Nino could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he made his way to the rooftop, slowly taking the stairs upwards. He wondered idly if this is what gladiators felt like just before the gate rose, showing them all at once the blood drenched battlefield sunken into a pit for a mob's entertainment.

Alright probably not, but he was sort of on edge so forgive his embellishments.

Nino stood before the door that lead to the open air and waited for a moment, looking at the faded paint job on an insignificant door, before he took a deep breath and opened it.

It was deep into the night as Nino stepped out into the open, walking steadily and with discipline out towards the center of the flat area. He could feel his palms sweating in his balled up fists but he kept walking, well aware of the black clad figure slowly turning to regard him.

Cat Noir turned, and to Nino's surprise there was a smile on his face, that is until he saw Nino in full. The DJ could almost feel Cat taking in his stance, looking at his tense posture and set jaw. The smile fell, and it was replaced by something almost like guilt.

"Are you afraid of me?" Cat Noir said suddenly, the first to speak. He said the words without thinking, the sentiment slipping out as Nino's unease really settled in for him, and then Nino was suddenly feeling guilty as well. He hadn't meant to make him feel like a villain.

"No," Nino attempted to amend, forgoing a greeting since Cat Noir had done the same. "But I'd be lying if I said you suddenly showing up here didn't make me a little nervous."

The hero's hands rose in a placating gesture, the claws on the ends of his gloves making him look oddly inhuman in the dim lighting, though Nino supposed that was the point of them.

"I'm not here to fight or nothing! Honest I didn't mean to freak you out, I just want to talk."

Nino watched him with a steady gaze for a second, and could see his perception of the hero change slightly. Where he had seen an inhuman, possibly dangerous figure before he now saw a young kid about his age, trying to smile and put him at ease.

Nino's stance relaxed a little, fists unrolling but back still straight. Cat didn't seem to be looking for a shouting match either, but that made him wonder why he was really there.

"So," Nino finally said again, shifting his weight a little and watching curiously as the normally composed hero rubbed at the back of his neck. "What did you want to talk about?"

Cat wasn't looking at him, staring off the side of the building and off into the city. The silence stretched so long that Nino started to wonder if he was expected to say something else, before Cat said, "I shouldn't have been listening, in the alleyway. I wasn't supposed to be there and I had been spying. I wanted to apologize."

Nino's expression didn't change, unmoved by the apology. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," Nino responded, crossing his arms but not angry. "Though I guess it's something you needed to hear."

Cat Noir nodded to himself, still looking away and unbearable silence dominated again. They could hear the murmur of a city that was barely awake all around them, a light breeze blowing between them. The shift in power was so... weird. Nino had entered this space as the uncertain one, but now it was Cat Noir who couldn't maintain eye contact.

Nino waited, but the hero didn't seem to have the words to convey what he was there for, and Nino couldn't help the small sigh that slipped out, his eyes sliding closed.

"Listen man," Nino spoke again, and he could feel Cat's eyes on him. "I know you don't know me, and you actually have a lot of reason not to like me. I get that, I do, and I know you don't owe me crap but I'm asking you anyways." Nino opened his eyes, catching Cat Noir's too bright gaze as he asked, "Please leave this alone."

The two boy's locked eyes, neither looking away as the murmur of the city took over again. Nino honestly had no idea what his face looked like just then, he was only watching Cat as a dozen emotions flashed across his masked face. It was amazing how the mask didn't hide everything, he could still read so much in this guy he didn't know. He was shocked, saddened, conflicted... and happy. It was weird, and it seemed like he knew that. To Nino it looked like Cat Noir had no idea how to feel.

"What makes you think Adrien deserves her?" Cat suddenly said, the words tense and rushed but not angry, not spat. He was genuinely asking, stepping closer as he said, "What makes Adrien better than me?"

Nino's eyes widened, his heart racing again at being caught in the middle of all this... but he had to say something.

"I don't know you," Nino said calmly, holding his ground as Cat Noir walked closer, "but even if I did I'd tell you nobody 'deserves' her more than anybody else she's her own person. The only thing I know Adrien deserves in life is to be happy, but when it came to choosing Ladybug chose him and I think you should respect that."

