"Coo coo coo cooo doodle doo

Chant this charm, you'll feel so good!

Coo coo coo coo doodle doo

The charm will make your dreams come true"

Nino was sat in his bedroom cross-legged on his mattress with a gamecube controller in his hands, blissfully relaxed as he deliberately ignored his homework in favor of playing the happiest game he could think of. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. He was singing the lyrics to the cheerful upbeat theme song as he guided his character through an inexplicably chicken themed adventure, which was almost as entertaining a concept on its own as the actual game was itself. He seriously still couldn't believe this game was real, it was just- it was so ridiculous and colorful. And chicken themed.

"Nananananana," he continued to hum, bouncing slightly as he indulged in this pleasure. When people asked him what games he liked he'd probably say something cooler like Halo or something, because explaining that the plot of his favorite video game was to rescue the chicken gods and return daylight to the sacred chicken land was-

Well. No one needed to know about it is all.

Marinette would adore this game but maybe he should pretend to not know about it first. Or well, he didn't want to lie cause it was embarrassing Marinette would tease but she wouldn't care. Didn't matter right then though, she was way too busy to start a new game, she barely had free time as it was.

As Nino leaned against his bedroom wall and forged on through defeating the evil crow invasion his thoughts turned idly towards his friend. It had been almost two weeks now since he first found out, and yup Akuma attacks were just as awful to sit through as he imagined they would be. Thankfully it had been sort of quiet and there had only been one since then, but still. Dwelling on the fact that his friend was out there getting thrown through the air by a huge baddie and its henchmen had been one of the main reasons he restarted his Billy Hatcher file. Running through colorful chicken land calmed him down surprisingly effectively, and at the time it had been his main crutch besides checking his phone again and again.

The phone call from a number he didn't recognize set him at ease more than the game could ever manage though, and it was only when he got the call from the Bug Phone that he was actually able to breathe again.

The next time he had seen Marinette in person after the attack had led to a pretty tense conversation in the school's hallway, where she tried once again to explain to him that she was more than capable, and he acknowledged once again that she was totally right. Didn't mean jack though.

Thinking about school forced a sigh from between his teeth, disturbing the happy song and making him feel sort of tired again. It wasn't that anything specifically had happened, it was more so that nothing had if that made any sense. He just continued to know something no one else did, and it mostly succeeded in making the day seem just a little bit longer. Relations between himself and Adrien had been good, but there were a few times where Adrien would give him a questioning look, almost always when some kind of conversation in class had turned towards Paris' superheroes.

Nino sighed again, taking out his agitated frustration on a crow in the game. Poor little bastard was splattered before he even got an attack out.

Adrien hadn't forgotten about their weirdly tense morning even if he was leaving it alone, and Nino knew he suspected that something was different. He felt like Adrien was totally normal like 80% of the time and then someone for whatever reason would mention Ladybug and his eyes would slid over to him.

It wasn't accusatory or doubting, it was just... aware. Nino found himself hoping more than once that enough time would just make it go away.

Nino didn't look down right away when his phone vibrated, still stewing silently over a problem he couldn't fix. He ignored it again when it went off a little more persistently, but was finally pulled from his thoughts when it actually started to ring.

He raised an eyebrow at his phone sitting in his lap, wondering who needed him so suddenly that they weren't willing to wait for a text. He paused the game immediately when he saw it was Marinette.

"Hey!" he said suddenly, holding his controller with one hand and his phone in the other. He was about to continue speaking when she cut him off, her words rushed and piled together.

"Whatareyoudoingrightnow?"

Nino blinked, looking at the bright colorful character dressed in a chicken suit on his T.V.

"Nothing. Why?"

"I need you to make a cover for me like right right now, like this second right now."

"Wait what?" Nino blurted out, instinctively saving his game with one hand because he had a feeling he wasn't hanging around.

"I need to be in spots in like six minutes and I need your help like, now, please!"

Nino's eyes widened slightly as she pleaded. His brow furrowed. "Don't you have like a press thing uptown right now? The stream starts in ten minutes!"

"I know," her voice responded curtly, "I was about to leave to make it in time but my parents need my help in the bakery and won't let me leave! I can't sneak out and a huge delivery rush is about to happen but I need to be there now!"

Nino bolted, turning off his T.V and bedroom light as he sprinted from his room and out into his house. He snatched his keys off the counter, shouted goodbye to his mother who barely had time to look up and was out the front door before he had even said, "What excuse am I supposed to give for you!?"

"I don't know!" she whined, "it's going to look really bad if I don't show as LB, I need to be there I seriously can't skip but my parents need my help! I could really use your help but I have no clue how to make this work."

"Okay, okay I got this I can figure- I got this," he huffed, clearing his building and screeching to a halt just before sprinting out towards the bakery. With slightly more foresight he doubled back, heading down to the lower level garage and fumbled for the key to his bike lock as he rapidly planned with Marinette.

"Okay you've got to be at the thing which means the excuse we need is for your parents right?!"

"Yeah but- ugh I don't know! They won't let me leave because they need someone manning sales!"

