Chapter Text
“Look at you, Sparkles,” Nino grinned. “Got a hot date?”
Marinette quirked an eyebrow, one hand on her hip and the other on her open apartment door. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“La-di-da,” he teased, moving past her.
“Please come in and make yourself at home.”
Nino laughed and went straight for her fridge, opening the door to examine the contents. “Did you finish off that lasagna?”
“There should still be some in there.” Marinette checked her reflection in the mirror on the wall and smiled. “What do you think of this dress? I picked it up for half off the other day.”
“You look really pretty. It’s a little too low in the front though. I’m telling your dad. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“His name’s Finn. He works in accounts payable. We’ve been talking for a couple of weeks on our lunch breaks and he finally asked me out.”
“Accounts payable? Sounds super interesting.”
“Not everyone gets to be a hip DJ,” she shot back.
“Pity.” Nino stood in front of the microwave and opened the door, balancing the dish in one hand.
Marinette pulled the casserole dish away from him and shut the microwave door. “You re-heat this in the oven or you don’t bother eating it.”
“Not all of us are snotty about our leftovers, Mari.”
“Technically they’re my leftovers, Ninny, so I can be as snotty as I want.”
“Point,” he chuckled, leaning against the counter and watching her preheat the oven. “So tell me about him. Am I going to need to give him the talk when he gets here?”
“He’s just a guy from work. I don’t really know much about him yet outside of that. And you’re not going to talk to him. You’re going to go hide in my bedroom when he gets here so he doesn’t get the wrong idea like my last date did.”
“And you think him seeing another man in your bedroom isn’t going to give him the wrong idea?”
“He isn’t going to see you,” Marinette winked. “He’s taking me out. I’m not having a first date in my apartment. That’s just asking for trouble.”
“I’ve taught you well, grasshopper.” Nino grabbed the lasagna dish and slid it into the oven. “What am I supposed to do tonight then?”
“I thought you were seeing that blonde girl. What was her name? Feather? Strawberry?”
“Her name was Haven and I haven’t heard from her in over a week.”
Marinette tutted and shook her head. “You’ve got to stop dating these music girls. They aren’t good enough for you.”
“But they’re so nice to look at,” he smirked. “But yeah, maybe lately I’ve been realizing that I might want something more than a pretty face.”
“It’s nice to see you’re finally growing up.” Marinette reached up and squeezed his cheek with a fond smile.
They both startled at the knock on the door and Marinette pointed to her bedroom.
“But my lasagna,” Nino whined.
“Please? We’ll be gone in a minute.”
“Fine.” He trudged to her bedroom and turned to stick out his tongue before closing the door.
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Marinette shot Nino a relieved glance as she closed her apartment door behind her. “You’re still here?”
“Your couch ended up being too comfy and I had full lasagna tummy. It’s not my fault.” He turned off the TV. “That’s not a happy face.”
She flopped down beside him. “The date was kind of a bust. Finn let it slip that he was very happy I agreed to go on a date with him because he, and I quote, is super into Asian chicks,” Marinette sighed. “After that, I pretty much just forced myself to at least finish dinner before pretending to get a migraine.”
Nino winced. “I’m sorry, Mari. Want me to go kick his ass?”
“No ass kicking will be necessary. I wouldn’t mind snuggles and a few episodes of Dragon Falls though.”
“Please don’t make me watch that dumb kid’s show.”
“It’s good!”
“It really isn’t.”
Marinette stuck out her bottom lip and fluttered her eyelashes.
“If you think that’s going to work on me, you need to think again, Dupain-Cheng. I’ve had years to build up my immunity.”
“Pleasssssssse,” she begged.
Nino let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. Go get changed into something comfortable and I’ll queue it up.”
Marinette giggled and kissed his cheek. “You’re my absolute favorite person, Ninny.”
“Yeah, yeah, what are best friends for?”
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Marinette was snoring softly, her cheek pressed against Nino’s chest. He could feel his lower back beginning to ache but he wasn’t ready to move yet. He knew if he did, she would wake up and he didn’t want this feeling to end. Everywhere Marinette touched him was warm and right and her hair smelled like the expensive mint shampoo he had gotten her for her birthday that she had gone on and on about. She had literally squealed with joy when he gave it to her.
Her cell phone buzzed on the coffee table and Nino eyed the text message that appeared on the screen. Apparently Finn hadn’t realized his faux pas and was hoping to take Marinette out again. That sure as hell wouldn’t be happening. Nino tightened his arm around Marinette protectively. The thought that someone only wanted to take her out because she was part-Asian was infuriating. Marinette was so many wonderful things. She was beautiful and kind and witty and creative and…
Nino mentally shook himself. It wouldn’t do any good to go down that road. That path always ended with him staring up at his bedroom ceiling at three in the morning and trying to pretend like he wasn’t in love with his best friend. Only guilt and heartache came of going on that journey.
He looked longingly at the remote that sat just out of reach on the coffee table. Netflix had passed judgment on their binge of Dragon Falls and was requiring permission to continue streaming. Hulu never judged. Hulu just kept playing until you stopped it. Netflix should be more like Hulu. He shifted slightly, fingers reaching for the remote when he felt Marinette stir in his arms.
