"Faceless Future" Book 2 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy |COMPLETED|

Chpt 8: Alya grills Marinette. Nino Tries Not to Grill Adrien.

"So, how is it going with Adrien still living at your house?  Do you guys ever get sick of spending so much time together?  Do you argue a lot?  I love Nino but I'm not sure I could handle that much togetherness!"

Alya looked inquiringly over at Marinette who was sitting next to her on the park bench and who was turning progressively pinker as Alya continued with her questions.  Marinette was babysitting Manon, the daughter of newscaster Nadja Chamack, and Alya had taken the opportunity to join her and finally get to ask her all of the questions that she had been desperately wanting the answers to.

"That's a lot of questions, Alya!"  Marinette looked down at her hands in her lap, thinking about what Alya asked.  She supposed they were good questions, but they made her feel a little sad as even though they were together so much in everyone's eyes, she didn't feel together.  He seemed more separated from her than she had expected.  But, she wasn't really ready to talk to anyone about that yet.

"I don't know- things seem good.  Surprisingly, we don't argue too much.  Mostly just when he eats all of the snacks before I even get anything- that boy eats so much, I don't know how he can do it!  We get along really well actually.  Is that weird?"  Marinette turned her gaze toward Manon who was riding the carousel for the fifth time.

"No, not weird. I guess I just find it surprising since not too long ago you could hardly even get a rational sentence out to him.  Now you guys do everything together!"

Marinette quickly spun her head toward Alya annoyed to hear someone else poke at her current sore spot.  "Hey, we're not a smushed name couple, you know!  We do do stuff on our own- like today!"

Alya gave her a dubious look.  "Fencing?"

"Why does everyone always bring that up?!" Marinette complained.  "I'm actually good at fencing and I'm not really even with Adrien during class as I am not at his level.  He is usually with Kagami- so not jealous about that!"  Marinette added before Alya could start poking at her about Kagami, who had always liked Adrien.  And she had to admit that Kagami did have a lot in common with Adrien- a demanding, controlling, wealthy parent; fencing skill; few friends (well, that had been Adrien until the last year when he convinced his father to attend school).  Kagami had chosen to be cool, yet civil, to Marinette and that worked for Marinette. 

Manon finished her carousel ride.  She jumped off the horse, her brown pigtails bouncing wildly, and then ran over to Marinette and threw herself on her lap. 

"Oof!  Manon, you're getting a little big to jump on me at that speed!  That was like superhero speed!"  Marinette gave Manon a big hug before setting her on her feet and smiling at her.  Manon grinned back.

"I've been practicing!  So, the next time Hawk Moth tries to make me evil I can fight him and win!"  Manon did a few punches into the air to show Marinette her fighting skills.  Poor Manon had been akumatized multiple times in the past, though she luckily didn't remember much about it, but apparently she remembered enough to be concerned about it happening again.

"You know, Manon, you don't have to worry about that anymore.  Ladybug and Cat Noir told us that Hawk Moth was defeated!" said Alya, looking at Manon as she kicked and punched her way around the bench.

"They say that, but what if they're wrong?  Or what if there is someone new?  I want to be ready!"  Manon gave some punches to a nearby bush.

"That's a good idea, but how about we take a break to get some ice cream?" Marinette asked her, a little concerned with Manon's preoccupation with villains.  Luckily, the possibility of dessert got Manon's attention.

"Ice cream!" Manon yelled as she ran toward the ice cream cart on the other side of the park.  Alya and Marinette ran after her.

- - -

Adrien and Nino were walking through the zoo when Nino suddenly stopped in front of the panther exhibit.

"So, how are things going at Marinette's?" asked Nino awkwardly, looking down at his shoes.

Adrien looked over at him.  "Did Alya put you up to this?  Because we don't have to talk about it if it makes you feel weird.  I'm fine."

Nino breathed a sigh of relief.  "Thanks, dude.  But, don't let her know I failed!  She gave me this whole lecture about how to talk to you about this and I totally didn't listen as I figured if you wanted to talk about something you would.  Can you at least give me a few things to report back to her and then we can just talk about what we want to?"  Nino glanced over at Adrien, a sheepish look on his face.

"Sure.  Things are good.  Marinette and her parents and I get along well.  They've not pressured me to move back in with my father, which is good as things are not going well in that area.  I don't know.  I've got more freedom and people on my side and things are pretty relaxed right now.  It's nice.  That enough?"

"Yeah.  Good enough for me.  So, what do you think Cat Noir and Ladybug are up to?" Nino asked him, eagerly changing the subject.

Adrien gave an inaudible sigh.  Why was he being asked about them so often recently?  "I don't know.  Normal teenage stuff, maybe?"  He hoped he could change the subject soon.

"Do you think that they miss being superheroes?" asked Nino wistfully.

Ah, now Adrien understood the reason for the question.  He knew that Nino got to at times be the superhero Carapace, when Ladybug and Cat Noir needed extra help.  Nino must be wondering whether he was going to get to continue being a superhero.  Adrien often wondered that about himself.  Master Fu, the guardian of the Miraculouses, hadn't yet asked for the return of the Miraculouses so maybe he saw that Paris still had some need for superheroes?

"I would think they would miss it.  They usually looked like they were having fun, but maybe they are enjoying the break?  Like a vacation?" Adrien tried to keep his tone light.

"Yeah, I suppose," Nino replied but sounded unconvinced.

"Yeah," Adrien said without much conviction.  The two teenagers stood quietly side by side, lost in thought, and looked at the animals.