Here he was, back again. His life had become a series of doors, barriers with only the unknown beyond them and yet also the only way forward. Adrien raised his hand, thought the better of it, and pulled out his phone.
Adrien:knock knock. Does this face still open this door?
It was six AM, and yet when she answered the door Chloé was still in full makeup. Would he ever catch her without it? As the door opened Adrien held up a hot cup. "Always coffee?"
It earned him a little smile. She reached for the cup, but with the same last second curling of the fingers as when she had refused the alcohol two weeks ago she stopped short. "Adrien." She murmured, dropping her head and looking up at him past loose bangs. "I told you I couldn't do this."
He opened his jacket and pulled out a set of folded papers, handing them over while taking a sip of the forsaken coffee. Chloé blinked and unfolded them. "What is-" she paused, eyes hitting text. Chloé flicked a page forward and back. She looked from the papers to him and back down again, confusion only growing. Finally she found her words. "Jesus Christ Agreste what did you-"
"I thought about what you said, about needs."
She looked back up, panic plain on her face,"No, no. No you can not put this on me, you weren't supposed to…" she looked back down, her voice getting smaller. Chloé leaned back against her door. "You were just supposed to… leave."
Adrien shook his head with a smile that matched her tone, sadness drifting loosely in the air. "Well, intentional or not, you were right."
Chloé's expression was still dumbfounded. Her eyes searched his, looking for an explanation. She spoke finally, "If it's about Audrey, you can see her, it's fine. I won't get in the way. You don't need to do this." She lifted the papers again, putting her disbelieving eyes to the words once more.
"It's not." he answered with more calmness than he was feeling. There was a reality to the moment, he had been the strong one, because he had to be, it was his fault. Now, he didn't have to be. "It's about Marinette. It's about needs. She doesn't need me being a bad husband to her right now."
Chloé's eyes scanned the document with a thorough precision Adrien had never seen in her before, but then when had he seen her work? He interrupted just as she flipped the page. "She hasn't signed yet, before you get there. I thought that would be okay, she needs time. The original is back home, my signature is notarized." Adrien was starting to feel his energy slipping away. He shouldn't be tired yet. "Does it grant me access?"
In response she reached out and grabbed the front of his jacket. She pulled him after her as she walked back into the apartment, leaving him to push the door closed quickly as he was drawn along. Her eyes never left the papers. She let him go as they got back into the living room and he was treated to little Audrey awake and exploring her way around a set of interlocking toy wire-balls with her inarticulate little grabby hands.
Chloé perched on the edge of the couch, still in full read mode. Adrien still felt the need to fill up the silence. He crouched in front of Audrey and offered out a fingertip to one of those little hands, the tiny fingers took hold and squeezed for all her ten week worth. "It's not the end of everything. It's just paper. It was paper the other way too. More than anything it's... permission? Permission to live, not wait." He was talking out all the thoughts in his head and worried how lame they sounded spoken aloud.
"These division terms seem very loose." Chloé finally spoke up.
Adrien glanced at her. "It's not a big thing. She keeps all the Agreste design studio stuff and the house, I keep the foundation. Everything else is peanuts." Her eyes still didn't look up. Adrien felt some odd disappointment welling up. "Chloé, I'm trying to talk to you here."
She finally did look up, flopping the papers into her lap in exasperation. "And I'm listening Adrien, but you're a wreck right now. Somebody has to look this over, I'm almost done." Her eyes snapped back to business.
Adrien hung his head, lightly wrestling his finger in Audrey's grip which elicited him a smile. Finally he bubbled up with a twinge of resentment. "I'm not a wreck."
Chloé set the papers aside, leaning forward with her forearms on her knees. "Adrien, you're a wreck." Her voice was gentle. "Let me go make a bottle. Audrey's a little early for a nap but she was up at 3AM this morning so maybe we can get lucky." She stood. "In the meantime, maybe try holding the baby?"
Chloé swept out of the room and Adrien was left confused. He'd expected… he wasn't sure exactly. He felt there should be a bigger impact. It wasn't something small, it wasn't business as usual. A stab rippled through his chest and he took a shaky breath. Okay, so, maybe he wasn't as together as he had thought; still.
He had little Audrey up in his arms when Chloé returned. The toy had been left behind and the little bundle was content to siphon his warmth even through his clothing. Instead of an Audrey handoff when she returned Chloé handed over the bottle and sat herself down in the overstuffed chair cross legged, watching.
He had no idea what her deal was. He felt like screaming at her to … react.. Be mad, happy, sad, something. Audrey's little blue eyes were looking up at him though, and at the bottle. Adrien sat and shifted himself back into a corner. He could feed her without the waist pillow. At first he kept glancing back at Chloé who didn't budge, but eventually his eyes stayed fixed on the little girl quietly downing her early breakfast in his arms.
The little eyes began to droop and the sucking slowed. A light nudge on his shoulder. Chloé handed him the burp cloth then sat again. Adrien looked questions across at her but she had no answers. Adrien lifted little Audrey onto his shoulder for the ritual patting. A few minutes more and it was a dozy little potato Chloé took from him.
