be…”

He sat down again and waited for her to continue talking.

“Being Queen Bee…it’s changed my life. Ladybug and Chat Noir trust me enough to fight Hawk Moth with them and it has made me realize that my attitude isn’t ideal. I know that I can’t be Queen Bee often because I revealed my identity to the whole world but…I feel different…a good different.”

“So…was this whole meeting planned…just so that you could redeem yourself?” he asked and she sighed.

“Well…I do have an empty wall but it doesn’t need painting-“

“-So you lied?”

“I….yes?” she said biting her lip and he laughed.

“How heroic of you Chloe,” he grinned and she lightly shoved him, her ears red with embarrassment.

“Okay, I could’ve done this differently but I had to get your attention somehow. I know you definitely wouldn’t have agreed to coffee at a café-”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because- Because you hate me!”

“When did I say I hate you?”

“Okay maybe not hate but you did try to kill me with a giant high heel!”

“When I was the Evillustrator? Chloe that was a year ago!”

“But still! I…I know I hurt your feelings and I want to make up for it…I made fun of your art and you didn’t deserve that.”

Nathanaël was surprised. He did not expect the conversation to go in that direction at all. He thought for a minute and stood up, Chloe looking at him, visibly deflating.

“Look, I know that this conversation didn’t go the way I planned but I swear I’m sorry-”

“-Let’s go.”

The girl looked at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side.

“What? You said you wanted to show me that you’re a decent human being-”

“-I never said that-!”

“-And I heard that Mademoiselle’s red velvet cheesecakes are really good so if you still want have a chat with a friend about a fake mural…” he trailed off, a small smile on his face as he looked down at her.

Chloe let out a small gasp as the afternoon sun hit his red hair, the strands looking like fire and his blue eyes standing out. Everything seemed to stop for a moment, the quietness of the courtyard and the soft breeze of summer made it known that something had shifted.

The atmosphere was warmer and it wasn’t because Chloe was in the sun.

“Chloe? You okay?”

Her heart was beating frantically and she could feel her face going red.

“Yeah! I just needed a moment to figure out where that café is! Let’s go!”

“Just so you know…you’re paying,” he smirked and she put her hands on her hips.

“And why would I agree to that?”

“Because you lied about your mural, made me draw ten drawings only to reject them and-”

“Okay! You made your point!” she grumbled and he laughed.

“Wow…you are so easy to tease!”

“You were only messing with me?” she asked.

“Um yeah? It’s what friends do?” he said with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“So I can tease you about your stupid hair?”

“Calling it stupid is an insult. Not teasing,” he said as she stood up from the bench and began walking to the entrance of the school.

“So what would be teasing?”

“Well…if you said I had to dye my hair because it looks too red.”

“That’s…really stupid. That makes no sense!”

“Teasing isn’t supposed to make sense. It’s like an inside joke that no one else understands.”

“Okay…I think I’m understanding now…But seriously…you should totally try dying your hair. I could see you pulling off an emo boy look with black hair-”

“You want me to look like Luka?”

Chloe burst out laughing.

“Luka and Juleka pull off the emo style really well. You, on the other hand, wouldn’t look half as punk rock as they do.”

“I would look great with black hair!” he argued.

“You want to bet, Red?” the teasing tone of her voice taking him off guard.

“I…did you just-?”

“I did! You’re right, teasing is fun!”

He rolled his eyes and grinned.

“Red is an interesting nickname…”

“No one’s ever called you that?”

“It was used more as an insult actually when I was younger. The neighbourhood kids weren’t nice people.”

“Oh…I won’t call you that if you don’t want me to-”

“It’s okay, Yellow.”

Chloe was quiet.

“Did you just call me ‘Yellow’?”

“If you get to call me Red, I get to call you Yellow.”

“I’m not the biggest fan of the name but-“

“Well now I’ll just use it to tease you!”

“But why?” she groaned.

“Because that’s what friends do?”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat, warmth traveling through her.

Friend, huh? Sounds nice to hear it out of someone else’s mouth other than Sabrina.

“Now, c’mon Yellow! The café is around the corner!”

He bolted around the corner, Chloe chasing after him, cursing him for making her run in her favourite shoes but also laughing because she had made a new friend.

****************

The next morning, was filled with yawns and tiredness from the class and Chloe walked in, a prominent smile on her face.

“Whoa…what’s got Chloe in such a good mood?” Marinette whispered to Alya who watched the blonde closely.

“I don’t know but how much do you want to bet she’s gonna insult someone right now-”

“Morning, Red,” Chloe said as she sat down, her head facing the classroom even though Nathanaël was at the back of the class.

“Red? Who’s Red-?” Ayla said looking around the class.

“Morning Yellow,” came a response and Chloe rolled her eyes and turned around to look at the artist.

Alya and Marinette stared at the spectacle before them, their jaws on their desks.

Nathanaël and Chloe?

Talking?

“I still think you should dye your hair,” the blonde smirked.

“Says the fake mural-!” he shot back and Chloe dissolved into giggles.

“Shut up! You said you’d never bring it up.”

“Only if you’ll admit I look great with black hair.”

“Dye it and we’ll see!”

“Never.”

The two looked at each other for a minute before laughing. Once their laughter died down, Chloe turned back to the front and Nathanaël continued to draw in his sketch book.

“What…what just happened?” Alya murmured and Marinette stared.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Nino said from below them, “She’s Yellow, he’s Red. They are going to get together and be Orange.”

“Nathanaël and Chloe…interesting couple…” Adrien said with a small smile.

“Nino that is the most ridiculous thing-” Ayla began but stopped when Chloe stood up from her seat and said something to Sabrina before going to the red head’s desk.

“You up for smoothies with Sabrina and I after school?” she asked.

“I have to do an art project…” he said with a sigh, “But I am free tomorrow.”

“Sabrina has an assignment tomorrow so it’ll just be you and me if you’re okay with that?”

“I wouldn’t mind spending any time with the Yellow Goddess of Yellowness herself-”

“I hate you!” Chloe said as she laughed and he grinned.

“Tomorrow it is.”

The four friends watched the girl go back to her seat as their teacher walked into class.

Alya slammed her hand down on her desk, her face eager and startling her friends.