Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.

AN: Written for TheUnKnown/kimocherry for the Miraculous Fanworks Anniversary.

AN2: Miraculous AU. Marinette never became the Guardian, Chloé is somewhat reformed and knows that Adrien is Chat and Nino is Carapace. She doesn't know that Marinette is Ladybug or that Alya is Rena Rouge.

It started with Carapace being made Guardian of the Miraculous.

Well it probably actually started sometime after Marinette and Alya began dating and Nino and Adrien had found themselves commiserating together. But if you were to ask Adrien, it began when Carapace was made Guardian of the Miraculous instead of Marinette. (Admittedly he was the Guardian because Marinette had persuaded Master Fu that he was a better choice, but still.)

And of course, Nino turned to Adrien for support, visiting almost every night and talking.

And THAT was how Adrien fell hard for his best friend.

(It was a lot easier to say that than admit that he really didn't know when he started falling for his best friend.)

Whatever the truth of the matter, he had a conundrum on his hands. He didn't want to start flirting and make things awkward. But at the same time…well he hoped that his feelings were returned.

Which is why he had ended up here. Asking for advice from the most unlikely person he knew.

Then again, there were a LOT of unlikely things in his life.

"I don't get it," Chloé grumbled as she handed him a cup of coffee. "You didn't have any trouble flirting with Ladybug as Chat Noir. Just pull on that Chat energy as Adrien."

"Ladybug is dating Rena Rouge," he pointed out and Chloé rolled her eyes.

"Look, it's not your fault that Ladybug is gay," she said with a hint of exasperation. "It's not like you turned her gay.

"Well…no…"

"And Marinette was the one who ended things," she continued and Adrien frowned slightly.

"Well yes, but-"

"Don't you dare start blaming yourself Adri-kins. The idea that you made Marinette gay is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

"I know, I know," Adrien said with a smile as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm just…this is different. Really different. I don't want to mess up our friendship."

"Adrikins, if you and I can rekindle our friendship after everything that I've done, you will be fine with Nino," Chloé said and Adrien smiled.

"Well yes, but…you've changed. Grown up. Become a better person."

"I'm still a bitch," Chloé said baldly. "But I'm working on it."

"I don't think it's the same thing Chlo. And he probably just thinks that I'm just a friend," he said and Chloé threw her hands into the air.

"No. No, I refuse to do this."

"What!?"

"I refuse to sit here and listen while you're being ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloé said with some annoyance. "No. You are not going to sit there and be the tragic pining idiot because you're in love with your best friend."

"Chlo…"

"No. I am going to get the two of you together!" Chloé continued, ignoring Adrien's interruption. "I might not be Rose or Marinette, but I can do better than 'just a friend' while you pine away for him!"

Adrien began to question the wisdom of confiding his love worries to Chloé.

Then again, she was in a polycule with Marc Anciel and Nathaniel Kurtzberg. She…probably knew what she was talking about. Probably.

"Adrikins, we're going to get you a turtle boyfriend!"

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Chloé Bourgeois was a first class bitch. Or at the very least, she knew that she had been a first class bitch. But she was trying to be better.

That didn't mean that she wasn't tempted sometimes. Very, very tempted.

Although to be fair, a saint would probably be tested in her opinion.

"Dude, you know Adrien better than anyone else I could ask," Carapace said as he sat on her balcony. "You know who he is and who I am and…well I really like him. Like, really, really like him."

Chloé bit her tongue. This was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. In fact, she was pretty sure that the universe was deliberately punishing her for her past poor choices.

"Like I can't tell him that I like him. He's just so perfect and innocent and I don't want to make it awkward."

Chloé very carefully schooled her expression to remain blank. Blank and keeping the urge to scream out loud.

"So, like, how do I approach this? How do I confess and not make it awkward or make him feel like he has to date me or-" He paused and shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. "Well, you know."

Chloé resisted the urge to sigh. Or scream. Or do anything else that would be considered bitchy. Regardless of the massive headache that was threatening to erupt.

"You should talk to him," she said and Nino looked at her in shock. It was like she had told him to fly to the Moon.

"I can't do that! This isn't something I can just say to him! It would make it so awkward and uncomfortable."

Chloé actually did sigh at this point. The universe was definitely giving her karma. Or something like that.

"Look, if Adrien and I can rekindle our friendship, then you can get past issues, I'm sure that you can get past some awkwardness," she said, trying to avoid screaming at him. (She really, really wanted to scream at someone.)

"Well yes, but…you've changed. Grown up. Become a better person."

Chloé felt her eye twitch slightly and Nino looked at her with concern. Karma REALLY had it in for her. A lot.

