Chapter Thirty-One
Nino wasn't really one to dress up fancy, but with the school dance being hosted at Chloe's hotel he knew a more casual outfit would stand out, and he didn't exactly want to draw unnecessary attention to him and Blue, who he was sure would want to blend into the background.
He folded down the collar of his shirt, adjusting his suit jacket. It was just a simple black tux, what you would normally see walking into the men's section. He opted to go without a tie, because having that snuggly wrapped around his neck all evening sounded like a pain.
The Fox Miraculous was tucked away in his shirt pocket, the chain looping in and out as if a pocket watch sat inside. The Turtle Miraculous was on his wrist, hidden under his suit, and he had a kwami tucked away in each side pocket with several pieces of candy each for the evening. Not their usual favorite, but he wasn't about to have tea and fruit in his suit coat.
"Nino, you take off that cap this instant," Lucie said as he walked out of his room, a mask in his hand and his hat on his head.
Nino groaned. "It's just a school dance, Mom, no one is going to care."
"It doesn't go with your outfit," she said, plucking it off his head. She ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing it out. "There, look at you, handsome and young."
"It's just a hat," Nino protested weakly.
"A hat you can wear tomorrow," she replied, setting it on the table. "Besides, I'm sure your boyfriend has never actually seen you without that hat on. Now, did you need help with the mask?"
"Yeah," he muttered quietly, holding it out to his mother.
Trixx had tried to get him to order a fox-based mask, but in the end he had gone for a standard masquerade mask that rested around the eyes, curved and silver, lined with black.
"Will you be alright without your glasses?" Lucie asked as she tied the mask in place.
"I have contacts in."
"You hate your contacts."
"It's just for one night, I'll survive," he replied, twisting slightly. The mask was nothing like the one he had as Silver Paw, that gently rested on his face, barely noticeable, this one digging into his skin, even with the foam that rested on the edges.
"I need a few pictures of you," Lucie said as she stepped back, studying Nino with a smile.
"Really, Mom?"
"Yes really, now smile."
There was really no reason to be embarrassed, but his face was warm regardless as his mother got her phone, having him stand in front of a wall as she took several photos. He smiled warmly as she did so, letting her play photographer until a knock was heard at the door.
Nino couldn't help but freeze up slightly, knowing that this was going to happen, yet he realized he wasn't prepared. His eyes flickered towards the front door, where Blue would be waiting, detransformed for the rest of the day. Nino stood there for a moment, just staring at the door, unmoving.
Lucie raised an eyebrow. "Well now, are you just going to leave him out there all night?"
"No," he found his voice after a moment, and he slowly made his way to the door. His heart was pounding slightly as he reached for the handle, but he didn't let himself pause as he pulled it open. "Hello…"
He trailed off, looking at the figure in front of him, instantly feeling under dressed.
Standing there was a boy he knew deep down to be Blue Wing, though yet it looked like he was staring at someone entirely new. His eyes flickered across him, taking in every feature as if he hadn't seen it before. The shape of his face, the curve of his lips, gelled blond hair, those brilliant and familiar green eyes that locked right on him, Blue raising his hand to give an uncertain wave.
It wasn't like he had never seen Blue in a suit before, he always saw Blue in a suit, tailored to him perfectly by the magic of the Miraculous. Yet it seemed like this one had been perfectly crafted for him as well, when there could be no magic involved.
His suit was a brilliant pure white, from his shoes to his jacket, having a silk-like look to it, though lacking the sheen. No, the shine of the suit came from the golden designs that embroidered it, not just around cuffs and hems, but an entire golden lace that webbed across the right side of his suit, the intricate patterns winding down his sleeve. Like him, Blue did not wear a tie, but unlike him it was clearly part of the design, a silver shirt under his buttoned up jacket, golden lace laying over it.
Then there was his mask, golden as well, hosting the same elegant pattern as the gold of his suit, covering his eyes and branching across one side of his face, flawless skin visible between the weaving pattern. His white pants hosted no gold save for on the hems, white shoes bearing the smallest of heels.
The fact that brilliant white wings didn't billow behind him was the most surprising, because he looked like an angel. Handsome did not describe him– no, he was absolutely beautiful.
"Hi Nino," Blue Wing said quietly. "I'm not late, am I?"
