Nino exhaustedly flopped down onto the mattress on the floor that they had put there for his sleepover at her place and groaned into the pillow after detransforming, closely followed by Rena. She sat down next to him and leant on her bed that was right next to the mattress with a lower arm length space in between them.

An orange flash filled the dark room and Nino reached out for her, feeling her limp hand take his, their fingers interlacing.

The Akuma today had demanded all their strength and definitely left them an exhausted mess. Not even Ladybug or Chat Noir had looked any better and they had had a year more of experience and training.

Alya's hand in Nino's twitched and he felt that she slowly fell asleep, so he forced himself to get up, his whole body aching from the fight. With a groan he kneeled down next to his girlfriend and locked his arms around her, lifting her up in his embrace and lowering her down on her bed, as softly as he could.

His back felt like someone had used a jackhammer to massage him and his arms felt as if they weighed tons.

She whimpered as he moved her but soon snuggled into her sheets and sighed contently. Nino slowly exited the room and got a few sunflower seeds that he found in the kitchen, as well as a few carrots that he peeled and cut into small circles.

Then he returned to the room and placed the bowl with both on the desk where the Kwami's had already rolled up together on the pillow, leaving it to them as soon as they'd feel like eating.

After checking on them that they were alright, he went back to Alya and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Hey beautiful…", he began, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair from her shoulder to see her face, "Does it hurt somewhere?"

She only groaned, opening one of her wonderful eyes, and weakly gestured to all of her body.

"There.", she helpfully added, making him chuckle.

"No, I mean… Do you have an injury? Do you want some balm?"

A grimace dominated her face and she pointed to her arm that laid next to her, unmoving.

"Shoulder."

Nino remembered that she had been hit with one of the pieces of debris when the Akuma had brought one of the buildings down above them.

"Alright, beautiful. Just stay here, I'll be right back."

He made his way to the bathroom, almost wincing when he had to reach up to get the bandages and balms down from the shelf, but he managed to get it down without throwing anything to the floor.

After a short break on the toilet to breathe through he got up again and limped back to Alya's room, carrying the emergency kit with him.

"Can you sit up?"

Alya let out a whimper as she turned to her side and rolled over her arm, but with a helping hand from her boyfriend, she got into a seating position. He sat down next to her and spread the emergency kit next to himself, letting her lean onto his shoulder.

"I'm so tired…", she mumbled and he nodded, lightly caressing her cheek.

"Yep, me too."

After a bit of fumbling around with her shirt and the bandage – all while keeping his girlfriend upright – he managed to put some painkiller balm on and a bandage around her shoulder, trying not to blush at the sigh of her in a bra.

It didn't take long for him to finish the bandage and she sleepily instructed him to turn around and not look. Nino felt the blush deepening when he felt her elbow bumping his back and her back leaning against his arm, trying to keep her balance as she changed into a shirt of his, to sleep in it.

After she was done she yawned and turned around to him, her eyes sleepy but still worried.

"Do you have anything to care for."

"Oh, no no.", he lied, giving her an awkward grin, "I'm fine. Let's just go to sleep."

Her gaze alone told him that she wasn't satisfied with her answer so he shyly admitted that his back hurt.

"Turn around and let me see.", she said and he pressed his lips together, turning around and pulling the shirt over his head to let her take a look at him.

The sharp intake of breath from her already showed him that this wasn't a good sign so he sighed, trying to straighten up a little.

"It's-… Probably not as bad as it looks like?", he tried but she didn't hear him. Her cool fingers lightly brushed over his skin and he winced at the small relief that spread in his body, goosebumps rushing over his arms.

"It is as bad as it looks like.", Alya promised, shaking her head since he felt the strands of her hair on his skin, and he groaned as she placed a light kiss on his back before spreading some of the cool painkiller around his injuries.

"Sorry…", he mumbled but she grabbed his shoulder, giving him a noise of disagreement.

"You're a hero. Don't be sorry for protecting so many lives, even if you got hurt in the process."

He turned around to her and saw tears swimming in her eyes, so he cupped her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"… I'm sorry for hurting you, though."

That's what broke the dam. She silently sniffled and leant against him, nodding slowly and giving herself entirely to his embrace. Her tears came quickly and violently as he held her, letting her cry off all the responsibilities, exhaustion and hurt that she had experienced today. At the same time he asked himself if Ladybug and Chat Noir also had someone to lean onto and cry at their shoulder when they felt like that.

After her sobs subsided, Alya just panted heavily, slowly finding back to her usual rationality and calmness.

"… You okay again?", he carefully asked and she nodded against his cheek once more, her hands slowly getting to his back again.

"Y-Yeah, I think. Now show me your back again."

While she bandaged his injuries he also let his tears flow freely, knowing that she had noticed him crying. Though, she knew he didn't like crying in front of her so she stretched it out, working on his back for as long as possible until his breathing was fine again.

"You don't have to hide it, you know?", she finally asked as he leant back against her touch, the bandage long done.

"Maybe someday.", Nino gave her back and turned around to her to smile slightly, not caring that both their eyes were red and swollen.

"Let's sleep?"

"Let's sleep.", she agreed, though as he wanted to slip down from her bed onto his mattress, she held him back by grabbing his wrist, "Please stay."

Nino was about to say that he was, though he understood only a second later what she meant. Instantly, he blushed but he didn't object, biting his lips. They had never slept in one bed together as a couple yet and Nino was a little nervous about that, but as she lied down and gestured him to come join her, he didn't hesitate. They both climbed beneath the blanket together, with a few painfilled grans here and there, but as they finally both got their uncomfortable jeans off and lied beside each other, the world was instantly a better place.

Nino felt her reach over and take his arm as she turned to the side, pulling him sideways with her so he hugged her from behind, and sighed in contentment as he pulled her closer.

"I love you.", he whispered at her, feeling like this was the kinda moment to say it for one of the few times they've already said it.

"I love you, too.", she replied and he grinned, kissing her neck.

"Sleep well."

She didn't even respond anymore as sleep had already taken over her.