Thank you to all those on APS who encouraged me to write this. You know who you are!

Also, this is obviously written before we know anything about Nino's mum, so I don't expect any of this to be canon.

you have my bow (bro)

Adrien loved the Lahiffe's home. It was like someone had crammed warmth, love, and laughter into every room. Music often played from somewhere—loud and to be enjoyed, just like how Mum had liked it. He also liked to check the easel set up near the living room to see if Nino's mum, Salma, had started a new painting or not. (She claimed it was just a hobby, but it was still interesting to see her turn parts of Paris into a surrealist dream or reimagine the city and its uniform neutrality into a constellation of colour.) It was just a shame Adrien couldn't come over often. (Okay, barely at all, but he wasn't going to let that bring him down today. Not when he'd finally got permission to have a sleepover.)

He knocked on the door, unable to contain his grin or the springy bounce to his step. The sound of an electric violin could be heard from inside—too raw to be studio mastered for an album. Someone had to be playing it. That was different, but then the Lahiffes also had a keyboard and a full turntable setup, so perhaps he shouldn't be surprised one of them could play the violin.

"Chris, get the door!" Nino called.

"You get it! I'm playing my game!"

"So press pause!"

"You—"

"Boys!" Salma cut in.

There was a brief moment of silence and then the violin started up again. Adrien tried not to laugh. Chris and Nino did get along well, but sometimes they did have their little tiffs. (Nino and Alya had assured him that siblings were just like this, and he supposed it must be true since there were times he wanted to snap at Felix and Chloe, and they were the closest people to siblings that he had.)

The door swung open, revealing a surprised Salma. "Adrien, hi! We weren't expecting you so early."

His smile faltered and his shoulders hunched, almost as if he was trying to retreat into his backpack like a snail. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to be an inconvenience. I just thought—"

"No, no." She pulled him into a hug. "Of course it's fine. Come on in."

He followed her inside and was told that Nino was in the studio.

"Thanks," Adrien said.

The sound of the electric violin could still be heard, playing a song he didn't know. It was something modern and upbeat, the kind that made his fingers want to tap out the rhythm against his thigh or sit at a piano and join in. A quick peek in the living room revealed Chris perched on the edge of the sofa, playing the new Ladybug and Chat Noir racing game.

Wait, then that meant …

A tiny grin curved Adrien's lips. He tossed a casual greeting to Chris and headed for the studio, following the music. (Sadly, there was no canvas on Salma's easel today.) The door to the studio was ajar. He pushed it open more and stood on the threshold, watching as Nino moved the bow over the strings, fingers shifting in a nimble dance to get the right notes.

"You're good," Adrien said.

Nino jumped and dragged the bow up into screeching note that sounded like an outraged cat. "Dude, don't scare me like that!"

Adrien laughed and approached him. "Sorry. But I had no idea you could play. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I dunno. Didn't seem important."

"Not important? You're really good!"

Colour dusted Nino's cheeks. "Thanks, but it's just something my mum encouraged me to learn when I was young."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does she force you to practice still or …"

"Nah, nothing like that." He nodded towards the turntable setup. "I wanna be a DJ, you know. So I focus on that."

Adrien nodded. "Makes sense."

"Anyway, I'll just pack this away and then we can—"

"Wait."

Nino tilted his head in question. "Yeah?"

Adrien grinned, teeth flashing. "Can we do one thing first."

"What?"

"A duet."

Nino blinked. "You wanna do a duet?"

"Yeah! You can play the violin and I'll play the keyboard."

His nose scrunched as he considered this proposal.

"It'll be fun," Adrien promised, leaning closer and giving him his best begging kitty eyes. Then he straightened. "Plus, you owe it to me after hiding your amazing violin skills all this time."

Nino laughed. "I wasn't trying to hide anything, and I'm not even that great."

"I think you should let me be the judge of that, and I say you are that great."

Nino shook his head, though a smile lingered on his lips. "It'll really make you that happy to do a duet?"

"Of course! You're my best friend. Why wouldn't I want to do a duet with you?"

"Aw, man, how can I say no to that?"

Adrien's eyes lit up. "Then you will?"

"Of course. I'd never let my bro down."

"Yes!" Adrien punched his fist to the air and practically bounced over to the keyboard, turning it on and taking a seat. "What shall we play?"

Nino rubbed his chin in thought. They tossed ideas at each other, ranging from traditional pieces to modern songs, but eventually decided on something that was as silly as it was fun: the 'Imperial March'.

"Ready?" Adrien asked, positioning his hands over the keys.

Nino adjusted his hat and picked up his bow. "Hit it, bro."

Adrien's grin widened and he played the intro, setting the base and rhythm. Nino came in with the electric violin to play the main melody. A true villain march of piano and strings. Laughs were exchanged as they switched parts, adding in their own flair, or when they joined together to add extra oomph. There was no sheet music to restrain them, and so they could do whatever they wanted. It was liberating.

"More power!" Nino cried, dramatically moving his bow over the strings.

"Yes! We must not let Darth Vader find our lack of villainous playing disturbing!"

Nino snorted and went off-key. "Dude, what?"

Adrien just laughed, pressing the keys with increased force. He fumbled here and there, but for once he didn't care. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It was a good pain.

The music rose and rose, building to a climatic end. Then Nino was left standing with his bow raised like a lightsabre while Adrien was half off his seat, fingers still pressed into the keys to hold the final notes. Both their expressions were grim with dramatic concentration—at least until their eyes met and they fell into a fit of giggles.

"That was fun," Adrien said, once he managed to get control of his voice again.

Nino placed the violin and bow down. "I haven't tried to play that in a while."

"Neither."

There was a beat where they just smiled at each other.

"Did good, bro." Nino held out his fist.

Adrien grinned and bumped their fists together. "Same to you."

Thank you for trashcatontherooftop for suggesting that Nino and Adrien should play the Imperial March together. I loved the idea of them just having fun with their duet.