"Couldn't have given me a heads up?" Nino muttered, blinking slowly.
"Huh?"
"Y-you– you look like you just walked off the cover of a magazine!" Nino cried, and Blue swallowed, looking on edge at this declaration, and he spoke quickly. "N-not that's a bad thing! I just– my dude, you look hot."
A light pink blush dusted his cheeks. "Th-thank you," he said quietly, before holding out his hand, which he now noticed held a single red rose. "This is for you."
"Oh," Nino said softly, staring at the soft petals as he took it in his hands. "Thank you, Blue, it's beautiful…"
The words like you were on the tip of his tongue, but his mother's voice called out. "Aren't you going to invite him in, Nino?"
"Y-yeah!" He called, stepping to the side, allowing Blue Wing to step inside. He walked in with a grace that Nino hadn't expected outside the suit, and he glanced down at Blue's chest just to see if he was actually transformed.
A silver brooch was visible, one that looked nothing like the active Peacock Miraculous.
"Hello," Blue Wing said warmly, his eyes on Lucie as she came to the front door to see them, holding out his hand. "It's really nice to meet you, Mme. Lahiffe, Nino has said a lot about you."
"He has told me a lot about you as well," Lucie said as well, taking his hand with a smile. "But with all he said he failed to give me a name, believe it or not."
Blue's eyes gleamed. "You can call me Jaden."
"Well, Jaden, it's wonderful to finally be able to meet you," Lucie said, her eyes glancing at Nino. "I hope that Nino brings you by more often after this."
"We'll have to see," Blue said, slightly on edge now, and Nino took this as his cue to step forward.
"We should probably get going, if we want to get there before the dance starts," Nino said.
"Wait, I'd like to get a picture of the two together before you leave," Lucie said, holding up her phone, and at his side Blue tensed.
"Jaden is camera shy!" Nino blurred out quickly, before she could take a photo. Blue stiffened up once more, though not as intense as before, and he wondered what was wrong about this excuse.
"Oh," Lucie said, lowering the camera slightly. "Well if you're not comfortable we won't, but are you sure you don't want a copy for yourself? Maybe on your own phone?"
"Er, I left mine at home," Blue Wing said swiftly, and he glanced at Nino. "But I, um, wouldn't mind one photo on Nino's phone."
He glanced at Nino, who gave him a reassuring nod– he wouldn't share the photo with anyone.
So that's how the two of them found themselves in front of the door, arms linked as they smiled towards his phone in his mother's hand. Nino held the rose he had been given between the two of them, a thumb running up the stem as the picture was taken. Lucie looked down at the photo with a frown, making Nino think she was going to have them retake it, but gave the phone back to Nino.
He looked down at the picture, and realized just how bad of an excuse 'camera shy' had been– Blue had flashed a stunning smile at the camera, looking completely at ease.
"So…" Nino said as they at last headed out the door, waving goodbye to his mother. "Jaden, huh?"
"Not my real name."
"One of your many middle names?"
"Nope."
"Why Jaden then?" He asked, glancing at Blue, who shrugged.
"It's a name I've always liked," Blue said, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Could also be shortened to Jay, if I wanted."
"…Jay?"
Blue grinned. "Yeah, Jay– like a blue jay, who most certainly have blue wings."
Nino closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "I should've known there was a pun coming."
Blue threw his head back, and let out a loud laugh. Nino couldn't help but smile, the sound so at ease and happy– everything he wanted to see when it came to his Blue.
"I have opinions about Chloe," Alya said as they walked in through the doors of the hotel. "But one thing's for sure– she can most certainly throw a party."
The entire entrance to the hotel was decorated with the expectations that came with such a place– down to an actual red carpet leading the way towards the ballroom of the hotel, staff guiding them along as they entered, treating each student that came through the door as if they were a guest of honor. Alya would be lying if she said that she didn't feel slightly out of place, but with it only being the familiar faces of their fellow classmates walking through the door she felt a bit more at ease, making herself hold her head high, her arm linked through Marinette's as they entered.
"This is awesome," Marinette said softly as they went into the ballroom, which was dimmed with lights, music playing throughout the room, the low beat reverberating off of the walls. It wasn't clear if the decorations had been put up just for the dance, or if they were simply the standard for the hotel.
