Hey everyone! This is a long one, because I suddenly seem to have a lot of time on my hands… This one is from Nino's perspective, because it made sense to explain his thought process, and also he and Alya had become my favourite characters, so I couldn't resist writing at least one chapter (there'll probably be more) in his perspective.
And for Dragon Lord Draco and Speckleflower, someone will be akumatised… eventually. It might not be who you think though.
In response to araiaknyte's review on chapter 7, I think my physics metaphor was betaful (thanks for that one, Speckle), and no one can tell me any different- also you have no idea how much fun I had writing mad Nino! He is the best.
To Guest: I'm glad you're addicted, it's my aim to please.
Thank you to everyone else who reviewed! They always make me smile when I see them (ask Speckle, she'll tell you) and I tend to act upon any suggestions that I get, even if I don't necessarily mention it again (bad anonymous)!
Now remember, Nino knows all… Nino sees all.
—
The word 'angry' couldn't begin to describe how he felt. Sure, earlier he'd made Alya laugh- she looked like she really needed that laugh- but that didn't mean he was going to take being left in the dark. He'd been watched Alya, Marinette and Adrien dance around each other all week, which, to be fair, was pretty normal for Marinette, but Alya and Adrien? They'd been so close this last year, that Nino was almost worried that his best friend status was in danger.
He was used to not knowing everything. There'd always been secrets between the group, most of which he'd managed to unearth, either accidentally or with a little digging. The digging was only necessary for Alya, who was by far the most tight-lipped when it came to hiding things. Marinette and Adrien were a bit more… careless.
Adrien's mistake had come first, and it had resulted in Nino knowing exactly why you could never find him during akuma attacks.
One year earlier…
"Adrien?" Nino called, "Where are you, dude?" The classroom he'd seen Adrien dart into was completely empty, the space cold from the open window. Nino pulled his jacket closer to his body, shuffling over to the window to close it. "Who opened this window?" He muttered, "It's December, why-"
Nino's words were silenced as a black figure came racing towards him, heading straight for the open window. Nino stepped to the side, blinking as Chat Noir jumped into the room, not noticing him standing there. "Plagg, claws in." He said quietly, leaning out the doorway into the corridor as a green light washed over him. "I'm dying!" Someone moaned, earning a groan from Chat Noir, "Give me cheese!" Nino slid down the wall, eyes wide as he recognised the answering chuckle, Chat Noir handing his kwami something.
"This is why you're the best holder, Adrien." A tiny, black cat floated into view, and Nino realised that the voice he heard was most likely Adrien's kwami. "Didn't you say I was, and I quote, 'lazy and stupid' this morning?" Adrien asked with a smirk. How he had not seen Nino yet was a mystery. He wasn't making any effort to conceal himself; Nino was frozen to the floor, staring at his friend as the scene unfolded.
"Kid, you were lounging on a roof to 'soak in the sunlight'," the kwami shot back, smirking, "I know that you've gained some cat-like tendencies, but you're not coldblooded!" Adrien mumbled something in response that Nino couldn't hear, the pair disappearing through the doorway as the kwami cackled.
"Adrien is-" Nino couldn't quite form the right words to express what he had just seen. He wasn't all that shocked, but he also wasn't too sure how he'd missed it before. Knowing the Adrien wasn't where he was supposed to be had freaked him out enough, but now he was Chat Noir? That meant he was guaranteed to be in danger. And what was he supposed to tell him? Hey, dude, I just found out you're Chat Noir, and you're not allowed to help Ladybug anymore because I'm too afraid you're not going to come back?
No, Nino was pretty sure that wasn't the best decision.
It had taken a couple of weeks for Nino to choose what to do next, but he'd known whatever he did, he would do it for Adrien. He was his best friend- he was Adrien's first friend, and Nino strived to be everything Adrien had never had in his early childhood. Nino didn't say anything to Adrien to hint he knew his identity, but whenever there was an akuma, he make little complaint in response to Adrien's excuses for leaving.
He had got not the habit of leaving windows slightly ajar, turning his back to the secluded alleyways he started to notice now that he was Carapace more often, especially when he knew that Adrien would need somewhere to retransform nearby. He actively distracted Marinette and Alya from those areas, keeping them away while trying not to make them suspicious that he was covering for Adrien.
