"Jean! JEAN! WHERE IS MY PURSE?" Chloe swept back into her bedroom while trying to tie up her hair with one hand. Giving up, she shoved the croissant she was carrying into her mouth and used both hands. "J'n h'p mm!" she called around it; not here either. Two more wolfish bites and the croissant was gone.
Chloe swept back out just in time to catch Jean shifting a pile of books.
"Don't touch that!" she yelled, grabbing them out of his hands and setting them back amid the explosion that was the sitting area. Frantically she checked for any dropped tabs or missing notes,"Don't touch anything in here."
Jean looked in despair around the chaos. Books, magazines, and even multiple laptops strewn in no discernable order, but all centered around one bare Chloe-sized spot in the middle. "If Miss would just let me clean a little."
"No, no, NO!" Chloe picked her way through the nest, peeking here and there for her lost purse,"I've got everything right where I need it. If you move it I'll never find it again." Chloe bent down and triumphantly lifted her Purse from a nest of blankets,"Aha!" *snap* her hair tie flew off and her hastily contained locks sprawled across her shoulders.
They both stood in momentary shock, then Jean stepped in,"oh dear Miss, if you would just permit me."
"No!" Chloe ran a hand up through her hair, mussing it but letting it shake out into a more natural look,"It'll do. I'll be late. Why are you up here instead of getting the car?" Chloe strode over to the entryway and picked up her bag and a new flipbook. Jean all but ran out the door. Chloe flipped through the pages while she waited, biting her bottom lip.
The intercom buzzed,"Car is ready miss."
Chloe ran back to the bedroom, grabbed a tennis ball that sat on her end table next to the ruined remains of two others, then bolted for the door.
They made it with time to spare, though Jean was currently being served a ticket out front. Sabrina shot Chloe concerned looks as soon as they met and took Chloe's bag without even being asked. Once they were seated she spoke up,"Chloe are you okay? Your hair?"
Chloe dropped her pad and the tennis ball on her desk; the ball promptly rolled off and under Ms. Bustier's desk,"Arghh USELESS!" Chloe vented, and she ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it out even more and tossing it back,"My hair is absolutely perfect, everything is perfect."
Sabrina scurried to get the ball. Chloe dropped her head onto the notebook. She sat back up and let out a frustrated growl. Unfortunately at the same moment Marc was walking by and actually raised a hand in a tentative wave. The growl spooked him and he hurried on.
"Of Course." Chloe moaned. Sabrina set the ball in front of her without question and Chloe picked it up immediately. She began squeezing it reflexively, keeping it hidden under the desk. No need to let anyone else see how she was able to crush it flat with a bit of effort. She'd learned her lesson with Queen Bee. Show people you have something special and they take it from you.
"Hey Chloe, everything alright? You look tired." Chloe looked up to see Nathaniel this time, looking legitimately concerned. How bad was her hair? She was actually scared to look in the mirror now.
"Tired? I'm not Tired, why would I be tired?" Chloe laughed and even to her it sounded a bit too forced,"And look, look what I've got here!" She lifted the pad and flipped through the pages,"I did it! I've got an entire routine done, and it's great! It's fabulous, utterly fabulous! There's just one SMALL PROBLEM." she slapped it down on the desk and opened it,"See?" The page was divided into quadrants and in each were four circles each with a unique configuration of lines and dashes around them.
Nathaniel gave it a confused look and Chloe picked it up and shoved it into his face,"Don't you see?"
He recoiled,"Chloe, what am I supposed to be seeing?"
"Exactly!" Chloe laughed an octave higher. She tapped the page with a fingertip,"I made a shorthand notation method. Each movement defined so I could write it all out fast and change things easily with just a few pencil strokes. I've got all the notes here, see?" She flipped back to the front, page after page of video names and timestamps each with a particular circle notation beside it,"It's all here, everything, all done! I did it!" She laughed one more time,"And, not one of you can read it." Chloe dropped both the notepad and her face, one to the floor the other into her hands, descending into hysterical giggles.
Nathaniel scooped up the fallen notepad,"You did all this yourself?" he asked, paging through the cryptic scrawl.
"You don't have to sound quite so shocked." Chloe hiccuped, fighting for a little control.
Nathaniel paged to the front, then back through a few more times,"these videos, and the times. I can see what each of these looks like if I go there right?"
His tone, sober and thoughtful, helped pull her back further. Chloe raised her head, she realized Sabrina's hands were on her shoulders. "Yes. Every individual position and transition. It took forever to find them all."
