Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warnings:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of Purple Hyacinths
Collections:
Miraculous: Tales, Best of Miraculous Ladybug
Stats:
Published:
2021-03-17
Completed:
2023-04-01
Words:
76,195
Chapters:
17/17
Comments:
191
Kudos:
386
Bookmarks:
44
Hits:
11,717

Crybaby | Miraculous Ladybug [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 16: She Can’t Decide

Notes:

So, ice-skating, but make it lesbians

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  Chloe wasn’t ready for this outing with Aurora. She had woken up earlier and thrown all her clothes out, trying to find the best outfit she could possibly come up with. At first, Chloe tried to do with the sundress that her mother bought her, but she had to change her clothes when Aurora suggested that they go to the skating rink. It sounded awful, but Chloe caved, saying that it was a good suggestion and she could have the chauffeur pick her up when they were ready. 

  Now, she had absolutely nothing to wear. 

  “This is stupid! Why did I agree to the skating rink? That’s the worst place, and I have absolutely nothing to wear,” Chloe grumbled, scratching her scalp and picking up the strewn clothes. Nothing would match her makeup or her hairstyle; she knew she should have gone on that shopping trip when her mother was in New York. Had she gone, Chloe never would have been in this predicament but alas, there was nothing she could do about it now. She would have to make due until she begged Daddy to take her shopping this week. 

  She picked at the cashmere sweater dress sitting on the floor, examining the soft fabric before tossing it over her shoulder. Nothing looked right and she didn’t have time to dawdle; it would be awhile before any winter items would be sold, so there was no way that Chloe could buy any cute clothes. With a heavy sigh, Chloe tossed her clothes once again before setting off for the bathroom. She could shower and worry about clothes after a good soak; she had been dying to try out the new bath salts she had ordered from Japan—Adrien said that they worked wonders and really helped with his overwhelming stress. 

  So she soaked in the bath with her knees drawn to her chest and her phone in hand. Aurora had been keeping contact all morning, saying that she might be late since her uncle wanted her to take care of some chores around the house before she left. Chloe humored her, giving short responses before scrolling through her Instagram account again—she saved a few makeup tutorials to her private section, and maybe she kept circling back to Selene’s account, but that's neither here nor there.  

  Her thoughts then drifted to Selene and that unspeakable event that occurred between them. Chloe realized that she had been thinking about the other girl a lot more, and her heart began to race, threatening to burst out of her chest. Selene made Chloe feel dizzy and fuzzy on the inside, and the thought scared her. 

  Her phone rang again, and Chloe almost dropped her device in the pink-tinted water. With her heart hammering in her throat, the blonde answered with a shaky voice, “Hello?”

  “Sorry for calling again, Chloe!” Aurora apologized profusely, her voice wavering a bit—if Chloe strained her ears a bit, she was certain she could hear the sounds of muffled voices and fits of irritation bleeding in through the other girl’s voice. There was an annoyed sigh before Aurora returned back to her chipper and bright self, and Chloe could practically hear the smile in her voice. “I might show up later—sudden family matters. I’m so sorry if I’m wasting your time. We can reschedule for another day if you want,” she suggested. 

  Wasn’t that just her fucking luck.

  “It’s fine. Whenever you have the chance, just stop by the ice-skating, and we can just get coffee or whatever bullshit you wanna do,” Chloe sighed, running a hand through her mess of blonde hair. “I’m free all day, so I don’t really care when—hell, I’m always free. It’s not like Daddy is going to spend time with me, even though he promised,” she scoffed.

  “Damn—I’m sorry about your dad, Chloe,” Aurora trailed off. 

  “I don’t need your pity. Life just happens,” Chloe shrugged, sinking deeper into the now lukewarm water. “Just—call me when you’re done. I’m getting ready to leave, and my service sucks ass in the limo,” she lied, promptly hanging up. 

  If Chloe couldn’t cozy up to Aurora, she could kiss that chance to impress her mother goodbye. Was it a sad and desperate attempt to seek approval from a woman—from a parent—that would never spare her a second glance? Of course, it was, but Chloe was so starved for parental affection and the overwhelming desire to be good enough. She shouldn’t have to work so hard for her mother just to look at her and approve of her existence; Chloe shouldn’t have to drop to her knees and pitifully beg for her mother to just fucking do her job and love her. What’s a girl gotta do to hear her mother say, “I love you.”

