English is not my native language

Nino had always been intimidated by not only Adriens father but the whole house- mansion the Agreste family was living in. Sure, it was pricey, modern, clean- but also very cold and creepy. Every step he took echoed alongside the sharp clicking of Nathalie Sancoeur's heels. He didn't even knew what her job description was, but he knew that she was the one he had to talk to if he wanted to see Adrien. Especially when his friend had been ill for a few days now. So with the half-lie of bringing him today's homework he had begged the stringent woman to let him inside the opulent house.

Nathalie knocked twice before entering Adriens room. »Adrien, do you feel good enough to having a visitor? M. Lahiffe is here, bringing school assignments.«

Nino could hear a cough, but then a weak voice said: »Yes, send him in please.« When he entered the enormous room he couldn't help himself but take a look at all the cool stuff his friend had on display, but his gaze was soon drawn to Adriens bed, where his friend scrambled into a sitting position. His face looked heated, sweaty, and the bed sheets were rustled and damp.

»Dude, you're not looking good.« Nino was concerned for his friend. »Are you sure you want homework to do?«

»Hey Nino. Thanks for stopping by.« A cough interrupted him. »At the very least I have to take a look at it.«

»You should really rest and get better first.«

Adrien nodded weakly and sunk back into the cushions.

»You don't mind me staying at a safe distance, yes?«, Nino said, trying to smile. He gathered some papers from his bag and laid them carefully onto Adrien's desk. »It's some math and a bit chemistry, but mostly notes from our friends. I haven't told your… Nathalie that«, Nino whispered sympathetically. »Wasn't sure if she'd let me in if I only brought get-well wishes.«

Adrien offered a weak but genuine smile. »Thanks Nino. For being my friend.«

»No problem dude. Anything I can do for you?« Nino hadn't even finished the sentence when Adrien's phone sounded an alarm.

»Oh no«, he whispered, frantically searching for his phone. »Not today!«

»What is it?«, Nino asked.

»An Akuma alert!« Another coughing fit interrupted Adrien.

Nino saw the concern in Adriens expression.

»Maybe I can stay until it's over? Make sure nothing happens to you?«

But Adrien didn't pay any attention. He was staring at his phone, sweating, shivering and still coughing. »Nino«, he managed to say between coughs, »I trust you with my life.«

»Uh, thanks dude, I-«

»I need you to keep a secret.«

Confused about the sudden change of topic Nino stared at him. What could be so important right now? »Dude, you can tell me anything, and I promise I won't even tell Alya.«

Adrien nodded. »Especially not her, no matter how much you want to!«

»Okay?«, Nino said, pondering the possibility of Adrien having some kind of fever-episode. He watched as his friend slid his silver ring from his finger and then holding it out towards Nino.

»Nino Lahiffe«, Adrien wheezed, »Paris needs you today. Take this ring outside and put it on. Follow the instructions you're given and return it to me once I'm healthy again.«

It took Nino a few seconds to comprehend. Then he opened his mouth to ask a myriad of questions, but before even one sound could leave his lips, Adriens phone gave another alarm.

»'Major destruction'… Go!«, Adrien urged him, coughing again.

In auto mode Nino grabbed the ring from Adriens outstretched hand, nodded with grim countenance and hastily made his way out of the room.

Did this mean what he reckoned it meant? His thoughts toppled over one another, leaving no room for clarity. He hastily waved Mme. Sancoeur 'Good-Bye' and dashed into the nearest alley he could find. In the distance he could already hear the newest villain wrecking havoc with Paris's buildings. If he was right- if this was what he thought it was- He gulped audibly and slit the ring onto his right ring finger.

»What the actual fuuu-«, a black kwami suddenly materializing in mid-air bellowed, shutting up the moment he saw Nino. »Uh. Hi.«

Nino stared, his mind blank. No. Freaking. Way.

