Story notes:

Side-fic set sometime post season 3. A single OC instigator but I'm hoping to spend more time with some of the B-list FCs once things get going. This is more slice of life than superhero in tone, since Mari and Adrien are not prevalent, but there will be some. I mean it's the show after all! :) Main purpose is to focus on long-path healing and finding a fresh start.

"WHO is that?" Chloe settled her eyes on a small clique of the art group surrounding a new face. Rose, Mark, Nathaniel, Juleka were all in attendance.

"Umm well, gee Chloe, I don't know." Sabrina fumbled some of her books to one arm and pulled out her phone,"I hadn't seen any-"

"Ugh, you are so useless!" Chloe flickered her fingers dismissively. "I have to do everything myself." she closed the distance to the group, eyeing up the newcomer. He was big, Ivan size big. Brown hair and eyes, not very interesting that. Boring white T-shirt, tacky claw necklace, brown letterman jacket, the most interesting thing was revealed when he made a gesture with his right hand. Some sort of metal contraption covering the last two fingers and vanishing back up into his sleeve.

Chloe stopped short as this newcomer leaned forward towards… it had to be Marc, that black mop and red hoodie couldn't be anyone else. Marc stayed perfectly still. Chloe couldn't see his face but she imagined he had to be paralyzed with fear. The new boy leaned in close enough to whisper in Marc's ear but instead just took a deep breath and straightened back up. He closed his eyes a moment and folded his arms while everyone seemed to wait with anticipation. Sabrina bumped into Chloe's elbow and snapped her out of her shock and back into motion.

The boy opened his eyes and said something rising a small round of laughter complete with a Rose-squee()

"Allright!" Chloe snapped as she budged her way into the semi-circle,"What's going on here? Who Are you?" she thrust an accusing finger under the boy's nose,"What did you just do?" she narrowed her eyes up at him accusingly.

Without Alix present Chloe was treated to a quick retreat from the other students, giving her a comfortable bubble of space. Rose piped up in the silence,"This is Dev. He's visiting. He was showing us a trick he can do!" She clapped her hands,"It's neat."

Chloe side-eyed the blond squeeker,"What trick?" she kept her finger up under Dev's nose. She felt Sabrina moving up beside her and bristled a little at the intrusion.

"Well, I can show you if you like." The new boy rumbled in a surprisingly subtle voice. Not quite a mumble, it was more like the words rattled around inside of him before finding their way out,"Unless you're afraid."

That was a very odd thing to say, but it was also NOT something Chloe could let stand,"Afraid? ME?" she snapped her arm back and straightened up to her full height, not that it achieved much in closing the height difference,"Fine, but this better not be something stupid."

Dev unfolded his arms,"Oh, it is. I assure you." He leaned forward and Chloe braced herself. She closed her eyes at the last second and felt him pass near her ear, between her and Sabrina. The inhale; and a short sharp exhale. Chloe opened her eyes and he'd already resumed his pose with eyes shut. "Two at once is tricky." he cocked his head to the side. Chloe cast a sidelong glance and her eyes met Sabrina's. Chloe tsked,"Well?" she challenged the new boy.

"For Sabrina" his words drawled out slowly,"You are a Rooibus with almond and vanilla." He opened his eyes to meet Chloe's gaze,"And you, a Tisane made from cinnamon and almost too much ginger. Stir in a generous portion of honey once it's steeped."

"Tea?" Chloe hissed, in her element,"What are you trying to guess what Tea I like? You're WAY off." at her elbow Sabrina mumbled,"I've never had a R-oo-eebus."

"Not what you like, what you are."

Chloe snapped her mouth shut and frowned.

Nathaniel spoke up,"Marc here he says is Black tea, Burgemont, and Blueberry." Marc for his part just shrank back further from the confrontation.

Rose danced in a little circle,"Young-White-Tea-with-a-pepper-mint-twist." she sang.

"Hmph." Chloe shot a look back up at the newcomer,"You will fit right in with these losers. You're ridiculous! Utterly Ridiculous! Come Sabrina." she turned and stomped off, but for too long she could feel that slow gaze on the back of her head.

