Nino removed his glasses and pinched the lenses between the fabric of his shirt, rubbing vigorous circles on the glass as though clear glasses would help him hear better.

He grabbed Alya's hand - which was draped around his shoulders - as he pushed his glasses back into place and swallowed hard. Alya was absently stirring the frappuccino she was supporting between her legs while sitting sideways on Nino's lap and peering at him curiously.

"There's no way," Nino leaned forward, wrapping his arm around Alya's waist.

Alya took a sip from her straw. "I thought so too, but then I remembered how incredible I am, so I planned it anyway," she shrugged with a smile.

"What superhero in their right mind would go with this?"

"One that makes sacrifices for a good cause."

"Yeah, but this is different… god, I don't even wanna know what their lips are gonna feel like after all those hours. The lines are gonna be long as hell..."

"They'll be fine. They'll have breaks."

"...And at that price, the lines will be worse than Disneyland rides. Seriously, one euro?! People would pay way more than that to kiss Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Maybe, but keep in mind that the majority of their fans will be teenagers, like us. So they're also broke like us," Alya pursed her lips with regret.

Nino rolled his eyes. "If teenagers are willing to spend six euros on a finger helicopter, then they'll be willing to spend more than one euro on two of the biggest superhero celebrities in Europe."

Alya slipped her hand down to his chest and poked him. "Ok, first of all, how are you gonna criticize fidget spinners when you have five of them—"

"I wasn't criticizing, I was just saying…"

"—Also, making things unbelievably cheap is what tricks people into spending more than if it had been more expensive."

"Yeah, but at the cost of poor Ladybug and Chat Noir's faces. They have so many fans already, imagine if there are more people lining up than there are leaving the line? Oh, God, and what kind of weirdos are they gonna have to kiss?!"

"Calm down, you sound like you're their mother or something. We're actually doing our best to keep the lines from getting too large without having to limit donators. The event as a whole has tickets for the sake of crowd control, so that already cuts off a lot of people. On top of that, not all fans will actually want to kiss them; some people aren't like that or are really chill fans," Alya shrugged "There's not much we can do about who kisses them, but we have rules to keep things at bay and an age limit for kisses on the mouth so no creeps will touch them."

"A kiss on the cheek is still kinda weird…" Nino made a face.

Alya rolled her eyes. "If the person is over 32, they don't kiss Ladybug or Chat Noir on the cheek, they get kissed on the cheek. If the person says or does anything that makes them uncomfortable, then they have the right to reject them completely. Simple."

Nino blinked, unconvinced. "This whole thing is still crazy. I never liked the idea of kissing booths…"

Alya sighed. "Here," she handed him her half full frappuccino, "You look like you need some of this."

Nino took the cup in his hand and took a sip from the straw. He was met with a drop of partially melted whipped cream before a flood of cold, creamy mocha softened his expression.

He handed the cup back to Alya, who grinned at him, "Well?"

Nino smiled, "It did make me feel better."

Alya smirked, "See? You just needed to… Chill out-"

"But that doesn't mean it changed my opinion. I still think it's asking for trouble."

"Oh, please…"

"It's kinda gross when you think about it."

"Nino…"

"I'm going."

"What?!"

"I might as well."

Alya squinted, a smirk begging to make an appearance. "What for?"

"...I'm curious- to watch," Nino's eyes widened, realizing he was in the danger-zone of Alya's radar.

"Oh, you'll be watching alright. From really, really, up close. I never saw you as the type to put up such a show just to cover up the fact that you wanted to kiss one of them. Say, what about Adrien? Aren't you all about loyalty?"

Nino sighed in defeat. "I- Adrien doesn't know that I… I'm not in any sort of relationship with him. Plus, this is just a one-time celebrity thing. It's not like he's gonna pick me out of hundreds of- AH."

"He, aha! So, you're going for Chat Noir. You totally have a type."

Nino stared at the ground as if it were laughing at him. He could just see the large crack in the cement open wider and cackle at him until the buildings, birds, and trees joined in. He looked up weakly. "Could I have a little bit more of that frappuccino?"

Nino's anxiety was growing faster than the line behind him. He was stuck in the paradox of being in such deep thought that he couldn't even think. He had no idea what was on his mind. Whatever it was that was running through his head, it was stressing him out. He frequently forgot to breathe and the slamming of his heart didn't help with the slow zoning out of touch with one's surroundings. The loud crowds were quiet, the bright colors were dull, and the joy was a pool of regret and fear. In-the-moment decisions were easy to make. It wasn't until his paralyzed body was being pushed by Alya from the entrance of the fair to the end of the line to Chat Noir's booth that he realized how unprepared he was.

Oh, the agony of the imminent awkwardness. What would he say? Was it strange to say 'I always wanted to see your lips up close'? Or 'I fall asleep to the sound of your voice on the Ladyblog'? He'd only met him in person once, so of course all these personal sounding things would be disturbing. Who was he kidding, saying you fall asleep sleep to someone's voice would make anyone uncomfortable, regardless of familiarity.

