Work Text:
Nino woke up to an empty bed.
He blinked a few times, first fumbling to find his missing companion, and then for his glasses once he realized he was alone. The world shifted into focus as he put them on, sitting up as he looked about the room. It was funny how they had only been living together for a week, but he had already become so used to sharing the bed that it felt so empty like this in the mornings.
One thing he would not get used to though was the fact that Adrien was very much a morning person.
And even though a part of him did want to roll over and go back to sleep, Nino forced himself to get up and get ready. Change his clothes, brush his teeth, stare at the insane amount of hair products that Adrien had in their shared bathroom, make the bed, then go downstairs to get something to eat.
Nino had told Adrien not to order a bunch of take out (Adrien's inheritance did not need to go to feeding Nino), and had gotten him hooked on several sweet cereals. Combine that with the leftovers from the Dupain-Cheng's bakery that Alya had dropped off last night, Nino didn't feel a need to rush to the kitchen and beat Adrien in getting food ready before he ordered his fancy takeout (if takeout was even the word for it).
With the exception of the occasional bowl of cereal for a quick breakfast, every meal that Nino had eaten since Adrien had moved in was a gourmet meal. One the Nino would expect to find at a fancy restaurant, down to the very way it was served. Plated like it was a picture for a menu, and not something he was about to quickly gobble down. He wasn't sure from where exactly Adrien was ordering the meals, but it was a habit that shouldn't continue. Adrien didn't have access to the same money he had before he had publicly announced they were dating, and Nino wanted him to be able to save what he did have.
He had talked to Adrien about it though, and was sure these fancy takeout meals would be over, but when Nino caught the pleasant scent of a feast as he opened the door he realized that Adrien hadn't taken his words seriously. He rushed down the small hall and into the kitchen– and saw a meal that was crammed on the tiny folding table they used as a dining table.
The fruit was precisely sliced, layered in a spiral in several glass bowls, topped with sugar and whipped cream. The bread was lightly toasted, laid out on a plate like it was going to be photographed in a magazine and not swiftly eaten by two teenagers. There were two cups of orange juice and two cups of tea, both garnished with a small herb of some kind. He didn't know that orange juice could be garnished.
"Good morning, Nino!" Adrien beamed as Nino stared down at the food. "I hope you're okay with something light today, I know we don't have a lot of time this morning."
"Adrien..." Nino began, before swallowing his words. He could worry about their food situation later– Adrien had only been eighteen for one week, and wasn't very independent yet. Maybe he should introduce him to some cheaper takeout if Adrien was going to have everything to order, because breakfast, lunch, and dinner couldn't always be done by a private chef or wherever he ordered this all from. "It looks delicious, thank you."
It was delicious food, there was no denying that. Nino sat down in his usual place, and began shoveling food into his mouth. Adrien's smile widened, and came and sat down to eat as well. He looked relaxed, and Nino wished that could be their life right now. It's what Adrien deserved more than anything... but even adulthood did not completely free him from his father.
"What's your plan for today?" Nino asked between bites, eyeing the time on his phone– he needed to be out the door for work soon.
"I have an interview today," Adrien said happily. "One that's not for modeling."
That was nice to hear– Adrien had gotten quite a few contract offers since he had publicly declared he would no longer be modeling for Gabriel, and it hadn't seemed to reach everyone that he intended to leave the modeling scene for good.
"Will you be okay going out?"
"Ezra's going to drive me. What about you?"
"Eh, the reporters have lost their intimidation," Nino said with a wave of his hand, even if that wasn't fully true. But he would rather Adrien's bodyguard (former bodyguard? He didn't technically work for Adrien or even Gabriel anymore, but was still offering his services to Adrien) go with Adrien then follow him around.
"They're like flies," Adrien said with a small grin. "Lots of buzzing, except it's not socially acceptable to bat these ones away."
They both laughed at this.
"Sorry to eat and run," Nino said as he pushed himself to his feet. "But the commute to work has 'mysteriously' gotten longer recently."
