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Chlóe Bourgeois prided herself on the simple fact that she would, and could remain unbothered, unruffled, and unconcerned when the situation called for it and even most times when it didn't.
She could remain cool and collected in the midst of a crisis, she could stare into the lens of a camera and smile like nothing was wrong while she watched her parents love for each other sizzle out like a snuffed flame ー she could do this with no trouble, because she trained herself to be this way and to stay prepared for any kind of turbulence at all times.
What she hadn't prepared herself for was Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Marinette wasn't mere turbulence, she was a hurricane, a tsunami, something so small, and pretty, but destructive towards all the defenses and walls Chloé had ever built around her icy fortress.
Marinette was everything Chloé wanted to be, but couldn't allow for herself. Sweet, humble, stupidly selfless to an almost concerning degree, reliable, and most of all, she was loved. Smothered in so much love, it made the blonde sick with jealousy, but only because deep deep down she wanted to be loved like that too.
And suddenly, within the whirlwind that was Marinette, she became loved more than she knew what to do with. That girl ー now woman, had given her chances, more chances than she deserved. She saw something in that spoiled, selfish little brat that Chlóe used to be that was worth saving, and befriending, and somewhere along the way, loving too.
"I love you," Marinette would tell her, so simply, so endearingly, and it turned the blonde's brain to tv static.
Even after all these years and after coming out to their friends and family and simultaneously all of Paris as a couple, Chloé still found herself tongue-tied at the pure affection she received from the clumsy woman.
It was new, and raw, and nothing she was used to ー but she had absolutely no complaints.
Well, maybe only one.
"Marinette!" Chloé shrieked suddenly, standing in the middle of her bed with one of her own heels clutched in her hand like a weapon while glaring at the offending creature that promptly squeaked at her from the carpeted floor like it was laughing at her.
It wouldn't be so funny if she tossed the little rat into the fireplaceー
"Chlóe?" Marinette rushed into the room with urgency, obviously concerned that something bad must have happened.
Only she forgot how much of a drama queen the blonde vixen could be. She looked from Chloé down to her pet who scampered towards her legs when she walked in, and back again. "Uh…"
"Your hamster attacked me," Chloe complained before the bluebell could even get a word in. "no matter what you say, we will never get along. There's only enough room for one diva around here, and that's me."
"Of course," Marinette drawled sarcastically but not unkindly as she bent down and picked up her furry pet. "It's okay Ruby, let's just get you back to your cage before she makes good on her threat to turn you into a coin purse hm?"
"You're comforting the hamster instead of me? Ridiculous."
Marinette's answering laugh soothed her rage...just a little bit.
"You can come down now, crisis averted." Chlóe double checked that Ruby really was secure in her cage, then stepped off her bed and back onto the solid ground with as much dignity as she could muster.
Marinette tried and failed to smother another bout of laughter, all while Chloé stood by with her arms crossed over her chest impatiently.
"I'm sorry, did you think that was funny?"
Marinette shook her head, wiping at her eyes, "No...I mean a little bit yeah, but it's just kinda nice being like this I guess."
"Me fighting with Ruby is nice?" The question was less snappy this time, more confused as not for the first time Chloé couldn't understand what her girlfriend meant when she started talking that way.
Marinette smiled, gently uncrossing the blonde's arms just so that she could twine their fingers together. "I want you two to get along of course, but it's still comforting to see you being you despite everything," She explained, and Chloé could just feel the embarrassing blush heating her cheeks at the confession.
"Be quiet," She grumbled, but there was no fire behind it, and she didn't pull her hands away either. "I've had enough excitement for one day, Dupain-Cheng, let's go to the spa."
Leaning up on her toes, the smaller girl pressed a soft kiss to her unsuspecting lips in response, then began to tug her by the hand out of the room with a skip in her step.
Chlóe hid a smile as she allowed Marinette to lead them. Her hurricane.