Chapter 2
She was standing in her old highschool classroom, at the back of the classroom, looking down at her old classmates. They were all sitting stiff in their seats. She felt herself smirk despite not consciously choosing to.
She sauntered down the aisle in between the desks, and turned looking back up at the people she had just passed.
"No." She said with a snort to Juleka, who immediately took on her akumatized appearance.
One by one she pointed to all of her classmates, making her way to the front of the classroom and watching in amusement as a room filled with akumas greeted her.
She looked over at the bubbler, frowning at the empty seat beside and behind him.
Who sits there?
She tried to think of who it could be. Who was left in their class?
Think! Who sits there?
Part of her was refusing to remember. She could feel it, the battle in her subconscious, and despite the desperate need for an answer, she wouldn't let herself remember.
Think!
It took her a moment to realize the voice was not her own. It certainly sounded like her own... Didn't it?
She looked behind her and saw only a black butterfly sitting on the teacher's desk.
Remember! Remember! Remember!
But her mind was screaming at her not to, and her stubbornness wouldn't let the voice win out. Instead she focused on who the butterfly was. She forced out the voices prodding presence in her memories and instead turned her energy to him.
She knew that voice.
I could give you power.
She was shaking her head furiously. Don't remember. Don't remember.
All I ask is-
"Hawkmoth." Alya said aloud. And the voice stopped. It retreated for a moment, which she used as a chance to push it from her mind, until his image stood before her.
She had never seen him before, except for his face. But it was him. He was sitting where the butterfly had been. His legs were elegantly crossed, and his clothing was darker than she thought it would be. He didn't look anything like how she thought he would.
Remember. His voice was smooth, calming even, and she wanted to listen to it. To trust what it was telling her. Remember the power!
The world around her started to fade. She looked down to see her suit. Lady Wifi's suit. She reminded herself. It wasn't hers. It hadn't been hers for a long time.
It could all be yours... again.
Alya woke up with a painful headache and her face pressed up against something warm. Her heart was pounding and she could only hear her short breathes. At first she felt the panic rise in her chest, but after a moment she couldn't remember why. Her dream faded away and she felt a little calmer cuddled against the mysterious warm thing.
Groggily she tried to roll onto her back, only to find something was wrapped around her. She opened her eyes and squinted in confusion at the giant mass of something warm that her face was pushed against. Leaning back a little she saw it was a chest. A very shirtless chest.
Shit...
Pulling back even further she found the things wrapped around her were arms and a leg.
Shit, shit, shit.
Finally Alya looked up and almost screamed when she saw Nino's sleeping face.
Oh shit, oh shit fucking shit shit shit!
Internally cursing repeatedly in her mind she looked up at Nino wide eyed. They couldn't have... did they? She closed her eyes and groaned, trying to think back and awake her foggy mind.
They were at a bar. They had walked back to his place. She had stolen his shirt. And then..
"Fuck.."
Chiding herself at the bad choice of words she reached down to Nino's arms, carefully unwrapping herself from him, trying desperately not to wake him. Maybe she could sneak out of there without him ever knowing. She would just get out of the bed, grab her clothes and then make a mad dash for the door. Almost there, almost off the bed. She looked back at Nino making sure he was still fast asleep.
"Hey Nino! It's like 11 how long are you gonna-" Adrien froze when he opened the door.
A shirtless Alya stared back at him eyes wide and there was a long very panicked silence.
Adrien squeaked and turned red, "Oh god! I'm sorry I should have knocked!" He yelled.
Alya's entire being was just swirling mess of panic. She stared up at Adrien in a mixture of fear and anger, and she was sure at that moment she couldn't get any more embarrassed.
"Dude, do you have to yell?"
Alya actually fell out of the bed a tangle of limbs and sheets.
Nino seemed to hear the crash of her body on the ground and looked down at her, before going wide eyed and muttering "Oh shit."
"Ok can you both please stop staring at me?!" She yelled picking herself up
"Oh god sorry!" Adrien yelled again slamming the door.
Nino and Alya groaned at the loud noise. Alya got her knees under her and sat up.
"I'm just gonna-"
"Yeah..."
Alya threw on her shirt, which she found on the floor under the bed. "Where the fuck are my glasses?" She started muttering.
Nino sat up and started to look around for his as well. Upon finding them under the duvet he searched around for Alya's, making a point not to look over at his half dressed friend. "Here!" He said looking at a wall and holding out Alya's glasses.
