Chapter 4!
Kinda like the chapter names... I'll try to keep them.
Anyway, I just can't stop writing on this story so I went ahead and continued x)
Enjoy~

As relieved as he was that she seemed to feel more comfortable now, he still couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that slowly crawled its way up in his throat. It wasn't that he felt uncomfortable being here. It was just that he feared she was stumbling into something she might regret.

He didn't want her to be too naïve around strangers. After all, he could be anybody. He just didn't want her to be too trustworthy. And, well, best would be to let someone who knew her best know he was here. That way he'd feel better. And he was sure she'd feel better, too. Because as much as he liked her and as much as he trusted her already, he couldn't forget that they just knew each other for a few hours.

Just as he wanted to ask her for her phone, to get Marinette's number and call her, he realized Alya had fallen asleep. Well…

He knew where her phone was. He had seen her putting it in the front pocket of his jeans when they had talked on the couch. He was sure it was still there. With his eyes rolling he leant back against the backrest, shaking his head. He wouldn't just reach into her pocket, that was off limits. No, he'd just have to wait for the storm to pass, for her to wake up again and then he'd be fine to go.

Not that he wanted to, honestly…

Another lightning illuminated the room and he felt her face contort against his chest, then a way louder rumble crackled and made the windows vibrate. She whimpered in her sleep, holding on tighter and curling up even more against him.

Suddenly, a light bumping sound on the couch let him listen up. It had sounded like… He slid his hand beneath the blanket and felt around on the couch next to her. His fingers met something else than the cushions, something hard and-… her phone. It had just fallen out of the pocket.

With a smile he pulled it out from beneath the blanket and laid it down next to them on the couch. Whenever Marinette would call, he'd be able to take it, because he didn't want to unlock her phone. Or, well, he wouldn't be able to. But even if she didn't have a code, he didn't want to just search around in her phone.

So, whenever someone wanted to know she was safe he'd be able to tell them. That was a start, at least.

His arms around her tightened as he saw another lightning flashing. The thunder didn't take a lot of time to follow. She shivered once again and he leant his cheek on her freshly washed hair, smelling after his shampoo. She must've been immensely stressed if she just fell asleep like that on a basically stranger to her. Admittedly, a stranger who helped her out of an uncomfortable date but still.

Just as he was getting sleepy as well, her phone began buzzing again. A quick glance confirmed that it was her friend, Marinette.

He shot another gaze down to Alya and swallowed as she didn't react so he hesitantly took the phone, tapping the green button to take the call.

"Hello?", he carefully asked, quietly not to wake her. Immediately, he heard the person on the other end breathe in through her teeth at his voice.

"Who are you?", she hissed before he could continue, making him flinch.

"Uhm, hi. I'm Nino Lahiffe, waiter in the restaurant where Alya had her date."

Marinette obviously tried to keep her voice calm but he could hear the boiling in her throat.

"And what are you doing answering her phone?", she asked, a dangerous tone swinging with her words. He gulped, pulling Alya closer against him as the next thunder let her whimper in her sleep. His prayers that Marinette hadn't heard her distressed noises were forgotten as she spoke up again, "What are you doing to her?!"

"N-Nothing!", he was quick to answer, "I brought her home and she was scared of the storm so she asked me to stay. She's fallen asleep on top of me and I can't move, I would've left already but she was so afraid I couldn't just leave her alone. I tried asking her for a phone number from you or her parents or someone she trusts to tell them I'm with her but she was already asleep when I wanted to ask!"

A short silence in the call made him squint his eyes, afraid of her starting to yell, but as he heard her exhale he allowed himself to calm down.

"… You sound honest.", she finally admitted.

"W-We're at her home, yes. You can come over o-or track her phone or anything you want, really. I just-… She's asleep, so I didn't want to leave her yet. You can check that I'm telling the truth with the restaurant of my family, where Alya went today. My mother saw Alya and me heading out. And I can give you my phone number and ID or-… Or send a photo, if you want."

Another silence let him sigh but Alya once again shivered, her arms around him trembling. He adjusted the blanket and held her closer, gently rubbing over her back with soothing motions of his free hand.

"… Maybe a photo, yeah…", Marinette sounded smug now. He also heard a quiet thud and then pages rustling so he assumed she searched for his family name and the number of his parents, "Is your father named Alain or Jacques?"

"Jacques.", he replied without hesitation, "Alain is my uncle. But they'll both be down in the restaurant right now. Call the number under my father's name though, my mother Amélie will accept."

