Chloé was not a stupid person. On the contrary, she had been smart enough to put all the clues together and had come to the correct conclusion. Once the picture had surfaced, her theory just needed confirmation. Chloé, as a close family friend, had been privy to some information the others in her class had not been, but surmised that even if they had known, they would still be utterly blinded by the lies of one Lila Rossi.
When she had got the call from Adrien to go shopping, Chloé had been beside herself with ecstasy. The chance to spend some alone time with the blonde was way over due. Jumping at the chance, she had gladly accepted his request when he asked for her help to find the perfect gift for someone special. Although to find out that she was not that someone special in his life had completely dampened her hopes of ever having her perfect life with the model, but she was happy he was happy. The genuine joy that radiated from him when he was asked about her, made Chloé feel warm inside, how could she be angry that he had not chosen her? As Adrien was not wanting to bestow upon his childhood friend who the mystery person was, he had dropped enough hints to secure the knowledge that it was no one else but Dupain-Cheng.
Honestly even if he had not said that the person was selfless, caring, kind and had a smile that lit up the room, among other typical traits of the do-gooder, the colour choice of the ring would have given it away anyway. Pink. Chloé was just so utterly relieved that it was not a gift for Rossi, as at the time of purchase, the Italian had not yet managed to 'accidentally' drop the bombshell of who she was supposedly dating in secret. Just a few of his defining features had been mentioned. Blonde, handsome, ripped, it was not until their shopping trip that Chloé had finally been able to rule out Adrien as the secret boyfriend.
At this point, Chloé had thought they were just keeping it on the down low. Adrien's constant insistence that the ring was a gift for just a friend was doing nothing to convince her otherwise. It was common knowledge Adrien was not to date anybody as it was seen that his appeal would drop to his colossal teenage fanbase. Ultimately, having a knock on effect to the Gabriel brand and it's sales.
However, when the picture had emerged of Chat Noir kissing Baker Girl, Chloé had been enraged. How dare this good for nothing peasant even dare to cheat on her beloved Adrikins was beyond belief! However, Chloé had known about Marinette's unhealthy infatuation with the model, and it had occurred to her how the fumbling mess seemed to stutter less around him for a while now. After thinking about it further, she had come to the conclusion that Marinette was not actually cheating on Adrien, but was actually dating Chat Noir. Even Chloé could not tarnish Marinette with that brush, unlike the rest of the class that morning. Once her epiphany had been confirmed, after the ring had been mentioned, she felt it was her duty to inform Adrien that not only had she figured him out, but also that his girlfriend was in deep trouble with their class. Luckily, for the secret hero, Chloé had improvised on the spot for her explanation of how she knew.
Sat listening to the garbage being thrown about the room, Chloé was glad that someone else actually seemed to be talking sense. Nino had been with the pair when the picture had been taken, and she was thankful, because feeling the need to defend Dupain-Cheng was the last thing Chloé wanted to do. Still, taking out her phone, she searched for the model's contact once Marinette had vacated the class.
Chloé: You better get your ass here quick alley cat, you've got some explaining to do!
Adrikins: I don't know what you're talking about. What's going on?
Chloé: That ring you bought for your friend happens to be on Chat Noir's girlfriend. The class is going crazy at her and Nino is the only one on her side. Honestly you're lucky Queen Bee has your back!
Adrikins: On my way.
As Chloé left the classroom with Sabrina in tow, she had a spring in her step with knowing she had done something good for someone else. Even if it had been for the benefit of Baker Girl. At the thought of Marinette, Chloé wondered how she had exactly won the heart of Chat or Adrien, especially since she had known how obsessed the model had been with a certain spotted Parisian hero. If the amount of pictures on his phone were not enough evidence, the secret stash of memorabilia would have proved it.
Chloé stopped in her tracks, Sabrina walking straight into the back of her. The redhead awaited the scolding she would get for her incompetence but it never came, as Chloé stood wide eyed staring off into the distance.
"Holy crap it's her!"
"Who's her Chloé?" Sabrina asked warily, worried about the shocked expression on her friend's face.
Chloé shook her head, bringing herself out of her thoughts, "nothing, nothing," she said absentmindedly before snapping back into her bratish persona. "What are you staring at!"
"Are you ok Chloé?" Sabrina asked with concern.
"Of course I am!" Chloé barked before heading to their next class with Sabrina following cautiously behind. "Come on Sabrina, I need you to take notes for me."
"Yes Chloé."
Chloé was not a stupid person, on the contrary, Chloé knew when to keep something to herself. Ladybug was someone she still admired after everything that had happened, even if it was Dupain-Cheng under the mask.