"So, what do we know?" Chloe waggled the bit of lettuce on the end of her fork at Sabrina.

Sabrina plucked at a small notebook, opening it several pages in,"Well, let's see. His name is Dev Vityaz. He's tutored privately. He's taking supplemental classes while his family is in Paris, but they're constantly moving so he could be gone at any time."

Chloe speared a slice of boiled egg,"Not too soon. I keep catching him watching me in the courtyard."

"Are you not worth watching?"

Chloe squeaked at the sudden voice behind her but recovered before spinning in her seat to look up, up, up at the interloper and that implacable smile,"Well of course I am." Chloe casually rolled her fork between her fingers, the bite of egg left slipped off and onto the table, spoiling the overall effect. She covered by attacking,"It's just RUDE." She jabbed her finger up toward Dev's chest,"Just like looming over someone is."

"Fair enough." Dev reached over and pulled out the seat beside Chloe. He spun it around and sat, folding his arms over the back and leaned forward with an infuriating grin to close the distance,"Better?"

Sabrina muffled a giggle, but Chloe was too busy being aghast to snap at her,"No!" she brought her fork around to ward Dev off,"Do you even know what personal space is?"

He leaned back, rocking his chair onto two feet, then scooting it away with a thump that was entirely too loud for Chloe's peace of mind. "I've been told I don't. Can you buy it in a store?"

"Ugh." Chloe flailed internally and nearly lost her fork as some of her frustration escaped into reflexive hand waving,"You are SO WEIRD."

Sabrina stiffled another giggle, she was so not helping.

"That is entirely true."

Chloe waited for something, anything to follow that up but Dev let it hang in the air. She was saved by Sabrina chiming in, while scanning down the notepad in front of her.

"So umm, what do your parents do?"

"Dad's Telecom. Mom keeps him from falling apart while getting dragged around."

"How long are you in Paris?"

"No idea. Need a text when I get plane tickets?"

Sabrina blushed but pressed on. Chloe observed the interaction, adding up elements while Sabrina doggedly continued the list.

"Who do you know in school?"

Chloe internally flinched. Sabrina could be relied on to forget some questions were *not* for direct asking.

"Well, I know you it would seem. And of course your friend Chloe has threatened me at Fork point so there's her."

Chloe interjected,"Just how do you know Sabrina and I?" annoyance beating out reserve.

Dev straightened up in his chair and began a gesture with both hands, but dropped his right and continued with only his left hand,"You've got a classmate who is extremely thorough in recording all things related to Ladybug on her blog. I have gotten used to trying to prep for each new hop we take from place to place so I followed what the internet would share. Would you like to hear what I found about you?" Chloe couldn't tell if that gaze was challenging or simply vacant.

"No." she cut the line off and waved,"Continue Sabrina."

"Oh umm okay." Sabrina ticked down her list,"What is with your hand?"

"Oh, this?" Dev held up his right hand,"This is a support brace. As to why I'm wearing it, well a guy's got to have SOME secrets doesn't he?" Dev waggled the first three fingers on his right hand at Sabrina. The last two moved as well, but barely.

Chloe made a mental note to pry that out of this new boy if he proved worth the time. A parent who traveled all over the world and could get into Dupont on a whim sounded like a connection worth having.

Sabrina scribbled something on her pad,"Where do you buy a Roo-eebus?"

Chloe did a double take, that was not something they had discussed.

"Rooibus. Red tea." Dev didn't miss a beat,"You can buy it lots of places. Looking to make your own blend?" He settled his chin back on folded arms over the back of his chair.

Chloe reacted instinctively,"No, no." she snapped,"and if we were it would be none of your business. Now Shoo! I don't want my lunch spoiled." Chloe gave a peremptory gesture and turned by to spear a tomato in her salad with uncontrolled venom.

Sabrina sagged and Chloe heard Dev stand to move off. She found herself bracing for something that never came. No complaint, no scathing comeback. She'd already ran through a dozen arguments in her head when she came to the realization none of it was going to happen. There was just a silence spilling into the sudden absence. Chloe couldn't identify her disappointment and it just made her angier. When lunch ended she hadn't eaten much more but her salad looked like a warzone.