After that, Nino's brain was always subconsciously looking for signs of the other superheroes' identities. He tried really hard not to think about it, but sometimes he just couldn't stop himself. It was just a month later, when he found out about Marinette.
Marinette's bag had moved. Nino had seen it. There was no way he'd imagined it. He'd always suspected something was going on with that purse; Marinette never went anywhere without it, and she refused to let anyone else touch it. What was in there- some little creature? A pet? Whatever it was, it seemed as untouchable and precious to her as- Nino stopped, finishing the thought in a hoarse whisper.
"Earrings."
Little circular, black studs, that- upon closer inspection- were really a deep, dark red.
Ladybug red.
This reveal was a lot less dramatic, and yet, it seemed to have winded him. Maybe it was because sweet, caring Marinette was actually selfless and confident Ladybug, but Nino wasn't really that surprised when he thought about Adrien's identity. No, it was more that Marinette- who he hung out with much more than Adrien- had managed to keep this from him for so long. Adrien had been raised to appear a certain way, a mask he usually broke away from when they were together, but Marinette couldn't lie. She never lied. She had some wild excuses, but Nino always figured they ere out of embarrassment rather than secrecy.
Appearances mean nothing.
Nino chided himself silently, remembering how often he told Adrien off for hiding his feelings. He repeated over and over; don't stop looking, keep them safe. It was probably how he'd now successfully found out the identities of both of Paris' first superheroes, but Nino wasn't sorry. He knew that sometimes his friends just wanted to mind their own business, but he noticed regularly that they were the last of his class not to be akumatised- he saw that even before he knew that they were Ladybug and Chat Noir. He knew Marinette and Adrien were part of a dwindling population of Parisians, and he intended for them to remain there. He would be as nosy as he needed to be, as long as it meant that he could help them past their problems, and make sure Hawkmoth's godawful butterflies stayed out.
Although he'd forgiven himself long ago, Nino resented the part of him that had been akumatised. It disgusted him to know that he'd been attacking two people that he could now easily call his family. But really, what were the chances that he knew both Ladybug and Chat Noir? Who thought that putting them so close together, while not allowing them to know each others' identities, was a good idea? Master Fu must have being going mad when he chose them.
Nino had worked much harder after that. He made more of an effort to separate them, and, much to her dismay and confusion, even worked against some of Alya's plans to get them together. He wished he could tell her, just so he would never have to see the hurt it caused. He knew it was damaging their relationship, but he couldn't just tell her!
He was sure Alya thought otherwise, but Nino had known she was Rena Rouge long before Ladybug revealed their identities to each other. He'd known since the first time he transformed to become Carapace- he'd been desperate that day, focussing on saving Alya, not keeping his mannerisms in check. Then again, neither had she.
"Thanks for saving me." Alya said quietly, still looking slightly dazed, "Have you got a name?"
"Carapace," he answered in a whisper, although it was more of a sigh of relief, "And I couldn't just sit back and watch that happen- I'm so glad Ladybug gave me this opportunity to-" He cut himself off before he made it personal.
To save you, Alya.
"I'm glad too." Alya responded, hardly taking notice of his stutter, before adding under her breath "This certainly tops my entrance." Carapace's heart faltered; her entrance? What was she talking about? Alya smirked to herself, resting her hand against her chest as she was lost in thought. Carapace was pulled into a sudden memory:
Nino watched the footage of the new fox hero over Alya's shoulder. She'd been gushing about her for a whole hour, and Nino was almost certain that she was crushing on Rena Rouge at this point.
The hero stood beside Ladybug and Chat Noir, grinning with mischief and glee. It was familiar, the way she held herself straight and proud, presented herself with confidence, like the audience didn't even faze her. He was awed by her presence, drawn in by the way she used her powers flawlessly, even though she'd never use them before.
Wow, he really sounded obsessed at this point, didn't he?