Alya had also found her pants and grabbed her glasses running a hand through her hair nervously. Her head was killing her and she honestly just wanted to lie back down again, but the embarrassment at their situation was doing wonders to wake her up.
She ripped open the bedroom door and made a beeline for the apartment door.
"Alya wait-" Adrien called grabbing her arm before she could sprint away. "What the hell happened between you guys? Are you dating again-"
"No! It was just- I- I have to go!" She yelled and forcibly ripped her arm out of Adrien's hand.
Adrien was left to watch as Alya slammed the door closed and hear Nino groan at the loud noise.
He made his way back to his best friend's room, this time knocking on the door.
"Just give me a second, dude." Nino mumbled half coherently.
Adrien grabbed two mugs and set them down on the coffee table. He poured Coffee into both of them but loaded his own up with tons of cream and sugar. Sitting down on the couch he waited for Nino who shuffled out of his bedroom shortly.
Before Adrien could open his mouth to ask any questions, Nino had plunked himself down on the couch and started to down his coffee. Adrien waited for him to drink half of it before asking, "So what happened last night?"
Nino winced and put the mug down, "Uh.. Well.. Umm.." Nino blushed, "I guess Alya and I.. slept together.."
Adrien raised his eyebrows, "Are you guys together again?"
"What? No! No! It was just like... heat of the moment, drunk mistake kind of thing."
"But you still have feelings for her?"
"No!" Nino groaned falling back into the couch, "Dude Alya and I have been over for like, 3 years now. We're just friends."
"Friends who had sex." Adrien reminded him.
Nino gave Adrien a withered look. "I don't have feelings for Alya, Adrien."
Well it was true that Alya and Nino had been a couple from when they were 15, they had broke up cleanly, promising that they'd both still be friends. The way Nino looked at it, it was inevitable. Alya was a career driven. She knew what she wanted in life, she knew her dream and she had already planned out how to reach her goals by the time she was 15.
Nino wasn't like her. He still didn't really know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Taking jobs here and there to "gain experience", he kept looking for something that would really call to him.
They weren't compatible, in the end. Alya was like fire, she was brilliant and passionate and fierce and...
And Nino couldn't help but feel inadequate.
Nino was pulled out his self deprecation by Adrien sighing, taking a sip of coffee. "Fine, whatever you say Nino."
Nino grumbled and ran a hair through his hair, "I fucked up dude..."
"Kinda."
Nino looked over and gave Adrien a withered look, "Really?"
Adrien raised his arms defensively, "Hey you said it. I just don't think sleeping with your ex who you "don't have feelings for" is a smart idea."
"Well I didn't mean to! We were drunk and she came over and stole my shirt.. and then I caught her and.." He trailed off as his face turned pink, "can we talk about something else?"
Adrien nodded, not really wanting to drop the topic, but he knew his friend needed sometime to process what had happened. There wasn't anything to add really. "I never knew Marinette was so flirty."
Nino laughed, relieved Adrien had changed the topic, "Yeah. She's pretty sassy, just more so when she's drunk. She got home alright?"
Adrien laughed, "Yeah. We had a pun-off in the car."
Nino almost snorted, "Wow dude. You sure know how to woo the ladies."
Adrien pouted childishly, "Hey. Puns are cool Nino." He thought for a moment, "Is Marinette usually shy?"
Nino raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"Well... We we're talking when I gave her a ride home and she told me that it wasn't that she dislikes me, it's that she's really shy." He frowned, "I was just wondering what made her shy around me... She doesn't seem to be that awkward around you and Alya."
Nino took another gulp of coffee. "She's just had more time around Alya and I. Don't worry man, she'll get to know you too. You really thought she disliked you?"
Well I thought she did after what happened. He thought, but instead he merrily shrugged "Well, yeah. She always avoids talking to me. I just thought she never got over that whole gum thing."
For Marinette's sake Nino hid his chuckle behind his hand. His friend was a complete idiot sometimes.
...
Alya slammed the door of her apartment tossing her coat on to the coach.
"Ok, let's try to refrain from breaking the door." Alya's roommate quipped from the kitchen. The young woman's eyebrows were raised in shock and annoyance at the sudden startle, however, after a moment her expression settled down and concern decorated her features. "What's up?"