»Let me just…«, the kwami stuttered, then breathing deeply. »My name is Plagg, I'm the kwami of-«

»Yeah, uh, I kinda… know. Usually I'm Carapace. Ya' know… Wayzz?«

»Oooooooh. Wait. A-«, a blurp of green bubbles escaped the kwamis mouth, »… my former owner doesn't know that, right?«

»Uh, no. And I'd love to talk about all of that – because I have many, many questions – but Ladybug probably needs our help with that Akuma.« As if to support his argument the thundering destruction seemed to come closer, accompanied with the screams of several citizens.

»Right. Short version: Transformation with 'Claws out', 'Claws in', activating power with 'Cataclysm', five minute rule – you know the gist. Go, go, go!«

»Chat Noir, what took you so lo- who are you?« Ladybugs tone had changed drastically when she recognized her partner being not her partner. Anger and fury were directed at the new Chat Noir. »What did you to to him?!«

»Woah!« Nino used his baton to deflect an attack from the Akuma, protecting Ladybug from the impact. But the female super heroine made use of his action and enchained him with the string of her yoyo. »Look, he, uh… needed a stand-in. I promise he'll be back in a few days!«

»What does he venture himself to give his Miraculous to someone else?!«, she screamed, more than angry. Another attack was launched towards them, and Ladybug withdrew her yoyo, only to use it to bring herself and her new partner to safety. »Well, it seems I have no other choice. When this is done, we're going to have a talk, you and I. Chat is going to get his ass-kicking later!«

Nino counted himself lucky that by the end of the fight he had only one minute left before his de-transformation, and that Ladybug seemed satisfied with his scarce explanation of: »He couldn't make it even if he wanted to, and if you don't want to know his secret identity you probably wouldn't want to know mine.«

»You better tell him that I have a bone to pick with him. Never ever do I want him to make decisions of this gravity again without the consent of the guardian – that'd be me!«

And he was even luckier that no other Akuma appeared for the three more days Adrien needed to recover. Although he did had to go to great lengths to get Plagg his beloved Camembert.

That evening after Adriens first day back in school – Nino had all but tossed the ring towards his friend the second he saw him – both boys sat inside Adriens room in the Agreste mansion and tried to nervously navigate the stiff subject.

»So, uh, everything went well?«, Adrien asked cautiously.

»Dude!«, Nino shouted, but then tried to keep his voice down. »First and foremost: You are freaking Chat Noir?! Why have you never said a thing?! I mean, I know why – dude, she is so mad at you!«

Adrien groaned. »I'm sorry. Nino, I'm really, really sorry. I should've never dragged you into this.«

»Well, you couldn't fight, that is for sure. And even with Ladybug being more than capable herself… she needs you and your powers. By the way: sorry for commenting on your constant cheese sti-smell!«, he corrected with a glance towards Plagg who had just narrowed his eyes.

»Oh, no problem. It grows on you«, Adrien chuckled, absently playing with his Miraculous. »And I'm really sorry Plagg, that I didn't even asked you.«

The black kwami snorted. »It was a most unwelcome surprise. Not that I don't like you, dude«, he nodded at Nino, »but I do like you as my owner, kid. You and all the cheese your allowance allows for.« And with that Plagg floated over to his beloved Camembert-cabinet.

Adrien sighed. »I'll talk to him later. So… do you have questions?«

»Well, initially, yes. But I covered most of it with Plagg. We had a few days together after all. You being Chat Noir certainly explains your frequent absences in school. And I know no one can know, and that you don't even know Ladybugs identity and so on. And she doesn't know mine either, so your identity should be safe from her, too.« About the other things he talked with the tiny god of destruction he rather kept quiet. Him being Carapace and Alya being Rena Rouge was nothing Adrien should know if it wasn't an emergency. »But more importantly: How do I proceed from this? Do I help you get away when the next Akuma attacks? Am I going to be your alibi? Or should we go back to how it was before, pretending I don't know? Dude, I really want to help you in any way possible!«

»I'm… really not sure. I probably have to talk to Ladybug first. Maybe she'll take my Miraculous from me, I don't know… But if not… Well… Being my alibi or covering for me when I need to leave class – that would be great. We should just make sure that you don't do that actively but preferably only when I bring it up. Would that be okay with you?«

»Yeah, that seems to be the best way to keep the stories straight.«

»Great.« Adrien smiled genuinely and Nino returned that smile.