"I can do sales," he breathed out heavily, grappling with his bike and rushing it up the steep slope leading into the garage while barely keeping a hold on his phone. "I can do that what if we swap?"

"My parents are going to think I called in a favor so I wouldn't have to work!"

"Is that not whats- happening?" Nino huffed, getting to the top of the hill and glad he still had the presence of mind for snark. That meant he could plan. She was going to speak again but he cut her off, saying, "Meet me out front with a notebook and a pen I'm on my way!"

Nino jammed at the screen to end the call, shoving his phone into his pocket and jumping up onto his bike. It was time for Alfred to cover for Bruce Wayne, his first call to action had arrived.

Nino must have broken a dozen street laws as he pedaled at break neck speed towards Marinette's house, his hat nearly flying off as he refined his half-baked plan. Actually saying half-baked implied that it was at all baked. What he had now was a handful of ingredients and two bakers expecting a cake. This was stupid and off the cuff but he just needed to get Marinette in the clear, planning every counter he could think of as he rounded the final street corner.

He spotted his friend stood anxiously out of the sidewalk, yelling in fright as he screeched to a halt and almost dropping the notebook she was holding.

Nino didn't even say hello, they were pushing the deadline way too close for pleasantries. He was panting heavily as he leapt from the bike, leaning it against the wall of the bakery and snatching the items he had asked for from her hands in one teetering motion.

"Nino!" she hissed, "Whats the pla-!" but he was already through the door, practically tumbling into the open space where customers usually perused and making even a massive man like Tom jump in surprise.

"Nino!?" Tom exclaimed as his daughter's friend was soon followed by his daughter herself, looking equally as confused and startled as Nino struggled to get a lung full of air. "What's the rush for?! Are you alright?"

"I- I will be-" Nino huffed, clinging to the counter and cursing his lack of athleticism. "I will be Mr. Cheng- sir but I need a favor- please."

Tom was staring at Nino in confusion when Sabine walked out from the back room to investigate the commotion, arriving just in time to see Nino stand upright holding his notebook and pen close to his chest.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cheng I-" he swallowed, trying to cut off his panting long enough to spew what he hoped to be a marvelous lie. "I am doing really poorly in my h-history class. I've got a C right now and- I need to bring my grade up so I asked for an extra credit a-assignment. So I have to-" he huffed again, planning wildly. "I have to do a work experience project before the end of today and I really need your help."

Sabine gaped in surprise, her expression mirrored by her husband as Nino forged on. "I procrastinated and I shouldn't have but I'm gonna be totally screwed if I don't get this done by today. I have to work in a place of business for at least one-" he looked back at Marinette, seeing her eyes widen slightly so he edited his statement, "two hours without pay and then write a report on it. I've got nowhere else to do it and I promise I won't get in the way!"

Tom and Sabine stared in shock a moment more, looking back at their daughter who quickly tried to smile innocently.

Tom was the first to break the silence, walking around the corner to grab Nino by the shoulder and hopefully reassure him. "Nino of course you can! Don't panic we'll help right Sabine?" Tom asked, casting a look over his shoulder.

"Of course!" Sabine reciprocated, looking all around in a hurry as she tried to figure out a task. "Uh, we have a rush coming in that Tom and I need to handle but I'm sure Marinette can show yo-"

"No!" Nino suddenly cut her off, making everyone jump again as he laughed nervously. "Haha, uh no I'm sorry uh, I can't have another classmate working at the same time I am i-it will make it not count I'm sorry! I know this is totally uncool of me but I promise I've worked counters before and I will do just as good a job as Marinette would have done!"

Tom still looked a little lost but Sabine looked over at her daughter, thinking it over and shooting glances at the door. "We really have that truck soon..." Sabine speculated quietly, looking once more at Marinette before saying, "Well I... I want to help your friend honey, he really seems like he needs this done by today. Nino can take your spot."

Sabine and Tom raised an eyebrow when Marinette cheered, everyone gathered watching as she quickly tried to cover it up with a nervous giggle. Nino sighed heavily in relief, glad to have come through at the cost of his lungs. And also the cost of his afternoon but... well working the bakery wasn't the worst thing ever, and from Marinette's glowing smile he could tell his efforts were appreciated. He had to admit, he felt a swell of pride as she started to head back into the house, knowing that even if he had to do it with an apron on he had helped out a superhero.

"I'm gonna be uh up in my room then," Marinette laughed dismissively, nearly falling over a stool as she backed up towards the stairs. "We wouldn't want someone to look in and see us both down here and Nino to g- yeah you get what I mean."

Nino gave her a conspirator's wink as she headed upstairs, no doubt to dive out her window and off to the event. The grateful smile she gave him made it more than worth it.

Nino stood in the bakery for a few moments after Marinette sprinted away towards her room doing nothing in particular, just feeling rather chuffed with himself until Tom casually cleared his throat.

"Uh ah right!" Nino laughed, remembering a second too late that the parents were still there. "Counter duty, I've got it, no sweat."

