A continuation of the last DJWifi prompt! This headcanon is really starting to get to me, damn...
Hope you enjoy!

"So, here we are now…", Hawkmoth drawled, looking at Nino who had just entered his lair. He followed the long bridge over to the platform where his friends' arch nemesis stood, tall and with a straight back.

The young man nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yes, so here we are. This is impressive, honestly. Did you let it build just for this?"

Hawkmoth looked around, following his gaze, then he chuckled.

"Well, I've gone a few lengths to get where I want, yes… As have you. Leaving your friends to spy on me must've been very hard for you."

Nino merely gave him a practiced snort, shaking his head as he buried his hands in his pockets and swirled around, then faced the supervillain again, smoothly going past the accusation. He knew that Hawkmoth didn't trust him – yet.

"Nah, that was honestly pretty easy.", he said with a seemingly cold, relaxed undertone, that he had well practiced with Master Fu, "I mean, they just used me. Can you imagine they forced me to take a first aid class to help them patch up?"

The younger man did another swirl before coming to a halt next to Hawkmoth, following his gaze out the big butterfly window.

"I mean, no offense but you do know your son can be pretty much of an asshole when it comes to his opinion?", Nino's stomach churned as he lied about his best friend like that and even got a nod from Hawkmoth, "Or Marinette, the girl behind Ladybug. She's the worst, always demands stuff, always forced me to do her damn work. And the other two? Don't get me started. It's just always 'Nino do this' and 'Nino do that' and I was honestly just glad when I could leave."

He shook his head, then laughed. The two men remained silent for a bit before Hawkmoth spoke up again, squaring his shoulders a little.

"So you're doing this out of hatred? You can't try and make me believe you've started hating them.", the man asked, his gaze still fixed on the window. Nino felt an icy shiver running down his spine as he realized that this was all a test.

"Well, hatred is such a strong word. But you could say I lost seeing their goal. I mean, they just run up against your Akumas blindly, not even trying to change anything. They're four heroes, fully capable to do anything with their powers, but they didn't once stop to see the bigger picture. All they see is another attack, another victory. And the rest is just whining about how you won't stop. I was getting pissed, I suppose…", he shrugged nonchalantly, gladly noting Hawkmoth's shoulders loosening up a little, "They started annoying me. And it especially started annoying me that I was the one behind the scenes, did everything for them, for the old man, but they never appreciated me. They never even thought about giving me anything more than a temporary Miraculous."

"And you're hoping to get one here?", Hawkmoth questioned, sending him a skeptical look, "Why would you think I'd give you a Miraculous? Or even have another one?"

Nino snorted again and shook his head, now stepping forward to turn and catch his gaze.

"Oh, no no. I'm sure I'll never get a Miraculous from anyone. I guess I'm just not cut out. But I figured that since you're the one attacking, you have a plan. Plus, well, I wanna set a sign for them. They said I'm exposable so I'm showing them just how much I am exposable to them. But not to you. I can give you all the information you need."

Hawkmoth smirked as he held the gaze, a smug expression on his face.

"Ah, I see you really are willing to cooperate."

Nino shrugged, chuckling lightly.

"Not just cooperate, honestly. I'd love to work with you."

"… And you're still sure you wanna do this?!", a hushed and sharp, but very familiar whisper drew him into the darkness, just to immediately be hugged around his middle as soon as he stepped away from the brightly lit side street. The gentle scent of his girlfriend made his head dizzy and immediately let a smile sneak onto his lips.

"Hi, Alya. I missed you, too."

She sniffled, pressing against him so that he had to take a step back, his back bumping against a rough brick wall. He wrapped his arms around her and felt the smooth material of her suit as well as her fox ears as he buried his face in the hair on top of her head.

"I'm worrying about you…", she mumbled, her voice sounding muffled and forced. He chuckled and let her lift her legs to wrap them around his hips, turning around to lean them against the wall to keep his balance as she clung to him, "The others are as well but they're mostly mad… It kills me not to tell them you're still a good guy."

He sighed, steading her form on him by slipping one arm further down her back to be able to hold her better.

"I know, but it has to seem authentic… Mr. Agreste is still skeptical but he took me to his lair today. I think I'm making progress with him.", he shifted so he could lean back a little and slip past her fox ear to rest his face in the crook of her neck as he hugged her closer, lifting her a little up. Her legs around him tightened and he had to smile at her adherence. Normally, when she wasn't transformed, she was not that much of a touchy person but as soon as she was Firena and the animal tendencies came out more, she became incredibly possessive with what was hers. It had been annoying at first but he had quickly realized it was a form of showing her love when in the suit.