  She stood up, carelessly tossing her phone on the plush throw carpet, and quickly dressed. Her honeyed hair pooled just below her shoulders, and while Chloe was tempted to pull it back into her signature high ponytail, she opted to keep it down and touched her pale cheeks. Ugh, she was looking lifeless, and that was never a good thing. If only her mother could see her now, Audrey would have thrown a fit and demanded that Chloe add some color to her cheeks. 

  So she did. Chloe applied the excessive makeup to her dull face and brightened her cheeks with the lightest pink blush she had in her makeup arsenal; her lips and eyes got the same treatment as well, getting brushed with light shades of blues and pinks, bringing out the light in her once dull eyes. When Chloe peeked back in the mirror, she forced herself to smile and pose in the mirror, flaunting herself like some runway model. 

  Anyone could look pretty enough with just a touch of makeup. 

  Retrieving her phone from the floor, Chloe sashayed out to the main hall, calling her beloved butler to her side. “I’m going out. Have the car brought around and tell Daddy that I’ll be home late,” she informed him, folding her arms across her chest as they entered the elevator. 

  “Oh, your father isn’t here at the moment—”

  “Of course, he isn’t. I never would have guessed, Pompeii. Thank you for informing me about the new changes,” Chloe sarcastically drawled, rolling her eyes. 

  “—said that he would be going to the ice rink. He has a contract to tear it down,” Jean informed. 

  Chloe whipped her head around, furrowing her brows. “What in the—what possessed him to do a ridiculous thing like that? He hasn’t cared about construction since he took office so why now?” she huffed. 

  Jean cleared his throat, stepping out of the elevator with the young mistress in tow. “Your father said that it was supposed to be a gift for you. He said that you’ve been dying to go work out more, so he’s been preparing a gym for you,” he said nonchalantly. 

  It took everything in Chloe not to scream and throw a fit right there. Paris already had a gym and there was no need for another one, especially when the gym was already so close to the hotel. This just proved that Andre never listened to Chloe or cared about what she actually wanted. She never wanted another gym—yes, she had been tickled pink to find that there was a new gym so close to her residence and had rambled to her father, but this was completely out of hand. Stupid, utterly stupid!

  Chloe sighed, massaging her temples. “Get the car. I have to find a way to talk him out of this.”


  Selene wasn’t sure what the mayor was doing at the ice skating rink but it was nothing good from the looks of it. Poor Philippe was being harassed by the mayor, pleading with the large man to not shut down the skating rink. He was on his knees, begging and almost sobbing with Andre to leave the ice rink alone, but Andre did not budge. 

  “This is not your ice rink, Philippe! It belongs to the Parisians. I'm not closing it down,” Andre snapped, adjusting his tight suit with a slight smile. “ I'll just be converting it into an indoor gym for my Chloe—er, my city ! Nobody comes to your ice rink for lessons anyway. You haven't had a single student sign up this year. Just look around you,” the mayor sneered, making a sweeping gesture with an exposed palm.

  Selene felt pity for the ice skater. She wanted to intervene, but what good could she do? One student wouldn’t be enough to help Philippe save the ice rink, and Selene didn’t have many friends to ask. What could she possibly do but watch with sad eyes?

  Her head popped up when the doors swung open, and she saw Marinette, Luka, and two other bodies enter the ice rink. Oh, Philippe’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when they all walked in with skates in their hands. He even had a smug look on his face, twirling around the mayor happily before declaring, “Wrong, Mr. Mayor! Some new skaters! I knew it!”

  The mayor grumbled, staring at the four newcomers and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, okay,” he muttered, pulling out a form from his jacket. “If you can get just one single sign-up within ten minutes, I'll put the gym conversion work on hold,” he promised. 

  Philippe grabbed the forms with a gleeful smile. “Consider it done!”

  The two then parted ways, and Selene turned her attention to the four kids who were lacing up their skates. Luka pulled Marinette onto the skating rink and she could see that sweet smile spreading across his soft face with a light pink hue dusting his plush cheeks. He looked so happy with Marinette and enjoyed her company while the other blue-haired girl pulled the blonde boy into the rink with a gentle tone to her voice. From what she could see, Marinette kept looking back at her other friends, blushing harder when the blonde grinned at her. 

