CHAPTER 17: Telling the Friends Part 2

"Okay, seriously, what is up with you two?"

Adrien was suspicious. Five minutes of lunch had already passed and their group had barely had a civil conversation. The silence between them four of them was bizarre. Marinette and Alya were often going off on one topic or another, and it wasn't like he and Nino didn't chime in either. But Marinette seemed nervous and focused on Alya, and the blogger was in some sort of face-making contest with Nino if their facial expressions were anything to go by.

"Yeah, Alya, you promised you would tell me what's going on!" Marinette cried, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Adrien felt a little more justified in his questioning after seeing that Marinette was on his side too. Glad I'm not the only one that noticed something off about those two…

He watched as Alya and Nino glanced nervously at each other, communicating without words for a moment before turning back to them.

Nino was the first to open his mouth. "Umm, I don't really know how to say this…"

Alya suddenly laid her hand on top of Nino's, and they smiled at each other, though a touch awkwardly. Adrien only became more confused at the apparent intimacy between the two. It was just like that hug he had witnessed between them this morning.

"We're soulmates," Alya said, coming right out with it. "Me and Nino. Uh, Nino and I." She paused awkwardly after correcting her own grammar. "Yeah."

"Yeah," Nino echoed, shrugging.

Adrien sat there, dumbfounded for a moment as multiple emotions overtook him. "What?"

"Well," Alya hastily started to explain, "Ladybug locked us in a cage together yesterday during the akuma attack, and-"

"That's what you've been hiding?!" Marinette squealed in her seat, jumping up and going around the table to glomp Alya into a hug. "Tell me everything!"

The girls laughed, and the tension broke. Adrien pushed down the emotion he recognized as jealousy and turned to smile at his best friend instead. "Dude, uh, congrats?" He offered a closed hand, and Nino happily completed the fist-bump.

"Thanks, dude. Guessing our conversation this morning makes a lot more sense now, huh?" They both chuckled. Adrien felt a burden fall off his chest, grateful he no longer had to worry about the source of Nino's weird behavior today.

"Ahh! Tell me everything!" Marinette grilled Alya, as she plopped back down into her seat. "Did it happen when you got locked in the cage together?"

Alya took Marinette's enthusiasm in stride. "Yeah. It's kind of funny, I guess. We were in the cage and got into a small fight-"

"You mean, you were being stubborn," Nino interrupted.

"Hey!" They laughed at Alya's indignation as she lightly punched Nino's arm.

He continued, rubbing the appendage in protest. "Yeah, we got into a fight and I remember reaching for her hand, and then it was like everything just… clicked, you know?" At the blank expressions on his friends' faces, he backtracked a little. "Well, I mean, you don't know, but yeah. That was when we knew for sure." Alya nodded along to his explanation.

"When did you turn into your soul animals?" Marinette demanded, excitedly.

The newly deemed soulmates eyed each other. "I don't know, maybe 20-30 minutes after we touched?" Alya tapped a finger to her lips, trying to remember. "It was definitely before Ladybug and Chat Noir finished fighting the akuma."

Adrien raised an eyebrow, impressed, as he remembered the length of the fight yesterday. "Wow, that's really fast!"

"Ooooh- what are your soul animals?" Marinette bubbled. Adrien watched as their friends shared another meaningful glance, their expressions guarded.

"Oh," Marinette concluded, aware that her question might have been too much. "Nevermind. You don't have to answer that! I understand if you want to keep that between you two." She waved her hands in a placating gesture.

"No, I'm alright with it," Alya said. "My soul animal is a fox."

A fox? Adrien supposed that fit with what he knew of Alya. He then heard Marinette's sudden giggle. "Oh Alya, that's so you."

Alya made a face, and everyone laughed.

"Nino, what about you?" Marinette inquired next. "You don't have to share if you don't want to."

"Uh, yeah. I think I'd like to keep that to myself for now." Nino adjusted his hat nervously, but calmed when Adrien and Marinette seemed to graciously accept his response with a nod each.

Adrien felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he observed Alya reaching over to squeeze Nino's hand again, this time smirking in his direction. "I'm not embarrassed…" Nino grumbled under his breath.

"Wait," Adrien said, comprehension dawning on his face, "are you guys talking with telepathy?"

"You could tell?" Nino asked, a bit shocked.

"You guys have telepathy?!" Marinette whisper-shouted, and Alya nodded with a giddy grin. "Ugh, that's so cool!"