"You've never done it before," Sabine said a little uncertainly, looking at the fidgety boy with a motherly smile. "There shouldn't be way too much for you to do, but you will have to man the store while Tom and I handle everything in the back. We've got a truck coming as well as a delivery to handle so... well here," she said suddenly walking over towards one of the displays. "Maybe you should mark down the prices."

"Uh right!" Nino repeated, rushing to use his borrowed notebook. He struggled to keep up with Marinette's mother as she very quickly listed prices and exceptions, crossing a few lines out and hurried jotting down short form notes. Tom chimed in as well which forced him to start memorizing things just so he could write it down when his hand finally caught up. This much for this, that much for... two no three actually if it's sold in a bundle and he had to package things too so this package went with these desserts but not for the whole loaf breads and holy crap why was there so much stuff.

The poor DJ was starting to flounder slightly when finally he had everything down, at least he hoped it was everything, mostly because that was when Tom and Sabine vanished to go handle their business. So if he didn't have everything then... well.

Nino walked to stand behind the register, looking around curiously at all the treats and the machines that made them visible in the back.

He looked down, tapping his fingers against the metal of the register. He started to mess around with a beat, tapping a few different things to change the sound. He ground his teeth slightly.

...so did he just... stand here? Until someone came he guessed but, wow.

He was very bored.

Ding!

Nino snapped his attention forward when the bell chimed pleasantly, announcing the entrance of a middle aged man with his hands in his pockets.

"Yo!" Nino greeted happily, "What can I get for you?"

Nino worked diligently and with a smile, even when it did get a little overwhelming. He made a few mistakes but he managed to fix them, doing his best to be as friendly as possible even when he was tapping his foot in frustration. He didn't always get that bit totally right, unable to completely fake his way through an interaction with a particularly insufferable person but eh, he did a pretty good job.

The DJ sighed in relief when Sabine came back to the front, checking his work and thanking him.

"Tom and I are about done, so once you're done with this customer you can go up and see Marinette if you'd like."

"Uh yeah, totally! Thanks Mrs. C," he replied quickly, smiling at her as she walked back towards where Tom had been loading supplies.

"Sorry to keep you from your friend on my account," the old man standing nearby suddenly spoke, looking up from the display with a kind smile. "I'll make my choice soon I promise."

Nino laughed, adjusting his cap and grinning. "Nah its cool dude take your time! Lots of cool stuff in here I don't blame you for not knowing which to go for."

The old man smiled again, a light kind of mirth in his eyes as he turned back towards the sweets.

Nino didn't expect him to speak again, when suddenly the man said, "I haven't seen you working in here before, getting a job so young is admirable."

"Oh I'm not getting paid," Nino corrected, checking over his numbers jotted down in the notebook. "I'm just helping out a friend is all."

Nino was distracted, checking his fake form he had made on a different page to have Tom and Sabine sign, so that way his story came off a little more genuine. He didn't think much of it when the man responded, "You've worked hard for no return in order to aid a friend." Nino looked up, catching that same kind smile reflected in the glass of the dessert case. "I find that more admirable."

Nino watched the old man's back curiously for a second, not really sure how to respond besides the thank you he quickly uttered. It seemed like a weirdly specific compliment, but maybe he was just sort of old.

Still rockin' the Hawaiian shirt though.

The old man selected a small handful of treats and paid, chuckling to himself when Nino moved from around the counter to hold open the door for him. Couldn't be easy getting through doors when you looked old enough to blow away in the wind.

"Very admirable," the old man chuckled again, nodding his head as he passed through the door and thanking the young lad before heading off towards wherever it was such an old man needed to be.

Nino watched him leave for a little while before shrugging, heading inside to finish his cover story and get his signatures. However his task wasn't yet done, and he knew for a fact he could easily spend another hour up in Marinette's bedroom by himself pretending like they were hanging out. He pouted a little at the idea of now not even having the distraction of working, but at least he could use his phone now and catch the end of the stream.

"You did a great job Nino, you were more of a help to us than we were to you!" Tom laughed, signing the paper he was given and ushering Nino up the stairs.

"I really appreciate it Mr. C you guys really saved me," Nino continued to cover, branching off from Tom to start heading towards Marinette's room.

"Stay as long as you like, if you're here through dinner let me know so we make extra," Tom called just as Nino was opening the hatch, and with a final thank you and a smile Nino closed it again, now totally on his own.

Nino stood up, stretching his back and looking around. It was empty, as he suspected, but it was a really comfortable room. It was pleasant and interesting, filled with stuff and thank god a computer. He probably wouldn't totally die up here then.

He plopped down in Marinette's desk chair, spinning a few times and checking the texts on his phone, getting settled to wait for the super bug to find her way home.

He wasn't really looking when he reached over to wake up her desktop, hoping she didn't have a password set so he could listen to some jams to kill time. His peripheral lit up pink, like crazy pink but he wasn't surprised, everything in the room was pretty pink. He locked his phone, glancing up and chanting 'Big money no whammies!' in his head in hopes of no pas- wooooah. Woooah WOOAH.

WOAH. Wow. Wow, that uh-

That was a lot of Adrien right there