"If you ask me, we're the best dressed here," Alya said with a grin, eyes flickering across the masked students. "Of course no one else here has a MDC original, so I'm not surprised."
She loved the way Marinette instantly flushed pink. "A-alya!"
Alya most certainly wasn't exaggerating– while the suits and dresses in the room most certainly edged on the side of fancy when it came to formal wear, she was confident that the one that she and her girlfriend were wearing was the nicest by far. They had been tailored just for this event, and Marinette was no beginner when it came to her work. It seemed others agreed, as she noticed more than a few eyes danced their way as they made their way forward.
"Oh wow!" The familiar voice called out, and Alya turned to see a girl with a bright pink dress and the signature Kitty Section mask on her face– Rose. "You two look amazing– aren't they adorable, Juleka?"
Juleka was also wearing a Kitty Section mask, though her dress was a slim black one. She gave a small smile as she looked over them, voice soft. "Awesome."
The two of them led them off towards where a majority of their class had gathered near the refreshments– and unlike the masks of the Miraculouses the ones they wore let her fairly easily identify them. Ivan and Mylene had also donned Kitty Section masks, small unicorn horns each a different color.
Many of their other classmates had seemed to go with hero masks– Kim and Max with a matching set of Ladybug masks. Alix had a Panthera one, which made Alya smile. She could see Nathaniel off in a corner with a Rena Rouge mask and Marc with a Carapace one. She kept scanning the crowd for the rest of their classmates, and she spotted one more Kitty Section mask in the crowd– probably Juleka's twin. He was with a girl she didn't recognize, who was wearing an intricate red mask.
"Dupain-Cheng," a stiff voice said behind them, and Alya let out a sigh. "I'm guessing this is your work?"
She and Marinette turned, and found the last two girls of their class approaching– Chloe and Sabrina wearing Ladybug and Panthera inspired dresses just like them– Chloe in a long flowing red dress covered with large spots, which Alya thought looked more like a Minnie Mouse dress than Ladybug, and Sabrina in a black dress highlighted with yellow, both of them wearing domino masks that perfectly matched the heroes they were mimicking.
"Um, what do you mean?" Marinette asked, glancing at Chloe.
Chloe waved a hand to Alya and Marinette's dresses. "These outfits– your work, are they not?"
"Um, yes?" Marinette said uncertainly.
"Hmm..." Chloe regarded them with a crinkled nose, and the whole class was silent– ready for whatever Chloe was going to throw at Marinette this time. "It's passable, I suppose."
"...What?" Marinette said, blinking.
Chloe waved a hand. "Usually you're ridiculous, Dupain-Cheng, but these little designs aren't utterly ridiculous." She eyed Alya's dress approvingly. "You two know that the heroes are to be respected– and that little article you wrote, Cesaire, after everyone had the gall to insult my Ladybug after Stormy Weather, did plenty of good– it shut up those who thought they were better than Ladybug."
"...Thank you?" Alya said uncertainly.
"Anyways," Chloe said briskly. "These dresses Dupain-Cheng made to honor the heroines are... good." She said the last word as if it pained her to say. "As such, to honor Ladybug– not Dupain-Cheng!– I would like to commission you to design me a Ladybug-themed dress."
"You what?" Marinette said, staring at Chloe.
"Not make," Chloe said hurriedly. "I don't want to wear anything that you've touched, but your design is passable– so you're going to design me a Ladybug themed dress, got it?"
Alya reached forward, wondering if Chloe had someone been replaced with an illusion from Silver Paw. She touched Chloe's hand– who let out a yelp as if she had been burned, jumping back into Sabrina.
"Who are you and what have you done with Chloe?" Alya asked, blinking.
"Gah!" Chloe huffed. "You're all ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" She snapped her fingers at Marinette. "Anyways, commission– I'll contact you when I have the time. But after Ladybug saved me from being akumatized it's the least I can do!"
With that Chloe turned with a huff, stalking off into the crowd, her arm linked with Sabrina, leaving the class to stare at her with shock. Their eyes all slowly turned towards Marinette, who looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh, before smiling at the class.
"Well, coming from Chloe that was basically her welcoming us with welcome arms," she said.
