Time for my fourth story, guys. :D I've gotten some really mixed reviews on my story, but some of you have been really supportive of my other stories and your reviews really warm my heart. So enjoy this continuation of Sassy Beats. Technically you don't have to read the first one to understand this one, but they take place in the same universe, so it's your choice.


Nino's POV:

The constant pressure to keep whatever what Chloe and I were doing a secret is starting to drive me insane.

Cheating. I suppose that's the word for it, at least on my end. I'm cheating on Alya. The thought makes me sick to my stomach. It'd been going on for over a month now. To be honest, I'm surprised no one has caught us. Then again, Chloe has always been very good at disguising things from people.

It's crazy, the side of her that I get to see when no one else is watching. The only word I can think of to describe it is dizzying. When she genuinely laughs or even giggles, my heart soars to the heavens. There are times when her gorgeous blue eyes make me feel like I'm flying right alongside my heart. Sometimes one look from her causes me to melt. Her hands, her tiny hands, fit perfectly in mine for me to hold in our secret meetings. There's a fire in her, a fire that is fueled by something other than the malice I thought it once was, a fire I am only discovering now that I've embraced the feelings I felt for the Chloe I only glimpsed in shattered fragments before this point. She tastes sweet and her voice is like an anchor. Alya has taken me to new heights, heights I thought I might never reach, but too often it feels like I'm just being dragged along for the ride. If she had a choice, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd rather be kissing Ladybug than me.

Chloe though? Chloe pushes me beyond my limits. There's a passion with her, a feirceness that I never knew could exist in someone. Instead of merely dragging me along, she pushes me to be better than I was before. There is a confidence she lends to me that I have never felt with Alya. Though there was a spark with Alya and me, Chloe blows it out of the park. Just her holding my hand proves that. Compared to what I feel with Alya, Chloe is like a raging inferno who has captured my everything. She is safety and she is danger all in one. It's reckless and intense yet steady and calming. She is my anchor, but also the tide that guides me along. This blonde girl that I convinced myself I hated, who I was so sure I detested, has me completely enraptured. She always has, in a way. Despite the horrid things she's done, there would be times that I would see beyond the facade and catch a glimpse of the Chloe currently sitting beside me, and even back then my heart would skip a beat.

She could captivate a room if she wanted instead of shattering it in her first, something she doesn't seem to recognize.

It's crazy to me, that this enchanting girl can somehow not see that. That she can somehow miss how wonderful she is beyond the mask she chooses to hide behind. I've grown to understand why. We havven't talked about it, not since I tried to question her, but I've seen enough clues. Her mother, who left her behind like a toddler discards a toy. It destroyed her to watch her mother go, and she barred herself off. This bratty show she puts on, while an attempt to garner some attention from her here yet absent father, is also a way to shelter herself so she'll never be hurt again.

Oh, how I wish I could show her the Chloe I see. I wish I knew the way to completely restore her shattered, guarded heart that is so worried about what the world thinks and yet at the same time not caring if they all hate her. While my mind begs me to ask, I never have, but I think often about whether it's better to know you're hated or worry you aren't truly loved.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I look down at Chloe, smiling at how peaceful she looks. Currently, she's curled up beside me on a couch in her room, head leaning on my shoulder. She's asleep, but I don't dare disturb her. I don't mind juse sitting here and knowing that she's beside me.

"Just stay asleep, bee." I whisper the words, smiling wider. She pouted at the nickname the first time I used it, but it grew on her.

It's a fitting name, whether she acknowledges it or not. Bees are, at heart, kind creatures who merely don't want to be hurt. It is only when they believe they're in danger that they attack, much like Chloe. They make beautiful things and work hard, and they themselves are unmistakeable entrancing.

Plus, it's a bit more unconventional than a pet name like honey.

Breathing a happy sigh, I glance to my phone, noticing a new text from Alya. Frowning, I turn away to look back at Chloe, trying to ignore the guilty feeling in my chest. Despite this thing - whatever it may be - with Chloe, we have yet to let anyone in on it. It's just been our secret, kept from even our closest friends. Surprisingly, even Sabrina has yet to figure it out. Then again, Chloe has always been good with secrets. She has everyone, perhaps even herself, fooled. It's no surprise she can hide this, though I am surprised that I can.

Though this guilt eating me alive, I don't know how much longer I can handle it.