The change in atmosphere was instant, and Nino took a step back as he looked at Cat Noir's face. Because the emotion he saw there didn't make any sense. He had just told a guy with the power of destruction to back off from a girl and he looked... blown away. Touched even and it was totally out of place.

Cat Noir blinked, taking a step back himself and freezing Nino to the spot with an intensely powerful look in his eyes, like he was demanding to know the answer to his next question in a quiet but undeniable way.

"You really think so highly of your friend?" he asked gently, the words barely making it out as he watched Nino's confused expression. Through all that confusion and unease though, Nino nodded, unshakeable certainty in his eyes as he confirmed it. And Cat Noir had no idea how to react.

Nino waited, watching as Cat Noir turned away for a moment, raising a hand to his face and pacing absentmindedly in front of him. The hero was distant, his eyes glazed as a million different thoughts ran through his head, and Nino could almost swear... that he was crying.

Nino felt breath catch in his throat, guilt overwhelming him as he really thought about the situation. There was no reason for him to assume that Cat Noir's feelings weren't genuine, that he didn't actually love Ladybug. If he had thought about it before he couldn't say that his actions would be any different but... maybe he wouldn't have acted without considering him. He still thought Adrien deserved the shot, he still thought Ladybug's desires should be respected but...

He saw Cat Noir's shoulders bow slightly, and Nino felt something tighten in his chest. It must hurt... a lot. Maybe Cat Noir had come to that rooftop hoping for Nino to disown Adrien in some way, to give him some kind of justification to get in the way and found none. Nino knew now, Cat Noir had no intentions of getting involved. He wanted LB to be happy, but... To have her not choose you must... suck.

Nino's heart went out to him, watching the hero fight off confused overwhelming emotions in front of a total stranger. And all at once... Nino didn't want to be a total stranger.

"Hey..." Nino said quietly, bringing the hero to a stop with one word. Nino swallowed, looking into Cat Noir's watery eyes and trying to read them before saying, "I know I said I didn't know you..." he extended a hand, watching as shock settled again into Cat's expression. "But I'd like to, if you'll let me."

Cat Noir was frozen, looking first at Nino and then down at the outstretched hand, that same overwhelmed emotion racking through him and confusing Nino slightly. It didn't really make sense... unless he was just grateful for the olive branch but...

Cat Noir's hand settled into his, a strong grip shaking his hand and a disbelieving chuckle slipping from the hero's lips. Nino could feel the claws lightly scraping his skin as Cat Noir finally spoke, his voice husky.

"You know..." he said slowly, drawing out the handshake slightly and staring down at the contact. "This reminds me so much of the first time I met you."

Nino raised an eyebrow, looking at the hero's smile as their hands pulled away from each other. That didn't make any sense.

"Back then," he explained, the smile spreading a little as gratefulness and joy shined in his eyes, "you didn't trust me at first either. You were closed off and convinced I was only going to cause trouble. But you saw I was lonely then too, once I told you Chloe was my only friend. You decided I was worth the time, and you gave me a second chance then too..."

Nino took a step away, absolute confusion on his face as he looked up at Cat Noir, the green of his eyes and the color of his hair starting to dawn on him for the first time. The way he stood, the way he laughed... the way he grinned.

"You said the only thing you knew I deserved in life was to be happy," Cat said with finality, watching as the pieces clicked into place for his best friend. But he spoke from the heart, tears finally flowing over as he laughed out, "But I know that never once... have I ever deserved a friend like you."

Adrien had to admit, watching as everything fell into place in Nino's expression was pretty hilarious, the DJ staring wide eyed and taking a step back as his mouth dropped open. Cause he had basically just admitted it, said the thing he had come there to say. Finally told Nino the thing he deserved to know.

"No... freaking...way," Nino choked out, but he knew better. He looked at how emotional and happy and slightly smug that stupid cat look as he smiled at him, and he knew.

He just couldn't believe.

But oh he could, of course he could how much sense did it make? Every attack that had ever happened, but aside from that just how Cat was how he behaved and laughed and messed around. Of course it was Adrien, he just hadn't seen because it's everything Adrien wanted to be but couldn't. It was a mask with Adrien behind it, how had he not seen.