Nathaniel nodded, still flipping,"Can I have this? I could look these up and rough-sketch the positions."
"Then we could photocopy those for everyone!" Sabrina added earnestly, giving Chloe's shoulders a little squeeze.
Chloe took a deep breath and noticed how many people were being conspicuously uninterested in the little moment happening. She fought to keep from screaming at them. "I- That could work. Can you do that?" A sleepless night's worth of self-loathing was a hard pit to crawl out of, she was almost nervous to grasp the lifeline.
Nathaniel smiled reassuringly,"Sure. It's a group production right? You've been hogging all the planning and effort up to this point. My turn." He closed the pad and gave a little informal salute with it,"I'll work on it tonight." then turned to head up to his seat.
Chloe let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and slumped back against Sabrina a bit,"Did that just happen?" Sabrina helped spin her to face forward as Ms. Bustier came in.
Chloe spent the first part of class passing the tennis ball between her hands under the desk, mulling over too many things to sort any of them out, it all made her head feel heavy. The next thing she knew she was being shaken gently awake.
"Chloe, class is over."
"Go away Sabrina, five more minutes." Chloe mumbled
"Sabrina's gone to get you some tea."
Chloe jerked awake. She rubbed the back of her hand against mouth. Not at home, in school. Who? Of course,"Du-pain-Chang." It was so easy to default to hostile with this girl.
"Uh, yeah. It's me hehe. You know, Class rep and all. We figured someone should stay in case you woke up before Sabrina got back." Chloe suffered through Marinette's facial contortions. She was not ready for this, but the class room was empty and there was no time like the present.
Chloe rose, slowly, regally. Everything about Marinette had set Chloe's teeth on edge from a young age and she was only just starting to understand why. "Listen up Du-Pain-Chang. You aren't good enough for Adrien."
That shocked little miss goody two shoes. Marinette's sunny smile slipped,"Chloe, you might not know, I'm dating Luka." there was an edge to her voice.
Good, there are teeth under all that sugar. "Yes yes." Chloe waved away the objection,"You're always one to do it four ways wrong before you do it right."
Marinette's smile completely faded and she set her jaw,"Maybe I should just go now that you are awake." She turned for the door.
"No! Wait." Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose,"Look. Just stop being yourself for two minutes and let me get through this."
Marinette turned back, but kept warily silent, watching.
Chloe took a deep breath, put her hands together and pointed at Marinette,"You are not worthy of Adrien, but you do care about him. I remember the premiere. You are also very…" it was like pulling her own teeth out,"Persistent, and… creative. You are annoyingly sensitive. You listen to people, even when there's no point to it. I want you to hurry up and get your act together. Stop playing and be what Adrien deserves."
Whatever Marinette had been expecting this obviously hadn't been it. Her eyes were saucers and she looked ready to run,"Chloe where is this coming from?"
Chloe closed the distance between them and grabbed Marinette by the shoulders,"Eight years Marinette!" Chloe kept it together, she hoped. "Don't wait eight years just to find out you've bungled it all. Don't play it off with games only to find out life's moved on. Be better." She locked gazes with Marinette and tried to put all the feelings that words wouldn't convey into her gaze.
"You're hurting me Chloe." Marinette squirmed within Chloe's newly steeled grip.
Chloe released Marinette. The latter rubbed her arms, stepping back. Chloe recovered herself. There was no relief this time, just sadness,"Well, turnabout is fair play I guess."
"What did I ever do to you?"
"You're joking? Adrien finally gets to come out of his house and you move right into his life. I was here first! Where were you there when he was locked away? Where were you when he was learning how to pose? Did you make pillow forts in his room? Did you hide in cabinets from the servants?" Chloe stamped her foot,"Where were YOU when his mother died? I was there!" Chloe turned away,"It was so hard to spend time with him and then he gets to come to school and poof you're following him around bumbling and fumbling in your tacky clothes and he pays attention to YOU."
Chloe hugged herself. She hated blabbing so much to Du-Pain-Chang of all people.
If only Marinette would laugh, or be angry, or spiteful; but no when she spoke Chloe knew exactly the tone she would use, contrition. "Chloe, I'm sorry. I never realized."
"Well," Chloe said softly, still not turning back around,"We have that in common."
"Look I-. Adrien. I decided to give up on him. It just won't work out. He has Kagami now anyway."