"I'm fine Rain." Alya ignored the still concerned glances she got from her roommate and made a beeline for the fridge. "Are we still stocked?"
Rain nodded slowly, "Yeah, I was gonna run out sometime today to refill the shelves... Are you sure you're ok sweetie?"
Rain was a good person. She was hardworking and kind, although her temper was something even Alya couldn't rival. Even though Rain was prone to set off easily, she was always the first person to apologize and make things up.
Born Rachel Williams she was a very beautiful young woman. Around 4 years older than Alya herself, Rain stood at an impressive 5'10", her dark skin and always impeccable hair, mostly worn in an afro, only made her glow like a queen.
"Sweetie, you and I both know that you're not gonna feel better until you tell me what happened."
Alya groaned, "Ray it's really nothing."
"It's never nothing." Rain commented watching as Alya grabbed leftover chicken wings from last night and stuffed them into her mouth. "Really? You're going to drown your sorrows in chicken?"
Aya only gave a muffled noise as a response going to sit on the couch with her chicken. Rain sighed but finished jotting down grocery items before grabbing her purse and her jacket, "Sugar are you sure I can't help?"
"Rain, I really just need to be alone..."
With a final sigh and shake of her head Rain left the apartment and Alya was left to herself and her chicken.
She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out and unlocked it.
Mari: I am never drinking with you again.
Alya resisted another groan and flung her phone back on to the couch. It vibrated again.
Mari: I did something really stupid didn't I?
Alya gave in and typed out a response.
Alya: What makes you say that?
Mari: Well... Because Adrien texted me saying "Thrown up yet? XD"
Alya snorted
Alya: Smooth, already have his number ;)
Mari: You know it's not like that. I'm not going down that road again Alya.
Alya: Just asked him what happened. And then tell me in detail.
There was a few moments of radio silence and Alya used it to put away her now empty tupperware container. When she looked back at the phone she almost dropped it.
Mari: Alya what were you thinking?!
She ignored the text, putting the phone in her pocket and going back to the couch to turn on the tv.
She heard Marinette's ringtone and grumbled under her breath as she answered the call.
"Hey."
"You slept with Nino!"
Alya cringed at the loud sound, rubbing her temple slightly. "Stupid model boy can't keep his dumb face shut."
"Alya?!"
"Ok yes. Nino and I made a bad choice in a moment of drunken stupidity, but it's fine Marinette. It was fun, and now we're just friends. It's not like we're getting back together or anything."
"Really so it's not going to be weird at all the next time you see each other?"
"No. It's not Marinette. Because Nino and I are both adults and we recognise that we just made a mistake."
"You talked to Nino about it?"
"Well... No.."
"Alya I'm telling you, it's going to be weird."
...
Nino was pacing. Pacing!
Why was he pacing? They we're just going to the movies. They did this a lot, well him and Adrien, but it was, essentially, the same. They were just going to the movies with the girls. Just some great platonic hanging out, in a completely non-romantic way with the girls.
It was going to be perfectly fine.
He almost screamed when Adrien knocked on the door.
"Nino are you ok?"
"Yeah dude, I'm fine." Nino muttered grabbing his jacket and wallet from the desk, he opened the door and slapped on a grin, "See? Got my stuff! Let's go!"
Adrien looked concerned but before he could open his mouth to protest Nino shoved him into their living room.
The car ride to Marinette's place was spent in anxious silence and Adrien didn't pretend not to notice. Everytime he tried to mention how uncomfortable Nino looked, Nino would slap on a grin and make up something about staying up late the night before.
They pulled up in front of Marinette's building and Adrien pulled out his phone to text her.
Adrien: Hey! We're downstairs!
Marinette: I'm on my way!
Marinette: BTW Alya is sick. She can't come. :(
"Dude when'd you get Marinette's number?" Nino stared down at the phone in his friend's hand.
"That night we went out drinking. I gave her mine just incase she needed anything." Adrien let the phone fall asleep, putting it back into his pocket."She was pretty drunk, I wanted to make sure she didn't fall down the stairs or anything."
"So you two are friends now?"
"I guess. I never really asked." Adrien seemed to think this over. He looked up to see Marinette coming out of the doors of her building. He rolled down the window and stuck his arm out giving her a wave. She sent back a nervous smile and headed towards the car.
"Thanks for the ride." She chirped as she climbed in the back seat.