"Talk about a once in a lifetime occurrence!" Alix said with a laugh.
"What do you say we get this dance started?" Rose said happily.
"Has Nino arrived yet?" Mylene asked, glancing about. "He said he was coming, didn't he?"
"I haven't seen him yet," Alya said, glancing out at the crowd. She saw a few Carapace masks in the audience– but she was sure that he wouldn't show up wearing one of those. "But he said he'd be here, with that mysterious date of his too."
The current song was beginning to come to an end, and Marinette turned towards Alya. "What do you say we hit the dance floor?"
Alya grinned. "Don't worry, if you fall, I'll catch you."
"I fell for you a long time ago, Al," Marinette said, flashing a smile– and Alya's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
The small gathering of their group dispersed from there, some heading to the refreshments, and others to the dancefloor. Despite the very formal atmosphere that the ballroom had, the music was what you would expect at a collège dance; upbeat with a good bass.
It was easy to get lost in the music– and Alya was slowly starting to realize it had been some time since she had just been able to relax and let loose. The tension that had crept into her life since becoming a full time hero... well, it had taken its toll, even if she wouldn't trade a moment of it. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Marinette, who had been carrying this burden since they had first met.
So just to see Marinette laughing, swaying with the music– she deserved every moment of it, and so much more.
It was a few songs later that Alya finally spotted Nino– who had not gone for a Carapace mask, or any hero mask. His outfit was formal but simple– black suit with no tie. He was lingering on the edges of the large room, chatting with a tall boy who was in a brilliant white suit.
"Did Nino get himself a freaking supermodel for a date?" Alya asked in disbelief, staring at the boy– because she would be lying if she didn't say he was gorgeous.
Marinette's eyes followed hers, looking at the blond, eyes wide. "Oh my," she said as her eyes landed on Nino's date, sounding very awed. "That's absolutely beautiful!"
"Yeah... he is pretty," Alya agreed, but she couldn't help but say it a bit begrudgingly, causing Marinette to look at her. "I thought you didn't like guys."
Marinette stared at her for a moment, glancing back at Nino's date– before letting out a laugh. "Oh! You were talking about the boy himself– I was talking about his outfit." She grinned. "What? You jealous?"
"I just wasn't expecting you to agree that easily!"
Marinette let out a laugh. "Well I do have to agree with the supermodel statement– those clothes definitely look like they could go on a runway, even from way over here you can tell the quality." Her eyes gleamed. "As for the boy himself... well, I mean if I swung the other way..."
"Nope," Alya said, wrapping her arm around Marinette's waist, pulling her in close. "I'm afraid you're mine, girl."
"You're the one that brought him up first," Marinette said with a smirk, before leaned up, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "Don't worry though, Kittycat– you're the only one for me."
"It's nice," Blue said, eyes flickering about the ballroom. "To just be somewhere without anyone recognizing me."
"Amazing what a mask can do," Nino agreed, adjusting his own mask. "Though I must say, I prefer the masks that our little friends make."
"Well, I do have to say that silver mask suits you well," Blue replied teasingly.
"…You don't think anyone will be able to guess based on color alone, right?" Nino asked after a moment of thought.
"No," Blue said, looking over him. "And even if they could link it to your name the magic would probably take care of the rest."
"Yeah," Nino said, touching the Turtle Miraculous on his wrist. "It's amazing what they can do."
"There you are, Nino!" A voice called, causing Nino to jump, pulling his hand away from the Miraculous. Alya and Marinette were making their way through the crowd towards them, and Nino couldn't help but tense up slightly.
Blue looked up curiously, unaware of who was truly approaching them, and Nino forced himself to relax.
"Hi Alya, hey Mari, how you dudettes doing?" He asked, slipping his hands into his pockets, and he felt his kwamis brush up against them.
"Just enjoying the dance," Marinette replied, glancing at Blue. "And this is your friend you told us about?"
"I'm Jaden," Blue said warmly, holding out his hand. "You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right?"
"Nino's talked about me?"
"He has, but you're that girl that won the Gabriel competition, correct?" Blue asked.
Marinette looked surprised at this recognition. "Y-yeah, I am, it was just a little hat though…"
"It looked nice," Blue insisted. "Nino mentioned you liked designing, did you make the dress you're wearing?"