Cat Noir's, or rather Adrien's chuckle cut through his panicking, the hero regaining a bit of his humor as he asked, "You okay buddy? You gonna pass out?"

"I-" Nino stuttered, gaping like a fish the entire time as a million and one obvious clues crashed down on him, the insanity of the situation he had just landed himself in starting to settle in. "I can't- No freaking way."

"Are you mad?" Cat Noir asked, watching Nino carefully but still smiling.

"No. Way," Nino said yet again, staring at the leather clad superhero and just- just no way. "You-" Nino's gaze became fixed and far away as his mind started to process something. Cat Noir tilted his head slightly in concern, jumping almost a foot in the air as Nino suddenly screamed "WHY IS EVERYONE I KNOW A FREAKING SUPERHERO."

Nino started to devolve into panicked shouting, a regular occurrence for this sort of mental breakdown but Cat Noir didn't know that, pouncing on top of his friend and pinning him to the ground with his mouth clamped shut. Another regular occurrence.

His shouting was muffled as Cat Noir bit back laughter, trying to silence Nino even though they were alone on the rooftop.

"Nino SH, Do you want all of Paris to hear-"

Nino ripped Cat Noir's hand away from his face, glaring up at him as he shouted, "You don't get to SH me, you don't get to drop that and just-" Nino reached up, grabbing at his hat and clamping down on his head. "CAT WOMAN DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A BUTLER."

Cat Noir was still laughing, staring at confusion in his friend pinned beneath him. "Nino what the hell are you talking about!?"

"I can't do my homework this many times," Nino was still talking, speaking mostly to himself as he started to fully freak out. "I can't cover for this many classes I'm already doing it for B I can't do it for you too I'm going to fail everything."

"Nino what the-" Cat Noir started to say, freezing in place for a second before shouting himself and saying, "Wait is she in our class!?"

"No!" Nino shouted back, suddenly angry, "Don't you try and figure this out don't you make another problem for me!"

"Wait is she!?" Cat was still trying to figure out as Nino suddenly threw him off, the DJ rushing to stand and pacing rapidly on the rooftop.

"I can't believe this!" Nino shouted, hands flying around him in wild gestures, "I can't believe this, you're my best friend. You're my BEST FRIEND. Cat Noir is my- I can't BEILEVE YOU!"

Cat Noir was still sitting on the ground, staring sheepishly up at his friend once Nino turned to glare at him. "I wanted to tell you, but obviously that's sort of hard to do."

"I can't-" Nino was still saying, bringing his hat down to cover his face as he sank to the floor again, lying on his back on his own accord and making strangled confused noises into the fabric of his cap. Cat Noir couldn't help but laugh again, staring at his friend's breakdown and shaking his head.

For Nino all he heard next was a weird... swooshing sound and a bright flash of green light hitting his closed eyes from beneath the cap. When he looked up though he wished he hadn't, his breakdown just settling in more when he saw Adrien suddenly sat there, waving with a smile on his face.

"Oh my GOD," Nino shouted again, covering his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at his totally normal best friend sitting where Cat Noir had just been sitting.

Adrien laughed again, and Nino heard a second higher pitched cackle join in.

"Well he sure took that well," the second smaller voice remarked, snickering to itself.

"Is that another tiny magical thing," Nino asked almost in defeat, still not looking yet. "A kwami?"

"Yup!" Adrien and the smaller voice called in unison, and Nino groaned into his hat again.

"Would you like to meet him?" Adrien asked, and Nino waited for another few seconds before sighing deeply and sitting up.

"Yes," Nino finally said, lowering his hat into his lap and looking in front of him where something small, black and undeniably cat like was already hovering.

"Hey!" it said simply, grinning at him almost wickedly. "This is obviously a secret kid, just so you know."

"I know how to secret keep Selina Kyle," Nino shot back easily, making Adrien laugh at the reference but the small cat creature just raised an... eyebrow? And shrugged.

"This is Plagg," Adrien introduced without moving from his seat since his kwami had made no attempt to. "He's my kwami. I'm guessing you already know what they are from Ladybug."