"Cool, okay. I'll check in with your parents and see if what you told me is real. And if it isn't so help me god. Is that understood? I will track you down and hurt you."

Nino swallowed thickly, nodding quickly.

"Yes, that's understood. If you don't trust me you can always come over to her place, we're on the couch and she's sleeping."

"If your story is valid I'll stay put. But I'll skin you alive if it isn't.", he nodded once again and was about to say something but she already continued, "Oh and send that photo, I wanna see what you look like."

With a click she had hung up, probably wanting to check in with his parents as fast as possible. Much to his luck, her phone number was displayed on Alya's screen so he fumbled to get his phone out, quickly typing in the number before it'd fade. He quickly took a photo of him and Alya sleeping against his chest, his arm still tightly wound around her back, awkwardly smiling.

Then he sent it to the new number, with a short text that it was him and that he had gotten her number from the call. Marinette sent a short reply back in which she thanked him and said his mother had said the same thing and also reassured her that he was trustworthy.

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. His mother, the life saver.

But nonetheless, he had a weird feeling about this in his stomach. Sure, he was trustworthy. But he could've been anyone. Well, if anything, Alya should've declined the shower and called a friend like Marinette to get her and drive her home. She shouldn't have stayed and shouldn't have let him bring her home. And really, he shouldn't have stayed, no matter how nice she was, no matter how bad he would've felt about leaving her alone.

It just didn't sit well with him. Because what if it had been someone else? What if Alya would've been in trouble now? What if she was too naïve?

His stomach turmoiled while thinking about who could've been in his place. Did she know in which danger she could've been? Did she know what could've happened to her, simply because she hadn't been skeptical enough?

Nino bit his lip, looking down to the sleeping girl in his arms. His insides squirmed with the thought of her being in trouble now instead of being with him…

But answering Marinette was probably more important now. He wouldn't want her to think he was one of the guys Alya could've been with now. So, he sent her a relieved emoji back and then a second text, in which he asked her if Alya had a second key hidden somewhere outside her door. Marinette replied that she had a key and would come over as soon as Alya asked her to or if she didn't hear of them for too long. He sent a thumb up back and locked his phone again, sighing deeply as another thunder rumbled over their heads. Alya sniffled slightly, causing a pang to shoot through his heart and to look down to her again. He saw her chin quivering and a stray tear rolling down her cheek, now certainly a lot more visible than the ones before, disguised by raindrops. He softly wiped it away with his thumb, then checked his phone, cursing as he saw that the playlist had paused when he had taken the picture. He quickly pressed on play again just as another thunder began crackling over the city, but luckily, Alya relaxed. He sighed again, feeling his eyelids growing heavy as well. Her deep, even breaths were enchanting and the soft rising of her chest against him was so soothing and calming that he couldn't help but slump against her as well.

He gently led them both to lay down to the side, her on her back and him on his side, his arm folded beneath her neck and head. He grabbed a pillow from above them, gently putting it between her head and his arm so they could both lay comfortably, then he pulled the blanket to over them both and grabbed another pillow for himself, nestling close to her. She merely pulled out her lower arm but kept him close with her other hand clenching into his shirt, her legs still slumped over his.

He grabbed his phone and sent Marinette another photo, saying he was becoming tired as well and if she had a problem with him sleeping as well.

Her response didn't come immediately but when it did he chuckled at her threat if he had lied. Skinning alive and castrating were the nice ones.

He reassured her that he wouldn't try anything and that he would keep both their phones on loud so that they'd wake up at any calls or messages. She sent three dots and then that it was fine, as long as he kept an eye on her during the storm. He sent a simple okay, then put his phone away and snuggled himself in. Sleep took him quickly, with her warmth pressed against his stomach and chest and her hand occasionally pulling on his shirt. The faint sound of the music sounded out from his headphones on her ears and his eyelids were drooping as he gently tightened his hold around her, trying not to think about how surreal their situation felt.

Apparently, it had just clicked.

It had turned dark when Nino woke up, slowly blinking to adjust to the situation. The storm outside was still rumbling on but they had apparently slept through most of it. From time to time a few lightning flashes faintly lit up the sky but the rumbling thunder only followed good fifteen seconds later, meaning the storm was kilometers away.

A weak melody played through the room, at first he didn't realize where it came from, but as he felt something tugging on his shirt and looked down he saw that Alya was still curled up against him and the headphones were still playing his music, even if they had slipped off of her head by now.

He smirked and softly pulled them off, placing them down on the little couch table and turning them off to savor the silence.