"I did," she beamed. "Alya's too, actually."
"Ah, the famous Ladyblogger," Blue said, turning to Alya. "I'm always keeping up with your blog, I don't miss a post."
Alya grinned. "Always happy to see a fellow Ladybug fan."
Oh, if only she knew.
Nino couldn't help himself, grinning slightly. "Jaden here used to have a crush on Ladybug, actually."
All of their expressions were hilarious– Marinette flushing, Blue letting out a protesting squeak, and Alya getting a defensive gleam in her eyes. Nino held back a snort, Trixx shaking silently in one pocket, and Wayzz giving him a sharp poke in the other.
"Y-you're not supposed to tell anyone that!" Blue protested in horror, and Nino couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Oh, a lot of people crushed on LB, nothing to be embarrassed about," Nino said, nudging him. "Alya did too, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mari did as well."
Marinette let out a small squeak, and this time Alya burst out laughing. "I'm afraid me and Marinette only have eyes for each other."
Blue's eyes lit up. "You two are together? Awesome! Seems like the Bubbler wasn't akumatized in vain."
Blue nudged Nino with a grin, who scowled. "Bubbler was a stupid name."
"Oh, I don't think it was too bad," Blue said.
"Wait," Alya said, eyes flickering between the two of them. "…Are you saying you were akumatized to get me and my girl together?"
"…Maybe."
"You said you didn't know!" Alya protested.
"The mind of the Bubbler is a mystery to all," Nino deadpanned. "Who knew what was going through his head, accepting the name of Bubbler, clearly he was insane."
"Clearly more insane than the Butterfly holder," Blue replied, eyes gleaming.
"I doubt that," Nino replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"No one's more insane than Hawk Moth," Alya said, breaking the moment, and both of the boys glanced away from each other.
"Tonight's not a night to worry about Miraculouses," Marinette said, slipping her hand into Alya's. "Tonight is to just let go and have fun."
"Yeah," Blue said softly in agreement.
A hush fell across them, and Nino's heart twisted as they stood there– realizing just how exhausted they all truly were.
"Can I ask where you got your suit, Jaden?" Marinette asked Blue. "The workmanship is absolutely beautiful!"
Blue uncertainly glanced at Nino, his gaze nervous. "I… It was given to me, actually."
"Do you know what fabric it's made out of?"
"So…" Alya said, leaning up against Nino, causing him to jump slightly as the others got lost in their own conversion. "Are you and Jaden together?"
"Yes," he said, eyes locked on Marinette and Blue as they spoke, slightly on edge from the sight itself.
They didn't know who they were talking to. They didn't know the danger that could arise for them. That the Miraculouses they were seeking were right in front of them. It was almost painful to see the smiles on their faces, how easily they spoke to one another. A friendship could so easily form, and he knew it, and that was what hurt. They had come face to face before, clashing as enemies, all over mere gems.
"Ooo!" Alya said in a whisper, even though Nino was feeling detached from the conversation. "So… how long have you been together?"
"Tonight is our first date."
"Hoping it will be the first of many?"
Nino looked at her, and she seemed surprised at his solemn expression. "I love him."
She smiled softly. "I know what you mean."
He looked back at Blue, who was laughing, and he couldn't help but be honest in that moment. "I would do anything for him, Alya. I have done things I never imagined I would before." Amber eyes stared into hazel. "I will do anything I have to do to protect him."
"Is… is he okay?" She asked softly.
"No," he said, voice waving slightly. "Far from it, but it's not my story to tell."
"Is there…?" She didn't seem to know how to reply. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Maybe," Nino said, glancing at her. "You would help him?"
"Of course I would," she said. "You're my friend, Nino, I'll always be there for you and everyone in your life."
"Thank you, Alya," he said softly.
A part of him wanted to say he'd hold her to that promise, but he knew that wouldn't be fair. So he let the conversation drift off, watching Blue and Marinette as their own conversation came to a close. Blue was in a light mood as they parted ways, the girls heading off to the refreshments table. Blue flashed a smile at Nino, but seemed startled by his expression.
"You okay?" He asked softly.
"Just worried about you," Nino replied.
"Your friends are pretty cool," he said with a smile. "Hopefully I can see them again outside this dance."