"Kagami?" Chloe spun around,"You're willing to let her steal him away now? I've seen you turn yourself inside-out fawning over him. Are you really willing to admit I've been right about you all these years?"
That seemed to strike a nerve,"What do you know?" Marinette advanced, visibly angry. It left her so quickly, a flare and then ashes,"Besides, they're perfect together."
"Perfect, HA!" Chloe tossed her head, her loose hair adding to the effect. "Since when have you let being imperfect get in your way? You fail your way to victory every time. You push on with that stubborn persistence and somehow come out on top." Chloe reached out and touched Marinette's nose with her fingertip,"Get a hold of yourself and get back in the fight!"
Another cascade of emotions ran across Marinette's face. The girl couldn't hide anything. "I'm sorry Chloe." she said finally,"I really have moved on. I'm sorry if I got in your way, but I'm out now."
Chloe narrowed her eyes and leaned in,"I'm going to show you a trick."
Marinette's, "uhm-" wasn't enough to forestall her. Chloe got close and took in a deep breath, mouth slightly open just as she'd been taught. She opened herself up to the scents in the room and picked up all the little bits that were Marinette. Chloe couldn't pick them apart completely but she had enough to work with.
Marinette brought her hands up to ward off Chloe but Chloe drew back of her own accord, not far though. She locked eyes with Marinette, faces inches apart and whispered in a low purr,"Knowing you, you would already know Adrien sleeps on 1000 count Egyptian cotton don't you? Did you know that when he's really tired he snores? Ever since he was little. It's not loud or crude. It's the softest of things, a little whistle at the end of each exhale. It's the kind of thing you can lay there all night and listen to. It's like a whisper in the night, and if you listen hard enough you can hear anything in it, even your own name."
Chloe didn't even need to finish her little test. She could see it in Marinette's dilated pupils. Still she had come this far. Chloe leaned in again, and took a breath. It was more than just scents this time. All her senses opened up in new ways. She could hear the pounding of Marinette's pulse. She could feel the heat rising off her skin, and yes she could unpick changes in Marinette's scent. Fear, sadness, excitement, each emotion had a taste now. This was new, this was more. Chloe braced herself to avoid her knees buckling. If only these new powers came with a guide.
"Now we both know you're lying." Chloe purred,"You're a lot of things I hate Marinette, but a coward was never one of them."
Marinette was still stunned. Chloe smiled at that. Had she looked like such a deer in headlights herself? No. Chloe remembered her own reaction was quite different to this trick.
Marinette moved, only barely,"Chloe-." her eyes shot down to the necklace for the briefest of moments. Why did they do that? It was a flicker of movement that would go unnoticed if Chloe's own senses weren't stuck in overdrive.
Chloe pulled back, for her own sanity as much as anything. She blew out a sharp breath and gave her head a shake,"Powerful stuff isn't it?" her voice was still a husky honeyed affair. Chloe barely recognized it as her own.
A squeak broke the spell. They both startled and turned to see Sabrina holding a steaming cup of tea and looking incredibly uncomfortable. Marinette instantly shifted into awkward panic mode. Chloe reacted slightly slower, having also picked up half a dozen faces pressed against the windows to the classroom. Chloe noted with amusement that Mrs. Bustier was among them.
"I bought your tea Chloe" Sabrina said hopefully.
Marinette fell right into being, Marinette,"Ahh right. The tea. You should probably drink up Chloe, it'll help. You're obviously not yourself today not that yourself is great but it's not this and you know you want to be yourself I mean you could be someone else and that wouldn't be bad but maybe not right now?" she nervous laughed and ran; dodging around Sabrina on her way out.
No easy way out for Chloe. Never an easy way. She swept up her things and strode to where Sabrina stood with her head held high. Some of the faces had fled but not all. Chloe took the cup with a dignified,"Thank you Sabrina." and tossed it back. She shot a knowing smile to her onlookers through the glass. They'd come to see the animal? Chloe felt a little growl at the back of her throat and let it out. They wouldn't hear her, but it felt good anyway. "Come Sabrina."
The morning classes were a blur after that. She couldn't get everything back in the box. Whispers in the classroom filled her ears, even those not about her. Smells coiled in the air, and the smallest sudden motion snatched her attention. Chloe swam in sensory overload. She had to flee Chemistry, rushing to the bathroom to avoid being sick in front of everyone. Leaning over the porcelain she struggled with her phone, sending an overdue text.
Chloe(to Dev):Wherever you are, get back here.
