Not even a visit from Ladybug would cheer her up. It probably didn't matter, since she knew Ladybug and Marinette were the same person. Chloé would only draw the blinds on her windows, turn up her music, and turn her back on the heroine.

Whoever you are under this, Ladybug...I love you.

...bullshit.

The strange part was during the next patrol, when Ladybug intended to official introduce Chat to Queen Bee. First, Chat had also learned her identity, but would not tell her how, just that her secret was safe with him and that they would remain friends if nothing else. Second, Bee wasn't the same as when the first met fighting Chat Blanc. She was cold, distant, and refused to look Ladybug in the eye. She didn't seem too pleased to be working with Ladybug, but she kept to their patrol schedules and helped during Akuma attacks. Not much beyond that. She wouldn't speak to anyone if she didn't have to and didn't want to stay out late after joint patrol to hang out.

A few weeks of this and life seemed to settle into a new normal: Chat stopped flirting, Chloé stopped bullying, and Marinette stopped hoping Chloé would ever come around.

Marinette hated the new normal.

“We're going to bed now! Goodnight Marinette!”

“Goodnight Maman, goodnight Papa!” Marinette called down the stairs.

She turned back to her math homework, sighed, and stretched her arms over her head. Her eyes trailed up to the trapdoor above her bed and she decided to go out for a run. It wasn't her night to patrol, but she couldn't bring herself to stay inside. It was a beautiful night and she needed something to take her mind off recent events. So, she left her homework to be finished another time, most likely in the few minutes before class, and ascended the ladder to her bed.

She threw open the door and muttered, “Tikki, Spots O–” but stopped when her eyes met possibly the most perfect ass she ever seen. Round, tight, covered in yellow spandex wait a minute...

“Damn it to hell, why am I doing this?” Queen Bee grunted under her breath. She was leaning forward with her hands braced oon the railing, her back turned to the door. Thankfully, she hadn't heard Marinette's door open or the transformation phrase (thank goodness). “There's no way she wants to talk to me after–”

“Um,” Marinette started. Bee whirled around, her face reddening. “You're, uh, Queen Bee, right?” Marinette put on a small smile and stepped outside fully. “It's a p-pleasure to finally meet you! I've seen you on the Ladyblog and you–”

“You don't have to play dumb,” Queen Bee interrupted. She dropped her head and shut her eyes. “L-Ladybug.”

Marinette's first thought should have been how Queen Bee had discovered her identity. Instead, it was 'Dammit, that makes, what, three now? I'm the worst superhero ever.'

She crossed her arms and dropped her smile. “So, you know who I am.” Queen Bee nodded. “If I may ask, what brings you to my balcony?”

Bee shifted in her boots and wrung her hands together. “I...I've wanted to talk to you for a while, but I just...never found the right time to do it.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “During patrol was too inconvenient for you?”

“I'm sorry!” Bee stomped, her fists tightening at her sides. “Ladybug's a little intimidating!”

She snorted. “And I'm not?”

Bee pouted. “Could you just let me say this, please?” Marinette shrugged and gestured for her to continue. Bee bit her lip and sighed. “I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I pushed you away, sorry I was so cold and distant. When I found out you were Ladybug, I...I didn't know what to think.”

“How did you find out?”

“Your hair,” Bee shrugged, pointing to the right side of Marinette's head. “I remember Chat Blanc burning off your pigtail, and when I saw you the next day with your hair shorter on that side...”

Marinette squinted. When had Queen Bee seen her that day? Did they know each other as civilians? Blonde hair, blue eyes...something in Marinette's mind told her she knew who Bee was, the name danced on her tongue, but some magical effect of her Miraculous was keeping that name right where it was.

Bee wrapped her arms around her midriff and hunched her shoulders. “I adored Ladybug, but Marinette? I couldn't stand her. I hated her...your guts. Finding out you were the same person...it was too much for me.”

'Blonde, blue eyes, hates me?' Marinette almost had a face to go with the name. She felt like all she needed was a single piece of the puzzle and everything else would fall into place.

