LadyBugOut AU (Snippets)

Drawing a Beeline

Summary:
Chloe has a demand for Fukiya, but Fukiya has some words for Chloe.

Chapter Text
Kagami hated people like Chloe Bourgeois. Being the daughter of Tomoe Tsurugi, Kagami herself had gone - begrudgingly but quietly - to many social events, and thus was all too familiar with people like Chloe who gave upper-class people a bad name. Kagami knew well enough that she had her own issues to work out, but Chloe was on a whole different level. She was spoiled, arrogant, and saw heroism as something to be praised for rather than be taken seriously.

That's what made it all the more aggravating when she, as Fukiya, ended up having to carry Chloe home after an akuma battle. She was not only one of the swiftest out of the group, but Chloe - for whatever reason - had demanded to be taken home by the bee, putting up a fuss when refused. Fukiya tolerated it with a cold stare, trying her best not to show too much irritation in front of her group of—teammates? Friends? She wasn't sure, but she was determined to remain professional and not let her biases influence how she presented herself.

Touching down on top of the Le Grand Paris hotel, Fukiya shifted, forcing herself to set Chloe down as delicately as possible. Chloe's arms were crossed, and she let out a huff as she checked herself over, examining her hair, nails, and finally her clothing.

"Hmph. Just barely good enough, for a newbie," she commented, adjusting her necklace back to its original position.

Fukiya didn't respond, turning to leave and only stopping when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye back where Chloe was. She glanced over her shoulder with a raised brow, noting that Chloe had extended her hand to her.

She paused, staring at it and vaguely wondering if Chloe was about to demand compensation for giving her the honor of carrying her, but was met with silence. She turned back towards her and stared with a questioning gaze, not having the patience for these guessing games.

Chloe rolled her eyes - as if the message had been obvious - then put a hand on her hip and leaned towards Fukiya, her fingers flexing insistently.

"Duh! My miraculous, hand it over."

"...What."

Despite her asking, she didn't get an answer. Fukiya genuinely couldn't believe that this was happening right now; that Chloe would have the gall to demand something like this.

"You expect me to simply give you the bee miraculous?" she asked.

"Well, the right thing to do would be to wash it first, but then you'd just dirty it again before you gave it back to me, so I'll get people to do it for you."

Fukiya blinked, almost too stunned by the sheer arrogance on display to be offended.

Almost.

"...No," she finally answered.

"Excuse me!?" Chloe gaped, aghast at how she was being treated.

"Not only am I not the person who decides who gets them and who doesn't," Fukiya began, "but I was the one entrusted with it. You are not. Not anymore."

Chloe rolled her eyes, waving a hand dismissively. "Ladybug will come around. She's just—"

"Furthermore," Fukiya continued, "this is not your miraculous, and it never belonged to you in the first place. I doubt you could even recall the kwami's name."

"Of course I can!" Chloe boasted haughtily. Turning to the side and flicking her head back, she pointed at where the bee comb would be had she been wearing it. "It's Pollen! If I didn't know, I wouldn't be able to transform!"

Fukiya sucked in a breath, her composure briefly failing her as her hands tightened into fists. In the short amount of time they'd known each other, she'd learned well that Pollen had feelings, both good and bad. Regardless of Kagami's personal feelings on the girl, Pollen just saw Chloe as a "past queen" without thinking too ill of her, as if the metaphorical crown had simply been passed down.