Chloe held the cinnamon uncertainly over her cup. The staff were asleep except for the night cook who she'd chased out. Small rough shavings of ginger floated on the surface of the steaming water. Chloe bit her lip. How much? Shake. Shake. Brown flecks joined the shavings in an unlikely mess. Chloe put down the shaker and took up a spoon. She stirred the water a few times then added a squeeze of honey to the mixture. It still looked nothing like the teas she was used to.

Chloe set her spoon down and sighed, taking up the cup. "Ridiculous." she muttered. Choe tilted her head back and took a drink.

"Aghk!" Chloe fell into a coughing fit, trying to rub clinging cinnamon off her tongue.

"Uthery ridithulus!"

"Where have you been?" Chloe fumed as she stalked up to Dev's back and darted around him even before he could even turn. She was hoping for at least a little shock but instead there was still just the mild look of amusement.

"Private tutor." Dev shrugged expansively, and glanced at the passing students heading up the school steps."No Sabrina today?"

Chloe crossed her arms,"Don't try to change the subject. Have you ever even had a cup of tea? I tried that horrid concoction you mentioned." She flicked her chin out,"It was disgusting, utterly disgusting."

"Hmmm…" Dev shifted his weight to one foot and unshouldered the backpack he was wearing with a too heavy thunk onto the paving stones. "You aren't comfortable with yourself?"

Chloe brought her eyes up from where they'd darted to the loud sound and met Dev's gaze with a sneer,"Just what is THAT supposed to mean?"

Dev turned his eyes skyward and rumbled in a slow thoughtful tone,"Sometimes folks just don't like who they are. Or maybe just haven't figured out how to put the parts together." he reached up with his right hand, rubbing the back of his head in a gesture that went from natural to hesitant as soon as his braced fingers touched.

"ME? What about you?" Chloe countered,"Mr Mysterious. You're not the only one who can do some digging." Chloe flicked her fingers at Dev's right hand,"You were in a car accident right? In Prague? That's what happened to your hand."

Watching the smile finally slip from his face wasn't nearly as satisfying as Chloe had expected. He brought his hand back around in front of his chest and flexed all the fingers slowly once. Once more the last two didn't seem to want to cooperate but rather than giving up this time he persisted in a visible struggle until the ruined digits finally curled into a full fist, then let it go "You're right." he rumbled, letting his hand fall. The motion broke the hypnotic effect. Chloe hadn't intended on staring, she met his gaze and the smile was gone there too, there was just a naked sort of pain that made her stomach knot,"Are you happy?"

"Happy? What's that supposed to mean?" she stalled, feeling the momentum slipping away again,"Ugh, Why are you so weird?"

Dev's smile slipped right back into place and he shrugged again, gesturing with both hands,"I don't know really. Let me make it up to you. I'll make you that cup of tea, then you can tell me if I'm a fake or not."

"No. Well." Chloe waffled, still trying to find her footing again in the conversation,"Fine. You know what? You're on." Chloe pushed her own challenger's smile back into place,"I'll even let you use our kitchen. Sabrina will be the judge." Chloe cast around quickly, spotting Sabrina standing a few feet away watching intently. Unfortunately she wasn't the only one. There was a loosish ring of students who suddenly all tried very hard to appear that they were doing anything but watching.

"Sabrina!" Chloe's voice cracked,"SABRINA!"

Sabrina darted forward,"Yes Chloe?"

"Get Dev's number here. We'll have him make us tea after school because he's too *small* to admit he's just faking." Chloe felt a little bit proud of that dig. She turned away to study her nails conspicuously while Sabrina stepped in to work out details.

Unfortunately her vision once again swept the other students nearby. Alya and Marinette seemed locked in a perpetual loop of moving forward to interject and stopping the other from doing that very thing. Lila was wearing the kind of vulpine smile with the power to take pleasure out of anything in life. The others blurred together into a cloud of eyes. Sidelong glances, stares, murmured whispers. Chloe snapped,"Sabrina! Let's go!" and stalked up the steps into school.

"Coming Chloe!" Sabrina added over her shoulder to Dev,"I like almond and vanilla." in a voice Chloe suspected she wasn't supposed to hear.

