Nino was bouncing in place on the mattress of his bed, completely absorbed in the news report following the most recent akuma attack. Alya's Ladyblog stream had been cut off a while ago thankfully, Cat Noir finding her and running her out of the building before she got hurt trying to get footage.

The dust was starting to settle inside the school and the news vans waited anxiously on the streets, hoping that they had seen the end of the destructive tremors.

Nino couldn't help the giddy laugh when on the footage hundreds witnessed Ladybug's Miraculous Cure restore many of the surrounding buildings, and the crowds gathered started to cheer knowing that they had won.

Still though, he dropped his head in his hands in pure relief when he saw Ladybug walk through the main doors of the school with Cat Noir, the pair of them waving to the press and assuring them that all was well. He couldn't stop thinking that entire time about shy, cute Marinette fearlessly facing endless bad guys. She was Ladybug she was tough a-and unstoppable! But... crap he worried anyways.

Holy hell Marinette was Ladybug. It still hadn't settled. He doubted it ever would.

He looked up at the screen when he heard her voice, seeing Ladybug politely but quickly trying to escape the press. Nino looked in the background of the shot and caught a concerned look that Cat Noir was throwing her way, and it was clear even over the broadcast that she was distracted.

Her hand flashed up to her earrings then, her distraction growing even worse. Suddenly she turned around, running to Cat and urgently telling him something, whatever she had to say obviously of a great shock to him.

'Is she telling him I found her out?' Nino worried, having a quick waking nightmare of Cat Noir showing up to his house and threatening him to keep it a secret. But then Ladybug was making gestures, indicating a height and clothes and pointing towards the school. Cat Noir still looked shocked, but he quickly agreed to whatever it was she had wanted, the two waving to the press again before taking off in separate directions, Cat into the school and Ladybug off over the rooftops.

The broadcast faded into useless white noise for Nino, his eyes drifting to his phone and then out the window, until in his anxiety he was pacing his room. Was she going to be mad? What was going to happen, what even was happening? It was freaking Marinette! His friend! Sweet little kind Marinette, but... then again. Mari had always been tough as nails, standing up for others and facing off against anyone. She was not easily intimidated, yet somehow she was still sort of shy? Well not really, she was just expressive, so it was easy to see any fluctuation in confidence.

The more he thought about it, the easier it was to picture her as a hero. Not all that much changed.

But holy crap! He was friends with Ladybug this entire time! The hero herself!

Nino froze, something occurring to him for the first time, and then he was doubled over with laughter.

Marinette was Alya's best freaking friend, and she was Ladybug! The number one person Alya was always trying to find was literally with her all the time! Holy hell, Alya would probably pass out if she knew, which she wouldn't. Because he would never tell her or anyone else but, still, it was funny to imagine.

Oh wow, man he was in on it. He was in on the big secret! He knew who she was! Would things be different? Could they talk about all her battles and super crazy magic stuff just all the time now? Oh man he wished he could tell Adrien he would freak out!

His laughter and good humor were dulled instantly by a fresh pang of worry, and he checked his phone again. Still nothing.

Had Ladybug found him yet? Was she already on her way?

What was he even going to say to her when she arrived? Would she come as Ladybug or Marinette?

He let out a not so manly squeal of surprise when his phones loud tone broke him from his thoughts, and he felt his nerves shoot through his body like electricity when he read the contact.

'Marinette- Can you meet me at the park by my house? We need to talk.'

He stared at the bright display of his phone for a second before he swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. Now that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Marinette could kick his ass six ways to Sunday a message that blunt was more than a little terrifying.

He took a deep breathe, forcing himself to remember that this was still his friend he was talking to. After a moments more delay he typed out, 'I'll head over now. Did you find Adrien, is he okay?'

While he waited for a reply he grabbed his headphones and set them on his shoulders, keeping his phone in his hand as he ran from his room and towards the front door, shouting a random excuse to his parents as he left the building. He kept up the pace, running down the stairs and bursting out onto the street, yelling an apology to a little kid who lived a few doors down for almost trampling him.