He felt guilty that he'd be waltzing up to Chat Noir and just asking for a kiss even though he would be paying for it and it was Chat's job as a volunteer.

Nino leaned over and glimpsed Chat Noir waiting behind his booth; he was throwing a goofy grin at Ladybug. Nino cleared his throat and stood back in line.

"You're in the wrong line."

Nino's mind returned to his body as a light touch on his shoulder made his head automatically whip around. A woman with a young boy stared at him from Ladybug's line. A few others within earshot turned and shot dirty looks at the woman.

"And you're in the wrong century," Nino blurted, turning to face forward again. He didn't know where it'd come from or how he'd managed his outburst, but he figured it was best to leave it at that and not question his sudden confidence. He smiled to himself a bit.

Alya came in front of the crowded lines and announced all of the rules Nino already knew. He watched Chat Noir hop over to Ladybug's booth to share the first kiss. Great, that would leave the standards high, as if his nerves weren't enough.

Chat Noir looked tense; he froze just inches in front of Ladybug. Nino wasn't sure if this made him feel better or worse. On one hand, Chat was equally nervous as he was. On the other, Chat liked Ladybug. Not that it mattered; he was only here for the sake of feeding fantasies. It wasn't like he was in love with Chat Noir. It wasn't like he felt some weird connection with him even without getting to know him. No, that had been set aside for Adrien alone.

Finally, Ladybug and Chat Noir shared the kiss. Nino saw how sweet it looked. But now he was getting in between him and Ladybug. Well… then so was everyone else.

Before he knew it, Nino was one person from Chat Noir. He'd let his mind wander so much out of worry that he'd forgotten to listen to the people ahead of him as a reference for what he should say when it was his turn.

How was his breath? It was too late for that. What if he was a bad kisser? This was a terrible idea. What if he accidentally crashed his nose into Chat's? He'd warned himself and he hadn't listened. What was he going to-

As soon as Chat Noir's eyes landed on him, all of his thoughts shut down. It was happening. He took a step forward to the booth.

"Nino?" Chat looked stunned.

Nino jumped at the sound of his name. He smiled shyly.

"You came for me?" Chat continued.

Nino's voice cracked. "Yeah," he had to play it cool. He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, "Is that a problem?" His voice faltered as he finished.

Chat's eyes widened, a hint of red on his cheeks. He shook his head.

"Oh thank god," Nino muttered as he sat down.

Chat's ears twitched at Nino's mumbled statement. That's when Nino remembered Chat Noir had super hearing, and it made him wish his face would cave in on itself and he'd cease to exist.

Nino cleared his throat and shoved a euro across the booth counter. Chat took it absently, keeping his gaze on Nino.

Chat Noir parted his lips and leaned closer. Nino did the same, doing his best to mirror Chat as he began to close his eyes.

Nino's forehead was pushed back abruptly. He opened his eyes and found his hat had hit Chat Noir. Of course something would've gone wrong.

But Chat Noir hardly seemed fazed. Chat reached up slowly - keeping his eyes drilled into Nino's - and grasped the brim of Nino's hat, carefully turning it to the back of his head before closing the gap between them.

Chat Noir's kiss was a lot softer than Nino had expected from such a bold personality. It was like that of a child on his mother's cheek. Or a princess who had just been awoken by a kiss and was slowly taking it all in. It was hesitant but excited.

Nino noticed Chat had soon gained assurance. Chat's hand moved from the brim of Nino's hat down to the nape of his neck, moving his lips only to find a better grip. Their lips locked in such a way Nino could almost be sure they were meant to be there-

"Time."

Nino and Chat pulled apart as the volunteer announced their 5 seconds were over. Chat stared down at nothing in particular and said nothing. Nino got up and barely stumbled, feeling a little dazed. He bit down a smile; he knew he had to line up again. As soon as he shook his dreaminess, he started to make his way to the back of the line.

Chat's hand caught his arm. Nino looked back at Chat Noir, who was leaning halfway out of his booth, almost desperately holding onto Nino's wrist. "Don't go back in line," he said, face urgent, "Wait here. My break is coming up and I wanna talk to you."

Nino's face dropped. He swallowed hard as he took a step to stand beside the volunteer. What did he expect? He knew this was a bad idea, he knew he shouldn't have done this. Nothing ever goes wrong when you mind your own business. Nothing would've gone wrong if he'd just stayed home and messed with some mixes on his computer.

His heartbeat hardly had the chance to calm down from the adrenaline before it was attacked again by anxiety and embarrassment. The steady rhythm in his lips had dropped to his stomach. His heart which had been jumping for joy jumped too high and got stuck in his throat. He swallowed again but to no avail. There was still a lump in his throat, and he felt more parched than ever.

