Chapter Text
Chat Noir landed in his bedroom, sliding against the wooden floor, and released his transformation with a soft "Claws in", murmuring in the dark of the cold, empty estate. She felt deflated, hollow, in her own skin, her soft tanned flesh devoid of any feeling after her night. She sank onto her mattress, not caring for her dirty clothes, or sweat-tainted skin, curling in on herself as Plagg floated hesitantly near her, watching his holder with gentle caution that was so unusual for the mischievous kwami.
"Adrienne, kid, I'm sorry." He mewled, putting a gentle paw against her arm, as if the gentle touch could catch her attention after her day, his holder a blank shell of her usual self. He bunted against her arm, floating down and twisting himself into her arms, forcing her to hold him, and letting out a rumble, curled into her arms, drifting them both to sleep.
Adrienne woke with a sickening start, the buzz of the door alarm ringing over and over again, Plagg racing into her bag. Her head throbbed with the weight of her night prior, and she stared off at the edge of the canvas sticking out of the crack in her closet door. She slipped out of bed, and onto the cool wood as Nathalie opened her door.
Her mother's girlfriend was still in the habit of acting as an assistant, even though she had long left the role, leaving the tablet to Placide. "Chloe has arrived to meet for breakfast and your morning course." Nathalie narrowed her eyes at her chest for a moment, clearing her throat, "are you alright Adrienne? You seem to be wearing your leotard from yesterday's lesson." She furrowed her brows at the clear sweat-stains, and overall grimy clothing.
Adrienne looked at her feet, noticing her unclean gym attire, and shuffling towards her closet, mumbling out a "Thank you, Nathalie," and a "this isn't your job anymore, Nathalie..." for good measure. Another loud buzz echoed through the room at her remark, and Nathalie let a smirk grace her lips, pushing her glasses up. "I may not be paid to, but some of us would like your mother to not end the day crabby because you let Chloe be unattended with the bell. Do remember to grab yourself lunch today as well, Placide is on leave for the afternoon." She left the room, letting her short heels clack on the wood, and leaving me to drag through my drawers.
Plagg phased out of the dresser, his whiskers grazing his holders face with his quick flight forward.
"You should really get out of the unitard, kitten. It smells like you left it in my camembert pantry." He yowled, sniffing at the rank uniform. She rolled her arms, stretching out her broad back, and rolling her lats to fully move the exhaustion from her muscles, walking toward her closet, and shoving the door fully open. She grabbed a white button-up, a set of baggy jeans, and her messenger bag, and stripped down, not bothering to change her socks or underwear. She slipped into the loose clothes, ran a brush through her messy, dirty hair, slipped it into a scrunchie, and then ran down the stairs, grabbing her shoes on the way.
When she swung open the front door, Chloe was impatiently clicking the buzzer over and over, her usual impatient self. "Adrienne! How often must you sleep in!" Chloe huffed, flipping a ringlet over her shoulder, poking her childhood friend in the nose. "We're going to miss a stupid Stats lecture because someone couldn't get out of bed in time. Ridiculous!" she scoffed.
Sabrina rocked on her feet behind the brash blonde, giving Adrienne a small wave as she slid around Chloe's accusing finger. "Sorry, sorry, you know how busy I can get between lessons and lectures and all my extracurriculars--"
"Oh, it's alright Adrienne, after all, we all know how hard for you things have been lately." Lila whined, stepping behind Sabrina, who smiled brightly at the sly girl. Chloe whipped around, curls flailing in the air as she waltzed up to the ginger girl, intertwining their arms and tugging her away from Lila, as the four all walk towards EDC for their morning class.
The lecture hall was sparse, the usual Friday absences leaving only the serious students attending, and they shuffled into their usual seats, filing into the front row. Sabrina pulled out her notes, passing Lila a second, larger notebook, and the lecture began unceremoniously. Class drudged along, each girl paying varying degrees of attention as the four waited for the professor to say anything of substance. By the time they left the hall, they were starved from missing their usual breakfast, Chloe knocking Adrienne in the arm as the girls headed away from EDC Business and toward one of the little shopping districts.