"Heh, maybe," Nino said with an uncertain smile. "We'll have to find a way to make it work."
"Yeah," he touched his golden mask. "We kind of got a lot of luck on this." He paused, listening to the new song that was coming on, before flashing a smile. "You want to dance?"
Of course he asked when a slower song came on. "Er," he glanced out at the students on the dance floor, who was beginning to sway with their partners. "Not really a pro when it comes to a classic dance, my dude."
"Good," Blue replied with a smirk, grabbing his hand as he pulled them into the dance floor, putting a hand on his waist. "Because I am."
Nino's mouth went dry, stumbling slightly as he tried to find his footing. He took a moment to mirror Blue's stance: hand on his waist, letting the other be swept up into the air with his hand. He wasn't going fast, just taking a few steps across the floor before turning, but Nino found that watching their feet wasn't helping.
So instead he looked up into those beautiful green eyes, focusing less on each step, and let Blue lead him. It was surprising how easy it all came to him the moment he let the tension fall from his shoulders, following the pattern Blue was giving.
Step step step, turn. Step step step, turn.
"See?" Blue said. "It's not hard."
"Heh," he said softly. "No, not really."
Step step step, turn. Step step step, turn.
This feeling was something new, Nino realized, letting Blue lead them in the dance. Not just the dance itself, but just following after Blue. Protecting Blue has been his focus for so long, the goal he has clung to, that it almost felt strange to let Blue be the one to support his arms, to guide him, instead of Nino being the one sheltering him.
He liked it.
"Are you a dancer?" He couldn't help but ask, as Blue moved with such grace, as if it were natural.
"I've had lessons," he said after a moment. "But just the basics, nothing more." He smiled. "We aren't doing much."
Nino's eyes locked on his lips. "…We could do more."
"In front of everyone?" Blue asked, raising his eyebrow.
"I wouldn't say no."
Blue let out a chuckle, bringing Nino's clasped hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of his hand. It was soft and warm, before continuing to lead them in the dance, drifting towards the edges of the dance floor.
"I'm glad you came," Nino said.
"I wouldn't have missed it," Blue looked about. "I mean, we haven't been here long and this is already one of the most fun parties I've been to."
What kind of parties had he been to if a school dance was at the top of his list?
"I–"
"What are you doing here?!" A shrill voice cried, and Blue instantly tensed up in his arms.
Nino merely sighed, looking out to see the blonde making her way through the crowd of students, wondering who had upset Chole, only to realize she was coming right towards them. He blinked in confusion, trying to remember if he had somehow upset Chloe, but her eyes weren't even on him.
She stormed up to Blue, pulling him away from Nino, eyes gleaming brightly. "You sneak in here and didn't tell me? You said not to plan on you being here, then you show up?!"
"Um–" Nino began, wondering who Chloe thought Blue was, but before he could say anything Blue laid his hands on Chloe's shoulders.
"Hey, Chlo, I just–"
"Did you think I wouldn't recognize you?"
"It's–"
"I was akumatized because of you!" Chloe cried. "Because I wanted you to be here when you couldn't!"
"I'm so sorry about that," Blue said softly. "I didn't want that to happen, I swear."
Chloe let out a huff. "How did you get here without your father knowing?"
"I went out the window."
"You did what!"
"Wait," Nino said, and their eyes fell on him. "Wait one second– you two know each other?"
Blue rubbed the back of his head. "Er, kinda?"
"'Kinda'?" Chloe cried. "He's my best friend, Lahiffe! How do you know him?"
"I thought Sabrina was your best friend."
"She's my girlfriend."
"Well he's my boyfriend."
"What!"
"Not here," Blue said, wincing slightly. "Can we talk about this elsewhere?"
"Well you most certainly aren't walking away without giving me any answers–" She was cut off as Blue threw a hand over her mouth.
"Don't say my name," he hissed.
"It's not like your father is here to overhear."
"Chloe please."
"Who here would even tell him?"
"Chlo!"
"It's me," Nino said, seeing the panic in Blue's eyes. "It's me who doesn't know his name, Chloe, and he's not ready to tell me. If you really are his best friend you'll drop the topic and won't let me know."
She sneered. "I knew he wouldn't really date someone like you."
