First Order of Business | Adrienette

Sun and Shadow

Adrien is in Chloe's living room, watching her grab her second slice of cake. Nino is there much to his surprise, eating a croissant Tom gave him for free. Adrien can't get himself to eat and somehow still sipping on the now cold coffee that Marinette's mom handed her.

"This cake is so good," Chloe says for the fifth time. "But I'm still extremely furious with you for going on a romantic stroll with her."

"We crossed the street," he fails to defend himself. Nino snickers because Adrien has been fighting for his life here with no avail.

Nino says, "What are we going to do with you?"

"She's just a friend," Adrien says. It's not a lie although in another circumstance, he might have been brave enough to work towards something else already. Then, sure, they can kick him around all they want for always falling so fast and like this.

"I sometimes do wish you had gotten married to the witch because that would've been an appropriate relationship," Chloe tells him. There is frosting on her nose he won't point out of what he thinks feels like sibling like spite.

"Honestly," Nino weighs in, "I'd kind of prefer this little HR scandal to what would have been world's quickest marriage. Break up an engagement? Whatever. Sleep with your secretary? Gabriel Agreste would be like Pitbull. 'Been there. Done that.'" Chloe laughs at that much to Nino's satisfaction. Adrien stays quiet and wonders how much damage throwing a macaroon at him would do. "But a divorce scandal at twenty-five? You should have just started a liquor brand with the money you're going to now pay in alimony."

"You guys are horrible friends," Adrien glares at them both.

"We just want to humiliate you into doing the right thing," Chloe tells him. She pats her stomach. "Do you really want your niece to be born into this world where her Uncle Adrien is still the world's biggest playboy?"

"I'm not like that anymore." Nino gets a cunning grin on his face, and Adrien goes to hide behind his free hand. He screwed up. He should've driven right back home when he saw Nino was here, too.

"What?" Chloe asks, noting their changes. "What's going on? Nino what happened? What did he do?" Adrien puts his coffee on the center table before he grabs Chloe's yellow throw blanket on the couch and throws it over his head.

Nino tells on him, "He made out with some girl at that masquerade club opening." He can imagine Chloe's face.

She screams, "He what?"

"In the bathroom!" Nino has to add.

"In the bathroom?!" Adrien is scared this is going to send her into labor. "Oh my god you are going to die without me. Pull that blanket off, now!" Adrien obeys like a scared little brother, and Chloe has put her cake to the side, staring right at him. "Did she sign an NDA?"

Adrien nods, "Yes, I took three to the club opening just so I can keep my options open." Chloe sees right through the tasteless joke, and she throws a decorative pillow at him that he dodges. There might actually be steam coming out of her ears. "She didn't know it was me because of the mask! It was fine. We didn't exchange names or numbers."

Nino snitches, "He has her email."

Adrien points a finger at him, "Nino, I'm never talking to you again." He looks back to Chloe and says, "I didn't email her and won't. It was nothing. Don't worry about it." She doesn't look convinced. The last time before this that he kissed a girl he just met, he ended up engaged to her. "I don't think I'll be doing that again anytime soon. I didn't exactly have the time of my life." Marinette's presence in his head was heavy then and is now.

"Was she a bad kisser?" Nino asks.

Adrien has to be honest, "No and she was fun to talk to but still."