I sat down to write some friendship/bonding/humor stuff, but something else popped up instead. Now I have a chapter of feels?

I seriously have no idea how this happened. Sorry if it's a bit too serious in comparison to the rest!

Memories

Chloé walked alongside her childhood friend as they navigated the halls of Le Grand Paris Hotel. They had both managed to slip away unnoticed in the midst of the luxurious cocktail party hosted by her father. It was full of cold pleasantries and false smiles, and neither of them truly enjoyed that sort of mindless drivel.

She stared straight ahead; ignoring the scrutinizing look Adrien was giving her. If she acknowledged him, they'd have to talk, and Chloé had no idea what to say.

The blonde girl froze when Adrien placed his hand on her upper arm. His touch was light and gentle, and she couldn't refuse to meet his eyes any longer. She turned to face him, icy blue colliding with grassy green in silent conversation.

Chloé faltered under the intensity of his gaze, and her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. She cleared her throat to rid it of that mysterious constricted feeling.

"What is it?" she murmured. She meant to say it in a demanding tone, but it came out much weaker than she would've liked.

Adrien's brow creased as his lips tugged down in a slight frown. He leaned a bit closer and spoke in a low voice, "Chlo, what's going on?"

She felt a prickling sensation behind her eyes and was startled to find that she was tearing up. Chloé squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to compose herself, but her lip had already begun to quiver and she knew it was a lost cause.

She felt the weight of Adrien's other hand settle on her shoulder, and she viciously attempted to beat her feelings into submission. She was stronger than that; she would not show weakness.

Chloé peeked up at Adrien, and was stricken by the ocean of empathy that brimmed within his emerald eyes.

"Your mother. It was this day, wasn't it?" he whispered.

Chloé's eyes narrowed in indignation despite the moisture that had already begun to overflow, and she gave his chest an angry little shove.

"Don't speak of that woman! I don't want to think about-" Chloé's voice cracked, and she averted her eyes in shame.

Despite her prickly retort, Adrien tugged her into a warm hug and maneuvered his arms so that they were circled around her upper back.

A perfect gentleman, Chloé noted with an edge of bitterness. It was a shame that his heart had already been snatched up by someone else. Even worse, that someone else was completely oblivious to the treasure she held in the palm of her hands.

It was something that happened all too often, in Chloé's opinion. Her throat constricted as a deluge of unwanted memories surged to the surface, slipping through the cracks in her defense with unfair ease.

The blonde girl buried her face in Adrien's chest and allowed her tears to soak into his dress shirt, clutching the lapels of his immaculate suit jacket like a lifeline. Her shoulders quaked as she continued to fight the sobs that threatened to claw their way up her throat.

Adrien remained silent; wisely choosing to say nothing about her breakdown. After a long while, Chloé took a steadying breath and leaned back enough that she could smooth the wrinkles she'd put in his shirt.

She pouted when she realized that it would have to be pressed in order to remove the worst of them.

"I've probably ruined your button-down," Chloé commented in an uncharacteristically reserved tone of voice.

"It's just a shirt," Adrien replied easily.

Chloé wiped at her eyes, and was horrified to realize that her fingers were smeared with black. That no-good waterproof mascara had run.

"Oh no! I look like a raccoon!" she squealed in a panic, burying her face in her hands.

Adrien chuckled and peeled her hands away from her face, "It's nothing a bit of makeup remover can't fix. We'll go up to your room and do a little touchup."

The girl nodded and allowed him to lead her to the elevator and up to her floor. They entered her immaculate bedroom, and she took a seat in front of her vanity. Adrien offered her a facial wipe, which she used to remove the black streaks from her cheeks.

Chloé sniffed and gazed at the blond model imploringly, "Could you do my makeup, Adrikins?"

He blinked in surprise, "I thought you preferred to do it yourself?"

"I do!" Chloé snapped. He tilted his head to the side cutely, and she instantly regretted shouting at him. It was hard to stay angry at a face like his.

"But my hands won't stop shaking…" she explained in a small voice.

His face stretched into a cheerful grin as he snatched up the eyeshadow brush with a flourish.

"You'll look runway-ready in no time," he announced.

Chloé rolled her eyes, "How about 'cocktail-party-ready' instead?"

The model chuckled as he reapplied her eyeshadow with practiced strokes.

"You're using neutrals, aren't you?" she demanded.

Adrien shrugged, "You asked me to do your makeup. You knew you were signing up for a fresh-faced look."

Chloé scowled at him, "At least give me a smoky eye or winged liner, then."

The model smirked, "Your request has been noted. Now close your eyes and hold still."

Adrien finished up and took a step back to allow Chloé access to the mirror. She inspected his workmanship with a critical eye, tilting her head to and fro.

"It needs more…drama," she decided.

He arched a perfectly shaped brow at her. She stared back at him unflinchingly, despite his incredulous expression.

The girl rolled her eyes, "Well? Do something."

Adrien sighed good-naturedly and tapped his chin while he thought.

"Okay. I'll give you falsies and we'll call it a night," he allowed, and fixed Chloé with a playful grin.

She smiled back, "Deal."

They returned to the mayor's social event, and consequently, to the realm of insincere compliments and frenzied networking. Adrien stayed faithfully attached to her elbow the rest of the night, offering her reassuring smiles and silent support. Even amidst the frigid greetings and icy stares, Chloé felt immeasurable warmth in her chest.

One of her father's associates prattled on about his accomplishments in an effort to endear himself to Chloé, and she caught Adrien's eye as she searched for an escape route. He made an exasperated face, and Chloé fought back a snicker. Those horrid social events were definitely better when she had a friend like Adrien by her side.