The Weight of Jade

Training Day

Nino couldn't help but feel like something was... weird. For a while he had chalked it up to nerves since it was finally Friday again... and he knew what that meant. His 'textbook' weighed heavily in his bag but he didn't risk removing it to cram as the school day went by, regardless of how much he wanted to. He was expected to meet Fu right after school pretty much, at least he'd have to leave straight from school to walk there in time... and for the most part it was all he could think about.

That and Alya.

And whatever was really weird with Marinette and Adrien.

At the thought of the trio seated around him Nino looked over his shoulder, glancing subtly towards where Alya was sitting, playing with her phone under the desk. It was the last class of the day and everyone was itching to get released for the weekend but Alya seemed especially antsy. She scowled slightly as one hand scrolled through something unseen and her other idly tapped at her desk, her hair concealing her actions for the most part from the teacher. He risked a few more seconds before looking forward again, or attempting to when his gaze was caught by Adrien's.

And there was that stupid smile again.

Adrien beamed at him, looking to all the world like Nino had just made his day and the DJ couldn't grasp what the hell was up with him. He had been doing that all week now, him and Marinette.

"Bro," Nino hissed under his breath, missing the connection between snuck glances and Adrien's behavior. He was mostly just confused and annoyed, but Adrien said nothing, chuckling to himself before stealing a glance backwards himself and settling back in his seat.

Nino sighed, Wayzz shifted, and they both went back to waiting out the clock.

The week had been weird, mostly because Adrien was being stupid and refused to explain himself. He'd just grin like a kid at Disneyland randomly,look over at Marinette then go back to business as usual. Marinette was pretty much the same, except hers came more in smirks and snickers. Nino had shrugged it off for a while but at this point he was feeling like the butt of some inside joke they had and it was rubbing him the wrong way. He didn't have the energy to figure it out, he had way too much going on. He was more focused on keeping up with his schoolwork, guardian training, meetups with Alya and sleeping at some point too to care. Except he did care, and he wished they'd just knock it off already.

His thoughts lingered for a moment on his nighttime rendezvouses with Alya, something that had become a nightly ritual for the two of them. After the first night had gone so well, something that still stunned him, she kept wanting to see him. And he kept wanting to oblige. It was mostly just the two of them on her roof, talking until they got tired but it was the best they could do. It was enough for now.

Nino found himself smiling, looking down at the desk as he thought things through. Were they dating now? Would it be wise to even say as much? He didn't know... but... he sighed. In a way it was incredibly lame, how happy he was over all this. He wanted to turn around and chat with her, wait out the end of class passing notes and laughing. And maybe he could do that, but not like he could as Jade. It would be just friends if he did it now, if it was just Nino and Alya. When it was Jade and Alya it was... better.

Ugh. Secret identities were stupid.

'Nino'.

To his credit Nino didn't visibly react to Wayzz's weird invasive brain tap thing that he did, his strange feeling flippers pressed into his hair.

'Bro what did I say about the telepathy thing?'

'I wasn't spying though I can guess who you were thinking of.'