The bell rang as Adrien made his way to the bathroom. He would wait until the hallways of the school quietened down once everyone had settled in, then head to Marinette's to see if she had gone home. Opening the door to the male toilets, he saw the room was empty before silently beckoning for Plagg to come out. He turned on the cold water tap and splashed his face, when Plagg came level to his eye line.
Understandably concerned for his chosen, Plagg assessed the state of the man in front of him. "What you gonna do kid?" Adrien kept his gaze downwards, as he watched the water escape down the plug hole. "You knew it would come out sooner or later."
With his Kwami stating the obvious, Adrien looked at Plagg with annoyance. Not that he was annoyed with his Kwami, he was annoyed with himself, at the situation he had caused.
The blonde had heard Lila go on about her special relationship with his alter ego, and had planned on reprimanding her about it when he, as Chat, saw her next. Everything had been going so well with Marinette too, he had just wished he had managed to ask her out as Adrien, instead of letting his insecurities get the better of him. The way she had been coping with the whole Lila BS was admirable, Adrien, as himself, was merely a bystander in the scenario, but had still done his best to be there for his girlfriend.
Adrien shook his head in uncertainty. He wondered if Ladybug had heard about the situation, or at least that he appeared to be dating a civilian. He needed to speak to her about it, and get her take on the situation. She always had a plan, and who else would know the difficulties in managing the burden of a secret identity better than her? Just as Adrien was about to answer his Kwami's question, the door to the bathroom opened and Plagg hid quickly.
"Dude I'm glad I found you," Nino approached Adrien and gave him a halfhearted smile. "How you doing?"
"I'm worried about Marinette, I do not believe that everyone in the class has just turned like that on her." Adrien answered looking at Nino's reflection in the mirror while wiping the water droplets off his face.
"I know you're worried man, but," Nino hesitated, "I meant how are you coping? Y'know...finding out she's dating Chat?"
Adrien pulled his gaze from the mirror and looked directly at Nino quizzically. "I don't understand-"
Nino sheepishly placed his backpack on the floor as he focused his gaze on the silver taps on the sink, "come on dude, it's obvious you like Mari."
"Yeah, she's my friend," 'Adrien's friend at least,' "and-"
"Dude there's no way you can fawn over a girl and still insist she is only a friend to you." Nino looked awkwardly at Adrien, tilting his head to the side understandably. "I know you like her, heck, at some stage, most of the people in the class have had a thing for her."
Adrien blushed as he nervously rubbed his nape. Nino was right on the money, and if things had panned out better, it would have been his civilian side that would have given her the ring. "Nino, she's with Chat, and there's nothing I can do about it."
The door opened once more, this time Kim and Max entered the room.
"Lads," Kim greeted coolly, as Max went about his business. "Did you get in touch with Marinette's boyfriend?" Kim added sceptically looking directly at Adrien with his arms crossed across his broad chest.
Adrien scoffed and rolled his eyes, "what am I supposed to do Kim, light up the sky with a Cat-Signal?"
Kim laughed and shook his head, "have either of you heard from her?"
Nino eyed Kim suspiciously, as Max washed his hands next to Adrien. "Why do you want to know?"
"Honestly?" Kim shrugged, "being in a relationship with a hero would be dangerous, and-"
"Not something one should be bragging about." Max finished Kim's sentence knowingly, eyeing both Adrien and Nino pointedly over his glasses.
"Me and Max have discussed it," Kim continued, "and we think that if Chloé is coming to the defence of Marinette, then Marinette is most likely the one who is in the relationship with him."
"Chloé has not got involved before," Max noted, "and has very little regard for other people-"
"So for her to get involved without getting anything herself says it all." Kim finished.
Nino bobbed his head as he contemplated what they said. Adrien, while proud of Chloe, was also glad to see that a few others had finally seen sense.
"Guys, I think we had better get to class before we get into trouble." Nino gestured to the door, "you coming dude?"
"I'm going to try and get hold of Marinette," Adrien answered, "the teachers don't know I'm in school yet, so I'll see you all in a bit."
Marinette had been listening intently to the conversation that Chat had been having with her peers. She had recognised the voices of Nino, Max and Kim, but for the life of her she could only place Chat's voice as his own. The teenager figured she must know his civilian self. Just from listening to the conversation they had been having, it would appear they were pretty close.
The door to the locker room closed, signalling the departure of Nino, Kim and Max. Marinette could vaguely remember something about Chat trying to get hold of her, when her phone started to vibrate loudly from her bag in the otherwise silent room.
Adrien looked down at his phone, Marinette's name displayed as he pressed the call icon. Holding the phone to his ear, he was surprised to hear a phone vibrating from a stall only a couple of meters away.