His gaze once again flew down to the girl in his arms, her face slightly turned upwards and her top lip sticking out just a little bit more than her lower lip, her face relaxed and calm. Her fingers were tightly clenched into his shirt while the other hand was slumped over his waist, her hand flat on his back. Honestly, he didn't care if they only knew each other for a few hours.

Gently, not to wake her, he pulled her a little closer, resting his chin on her head while she curled up tighter against him. Her breath stuttered for a second before evening out again, her forehead and nose now pressed against his chest. He smiled as he felt her shiver at another low rumble, tilting his head to nuzzle her hair.

"… It's okay…", he breathed, feeling her slump again, her fingers in the fabric of his shirt relaxing, "… It's over… You're okay…"

She breathed through, then he relaxed as well. The sky was quiet again and the city noises slowly began sounding over the low rumbling far in the distance. The room was dimly illuminated when a street lantern was turned on right in front of it but the curtains held off most of it.

Nino held Alya close as he watched the almost non-visible heat lightning that sometimes made the features of the dark clouds ahead visible. The girl sighed, then snuggled closer, pressing her nose into his shirt. He couldn't fight the heat inflaming his cheeks in a traitorous blush.

Anyway.

Finally, he leant up and took his phone from above them, looking at the illuminated locking screen. A few new messages, some from his mother asking him where he was, one from his father and a few from Alya's friend, Marinette.

He rubbed his eyes as he unlocked the phone, answering his mother that he'd brought the girl home and had stayed with her until now, then he read the message from his father and figured his mother would tell him.

But Marinette's messages were last. Because he was the most terrified of her. What if she thought he wasn't who he had said he was? What if she was already fuming, ready to run over and bury him alive?

He reluctantly tapped on the new messages but relaxed as he read them, a relieved sigh slipping out. She was just asking them if they were okay and to tell her as soon as they woke up. He quickly typed that he had woken up by now and sent a picture of the peacefully sleeping Alya, tightly pressed against him. Just a minute after the picture had sent his phone began buzzing, a call from Marinette.

He accepted halfheartedly, trying to stay quiet not to wake Alya.

"Hi?", he whispered, surprised as Marinette answered in an equally quiet voice.

"Hi Nino, Marinette's here. I saw Alya's still sleeping?"

He nodded, a dreamy gaze sneaking on his face as he looked down to her.

"Yeah, still sleeping. How, uhm-… How do I get her to bed without waking her? And most importantly, how does she let go?"

Marinette giggled breathily, obviously trying to hide it by holding her phone away, then her voice was there again.

"So, first of all, Alya's a cuddler while sleeping. She doesn't let go too easily. Secondly, Mister, you're not getting her to bed, I'll do that or she herself when she wakes up."

Nino sighed, nodding.

"Alright. So, wanna come over? It's only dribbling a little now and, uhm, I should maybe get home.", his phone buzzed with a new message and it only took him a split second to look at the suggesting emoji his father had sent before dryly continuing, "Nevermind, I don't need to be anywhere."

Marinette giggled again, then she breathed through and her rustling hair suggested she was nodding.

"Alright, I'll come over. I'll tuck her in bed and then I wanna get to know you."

He smiled, his embrace around the exhausted girl tightening.

"Sounds like a plan. You have the keys you said?"

Marinette confirmed and he just barely heard a metallic sounding noise, then she threw a short "Be right there" through the line and it clicked.

Nino leant back again, resting his head on the couch while waiting. His thoughts strayed off and he found himself getting back to the same topic as before falling asleep again, furrowing his eyebrows.

Was Alya always like this with strangers? Or just with him?

He frowned as he realized his hands were still wrapped around her. He hadn't exactly discouraged her either, to trust a stranger that is.

Well, again, in the restaurant that had been easy. It had been in public and people had seen her with him. And she had probably seen that his house was always open. The front doors practically never closed since his family liked to be open and heartfelt with each other. The kids ran around everywhere and everyone knew what the others were doing. He had just closed the door when Alya had taken a shower, to give her the needed privacy, otherwise it had stayed open.

But inviting him, a stranger, into her apartment? Without thinking twice?

No… He remembered back, to her fearful face, her desperate need to be close to someone. She hadn't thought at all. She had been afraid.

His frown deepened and his embrace around her involuntarily tightened.

He didn't like the thought of her being naïve. But she had been out with that questionable guy, she had immediately trusted him… He couldn't shake off the feeling that he should probably talk to Marinette about this.