Time in the bathroom let her attack her overall appearance again. Being sick hadn't helped matters but she couldn't deny she was looking absolutely feral now. With a thrill Chloe realized she didn't really care. She tackled fixing it with a critical eye, but it didn't leave her feeling cripplingly embarrassed. Spare tie, brush, comb, a well practiced makeup restoration and the Chloe that strode out of the bathroom was herself again with only an extra glint in her eye to tell of the morning's madness.
"Sooo Chloe, what happened this morning?" Sabrina probed as they walked down the school steps.
"Just a little confrontation that got out of hand," Chloe tapped the necklace,"And this thing is acting up. It keeps changing the rules for me."
Sabrina leaned forward to peer around at the necklace,"Maybe take it off?"
"No!" Chloe's response was more biting than she intended. She had to fight back an animal urge to swipe at Sabrina for even suggesting it. As it was her fingers still itched. "I will figure it out. If you want to help you could find out more about it. You're good at researching, consider it homework."
"Homework? Are we not going to hang out again? It's been days." The petulance in Sabrina's voice was endearing but Chloe waved her off.
"No Sabrina. I will see to it we get together. Tomorrow? Believe it or not despite this utterly immaculate exterior I don't handle not sleeping well. I plan on going home and throwing every bath bomb I have in at once then pouring myself into bed." Chloe stretched broadly, scanning the street for the car
"I could come and help? I could make sure you're not disturbed while I did our homework."
Chloe wracked her brain for a proper way to not hurt Sabrina's feelings. She didn't have a lot of practice and at the mere thought of sleep her whole body had jumped on board with the idea. Spotting a pair riding on a bicycle gave her an idea,"Look there Sabrina." Chloe spun her friend to see a blue haired boy riding off with Marinette behind him on the bike,"See that? We need to fix that. Follow them, find out what you can about him. I've picked my side and I will not lose again." Chloe gave Sabrina a pat from behind,"Besides, he's cute. It's time you talked to a cute boy."
That did it. Sabrina's scent lit up with eager embarrassment. She didn't even look back, tearing after the retreating bike on a mission.
"There we go." Chloe mumbled to herself,"Now I can relax until that ogre bothers to text me back."
She should have known something was wrong immediately; he didn't sneak up on her. Chloe stepped out of the car and there he was slouched against the wall by the Hotel entrance. The warning was refreshing, it gave her time to prepare, shutting off her enhanced senses as she strode up to him. She noted he'd added a baseball cap. His jacket was buttoned up and he was huddled against a chill that didn't exist.
"Here to bring down the property value are we?"
He raised his gaze, he was looking pale,"Is everything okay?"
Chloe lifted her chin,"Why wouldn't it be? What have you heard?"
"Your text. You needed to see me. I came."
Chloe waggled a finger at him,"You sound like a loutish Sabrina. We can't talk here, come inside."
In the elevator he leaned against the wall again,"Been well? I wasn't sure you'd text after how Saturday ended."
Chloe folded her arms and looked away,"You were right to worry. I wasn't going to. What were you THINKING?" her anger was rising, she didn't want this confrontation, not now. Thinking back to those few minutes got all sorts of emotions rumbling inside of her and without sleep she was ill equipped to fend them off.
The Elevator chimed and Dev pushed himself stiffly off the wall again,"Dumbest thing I ever did."
Chloe stepped off,"No kidding. You could have gotten yourself killed. You Idiot."
Dev hesitated then stepped after her,"I was talking about making you mad."
Chloe stopped so abruptly Dev ran into her. She heard him hiss but was too wrapped up in her response. She spun, "What is wrong with you!" she fumed, stamping her foot,"You pulled something like that right before running off. How do you think that makes me feel?" She shoved him, and he crumpled to the ground like a doll with its strings cut.
Chloe froze. Dev gasped for air several times, steadying himself. Chloe looked askance at her own hands. Did I? No. But I didn't intend to when I hit the wall. Chloe opened her senses, trying to feel a difference. Copper, cotton, antiseptic. The smells assaulted her so sharply she staggered. A touch on her shoulder helped pull her back. Chloe blinked away a red haze. "Dev?"
He was upright, one hand propped on his knee and the other still bracing her,"You're never boring."
"Well, that's always been true." Cloe straightened,"Now are you going to explain yourself?"
Dev straightened with her, but took longer. He started a shrug, thought the better of it and settled for,"It's nothing."
Chloe shot looks up and down the hall, then pulled Dev into her suite. She knew she was right when he staggered after her rather than pulling his immovable routine.