"Actually… we are?" Blue said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We, er, Nino and I, we're…"
"We met online," Nino said swiftly. "Became friends and we decided to, um, give dating a try once we realized we both had feelings." He grabbed Blue's hand. "This is our first date, and he's not ready to tell me his full name yet, and I'm going to respect that."
Chloe rubbed her temples. "Meeting for the first time and you already are calling yourselves boyfriends… gah. You're lucky I know the both of you, because I can confirm you're both real and not creeps!"
"We've been careful," Blue insisted.
"If he doesn't know your name what is he calling you?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms.
"Jaden?"
"Alright then, 'Jadikins'," Chloe said, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the dance floor. "You owe me a dance and a full explanation– then I need to have a few words with Nino here."
With that Chloe dragged Blue away to dance, no doubt questioning him, leaving Nino with more questions than before. He stared at the two of them, trying to comprehend the fact that they were apparently best friends– Blue and Chloe.
They seemed to be in deep conversation as they went out on the dance floor, Nino never taking his eyes off of them. He was pretty sure he saw Chloe roll her eyes once, and another time she gestured off in his direction.
She kept Blue through two songs, before she finally let them return to Nino's side. Before he had a chance to ask any questions Chloe grabbed Nino's arm, pulling him onto the dance floor. However she didn't put in much effort to actually dance, barely touching him as she glared up at him.
"Hi?" He offered.
"He's in love with you," Chloe finally said. "He doesn't have some crush on you–he's head over heels."
"Me too," Nino said softly.
"You listen here, Lahiffe," Chloe growled, leaning in closer. "'Jaden' is like a brother to me. My closest friend growing up, and he deserves the world– not someone like you."
Nino said nothing.
"But he's decided that you're his world," Chloe continued. "So I'm going to respect that. But you better understand that if you hurt him, if you break his heart, if you use him or leave him, I will ruin you."
"I'll hold you to that," Nino said, surprising Chloe, but she didn't comment.
"You don't know anything about his life," Chloe muttered. "And once you go public it isn't going to be easy, I promise you. His father may not openly discuss his disdain for our kinds of relationships, but that doesn't mean he'll sit quietly by. He'll try to drive you apart, I promise, and it won't be pretty."
"Jaden has told me about his father," Nino replied. "I have plans to punch the man in the face when I meet him and to get Jaden away from him."
Chloe snorted. "Good luck with that." She eyed him. "At least you're not stupid though. 'Jaden' would never say a word against his father, which means you've paid enough attention to know that man is paranoid and controlling."
"And evil."
"Don't let 'Jaden' hear you say that."
"He's well aware of my opinions of his father."
"Hmm," Chloe said, lips twisting. "Maybe there's more between you two than I thought. Maybe you do deserve a chance, so I'll give you one."
"I'm glad to see there's someone in his life that cares about him," Nino said.
"It's kind of funny, actually," Chloe said, and her voice didn't sound as cold as before. "You two, meeting. I tried to get his father to have him join our class. If he had said yes… well, you two would've met. Probably would've been just as close considering how you two are now."
Nino was quiet, considering that. What would that have been like, meeting him face to face, no mask between them?
"Chloe," Nino asked after a moment. "Can you promise me something?"
"Depends."
"Promise me you'll stand by 'Jaden', no matter what. That you'll be the best friend you say you are no matter what happens. That he'll always have your support."
Chloe snorted. "Easy. Sure, I promise."
"I'm going to hold you to that," Nino said quietly.
"You have nothing to worry about, Lahiffe," Chloe said firmly. "Now, I want to get back to Sabrina, and I'm sure Jaden's worried about me giving away all his secrets."
Nino looked back and saw Blue watching them nervously. He gave him a reassuring smile, and led Chloe back towards him. Chloe gratefully stepped away from him, and Nino was startled that he had danced with her of all people– though his respect for the blonde had risen during the conversation, seeing how much she cared for Blue.
"Well, I'm glad you were able to come after all, Jadikins," Chloe said, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You better have fun at this party, you hear me? I put a lot of work into it."
"I know you did, Chlo," he replied softly.
"Let me know if you need anything," she said brightly, before glaring at Nino, and she hurried off into the crowd.
"What did she say to you?" Blue asked the moment she was out of sight.
