Falling at last: A Miraculous FanFiction

Chapter 5

(A/N- I'm so sorry, I'm so bad at regulating my update times. It should get better when I have more of a set schedule in my life with work and college. But I hope you enjoy this chapter <3)

"Why are you suddenly so apprehensive about telling Nino? You said you really wanted to see his reaction." The mini-god questioned the boy who sat hunched over at his desk. Adrien had been preoccupied with school and photoshoots since Tuesday, now being the only time he'd properly sat down in 20 hours. He sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Because remember the last time he got akumatized? He probably still has some kind of vendetta against Chat Noir. And he's gonna hate Adrien too if he finds out I'm- well me," the blond groaned before planting his face into his sprawled out arms. On seeing Nino the morning following his evening with Ladybug, he was reminded that his friend wasn't exactly very fond of his alter ego, if he remembered correctly. He'd spent the next two days running endless worst-case-scenarios through his head which didn't help his already tired state.
"He doesn't hate Chat Noir, kid. That little incident was ages ago now and he realised it was all a big misunderstanding, no?" Plagg's voice came from his usual spot  -the cheese cupboard. "You're working yourself up because you're tired. Your intial thought was to tell him. Go with your gut."
"But what if-,"
"No buts! If something was going to go wrong, Bunnyx would be here right now making sure you don't tell Nino. Do you see Bunnyx?"
"No-." He'd barely finished saying the word when Plagg cut in again.
"Then it'll be no problem. Relax Adrien. This is probably what's supposed to happen. Ladybug says you can so you've got to take her up on that offer. Besides you need- as she put it- someone 'human' to talk to about this side of your life. You also you to go to sleep because you're a blithering mess right now."
"Hey!" Adrien narrowed his eyes at the latter and pouted. "But you're probably right. I should go with my gut. I'll text Nino to ask if he wants to come over to study tomorrow, I'll try to tell him then. It'll probably be easier when we're alone."
"How are you going to convince your father to let him come over?"
"I'll say it's for an important project linked to exams, it's worked before."

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Adrien woke up the next morning and promptly got ready. Once set, he bolted down stairs to try to catch his father before he permanently went into his office for the day. Adrien had texted Nino before he retired to bed to ask if he could come over. Of course Nino was skeptical at first so it took some convincing but eventually he agreed to come, on the condition that he didn't have to face Gabriel.
"Adrien?" his father's cold monotone voice echoed in the foyer. "I thought we agreed no running indoors."
"Good morning, Father. I'm sorry. I just wanted to speak to you is all." Adrien searched his fathers stern features for a cue to speak but was only met by an unreadable stare. "Uh, I have a project due on Monday and I need to work on it after school. It's a shared project so I need to do it with someone. Can Nino come over after school today?" Adrien stood rod-straight, rooted to his spot before the towering figure that was his father, waiting for a response.
"There's no way you can finish it during school hours?" Gabriel questioned.
"No, sorry Father." Adrien but his lip in anticipation. He was sure his father was going to say no. He could just tell by the way his mood seemed fouler than usual.
"Very well. How long will Mr. Lahiffe be having to stay for?" What?
"A couple of hours?" Adrien replied quickly, trying to get any semblance of moisture back into his mouth.
"I need a precise arrival and departure time, Adrien. You have a busy schedule this weekend."
"8:00pm?"
"7:30pm and you have to have practiced piano for an hour." Gabriel instantly turned foot and retreated to his office. Adrien sighed with relief. That was much easier than he'd expected. No usual fuss over photoshoots and studying.