"Alright." She said, pushing the door shut. "Talk."
Dev spread his hands,"Sure, what about?"
"You are useless!". Chloe advanced on him and Dev actually backed up. She corralled him to one of the couches in the sitting area and with barely a brush of her fingers pushed him to sit. Once she was able to look down on him she leaned in,"You aren't going to turn this back around on me this time."
He tried one more time,"I came here to help; because you reached out."
Damn him. "Well, you brought something with you. That's not my fault.". Chloe hovered one nailed finger in front of his chest,"You going to talk?"
"And if I don't?" His eyes met hers.
Chloe took a guess and poked. She felt her fingernail hit something unusual, an extra thickness behind his jacket, but he didn't flinch. Not giving up Chloe used the rest of her hand, dragging her nails down the side of his chest.
She was rewarded. He held her gaze for a moment but flinched away,"Okay." He put a hand to his side as soon as she pulled her hand away,"You win. I'm a bit banged up."
"A bit?" Chloe scowled. She leaned in and waved her nails threateningly,"Let me see."
"You'll regret it."
"Damnit Dev, I'm worried about you. Let me be worried about someone!"
That made him stop. "Sorry." he said and reached up, unsnapping his Letterman with his left hand one pop at a time. Finished he gave a nervous laugh, before shifting and shrugging his jacket open wide. He wasn't wearing a shirt, not that he needed to. His torso was wrapped fully shoulders to waist. Gauze and tape was a thick second skin, and one that was now discolored in more than a few places. He looked down and seemed to be seeing this last for the first time himself,"Guess they were right about not moving."
Chloe bit her lip. Well, she had asked, and now she was trying to deal with her reaction. What had she expected? She was grossed out, curious, horrified, confused, excited. She leaned in again, this time fingers, not nails reaching out, hovering over the overlapped wrappings,"you smell like a hospital."
"You should see the other guy." Dev was visibly nervous. Chloe relished it.
"This was from a fight?" Chloe sat on the coffee table, still fascinated by the sight. Her fingertips made contact with the wrapping, ever so lightly this time.
Dev was watching her like one might a viper,"No. Accident. The other guy was a warehouse."
Chloe was hypnotized. Fingertips, one at a time, tracing the lines of overlapping tape. Dev squirmed and broke the spell, her brain caught up,"Warehouse?" She remembered a News Special that had cut into Runway Rumble two days ago. "At Le Havre? You were in that explosion?" As a non-akuma disaster it had made quite a stir.
"Near enough." Dev shifted again, he was looking even more pale,"Can I.. I need some air." He moved to stand, button his jacket, and say something all at once, and accomplished none of them. Chloe tried to catch him but they ended up fallen and tangled amid the seating. Chloe was dimly aware he'd had the courtesy not to fall directly on her.
"Dev!" Chloe tried to drag the strength out on command, it fought her until she accepted opening up her senses as well. She bit her tongue to keep focused. It let her heave Dev around like a ragdoll, sprawling him across the coffee table. He was breathing, delirious.
Chloe grabbed her phone. The scent of copper was overpowering, the hunger dug at her again,"Daddy!" Chloe shouted too loudly into the speaker with her keyed up nerves,"Call an Ambulance! Hurry!"
Dev's hand shot up and grabbed her wrist,"No hospital." he mumbled,"-'ll be fine."
His grip was iron, the hurt helped bring Chloe back down,"Daddy. Call Dr. D'iedre" she said in a calmer tone,"Send him to my suite. Yes, I'm alright. No, don't come up daddy." She paused and then added,"I love you daddy." before hanging up.
Dev let go. His eyes were open now. He attempted a smile,"Sorry 'bout the mess. That's just me."
Chloe scooted over onto the couch,"If you were any healthier I'd hit you." She wanted to bite him, or hold him. She was still keyed up. She tried to force it all back down but it was fighting her harder this time. Chloe rocked as she struggled.
Dev reached out and touched a hand to her elbow. The rocking stopped,"Hey." he mumbled,"At least then I'd know things were normal right?" He laughed and it turned into a cough, which segued into a low groan.
Chloe settled for kicking his foot,"Furious. Utterly Furious." She chimed.
Dev closed his eyes,"I will be alright though. I've had worse." He held up his right hand and waved it indistinctly,"I just got a little too carried away." He opened his eyes again,"But, I don't think anyone could blame me." He flashed another half smile.