"Anytime." Adrien called back, pulling out back into the street.
"I'm sorry you're stuck with me. It's really a shame Alya couldn't come too."
"We aren't stuck with you Nette." Nino said giving her a smile, then it faded slightly, "Did Alya say why she couldn't come?"
"She's sick." Adrien answered eyes still on the road.
"Oh." Was all Nino could come up with. He sat back in his seat and listened while Marinette and Adrien chatted.
It was the strangest feeling in the world. The two of them would talk as if they had been doing it for forever, as if Marinette hadn't spent the greater part of highschool stuttering and tripping in front of Adrien.
That was usually Alya and him, they would be the ones to keep the conversation moving while Adrien tried to get used to the amount Alya swore in conversation, and Marinette's face would stop glowing pink. Alya and him were the glue that kept Marinette and Adrien from falling apart.
They looked out for their clueless friends, helped them work through crushes, and parent problems, and failing tests, and awkward social teenage situations.
That was in highschool. It didn't look like they needed Alya or Nino to start a conversation anymore. Alya would be proud.
Alya...
"Nino?" Marinette gently touched his arm, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" He looked over to see Adrien looking at him concerned, before turning back to the road when the light turned green.
"You randomly sighed while looking sadly out the window." Marinette raised an eyebrow.
Shit. Had he really done that outloud? "It's nothing, don't worry about it guys."
Things had really changed since high school. Here his friends were worrying over him. He almost laughed at the irony.
…
If you asked Nino what the movie was about he wouldn't be able to tell you. He had been continuously trapped in his thoughts, shoving handfuls of popcorn into his mouth, only snapping back into the moment when a loud noise would play on the sound system.
He just couldn't stop thinking about Alya.
Was she really sick? If so why didn't she text him? Was she just using it as an excuse not to have to see him? Did they ruin their friendship when they spent the night together? Did she regret it? Did she hate him now?
"Nino, seriously, What's the matter?"
Nino was jerked back into real life as Adrien waved a hand in front of his face.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Nino... You've been zoning out all day.." Marinette's eyebrows furrowed together concerned, "Clearly something's on your mind."
"Guys really it's-"
"Is it Alya?" Marinette blurted out.
Adrien and Nino look at her shocked, "What you really think I wouldn't know?"
Nino sighed, "Ok, yes it's Alya." He rubbed his temple trying to put his feelings into words, "I just- I'm worried that we ruined our friendship because we... you know.."
"That's ridiculous, Alya wouldn't stop being your friend over that." Adrien put a reassuring hand on Nino's shoulder.
Marinette nodded, "Besides, it may be a little awkward, but it's not like your friendship has to change. You still like her right?"
"Of course I do." Nino thought it through. Of course. Nothing had to change. They were still just two good friends. Two good friends who had seen each other naked. He groaned, "It just feels so... weird. That we were like that."
"That you were intimate?" Adrien asked looking a little confused, "I think it would be buddy. You slept with your ex-girlfriend."
"No, not that kind of weird." Nino shook his head trying to clarify, "It felt weird because... because it was both something we just kind of fell into. Like it was natural to... do those things."
Marinette and Adrien exchanged a look and Nino couldn't help but feel a little bit annoyed. Since when did those two know everything? Since when was he the one receiving advice and struggling to explain himself.
"Nino... Do you have feelings for Alya?"
"No! Of course not! We're friends, Marinette, just friends!"
"Ok, sorry I was just asking."
Adrien started to talk about something else, and as Nino left the hot seat he started to think about Alya. His good friend Alya. His nothing more than friend Alya.
It was normal that he'd be upset and out of it. He was worried that she didn't want to be friends anymore, which would be horrible. Alya was amazing! Funny, smart, willing to watch bad horror movies with him. She was the first person he'd call when he needed a second pair of eyes on something he was editing, and he was her first choice to help with the Ladyblog. In some ways she was just as much his best friend as Adrien was. Except she would always be the one to drag him to an exhibition, or to an old abandoned building to make a ghost documentary.
Of course he worried that he'd messed that up. It had nothing to do with romantic feelings.
Then why did you like kissing her? Why was making her laugh so important to you? He thought to himself. Why does making her smile make you smile then?
Because she was his friend. He pushed any other reason away and with a sigh joined in on the conversation with Marinette and Adrien.
He didn't have feeling for Alya.
