A Masked Deal

Milk

"I don't know whether I should feel shocked, angry or just stumped!" Nino was pacing his room as Adrien sat on the edge of his bed. "You're engaged to a girl you don't know!"

"We've been partners for nine years, I know her!"

"Adrien, buddy, it could be Chloe or Lila, you know the quantum masking stops you from remembering features so you have no idea what she looks like!" Nino sat on his computer chair opposite Adrien and stared at him wide eyed.

"It's not about looks, Nino, it's deeper than that. She's my other half. You know, yin and yang."

"He's right, master Nino." Wayzz had finished recharging and had come over to join in the conversation. "The bug and cat only work well together if they are made for each other."

"See!" Adrien stated as Plagg came to join too.

"But that doesn't mean they always need to be together romantically. Takes a lot of balls for my cats to get with their bugs. They usually see them as unreachable." Plagg placed himself on Nino's pillow snuggling in for the evening.

"You better not make that pillow smell of cheese again. Alya threw up last time she was round because of the smell. I had to try and explain it."

Adrien started laughing.

"So that's why she questioned if we went to a cheese store, when we went out last week?"

"What did you tell her?" Nino asked.

"I just said yes. Thought it would be an easier answer." Adrien said, throwing Plagg another piece of Camembert, much to Nino's disgust.

"She thinks I'm a cheese and wine guy now, and I hate the stuff. Anyway, stop changing the subject. You and LB, how?"

Adrien filled Nino in on the deal they made when they were eighteen, and the fact both had remained single because of the deal.

"Why didn't you just date like normal people if you liked each other that much?" Nino questioned.

"We didn't know." Adrien replied.

"You are hopeless. You could have been dating for years now, maybe even know her identity already?" Nino was exhausted by Adrien and his love life. It was a shame someone so attractive could be so socially inept. "And what about Marinette?"

Nino knew about Marinette's confession three years ago, but he also knew about the growing feelings Adrien had gained for the designer over the past year. Since Marinette had been working at Gabriel, Adrien had seen a different side to her, one he was growing to really like.

"Maybe if LB had said no I would have asked Mari on a date, but I've been waiting for Ladybug for years. I've loved her for almost a decade, man."

Nino looked at his romantic friend and nodded. It was understandable, but something in Nino's heart couldn't help feeling that Adrien would be just as happy with Marinette as he would be with Ladybug. It was impossible to not feel the electricity coming from them when they spent time together.

"I'm here to support you dude, through anything, just next time when you've got big news like that, please give me a heads up. I almost had a heart attack."

Adrien laughed and placed his hand out for his and Nino's 'secret handshake', the same they've had since they were thirteen.

A shrill alarm echoed around the room, signalling an akuma attack was taking place. Adrien grabbed his phone to check the location. It was a personal call from The Mayor's Office. He wondered what Chloè had done this time.