Adrien considered Nino's question thoughtfully. "Your expressions kept changing even though you weren't actually talking. It was familiar to me, because my parents-" He cut himself off with a frown, reminded once again that his mother was gone. "My parents used to do that."

Everyone sent him sympathetic looks. "We could stop if it bugs you guys," Nino offered.

"Oh, no way! It's fine!" Adrien appreciated Nino's thoughtfulness, but he wasn't going to let them restrict that part of their relationship because of him. "I mean, it's a little weird being on the outside and not a part of your conversation, but this is a part of your soulmate bond. There's no way I would interfere!"

Marinette nodded along with him. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll get used to it soon."

"Thanks, dudes." Nino gave them a thumbs-up, appearing genuine in his words, but awkward due to his movement.

A pause in the conversation clued them in to their awaiting lunches, and everyone decided in that moment to dig in.

"So," Alya inquired, after swallowing quite a large bite of her sandwich. "Do you guys have any more questions?"

"You have fencing practice today, right?" Nino asked as he parted with Adrien on the front steps after school ended.

"Yeah, but I have a little time still. Why, is something on your mind?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so…" Nino trailed off, but Adrien patiently waited for him to collect his thoughts. "I wanted to tell you, uh, that my soul animal is a turtle."

Adrien's eyebrows raised in surprise before furrowing. "I thought you didn't want to tell anyone?"

Nino smiled half-heartedly. "I just felt like you needed to know, dude. You're my best bud. I trust you, and not telling you made me feel like I wasn't trusting you."

Adrien put a hand on Nino's shoulder. "Thank you for trusting me then. And just know that I wouldn't have thought less of you if you didn't tell me at all." Then a hint of a smirk appeared on the blonde's face. "By the way, your soul animal is turtle-y awesome!"

"Dude!"

Adrien chuckled at Nino's mortified reaction. "Hey, I'm just saying! And, it's not like it's something to be ashamed of, it's just a part of who you are. Embrace your turtle-y-ness."

"Yeah, I guess." Nino looked thoughtful for a moment before eyeing Adrien again. "You know, this was what I was afraid of. My own best friend mocking me." He shook his head, mock-serious. "How dare you."

"How dare I?" Adrien asked innocently, pointing to himself. Then he turned smug. "Don't be so slow on the uptake, bro."

Nino opened his mouth to respond in similar jest, but froze as the pun registered in his brain.

Adrien snickered as his best friend threw a hard glare at him. "What? Am I going too fast for you?"

Their light-hearted moment was interrupted by an alarm on Adrien's phone. He sighed, loathe to leave so soon. "Gotta go. Like you said, fencing practice. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course, dude." They fist-bumped and turned their separate directions.

Adrien paused in his walking after a few seconds, feeling like he needed to say more. "Nino?"

The DJ looked back at him from a few steps down. "Yeah?"

Adrien looked down, fiddling with his bag awkwardly. "Uh, if you have anything else you want to talk about, just let me know, okay?" He glanced up to see an encouraging smile from Nino, causing him to smile confidently in return. "I'm here for you, anytime."

Nino was still for a moment before striding back up the steps in quick succession. Adrien, surprised at the abrupt bear-hug he received, almost didn't catch Nino's words.

"You're the best, Adrien."

"So, I just thought of something," Marinette interjected, as her and Alya walked the short distance to her house.

"Yeah?"

"If you and Nino are soulmates, doesn't that mean you have to report it to the DSA?"

Alya grimaced, stopping on the sidewalk in front of the bakery. "I forgot we had to do that." She sighed and opened the door, waving at Sabine at the register. "Why do we have to do that, again?"

"Well, isn't it because it helps with criminal investigations and stuff?" Marinette racked her brain, trying to remember the research from their soulmate project during the first week of school. "Like, if you committed a crime, or if a crime was committed again you, it's important for the government to know that you can turn into your soul animal. Depending on what yours is, they might do investigations differently."

Alya deflated a bit more as they walked through the bakery to the stairs of the apartment. "I think I remember there also being something about how it helps them calculate the soulmate matching rate correctly."

As they walked up the stairs, Marinette took in the mood of her best friend. "You really don't want to report it, do you?"