Sabrina stumbled behind the group, face flushed and stammering as she murmured about the shops in the area, eyes never meeting any of the girl's. As the girls rounded the corner, Chloe spotted a patisserie, and started yanking the redhead inside, Lila hesitating at the door, but wandering in after the girls.
The four girls had never felt more out of place, in their dress clothes they stood out, pitch black against warm, cozy and bright tones, the building deceptively busy inside. Each table in the room seemed into intermingle with one another, as if every patron knew another, despite drastic differences between one another. A short, round-faced Chinese woman stood behind the counter, wrapping orders with haste. Chloe marched up to the counter with confidence, leaving Lila and Adrienne to stare at the menu from their perch by the door. The process seemed absurdly quick, Sabine smiled, sweeping the bag into Chloe's hand, as a small ding rang from the kitchen, and she scampered off again, racing around the shop with practiced ease. The girls filed out of the patisserie, the blonde reaching into the massive bag to pass around a few of the treats, filling their stomachs with the delight of their day. The girls slumped onto a long public bench, Chloe draping herself dramatically across Adrienne and Sabrina, Lila intertwining her ankles with the ginger. Letting out a long whine, Lila puts on a pathetic face, turning to her friends.
"Can you believe I have to leave for a foreign exchange? I'm so sorry, Chlo. I know how important to you your birthday is this year, its such a shame I'll miss it." She sneered, leaning dramatically.
"I'll do just fine, we can celebrate like we did as kids. I love celebrating with my oldest friends." She spat back at the brunette, Lila finally standing to leave. "Won't you come with me to the station, Sabby? I don't want to go all by myself," Lila let herself whine, fluttering her lashes, and Sabrina stood, waving to her friends. "I'll see you tomorrow night, yeah?" She smiled, showing off her dimples and stumbling after the taller woman, who was already walking away.
Adrienne let out a sigh, sliding her hand towards Chloe's, grasping it softly. "You alright?" she let herself breathe for a moment, then flipped her curls over her shoulder, facing Adrienne, face scrunched in frustration. "It's just been a rough week already. The hotel has been slammed because of the renovation, and Daddy won't tell me why Mother has moved her back to Paris." she groaned, lowering her head onto her best friend's shoulder. Leaning in, she stared off towards the river, sinking into the bench. "I'll be okay, Addy. I'm just worried that nothing has changed since we were kids. That she won't want to hear me out." She let a shaky breath leave her lungs, gripping Adrienne's hand even tighter, almost afraid to let go.
"Chloe." She huffed, "If she thinks you haven't changed since you were fourteen, then she's an idiot. Take a breath. All you can do is try, and hope she's willing to too."
They stood in tandem, walking towards Le Grand Paris, Chloe hiding her sniffles with snide remarks. Heading up the stairs, The blondes part at the entrance, Armand scanning her into the private elevator with a curt greeting. She rushes past Andre and into her bedroom, locking the door behind her, and sinking onto her vanity stool.
A faint buzzing whips past her ear to reveal Pollen, frazzled little honeybee, resting on her knee gently. She starts to dance playfully, letting her echo through their connection in the comb. "Chloe, my queen! You simply must get your beauty rest! You will see your Princess in the morning!" She smiled at the kwami, rubbing her fuzzy underbelly lovingly. Pollen spun through the air, flitting about as she readied herself for bed in her enclosure.
She sat through all fifteen steps of her skincare routine, pulled her hair neatly into a silk bonnet, and laid in her grand bed, alone at last. She finally took a deep breath, and let herself choke out a sob in the dusk of her room. The tears came quickly, leaving her face wet and sticky, her mind swelling with anxiety over her fate and future, her position and her wants, and she finds herself swimming in emotion, until the world twinkles out around her.