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The school day went by slowly. Adrien figured it was partly linked to the fact he couldn't pay attention to anything being taught because he was far too focused on how on earth he was going to go about telling Nino. What was he supposed to say? 'Hey there Nino! You know that Cat dude you save Paris  with sometimes, who you thought was having a little thing on the side with your girlfriend last year? Yeah well you're lookin' right at him.' Adrien dragged his hand across his face in frustration as if to tare the scenario from his conscience. He was just being stupid. Nino was over that little mishap. It would be alright. He was currently waiting on Nino to come out of school, having had different lessons in the final period. He pulled at the strap of his shoulder bag and leant back against the wall.
"Hey dude! Sorry, just had to talk to Max really quickly." Nino said, slightly out of breath as if he'd been running. They exchanged fist bumps in greeting.
"No problem at all. Gorilla's just down there waiting for us." Adrien gestured to the chrome Mercedes that was parked in front of the steps of the school.
The afternoon went by quite chilled. Whilst Adrien pressed sweet symphonies into the piano, Nino groaned and grumbled about the EOYs. He occasionally pressed a random key, causing Adrien to mess up and shoot a glare in his direction to which Nino would respond with a stifled chortle.
"Shame our hang-out on Monday got ruined, I was enjoying it. Not often it's all four of us together is it?" Nino said when Adrien shut the top of the piano and got up from the bench. "Say... did you go straight home when that akuma fight broke out? I didn't see you after we all bolted from the café."
"Yeah, my bodyguard was outside waiting for us to finish up." He shrugged "I heard it was a tough fight though. Strange that Ladybug didn't come to get you and Alya."
"Yeah. But it's okay because we went and hid together and ended up playing Super Pinguino for an hour or so. If you know what i mean. She used to do just fine when it was just her and Chat Noir-," Nino trailed off when Adrien flopped on his bed at the mention of his alter ego. He got up from Adrien's desk chair to sit beside the blond that was sprawled face up on his bed. "What's up dude? Tired or something ?"
"Or something." Adrien grumbled. This was it. He knew he just had to tell him.  Pull yourself together, Adrien. Have some faith in him.
"Talk to me bro. What's on your mind?"
"Do you still hate Chat Noir?"
"Dude he's one of my teammates. Of course I don't hate him anymore. That was all resolved after the last time I was akumatized. No more hard feelings. Why?"
"Just wondering." Admittedly, Adrien still had no idea how he was going to approach the actual subject. Maybe it'd be easier if he simply showed Nino?  Yes. No more beating around the bush.
"Uhh, there's something I need to tell you," he began. He clutched his arm subconsciously in anticipation for what he was about to do.
"What is it?" Nino's brows furrowed inquisitively. Adrien stood up, mind reeling at what he was about to do.
"Well actually, I need to show you something." He stood up, mind reeling at what he was about to do.
"Please, just don't hate me, okay?" he said with a slight wince at the possibility. Adrien clenched his fists until his nails dug into the soft skin at the center of his palms. He shut his eyes. Just do it.
"Why would I hate-," Nino's confused question was cut off when he called on his transformation. Adrien opened his eyes hesitantly, bracing himself for his friend's reaction. He was met with a dumbfounded Nino. Silenced by shock. He blinked as if trying to clear his vision of what surely must've been an illusion and his mouth hung open slightly. Nino's silence was painful, causing Adrien to shift uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Ta-daa." Adrien laughed mirthlessly, attempting to get Nino to so much as make a sound.
"Oh. My. Gosh. Dude." Nino's eyes scanned over his black-suited form. Adrien bit his lip nervously. "You're Chat Noir."
"Yeah-," Adrien said, slowly, unsure of what was currently going through Nino's mind. He scanned his features, trying to interpret his reaction.
"Well, I definitely do not hate you my dude, but whew I was not expecting this," Nino said, eyes still flitting in disbelief over the figure that stood before him. "Although now that I think about it, it makes sense that you're, well... him," he continued, scratching his head. "But..."
"But what?" Adrien visibly tensed. Suddenly the air in the room felt thick and hot which complemented the silence that filled it.
"Why on earth are you telling me? I mean dude, this is so cool. Like crazy cool. Talk about plot-twists. But bro, isn't this like crazy dangerous?" Nino pulled his cap from his head and carded his fingers through his short hair, eyes still considerably wide. "Not to mention, I'm the worst liar ever."
"Well, I always wanted to tell you because... you're my best friend but I couldn't. But then Ladybug and I had a conversation on Monday night and she literally told me to tell you."
"She told you to tell me?" Nino repeated, gesturing to himself.
"Well no, not you particularly. Someone I trusted and I trust you.  She said that it would be good for me to have someone 'human to talk to' as she put it, so, naturally, you were the first person I thought of."
Adrien released his transformation, causing Nino to flinch slightly, and sat down next to him, huddling one knee close to his chest whilst the other hung over the edge.
"Woah, warn me next time you do that. My brain's still trying to comprehend a few things here bro," he half-laughed, waving his arms in front of his person. Nino shut his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he looked visually calmer, more relaxed and at ease with this new, shocking information.
"Hah, sorry. I got ahead of myself a little there." A rueful smile spread on his face.

