Aye-yo! How is everyone? Good? I hope so. Here is Chapter 12, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR nor ML.


Chapter 12: Musings


Nino was still a little upset that Marinette hadn't said anything. But he could understand the reason. He would do the same. The mafia is a very dangerous world. That's why he was standing here by her side. Marinette was too sweet of a girl. She didn't deserve to be broken by the world. As the week progressed. Everyone saw changes. Nino stuck closer to Marinette than ever. Not ever leaving her side for one moment.

"The Underground world knows she's a soon-to-be boss. People will come and try to hurt her. Not everyone is friends with Vongola."

Reborn or Renatus, whichever he was, told him that she might be endangered. The thought of something happening to her made him feel sick. She was too good to be targeted by people like this. His mind was constantly plagued with thoughts and images of her being assassinated or murdered in front of him. To prevent anything from happening, he became what Kim dubbed him as "The Older Brother" or "Papa Nino". He couldn't help it! They wouldn't understand.

If anyone approached Marinette that he didn't know or knew well enough. He would "lowkey" scare them away. If she was going home, he'd offer to go with her. Some days he would sit next to her and watch the windows carefully. Never knowing who could be hiding on rooftops. He was her constant lunch mate, along with Alya and Adrien. Whom gave him strange looks the entire time. Even when Alya suggested they go out to eat, he would make sure that Marinette sat away from the windows. Even if that ruined Alya's schemes. Which he did receive punishment for…Something about interfering with Project Adrienette. But the point being, he was always by her side. Always Paranoid about her safety when she herself didn't seem to care.

Walking to class? With her

Trying to catch Inspiration in the park? With her

Running away from an Akuma? With-

Well,…that was the thing, she always seemed to be absent during one. Anywhere else, he had an eagle eye on her. She didn't make a move he had no clue about. It was during attacks that she disappeared. It drove him crazy trying to find her without getting in the superheroes way. He would, while every civilian was hiding, run about and look for her. This kept drawing attention to himself. The duo had to save him a couple of times because of that. He even tried asking people, but of course the villain always somehow saw him and he would accidentally get the civilians in danger. A feat he was sure he was disliked for. As if becoming The Bubbler was bad enough. It came to a point where Ladybug and Chat had to-personally-pull him aside to tell him to go hide and that Marinette was safe.

"I'm telling you! She could be in more trouble than we know!" Nino had begged. Flashing images of the fire Marinette produced on that one fateful day. Along with the deafening screams.

"She is fine! I checked on her myself." Ladybug tried to reassure him.

"Well then! Where is she?!" He had yelled in frustration. Something he wasn't really proud of. The supers were putting their lives on the line for their city. He probably sounded like a brat to them. Not that he cared at that moment.

"Calm down N- Kid! Like Ladybug says she's fine. Trust us!" Chat smiled at him.

They don't understand! What if someone's using this time to hurt her! She's alone! I'm supposed to be a guardian! I can't even do my job correctly if she keeps leaving during times like this!

Of course, Marinette would always show up with some half-ass excuse for where she was. Like that she was hiding at home. Even though that was the first place he checked. Or that she was hidden under a car. Even though the akuma was throwing cars like crazy. Or that she hid inside a restaurant. Or something ridiculous like that. Of course, He would flip his shit in the process, all the time. It came to a point to where he vowed to make sure she never left his sight during those attacks. However, as of now, he was at school and everything was safe and good. Other than the fact that Marinette hadn't arrived yet. It made him anxious. But he tried to stay positive. Today was the day that he would give Marinette 'some' space. Because of certain…rumors had painted their closeness in a different light.

"Hey man, you ok?" His best friend asked.

"Yeah! I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that…you've been sticking an awfully close to Marinette lately." Adrien spoke in worry, but there was a hint of something else. What was it? Bitterness?

Nino sighed, "I'm just worried about her ya' know? I'm afraid if I take my eyes off her something will happen- Wait…where is she? It's been like 5 minutes. I would expect her to be here by now."