Because despite all this, Alya and I are a still couple. She has no idea that the spark I felt for her has dimmed significantly, though not out completely. She doesn't know that I spend more time with Chloe than her, that I've barely kissed her because it's felt so wrong. To be honest, I don't know how I even manage to look her in the eye and smile anymore. Every time I see her, all I can think about is what her reaction will be when she finds out. Will she be upset? No doubt she'll be furious that I have fallen for Chloe; she and Marinette hate the blonde with a burning passion, and I have been afraid to broach that subject with her to find out why she is so cruel to them in particular.

But will she be hurt that I was cheating at all? I'm sure it will be a blow to her pride. That's to be expected; much like Chloe, Alya is a very prideful girl, though she doesn't seem to realize it most of the time. However, will she be that hurt in the long run? I don't really know what drew Alya to me in the first place during our time inside that cage in the zoo that Ladybug pushes us into; after all, before that she said she only viewed me as a brother. Did us talking really change how she felt? Something tells me that can't be the full story, and with how distant I've been as of late, I wouldn't be surprised if any feelings she's felt have diminished completely.

She herself as definitely seemed a bit put out recently, but she's yet to interrogate me on anything. I think she doesn't want to admit the possibility, but with how clever and observant she is, there's no doubt the suspicion that I'm cheating on her has at least crossed her mind. Maybe she doesn't think I'm capable of it, or just doesn't want to believe it, but for whatever reason she has yet to come to grips with it. She acts fairly normal besides a bit of distance on her own part as well, which is why I can't figure out what she's thinking, what she's feeling. I don't know when she'll explode, and that scares me, because I'm sure I've been clumsy in hiding that something is going on when it comes to my feelings with her.

I love Alya, I really do, but not romantically. Despite that, I don't want to hurt her. I just want to be able to be with Chloe.

But she's still scared to let anyone see us together, which still hurts, though I understand a bit more now as to why. I put an arm around her, pulling her a bit closer as I lay my head on hers. This girl has turned my life upside down in the best and worst ways. Sooner or later, we're bound to be caught. Someone will find us out. What are we going to do then? Neither of us have been brave enough to have that conversation again, but I know that we have to soon. Otherwise, things will be much worse, because someone will find out. We can't be lucky forever, and it'd be better if they found out on our terms instead of on our own.

I can't bare the thought of Alya finding out by accident. What if it shattered her completely? I don't want her akumatized, not again. I care about her, and it hurts to do this to such a good friend, but I can't help it.

When it comes to Chloe, I just can't say no. Perhaps it would be better if I could, but I don't want to.

"Lahiffe," She grumbles, and I sit up, moving my arm so she can as well.

"Nice to see you awake, Sleeping Beauty." I grin at her, and she rolls her eyes, though I see that fickle ghost of a smile on her face. "Have a good nap?"

"Oh, quit your teasing, or I'll stop inviting you over." As she speaks, she stretches and cracks her neck before looking at me.

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. "You'd never. You'd miss me too much."

Slipping her jacket off, she scowls at me. "Just kiss me already, you idiot." I lean in, placing a kiss on her forehead, and this time I get to see a full version of that hard to catch smile on her face. "My idiot."

It's ironic. Despite her insistence that we pretend nothing has changed, though everything has, she is incredibly possessive. I know she hates seeing me with Alya, just like I hate seeing her pretend to pine for Adrien, but it's on her insistence. She apologizes for the flashes of jealousy I see her have to play off at school. That never fails to surprise me. Two months ago, if I'd been told I'd hear the words "I'm sorry" from Chloe Bourgeois, I would have laughed in that person's face.

Then again, I wouldn't have believed a lot of things that would be told to me about Chloe two months ago. Like the fact that she'd be asking me to kiss her.

"You sure we can't make it official yet?" I ask, burying my face in her hair and breathing in her scent. I probably shouldn't say anything, but I can't help it. I've been thinking about it too long and I have to diffuse some of my anxiety by at least briefly talking about it.

"Soon," She promises, pulling back so she can look at me, "but not yet. I just...I'm scared, you know? It terrifies me, not just for my sake, but for yours as well. What if they all hate you because of me?" My gaze softens, and I pull her into a hug. "I don't want that to happen to you. And don't you dare say you wouldn't care. We both know you would, and I...I don't want to be the cause of that. Are you okay with that? With waiting a bit longer?"

I nod, releasing her from my embrace. "I don't know how long I can keep this up with Alya though. It feels wrong. Even if we won't be official yet, I have to break up with her. I can't keep stringing her along like this."

