Chapter Text
The thought wouldn’t leave her mind.
She just couldn’t push it out as it wiggled and wormed its way inside her skull.
What if I know him?
What if she’d passed him on the street? What if he was a waiter at a restaurant she frequented? A barista that knew her regular coffee drink?
What if he was in her class?
What if he was her friend?
Alya usually tried not to think about these things, but as she walked to school and sat down in homeroom in a daze, she just couldn’t stop.
She’d always tried to be respectful of secret identities, because they were secret for a reason, she thought to herself as she pulled out her tablet and began to get ready for class. But after she’d figured out Adrien’s secret (that he was Chat Noir!!) she couldn’t stop herself from wondering who else she knew was a secret superhero.
Alya sighed and put her head in her hands, glancing over at the empty seat next to her. Why was Marinette always late, she thought exasperatedly, she lived right by the school! She should either get a better alarm or not stay up so late sewing. That girl had no time management skills, Alya thought, almost shaking her head.
Wait.
Could Marinette be…
No! No way!
Alya almost burst out laughing. That had been the most ridiculous thought she’d ever had!
Marinette as Ladybug, as if!
Alya smiled to herself as she turned to the front, class should be starting soon.
“Bruh! You have to get it!” Nino’s incredulous voice broke through Alya’s thoughts, and she turned toward them, realizing that the were talking about a new video game.
“I know,” Adrien sighed, pouting as he pulled his belongings from his bag onto the table. “But my dad says that I have enough video games, and that I should focus on school.”
“Dude!” Nino sounded scandalized. “That’s totally whack! This game is rad, you’re dad is being so totally lame!” He put a hand on the blond’s shoulder. “But you know what I’m gonna do for you broski? I’m gonna let you play my totally radical game, because it is off the hizzle! And you can’t miss out on that.”
Off the hizzle, Alya chuckled. Nino’s slang was so weird. No one even used that anymore.
Well, she thought to herself, JT used it. But he always used weird outdated slang.
As Alya went back to watching her friends a jolt went through her body.
No.
No way.
No no no no no no no no no.
That was not possible.
But when Alya watched Nino laughing with Adrien, she envisioned a pair of green goggles over his face, and it couldn’t be denied.
Nino was Jade fucking Turtle.
Merde.
***
Alya fumed all the way through first and second period.
He’d said that he didn’t want to be the kind of guy who tried to force a girl to like him, but here he was coming to flirt with her as a fucking superhero!
Granted, he hadn’t blatantly flirted, or really mentioned anything about liking her.
Alya deflated.
She was still mad though. Mostly about the fact that he’d some some manipulative bullshit with his secret identity.
But no, Alya sighed, rubbing her eyes and waving Marinette away when she gave her a look, that wasn’t really what had happened. Alya knew Nino better than that. She doubted he’d even thought about what he was doing, that boy was too impulsive for his own good.
Alya stared at the back of the boy’s red snapback. It was really obvious now that she thought about it. They were both such huge nerds.
Alya coughed to cover her chuckle, smiling innocently when the teacher threw her a suspicious look.
Alya wasn’t actually that upset now that she thought about it. She didn’t even know how she felt about it, just that her mind was racing, her insides felt jittery and her hands were shaking.
Emotions twisted and collided inside of her. She wasn’t mad at him, she told herself. It was unfair to be mad at him, she repeated inside of her mind.
No it isn’t, part of her screamed. But she shook her head. She couldn’t be mad at Nino for flirting with her, he probably got carried away with his superhero persona. And she couldn’t expect him to tell her that he was Jade Turtle. She shouldn’t be angry about that. After all, it was a secret identity for a reason. Alya tapped her stylus on the edge of her tablet, biting her lip. If he’d told her, who knows how much danger that would put her and him in.
Alya was brave, but she wasn’t stupid. She didn’t want Hawkmoth after her.
This was so weird, Alya thought, ceasing her tapping.
Nino was Jade Turtle.
Nino was a superhero.
Alya blushed. And he’d flirted with her.