...
It had been 5 days since they all hung out at the bar together and Adrien and Marinette had gotten a lot closer than he ever thought they'd be. Even with their best friends dating, the two of them never seemed to talk in high school. He was pretty socially inept, having grown up home schooled, and she had always felt awkward and shy around him. Though that may have been his own fault.
When they were seniors Marinette had invited him over to her house. It was for a birthday party, maybe a grad party. He couldn't remember. He had said originally he couldn't go because his father wouldn't let him, but on the day of he had managed to sneak out, as Chat Noir of course.
It had been the most exciting day of his life. He was finally going to be able to hang out with his classmates, go to a party that didn't serve caviar, or appetizers stuffed with goat cheese. Just cheetos and doritos and pop, and he wouldn't have to worry about wrinkling the new suit he was displaying, or getting food on his face, or remembering all the names of his Father's friends.
He had stopped on her roof and started to shimmy down the wall of her house. He stopped when he reached the window facing into her bedroom.
He didn't know why he lingered, stuck against the wall, looking into her room through the glass, but he did. Her room was clean, but unlike his it was much smaller and looked more lived in. He could see her desk with all her sewing equipment, the fabric she was currently using folded up in a neat pile.
Above her desk were pictures from fashion magazines... Mostly of him. He pressed himself closer to the window to see what designs she must have saved.
There was a scream and a grumble as something hit the window, "Chat! What the hell are you doing there?!"
Chat scrambled to grab on to the window again after the shock. "Sorry! I was just stopping by-" His hands started to slip, "Princess. I know this isn't normal to ask but I'm starting to slip- AH!"
His hand lost it's grip and he closed his eyes shut bracing himself for impact. Only he never hit the ground. Instead he felt a tight grip on his wrist. He glanced up to see Marinette halfway out her window, holding him up.
She gave a massive pull and he managed to grab onto the window again with his other hand. Using his legs to push off of the sill and the help of Marinette's grip, they managed to get him safely into the house.
"Why were you outside my room?" Marinette demanded as Chat got up off the floor, where he had unceremoniously landed.
He gave her a sheepish grin, "I was on my way through and I got distracted by the bakery smell." He lied, glancing up at the wall with the posters on it.
Marinette seemed to catch on where he was looking and her face went red.
"Fan of Gabriel Agreste's work?" Chat asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"What? No! I mean yes!" Marinette said quickly. She let out a sigh and looked at the ground, "Promise not to laugh?"
"Cat's honor."
"I... I think I'm in love with his son... Adrien." Her face was bright red and she refused to make eye contact with him, probably expecting him to look amused.
"Y-You do?" He felt his ears warm as he processed what his classmate had just said. Marinette was in love with him. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl who sat beside him in class, the girl that ran away when he tried to talk to her. The girl who had yelled at him his first day of school, and had became one of his first friends.
Marinette was in love with him. "Why?" He hadn't really meant to ask it out loud.
Marinette looked a little shocked by his question, "Why wouldn't I?" She crossed her arms defensively, "He's kind and polite, and gentle."
"You know I happen to be very nice." He pointed out, "Half of Paris is probably nice. What makes this model boy so special."
"Well he's not a flirt for one thing." Marinette said angrily, "And he doesn't appear at teenage girls windows."
"So he's not me. That's what's good about him?" Chat felt himself crumble a little inside.
Marinette blinked, "I never said-"
"Happy Birthday." Chat said sharply and promptly hopped out the window extending the baton to catch himself.
It was supposed to be a day full of fun. Just one day where he could be a normal teenager, where he didn't have to worry about keeping up appearances, where he could learn to fit in with the other kids.
Why did Marinette love him? Why didn't she love Chat? It's not that he wanted her to love him, but... He was himself as Chat Noir. He was free to act and speak as he wanted to, without any pressure from his father or from the other adults in his life.
Chat Noir was when he was the closest to being himself.
Did Marinette really prefer the quiet perfect boy that he played as Adrien? Had she really fallen in love with the image of him?
Adrien didn't go to the party that day. He went home and stayed in his room. Maybe everyone preferred Adrien to Chat. Maybe he should just keep pretending.
...
It was weird. It was way too weird and Alya didn't know what to do about it.
There she sat across from Nino at Marinette's parent's house, wishing for the first time in her life that the Duapin-Chengs weren't nice enough to invite them all over for dinner.