Out of the corner of her eye Chloe saw Marinette move in to speak to Dev and her blood boiled even further. She stretched out her stride, keeping ahead of Sabrina's best efforts. Only once she was inside and away from so many pairs of eyes did she slow a little.

"Hey Chloe." Adrien's voice was like a splash of cold water on her anger,"Everything okay?" He stepped out from beside the entrance. It was obvious to Chloe he'd probably seen everything.

She put on her best smile and swept over to him,"Of Course it is Adrikins. Why wouldn't it be?"

Adrien put up a restraining hand to check her, but actually lowered it, resting his fingers on her forearm,"Well, I didn't see everything but you've been going hard on the new guy haven't you?"

Chloe nearly collapsed so quickly was the stress reaction setting in. She fought through it with a practiced stoicism but couldn't keep the feeling of persecution off her face,"Me? Going hard on him? He's the one who has been picking at me! Does he do that to anyone else?" Adrien's touch was a lifeline.

"He's a little different. I think he means well though. Just, try to make friends?" Adrien gave Chloe's forearm a light pat before taking his hand away.

Chloe found her perfect smile again,"Of course! You know me Adrien. Why, I've even invited him over to have tea. Haven't I Sabrina?" Chloe called this last over her shoulder.

Adrien looked past Chloe to what she could only imagine was Sabrina's usual enthusiastic nodding because he rewarded Chloe with a stunning smile,"That's great. Sorry I doubted you Chloe."

The first bell rang and people flooded in, Adrien gave Chloe a parting wave as they separated in the press.

Chloe had only been a little surprised when Jean had informed her 'The young gentleman is here madam." She and Sabrina had been deep into 'exphairments' and it took a few minutes of mirror work to get things back into place. She'd been even more surprised to find Dev actually digging through the racks down in the hotel's kitchen. The night staff was watching with indecision.

"Oh, hello" he rumbled pleasantly, plucking a bottle of spice from the rack,"I hope you don't mind I've been helping myself."

Chloe puffed herself up,"okay, everyone." she clapped her hands for emphasis,"Out."

The Night cook looked for a moment like he might argue but thought the better of it and nodded to the dishwasher before they both shuffled out of the kitchen. Chloe enjoyed that.

Dev stepped over to one of the prep tables. He had far more laid out than Chloe had expected. Sabrina stepped around to get a good view, pencil and notepad out.

"What did you bring that for?" Chloe craned her neck slightly but saw the page was currently blank.

"Well." Sabrina tapped the pencil hesitantly against the rings of the notebook,"I just figured, if it does turn out to be good, then I should know how to make it." she gave Chloe an achingly hopeful look.

Chloe sighed,"Don't waste the paper. I tried it myself already." Still, she was feeling trepidation at all the extra equipment Dev had assembled. She pushed it down and said confidently,"We'll see soon enough that I'm right."

Dev had shed his letterman at Chloe's comment he picked out a saute pan and set it on the nearby stove on low heat,"I'll admit you two weren't easy to sort out from each other. I'm at least one for two though right?" Dev looked over at Sabrina and Chloe shot an accusing glare which caused Sabrina to hide behind her notepad, just peeking out over the top.

"I wanted to try mine. I bought some at the store." she said apologetically to Chloe.

"Fine." Chloe shook her head exasperated,"Sabrina's simple though. No matter what trick you think you have you couldn't possibly guess for a refined lady like myself." She paused,"What is that?"

"Cinnamon?"

"That's not Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a powder."

"Cinnamon sticks." Dev had picked two from the spice jar, a process that was made difficult since he seemed determined to use only his left hand until it became clear he needed both. He dropped the sticks onto the saute pan and gave it a little shake, sending them rolling.

"You never said anything about sticks." Chloe groused.

"I'm sorry. A single ingredient list can't encapsulate the entirety of." Dev mocked searching for words while placing a ginger root on a cutting board. He picked up a spoon and gestured,"a refined lady like yourself." Dev began scraping the ginger, peeling the rough skin off.

Chloe hadn't thought of that.

He worked proficiently and with a quiet focus. The difficulty of the fine work was obvious, and he wasn't all that adept with his left hand either.