“I let my hatred get in the way of my feelings. But pushing you away only made me lonelier, angrier, and I hated it. I hated feeling that way, and I knew the only way to feel better was to face this. It's taken me weeks to sort through my thoughts, my emotions, and...I know now that I don't hate you anymore. In fact...” A blush framed Bee's slowly growing smile. “I...I love you.”

Marinette's eyes widened as Bee took a step forward and rested her gloved palm against her cheek. “You're everything I want to be as a hero, and as a human being. You're kind, considerate, selfless. You've always made friends easier than me, and I was jealous for the longest time. But not anymore, and that's why I'm here. I'm so sorry I broke my promise to you. I swore I'd love whoever was behind your mask, and now, I can say I do.”

If the pieces hadn't fallen into place when they did, if the name on Marinette's tongue and the face in her mind hadn't made themselves known, she would have had a problem with Queen Bee kissing her. But, considering she knew exactly who was kissing her, she didn't care. The only thing stopping her from truly enjoying the kiss was the shock of the revelation.

Bee pulled away and smiled wider. “I love you, Marinette.”

“Ch-Ch...Chloé?”

Chloé's smile faltered. “This...isn't a problem, is it?”

“No no no!” Marinette settled a hand on Chloé's shoulder. “This is...just a lot to take in! It's...” She pulled away and looked the girl up and down. “Why did you come transformed?”

“I needed a little...confidence booster so I could talk to you.” She fidgeted in her boots and looked away. “It's only sort of working.”

“And revealing your identity?”

“I know yours,” she shrugged. “It only seemed fair.”

Marinette couldn't think of what to say, and she could tell Bee – Chloé, she had to remind herself – wasn't taking to well to the silence. She'd just confessed, again, and Marinette wasn't responding, again. Her smile was all but gone, her eyes downturned and defeated, a faint sparkle of tears at their corners. It hurt Marinette to see her this way, and it was that pain that reminded her of her own feelings.

She slipped her fingers beneath Chloé's chin and lifted her head until their eyes met. “Do you mean that? Bee...Chloé, do you really mean that? Do you love me?”

Chloé sniffed and nodded. “I do. I do because you're still you, with or without the mask. And,” she turned her head away, “I just hope you can love me after–”

Marinette smiled and gently pulled the girl's face back to look her in the eye. “I do, Chloé. I know I got interrupted the first time I tried to say this, but...I love you.” She curled her fingers and pulled Chloé's lips into her own.

Warmth blossomed in Marinette's heart and sparks in her stomach. She missed this. She missed being with Chloé, as strange as that would have sounded a month ago. Spandex clad arms wrapped around her shoulders and Chloé pulled tighter, deepening the kiss and bringing them as close together as they could be. Marinette rested her own arms around Chloé's waist and let herself revel in these new sensations. Her lips were softer, smoother than Chat Noir's. They tasted of...honey. Marinette smiled into Chloé's lips. Honey. How appropriate for a bee.

They broke apart, their eyes met, but the fire and sparks didn't settle. They stood, smiling at each other, their cheeks warm against the cool evening wind.

“So, uh,” Chloé stammered, “I should...probably be going.” She tilted her head over her shoulder. “It's my night to patrol, so...”

“We can go together.”

Chloé stared wide-eyed at her. “Y-you don't have to if you–”

“I was gonna go out for a run anyways.” Marinette blushed harder. “I actually wanted to get my mind off of...well...losing you.”

Chloé smiled again. “You don't have to worry about that anymore, Marinette.”

“Yeah, now all we have to worry about is explaining to everyone how we went from mortal enemies to girlfriends.”

“And explaining to the city how Ladybee has replaced Ladyn...” Chloé paused. “G-girlfriends?”

Marinette shrugged. “That's what we are now, right?”

It took a few seconds for Chloé to answer, but before she did, she leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Marinette's cheek. “I'd like that. Now,” she hopped up on the railing and turned back to her girlfriend (her heart fluttered at the thought). “Are we gonna patrol or what?”