The Missing Purrincess

Chapter 42: A Secret Revealed

Her world seemed to spin. How could they have found out?!

---Adrien's POV---

I raced across the rooftops, searching every nearby street as had become commonplace over the last few weeks. That was when I saw him. Nino, leaving Alya's apartment.

I was glad they made up. Nino had been acting weird since the day the class fell apart and it had only gotten worse since. I assumed that was because Alya was pretending to be on Lila's side. Alya siding with the enemy less that 24 hours after leaving Marinette's room was a shock to both of us, but as her boyfriend it would have been worse.

I smiled at the recollection. Nino had actually intended to tell Marinette that he liker her, but his feelings were being misplaced. How silly was that? What kind of idiot can't recognize his own crush? 

I started to turn to keep looking when Nino took a strange turn. His house was in the other direction, and he had all his stuff. There was nowhere that I was aware of that he would be heading that way for, and Nino wasn't great at hiding secrets. 

Then again, I didn't know that he was Carapace for a while. It took seeing him recognize a miraculous holder for me to get it. It wouldn't hurt to be a bit curious would it? It's not like he could possibly be hiding anything as big as Carapace now right?

---Marinette's POV---

Nino was late. He said he would be a while, but wow. 

"Are you gonna be okay alone while I talk to Nino Tikki?"

"I'll be fine. Remember I've always hid in the past! Besides, it'll be good for you to have a human to talk to instead of just a kwami."

I hugged Tikki close, "Tikki, you're not just a kwami. You're my best friend."

I heard a knock at the door. "Tikki hide!"

I double checked through the window to make sure it was Nino before opening the door. His face was a little weird, like he was nervous.

"Hey... We need to talk Marinette."

"Yeah, come on in."

I stepped aside and let him enter the place before shutting and locking the door.

 Something was up with Nino. The poor boy wore his emotions on his sleeve. 

"Okay. SO first of all, there was an akuma. Sabrina." Nino started, looking down at the floor.

"I noticed. It uh.. was on the news! Yeah, it was on the news."

"Right. Of course you'd know there was an akuma. Okay. Soooo. You- I uh... LADYBUG was hurt and spent some time with Alya... Who was also hurt..." He stammered, looking up at me briefly.

I nodded, urging him to keep going with his story. I already knew all that, but he couldn't have known that.

"Okay. So the dudette gets to talking with Ladybug, and things are said, and looks are given, and uhh..."

"Nino. Spit it out."

"Yeah okay. Sooooooo. Alya maaaay have figured something out... ON ACCIDENT! From what she told me she was more trying to disprove it and couldn't and..."

"NINO!"

"We know you're Ladybug."

My world seemed to spin. How could they have found out?! I was way too comfortable with Alya! I shouldn't have said anything to her! How much did they know! Did she tell anyone?

"I.. I don't know what you're talking about! NOPE! I'm just clumsy old Marinette!"

"Marinette. Girl figured it out. She uh... I already talked with her about it. There's no other possibility."

Shoot! No no no no no no no! 

"The first time I came round here, I saw... Something small and red. I guess that was you're kwami? I'm sorry to overwhelm you like this, I just thought you should know."

"How?"

Nino turned around. His body language saying that he didn't want to say a thing. I didn't know if it was embarrassing or what, but this was something I needed.

"Guess the secrets out then?" A high pitched voice rang out from behind a plant.

"TIKKI! What are you doing?!"

"Uhh. Is this your...

"Hi Nino. Nice to officially meet you! My name's Tikki."

---Nino's POV---

The small red creature flew from behind a plant in the back of the room and up in front of my face. It was about as small as Wayzz, but red, with a few black spots, and no shell. 

"You know who I am?" I asked, a little taken aback at how quickly Marinette's kwami, Tikki, had warmed up to me. I was surprised to hear a cute little giggle.

"I sat in Marinette's purse everyday since Stoneheart. I know all her Ff... Classmates." Tikki halted over what I assumed to be the word friends. 

"I guess there's no hiding it anymore huh." Marinette smiled sheepishly at me. "Hi Nino. I'm Ladybug."

I frowned a little, sadness filling me as I realized how hard that must have been for her to say. Marinette looked up at me. Ladybug looked up at me. It was like, until right then nothing really clicked. Holy cow Marinette was freaking Ladybug! 

"Dudette, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to find out I swear, but this can be a good thing right?"

"How is this a good thing?!"

"Well, we can talk about everything now? Like what's really keeping you down. You can trust me Marinette."