Chapter Text
The sound of the waves was the first thing Chloé registered as she drifted into wakefulness. The morning breeze, the rustling of palm leaves above their shelter—it had all become too familiar over the past week.
The second thing she noticed was warmth. Not just from the rising sun, but from the person curled up beside her.
She should have been annoyed. She should have pulled away immediately now that it was morning. But at this point, after so many nights of huddling together for warmth, it didn’t even faze her anymore. They had tried building a fire to keep warm during the night, but that resulted in a burnt shelter and nearly cost them their lives.
Marinette stirred against her, stretching slightly before cracking one eye open. She let out a soft yawn before offering Chloé a small, sleepy smile. “Morning.”
Chloé sighed exaggeratingly. “Morning.”
Marinette sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Ready for breakfast?”
Chloé groaned and flopped onto her back. “If you say fruit one more time, I swear to all that is good…”
Marinette chuckled. “Chloé, what else do we have?”
“I don’t know, Dupain-Cheng! But if I have to eat another banana, I might just scream.” She draped an arm over her face, letting out a long sigh. “I would kill for something else. Even just eggs—”
She stopped abruptly, her body going rigid.
Marinette blinked. “Chloé?”
Chloé’s breath hitched. Her hand snapped up, pointing toward the shore. “T-Tell me I’m not hallucinating.”
Marinette frowned, following her gaze. “What are you—?”
Then she froze. There was a chicken, an actual chicken.
It was just there, strutting along the sand, pecking at the ground like it belonged on this island, like it wasn’t the single most shocking thing they had seen since they got here.
Chloé gasped. “I am hallucinating.”
Marinette stared. “You’re not.”
Chloé whipped toward her. “Then why is there a chicken randomly here?!?”
Marinette shook her head quickly, still watching the bird with wide eyes. “I don’t know! But we can’t scare it off.”
Chloé’s mouth snapped shut. She nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “Right. Right. Okay.”
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The chicken clucked, unbothered, still pecking at the sand.
Marinette inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. “We should follow it.”
Chloé nodded stiffly. “Yes. Obviously.”
Slowly, carefully, they pushed themselves to their feet, moving in sync as they stepped out of the shelter, keeping their movements as silent as possible.
The chicken didn’t seem to notice. It continued its leisurely stroll across the beach, heading toward the jungle.
Chloé’s fingers twitched with excitement. “If there’s one, then maybe…”
Marinette nodded eagerly. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
They followed it. Step by step, quietly weaving through the trees as the chicken led them into a part of the jungle they hadn’t explored yet.
Marinette was the first to hear it. A faint bunch of clucking. She stopped abruptly, reaching out to grab Chloé’s wrist.
Chloé turned to her, frowning. “What?”
Marinette lifted a finger to her lips, then pointed toward the sound.
Chloé’s brows furrowed. She listened—really listened—and then her eyes widened.
She could hear the chickens too. They exchanged a look. Then, together, they crept forward.
The trees opened up into a small clearing, sunlight spilling across the grassy patch of land. And there, in the middle of it were dozens of chickens.
All real, all wandering freely in the clearing, scratching at the dirt, pecking at fallen fruit, completely oblivious to the two dumbfounded girls staring at them like they had just discovered a treasure trove.
Chloé grabbed Marinette’s arm, shaking her slightly. “Dupain-Cheng.”
Marinette gripped her shoulders, her voice hushed but thrilled. “Chloé.”
“We have chickens.”
“We have eggs.”
Chloé’s mouth dropped open. “We have real food.”
Marinette grinned and Chloé grinned back.
At that moment, they didn’t care that they were still stuck on a deserted island. They didn’t care that they had spent a week suffering with only fruits to eat and enduring cold nights. Because right now they had eggs.