Love by Design - Adrienette

Marinette 'The Pain' Cheng

Nothing could ruin the day for Marinette. She got to spend the afternoon at a carnival with her boyfriend and... "What's Chloe doing here!?" The normally cheerful girl snarled at the sight of the blond.

True to her word, Sabrina had brought Chloe to the food court at the time which had been preappointed via text. She now shifted her eyes warily between the proven enemies before putting on a friendly smile. "Hello Adrien and Marinette, care to join us?"

"Sure thing!" Adrien answered quickly before Marinette had opportunity to respond, guiding her to sit beside Chloe.

The things Marinette felt she would put up with for Adrien... "Good afternoon Sabrina! ... and Chloe..."

Chloe pointedly moved her chair away from Marinette. "It's great to see you as always Adrien, but I think your pet just growled at me."

"She's not an animal, Chloe." Adrien reminded, keeping his tone level. Across from him, Marinette seemed to be searching for a comeback, so he lightly tapped her wrist in an attempt to calm her. He expected her to be the more mature of the two.

Chloe went on, ignoring the defensive statement. "I've heard your father expects you to keep her forever, well that's unfortunate. A specimen like her should just be put down. She's a half-breed, has no pedigree... is she even housebroken?"

"Well, I certainly don't heel to you." Marinette grumbled.

Adrien sighed, this task was going to be a lot harder than he anticipated. He tried to think of a suitable way to defend Marinette without laying into Chloe. "I enjoy being with Marinette," he said simply.

"So you're going to accept it just like that and marry her?!" Chloe pushed the conversation into untouchable territory, knowing full well the duo took great pains to avoid discussing the arrangement. It was to her benefit if she made it uncomfortable for them to be together.

Adrien flinched, but at least she was acknowledging Mari as human now. "Uh, well... I'd rather not marry anyone just yet."

Mari nodded dumbly in agreement.

"Then just tell your father you don't want to marry her," Chloe twirled a straw in her fingers "it can't be that hard."

"I haven't used those exact words, and I'm not going to try... It's pointless."

"I'm trying to help you Adrien, do you have a better idea how to avoid this... this monstrosity?"

"I wouldn't call it a monstrosity... we're just going to calmly avoid the topic. My dad has a way of taking control while other people panic, so we can't let him do that."

Chloe looked rather surprised by his answer. "You seem a lot different from when I new you before you started public school."

'Touche,' Adrien thought. "Well I have more of my own life now than I did then, and I don't need to let him run it for me."

Since akuma always have such an impeccable sense of timing, many patrons of the carnival began screaming at the top of their lungs, signifying that one of Hawkmoth's beasts was ambling between the attractions.

Adrien and Marinette sent each other a sideways glance. "I have to go to the bathroom!" They excused themselves simultaneously.

"Really? Even when we're not in class you use that lame excuse?" Chloe got up and followed them. "Come on! You can't expect me to believe that! What are you really doing every time you disappear?"

The two split off, hedding into their respective bathrooms, and since Chloe couldn't follow Adrien, she followed Marinette.

"Let's go Tikki!" Marinette said with her hand on her purse, about to transform.

"Marinette 'The Pain' Cheng!" Chloe stomped into the bathroom, causing Marinette to sigh.

"Chloe, can you give me a little privacy, please?"

"For what? You never actually use the bathroom."

Just then the roof released several popping sounds and was lifted off its walls by a giant, hulking, cyclops akuma.

"Eeek!" Chloe screemed. Marinette kicked into heroine mode, suit or no suit.

"Run, Chloe!" She pried a toilet paper dispenser off the wall and flung it at the akuma, creating an opening for a somewhat dazed Chloe to escape out the door. She'd never suspected Marinette could be that valiant. She'd be sure to honor the brave girl's sacrifice.

"Finally!" Marinette exclaimed as soon as Chloe was out of the way. "Tikki, spots on!"

Soon Ladybug joined Chat Noir and made quick work of the cyclops. The bigger they are the harder they fall.

--

Finally, everyone was able to return to the dregs of their meal. They ate in silence, then, when they were finished, Chloe gathered up all their trash and passed it to Sabrina. "You saved my life back there, Marinette!"

'Only because it's my job.' Marinette would have answered, but she couldn't, so she chose a simple "thank you."

"No! Thank you! I would have been a gonner for sure, and here I thought you were! That was very brave and stupid of you. You know I don't like you very much, so this is high praise coming from me. Plus, you seem to make Adrien happier than I've ever seen him before, and I knew him before his mother disappeared, so that's something. I suppose I would like to call a truce with you."

Adrien wondered how Chloe could be thanking someone for saving her life and still manage to sound snide, but to Marinette, that was the nicest thing Chloe had ever said.

"Truce!" She agreed, and shook Chloe's hand.

To say that Adrien was proud of the two girls was an understatement. Operation Nemesis Nullification was a success, and they'd somehow managed to take care of it themselves.

"Now I get to be a guest of honor at your wedding." Chloe informed the couple.

"Chloe!" Marinette hid in her hands "We still don't know if we're really going through with it!"

"You'd better," Chloe advised "you finally found something you're good for. I suggest you devote your life to making Adrien happy."

So maybe things weren't perfect between them, maybe Chloe and Marinette were never meant to be friends, but Adrien could take the new development. The two girls could avoid each other, and Adrien could stay friends with Chloe while maintaining his relationship with Marinette. Sounded fine to him!