#into chapter 3 and other than a brief stint from Alya and Madame Bustier no other characters appear

[astrangetypeofchemistry]

Chloè Bourgeois’s Guide To Proving The Class Rep Isn’t A Selfless Angel

A very special thank you to @thedeathofablog for being amazing and absolutely saving me. I have a track record of giving up on stories after the second chapter because of how confused I get, and I’m glad I had someone helping me out this time. It doesn’t hurt that they’re... quiet eccentric. 

And @breeeliss who is a ray of sunshine for the Chlonette in the fandom. I hope you’re having a good day.

Here is, finally, the next chapter. 

Find it on AO3. 

Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 

Chapter 3: Chloè Bourgeois’s Guide To Explaining To Your Gay Crush That You’re Dating Even If You’re Not Dating

Shoving the door to the bakery open with a strained smile, Chloè Bourgeois felt herself fuming. With no regard to the multitude of customers, or the owners who were staring after the mayor’s daughter in shock as she threw her backpack across the shop , Chloè heaves up to the counter, standing right in front of the counter.

“Where is Marinette?” she demands, her voice as forceful as you’d expect it to be.

Sabine Cheng stands in a daze, pointing behind her, which definitely blows Chloè up even more.

(If we're being honest, Chloè has no clue why she's angry, she just knows she is.)

(And it is definitely not because she's hoping Marinette will get angry right back)

(Shut up)

When Chloè finds herself in the main part of the house, there’s no sign of Marinette, forcing her built up anger to go to waste as she made her way up the stairs she was sure lead to Marinette’s room. Pushing open the trapdoor, she found the target of her anger muttering at her desk, her head in her hands.

“Wow,” Chloè found herself saying, and when Marinette looked up, she found her visitor staring at the walls. There, in plain view, was the biggest evidence of Marinette’s crush. “Should I be jealous that you have pictures of someone else all over your walls?”

Adrien Agreste, Chloè’s best friend, was plastered all over the walls. In fact, Chloè was pretty sure this was every single campaign Adrien had ever done. She had to hide how impressed she really was as Marinette scowled.

“Leave me alone, Chloè. You forced me into dating you. And we’re not really dating.”

Dredging up all her stores of bitchiness, Chloè forced a harsh glare onto Marinette, ready to knock her off of her high horse.

“I haven’t forced anything, Missy.” Hands travelling to her hips as she stood in the middle of the room, Chloè began her lecture. It was time to knock some sense into Marinette Dupain-Cheng, once and for all. “If anything, it’s obvious you agreed to this, and for selfish reasons too. You want to keep me far away from Adrien because you’re desperate and manipulative.” Chloè’s hand flies up when Marinette opens her mouth in outrage, and her glare hardens even more, effectively shutting Marinette up.

“I asked you to pretend to date me, to satiate my own curiosity. To prove to myself that you really aren’t the kind and selfless person people think you to be. You’ve definitely proven me right.”

“Proven you right?” Marinette spluttered heavily, her cheeks flushed bright red. “I’ve done nothing-”

“Except try to turn yourself into the victim here, acting like I forced you into this when you damn well knew what you were getting into!”

“You kissed me without my consent!”

Marinette stood up, as if to give herself control over this argument, and Chloè smiled mockingly.

“Suck it up, honey. From what I remember, you agreed to serenading me. You’re going to have to get used to touching me.”

“I don’t have to get used to anything!” Marinette cried, and Chloè’s smile turned even more mocking, which was a shock in and of itself. Neither girl had thought it possible.

“In case you forgot, you’re trying to prove you’re not selfish. You’re definitely failing at that. But it all hinges on you managing to make me fall in love with you. You can’t make me fall in love with you if you’re repulsed by me.” And then, with a snort, Chloè added “And you can’t make Adrien like you by floundering around him.”

Marinette gaped at her, and Chloè moved closer, standing right in front of her.

“Get out of this victim mindset. You’re being ridiculous, and it’s not cute at all. You agreed to this- to trying to make me genuinely fall for you- and you won’t be able to do that by trying to guilt me.”

“I can only guilt people who have emotions, after all,” Marinette added, but it was weak and stilted, and definitely gave Chloè the courage to bring her arms up around Marinette’s shoulders. Her fingers loosely twined behind Marinette’s neck, pulling them both closer.

There’d been envy in Chloè since the day she’d met Marinette, wondering why every interaction they had always resonated with Chloè. Always a slight curiosity, that moment of contemplation when she didn’t understand why turning around and watching the enraptured look on Marinette’s face was so important.

“I need to stop bringing up how not real this is?” Marinette asked hesitantly, and Chloè gently released a breath, trying to make sure Marinette didn’t feel it. Judging by the way she shuddered, it had been a failure.

“Being told a relationship is fake doesn’t inspire warmth and fuzziness.”

Marinette somehow shuffles closer, and Chloe held her breath. How was it possible that even being this close, so impossible close, it still felt like there was a giant chasm separating them?

“You like me, don’t you?” Chloè’s eyes fell shut with another exhale, and their foreheads finally touched as Marinette continued. “That’s why you’re so determined. You’re trying to prove to yourself that I’m. Not likable. A terrible person.”

Sky blue eyes flashed open with a soft touch to her cheeks, Marinette’s hands gently cupping her face.

“I don’t have feelings for you, Chloè,” Marinette continued, her eyes pleading. Soft. Beautiful the way they always are. And Chloè somehow fell harder. How had they ended up here? All those years of cruelty, all those years of thriving off of each other’s failures, had lead up to this, this soft moment that would break everything.

Her hands reached up to encircle Marinette’s wrists, a soft “I know” falling from her as she gently pulled those hands away. Five minutes ago, it had felt like she was making Marinette feel ridiculous. Now, the tables had definitely turned.

It felt childish, the way that little boys pulling little girls’ pigtails to get their attention was. How could Chloè have expected Marinette Dupain-Cheng to like her just because they’d be forced to put on a show for everyone else?

Chloè stepped back, and this time, the distance seemed bigger somehow than it ever had in the past years of hatred they’d had. With a soft voice, she mumbled “The deal’s off.” With Marinette’s disbelieving gaze on her, Chloè straightened up, adopting the same haughty expression she always had. “It’s obvious you can’t win after all. I mean, you serenading me? You would’ve lost anyway.”

And then Chloè walks out, walks down the stairs and through the bakery, grabbing the abandoned backpack. There was no point in returning to school; she headed straight back to the hotel. There was no Marinette running after her, no cries and pleading, no voice calling to stay.

And in that moment, Chloè was reminded of her mother in a way her yellow jacket never achieved. 

Chapter 4