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The boys discussed all of the subjects that came with the revelation that Adrien was Chat resulting in a lot of exclamations of realisation and bemusement (and maybe some expletives here and there) from the latter such as: 'So that's who you've been in love with! Simp.', 'Oosh, yeah sorry 'bout that. I didn't know it was you.', 'Now that I think about it, you do kinda smell weird'. But all in all, Adrien had no regrets towards telling Nino.
"So you mean to tell me, you crashed at Marinette's on Saturday night?" A ruthless grin spreading across his face. -Well, almost no regrets. He swore Nino enjoyed laughing at his... misfortunes? No that definitely was not a misfortune. It was just unfortunate that he told Nino that little tidbit.
"I didn't plan to! She insisted. And besides, did you see that storm? You go do a patrol, alone, in that and then tell me you would turn down a hospitality offering from a friend," Adrien huffed, fixing a glare on the latter. Much to his chagrin, he now found himself being borderline interrogated. He mused he should've expected to be grilled like that. Nino was like that; once you gave him the main snippet of information, he would put all the other pieces of the puzzle together in seconds. An annoying talent, as much as it was admirable.
"'A friend's' huh?" Nino sniggered.
"They ended up sleeping in her bed together as well, spooning dusk till dawn," Plagg's voice interjected from somewhere in the upper region of Adrien's room.If looks could kill, Plagg would have been as good as dead at that comment.
"Woah dude, I didn't know you were so fond of Marinette," Nino almost cackled. "Just a 'friend' my ass." He exhaled the sentence as if he only half wanted the latter to hear it.
"What! No! It wasn't like that Nino! I swear! I just- I- It's complicated." There was no point in trying to explain himself out that predicament because no matter how he phrased it, it would never turn out in his favour. Besides telling Nino that he'd had a nightmare and then sought reassurance in the arms of his 'friend' was definitely not an option.
"You should've seen how blondie looked at her. I literally could've thrown up it was that sickeningly sweet." Plagg pretended to gag.
"What? No! Stop!" Adrien spun round, a warning glare welded into his features. "Don't make me regret telling you," he cautioned, pointing a warning look in his direction, as if daring him to laugh.
"Sorry dude, I'll stop laughing now." Nino ran his fingers across his lips as if to zip his mouth shut before failing to stifle a laugh, resulting in a very childish snort. He clearly found Adrien's reaction to Plagg's snide comments highly amusing, his distressed state only causing the grin on his face spread further and erupt into a fit of laughter. He guesses couldn't have expected Nino to be shocked forever. It was a given that his friend would've ended up laughing at his misfortune produced by his super heroine role.
"Remember, not a word to-,"Adrien began.
"-Alya or anyone else. Got you. I may be bad at keeping secrets- particularly from Alya- but when it's a important as this, my lips- are -sealed. Absolutely nothing, nada, is slipping past these lips." Nino pursed his lips tightly together in emphasis and Adrien smiled at his enthusiasm. Ladybug was right. He did need this.

Word count: 2394