He only stopped running to check a new message when it came in, the anxious knot in his stomach unwinding slightly when he did.

'Marinette- I sent CN after him, im sure he's okay.'

Nino looked at the message for a second longer before shaking his head, clearing it of doubt. If Cat Noir was looking out for him then Adrien was going to be alright, plus the cure would have fixed any injuries if he had even gotten them. He had to focus on the main thing right now. Just thinking about it made him nervous again.

He kept going, feeling the weight of the secret for the first time. It's not like he was getting interrogated, but just knowing something no one else did, running through the streets to secretly meet a superhero who was also secretly his friend was just- it was so bizarre. He was so frazzled he hadn't even taken his bike from the garage. Probably would have been a good idea but whatever, he was almost there.

He was so excited.

Nino ran along the fence bordering the park feeling like every step was more and more stressful but he didn't slow down, deliberately ignoring the hero statue in an attempt to maintain some sort of sanity. Despite his best efforts though, his first instinct when he spotted her was to stop dead in his tracks.

When he stopped he was a short distance away, marveling a tad dramatically at how little everything had changed. Kids were still playing, the sun was out and the day was nice. It was like an attack hadn't just happened, Paris had already normalized. And it occurred to Nino in that moment what a luxury that was.

He had been scared out of his mind, running through tremors that shook the ground and set off explosions, people had been screaming, and then just like that it was okay. Because Ladybug and Cat Noir had made it okay. This occurred to Nino mostly because, as at ease everyone looked... there was a young petite girl sitting on a bench who looked tense and worried.

She really looked stressed. Of course she did... the most dangerous secret of her life had just gotten out. What must all of this look like to her? The kids playing tag and the adult's reading their phones as they passed through the park on their way to work. Was it rewarding? Or...

He didn't know. It was overwhelming, even attempting to consider this seemingly normal scene from so many different angles. No matter how much he tried, he knew he was never going to get what it was like to be her in that moment.

He looked down, examining his shoes and all their aged imperfections, not really seeing them start to move, or even hers as they came in to view. He just sat down, spooking her slightly, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to say.

It had just been a normal crappy day, and he had been dumb enough to be grateful for a life threatening attack because he didn't want to take a test, that's the kind of complacency she dealt with every single day. He was so sure she would be there to save him, everyone was.

What the hell did that even feel like?

"Hey," he said lamely, looking up at her and doing his best to smile normally.

"Hey," she replied, the two of them taking a moment to stare at each other before quickly looking away.

There was a fairly lengthy pause where he cursed himself for not knowing how to make it... not horribly awkward. His fingers fidgeted with the chord of his headphones and he could feel her eyes tracking the movement, when eventually he heard her laugh. The sound was quiet but slightly reassuring. It still sounded like regular old Mari.

"Guess the secrets out," she finally said, giving him a small smile when he looked up. She held the look for a moment more before sighing, closing her eyes and shaking her head so that her pigtails swayed. "I guess something like this was going to happen eventually. I'm just glad that it's you."

His eyes widened at that. "You're glad?"

Her smile grew a little and she giggled. "Well preferably no one would have known, but a friend finding out is better than a stranger. I know I can trust you."

"Of course you can!" he reassured her regardless, his twisted anxiety taking a temporary backseat to his excitement. "I'd never rat you out Mari, I swear I won't say anything to anyone, no matter what. Not even if I was at gunpoint."

To her credit she still smiled, but he could see something like worry in her eyes. Her voice was a little more serious when she spoke again.

"Nino, now that you know-"

"You have to kill me?" he joked, and she huffed good naturedly.

"I'm serious Nino," her tone was subdued and it made him sober up a little. "This is a dangerous secret. If anyone were to catch on that you even knew about it you would be in danger, that's why I've never told anyone."

"Hey Spots I've seen super hero movies," he announced with a grin, biting back a snicker at the expression she pulled in reaction to his spontaneous nickname. He lifted his hand, ticking off things he understood.