Adrien laughed before wrapping his arm around his shoulder. The model pointed and there was Marinette. Walking inside the school with Alya. He was about to rush over to her. Glad she was alive but worried. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down. She's fine, see." the girl seemed content just laughing with Alya. "Nothing to be worried about."

He'd sadly let it slide, "Yeah…I guess so, but ya' know-"

"Adrikins!" Nino groaned at the sound of the irritating voice.

Chloé rushed over and glopped Adrien. She attacked him [tried to] with kisses. Alya and Marinette drew closer. Nino saw Chloé glare at Marinette and warning bells went off in his head. The blonde opened her mouth to make a snide remark but stopped.

Nino was glaring daggers at her. The temperature around them had dropped a little and he felt something rise in his throat. Something he would never expect. A growl. Nino Lahiffe growled! He Growled! At Chloé! The mayor's daughter. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea, but right now he did not care. The girl was about to about to open her mouth and say something insulting, no doubt. So a growl was completely necessary. The brat flinched before pulling away from Adrien.

"Well…I have better things to do...Sabrina! My Homework!" and with that, the self-appointed queen bee left with her lackey in tow.

His model friend looked his way and laughed, "What was that?"

Feigning mock ignorance, he answered with a question. "What was what?"

"Did you just...growl, a minute ago?" Adrien playfully questioned.

"I….I think I did…" the guardian spoke in mock horror as a smile crept on his face.

It was probably going to get him in trouble later, but he felt a significant feeling of empowerment by growling at Chloé. It was strange. But it was for the greater good. That girl was always doing something to get under people's skin. He'd think that it was time for someone to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Dude! What are you? A dog or something?" The model laughed.

"I might just be!" Nino laughed and imitated a dog's bark. "Besides, dogs are cool anyway. Tough and strong. Eternally cute."

"And dirty, stinky and annoying." the boy added.

Nino rose an eyebrow at his friend's obvious distaste. "Do you not like dogs?"

He shrugged. "I'm just…more of a cat person."

"Cats are lame! They just sit around and sleep." Nino grinned at Adrien's pout.

"You have officially been demoted from Best Friend to Friend." Adrien deadpanned causing Nino to howl in laughter.

"Oh! Woe is me!" The music lover draped his hand on his forehead while pretending to faint. His other hand, clutching his shirt over his heart. All dramatic like.

Adrien chuckled at his friend's silliness, causing Nino to grin. He remembered when Adrien first came to school. He fooled a whole lot with his fake smiles. It made him looked awfully lonely when Nino saw through them. A boy, used by his father to gain publicity, it is an awful thing. A boy who only had one friend and she was awful. The DJ was always glad to make him smile. He felt it was his duty to make the model have better memories. Washing the boy's problems away was what he did daily and he enjoyed every minute of it.

Speaking of duty…Nino glanced at Marinette. She stood by her locker with Alya. They were chatting non-stop. It would be rude to interrupt. No matter how worried he got. He still tried to give her some space. The not paranoid side of Nino felt that he was suffocating her sometimes, although he couldn't really help it. Someone might be after her. When your friend is in danger, you tend to stick close as possible to protect them. Well, if you care a lot about them that is.

"Are you sure you don't still have a crush on Marinette?" Adrien suddenly asked. He sounded pained for some odd reason.

"No. I'm crushing on…you know...I thought you knew that man." some rumors were going around about Nino and the designer being an item, it was another reason he was trying to give her space. He didn't want Alya getting the wrong idea.

"Are you sure? I mean…matching rings? Always sticking together?" He pointed out. Well, when he says it like that…it does look that way.

"These are….friendship rings. They symbolize our bond and the need to protect each other." He explained cryptically.

"How come we don't have friendship rings?" Adrien laughed lightly. It sounded pained.

"Well, you always have that ring on you. Where did you get that anyway?" Nino gestured to the silver ring on Adrien's finger.

Adrien snapped his hand over the ring and smiled sheepishly. "It was a present!...from my….my mother."

Knowing that his mother was a sour subject, Nino decided to change the direction of the conversation. "Oh….Well! Look at the time! It's almost time for class!"


