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“How is my wife more badass than me?”
Nino, who is slumping on the barstool next to him takes another sip of his beer, eyelids almost closing behind his glasses.
“Here we go again.”
“No, Nino, you don’t understand,” Adrien continues, “she’s incredible.”
“Uh – huh”
“Like, she saved Paris more times than I can count.”
“Yep.”
“With a yo-yo,” his eyes widen, “A yo-yo, Nino!”
“I know, dude.”
“She’s so smart and resourceful and so strong too, you know?”
“Perks of having a miraculous, I guess.”
“But she’s so tiny. She’s just a little tiny bug, how is there so much strength in that tiny body?”
Nino leans heavily onto the counter, glancing at his best friend, who seems close to tears now.
“Yeah, maybe don’t say that at home or you’ll get your butt handed to you next patrol.”
“I know,” Adrien sighs wistfully, fingers playing with the tiny umbrella in his cocktail, “she could absolutely destroy me.” He places his chin in his left hand. “I love her so much.”
A dreamy look steals onto his flushed face, his already glazed over eyes clouding even more. He lets out another lovesick sigh, untroubled by Nino’s snorting.
“You’re crazy, dude.”
“Crazy for her.”
Nino laughs.
“And she’s so talented too.”
There’s a sudden urgency in Adrien’s voice and he leans towards Nino, almost loosing his balance on the stool. His face is close enough to smell the soft hint of alcohol in his breath as he continues in a low, secretive tone.
“She doesn’t like bragging, but this shirt I’m wearing?” he runs his hand over the crumpled front, “she made that. Isn’t she amazing?”
Adrien gins before his brows furrow with the next thought. “She actually doesn’t want me to praise her work in front of others so don’t tell her please. Shhh!” He presses a finger to his lips.
“It’ll be our secret, man.”
“Thank you, Nino. I really try to respect her wishes but it’s hard. She is just so awesome at everything, you know?”
“I’ve heard.”
“She sews, she bakes, she fights bad guys …”
“Adrien, I get it, Marinette is awesome. We’ve all agreed on that, can we please move on now?”
“She’s a goddess among mortals.”
“You’re absolutely hopeless.” Nino downs the rest of his beer and looks over Adrien’s shoulder, spotting his own girlfriend who is just returning from the bathroom.
“Alya, help, he’s at it again!”
She rounds the tables to join them at the bar, laying a hand on Adrien’s shoulder before she kisses Nino’s cheek.
“What is it, babe?”
“Golden boy here has had to much respect Marinette juice again.”
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a gift to this world”, Adrien declares loudly, to no one in particular. His voice is a little shaky, a soft sob accentuating his words, “We don’t deserve her and her talents.”
“Alright, buddy, keep it down,” Nino begs, pointing a look at Alya that screams You get what I’m saying? She only shrugs, crossing her arms in front of her turtle neck sweater.
“I don’t know, he seems pretty normal to me.”
Her boyfriend lets out a groan, burying his head in his arms.
“You think she would go out with me?” their subjects muses as if he hasn’t even registered the exchange in front of him. The kitten eyes he is making at Alya are the widest she has ever seen, as well as a little glassy. “You’re her best friend, you would know.”
“Dude, you guys are married ,” his own best friend reminds him in a muffled voice, face still on the counter.
“Yes, but do you think she would go on a date with me?”
“You’re lucky you’re so handsome,” Nino groans and Alya stifles a laugh, finally taking pity and pulling out her phone.
“I’ll call her. She should be done with her commission by now, I’m sure she’ll be glad to pick him up.”
“You’re calling Marinette?” Adrien asks, green eyes shimmering hopefully.
“Yes, I think you’ve had enough. Time for you to go home.”
“Could you,” his already rosy cheeks darken even further, “Could you tell her that I think she’s really pretty?”
This time she can’t suppress a chuckle.
“Sure thing, hot stuff.”
Alya winks at him and heads outside, phone already on her ear as she pats Nino’s back on her way out.
Both men look after her in silence.
“I can’t wait to see Marinette,” Adrien finally sighs.
Nino rises, letting out a defeated huff as he gathers their coats from the hooks under the counter.
“You really are something else, you know that, Dupain-Cheng?”