"No," Alya admitted. The girls walked into the apartment and headed towards the ladder to Marinette's room. "It feels like my personal space is going to be invaded. Like, I'm being forced to tell someone I don't want to tell. Who knows what the government will do with that information."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed, trying to sympathize with the blogger. "Maybe you could think of it like giving fingerprints? I mean, yeah, it's personal information you are giving out, but that could make it, I don't know, less intrusive?" At Alya's raised eyebrow, she blanched. "I mean, I don't want to assume of course! I've never been in your position, so-"

Alya laughed, stopping her best friend. "Mari, it's fine. Thanks for trying to help. I'll get over it." She and Marinette set their bags down near the chaise and sat down side-by-side. "It's just, all of this is so new, and I wish I had more time to figure out things with Nino instead of having to deal with logistics and other people interfering." Alya couldn't help but scowl at the end of that sentence.

Marinette frowned at her friend's bitterness and felt bad as she analyzed her own reaction to the news at lunch today. "I'm sorry if I'm one of those people interfering," she voiced, quietly.

"Oh no, girl, you're fine!" Alya reassured, engulfing her in a side-hug. "You're one of the people I wanted to tell."

"But I bugged you about it!"

"Yeah, so?" Alya shrugged as she pulled away from Marinette. "That's what friends do when they see their friends acting weird. Plus, it's not like I could keep it a secret from you anyway."

Marinette smiled at Alya's forgiving tone, relieved to know she hadn't damaged their relationship. "So, am I allowed to ask more questions?"

Alya rolled her eyes. "Of course, girl."

Marinette wiggled in her seat, becoming excited again. "What did it feel like? Touching him for the first time?"

Alya's eyebrows scrunched together in thought, taken back to the day before. "It was like… like everything was suddenly different; my eyes were opened to what I hadn't seen before. Literally something that was right in front of me, you know?"

Marinette nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"I mean, yeah, there was that spark feeling that people talk about. But it was more than just a physical sensation. It was like…" She paused for a second, trying to find the right words. "Okay, this is going to sound cheesy, but it's like my soul felt it, okay?"

Marinette giggled, and Alya rolled her eyes with a grin.

"And after that… well, it was a little awkward at first because we both knew, but we found stuff to talk about, I guess. We couldn't really run away from each other even if we wanted to since we were trapped in the cage."

"So, after that you turned into your soul animals?"

"Yeah, but we were in our animal forms for only a minute or two before changing back." Alya shifted herself on the chaise, trying to sit comfortably while facing Marinette. "I remember it hurting when I changed into a fox, but it didn't when I changed back into human form. Isn't it only supposed to hurt the first time?"

Marinette shrugged. "I think that's what it said online."

Alya distractedly acknowledged her best friend's confirming words, still reflecting on the day before. Being a fox was a bit of a blur to her. She recalled that her vision had been slightly different, and that everything had felt larger in comparison due to her smaller body. She also remembered being the one to reach out to Nino when they turned back. It was hard to recall what it was like when they were only transformed for a minute or two. We definitely need more time to explore that…

"Oh! Could you change into your fox form right now, if you wanted to?" Marinette inquired, interrupting her thoughts.

"I'm not sure," Alya answered. "I tried to transform last night, but I couldn't figure it out. I don't think I'll get the hang of it until I can try around Nino again."

"I suppose that makes sense," Marinette concurred. "It's only been a day." She paused for a second, tapping her fingers on her legs as she tried to think of another question. "Okay, so how do you feel about Nino being your soulmate?" She injected a bit of teasing into her tone. "Do you think you guys are going to start dating soon, or what?"

"I-" Alya paused and tried to analyze her feelings, reminded of her worries from the night before. "I don't know." At Marinette's confused but encouraging expression, Alya attempted to explain further. "I mean, it's Nino. He's a great guy, but I feel like I don't know him that well. Like... like, what if he wants to start dating right away? What if he's all super romantic all of a sudden? What do I do?" She anxiously leaned her face into her hands, a coil of dread twisting inside her.

"Oh, Alya…" Marinette scooted closer to her best friend to give her a hug, or at least the best hug she could with Alya leaning in on herself. "I know it's scary, but everything's going to be alright. I mean, it's unfortunate that you don't know him that well. But hey! At least he isn't some random stranger. And-

"But he does feel like a stranger!" Alya confessed, jolting up to look back at Marinette. "Everything is just so new! I thought meeting my soulmate would be wonderful, but all it's done is left me so confused." She looked back down and took a deep breath to calm herself. "I mean, don't get me wrong. Today was nice, even though it was weird. But…" She trailed off an shook her head. "I don't know what to do or feel. I just- I just feel scared and-"

She was cut off by someone clearing their throat. Sabine could be seen standing through the open trap door to Marinette's room, holding a tray of cookies. "I am so sorry for interrupting, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," she said as she walked into the room and set down the tray on Marinette's desk. "Alya, sweetie, are you alright?"