  Fucking hell, love triangles—squares?—suck ass.

  Selene skated up to Luka and Marinette, offering a wave. “Nice to see you guys here. I guess great minds really do think alike,” the goth teased with a slight smirk, draping her arm across Luka’s shoulders. “So, who else did you bring along? isn’t the blonde one in our class?”

  “O-Oh yeah—uh, Adrien is in our class, and Kagami is a friend from his fencing class!” Marinette stammered, swallowing the lump lodged in her throat. Her cheeks burned a bright red, and she looked so nervous, squeezing Luka’s hand until her smile faltered. “They’re both really good friends of mine! Yeah—just really good friends.”

  Selene could hear the uncertainty in Marinette’s voice, but she didn't question it. She nodded, looking back at Adrien and Kagami with a scrutinizing eye, watching how they interacted with each other. “Well, they seem to get along well. Don’t you think so?” she asked absentmindedly, still skating alongside her two friends. “I think I would make a cute couple.”

  “I rather they not,” Marinette grumbled. 

  “What was that?” Selene asked. 

  Marinette burned red, waving off her previous statement. “Nothing, nothing! I was just thinking out loud!” she laughed, clinging to Luka’s side and still holding his hand. 

  She didn’t press any further. Instead, Selene parted from the group, telling them to enjoy their time on the rink. She opted to watch the two groups, seeing how they interacted with each other and how they pulled each other closer. Selene noticed how Luka subtly flirted with Marinette, keeping his hand on her waist and keeping her close while she burned with embarrassment. The goth noted how Kagami was straightforward, taking Adrien’s hand and guiding him onto the ice, helping him get the gist of it. 

  And of course, Selene noticed the jealous stares Marinette kept shooting over her shoulder when she thought no one was paying attention. Envy had contorted those pretty features and Selene could relate to the latter in a sense. That burning jealousy when the one you love fancies another—Selene didn’t think she was a jealous person, but she was jealous of Adrien to a certain extent. 

  In the past week, Selene had come to the conclusion that she was attracted to Chloe (more than she would like to admit) and enjoyed her presence. Sure, she was an absolute brat, but it added to the charm—it’s what made Selene smile. Seeing how she demanded absolute attention and wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted has Selene blushing hard. If she could, Selene would give Chloe whatever she wanted if it meant her affections might be returned. 

  God, that sounded creepy the more she thought about it. 

  When the doors swung open, Selene was not expecting to see an out-of-breath and raging Chloe, yet here they were. Chloe screamed at her father, calling him ridiculous as she ridiculed him for harassing the owner of the skating rink. “You are being ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! We already have a gym in the city, so why would we need another one?” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. 

  Andre stammered for a moment, going red in the face as he lowered his voice. “Chloe, dearest, you said you wanted a new gym—”

  “I said I wanted to go to the gym!” Chloe spat. “Nobody seems to listen to me! This is stupid; all of this is just plain stupid!”

  Selene silently agreed. 

  As they both argued, Philippe tried his best to recruit people to join his classes. He paused them, saying that they had the perfect physique to make it to nationals. It was a desperate attempt, but he was desperate to keep the skating rink open, even if Chloe was arguing with her father to leave the poor man alone and do his business somewhere else. Each time, he was denied and given an excuse before they skated away. Selene wanted to sign up for classes, but she didn’t want to be a burden to her family nor did he want to waste that poor man’s time. Knowing her, Selene would enjoy it in the beginning, but would suddenly disappear the minute she got in one of her bad moods. It wouldn’t be fair to Philippe to suddenly quit on him, and she didn’t want to waste his time. 

  It was heartbreaking to see Andre hand Philippe the papers and tell him that his rink—his career—would be closed tonight. 

  “I can’t believe him,” Chloe muttered beside her, furrowing her brows as she clenched her phone.

  “Can’t believe who?” Selene asked with a raised eyebrow. 

