Life could at times be quite busy when your best friend is a superhero.
Nino peeked up at his best guy friend and wondered how they managed to find time to hang out anymore what with Adrien's photoshoots, private lessons, school, and heroic work cutting into their daily lives.
He smiled as he listened to Adrien 'accidentally' start in on gushing over Ladybug since Nino had learned of his best friend's secret and swore to keep it; Adrien felt more at ease letting him in on the parts of his secret identity even his crush that some days felt more impossible than it should.
"Can't you just ask her?" Nino shrugged, wondering if his friend could just go up to his superhero companion and just confess who he really was deep down.
"She wants our identities to be kept a secret, Nino, and if I told her who I was, and she only liked me as a civilian, I couldn't take it." Wide green eyes turned towards his best friend, and Nino felt quite guilty that he casually let the conversation drop at seeing his best friend's kitty eyes.
"So how's physics going?" Nino wished that he knew a much better conversation switch though physics was his 'nerdy' best friend's favorite subject.
"It's going well." Adrien's eyes lit up as he talked about physics like they did whenever Ladybug was mentioned, and Nino sat back for a long explanation of how physics going and Adrien's favorite parts of the science class that he attended.
He definitely had it bad for Ladybug if he adored her quite the same way he adored physics; then again, it was kind of obvious to Nino anyway that Adrien adored Ladybug just as much.
At least with physics, Nino can't ask for his best friend to have an identity reveal with the topic and somehow mess up their conversation; he could however say the wrong thing and have Adrien correct him for the next three hours.
"Nino?" Marinette flittered through the bakery as if it was perfectly normal to balance seeing one of her best friends and baking.
"Hello, dudette." He greeted her with a casual smile and wondered if there was a way for her to actually explain why she'd invited him over as she baked.
"Hi." She took a deep breath, "I'll be off in a little bit. I have to tell you something."
"Not that I don't like being confided in, but why did you choose me?" She'd specifically asked for just him, 'not your best friend, Adrien, or even Alya, just you.'
"We're close friends, and I trust you to keep my secrets." She smiled though she looked more nervous than she was probably trying to let on.
"Okay..?" He leaned half on the counter and watched Marinette handle a complicated looking baking order before she carefully tucked the artfully decorated cupcakes away in a clear topped box and sent a wavering smile Nino's way.
Marinette smiled as she headed back to the kitchen to tell her parents that she'd finished up the order that she'd been working on for probably a long time as she came out, smiled, and invited Nino upstairs to her bedroom where no one could hear a word that they said especially if everyone was too busy to go upstairs and check up on her and her best guy friend.
"Nino, I trust you to not freak out or baby me or something of the sort." She took a deep breath, looking more than a little conflicted with herself as she leaned forward, looking every bit like she belonged in this room.
"I won't baby you. I'll keep it real." He smiled slightly, hoping that she'd calm down enough to tell him exactly why she'd invited him over though he'd known her long enough to have spent countless days over at her house anyway.
"Okay, promise not to tell anyone, not even Adrien or Alya?" Marinette leaned forward, looking lost as if the words just would not escape her throat or be found even if they could escape.
"You know you can trust me. I'll keep my word." Nino smiled, hoping that it was encouraging towards his best female friend.
"Okay, I have a secret and suddenly, I feel so overwhelmed by it that I have to let you in on it, and if anything happens, I know that you'll have my back." She smiled back at him.
"I'm your best guy friend. I'll always have your back." Nino smiled wider at just seeing her smile and tried to relax the sudden stiffness from this weird day out of his shoulders.
"Well, I'm..." She took a deep breath to steady herself, "I have a Kwami. Her name is Tikki." Marinette seemed nervous as if she'd lost all of her ideas of how to exactly explain what a Kwami was to her best guy friend.
"Okay." Nino muttered, watching as a little red and black Kwami moved out of wherever she was hiding.
"I fight crime or rather Akumatized victims..." Marinette took another steadying breath, "as Ladybug."
"Okay." Despite this being the second time in his lifetime that a close friend told him about being a superhero, Nino still didn't know quite the words to say in response.
"Do you believe me?" Marinette looked worn out even as she spoke, reminding him immediately of how exhausted Adrien looked sometimes from balancing schoolwork, fighting crime, modeling, and his personal life.
"Why wouldn't I?" He took a deep breath, trying to find the exact right words to calm her down, "You're my best friend, my first best friend, and we've never told a lie to one another. Of course, I believe you."
Marinette smiled a radiant smile over at her best friend, "Thank you."
"You should still tell Cat Noir who you are though. He'd really appreciate the info." He tried to send an encouraging smile though all that he got was a half annoyed huff and a small frown.
"I don't want to jeopardize our partnership, and what if he gets hurt because of me due to that? I'm still a klutz and sometimes say the wrong words, you know?" Marinette leaned forward, looking all the more exhausted now.
Nino felt guilty despite himself; he shouldn't make Marinette worry anymore than she already has to.
"I know. It's just that I know him personally. He told me who he was not too long ago and is absolutely crazy about you." Nino smiles his best encouraging smile at her, hoping that he can relieve some of her daily burden like this.
"What if he only likes Ladybug?" Marinette frowned.
"He'd have to be crazy to not fall in love with Marinette too. You're incredible. Besides I once really liked you." Nino winked at his best friend, smile only growing at the light blush on her face.
"I know that you did." Marinette rolled her eyes with what she could keep of her composure, "You sure?"
"Yeah." Nino smiled, hoping that his two nervous best friends will finally say the words that could relieve such heavy burdens off of their chests besides Adrien wasn't cruel, and he'd want to try to get to know Marinette much better whenever he inevitably discovers her secret.
Nino did end up staying for dinner and dessert before he had to go home and finish up his homework.
"Hey, Alya. Want to go out tonight?" It was Friday, and Nino felt relieved at the notion of possibly going on another date with his other best friend or well more than a best friend.
"Yeah, if nothing comes up with Marinette. I'm worried about her." Alya shifted, looking quieter and speaking the thoughts that she rarely spoke aloud, "She won't tell me what's bothering her and is super worried."
Nino gave her his most encouraging smile, "It will just take time." He was pretty sure that Marinette would eventually tell the founder of the Ladyblog who she was and encourage her to keep it off the record; they just had that kind of friendship.
"Are you sure?" Alya trained her worried eyes over to her best friend who suspiciously looked like she was talking to herself; for Marinette's sake, he hoped that Chloe didn't see her right now and for both Marinette's sake and Alya's sake that no Akuma attacked tonight.
He'd really rather go on a date with his girlfriend which was rare enough as it is without her running off to record the newest edition to the Ladyblog, "Yeah, I'm sure. You two are close."
Alya could keep a secret which he knew that Marinette knew deep down; she was probably just worried about what her being Ladyblog would do to her best friend's hobby and the ever popular Ladyblog.
Nino gave his girlfriend an encouraging smile and turned away from Marinette as he gingerly tucked Alya's hair back and gave her a loving and soft kiss on the lips.
It didn't last long or cause rockets to go off when they pressed close, but rather lifted his spirit and made him breathtakingly happy to have these moments be ordinary and regular to them both.
His love for her didn't change the whole world or leave them strangely off balance, it just made it feel a little more right.
He'd hold his best friends' secrets for the rest of his life though he knew that soon enough, Alya would be let in on one of them.