Chloe rolled her eyes,"Could you not? At least while you're making a mess on the caravaggio?"
"Doc going to be long?"
"He shouldn't be. We've called him before for the hotel."
Dev tried to push himself up. "Long enough for you to finally tell me why you texted me?"
"It doesn't seem so important now."
Dev managed to roll on his side, almost fall off the table, and push himself up to a sitting position that way,"Yeah, but it'd be nice if all this was for something." He swayed once and braced himself with his hands.
Chloe sighed,"Is your back hurt?"
That got him,"Back? No?"
Chloe stood,"then turn." she gestured and he shifted to face one way on the table. Chloe stepped around and sat on it with her back to his. He was leaning a bit hard, but she didn't bother to complain, "Now you won't fall over." He's warm.
"Thanks." he didn't prompt further. Chloe let time tick away and put a little more pressure into leaning back.
"So, let's see. In the last few days I got a crew together for the talent show. Sabrina of course then Nathaniel and Marc. Do you know them?"
"Nope. Friends of yours?"
Chloe laughed,"Hardly. I don't remember specifically picking on Marc, but Nathaniel I did right at the beginning of the year." Chloe leaned her head back against Dev's shoulder,"He seems to have forgiven me though. I did say I was sorry." Chloe added,"Kind of." In a fit of honesty.
"It's a start."
"Let's see. Oh yes. I gave up on the love of my life, the boy I've been after since before I could organize an outfit.". Chloe tucked her knees up against her chest.
"The blond boy?"
"Adrien Agreiste." Chloe jabbed an elbow back sharply.
"Hff. Saint Agreiste. Got it." Then in a softer tone,"So why did you do it?"
Chloe took a while to answer,"It was hurting him. He's pulled in so many directions and I was just being one more." Chloe dropped her chin on her knees,"It's your fault you know."
"My fault?" Dev shifted and half-turned but couldn't without upsetting their bipod.
"Yeah. It happened with Sabrina too. He looked at me in a way he had a hundred times before, only this time I was paying attention. I was aware. I could see. I never did that before your little tea trick." Chloe sniffed, "I still don't understand what you did."
"Do you want me to explain?"
"No. It's better to just think it's magic and hate you for it."
Dev chuckled, a low rumble against her back. He tried to reach back over his shoulder, groping blindly for her,"I won't apologize."
Chloe swatted him playfully away,"No, this is probably for the best. It's just a bit much all at once. I do like Sabrina better this way."
"That's not on me."
Chloe smiled at the meaning there,"Half the school probably think I'm going nuts by now. I had a morning. Called out the most popular girl in school."
"I thought that was you?"
Chloe stretched dramatically,"Most stylish, poised, and worthy." She replied,"That rarely makes you too popular."
"Oh dear, you mean I've been chasing the wrong girl?" Dev's lightly sarcastic tone took most of the bite out of the words, most.
"Chasing?" Chloe heard a lot of questions in her own voice with just that one word.
"Knew I'd pay for that one."
Chloe let her head fall back again, thumping against Dev's back. Thmp. Thmp. Thmp. She left it there after the third time,"I don't want to ask."
"What answer are you looking for?"
"I really don't know. All of them are scary."
Dev reached around, managing to reach far enough to just pat the side of her head with his fingertips. It was the most awkward thing ever. Chloe leaned into it ever so slightly.
"You ever talk like this with anyone else?" He asked.
"No."
"Me either."
Chloe reached up and patted his hand, so much larger than her own,"Too much history."
"Too many expectations."
Chloe tsked,"Expectations? You?"
"You'd be surprised. How about I tell you my answer is just whatever lets us keep talking like this?"
Chloe took in a long slow breath. She deliberately opened her senses, dealing with the copper, cotton, and antisceptic. She smelled the other scents beneath. She felt his breathing in the subtle rise and fall of his back, and heard his heartbeat steady and slow. Chloe let out the breath and shut it off again. She gave his hand a squeeze,"I'd say that's charming."
"Had to get it right sooner or later." Dev took his hand back,"So, if I promise not to fall over any chance we could talk face to face?"
Chloe thought for a moment,"No. This is easier right now."
Dev went silent, but it didn't feel like a malignant silence. The feel of his breathing didn't change, there was no tension in the muscles across his back. Chloe just let the silence grow. She wondered when the doctor would arrive. Not too soon she hoped.
"Put out your hand."Chloe patted the table between them and out to the side, "And tell me. Why did you start all this?" too late she realized she's indicated her left side, which made it Dev's right.