"I respect that. You're a good person, Nino."

"You are too, Chlo, even if you pretend not to be."

She flushes, and I smile, pleased that I can make her blush like that. But she gets it under control within seconds, suddenly smirking. I raise my eyebrows in question at her, but she just keeps smirking, leaning in as she does. It doesn't take much effort to realize she's trying to kiss me.

Before she can actually manage it though, there's a knock at the door, and Chloe swears under her breath. "Who the heck is it now?" Standing up, she glances at the door for a moment before looking at me. "Well? What are you waiting for? Hide just in case, though it should be nothing. Probably just Jean letting me know my father won't back till late again."

Nodding, I hop over the back of the couch and slide under it. It's cramped and uncomfortable, but I'm not visible unless someone is actively trying to see someone under here, so it works.

"Adrie-kins?" Chloe's voice shifts upward into a squeak of shock, so much so that she almost slips up. "What are you doing here?"

"Delivering the physics notes you missed on Thursday? Did you forget I said I would drop them off this weekend?" Yep, that's definitely my bro. Dang, I wasn't expecting him to be here.

Chloe is obviously floundering, and I have to resist the urge to try and peak at her face. No doubt it's a bright red, or at least dusted with pink. "Forget? I never forget. Especially not about you, my oldest, best friend." I can imagine the eye bat she probably followed that comment with, and have to stifle a gag at thinking about her acting like that with Adrien.

"Rightttt..." It doesn't sound like he believes her at all, and I send up a silent prayer that he doesn't think too much about why she's acting like that. "Should we sit? I can walk you through the stuff before I leave. I have some time before my photoshoot today."

Mentally, I groan. Will I have to stay under here that whole time? I don't want to listen to Chloe fake flirt with them and stare at their ankles this whole time. Hopefully Chloe can think of a way to dismiss him without causing suspicion.

"Oh no, Adrikins, it's fine. I'm sure I can handle i-"

"Really? Normally you're practically throwing yourself at me in an attempt to get me to spend more time with you. Is something wrong? Are you sick?" I can imagine the eyebrow raise that accompanies his questions. "Should I go tell Jean to get some medicine? We both know you barely understand physics if you miss class. There's no way you'd reject my help."

She coats her voice in honey to try and smooth this hiccup out and distract Adrien. "Oh, I just was trying to be considerate, Adrikins. Remember? You want me to be nice, so I'm being nice to my one friend. Come sit with me on the couch."

She walks over, sitting down and - it sounds like - patting the spot on the couch beside her. Adrien wasks a bit slower while coming over, but he doesn't seem too suspicious. Let's hope it stays that way. Slowly he sits fairly close beside her, and it's hard not to scowl at his ankles. He's my best friend, and it's not his fault Chloe and him have had this dynamic for such a long time. As Chloe has said, it'd be weird if one day she suddenly just stopped, though she's been trying to slowly draw back on how ridiculous she acts around him in an attempt to overly flirt.

"Sooo, show me the notes." Chloe sounds impatient, slightly bouncing on the couch.

"Is Nino going to stay under the couch for the whole time? That can't be comfortable."

The question comes from out of nowhere. I stiffen, and Chole stops bouncing, no doubt staring at him like he's grown a second head.

"N-Nino?" My blonde sort-of girlfriend gives a nervous laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about. Ya! Ya, I have no idea. Why would Nino be here?"

"I mean I definitely saw him under the couch." Adrien begins to lean forward, no doubt to double check and prove his point, but Chloe loudly curses before he can. "Chloe, language!" My poor best friend sounds absolutely scandalized.

I snicker, barely escaping a kick to the face from the girl who is under fire as I begin to drag myself out from under here. "That obvious, huh?" I have to keep myself from groaning, instead wondering if it was obvious to everyone else.

He innocently grins as he looks back and forth between the two of us. "My two best friends are finally being friends! I'm so excited." But from the wink he gives me and the way he claps his hands together, something tells me he knows exactly what is going on.

Again Chloe curses, and I snicker alongside Adrien.


And there we have it! A sequel to Sassy Beats. Did you guys like it? I think this ship is sooooo cute. Way better than DJWifi, though I do like Alya a lot. Was it cute? If people like this, maybe I'll do another follow up like this one. There are just so many possibilities with these two. Was the story good? Please don't leave mean reviews. :c

I would appreciate a favorite or a nice review or something though! Don't feel pressured though. Just no hate! That's still the golden rule. :p

Have a great day. xoxo