💋 ♡ @chataclysmic your choice of adrien or chat
( let chloé kiss your muse / accepting !! )
𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃, only that she had suddenly grown accustomed to Chat Noir's near-nightly visits. On the nights when she wasn't patrolling with one of the other Miraculous holders as Queen Bee, she'd sit out on her balcony and wait. Like clockwork, he'd show up. He never stayed too long; only a few minutes as he did his own patrols with Ladybug, but she liked the company. Some part of her wondered if he only checked in on her to make sure she didn't betray them all. It wouldn't have surprised her if that were the case.
Chloé had done herself little favours in fostering trust with her teammates. Between her tumultuous emotions, which resulted in either herself or someone else getting Akumtaised, and the number of awful things she had said and done over the years, she could hardly blame any of them for being cautious around her. But Ladybug trusted her enough to be Queen Bee again. And they all trusted Ladybug. So. For now, Chloé was an ally.
She was determined, this time, not to mess it up.
They had been talking for a while. Idle chatter that filled the void. Chat Noir was surprisingly easy to talk to, once she got past all of his annoying puns and flirtations. Chloé found herself opening up more and more, despite how little she actually knew about her teammate. But the little she did know, the little that he did reveal — sometimes on purpose, other times perhaps without realising it — she filed away for safekeeping. Kept them as clues to a puzzle that was slowly, but surely, beginning to take shape.
She had her suspicions.
❝ You know, this is totally unfair. ❞ She watched Chat carefully from his perch on her balcony railing, and when he didn't say anything, she barrelled on unperturbed. ❝ It's just... you know who I am. But I know so little about you. The real you, I mean. ❞
She could see his mind working, trying to come up with an excuse. A reasonable explanation for his reticence; but Chloé already knew the why. It was the same reason why Ladybug and Chat Noir hadn't known each other's identities for so long. And the only reason she even knew that much was because Marinette had told her. Marinette trusted her.
If she were still her old self, she might have taken this opportunity to be nasty and mean about his secrets. She hated keeping secrets and she hated people keeping them from her. But that was old Chloé, and she wasn't going to be that manipulative, self-serving person anymore.
Chat didn't say anything, but she noticed how his posture had shifted. Less self-assured as he folded in on himself, arms wrapping around his middle. She'd seen that posture before. Knew of someone else who did the same thing when they were upset. Chloé pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and plunged.
❝ Adrien... ❞ She was careful not to react when he did. Her eyes had averted, her gaze forward and resolute. She felt, more than saw, him jolt next to her. As if he'd been electrocuted. Gotcha. ❝ Adrien sits like that too, when he's upset. Or when he feels alone. He thinks I don't notice, but I do. I just... I don't know how to help him. ❞ Chloé made a show of yawning and stepped back from the balcony. ❝ I haven't been a very good friend to him in recent years, but... I'm trying to do better. And I would hope he knows he can always talk to me. About anything. Anyway... it's late. You should get back to patrol. ❞
Chloé turned, but instead of going back inside she stepped towards him. With more confidence than she actually felt, she planted a kiss on his cheek, just under the bottom of his mask.
❝ ——But that does go for you, too. I hope you know I'm here to listen if you need someone. I-I know I'm not Ladybug, but... well, goodnight, Chat Noir. ❞