Nino felt a little guilty for his thoughts, while he stood next to his girlfriend, but he could probably say the same for her. "Rena Rouge seems pretty cool, Alya." Alya glanced up at him in surprise, as if she'd just received an unexpected compliment, and nodded in agreement. Rena Rouge lifted her hand to clasp the miraculous neckless, closing her eyes with a smile. Alya sighed, switching off the news broadcast.
Carapace watched as Alya mirrored Rena Rouge's actions perfectly, seeming not to notice what she was doing. His miraculous beeped a warning, causing him to look at his wrist in surprise. "Will you be okay? I have to go." Carapace asked hesitantly. Alya snapped out of her trance, dropping her hand. Alya's eyes lit up playfully, and Carapace felt a sudden jerk of jealousy as she fell into a stance that she usually kept for just his civilian self.
She took a step towards him, smiling slyly, "You seem very concerned." Carapace swallowed as she drew closer to his ear, "You almost remind me of my boyfriend." The words rolled off her tongue with a knowing lilt, and she squeezed his hand gently in hers. When she stood back again, she grinned at him as he fumbled for words before settling for silence. "I think I should get a mask like yours," Alya added thoughtfully, a hand on her hip, "I think I'd look good."
His miraculous rang out with a sharp beep again, but Carapace was stuck to the ground, unable to move. When Alya looked at him like that, he didn't see Alya, he saw her. Rena Rouge. It was so clear to him at that moment, that he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed when she'd first appeared…
He tilted his head to the side, trying to school his features into something that's seemed like confusion. She snorted smugly, walking away with a wave, muttering something that sounded a lot like "My man's blind."
Nino wasn't blind. He just knew the despite all the hints, Alya would regret not keeping her identity secret, even from him. Alya took secrets very seriously, and unless Ladybug had told him something different, no one was supposed to know who they were. Even other heroes.
So Nino had played dumb, choosing to deal with the consequences later. And then he did the same for Adrien and Marinette. They didn't need to know that he knew, and Alya certainly didn't need to know that he'd followed her around during akuma attacks for weeks, just to make sure his assumptions were true.
When he'd said 'digging', he really meant stalking and trying to avoid Alya's wrath if she ever caught him- she could get rather scary when she was mad.
When Marinette had come back to the classroom earlier, she practically collapsed in her chair. Nino was helpless to do anything in the silence of the room, especially under the watchful eyes of his teacher and classmates. It always got like this when either Adrien or Marinette were upset; like the world was ending. In an effort to keep akumas away, Marinette was always looking at things positively, and Adrien was just happy to be in school at all, so when they were sad the atmosphere seemed… thick.
Heavy.
It was so wrong to see either of them hurting, that it dragged everyone else down too. So Nino wasn't just angry. What he felt was fiery- no, icy rage. He hated that he didn't know what was happening, and he hated that he couldn't do anything about it. When the bell rang for the end of the lesson, Marinette didn't move. She sat there, staring at the desk like she couldn't see anything happening around her. Nino stood in front of her, brow creased in worry until Miss Bustier coughed, causing Marinette to jump out of her haze and start putting her things away in her bag. She didn't say a word to him, as she left the room, looking straight ahead.
Nino growled in frustration, Miss Bustier flinching a little. "You should go talk to Alya and Adrien," she suggested gently, a strained smile on her lips. Nino grunted in agreement, unable to find words until he rounded the corner and saw the two sitting on the floor.
Laughing. They were laughing.
Nino's heart beat too fast, eyes focused on his friends as he stormed towards them. "Hey, Nino, what-" Nino slammed his hand into the wall above his head, seeing Adrien wince at the loud noise. The contact had made his hand sting, rubbing against the rough brick, but Nino didn't care.
"What. The hell. Is happening?"
—
I'd once again like to ask about Soulmates AUs! I'd like to write one, and I have a couple of ideas that will be scrupulously (such a good word, my gratitude goes to my amazing English teacher) planned out, but I was wondering if anyone would actually read one if I wrote it. So, if you're going to leave a review, feel free to add your thoughts!
Also go read Whoever You Think I Am, I Am Not, And Never Will Be which Speckleflower and I are currently writing! It posted on her account, and it's going really well so you should all go and check it out… link below.
s/13504944/1/Whoever-You-Think-I-Am-I-Am-Not-And-Never-Will-Be