"Um, uh-"

"Maman, Alya found her soulmate," Marinette answered, though a bit solemnly, sensing Alya's distress and hesitancy.

"And that's the cause of all this worry?" Sabine kneeled down in front of Alya and put a hand on her leg. "Sweetheart, you have all the time in the world to figure out your relationship. Don't try to rush your feelings. Right now, he is probably feeling just as confused as you are." She paused, rubbing a thumb across Alya's knee in a comforting gesture. "Both of you will have to get used to the new intimacy between you two and seeing each other in a new light. But it's okay to take your time. Don't let the world push you before you're ready, okay?"

Alya nodded silently at her words, looking down at her lap apprehensively.

"I've known Nino for a long time," Marinette pointed out, while squeezing Alya's shoulder in support. "Even though we've never been close, I don't think he's going to try to rush things with you. He's not that kind of person."

"And if you still feel uncomfortable, tell him," Sabine continued. "Communication, transparency, vulnerability- all of those are important, even between soulmates." She patted Alya's knee reassuringly. "I know it's scary and overwhelming. But you have people who are here for you, always. I'm sure Nino is there for you too. He's your soulmate. You two will be alright no matter how you decide to define your relationship."

Alya nodded again, and Marinette suspected that something was still up; Alya rarely ever displayed such a quiet demeanor. It was then that Marinette caught sight of a lone tear rolling down the other girl's face. "Oh, come here, you." Marinette tenderly wrapped her arms around her best friend and Alya leaned her head on the offered shoulder. A sob sounded through the room as she finally let her overwhelming emotions overtake her.

Sabine hopped up to get a box of tissues from Marinette's desk and set it on the chaise next to the girls. She quietly made her way out of the room, sensing that her job was done for now.

After a few minutes, Alya came back to herself, feeling a bit more at peace. She took a deep breath and let it out, then brought up a hand to move her hair away from tickling her nose.

"Hey," Marinette murmured. "You're okay, yeah?" Alya nodded, still leaning on the other girl's shoulder. She sniffed and sat up, her vision still a little blurry.

Marinette handed her a tissue. "Would you like help coming up with a game plan for Nino? Kind of like how you help me with Adrien?"

Alya laughed at that, albeit a bit shakily, and blew her nose into the tissue. "Sure, girl. You're the best."

"I try," Marinette said, dismissing the compliment with a wave of her hand.

"I don't know why I feel this way right now," Alya admitted, using another tissue to wipe her face. "I was fine when I was with him today. Yeah, sure it's been a bit awkward ever since we found out, but we were joking around, planning how to tell you guys during lunch, more at ease with each other than I expected, I guess. I don't know why I'm suddenly worried about all this."

"It sounds like you just need to be around him more," Marinette reassured, rubbing circles on the other girl's back. "Maybe you could get lunch with him tomorrow."

"But that sounds like a date," Alya argued.

"Well, yes, but think of it more like you are getting to know him," Marinette reasoned. "Before you decide to date someone, you try to hang out with them more and get to know them better, right? So, you can do that with Nino, and get to know him better before you officially define what your relationship is going to be. Then you can better decide when you want your soulmate bond to move into romance, if that's what you want." Marinette gave Alya another hug. "Like my mom said, you can always tell him to back off if things are moving too fast, right?"

Alya returned the hug and took a deep breath before responding. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" Marinette teased.

Alya rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile returning to her face. "Okay, I'll ask to have lunch with him tomorrow."

"Great!" Marinette pulled away to look her in the eyes and rubbed her shoulders in encouragement. "You got this, girl!"

Later that night, Alya closed the door to her younger sisters' room, breathing a sigh of relief. She then set about her nightly routine: getting into pajamas, brushing her teeth, and running a comb through her hair to get out any wayward tangles.

She returned to her room, smiling confidently. I can do this.

She hopped onto her bed and crawled under the covers before whipping out her phone and navigating to a specific contact. She pressed the call button before she could overthink it, breathing deeply in preparation.

"Hey, Alya!"

"Hey, Nino. Would you like to get lunch together tomorrow?"

*Edited 11/25/19*