She internally slapped herself. Don’t get starry-eyed over a boy, her thoughts scolded, he was still just dorky Nino.
Not just, her mind whispered.
A crazy thought popped into Alya’s brain. If Nino was Jade Turtle, and Adrien was Chat Noir, maybe she knew Ladybug as well.
Excitement fizzled through Alya’s body, tickling the tips of her fingers and toes. Jade Turtle and Chat Noir, they were cool, sure. They were superheroes, how could they not be?
But Ladybug…
Ladybug was her idol, the coolest of the cool. Alya smiled softly, she was beautiful and strong, and the best role model a girl could ask for.
If she knew Ladybug…Alya shook her head. If she knew Ladybug, she would probably explode.
But there was no way.
Alya didn’t know any girls with black pigtails, blue eyes, a huge sense of responsibility, a hero complex…
Oh fuck no.
Alya’s eyes drifted to her neighbor without her consent.
There was no fucking way.
Marinette chewed on the edge of her pencil as she stared at her sketchbook, in the middle of some design. The determined look on her face was so familiar. She’d seen it during every akuma attack.
Alya wanted to laugh.
Of course. Of course it was Marinette. Of course her three best friends in the world were The Heroes of Paris™.
Why was she even surprised?
Now that she thought about it, they were the perfect superheroes. Marinette was an over-achiever, a perfectionist, responsible. She was smart and creative, and was amazing under pressure. Adrien’s flirty, funny side came out with Chat Noir.
Oh, Alya realized, that must be the way he let’s loose from his controlling father.
Ladybug and Chat Noir had always balanced each other.
But then came Jade Turtle.
He was kind, he was caring, and he was wise. Where Ladybug and Chat Noir had the tendency to throw themselves straight into danger, disregarding their personal safety, it was clear that Jade Turtle was more level-headed. He was good with evacuating civilians and attempting to reason with the akumas.
Though Ladybug and Chat Noir were technically balanced, Jade had grounded them. Made them even better than they were.
Alya set her chin in her hands and closed her eyes. Where did she fit?
Alya sighed and shook herself internally.
No moping, she lectured herself sternly. Even if she wasn’t a superhero, she was important enough. She ran the Ladyblog and she could report any akumas nearby. It may not be much, Alya looked at her three friends, her mouth set into a determined line, but she had to try. She would help them any way she could.
***
Lunch was bizarre.
She sat in a cafe, eating soup, and around her sat Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Jade Turtle, also eating sandwiches, soup, and in the case of Adrien “Sweet Tooth” Agreste, a huge slice of chocolate cake.
This was normal, Alya reminded herself, she had lunch with these people everyday. It shouldn’t be weird…But it was.
Despite the fact that she knew that it was only Adrien and Marinette flirting across from her and only Nino sitting next to her, she couldn’t help superimposing masks over their faces in her mind.
They were her friends, she had to stop freaking out.
As both Adrien and Marinette blushed tomato red at something Adrien had said, Alya realized that they didn’t know either.
She was upset that she hadn’t known, but they were partners, close as any two people can be. They didn’t even know that it was each other they were pining after.
Alya fought the urge to laugh. Adrien loved Ladybug, but he visited Marinette at night as Chat Noir. Marinette loved Adrien, but she was beginning to grow fond of Chat Noir.
It was like some cheesy YA novel! Alya closed her eyes and shook her head and began to chuckle, ignoring Nino’s odd look. How was this real? How was this her life?
Alya’s quiet huffs turned to giggles and snorts, laughter that took the air from her stomach. Her three friends looked at her oddly.
“Alya—“ Marinette began, but Alya rose abruptly, clutching her heaving stomach.
“Sorry…I…” She couldn’t even speak for the gasping laughs forcing themselves out of her throat. “I just…” she pointed at the bathroom and ran off, ignoring Marinette calling after her and Adrien telling her to let her friend be.
Alya pushed her way through the door and locked herself into a stall, turning her back towards the door and sinking down to the floor, trying to ignore what might have been on it.
Her giggles took on a hysterical edge as Alya closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair.
How was this her life?
Why did this have to be her life?