Like the blood that flowed through his veins, she'd always been there.
Time could change a lot and yet so little. Adrien made his way down past anything standing in his path, moving fluidly down the street, long since used to this path and how well he knew her.
Chloe had grown up a lot in her own unique ways, and so walking up to her mansion, just outside of Paris, and knowing that when he'd knock on the door, she'd rush down, almost like the grace of being a lawyer fled from her for her to become even younger than she was now for a moment.
He tapped on the door and didn't really have to wait long for Chloe to open it; she always looked forward to the days that they could meet up with a certain fervor that he'd never really minded. Chloe's engagement ring shone on her hand even as she waved her best friend over and into the room.
Chloe led the way, already jumping into a conversation, "The case that I've been working on has been pretty tough." She moved easily through the kitchen, finding exactly what she needed to put together the ingredients laying on the counter into some easy, no cooking required, snack. She'd handled the cooking lessons that she received with a stubborn sort of grace, and Adrien could admire that while she was the same girl that he'd always known, that she had changed in some ways with the eagerness to better herself.
"So Ladybug keeping you busy?" She asked with a slight nudge of her chin; she never called his wife by her actual name unless they were out in public. It soothed a part of her to only call her 'Ladybug' since that day when they'd held hands and washed as magic left them to stand there as civilians. Hawkmoth had been defeated, locked away somewhere, and thankfully, the onslaught of that reveal had not yet happened.
Queen Bee had been holding Ladybug's hand on one side, Rena's on the other, and the circle went on. Cat Noir held Ladybug's hand, his first partner, and he held Carapace's who held Rena's. It had been like a veil once removed and everything made much more sense.
Chloe had dropped Marinette's hand like she'd been scalded, Rena's just a tad slower, and stood there, shaking and unsure of any words that could leave her lips. Cat Noir had always been able to read Queen Bee's face so well even when she wasn't transformed, even when he wasn't, so he knew without a doubt that she couldn't find words that she liked that she could say.
All of the words were either bitter that she'd given up on a long time ago or were just stunned and full of disbelief, so she'd said nothing, just kind of trembled.
Alya was the first to spun around in circles that day, hand clasped tight around Nino's, and eyes blown wide in excitement, and with her positivity and Marinette's understanding and Nino's calm acceptance, Adrien knew that they'd be fine. Even now, they were fine.
Nino and Alya had gotten married first, Adrien and Marinette second, and Chloe had a wonderful engagement ring from Nathanael shining on her hand.
Her joy was pretty much palpable after everything settled from that reveal and after her life moved on. Nathanael's surprise support had blown her away after the fact. He'd seen her grow up more and more each day, learn to watch her tongue, and slowly, he'd started to admire her for her attitude, once tainted with bitterness, now with only a hint of snark.
Honestly, Adrien was happy for them; they seemed so perfect for each other.
"Not too much right now." Adrien relaxed, "How's work treating you, and you aren't drowning in wedding plans, are you?"
"No, no. Nothing too major. Nathanael likes quiet and close, but Dad likes large and for publicity. I'm just figuring out what I want now. I don't want to invite any of my clients. I honestly don't need the stress. You're still coming. Don't worry." Chloe waved away imaginary worry, and Adrien really hoped that she could figure out what she wanted. She used to want the type of wedding that her father was rooting for, but in time, it became less of something that she felt like she had to have happen.
"I'm not worried. I hope that you can find what you want too." Adrien told her with a gentle smile, "It's not your father's wedding. You and Nathanael have to agree on something."
"I know. I know." She rolled her eyes, "It's just that it's hard to decide. I'm not just Mommy's little princess or even Daddy's little princess anymore. I'm my own person, my own woman, that sometimes kicks villain's butt, and yet now, I'm not even sure where Queen Bee ends and I begin." Her voice went soft.
"It's all about finding a happy medium. I don't have the energy to act boisterous all the time or to always joke and tease. I like the quieter moments too. Being my wife's gentleman, watching her blow everyone's mind with her designs. I'm used to the quiet side of me, just as much as I've gotten used to my more playful side." Adrien admitted, "I've had more time to adjust though." Adrien shrugged, "Just take it kind of slow and figure it out as you go. You're not always going to be Queen Bee, but not always are you just going to be Chloe either."
"Okay, it's just hard, because I don't have Nathanael to tell all of this too." Chloe admitted, taking a seat, "Even though, I should rightly be talking this all out with my fiancee rather than my childhood friend."
"Sometimes, you really need friends." Adrien smiled at her, "It's something that Nino taught me, actually. You can tell Nathanael. Hawkmoth has been defeated."
"But what if he's not okay with marrying Queen Bee, just Chloe." She stared down at her lap, "I know that it's a lot to take in."
"I'm sure that your Queen Bee side has slipped out before him at times, and I know that he'll love all sides of you. Nathanael's a good guy, and he did propose. He wants to marry more than just your Chloe side. He wants to marry all of you, good, bad, ugly, and then some." Adrien knew what it felt like to be standing in Chloe's shoes. At times, he'd been scared that Marinette wouldn't want to love all sides of him and yet she somehow did, and he loved every last side of hers.
"Okay, I'll try." Chloe leaned back against her childhood friend, ready for the nerves, the tears, and whatever else to fade with the distant ringing of church bells one day as life carried on with its old tune past all of this, past everything, and when life somehow became normal, ordinary, not whatever made her so stressed out and nervous. She'd have time to adjust; she just hoped so.