She came back with the monitor, sitting this time beside him on the couch. Chloé lifted the papers from the end table but didn't look at them this time. "Everything looks to be in order. I think you made a smart choice in the division. Acrimony won't help matters and your wife never really struck me as a greedy sort. Still, I might advise tweaking some of the language, just on good practices."
"That's what you take from this?" Adrien's voice rose before he could check it. The Chloé he'd known long ago could be callous, but he had thought the intervening time softened it. Was she happy about it? Had he tumbled this whole thing into something worse by coming here to talk?
She looked him in the eyes, Sapphires to Emeralds. "Tell me what I should take from it Adrien." her voice was gentle again. There was another stab inside his chest.
He wanted to yell, but kept his voice down, the effort turning it into more of a growl. "It's a big deal, a huge step! Ten years Chloé. A daughter, an absolute storybook of a courtship, trials most people can only dream up. And all of it ending in-" his voice cut off. Adrien wet his lips but it stuck. Besides, she knew.
"Ending in what Adrien?" she prompted mercilessly.
"Divorce." The word cut it's way out of his throat and past his lips. Adrien dropped his head and dug his palms into his suddenly burning eyes.
"How did she take it?"
Adrien's head snapped up, he glared across at Chloé, but she seemed immune, just sitting there cross legged on the couch with her hands tucked under her ankles. "What?" No reply, just watching. "She cried. She bawled her eyes out. I've never seen Marinette like what I did to her. Is that what you wanted to hear?" his voice was wavering, cracking and pitching. He swallowed but his mouth was still wet.
"I bet you were a rock. No tears, only support."
"What?" he choked again in disbelief. "What is even the point of- I, tears?" he swallowed again, his voice wouldn't steady. "I did this to her. This is all on me. Why should I be the one crying?" his hands felt numb, tingles ran along his arms. He had to drop them to remain steady. His eyes were on fire.
"Adrien." Chloé's voice was barely a whisper. "You divorced the woman you love."
Adrien came apart. The first sound that came out of him didn't even qualify as a sob. It was an animal noise born from pure pain. He bent double and wrapped his arms around his stomach as his muscles spasmed and threw a proper sob in its wake. Another followed, and another, they cascaded. Somewhere in the middle a tortured,"oh God." slipped between his lips.
A light touch on his shoulder, just fingertips and nails. Adrien leaned into it and fell over across Chloé's lap. He was a curled up ball of pain that would not relent. It shook him and rattled out coughs between tears and horrid sharp hitching intakes of air. He buried his face in his arms. Sweet bluebell eyes hovered in his imagination, and an angel face to match. The glow of 'I do' melted into the shadows of 'You can't.' and it started all over again.
He had no idea how long it all lasted. The sun was up. There was a gentle repetitive touch through his hair. Nails pricked his scalp and trailed down the back of his neck. The rest of him felt completely spent. His legs ached, his stomach was both ravenously hungry and tying itself in knots. When he spoke his voice was weak and dry. "I- think I'm done."
"For now." The words drifted back as the touches stopped. Adrien felt the momentary panic of loss, but her hand settled against his head. The cup he had brought was held in front of his eyes. "Coffee? It might be a little cold."
It was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. He laughed but it sputtered almost immediately. His sides hurt, everything hurt. Adrien took the cup, shakily righted himself, but didn't go far. One of Chloé's knees still touched his leg. He took a sip, it wasn't cold, but tepid. "I'm sorry about that." Adrien glanced across to the monitor, Audrey had apparently slept through his outburst.
"Don't worry about it. I've been that way over less." Chloé waved off his questioning look. "I do, however, need to change my pants." Her voice held a teasing lilt.
Adrien looked down and insta-panicked. "Oh geez." He reached for the burp cloth as if that would accomplish much.
Chloé plucked at his arm and stood. The legs of her sweats were a tear stained disaster. "It's fine Adrien. It's been almost a year since my lap was good for much of anything anyway." She drummed her nails on the coffee cup and grinned at him. "I'll be right back."
Adrien watched her go, still a bit too numb to react. He took another pull from the coffee, hoping it would infuse some life back in his limbs. He felt hollowed out, but strangely… clean? He took out his phone, hovered over the last message he had in a conversation for a minute, then switched over and fired off a simple 'how's it going?' to the project manager here. Everything should be in the wrapping up stages by now but he hadn't exactly been keeping up.
Chloé returned with a banana in hand and a new pair of… those weren't sweats. Adrien blinked.
His expression must've been clear, no surprise there with how cooked he was. Chloé stopped dead,"You don't like them?"
"I umm, they're different." Adrien's eyes wanted to follow the complex patterns, but his better self did not.
"They're Versace. I thought the prints looked nice." Chloé turned, the black leggings had gold and white patterns twisting and spiraling in some cross between Moorish mosaics and Indian mandala motifs.