"You're not left handed."

"No." Dev didn't look up,"But as my dad told me. 'Dev' he said,'I'm sorry son, but you'll never be all right again.'" Dev glanced up and Chloe saw the permission to laugh, or more appropriately groan, in his eyes before he returned to work.

Silence slipped back into the kitchen, interrupted only by the scratch of Sabrina's pencil and now the sort tk tk tk of the knife as Dev sliced thin disks off the ginger. He paused and tossed the cinnamon sticks once in the pan. The aroma was beginning to fill the air and mingling with the fresh scent of the peeled ginger. Despite herself Chloe began to relax. She stepped in closer and leaned on the table,"So, where did you learn this trick of yours?" Chloe hadn't meant to whisper, but the air seemed to swallow her voice.

Dev spread several slices of ginger out and cut them into slivers. When he spoke the rumble was more of a low purr to match her own volume,"Keen sense of smell since I was young. You start to pick up on patterns." He picked up a fine mesh cloth and with some struggling managed to cut it into imperfect small squares.

Chloe almost offered to help.

Almost.

"Then you pick up on clothing, posture, speech; being lucky helps too."

Chloe tried to tell if he was joking but was feeling a bit muzzy so just let it slide.

Dev took the pan off the heat and prodded the sticks out onto the cutting board. "Kind of required when you're meeting entirely new sets of people every few months in who knows what country." He used the flat of his knife to crush the sticks into small shards.

"You speak a lot of languages?" The cinnamon scent was much stronger right under her nose and it brought her back around. She stepped back and leaned on the table behind her.

Dev laughed a genuine soft laugh and glanced at them both,"Depending upon who you ask, the number of languages I can speak proficiently is between zero and one."

Chloe snrked. Dev continued while setting water to boil,"So you take all this into account and add in the fact that everyone has a scent. It's not easy to pick up on. You need to learn how to breathe it in." He glanced up, and then stopped what he was doing and straightened up.

"Open your mouth."

Chloe blinked,"What?"

"Open your mouth." Dev repeated, looking between the two of them. Then he demonstrated, opening his mouth just a touch, lips parted, teeth only slightly visible. Chloe was thrown just enough to comply.

"Now breathe in deeply through your nose. Slowly. Let the air tickle the back of your throat. Hold it just a moment, let it linger in your chest. Now breathe out through your mouth, feel it on the roof of your mouth and across your tongue. You'll get as much breathing out as in."

Chloe did, it was such an odd request it pierced through all her skepticism through oddity. She heard Sabrina beside her doing it too. There was a rush of sensations. The ginger and Cinnamon smell mingled. Apples? Why did she taste apples? Lemons. Water with Lemon her mother would drink before officiating a fashion show. Chloe opened her eyes; she didn't remember closing them.

Sabrina's little 'woah' covered for Chloe. A passing fancy wondered what Sabrina had just experienced. Chloe slapped a palm against the table behind her. The noise felt unwelcome,"ridiculous" she grumbled reflexively, but her heart wasn't in it.

"A little." Dev began portioning the slivers and shard onto the cloth,"but it works." He tried tying the cloth packets with butcher's twine but here his dexterity failed him. Chloe opened her mouth to tell Sabrina to help but closed it. After all. This was hers wasn't it?

She stepped in and gathered up the corners of one packet, wrapping the twine neatly around and tying it off. Dev didn't comment, he simply picked up each of the three packets in turn dropping them into cups with the long end of the twine hanging over the edge. Chloe stepped back. Her fingertips tingled slightly, from the cinnamon or ginger or from some other reason she didn't know.

Chloe glanced at Sabrina again. She'd stopped writing and was just watching with wide eyes while Dev worked. He poured a measure of the heated water in each cup, less than Chloe had expected. She and Sabrina both craned to see. The water barely covered the packets. The liquid quickly tinting as Dev tugged gently on each string in turn before looking up, his voice even softer,"Ginger is such a tricky thing to work with. It wants to be sweet but there's so much heat running through it most people only remember the sting."

Chloe gripped the table edge behind her to keep from fidgeting.