Marinette was thankful that Nino was giving her some space. He had been clinging to her like a lost puppy. More like a guard dog. She understood that he was worried, but she needed space just as much as the next person. The soon-to-be boss gazed down at her ring. It glimmered in the light. It was oddly perfect. Not to big, not too small. Just right. She wondered how the real rings would look. Would they be this pretty? Shiny as if they were new? Or dull from years of wear and tear?

"We'll start gathering your guardians."

Guardians. Who would they be? She hoped that Nino would be the only guardian she personally knew. He was a great friend. A great big brother type of figure, but the idea of him throwing himself in front of her in a battle or to protect her from some assassin seemed…too much. He had a life to live. He shouldn't live it protecting her. She was the one with the power to protect him. Being the hero Ladybug after all.

She found herself toying with the ring on many occasions. It distracted her but made her think about this Mafia business. Marinette sat in her usual seat. Waiting for the teacher to come in. Thankfully she was on time today. That was a rarity in itself. Marinette was too focused on her thoughts and the ring to notice Chloé stomp up to her desk.

"Damnit Marinette! When I'm talking, you listen to me!" Marinette just looked up with a surprised expression. Had the girl been talking? Chloé's snarl twisted into a devious smirk at her expression. "Ooh? What is this!?"

The spoiled girl grabbed her hand and looked at the ring. Marinette instantly clenched her fist. She was entrusted with this ring. Reborn would give her hell if it was taken from her by some spoiled brat. "Chloé..." she spoke through gritted teeth.

"What is this? A person as low as you shouldn't have something as expensive as this. Give it to me. It doesn't belong in your grubby hands." Everyone was staring. Nino wasn't there yet. He must be with Adrien.

"Chloé! Leave her Alone! It's hers!" Alya stood up and glared at the brat.

"Hers? With her family's budget? Ha! That's a good one."

"It's mine! So leave me alone." The secret heroine ripped her hand out of Chloé's grasp. Her hand had cuts from the blonde's nails. Marinette protectively placed her other hand over the ring. The designer glared her down.

The spoiled brat huffed and flipped her hair. "It's Vongola style. With your family's financial status, I can't imagine how you paid for it." she mocked gasped and placed a manicured hand over her mouth. "Could it be…you stole it? I guess I wouldn't put it passed you. Living in a dinky bakery for so long, I'm not surprised. What were you going to do? Sell it? Honestly, if your disgusting little family needed money that badly, you should've come begged to me. I would've graciously helped, for a price of course." the girl flipped her hair and smirked.

The young designer felt anger rise up in her. She stood up and slammed her hands on the desk. Glaring into Chloé's eyes, she spoke in a cold tone. "You can insult me all you want. But never…EVER insult my Family! I don't care who you think you are!" the girl growled.

Chloé flinched a little at the tone but came back with another smirk. "You should care who I am, little Marinette. I'm the mayor's daughter. M-A-Y-O-R. That means I outweigh you in importance. You're just a baker's daughter. Nothing more."

Marinette huffed in annoyance. She brushed the comment to the side. She knew her worth. Money did not make someone's worth. She was about to lay this life lesson down on her when a voice did so before her. "That doesn't mean much, Chloé!" A familiar pink haired classmate stood up. Alix. "You depend on your father's image and position to get things you want. You haven't done a single thing using your own power. 'Cause you've got none!"

"Yeah!" Kim stood up as well. "You're just a spoiled girl, who whines and picks on other people you deem 'lower than you'. It makes me sad to think I liked you." that last part was muttered.

"At...uh...At least Marinette has a heart, unlike you." Nathanael shakenly stood. Not liking the attention he got, but still wanted to say something in defense for his classmate(And crush…but that doesn't matter right now).

"Yeah. She didn't lock me in a bathroom stall because she couldn't get to stand by Adrien." Juleka stood up as well, speaking softly and monotone, but still getting her point across.

"She doesn't bully others for no reason." Rose stood next to Juleka.