He did as told though, setting his hand down. His brace clacked on the tabletop,"If I remember correctly, it was a certain blond girl who started it, jabbing a finger into my face on my first day in a new school."
"Hmph" Chloe rested her hand atop Dev's. The metal was warm, she'd expected it to be cold. "Well then, why did you stick with it?"
"I wanted to see your smile. You can tell a lot about someone from their smile."
"And what did mine tell you?"
Dev's hand moved, he caught hers, trapping it lightly under his wide palm against the table, "When I see it, I'll tell you."
Chloe had been planning to fight her hand free, but froze at that,"What? I've smiled around you."
"Once. When you challenged me to make you tea. That was the haughty show-smile of an offended socialite, not the real thing."
Chloe felt a sudden tightness in her chest. She wracked her brain to find another time but came up empty,"How do you know it wasn't?"
Dev's finger's shifted, lacing with her own from atop her hand. He gave a squeeze,"Because offended socialites don't sit on tables. Avant Garde ones do though."
"Avant Garde?" Chloe rolled the phrase around in her mouth. She gave Dev a squeeze back, "I think I like that. Do I owe you a smile?"
"Only when I earn one."
An unwelcome knock at the door interrupted the perfect solitude. Dev released Chloe's hand and she rose,"Come in!"
Dr. D'eidre was a consummate professional. Mild mannered and used to dealing with patients wealthy enough to be unruly. Chloe left him with Dev in the sitting area and crossed to her bedroom, pulling out her phone on the way. She typed out a text to Sabrina.
Chloe: Hope your mission is going well.
The response was surprisingly fast. Chloe had only just let her hair down.
Sabrina: It's so sad Chloe! She left the theater right when the movie began and hasn't come back. He's all alone!
Chloe: You're at a movie? Not the most casual of places to strike up a conversation. Is the movie good?
Chloe considered her phone. She was delaying the point, why? She was a bit worried how Sabrina might react.
Sabrina: I haven't been paying much attention. I'm doing homework by phone-light too. Running low on battery.
Chloe: Remind me to have daddy reimburse you for the ticket. We'll get you an emergency phone charger too. My evening has not been exactly restful as I had planned.
Choe hit send and wanted to see, Sabrina might not ask questions. The hotel might also fall down too. Chloe set about drawing her bath while waiting. A Short bath would be better than nothing after this was all over.
Sabrina: Oh no! What happened? Do you need me to come back? I can be there in ten minutes if I run!
Chloe typed frantically, Sabrina would have started packing as soon as she had hit send.
Chloe: No, no. Stay. Dev showed up
Sabrina: Oh, you invited him over?
There it was. Chloe bit her lip and worked on her response.
Chloe: No, well, sort of. I didn't expect him to show up at the hotel tonight. I told him I wanted to talk. I wanted to ask him about the necklace-
Chloe paused. She hadn't mentioned it once tonight. She gave herself a rueful smile in the vanity mirror and tapped out the rest of her reply.
Chloe: -He showed up, all beat up. Apparently he was in the Le Havre explosion. I had to call our private doctor. It's been a night.
Chloe sent the message and waited as the grand tub filled slowly. She hadn't thrown ALL her bath bombs in, but two spun and fizzed softly in the rising water.
Sabrina: Le Havre? Daddy said no one was hurt in that explosion.
Chloe frowned
Chloe: Well, It doesn't look like Dev went to a hospital. Maybe he left before the police got there?
Sabrina: I'll ask dad. You sure you don't need me Chloe?
Chloe considered a proper send off. She had to find the right balance.
Chloe: Of course I need you Sabrina. Tomorrow I'll need you to help me relax from all my relaxing today. I can try to explain the choreography to you tomorrow from my notes. That way maybe we can get any changes to Nathaniel before he finishes
Chloe lost a fight with a yawn, covering her mouth with her hand on the end before setting her phone on the end table. She walked back to the entryway,"How's it going doctor?" she called from a distance.
To her surprise Dr. D'eidre stepped out of the sitting room with his bag,"The patient is in poor shape, but I have changed out as many of his bandages as I am able and reset some of the stitching. I was not expecting this extensive of a case. It would be best if he could be given a room at the hotel this evening. He is not to be ambulatory if possible."
"I am sure daddy will arrange that. He will take care of your fee as well." Chloe peered into the sitting room, Dev was laying down at the moment.
"That will not be necessary Miss Bourgeois. I could not collect a fee since I was never here." The Doctor turned sharply and strode to the door.