"Alright," Chat Noir stood up from his booth and nodded at Nino, his face unreadable.

Nino followed Chat to an isolated spot. Why did they need privacy? Was he mad? Was he gonna yell at him? Why would he do that? Had he detected a little too much pleasure from Nino and now he was gonna turn him down gently?

Chat Noir laughed. "What's the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Nino shot him a confused look. Was he making light of the matter out of pity? Chat grabbed Nino's arm and brought him to his front.

"No, it's just…" Nino paused to keep his emotions in check, "What are you doing?"

Chat smirked. "Getting more than 5 seconds."

"Wha-"

Chat Noir rested his hand on Nino's jaw and pressed his lips against his, this time with a lot more eagerness and flirtatiousness. He twisted and moved and pecked until he could feel the heat from Nino's face. He smiled into his last kiss before pulling back just enough to talk but still feel Nino's shaky breathes.

"Since we're not at the booth, do you mind if I break another rule?" Chat Noir's eyes flickered between Nino's eyes and his lips.

Nino stared. "Which one?"

"The 'no tongue' rule."

"Oh!" Nino's nostrils flared and his eyes bulged, "I…" Chat gave him another peck, "I don't… mind?"

Chat frowned. "If you aren't sure…"

"No no! I mean...it's fine."

Chat chuckled. "Alright, but tell me if you get uncomfortable," he leaned back in.

Nino found himself gripping Chat's shoulders as his mouth was pushed open. He could feel the vibrations of Chat's laugh in his mouth and underneath his hands. He knew Chat was laughing at his awkwardness, but he couldn't find it in him to get upset about it. Especially not when Chat's tongue was exploring his mouth in a dance with his own tongue.

Although with Nino's strange mind and wild imagination, he couldn't help but compare it not to a dance but to a giraffe fight. Just thinking about the neck-and-neck giraffe battles made him wanna snort, but instead he threw his head back and gasped for air because oh my god he was not doing this during the best moment of his life.

Chat moved his hands from Nino's hip and jaw and wrapped his arms around his waist. He rubbed his hand up and down Nino's back while Nino raised a hand to run his fingers through Chat's hair.

They separated and Nino looked Chat Noir in the eye. "How long have we been here?"

Chat tilted his head, his voice breathy. "Why?"

Nino laughed, but it sounded more like a wheeze. "Because," he dropped his hands to his sides and reached into his pocket, bringing out a couple more euros, "I don't think I brought enough for this."

Chat pursed his lips guiltily and smiled. "I've put you in debt," he winked.

"Alya's gonna kill me… here," Nino placed the folded bills in front of Chat for him to take, "I at least owe this much."

Chat smiled playfully and pushed Nino's hand down. "Don't worry about it. I'll pay for it," he lifted a finger up to Nino's protesting mouth, "Believe me, the pleasure was all mine."

Chat Noir turned to walk back to the busy fair, he still had about 25 minutes to eat so he'd have plenty of time to just relax and explore.

"Chat Noir!" Nino stared down at the bills in his hand, then glanced up at the amusedly curious Chat, "Why me?" Nino lowered his hand.

"Huh?" Chat took a step closer.

"Of all the people to pull aside from that line of strangers, what made you choose me? You hardly know me."

Chat Noir paused for a moment. He frowned at his hand, then glanced in the direction that Ladybug's booth would've been if he were to walk out a bit further. He sighed and looked back up at Nino with a gentle smile.

"You wanna know my secret?" Chat strode back over to Nino.

"What do you-"

"Plagg, detransform me."

"Detransf- wait, oh god, no!" Nino squinted at the green light, blinking a few times to clear the stars from his eyes.

As his focus returned, he got a good look at the boy in front of him. Nino's jaw dropped; he looked terrified.

"Nino… are you okay?"

"...Adrien…"

"Heh, hi."

Nino drew back as though that had been the final confirmation. Then he burst out in laughter.

He slowed to a bubbly giggle. "Dude… oh my god."

Adrien looked torn between laughing along side him and feeling offended. "What? What's so funny?" His face was like that of a kicked puppy, but he quickly switched to awestruck as soon as Nino looked back over to him.

Nino had his hand over the most vivid grin Adrien had ever seen him wear. His eyes were bright and slightly watered from laughter.

Adrien didn't understand what had come over him, but he sure didn't regret seeing Nino like this. Nino stopped with a deep breath and threw his arms around Adrien.

"I love you so much, Adrien," Nino whispered, leaning back to take Adrien's face, and planted a firm kiss on his blushing lips. Adrien hummed in approval, twisting his arms around the nape of his neck and allowing his hand to venture underneath Nino's hat.

Adrien scratched at the back of Nino's head, sending a shiver down his spine. Adrien huffed a laugh and nibbled down on Nino's lip.

Nino admitted defeat. This was Alya's greatest idea yet.