  She scoffed, rolling her eyes before her shoulders drooped. “My daddy! He didn’t—all of this was stupid! I didn’t even want a new gym! He doesn’t listen to me when it really matters!” she complained, burying her face in her hands. 

  “Doesn’t he usually listen to you? I thought he doted on you,” Selene said. 

  “Well, the universe likes to fuck me when I really need something,” Chloe sneered, standing up. “I don’t know why I’m wasting my breath. this is stupid—everything is just stupid. What am I even doing here?”

  Selene shrugged, scratching behind her ear. “You tell me. Why are you here?”

  Chloe glowered, baring her teeth. “It was a rhetorical question, you dumbass,” she bit out. 

  “I figured as much,” Selene shot back, standing up and dusting off her hands. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Chloe, but I think I’m gonna head home and work on our project. We should meet up again for that.”

  “And see you and that loser Dupain-Cheng? It’s already bad enough I ran into you two here,” Chloe grumbled, gesturing to the blue-haired ditz on skates. “If I could switch schools, I would have been gone already. I hate this stupid project, and I hate everyone in this stupid city.”

  “Wow, and here I thought we had something special,” Selene gasped, pressing her hand against her forehead and swooning. “I thought we grew closer—”

   Chloe pressed a hand to Selene’s mouth, narrowing her eyes. “We don’t talk about that. I told you that it never happened. It was just because of the akuma,” she stated. 

  Selene just grinned, removing Chloe’s hand from her mouth. “I know, I know. You’re just too cute to tease,” she sings-song. 

  Before Chloe could shoot off a snarky remark, both girls noticed how Philippe was now covered in a thick, purplish-black smog. Everyone on the rink evacuated, running to hide as Hawkmoth completed the instructor’s dark transformation. Chloe yanked Selene into one of the gender-neutral bathrooms, locking the door behind her and sliding down to the floor. Ice soon began creeping from under the door, and she gasped, stepping away from the inching chill as Selene pulled her into one of the stalls, ordering her to stand on one of the bowls. 

  “And ruin my Gucci shoes? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Chloe grimaced, staring at the toilet. 

  “It’s just for a moment, I promise,” Selene explained, standing on one side of the toilet, offering her hand to Chloe with somewhat of a smile. “If I’m right, the ice will spread across the floor first and work its way up. Once the floor is covered, we can get back down.”

  Chloe frowned, taking Selene’s hand. “And if you’re wrong?”

  Selene wet her bottom lip, “We get frozen.”

  It was scary to think about. Ice biting at fevered flesh, inflicting pain slowly but surely until the heart stopped pumping blood, stopping the body from functioning. Selene could see the uncertainty in Chloe’s pretty eyes, but she squeezed her hand, reassuring the other girl that everything would be fine even if the latter occurred. They would be safe from the akuma here, and the heroes would fix everything, Selene was sure. 

  The haunting ice crept across the floor, leaving a thin layer across the porcelain before it began crawling up the walls and stall doors. Selene nodded at Chloe, carefully lowering herself off the toilet and testing the waters. She pressed her foot against the floor, holding her breath before she planted herself against the ground. When nothing happened, Selene gently took Chloe into her arms, hooking her arm underneath the blonde’s arm. Like a knight rescuing the princess who had been locked away in a tower, Selene carefully guided her to the ground with a faint warmth spreading across her cheeks. 

  Never had Selene been so awkward around a girl. Her heart was beating furiously, thrumming in her chest while her stomach knotted and curled. Chloe was a beautiful girl, she couldn’t deny that fact, but she made Selene absolutely weak in the knees. It didn’t help that they had been so intimately close in the past and had shared a kiss with each other—a kiss that Chloe didn’t want to discuss. Selene could recall the softness of those plush lips against hers and remember the faintest hint of fruit when the akuma had been purified. 

  She felt like a lovesick puppy. 

  “The door is frozen shut!” Chloe screamed, tearing Selene from her thoughts as she banged her fists against the iced metal. She groaned in annoyance, attempting to wiggle the door handle, but her efforts were in vain. The blonde gave up, throwing her hands in the air before sliding to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. 

  This posed an issue for the two of them. The temperature was beginning to drop, and Chloe wasn’t dressed properly for this sudden weather change (or for an ice skating rink in general), so she would be the first to feel the bite of the cold. If the battle with the akuma dragged out for too long, there was a good chance that she could get hypothermia and that was always a messy situation. 