»Uhm, dude… there is one question… a private one…«

»What? Nino, you can ask me anything.«

»Well, I think it's Alyas influence, but I'm really curious… You and… Ladybug?«

Adrien blushed distinctly. »Oh, I wish. I am absolutely head over heels for her«, he had no shame to admit. »She's turning me down ever since day one, but I just can't get her out of my head. And I'm not giving up! She's simply amazing.«

»Alright. Best of luck, dude. But I gotta say… she really seems to be not interested.«

Nino was very glad when Adrien continued to wear his silver ring. They did not to speak about anything that had happened as per mutual agreement, and when the weeks went by there were only a few instances of Adrien requiring Ninos help to disappear from class. That didn't mean that Akuma attacks happened to be less frequent, but Adrien was already good at blending into the background when he needed to get away from people. Sometimes, Nino caught himself thinking, even he hadn't realized that Adrien had disappeared. It was hard not to talk to anybody, especially Alya. Nino very well knew that his girlfriend would flip if she knew Chat Noirs identity, not to mention if she ever got wind of him knowing such thing. The only thing Nino had to be careful about was his emotions. He could definitely not risk being akumatized and send to retrieve Chat Noirs Miraculous.

But he was eager to meet his friend in costume, and finally that chance came.

»Oh my god, what's that smell?« Mme. Bustier cried out, and clasped her hand over her mouth and nose. Thick yellowish smoke crawled through the open windows into the classroom.

»Is that-«, Adrien gasped, pulling up his shirt to cover his face.

»Camembert!«, Nino exclaimed, and both of them quickly glanced at Adriens bag were Plagg surely was vibrating in excitement.

»Akuma alert!«, Alya screamed, holding up her phone while putting a scarf in front of her face. Everyone scrambled to get some cover from the stinky cheesy smell, and in the general commotion following that, Adrien managed to slip through the door. Shortly after some other classmates had the idea to leave the now stinking room and search for somewhere better ventilated. Alya had already left, her phone recording, and when Nino left the classroom he knew why: Ladybug and Chat Noir were fighting some guy in an Akuma-sponsored fondue-costume right on top of the school.

Ladybug called out her lucky charm, but from the looks of it she had no idea to use the red cap with black polka dots.

»Oh my god the smell is everywhere!«, Nino heard her complaining, while she put the cap aside. »I bet your kwami is having a field day!«

»Took some time to coerce him into transforming, I'm not gonna lie, m'lady«, Chat retorted with a smile but a scrunched up nose. »We need some kind of shelter!«

Ladybugs gaze flickered to the cap, then shifted down below, and Nino noted in delight when she subtly winked at him. »And I know just the guy«, she said.

He hurried into the men's restroom, making sure to be alone, and he hadn't had to wait long. Ladybug crashed through the window, surely harnessing an attack to act as if she slammed into this room on accident. She scanned the room quickly, winked at Nino again and yoyoed her way out through the rather big hole in the wall. Where she had stood a tiny hexagonal box was sitting on the floor.

Nino couldn't help but grin. He hastily gathered the box and hid inside one of the stalls.

»Hey little dude«, he said, and was met with a joyful Wayzz performing their little fistbump-greeting. »Shell on!«

He met Ladybug and Chat Noir on a nearby rooftop, and was not surprised to see Rena Rouge appear from the other side.

»Fancy meeting you here«, she cooed and smiled at him.

»Akuma first, flirting later«, Ladybug said with a sharp tone in her voice. »That applies to you, too, Chat Noir!«, she added, when her partner opened his mouth.

Nino tried to hide a chuckle. It was something to see his – normally oblivious about girls – best friend ogling at Ladybug.