Dev opened a honey jar with some effort and set out three spoons. Then he stepped back, leaning against the breadrack behind him and crossing his arms. Chloe nearly asked him what he was doing before the part of her mind still above water reminded her 'Steeping.'

Chloe tried to find someplace to look. A part of her demanded she fill the silence but another neglected part stilled her tongue. She settled for watching the curls of vapor rising over the lip of the cups. She found herself counting the seconds, guessing how long she had missed before starting.

Dev stepped forward without cue and lifted the packets each in turn from the mugs, setting them aside and portioning honey into each mug. It wasn't a mere spoonful each. Spoon and spoon again dipped into the cups. He stirred each then reached out and lifted one in both hands. His braced hand cupping the bottom in his palm. "And this is where I must ask you to depart Sabrina, just for a few moments only." he said while holding the cup out to her.

Sabrina seemed shocked out of her little reverie. Chloe too felt confusion creep in and thoughts tried to form where quiet had reigned. Sabrina reached for the cup but looked to Chloe at the same time.

"It's just for this time." Dev reassured her,"I'm only asking you to trust your dearest friend with a total stranger."

"Go on Sabrina. It'll be fine." Chloe reassured her.

Sabrina set down her notebook and took the cup, cradling it in both hands as she walked towards the doors. Dev reached up and clicked the light in the hood above the stove on,"Hit the lights on your way out please."

Sabrina stopped and looked over her shoulder. Chloe figured in for a penny at this point and nodded to Sabrina. She had no idea where this was going but she wanted to see.

Sabrina plunged the kitchen into darkness save for the single island of light. The steel surfaces of the kitchen caught the glow of the light to hint at distant stars.

Chloe narrowed her eyes briefly at Dev and he countered with a self-deprecating smile picking up first one cup to hand to her, then the other for himself.

"Come here, sit." He said while lowering himself into a cross legged position in the middle of the light.

Chloe circled the table, the warmth of the tea spreading through her hands. She stopped cold as the niggling voice prodded her,"On the floor?" disgust souring the air.

"Yes, butts on the floor. Let the floor complain all it wants later."

"Charming." Chloe countered even as she carefully settled herself.

"Never been accused of that before."

Chloe hid a smile behind raising her cup to her lips.

"Hold on." Dev reached out, covering the cup with his hand,"This is important."

"So much for just a cup of tea." Chloe teased.

"Is that what you are Chloe? Just a cup of tea?"

Chloe looked down into the cup when Dev took his hand away,"I have this feeling I should be angry with you."

"Probably."

Chloe sighed, but it felt different. Something went out of her.

"What now?" her voice was shaky.

"Hold it. Breathe it. Drink only when you're sure."

Chloe did the first and the second. As for the third, she'd never felt it any less in her life. The cup was warm and felt impossibly heavy in her hands. The tea still smelled of Cinnamon and ginger, but both were trapped, stuck fast in the thick sweet of the honey. She realized at some point she'd stopped doubting it would be right. "Right." she whispered to her cup,"a right mess." then raised it to her lips.

It burned. It was thick and hot. The ginger sang but the honey shushed it. The cinnamon struggled to be heard but lingered last of all. Her eyes stung.

Chloe lowered her cup,"Don't do this again." It was a plea.

"Never." Dev assured her.

Chloe kept her head down, she barely made any noise. Dev didn't speak. As far as she could tell he didn't move. Minutes dragged out and finally she took a loud shaky breath in the gloom, and mumbled "My makeup must be ruined. Utterly ruined."

"I'm sure Sabrina won't judge."

"Hmph. You win I guess."

"Call it a tie?"

Chloe's laugh threatened to be a new sob. She took another cleansing breath,"You do this with all the girls you meet?"

"No."

"Never?"

"Never seemed worth it."

Chloe mulled that over in her head,"Worth it."

"Worth quite a lot I think."

"I'm furious with you right now."

Dev raised his cup and as Chloe watched drank deeply, emptying it without pause then stood. He reached down to offer her his left hand,"Hopefully not for the last time."

Chloe hesitated one more time. She'd barely had a sip but it was more than enough. She set her cup down on the floor beside her and took his hand,"Sabrina!" she called.