"Hey dude, are you okay?"

"I'm good!" she said in a barely controlled tone. Nino looked unconvinced. However he clearly decided that discretion was the better option as he didn't push it any further.

Unfortunately it also meant that he returned to talking about his feelings for Adrien.

"It's maddening. Adrien is so perfect and kind and sweet and handsome and-"

Chloé could feel her eye twitching a lot more. She was probably starting to look a little crazy. Then again, the situation was crazy, so it probably wasn't entirely out of place.

(A quote about gods driving people mad before killing them floated across her mind. She had a feeling that the author was referring to this. It couldn't get any worse, surely?)

"Anyway, you've known him longer than anyone. Would you help me get with him? Please?"

Chloé felt her eye twitch a lot more. Apparently it COULD get worse. She really needed to stop tempting fate.

"I…will," she said through gritted teeth. "I have an idea. Come into school tomorrow dressed nicely."

"Are you sure you're okay dude?" he asked and Chloé gave him a death glare. "Okay, I'll be there."

"Good. Now leave. I have calls to make."

As Nino scurried out of the hotel, Chloé put her face into her pillow and screamed.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

For possibly the first time in his relationship with Chloé, Adrien was nervous

Strictly speaking, he had no reason to be nervous. It was only Chloé after all. They had known one another for years by now. They were comfortable together in the way that only old friends could be.

Still, he was nervous.

Admittedly it was probably because Chloé had called him and told him that she had a solution to his situation with Nino, but still. It was Chloé. His oldest friend. And while she might be a little…headstrong, she was still only Chloé. What was the worst thing that could happen?

Chloé stormed into the empty classroom with an annoyed expression on her face. An expression that, in the past, implied that someone was going to hear about it. But, he hadn't done anything to justify that kind of reaction, had he? At least he didn't think that he had.

"I don't get it dude," Adrien felt his heart jump as his best friend walked into the room. "You said that you had a solu-" Nino's words trailed off as he noticed Adrien.

"Chlo, wh-"

"Sit down!" she barked at Nino, cutting Adrien off and pointing at the seat next to him. "The pair of you have been giving me a lot of headaches just listening to your insanity. You're both ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

"Dude wha-"

"I wasn't finished talking yet!" Chloé snapped at Nino before continuing. "If I was Marinette, I would probably be coming up with a long and convoluted plan. If I was Rose, I would be cooing over how cute and romantic this situation is. But I'm not. I'm Chloé Bourgeois. I'm the biggest bitch in Paris and I do not have the patience for this level of ridiculousness."

"You're not a bitch Chloé," Adrien said.

"Not anyone," Nino added and Chloé smirked.

"Maybe not," she said, before giving Nino and Adrien an exasperated look. "But you two are so utterly ridiculous that the return of the bitch is imminent."

"I'm sure that it's not that bad," Adrien said and Chloé turned to look at him.

"Maybe," she replied, before turning to look at Nino and continuing. "Nino Lahiffe. Last night you came to me to ask for my help with Adrien. This is it." She looked at Adrien. "Adrien, I told you that I would help. This is it." She took a deep breath.

"Adrien, Nino is in love with you." Nino let out something between a squawk and a squeal. Adrien just sat there dumbfounded, unable to believe that his feelings were returned.

(He didn't think Chloé would lie about this. And judging from Nino's reaction…well it probably was true…he hoped. Oh God he hoped.)

"Nino, Adrien feels exactly the same."

Adrien let out an identical sound to the one Nino had let out earlier.

"Nino, Adrikins, sort it out and stop being so utterly ridiculous," she finished, before walking out of the room.

Adrien looked at Nino. Nino looked at Adrien. There was a strange awkwardness in the air.

"You're…in love with me?" Adrien asked in a hesitant, hopeful voice and Nino nodded.

"Dude, I…wait, you're in love with me?"

Adrien put his hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly.

"Well…yeah…"

"Dude…no wonder Chloé's eyes were twitching," Nino said and he grinned. "I didn't know that you had been talking to her about the same thing."

"Hey, she's the only person I know who knows our secret identities who isn't my ex or yours," Adrien said defensively and Nino chuckled.

"Dude, that's why I asked Chloé." He grinned. "So, wanna be my boyfriend?"

Adrien took Nino by the hand and looked into his eyes.

"I'd love to," he said and hand in hand, they walked out of the classroom.

AN: This one was a lot harder than it should have been. Anyway, this is my last entry for the Miraculous Fanworks Anniversary prompts 2024. I borrowed Chloé's method at the end from a Harry Potter fanfic