"What are you talking about? You just spent half an hour gluing that oaf back together. You deserve to be paid."
The Doctor stopped, his hand on the handle and said more firmly,"I was NOT here." then quickly stepped out into the hall.
Chloe stepped over into the sitting area and looked down at Dev, his jacket was off and draped over him like a blanket now. Chloe noticed that the wrappings actually went down his arms too.
"Well, invalid, it looks like you need to stay in the hotel tonight." Chloe crossed her arms and gave Dev a mock-judgemental look.
"Bah." he countered, starting to push himself up,"I can't afford it and you wouldn't want me… bringing down the property values?"
Chloe stepped in and shoved him back down,"Why is everyone being so strange about this? I just saw a doctor NOT bill us for something. Sabrina says no one was hurt in the explosion, and YOU won't go to a hospital."
Dev sighed, but didn't try to sit up again. He brought his left hand up to rub his face,"It's a family thing. The cops didn't show up right away. Family got me out before they did. Family doctor. Dad's rules."
Chloe leaned down, frowning,"There's something you're not telling me."
Dev took his hand away and said openly,"Yes. There is. Quite a bit actually." frustration rose in his voice, it was the loudest she'd ever heard him speak.
"Well, what is it? Tell me!"
Dev let out a breath,"I can't." he said, then,"Well, I don't want to." he added after another moment,"I'm scared to." and tried to sit up again.
Chloe felt she should probably let it go but concern was new to her and it morphed into petulance from lack of use,"Why NOT?" She stamped her foot and shoved him back again.
This time he didn't fall back. He tensed, and despite the obvious pain it caused stayed up. He covered his face in his hands, pulled them away, looked around, and clenched both his fists. Chloe realized she was finally seeing what she had been working so diligently to achieve. Dev was upset. She hated it.
"Because if I do. It ends. All this." Dev gestured as he spoke,"Me. You. Talking. School. Joking. Who I am right now? Poof. It's all gone." Dev ran his left hand back up through his hair, "I liked this." He pointed to the coffee table,"I don't want to lose it." Dev's broad shoulders sagged forward.
Chloe twisted inside. She was suddenly small again. A thousand platitudes ran through her memories. Her father's face tied to most of them. Friends from so many years ago. Even Adrien less than a year ago. Honeyed words. Well intentioned lies. In the end she laughed at herself and hoped Dev appreciated the irony.
Chloe Moved over to sit beside him on the couch. "You might." she said. Dev's head came up, and from the sad smile he gave her she knew he'd caught on. "That's something you'll have to deal with. I can't help you." Chloe laid a hand on his forearm,"What I can do is be here for you."
Dev shook his head,"How does it go?" he did what Chloe hoped was his worst impression,"Furious, utterly furious?"
Chloe laughed,"That'll do. I'm not sure exactly when or how Dev, but I've apparently decided to trust you; with me, with Sabrina, with all of this I do not want to get out until it's over and I can see which way to go again. I'll trust you on this too. I Hope you'll trust me as soon as you can too."
Dev let out a small 'heh',"No pressure though."
Chloe attempted her worst Dev,"Oh, pressure, quite a lot actually."
That got a solid laugh out of him. It turned into a wince, but it was there. "You're a good kind of pressure to have."
Chloe leaned against his shoulder and smiled,"I'll take it."
Dev glanced down at her, then didn't glance away. Chloe felt him watching and color rose in her cheeks. The smile turned self concious. She reached up and pushed at his face,"whaaaaat?"
Dev grinned,"When you watch a sunset, you watch it until it's gone."
Chloe prodded him, lightly. "Okay, I know it's not that late, but I need to go and bathe before all the fizz is gone from my bath." She got up and stretched,"You stay here. I'll have Jean bring some bedding for the couch."
"Here? I can get myself home."
"No, you can't. You're staying if I have to tie you up with your own bandages." Chloe said as she stepped into the entry.
Dav called after her,"This'll start gossip you know!"
Chloe laughed,"The best kind of gossip is the kind you start yourself!" she called back,"But don't get any ideas!"
Chloe stopped at the intercom and buzzed,"Jean. Have some bedding brought up for a guest."
"A guest miss?"
"Yes, a guest. Pillows, and blankets for the couch." Chloe paused. Jean... Jean… something was out of place. Something was too clean. Chloe opened the intercom again and said in a voice sweet enough to kill,"Jean. Where are my books?"