  Selene sat behind Chloe, shrugging off her jacket and handing it to the blonde. “We might be here for a while, so the last thing we need to deal with is you getting hypothermia,” she teased.

  “I don’t want your hand-outs,” Chloe shivered, draping her arms across her body. “I’ve been to colder places than this. Just worry about yourself.”

  “Your chattering teeth say otherwise. You’re getting the jacket whether you want it or not,” the goth pointed out, draping her jacket across Chloe’s shoulders, much to her dismay. 

  The two then fall into an awkward silence. Chloe kept herself huddled together, knees pressed against her chest as she slightly leaned against Selene, not bothering to even stare at the taller girl. Selene looked down at her, fighting off the smile and swallowing yet another lump in her throat. She wanted to brush Chloe’s hair out of her face but decided against it, stilling her hands and glancing at the thin sheen of ice that coated the ground. 

  In most (heterosexual and white predominant movies) romance movies, this would have been the perfect opportunity to get closer to the lover interest, but it seemed entirely inappropriate to act on such an impulse. What would Selene even say? What could she even do? Goodness, she was nervous and felt like a fish out of water—the last time she acted on impulse, it had all gone poorly, and she felt like an utter fool. 

   If only I wasn’t a social reject, Selene bitterly thought. 

  “Hey,” Chloe spoke up, pulling Selene out of her thoughts. “I—listen: about that kiss that happened during the akuma attack. That didn’t happen.”

  “Yes, that’s what we agreed to,” Selene agreed, leaning against the wall. “You also said that we weren’t going to bring it up again.”

  “I know that, moron! Let me finish,” she huffed, sitting up straight and crossing her legs. There was a light blush tinting her cheeks and Chloe chewed on her bottom lip, mumbling incoherent phrases for a few seconds. She then coiled a strand of hair around her finger, barely able to hold eye contact with Selene. “I was—it’s hard to explain. I think the akuma is still messing with me. I don’t know how but it’s freaking me out and I just need to know..”

  Selene cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “Need to know what?” she pressed. 

  Chloe’s face burned furiously and she hid herself behind her petite hands. “If you—does your…does your heart race when you recall that moment between us?” she asked quietly, her voice dying out. 

  Now it was Selene’s turn to blush. She was flustered, feeling her heart pitter-patter against her ribs and her stomach coil. It was such an odd question yet it jolted such a strong reaction out of both girls; Selene wet her dry lips, scanning Chloe’s language before shying away, hiding her flustered expression. She didn’t know how to respond to such a question. 

  The goth shifted, rubbing her wrist. “I—fuck. Put me between a rock and a hard spot, why don’t you?” Selene sheepishly laughed, averting her eyes to the ground before her voice grew quieter, barely above a whisper. “Sometimes, I do. I liked the feeling of your lips against mine,” she admitted. 

  “But—but it’s just because of the akuma, right?” Chloe asked, picking at her cuticles. “I noticed that everyone infected has been a lot more lovey-dovey, so it has to be a side effect. Maybe the cure didn’t reverse the damage immediately.”

  “Chloe, we both know the cure doesn’t work like that,” Selene pointed out. 

  Chloe shrugged, turning away from Selene with an irritated huff. “Well, maybe things have changed! Maybe Hawkmoth changed or got stronger and found a way to affect the citizens after Ladybug used her cure. That’s the only logical explanation for all of this because I’m not—I can’t be…” she trailed off. 

  “Can’t be what?” Selene pressed. 

  She didn’t answer. A red tint spread across Chloe’s face before she turned her back to Selene, pulling her knees to her chest. “You wouldn’t understand it. You’ll judge me just like everyone else does,” Chloe huffed. 

  Selene snorted, stretching out her legs. “Oh, test me, princess. Nothing you say can phase me; I’ve seen the most cursed shit on the internet,” she shrugged. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, barely looking over her shoulder and meeting Selene’s unwavering gaze. “How can I trust you? Everyone in class hates me, so why would I believe you would be any different?” she questioned. 

  “I’m here with you and I want to know you. I want to know who you really are, Chloe,” Selene assured, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together. “I want to hear it from your mouth, not anyone else’s.”