"Heroes don't tell loved ones about their part time heroing because to do so would put them at risk. If one of them knew and it was discovered that they knew they could be used as leverage. Which like, almost never ends good. SO heroes don't tell people, which is sort of the point. But, I don't care."

Mari blanched, looking at his smile as it grew more and more confident.

"What do you mean you don't care!? You just summed it up! This is a big deal! If Hawkmoth-"

"Are you planning on telling him?" Nino interrupted, cutting in again before she could respond. "There is no reason anyone should find out I know anything I shouldn't, and even if they did I'm not going to tell anyone, I promised."

"Nino!" she scolded, looking concerned by how not concerned he was. "That's not what I'm worried about! I don't want you in danger!"

"Well it's what I'm worried about, and I know I won't say anything so we're square dude!"

She stared at him open mouthed, in utter disbelief at how wide he was smiling.

"You're still at risk!" she reminded him, and threw her hands up in exasperation when he shrugged.

"Let's not freak out about something that isn't a problem B," he said with finality, thoroughly past his nerves and now just pretty pumped about all this.

She sighed, her head in her hands as she asked without looking up, "B?"

"Yeah, for bug. Calling you LB would be a little obvious, B could be anything."

"Niiinooo," she groaned, but he just laughed, his fists pumping the air.

"This is so freaking cool!" he finally said, still laughing in exhilaration, looking around before saying, "You're a superhero dude!"

She looked up at him with a sarcastic expression. "Oh really? I hadn't noticed."

"Oh come on!" he chastised her, shaking her shoulders in excitement. "Let me be pumped about this! How does it even work? How did you get your stone? Can anyone have a stone or are you like the chosen one? Does Cat Noir know who you are?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but he could see the twitch of a smile there. In order she said, "It's complicated, it's complicated, I don't know and no he doesn't."

"How long have you been a hero? Have you always been Ladybug? Have there been Ladybugs before? Do you know who Cat is?"

"Awhile, yes if you mean like the only one in Paris? Yes, and no I don't."

"This is SO COOL!" he said again, actually jumping up from the bench in jubilation and gaining some attention.

"Nino! Settle down!" she whisper yelled, pulling him back down and waving nervously at a staring couple nearby. "Don't draw attention to us!"

"Why are we even talking about super-secret stuff out in the park anyways?" he asked, looking around and feeling like a secret agent. "Do you like have a hideout or something?"

"No! I have a room but we can't go in there right now. People don't expect super-secret stuff in plain sight, so it's relatively safe so long as we aren't obvious."

"Like transforming in front of your classmate?"

She blinked once, before she narrowed her eyes. "You weren't supposed to be there!"

"I go to that school! It could have been anyone! Least I know why you always show up so fast now."

She dropped her head in her hands again, shaking it slowly. "This is so surreal, I can't even believe we're talking about this right now."

Suddenly, Nino doubted himself and frowned. "Should I stop?"

She looked up quickly, waving her hands. "No no it's fine! It's just..." she paused, her voice dropping in volume a little and her eyes sort of distant. Finally she admitted, "It's just crazy, I've never been able to talk to anyone about this before except for Tikki. Not even my parents or Alya know."

He cocked his head, asking the obvious next question. "Whos Tikki?"

Marinette froze for a second before laughing nervously. "Oh, haha yeah... you should probably meet her. Um... hang on come here we need to actually be out of sight for this."

She grabbed him by the hand, Nino yelping in surprise as she effortlessly pulled him off the bench and along behind her.

"Crap you're strong!" he exclaimed, and she just laughed, smiling effortlessly for the first time over her shoulder.

"I could pick you up with one hand when I'm transformed, but I'd have to use two if I did it now."

"You say that like its nothing?" his voice made it a question as they quickly crossed the street. "Slow down!"

"I'm not even going that fast!" she laughed, pulling him sharply into the alleyway behind her house and carefully looking around.