"Um, they do, you're good. Sorry, it's just not what I'm used to." Adrien mumbled out. He blamed everything on being burnt out, but this wasn't what he was looking to fill the space up with right now.
Looking up again he caught the telltale smirk. She knew exactly what she was doing. "I know I know, but I can't live in shapeless cotton forever can I? You've only yourself to blame for giving me time for my routines again." Chloé turned but dropped her arms, allowing the sweatshirt to flop back down and cover her hips. That superior grin was frustrating, but right now also brought a ghost of a laugh to his lips. She began to peel her banana before the silence could linger and asked. "So, what do you intend to do now?"
Adrien blew out a breath. "Well, figure out why I was here, wasn't it? Take some space for myself. Figure out what's wrong in my head, and maybe be a better person and husband once it's all sorted out?"
Chloé broke the end of the banana off. "Those all sound like good ideas. We both know why you were here though." She popped the banana piece into her mouth.
She wasn't suggesting… Adrien wanted to believe it wasn't something as simple as that. The fabled seven year itch throwing a household into chaos. And Chloé? Why on earth would he pick Chloé? She wasn't connected with anyone else but him. It would be safe. God, that made sense. It didn't feel right, but what did he know after two years?
That smirk was back. She finished and commented. "It's because Audrey is simply too adorable."
Gah. "You're going that on purpose." he accused openly this time, though with more humor than reproach.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" She teased, breaking off another bite of banana.
"A bit." Adrien played the game, and it wasn't a lie.
"Good, wouldn't want you to get complacent and try to consider staying." She gestured with the fruit. "So long term, be a new you, and short term?"
Adrien took another pull from the coffee. "Need a babysitter? How is the reno going?"
Chloé sat on the arm of the couch. The patterns on her leggings were genuinely entrancing in addition to the obvious. "I need to plan out a winter show here in New York. The re-emergence and last appearance of Style Queen all in one. I still have no idea on renovations, entirely too long though. Sic 'em Mr. Builder."
"I'll start there then." Adrien had to ask one more thing that was nagging him. "Chloé, when did you learn how to do… that?"
She paused in reaching for a third bite of the banana. "A lifetime of living as one lets you spot a broken creature miles away. And heroing it up for your lady love is something so very you Adrien." She gave him a fond smile. When had she ever looked that way?
Her tacit admission piqued his curiosity again, the urge to reciprocate and pry was strong. He fought it though, he was in no condition. "Well, thank you. I hate it, but I needed it.". Adrien finished the coffee.
Chloé was peeling back the rest of the banana. "Of course." She grinned and downed it all in a single go.
Adrien did a genuine spit take in shock, not able to turn his head in time.
"AGRESTE!"
Noon found Adrien driving a borrowed car along the north side of Long Island. The car was a Style Queen company vehicle and he was on his way to Chloé's mystery home.
Dressed in a new sweatshirt with no coffee stains and with Audrey over one shoulder she had written out directions as well as credentials for him. She had dangled the paper before him while asking, "coming back for dinner?"
"Well, my calendar isn't exactly full." He had admitted.
She had pushed the paper into his hands. "You sure know how to make a girl feel wanted." She countered without venom, and just as soon as he thought he was safe she added, "Just warn me if you're going to try and get me out of my clothes again and I'll wear something old."
It wasn't that she hadn't always been after him in some form or another since childhood, but this was different. Instead of demands it was all invitations, ones she knew he wouldn't accept. He didn't understand it, but then again his track record with understanding women was horrible from day one. He did like that it seemed to make her happy though.
It did feel strangely *more* like cheating now than it had when he had been married, which was one more confusion. Had been married, the thought was still alien but it was real. His meltdown was hours old but it had settled on him somehow. It had been more than a week since he signed the actual papers, a week in unreality. Chloé had knocked him right out of his safe bubble of denial.
Adrine turned up a shaded drive past large houses left and right, wondering which one would be Chloé's. None of them looked like hotel material, perhaps a bed and breakfast? Another turn put him on a private drive, with golf courses on either side. The drive rose and beyond manicured trees a building rose. A steep sloped roof spread out to reveal a single continuous building. To the left the trees opened into a water plaza, and now a gatehouse was visible at the end of the drive. "Oh Chloé" Adrien murmured in disbelief. A sign at last confirmed what he suspected from odd stories he's picked up. This was Oheka Castle, the old Otto Khan estate. The gate was closed but not locked. Adrien left his car anyway, walking into the courtyard and simply taking it in. One of the largest homes ever built in America, going back to 1919. It was absolutely gorgeous. Reclaiming it from a modern commercial enterprise into a family home. That felt like something worth doing. His fingers itched to get to it. He'd need his laptop, to even begin making enough notes. They could hunt up pictures of the original furnishings. Taking apart the modifications would have to be done painstakingly to keep everything original intact. It was a challenge, a glorious challenge, and he wanted it. Adrien sent a text as he hunted for the theoretical contractor on site.
Adrien: Don't ever change.