Alya glared at the blonde. "She's more important than you will ever be."

Chloé took a step back. Surprised by all the glares her classmates gave her. Not wanting to look weak, she flipped her hair and glared at Marinette. "You did this. You little-" she huffed and glared at the rest of the class "My father will hear of this…Of all of this! So, don't think this is over!" She swiftly turned around and snapped for Sabrina. Sabrina gave an apologetic look to Marinette but didn't say a thing. Together they strutted out of the classroom, just as Nino and Adrien came walking in.

Nino glared at the blonde girl before looking at Marinette and seeing all the people standing. Marinette's heart fluttered. All her friends. All their kind words...It warmed her heart. She felt extremely loved. It brought joy to her heart. Her eyes teared up. Oh, how happy she felt.

Alya mistook the tears as tears of sadness and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Don't take her words to heart, Marinette. We all care a lot about you. Don't forget that." The girl smiled at her best friend. She always knew what to say and how to say it. Always shining brightly for her. Nino and Adrien walked up to their seats but didn't sit.

Looking up at Alya and Marinette, Adrien spoke, confused by the whole situation. "What happened?"

"Chloé." Alya seethed. The other's nodded in agreement.

Adrien gave Marinette an understanding look. While Nino, on the other hand, seemed to be studying her. His eyebrows furrowed. Without uttering a single word, the Dj walked up to her and grabbed her hand. Alya hitched her breath and Adrien stilled for a moment.

"Did she do this to you, Mari?" he asked, his voice cold and serious.

Marinette could only dumbly nodded, while everyone stared. "B-But it's nothing! Just some scratches."

"Scratches?! That's still serious. She could've done something." He gripped her hand. Does he…Does he think that she was trying to discreetly murder me or something?

"I'm fine Nino." she gently stressed.

The Dj paused before sighing. "At least, let me take you to the Nurse to see." Seeing no way out of it, she nodded her head. Together the duo left. Marinette could feel the holes being burned into the back of her head by all the stares. She just kept her head down and followed. They walked in the halls down to the nurses. Silence and tension looming in the air. So thick it could be cut by a knife. Or a bullet.

Deciding now to try and break the ice, Marinette stopped walking. "Nino…I'm alright, really."

Nino stopped and looked at her. She returned his gaze and tried to convey that she was alright. After a moment of silence, the guardian sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry…I'm just….upset with myself. What kind of guardian-no friend would I be if I let you get hurt like that? I should've been there. I-"

Marinette placed her hand on his arm, stopping him from talking. She smiled warmly. "It's ok, Nino. I understand you're worried. But please…trust me. I can take care of myself. And besides, as mean and cruel as Chloé is, she would never try to kill me. She's a brat, not a killer."

"I guess…I was just worried. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. Not cool of me."

The heroine laughed lightly before tugging on his sleeve. "We should head back, the teacher is probably there already."

The DJ nodded and smiled. Maybe this is what the Sky does? Calm her guardians-no friends down? He may be the rain that washes my problems away, but I'll be there when he needs it too.


Adrien had frozen when Nino grabbed Marinette's hand. There was a brief feeling of a knife that stabbing his chest when they walked away. Hands linked. Chloé had hurt Marinette again. This time not just with words but physically. Adrien was used to them quarreling. Except Marinette always had a comeback. Always won. But she had gotten hurt. Mentally and physically.

He had seen the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. He knew she was hurt, but he wasn't quick to act. Outdone by his best friend, he didn't realize how envious he was of Nino. To be able to talk freely with Marinette, without her stuttering or looking like she was sick. She probably hates me still. It was the ONLY logical reason why she acted that way around him

But not Chat Noir.

An idea popped in his head. If Adrien, couldn't talk to Marinette, then Chat could. She was a lot more comfortable around Chat. A little starstruck because she was his fan, but was able to speak. Under a guise of following up with civilians that he's helped, he planned to aid one of his first friends. He inwardly smirked. His plan set.


A lot shorter than normal, but I can make up for it in the future.

Ciao-su~

Edited: 3-26-18