»As long as I'm meow-ed to make puns-«

»How do you not strangle him every other day?«, Rena inquired with a sigh, and Ladybug shrugged.

»Everyone has flaws.«

»Oh, that would have been such a good one!«, Chat Noir exclaimed with a grin, flexing his claws and wiggling his eyebrows.

»Yeah, you should step up your game, kitty. Speaking of game- back to ours. That smelly guy over there is the owner of a high end cheese shop, as Chat was so eager to point out, and I guess someone upset him with a comment about stinky cheese… well, he's smoking out half the city already and I need to get closer to figure out where his Akuma is.«

»What's with your lucky charm?«, Rena asked.

»I had hoped for clothes pins for our noses«, Ladybug sighed, »but I just got the hint to call you two into the fight. Well, Rena, Chat, you're up for diversion, Carapace, you're coming with me.«

»Okay, I don't have much time left, so we need to make this quick«, Ladybug said. They were positioned right in front of a very thick cloud of cheese-stink breathing somewhat trough their mouths. »Let's try and get as close to him as possible and then you'll Shell-ter us«, she continued. »When I'm down to one minute, whether or not we found anything, I have to do a quick re-transform, so we have to get out of there.«

»Wouldn't it be better to do that beforehand?«, Nino asked.

Ladybug hesitated. »I have only enough food for my kwami to recharge once, so I better make the most of this transformation right now.«

»You're the boss!« He followed her inside the yellow cloud, but with a wretched gut feeling. Something was bound to go wrong.

And boy, was he right.

What none of them had accounted for, was the fact that puffing out smelly smoke wasn't Fondor's most vigorous attack.

»If the odor isn't enough for you, Ladybug, what about some complementary snacks?!«, the villain screamed and threw a bus-sized glob of hot molten cheese towards the super heroes.

Carapace acted purely on instinct, raising his shield to defend himself and bellowed: »Shell-ter!«

The cheese hit the green dome and fully encapsulated it moments later. Carapace grunted under the heavy weight that pushed from all sides onto his Shell-ter. »Are you alright, Ladybug?« She had taken position behind him and cursed under her breath.

»Yes I am. For now«, she added, when her earrings beeped to remind her of her countdown. »How do we get out of here?«

»I can't see or hear a thing from outside! Maybe we can dig down?«, Carapace suggested unconvincingly.

Ladybug frantically looked around, but all there was to see was molten cheese and cobblestone. No manholes and certainly no Metro entrance. After all they had stood on the middle of the street.

»Maybe Chat Noir and Rena can-«

»There's no time for that«, she screeched in panic. »I'm gonna de-transform any second now – I wish I had listened to you!«

»Everyone has flaws«, he said in an attempt to lightened the mood, shooting the heroine a sympathetic look – right as her earrings beeped again, and the costume fell.

He could only gawk, as his mouth fell open. »M-Marinette?!«

His friend was wringing her hands with an exasperated: »This is a disaster! You have to promise me to never tell anyone – especially not Alya!«

Under Carapaces suit Nino was just dumbfounded. What the actual f-

Ladybugs red kwami waved at him with an uncertain smile, gobbling down a macaroon Marinette had handed it. »Hi, I'm Tikki. Nice to meet you in person.«

»Uh, yeah, sure«, Carapace said, still trying to piece things together. Wait, if Ladybug was Marinette and Adrien was Chat Noir-

A sudden bang from outside the dome made them wince. Tikki gulped the rest of her macaroon whole, and Marinette cried out »Spots on!« Not a second to late, because Chat Noir's lengthy baton scraped off half of the surrounding cheese, giving his two trapped teammates a chance to escape. Carapace let the Shell-ter drop and was grabbed by Ladybug so she could yoyo them into the safety of a nearby building. He heard her gasp mid air.

