The Wedding Planner

Chapter 8

Chat leaps in through his old bedroom window and detransforms. He falls back onto his bed and sighs. He holds Ladybug's number in his hand, still folded.

"So, should I start planning your funeral for when you break up with Chloe?" Plagg zooms up next to him.

He opens his mouth to counter, but realizes he's right, "I guess so."

"Now you gonna lock me back up? Now that you used me? Like an old relic?" Plagg chides him, his paws on his hips.

He shakes his head, "Never again." He rolls over to his stomach and holds Plagg in his cupped hands, "I'm sorry, you know; I just thought I needed to protect you."

"Protect me? Or was Mr. Adrien-boss-man just too busy for me?"

"A little bit of both I suppose." He hugs him close, Plagg only resisting a little before giving in. "I think having you around is just going to make it more tempting to run away as Chat Noir." He chuckles quietly.

The door to his room bursts open. Plagg immediately finds a place to hide and Adrien stuffs Ladybug's number into the pocket of the suit jacket he's wearing.

"Adrien!" Chloe shouts and sees Adrien sitting up on his old bed. "What are you doing in here? You've been gone since dinner, haven't answered my messages, and you're sitting in the dark in a child's room." She marches over and leers above him.

He maintains eye contact with her, not giving into her domineering energy. "Chloe, I need to talk to you, regarding the wedding-"

"Your suit is so wrinkled! What have you been up to, seriously?" She unbuttons his suit jacket and eases it off of him. "I'll have this sent to the cleaners right away, Adrikins. I want you to wear this one in the engagement shoot tomorrow. Now tell me where you've been all day."

"Chloe-"

"You met with those people from school, didn't you? I warned you about that. But we'll discuss it at a later time."

"Chloe."

"The damage is done." She starts to walk towards the door, "I'll make sure this jacket is just like new by morning."

He stands, filling the door frame behind her, "Chloe, I'm calling off the wedding." He says sternly.

"That's really funny, Adrikins" she brushes off, looking at something in her hand.

He follows her into the hall, "I'm serious, I won't marry you."

"How about you go wash up and I'll meet you for bed in a bit." She insists through a forced smile as she walks down to the foyer, a folded piece of paper in her fist.

~

"I thought he would text me by now." Marinette sighs, checking her phone the next day before returning to her work.

"Maybe he thinks Ladybug would text him first, since you came up with this idea." Tikki remarks, munching on a cookie on the corner of her desk.

"I left his number upstairs." She groans.

Suddenly her phone rings..

She snatches it, "Unknown caller. Do you think-?"

"Either way, you should probably answer." Tikki points out.

She nods and picks up, "Hello?"

"You skank! I knew it! I knew Adrien was hiding something, being manipulated!" Chloe growls through the phone.

"Chloe?" Marinette's mind struggles to catch up to what's happening.

"Surprised I found out about you, huh?! Thought you could get past me? Whoever you are, Adrien is not available for the taking, he is marrying me! Your mind games may have led him astray this far, but I refuse to let him go without a fight." She hisses.