"That if I hurt you she'd make me regret it," he eyed Blue. "So… you and Chloe are friends?"
"Surprise?"
"And you took the comb from her?"
Blue shifted. "I was desperate?"
"And her being akumatized?"
Blue's expression fell. "That… that was my fault." He muttered. "When she reached out to see if I wanted to come to the dance I decided to ask Father, because if I got permission then I didn't have to sneak out… I should've known better, he's been so worried about Mom that bringing up something so trivial…"
"And he akumatized your friend?" He said in disbelief.
"That was my punishment," Blue said. "He didn't even really try to have her get the Miraculouses."
"That's why you and Mellifera weren't there," Nino said in realization.
"Yeah," he said quietly, and Nino saw the heavy look in his eyes.
"Well, you heard what Marinette said– tonight is to have fun, we can talk about this another time," he bumped up against him. "So what do you say we enjoy the dance, and then maybe we can slip up into the roofs later?"
Blue smiled. "Sounds good."
It was times like this Alya truly loved– being out of the house, surrounded by friends– people, everything around her loud and vibrant. To just put her concern aside and truly enjoy the moment. Her face hurt from how much she had been smiling, the heavy beat of the music seeming to echo with her heart.
She and their classmates had claimed a small section of the dance floor for themselves, where they had all worked themselves sweaty before their group had made their way to the refreshments. The only ones not among them were Chloe and Sabrina– who had little interest in hanging with them– and Nino and Jaden, who Alya had seen leaving not too long ago. They were joined by Marc and Luka with his date.
"Ooo! They're taking photos!" Rose had said in excitement, pointing off to one corner of the hotel, and so once their glasses of punch were empty they made their way over to the greenscreen and photographer– a small squabble rising up on what the background for their group photo should be.
Alya felt slightly bad for the photographer, who was trying to get all of them smiling and in frame, while a small line of other students built up behind them. Alya had her arm thrown around Marinette's shoulder, who had a hand wrapped around Alya's waist, grinning at the camera as the blinding lights flashed.
Their small group migrated on from the photographer, and Alya was starting to regret wearing heels, feet hurting. But they had gone so well with the dress Marinette had made that nothing else would have looked quite as good.
"I'll text you all the photo," Rose promised the group. "Do I have your number, Kagami? Here, let me add it!"
"Woo!" Alya called out, flashing a grin at Marinette. "What a day, huh?"
"It's been a blast," Marinette said with a grin, and they made their way to the edge of the room where some chairs were lined up– they needed a moment to sit down. "How long do you want to stay?"
"I'm still up for a few more rounds of dancing," Alya said with a grin. "What about you–?"
She was cut off and she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see who had stopped her. She was surprised to see her teacher standing there, her grip surprisingly tight as she looked down at Alya, expression unreadable.
"Alya," Miss Bustier said, sounding out of breath. "There you are, come with me, please."
"Did something happen?" Alya asked, blinking, but her teacher put a hand on her shoulder, leading her away from the seats and towards one of the doors of the ballroom. She could hear Marinette hurrying after them, sharing a confused glance with Alya as she looked back at her.
Things were much quieter as they entered the hallway, a slight buzz in her ears from the sudden silence. Marinette was right on their heels, speaking up. "Miss Bustier, what's going on? Did something happen?"
Miss Bustier looked back at Marinette, and now that they were out of the dim dance room Alya realized their teacher looked slightly pale. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it after a moment of consideration. "You... you can come too, Marinette, that should be just fine. Hurry now."
"Miss Bustier, what's happening?" Alya demanded as they exited the hotel, their teacher not making eye contact with them as they made their way through the parking lot.
The silence that hung in the air was unnerving, following their teacher out to her small car. She pulled out her keys, unlocked the vehicle, and signaled for them to get in. Alya felt a small pit form in her stomach as she climbed into the back seat, Marinette sliding in next to her. Miss Bustier finally spoke again as she got in the car herself.
"I need to take you to meet your parents," Miss Bustier said quietly.
"A-are they okay?" Alya stuttered out, fear pounding through her. "Did something happen? My sisters–?"
Miss Bustier started the car– and the hesitation did nothing to calm Alya's fear.
"It's your apartment, Alya... your building has caught fire."