»There! It's in his bowl!«, she cried out when they escaped the plume and for a second hoovered directly above Fondor. »I bet the Akuma is in that huge fork-thingy!« She threw her yoyo in the air, bellowing »Lucky Charm!« and caught the red and black umbrella with both hands. »What am I going to do with this…«, she mused, evading another globb-attack.

»Maybe take a rain-check?«, Chat joked with a strained voice.

Ladybug looked around, at her surroundings, the villain – nothing. But her teammates! All three of them flashing red with black dots in her vision. »Got it!«, she exclaimed. And with just a few whispered words all four heroes took position.

Rena mirraged a sudden rainfall which prompted Fondor to loose his marbles because his cheese was turning grainy and he couldn't launch his globb-attacks anymore. Carapace attacked him shield-first, which made Fondor draw his fondue-fork to parry. Chat straddled in between, managing to disarm the villain with his baton and sending the akumatized object flying towards Ladybug who easily broke the rose-handled fork-sword.

A 'Miraculous Ladybug!' later the four heroes backtracked onto a rooftop.

»That went exceptionally well. Look, we've even got spare time for a date«, Chat joked with a smile at Ladybug, who rolled her eyes.

»I'll take that rain check you talked about earlier«, she retorted.

»Meow-ch!«

Rena followed the banter with an amused smile, but Carapace couldn't take it anymore.

»Oh my god, this is freaking hilarious«, it blurted from his mouth before he could get a grip on himself.

»Excuse me, what?«, Ladybug said with a snarl.

»You turning him down! How did the two of you managed to create a love square?! You really don't know each others identities!« As soon as he finished his outburst Carapace knew he made a grave mistake and he immediately felt remorse.

»I'm not following. Are you?«, Chat asked Ladybug, but she was furious.

»Not another word, Carapace! I trust you to keep that a secret! You shouldn't even have said anything!«

»Wait, what?« Chat Noir looked from one to another. »Does he know your identity?! How did that happen?!«

»I had to re-transform under the cheese dome«, Ladybug grated.

Rena, who had been quiet until now, piped up: »You know her identity?! Oh my god, you have to- no, don't tell me«, she hastily added with a side glance towards Ladybug. »But what do you mean 'love square'«, she mused, tapping her chin with a single finger. »We know Chat's got a crush on Ladybug- Oooh! Is civilian Ladybug crushing on civilian Chat Noir?!«

Carapace stood up very straight and stiff. »Not gonna say another word«, he squeaked.

»Don't be ridiculous«, Ladybug said, arms crossed and loosing her patience.

But Chat Noir grinned form ear to ear, closing the distance to her and leaned onto his baton. »I told you, you'd fall for my pretty face.«

»Though… that would mean«, Rena said, pondering the implications, »that you would have to know Chats identity, too!« Her voice broke at the end of the sentence, and she glared at Carapace, arms akimbo. »How many secrets are you keeping from me, babe?«

»Wait, are you two dating?«, Chat asked. »Besides, there is only one person to know my secret and that's my best… friend…« He stagnated, cocking his head and staring at Carapace who, still rigid, gave him a look that simply said 'Dude…'

Right next to him Ladybug looked as if she was struck with a sledgehammer, undoubtably piecing things together. Carapace was sweating bullets, when he could all but see the gears turning in her head.

Ladybug knew him to be Nino, knew that Nino would know who Marinette was crushing on because of Alya, and with the clue that he also knew Chat's identity who on the other hand claimed that his secret was only know by his best friend-

Ladybug went from pale to beet red in mere seconds. »Oh my god!«, she exclaimed, clasping her hands over her mouth and spun around, looking flabbergasted at Chat Noir. »Adrien?!«

Her partner took a second to process the initial shook, but soon beamed at her. »So you do have a crush on civilian me!«, he exclaimed joyfully.

Before Ladybug could so much as stutter an answer, Rena took a step in her direction.

»Hooooold on!« She planted herself in front of her favorite super heroine. »Marinette?!«

»Good, we all know each other«, Carapace squeaked, scared shitless by the chaos he created. »See y'all in school!« And he took off before anyone could say another word.