"Mhm," Nino said back simply, staring down the tiny creature and saying, "Hello Plagg."

"Hey Cap Kid," Plagg said back, grinning again before zipping off to sit by Adrien.

"Oh my gooood," Nino moaned, dropping his face back into his hat and making Adrien laugh yet again.

"Oh come on Nino this isn't a bad thing," Adrien defended himself, slightly worried that Nino was genuinely upset.

"No," Nino agreed, looking up at the smiling blond model, "It's not a bad thing. It's a complicated thing, because I've just spent forever trying to get between you and you, for the same freaking girl."

Adrien chuckled uneasily, running a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Haha yeah... I figured that maybe telling you would make it a little easier for you, since you know I'm not gonna Cataclysm you into dust or something."

"This is freaking insane," Nino said again, his head still reeling to the point where it was just easier not to look at his friend as he dealt with it all. "What are the freaking chances... How the hell did I land in the middle of this? This is crazy, Alfred deserves a raise."

"Again with the Batman reference?" Adrien asked between chuckles, relaxing a little since Nino was mostly just flustered.

"It's how I cope with things don't judge me," Nino muttered, the sound muffled in his hands.

"Hey you're doing pretty well," Adrien complimented, smiling in a supportive sort of way when Nino looked up at him again. "I figured you were going to faint."

"I almost did," Nino admitted, "I might still. Be on the lookout."

The two friends shared an awkward laugh, Nino shaking his head and looking out across the flat rooftop.

"This is... ridiculous. I can't believe this. Ladybug and Cat Noir... holy crap."

"Yeah haha," Adrien laughed, not terribly smooth as he fished for information. "Sorta crazy that we're in the same class right?"

Nino looked up, glaring at him. "Don't."

Adrien huffed, rolling his eyes and falling flat on his back, exclaiming to the sky, "Is it really so bad at this point if I just knew?"

"Yes," Nino responded immediately, "Considering you've already done your share of spying."

Adrien lifted his head slightly to shoot a glare of his own back at Nino. "I apologized!"

"Doesn't mean you didn't spy, and you didn't apologize to her."

"I would if you-"

"No, I'm not telling you who she is don't even ask, just like how I won't tell her or anyone else who you are. Because I'm a good friend."

There was a short lapse of silence at that, and from his place on his back Adrien said, "You are a good friend... That's the main reason I wanted to tell you. I wanted to thank you."

Nino looked over at his friend, Plagg floating a little bored nearby. Adrien sat up, leveling Nino with a completely genuine gaze. "I... there aren't words man. For everything you've done and even if stuff doesn't work out between Ladybug and I you defended me and stood up for me andbelieved in me and just... thank you so much."

Nino stared back, blinking in confusion before saying very simply, "It's no big deal man. Just being a bro."

Adrien's hands shot up in the air in exasperation, his voice almost breathless as he exclaimed, "Of course you would say that! It doesn't seem like a big deal to you! You didn't even think twice! You just did it cause you want me to be happy and I-" his voice caught, breaking in an onslaught of emotion and Nino stared in wide eye surprised as he realized that the reason Cat Noir had been so emotional was because of him. He had been reacting to Nino saying that he deserved to be happy in life... and even though Nino would never tell him this... his heart broke. Because someone believing in you should never be that overwhelming, someone telling you you deserve to be happy in life shouldn't be... life changing. But for Adrien it was.

Because no one had never told him that before.

There had been a span of silence as Adrien fought to regain his calm, but when the model finally looked up Nino was smiling gently, scooting over slightly and extending his hand in a fist bump.

"We're bros dude," he said equally as plainly, as it was just a statement of fact. "I'd do it again in a second. You'd do it for me."

Adrien stared, laughing through tears that had started to silently flow again as he reached out as well, their fists connecting and separating again as they smiled at each other.

In the next space of silence Plagg decided to engage, flying over to Nino and chatting to him simply, probably teasing him about something. Their conversation allowed Adrien a moment to collect himself, wiping at his eyes and watching the surreal scene of seeing Nino interact with Plagg.