  A red hue intensified across Chloe’s pale cheeks and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. When those blue eyes shifted back towards Selene, the goth felt her stomach twist and her mouth go dry. Delicately, she caressed Chloe’s cheek and swiped her thumb across the swell of her face. The blonde didn’t shy away from her touch and just remained still, holding her breath in what Selene could assume as anticipation. 

  “You’re ridiculous—this is all ridiculous,” Chloe breathed, wetting her bottom lip. 

  “I could say the same about you,” Selene hummed, closing the gap between them. Their bodies were so close together and the heat rolled off of them in waves, making it harder and harder to breathe. When Chloe shifted and sat between Selene’s open legs, the latter shivered and relaxed against the cold wall. 

  They grew closer and closer, feeling the heat from each other’s breath until their lips barely touched. It was hesitant and scary, neither girl wanting to make the wrong move until Chloe just dove in, pressing her mouth against Selene’s. The kiss was awkward and messy, but they stayed connected for a few seconds. There were sparks going off and Selene just held Chloe by her forearms, awkwardly returning the kiss. 

  When they pulled back, both girls were breathless and flushing hard. Chloe looked more shocked—perhaps shocked at the fact that Selene had returned the gesture or the fact that there wasn’t an ounce of disgust on her face. Selene swallowed, looking up at the blonde with a flushed expression plastered across her face. She then laughed, rolling her shoulders, “So, first kiss?”

  “I—this was a mistake,” Chloe quickly said, pushing away from Selene and standing up. “I shouldn’t have—this was just stupid. I’m not—this never happened!” she snapped, tossing Selene’s jacket back in her face and standing up. 

  By some stroke of luck, the miraculous cure reversed the damage and Chloe fled the bathroom without another word, and Selene didn’t stop her. She sat on the floor like an idiot, still touching her lips with that stupid, lovesick expression on her face. If she thought hard about it hard enough, Selene could imagine the warmth of Chloe’s lips against hers and recall the faint floral scent that clung to her clothes. Flowers and something sweeter—honey, she guessed. 

  Her fingers danced across her chest, just above her heart and Selene could feel it beating hard and fast. Any harder and it might shoot out of her chest; she breathed, running a hand through her mess of hair before pressing herself against the wall. That kiss—it was awkward and Selene liked it a lot. She liked how their lips meshed together and how flushed Chloe looked when they finally pulled apart. Selene had no words to describe just how lovely Chloe looked when she was vulnerable—when she was being honest with herself and let down her walls, if it was for a single moment. 

  Selene wanted to hold her face and kiss her over and over again. It was a selfish desire, yes, but could anyone fault Selene for requesting such a thing? Chloe’s face—her lips were just so kissable and warm against hers. She liked how vulnerable and exposed Chloe was when it was just the two of them together. 

  It felt rather nice. 

  With burning cheeks and a racing heart, Selene finally exited the bathroom. It was so hard to function after such a nerve-wracking kiss and Selene couldn’t say no to Philippe when he extended a sheet to her. She signed absentmindedly, promising him that she would stop by the next day and they could start their lessons. Right now, nothing compared to such a moment she shared with Chloe. 

  That soft look in her eyes—the sheer vulnerability and gentleness that pooled in those pretty blue eyes had Selene coming undone at the seams. She felt like a puddle of mush, bringing her fingers to her lips again and smiling like an idiot. 

  Selene liked Chloe a lot. That much was obvious and she would happily kiss her again, but Chloe’s feelings were more important. There was some form of chemistry between them but Chloe didn’t want to believe that she—that it was completely normal to like women. It was nothing to be ashamed of but she didn’t want to seem like she was pressuring Chloe. Accepting that part of herself would take time and would require the pretty blonde to learn how to love herself, even if society seemed against her. 

  With a sigh, Selene said goodbye to Luka and left the skating arena. She would need time to figure out how to vocalize her feelings.

Notes:

Come talk to me in my discord server! This way, you can see some previews for this story and can ask questions! We have games, mudae, and we have more miraculous fans! Join the bunny café Also listen to this chloe playlist made especially for all the various pairings with chloe in this fic; it’s available here