To tell the truth she hadn't seen Nino in over a week. She had been avoiding every birthday party, lunch, hangout, premiere of their favourite tv show, all just to avoid this moment right now. Sitting across from Nino Lahiffe. Her high school ex-boyfriend who she slept with last friday.
"Pass the carrots." Nino said.
She handed him the cooked vegetables. That was the only thing they had said to each other all night.
While Nino and Alya's end of the table was lacking in conversation, Marinette's family and Adrien hadn't seemed to catch on to how awkward their friends were.
"So then I told him that if he was going to cause any trouble he should take it outside." Tom said with a hearty laugh, "I'll tell you, he wasn't expecting such a big guy to come out of the back."
"I could have handled it Dad." Marinette said with a laugh.
Tom shook his head, "You shouldn't have to. That's what I'm there for, to protect you from troublesome guys."
"God help any boyfriend you bring home." Adrien laughed as Marinette groaned and stuck out her tongue at him.
Alya tried not to glare as her friend's laughed. Marinette had purposely set Nino and her across from each other and kept giving Alya pointed looks and gesturing towards the young man.
"I can't believe you kids have all known each other since you were 15." Sabine said, with a smile, "It feels like it was yesterday."
Alya and Nino sat in silence, and now the others seemed to notice the excruciatingly uncomfortable energy coming from their end of the table.
"Is everything alright?" Sabine asked. When she didn't get a response from the the silent two she turned to Adrien and Marinette.
"They're just a little awkward around each other right now Mom." Marinette answered for her friends.
Sabine seemed to give her daughter a worried look and a gesture. Marinette seemed to understand it perfectly and replied with her own cryptic movement.
Adrien exchanged a confused look with Nino, "I don't get girls." He whispered.
"Excuse me." Alya said, standing up abruptly and leaving the table.
She headed to the bathroom. Splashing some water in her face she grabbed for the towel blindly, knocking something she couldn't see over.
"Fuck..." She bent down to pick whatever it was up when she felt a hand on her wrist and the towel being pressed to her palm.
"Are you ok?"
It was Adrien. She hid her shock with the towel drying off her face, slowly to give herself time to think about what she wanted to say.
"I don't know." She opened her eyes and met his gaze. He was worried. Which was only natural. She had been lying about being sick all week, and just now she had left the dinner table without warning.
"Is it about-"
"You know what it's about Goldy Locks." Alya snapped. She let out a sigh, "Sorry. It's freaking me out a little more than it should."
"It's fine..." He put a hand on her shoulder, "Why are you freaking out so much?"
She sighed, "I guess... Nino and I dated, and when it ended, it was a clean break up, we didn't fight or go through a weird awkward phase and lose touch. He's one of my best friend's Adrien. How would you feel if you might have fucked that up?"
He made a face, biting his lower lip as if he was going to laugh.
She frowned at him, "What?"
"Literally."
She almost hit him. "Not the time Model Boy."
"Right sorry." He gave her a smile, "You should really just talk to Nino about it... He feels the same you know? He's afraid he's lost you as a friend."
She dropped her gaze, following the pattern of the tiled floor, "I know... I just can't figure out what to say." She sighed and pushed past Adrien to get to the door, "I will talk to him. I promise. I just need some more time to figure out what I want to say. I don't like to improvise."
Alya thanked Marinette's parents for the meal and excused herself for the night. Nino watched her leave with a heavy heart.
"She'll come around Nino." Adrien reassured his friend, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
"Thanks Dude." Nino stood up and went to grab his coat, "I think I'm just going to head home."
"I'll go to." Adrien said standing up and grabbing his jacket. "Thank you so much for the meal Mrs. Cheng."
Sabine gave him a smile, "Anytime sweetie."
Marinette stood and saw the two to the door. She gave Nino a quick hug, "It'll be fine."
"I know. Thanks 'Nette."
She gave Adrien a nod and with that they left the Dupain-Cheng home.
Sabine sighed as Marinette came back to the table, "Those two…"
Marinette raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean Mom?"
"I may not know all the details, and believe me," Sabine raised her hands to stop any explanations that might come, "I don't need to know. I can tell when two people are in love."
"Love? Mom I think you're confused Nino and Alya are friends, they just-"
"No details!" Sabine protested, "I do not need to know what you kids get up to."
"Alright Mom."
