Chapter Text
Nino loved his best friend. Really, he did. Adrien was one of the nicest guys he'd ever known. Hell, he didn't know if he'd be half so outgoing now if he didn't start acting that way for his friend's sake. That didn't mean he wouldn't openly tell you the boy was dense as a brick and frankly, weird. Not just sheltered homeschooled richboy weird. Truly 'what is even going on with you' weird.
Then again, it all must trace back to inferiority complex, daddy issues, and who the hell knew what else this poor innocent child had going on so he could cut him some slack. Still, for someone raised to carefully maneuver high society's crazy mind games? Who took a personal interest in theoretical physics?
"I just don't get why she can't talk to me like she does everyone else," Adrien said after finishing off his third sandwich. He reached in the paper bag for a fourth and took a bite, chewing moodily as he looked over the park they were chilling at over lunch. How the hell did this boy eat as if a black hole dwelt within him and still make Nino want to take him home to shove every bit of leftovers from the fridge into his maw? This boy looked in danger of flying away in heavy wind.
He continued, "I've been thinking about it, I don't think I intimidate her or anything. At least, I shouldn't? She didn't particularly care when I first came to school. Unless... She started seeing me as my father's son? She wouldn't be the first person father intimidated by proxy."
Bruh.
"But she's super nice! She compliments me a lot. Then again, if she was scared, she would want to be in my good graces."
Oh my God.
"That's the only thing I can think of. Arrrgh, how do I get past that, though? Getting out of father's shadow is like... Like... Trying to get off Namek, you know what I mean?" he chuckled to himself.
This fucking weeb. "No, actually, I don't. Dragonball joke, right?"
"Yeah, you see, they spent so many episodes on the planet Piccolo is from because it was being terrori-"
"Dude, don't start," Nino rubbed his eyes. "Soooo... Why the sudden interest in Marinette anyway?"
The implication was lost on Adrien. He began with arm movements to illustrate, "You're my best friend, and Alya's her best friend, and you two are close now, so I should be closer friends with her! Besides, other than you, she... she was my first friend at school. She actually made me laugh, really laugh. I can't remember the last time I did before then."
"No kidding. How'd that happen?"
Adrien smiled with a little embarrassment, hunching up his shoulders. "Well, it was raining, so I gave her my umbrella aaand while she was holding it, it closed on her."
His smile turned into a full grin just remembering it.
"She laughed too, a little. That was really great and I've always wanted for things between us to be like then. And now, she's finally coming around to talking with me normally! You know, when... When she's done panicking. And she's mostly got her mind on something else like a project or something. There's hope, right? That we can be friends?"
"Uh-huh. Friends. 'Closer' friends. Like Alya and I are close."
This time he got it, choking on his bite of sandwich so Nino had to slap his back. After a lengthy coughing fit and a few gulps of water, Adrien was able to sputter out, "Dude, it's not like that!"
Nino put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Come on, bro, I been there. You know that. Not only do I get it, I see that you got it."
"Nino, you know I wouldn't think of her like that, not when I'm already-"
"Ladybug trash?"
Adrien sighed. "I wasn't going going to say that, but, if you want to put it that way, yeah. I guess."
"Don't think I forgot how you just fucking shoved me aside to see her when the whole Jackady thing happened," Nino raised his head and quirked a brow down at him. His friend had the decency to look abashed. "You can like more than one person, you know. That's a thing people do. You're people. Besides, it'd be better to set your sights on someone more on your level, know what I'm saying? The idea of actually getting the Ladybug to date you is kinda whack, even for you, Mr. Agreste."
Mr. Agreste smiled mysteriously in a picture perfect expression of obscured sorrow and unspoken things, because that's how he does. Looking skyward, In a voice to match, he said, "I guess you're right, Nino. I guess you're right."
What the fuck was going on with this guy.
"He's an idiot," Nino said, leaning against the locker next to Alya as she got her things. She gave him a sympathetic look. She had never told him outright who Marinette's crush was- girls' honour- but once he wasn't hung up on her anymore, it became as obvious as it should be to Adrien now.
"I know, babe," Alya kissed Nino on the cheek. They'd already been together a few weeks and that was just a peck, but it still made him smile like a goof and want to pull the brim of his hat down a bit. "My girl's still pretty hopeless but we gotta keep trying, right?"
She pulled on her bag and he put an arm around her shoulders as they walked to class.
"Anything for our best buds," he agreed. "But good lord, it is so painful. Painful! We're gonna have to step up our game 'cause clearly, those two have none."
Alya laughed and bumped her hip against him affectionately. "So true. It's just that I'm out of ideas, I've been at it the whole year."
"Well," Nino paused. "Adrien did mention something. One reason he wants to get to know her better is 'cause Mari made him laugh for real back when I was like, his only friend. Which is pretty amazing, homeboy pretty much never laughs at school, only when it's just us."
"Damn, that really sounds like something we can work with," Alya rubbed her chin. "What did she do to make him laugh?"
"Apparently, she was holding an umbrella and it closed on her," Nino grinned.
Alya started laughing hard. "Oh my God, that is so her. You know, sometimes I wonder if it's just her luck or if she got it from-"
She stopped in her tracks. Nino raised his brows. "Hon? I know you have a plan, but I can't tell what that plan is if you don't verbalize it."
"Hush."
"Alright." Was he like, just magnetically attracted to forming close relationships with the strangest people or what?
"We're having a sleepover," she said, intense.
Yeah, he must be.