And honestly, it was good to know he was still hers.

"I just-… Nino, I'm worrying so much… You're around the most dangerous man in the whole of Paris and you both know who the other is. I-… I mean he could just get all the information he wants out of you and then just-…", she shivered and he tightened his hug, placing a little kiss on skin that wasn't covered by the suit.

"I know but that's just the risk I gotta take… I'll try to be careful how much information I'll leak so he doesn't lose interest in me. I'll be careful, Alya.", she sniffled in his hair and one hand came up to cradle his head, keeping him tightly against her. He still kept them leaning against the wall but now leant back to nudge his nose against hers, "It's okay, Alya, promise. I'll be okay."

"But what if you won't?", she asked, nudging his nose in turn and rubbing them together. He chuckled at the familiar scent of the perfume she had worn on their first date, knowing it was the scent of her pheromones that she unknowingly spread on him to mark him.

When she had first done that it had resulted in the most awkward conversation with Trixx but by now he enjoyed smelling a scent that meant something to him in connection with her. It was actually quite pleasant to have a girlfriend who had these fox tendencies.

Her lips softly found his and he hummed into the kiss before she parted them again, continuing to subconsciously mark his face as she nuzzled her way over his cheek to his ear, her arms slipping from around his neck for her hands to steady herself on his shoulders.

"Seriously, Alya, I'll be okay. I'll be careful and as soon as I got a chance I'll end it."

She sniffled, holding him close as she pressed a small kiss on his earlobe.

"But-… H-He's still dangerous…"

Nino chuckled, leaning back to be able to catch her gaze and watch her hazel-greenish eyes flickering between his.

"And what did I say everytime you ventured out to fight an Akuma? Or to keep the city safe at night? What did I say everytime you came back home with a new cut or even that bullet wound? We're living in dangerous times. And yes, I know I don't have a Miraculous, but sometimes a hero doesn't need an extension of his strength to be heroic."

A slow smile spread on her lips as she closely watched his expression softening under her gaze. She leant in and pressed another short kiss to his lips before hesitating. He felt she was about to say something else so he quickly followed her and cut her words off before they could even leave her mouth. She sighed against his skin as she gave up and melted against him, her arms winding around his shoulders once more.

After what seemed like an eternity they finally parted, Nino letting Firena slide down to stand on her own again. With a chuckle he kept her in his arms since she stumbled a little, her knees wobbly from their kiss. She merely smiled, steadying herself on his chest until her knees would support her weight properly again.

"When am I gonna see you again?", she whispered and he sighed longingly, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I don't know yet. I need Mr. Agreste to trust me so I'll have to cut out nightly walks… But keep a lookout for me. I'll try to get out without being seen as often as I can."

She nudged his nose once again and he smiled as he now smelled the light cinnamon scent of when they had baked together on a morning that seemed like an eternity ago.

"Every night…", she mumbled, her slender fingers caressing his cheek, "I'll search for you every night."

He gave her an amused snort as they both closed their eyes, his hands snuggly resting on the curve of her waist.

"You're doing it again, Alya. At this rate Mr. Agreste will begin to think I visited a brothel.", she opened her eyes again and looked at him confusedly while he grinned, "You're marking me, Alya. You don't even notice anymore, do you?"

She became beet red and quickly parted from him, coughing and rubbing her nose as if to wipe away the wonderful scent of a distant memory, embarrassedly kicking the floor.

"Sorry… It's just so tempting, you smell so good and you know my sense of smell is heightened when transformed…"

He chuckled and stepped to her again, softly bumping his nose against hers before gently kissing her cheek.

"I know, I know. It's cute, don't worry. But we really have to go now.", he kissed down her cheek to her neck, then straightened up again, "Sorry, I really don't wanna take any more risks than necessary."

She nodded and shrugged, hugging herself.

"The others will begin to question why I'm taking so long for my route of patrol anyway… So it'd be for the best."

He fondly pulled her close one last time and allowed himself to take these few selfish seconds to properly hug her one last time.

"It'll be fine, Alya. It'll be okay. I love you.", then he laughed, gently parting from her, "Surprise kiss, can't stop it!"

He leant in and kissed her cheek before she could react, then he stepped back and nodded at her, giving her a small wave.

"We'll see each other again as soon as possible?", Firena asked, her shoulders lifted up hopefully. He smiled and gave her a small wink, stepping out onto the street again.

"As soon as I can. Just wait for me, alright?"

"Always…", she managed as she watched his form vanish behind a corner.