"Wait– can you show me how to start the dishwasher before you go?" Adrien asked desperately.
Nino blinked, and gave a small nod. He headed over into the small kitchen, Adrien right behind him. He wouldn't lie, he had once teased Adrien about questions like this, but in the short time they were living together he was starting to see truly how behind Gabriel had left Adrien. It was as if he had wanted his son to be dependent on him his whole life, not ready for the wider world.
He was sure it was all on purpose.
So he told Adrien how to start the machine, what buttons to push and where to put the soap, but still he looked slightly nervous even as Nino finished his explanation. "But you didn't measure the soap."
"Eh, just don't overfill it," Nino said. "Then you can't shut the lid that way."
"But how do you know how much to put in?" Adrien asked.
"No one does exact measurements with dishwasher soap, my dude," Nino reassured him. "Just put it on the normal cycle and start it, the washer will do the rest."
"What about the other cycles, how do you know when you need them?"
"To be honest I never use those options. Just the normal cycle each time."
"Then why are the other ones there?"
"Beats me," Nino said with a shrug. "If you don't want to mess with it I can start it when I get home, but I have to go now."
"I'll see you later then," Adrien said softly.
"Good luck with your interview today," Nino said, leaning up to give Adrien a quick kiss on the lips. He didn't have much time to linger after that, heading out the door with a backpack slung over his shoulder.
The apartment itself was quiet, but as soon as Nino stepped outside he was greeted by what he had started to call 'the welcoming committee'. The several reporters that seemed happy to camp outside his apartment, waiting to pounce on whichever one of them left the building first. Trying to be subtle didn't help– at least two of them coming straight his way as he tried to bolt down the sidewalk.
"No comment!" he called as he heard someone call his name, not looking back.
"M. Lahiffe, are you saying no comment because of what M. Agreste said last night?"
"People are saying that you plan on marrying Adrien soon– do you still plan on doing so now that he's been cut off from his inheritance?"
Married? He was used to the gold digger comments, Gabriel Agreste was determined to make the public think that money was the only thing Nino was after. But marriage, really? He and Adrien had just barely stepped into adulthood! They were not ready to tie the knot, and Nino most certainly wasn't going to do so for Adrien's money. He rolled his eyes, not replying to any questions as he continued his pace towards the subway, just wanting to get out of here, he was sick of all this nonsense. Heaven forbid he had a boyfriend!
Adrien was worth it all, however.
Nino headed home after his lunch break– his manager had insisted he take the rest of the day off.
"Jeez, these people don't know the meaning of privacy," Nino declared as he pushed open the door of their apartment. He didn't know if Adrien would be home or not, but either way he needed to vocalize his complaints. "They're harassing my coworkers now!"
"They're what?" Adrien's voice called from their bedroom, making Nino smile slightly as he shut the door behind him.
"Yeah, apparently our silence is too much so now they're asking my coworkers about our relationship," Nino said, shrugging off his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. "You would think our statement a few days ago would have answered those questions for them, but apparently not."
Nino headed towards the bedroom– he didn't know if Adrien's interview was later or if it had already happened, but the idea of curling up in bed with him and taking a long nap was much too appealing to pass up. However as he headed inside he was greeted with quite the sight– their blanket abandoned on the floor, pillows tossed about the room, and the sheets nowhere in sight.
"...Nino?" Adrien called from the bathroom. "Can you help me?"
Nino pushed open the bathroom door to find Adrien standing in front of the washing machine, looking very unsure. He had already taught Adrien how to work it a few days prior, but maybe he needed a refresher. He strolled over and saw that their sheets were in the washer– wet and already washed.
"What's up?"
"How do I get them to dry?" Adrien asked.
"You gotta take them out, dude."
"I already looked, there isn't a separate dryer," Adrien said. "I'm not seeing how this combination one works though? None of the options make any sense to me, to be honest."
"Combination?" Nino asked with a frown.
"Yeah, like what I had at ho– at Father's house. It was one machine but it was a washer and dryer, you know?"
