Chapter Text
Marinette was spending the morning in the courtyard having a pleasant conversation with her closest friends, Alya and Nino. As well as her...what were they? Rivals? Frenemies? Well regardless, Chloé was sitting at the opposite end of the bench, absentmindedly tapping a message on her phone. Apparently Sabrina had the Flu, and Chloé had been asking her when she'd be cleared to return.
This peace was quickly broken by Adrien as he ran through the main entrance and shouted "Nino! Chloé! I have awesome news!" as soon as he saw the two.
Chloé was the first to speak, as always, "Adri-kins, what's going on?"
Nino, on the other hand, was his usual laid back self, "Yeah Dude, I don't think I've ever seen you so excited."
Alya simply leaned over to her bestie and whispered "What are we? Chopped liver?" Marinette let out a small chuckle, but quickly quieted herself, as to not interrupt Adrien's story.
He spoke clearly and evenly as he simply blew their minds "I know what happened to my Mom."
Tears were already welling up in Chloé's eyes as she tried to clarify "Your Mom, like your Mom, Emélie? That Mom?" She new that she couldn't, or shouldn't, be more excited about this than Adrien, but at the same time Chloé thought of Emélie as her own mother. She basically took Chloé in after her own mother left, and her daddy became to busy to really parent her.
Nino immediately grabbed Adrien, and Chloé, and pulled them both into a big bear hug. All three off them started laughing together, before Nino asked "So, what happened? It's been, like, over a year since she disappeared!"
Adrien did flinch slightly, but quickly recovered and said "Well, it's complicated, and technically I shouldn't even be telling anyone yet, but..." He took a step back and placed a gentle hand on both of their shoulders before continuing "I had to tell my closest friends. Chloé, we've known each other since we were kids, you're my first real friend, and Nino, you were the first person to accept me as just a normal kid when I started school. There's no way I could not tell you too."
"Come on dude, you're making me blush," Nino said as he was fighting the tears welling up in his eyes, but Chloé was ugly crying. Snot dripped onto Adrien's shirt as she buried her face into it. Nino did a not so great job of composing himself before he continued "So, it's 'complicated' how exactly? Is there anything we, well Chloé's dad, can do to help?"
"Oh, good idea! My Daddy can do anything," Chloé lit up as she reached for her phone, which had been abandoned on the school bench when she got up, but Adrien stopped her. "No, this isn't something that he can push through, but I appriciate the thought. This is just something that takes time. Father is doing everything he can. I know it's bad to say, but I honestly thought he was trying to forget her. All this time, he was...looking for her."
"Hey Adrien, where's your ring?" Marinette inquired as she noticed the small tan line on his finger. "Oh, did you lose it? Alya and I can look for it, if it fell off at school it shouldn't be far!"
She was already on her feet and dragging Alya behind her before Adrien called after her "No, Marinette wait! I just, uh, didn't wear it today. To be honest I was kind of wearing it for my Mom, but I don't need to anymore! That's all." The innocence behind Adrien's big toothy smile burned a hole in Marinette's chest.
Wait, no, that was Tikki trying to get her attention under her jacket. "O-Okay, well I do need to...use the restroom! That's it!"
Alya got Marinette's vice grip of a hand off of her arm, and wrapped it around her shoulder instead before before interjecting "What I think Marinette is trying to say is that we shouldn't be intruding in this. We'll head to class a bit early so you guys can talk." She was about to turn around, but quickly added "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone until you're ready." Adrien nodded gratefully as the two left. Marinette just hoped Tikki wouldn't be too mad at waiting a bit longer, she thought that whatever it was couldn't too important, right?