He hung up, and the vibrations immediately stopped and his heart rate accelerated instantly. He approached the door calmly but slowly, hedging his bets that Marinette was on the other side of the closed door.
Marinette's heart was in her throat. Chat was coming closer to her hiding place and she knew if she dared to look at her concealed phone that she would know who was under the mask. She said it quickly as she could sense he was standing right outside the door.
"My phone is in my bag, I haven't seen who's called me." Her breathing was shallow and shaky, Marinette could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and was sure Chat could hear it too.
"Purrincess?" Marinette heard him place his hand on the door gently. "Are you ok?"
Marinette stood up and leaned her forehead against the door, a tear trickled down her cheek as she felt herself relax. "I am now." A few moments passed by before she heard him let out a long breath. "Chaton, are you ok?"
"Yeah," she could hear a soft smile in his voice, and Marinette could see the adoring gaze in her mind to match. "I'm glad I've found you." he whispered lovingly.
Marinette opened the door slightly, and snaked her hand out to find his. She expected for him to panic in some way, but it appeared he needed her touch just as much as she needed his. The touch of his skin sent tingles up her arm as their fingers laced. Marinette gasped.
"C-can I come out?" Marinette asked with bated breath.
"Of course Purrincess, claws out."
Alya sat seething.
Lila kept up the pretence of betrayed girlfriend.
Juleka contemplated Chloé's words.
The class was taking notes from a documentary about French Literature in the early twentieth century. Lila had managed to keep up regular quiet sobs continually throughout the first ten minutes of class, and it was driving most of her peers potty. They could sympathise with the brunette, as her world had seemingly been crushed in the most insensitive way. To find out your boyfriend was cheating on you with a fellow student, who had always disputed your words, must have been horrible to process. Juleka was finding it somewhat difficult to decide who was in the right though. For the time being, she decided to sit back and watch, the pretty teen would wait to assess all aspects before making any decisions on what she felt was the truth.
Alya was livid. She never in her wildest dreams thought Marinette would stoop so low as to do this to another person. What did Chloé know on the matter either? The blogger took out her phone to send a text to Lila, hoping to comfort the poor, heartbroken Italian.
Alya: I know it seems like the world is crumbling around you now, but you've got all of us behind you. We will always be here for you Lila no matter what.
Lila looked at the message on her phone and sent a tearful smile to the budding reporter. She started to type a message back, but was interrupted when Nino opened the door making his apologies to the teacher and taking up his usual place in front of Alya. The lack of exchange between the couple spoke volumes to those who had seen their display during the lesson before.
Lila: Thank you Alya that means a lot to me. You really are an amazing friend and I hope you and Nino can get through this. I'm sorry my relationship has caused a problem in yours.
Alya: Don't worry about it. Me and Nino are solid, he just needs his eyes opening to what a cow Marinette has become.
Nino let out a deflated sigh when he realised he had left his backpack in the bathroom. He could not even text Adrien to slip it into his class, as his phone was in the front pocket of it. Nino raised his hand, explaining his error, and the teacher excused him with a stern warning to hurry.
Making his way out of class, he was hoping Adrien had either stayed in the bathroom, or had noticed it had been left and taken it with him. Reaching the bathroom door in record time, with the worry of his docking station falling victim to a five finger discount, he open the door and was pleasantly surprised with the scene he stumbled upon.
Marinette emerged from the stall to find her boyfriend suited and booted in his hero attire. Being comforted from his immediate embrace, she buried her face in his chest as he burrowed his in her hair. All the stress that the morning had brought disappeared upon laying eyes on each other. Neither of them wanted this moment to end.
A few minutes passed by, as they soaked each other up, making the most of the unexpected alone time, despite their surroundings. Although the school toilets were not the most romantic setting, just being in each other's embrace was enough to keep them rooted to the spot. Lost in the moment, neither of them registered the intrusion to their sanctuary.
"Uh, hi guys!" Nino greeted awkwardly, averting his eyes from the blushing couple. They stayed cuddling as they each turned their heads to face him.
"Thank you for what you did this morning Nino," Chat smiled at his best friend, "I'm glad Marinette has a friend like you."
"No sweat dude!" Nino exclaimed brightly, "I'm just glad you got here." He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, "oh by the way," he added as a second thought, "do you know where Adrien went?" He was looking at his phone with confusion, "I thought he would have text me to say he was on his way to class with you two both being here."
Another day, another update! 1 more to go!
I am astonished by the response this story has had so far. Thank you for reading my fanfic, I hope this latest chapter meets expectations. Another thank you for the reviews, follows and faves! It really does make me smile seeing them.
Please let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter, and if you like this one, take a look at some of my other stories and let me know your thoughts.
Take it easy!
Lady Rhi X