Nino chuckled, reaching in and pulling out the sheets. "Sounds nice, but this place doesn't come with one that fancy. We're lucky to have found a place at this price that has a washer."
"What? There's no dryer?" Adrien asked, blinking. "Then– then how did you dry all my stuff when you did a load for me? Hung it up to dry?"
"Yep," Nino said, shaking out one of the sheets. "'Tis how we peasants do it, I'm afraid," Nino said solemnly, before grinning. "Nah, I get it though. I really miss the dryer my mom had at her place."
"Where do we hang them up then?" Adrien asked, mystified. "This place is... um, pretty small."
"Eh, we can just throw them over the chairs in the kitchen."
"...Nino?"
"Yeah?"
"Now that the sheets are dry, how on earth do I get them back on the bed?"
After showing Adrien how to make their bed (Adrien was still convinced it was impossible to put on the bottom sheet by yourself), they crashed for a midday nap. It was exactly what both of them needed, as Adrien said the job interview hadn't gone well, and they were pulled into each other's arms as they drifted off. When Nino awoke he felt far more rested than he had that morning– and like that morning he awoke to an empty bed.
And the smell of delicious food drifting from the kitchen.
"Adrien!" Nino cried, throwing off the covers (which had been neatly tucked around him), bolting out of the bedroom.
"Dinner's almost ready!" Adrien called as Nino hurried down the hall.
"I told you we can't keep ordering out!" Nino said as he burst into the kitchen. "You should be saving your money, not spending it all on..."
Nino paused, falling silent as he saw Adrien hovering over their small stove, flipping over a steak.
There was an onion soup boiling on the heat next to that one, a cutting board with the tops of chopped up veggies left on the counter. The salad was already dished up onto the plates, plated the same fancy way just like all other meals Adrien had provided so far. He looked up at Nino, smiling– before drizzling a sauce across the empty section of the dishes, moving the steak to rest on top of it.
"You're just in time for dinner," Adrien said happily. "Do you want to grab us something to drink?"
"Did... did you make all this?" Nino asked, stunned.
"Yeah?"
"And... and breakfast too?" Nino stammered.
"Of course," Adrien said, picking up the twin plates, carrying them over to the table. "I've been trying to make the food more healthy, after what you said about not wanting takeout, which I get. I mean I don't hate it, but it does just taste like grease after a while."
"You can cook?"
This time Adrien did pause, looking at Nino with a frown. "...Yeah?"
"You can cook," Nino repeated in disbelief. "You're telling me that all these restaurant worthy meals we've been having has been your cooking?!"
"...Is that really so unbelievable?" Adrien asked as he set the plates down, a slight pout on his face.
"Adrien, you said that a few days ago was your first time ever going grocery shopping!" Nino cried.
"Well it was," Adrien said defensively.
"You didn't know how to run a dishwasher!"
"Pierre always did that, he was the family chef."
"Adrien, I had to show you how to make a bed," Nino stressed. "And with everything else... look, I don't mean to offend– but I swear that cooking was the last thing I expected you to be able to do!"
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess that makes sense?"
"You said so yourself, you had a family chef– when on earth did your father have you learn how to cook?"
"Um... Father didn't know," Adrien said quietly, and that was something that did make sense. "But he was usually busy, and Nathalie didn't mind if I hung out in the kitchen... and well, Pierre was a good teacher. He showed me how everything worked when it came to cooking and baking... and it was pretty fun. A good way to pass time."
Adrien didn't say anything else, just pulling out two bowls from the cupboard. He dished up the onion soup he had made, the smell wafting through the kitchen. Nino wasn't sure how to reply, so instead he grabbed some silverware from the drawer as Adrien finished serving up the meal. The meal he had made. For them.
"You know, I can't really cook that well," Nino said quietly as they sat down, and Adrien looked up at him. "Unless it's something I can microwave." He glanced up at Adrien. "So, um, if you wanted to... maybe you could teach me how to cook?"
Adrien smiled. "I would love to."