She yawned, stretching a little before opening her eyes. “I fell asleep,” she murmured.
“That never happens.”
“Hush, you.” She pushed off of him and rubbed at her eyes. “What time is it?”
“I’m not sure. Late though.”
She grabbed her phone and frowned. “Apparently Finn wants to go out again.”
“You’re going to tell him to suck it, right?”
Marinette chuckled tiredly. “That might give him the wrong idea.”
Nino grinned. “Goof. But seriously, you aren’t going out with that guy again, are you?”
“Probably not. Besides the Asian thing, he wasn’t all that interesting. I don’t think we have much in common. It’s a shame. He was really cute.” She stood and stretched, going up on the tips of her toes and reaching for the ceiling. “Are you staying here?”
Nino tore his gaze away from the strip of pale skin that was exposed between her top and pants as Marinette stretched. “Uh, no, I should probably head back home.”
She frowned. “None of the buses are going to be running now.”
“I’ll walk. It isn’t far.”
Marinette shook her head. “I think you should stay here. I’ll make us breakfast in the morning.” She moved past him. “Let me grab you a pillow from my bed.”
“Mari—“
“Can’t hear you over all the pillow fetching,” she sang, disappearing into her bedroom.
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Nino stared up at Marinette’s living room ceiling, wide awake. He could hear her fan turning in her bedroom, the steady hum an irritation rather than a calming tone. She had left her door open. He knew she closed and locked it when she was home alone, but when he spent the night, she left it open. It shouldn’t have made his heartbeat speed up but it did. She trusted him and here he was thinking things he definitely shouldn’t be thinking.
He needed to find someone else to date as soon as possible. It was always easier to sweep his feelings under the rug when there was another girl to distract him. It probably wasn’t the fairest way to go about things, but in his defense, none of the girls he dated were looking for anything serious. He was a French DJ at a popular American club and they wanted exposure for their music careers and an exotic fling. It seemed like an even trade most of the time.
His thoughts wandered back to Finn. What an asshole. He was tempted to call up to the accounts payable office and unload on the guy, but he knew Marinette wouldn’t appreciate that. She didn’t seem even slightly heartbroken anyway. Maybe she hadn’t liked him as much as she thought?
Nino sighed and shifted onto his side. The only thing he knew for sure was that it was getting harder to keep his friendship with Marinette and his love for her separate. He found himself holding her more, touching her whenever he got the chance, kissing her cheek and the top of her head. He needed to reign himself in. It wasn’t as if he could back off his time with Marinette though. Besides the fact that it would kill him not to see her almost every day, he knew she still hadn’t quite made friends in their time in the states. She had gone out with people from work a few times but nothing ever seemed to stick. Nino wondered when she would be ready to move back to Paris. He had a feeling it would be sooner rather than later.
They had moved here together. Marinette’s father had wanted them to share an apartment for her safety but Marinette was stubborn and demanded her own space. When Nino couldn’t procure a place in the same building, he made sure to only be a few blocks away. Tom would text him every few weeks or so to check in on things. Nino knew Marinette would be irritated if she knew. Her face would get scrunched up, those cute little lines forming on her nose and her eyes narrowing in fierceness…
Nino groaned, turning his face into the pillow.
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“Do I need to kiss you awake, Sleeping Beauty?”
Nino squinted one eye open. Marinette grinned down at him, a green coffee mug in hand. “Good morning, my sweet.”
“Morning,” he grumbled, slowly sitting up.
“Did you sleep okay?”
“I’m too tall for this damn couch.”
Marinette frowned and sat his mug down. “Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have asked you to stay.”
He grunted, turning his neck from side to side. “It’s fine. I like staying over.”
“Next time you’ll just have to sleep in my bed with me,” she said nonchalantly. “Here, drink up. I’m going to make pancakes.”
“Do you want me to run down to the farmer’s market on the corner and grab some strawberries?” Nino asked, standing. His spine cracked and he shuddered.
“Only if you want to.”
“Strawberry pancakes sound really nice. I don’t mind going in a minute.” He stumbled to the bathroom and closed the door.
Marinette returned to the kitchen, humming as she moved around the small space. “Hey, what about oranges too?”
“For orange pancakes?” Nino asked, emerging from the bathroom.
“I was thinking more for orange juice, but I can make orange pancakes if you want.”
“How about I save us some trouble and just buy a jug of orange juice?” he grinned.
“Brute.”
“Fine, strawberries and oranges. Anything else, Chef Dupain-Cheng?”
“That should do it. Do you need some cash?”
He waved her off. “I’ve got it. I’ll be back in a few. Love you.” Without a thought, Nino found himself leaning down to kiss Marinette’s cheek. She blinked up at him in surprise, eyes a little wide and he felt his stomach drop.
“O-okay,” she nodded. “I’ll just get started on everything.”
He swallowed hard and turned towards the door, grabbing his wallet and phone off the counter. “Call me if you think of anything else you need,” he called before closing the door, proud of how even his voice sounded. He leaned against the wall in the hallway, tilting his head back and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Well, you’ve done it now, Lahiffe.”