"Well I'm not super acrobat spotted lady now am I? We needed to be in an alleyway why exactly?" Nino asked, crossing his arms and smirking at her, glad that she seemed to be in a better place than she was before. She giggled a little, her fingers twisting nervously around the latch of her purse like she was hesitating to open it. And when she looked up at him with those huge blue eyes he was reminded as to why it had been so incredibly easy to have a crush on Marinette.

In that exact second her shoulders were hunched slightly, drawn in as she fought against the automatic desire to keep secrets that were already out in the open. She was so expressive, he could see doubt, excitement, relief and tension all wrapped up in her eyes, which somehow made the blue even more... blue. He noticed for the thousandth time the freckles on her nose and the cute small curve of her nose. It was definitely easy, effortless. That's just how she was.

But in the next second he felt a sharp twinge in his heart and then calm acceptance, because if he didn't have a chance before he definitely didn't have one now.

He guess it didn't really matter. He seriously doubted he had the fortitude it would take to be a romantic rival with Cat Noir.

Plus, he looked at the doubt she had in her eyes, fiddling with her purse, trying to force herself to commit to the secret. And Nino took a steadying breath, a soft smile on his face as he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

Cause what she needed right then was a friend.

"Don't worry Mari," he said easily, smiling at her, "I'm not gonna trip out again. I've got your back in all this from now on, I got you B."

She looked at him, her mouth popping open in a surprised little 'o', and he could see how much she appreciated that in the smile that slowly spread across her face.

"Thanks Nino... this is so crazy, talking to you about it. No one has ever met Tikki before, I'm just... adjusting. I know you'll be cool. Well uh," she looked up and away, giggling nervously about something. "You'll probably be cool about it after the initial... uh, well, you should probably just... Tikki say hi."

Nino quirked an eyebrow, about to state that they were alone in the alleyway when Marinette finally stopped fiddling with clasp of her bag and opened it.

To be completely fair, there is literally no reason Nino should have or could have been prepared for the small, red, admittedly sweet looking creature that flew out into the open. It was tiny and red, as previously stated, and somehow feminine even though it was absolutely not humanoid in the slightest. Its eyes were huge and blue and its arms were sorta finned like a penguin or something. It had three little ladybug like spots, could fly, and-

"Hello!" it suddenly said, waving at him adorably and giggling. "My name is Tikki! I'm a kwami!"

-and it could talk.

Of course it could talk, why was he surprised.

Made perfect sense as far as things that didn't make any sense typically went.

"Eeeah," he managed in response, the squeak having to serve as his answer as he gaped wide eyed at this obviously magical thing. It was so magical looking it was ridiculous, he was expecting some super anime magical girl deal just from freaking looking at it.

"Aaah," he sounded again, his mouth opening and closing as he continued to stare. "Aaaaaaah."

"Please don't start screaming again," Marinette chimed in, glancing nervously out towards the main street, but she was biting back a pretty loud laugh herself. His face was ridiculous.

The uh, kwami... thing floated up to his face, seeming pretty adjusted to this type of reaction and just continuing to smile. She grabbed her tiny feet and sorta swung in place in the air, waiting for him to reboot his brain with 'crazy magical shit' in mind.

"H-hey," Nino finally said, after a fairly lengthy pause. "Hello, hi. I-I'm Nino."

Tikki giggled again, it was so adorable it was criminal. "Yes I know! I'm with Marinette all the time I know all her friends! Even if I've never met them."

He stared for a little while more and he was aware of Marinette snickering into her hand off to the side but Tikki was being very patient.

"U-uh... I'm assuming you have something to do with the uh, magical part of all this."

Another giggle. "Yes, that's an easy way to put it. I'm a kwami! I use the miraculous stone In Marinette's earrings to turn her into Ladybug!"

"Uh... what's a kwami exactly?"

She smiled at him, looking small and rather unassuming as she said, "I'm an ancient and powerful god that has been here since the dawn of time!"

Nino blinked. "...that's cool."