Miraculous Ladybug: The New Holders

Jade Turtle and Volpina: Part Fifty-Four

Alya was walking to school with Marinette, who was going on about how stupid she was for being so shy with Adrian. Alya was only half-listening, though. She couldn't stop thinking about Chloè and if she was okay.

The two walked up the stairs to enter the school. But then, Marinette suddenly stopped.

Alya looked up to her, confused. "Marinette? What's the matter?"

Marinette looked at a complete loss of words. She pointed over to one of the benches in the courtyard.

Alya's eyes gazed over to where she had pointed, and then, Alya and Nino locked eyes.

Alya's eyes widened. "I think I'm gonna be sick." She ran towards the bathroom, leaving Marinette standing in the middle of the couryard, stunned.

Alya threw the bathroom door open before Nino could stop her, and locked herself in a stall. She tossed her bag on the ground, and clutched her stomach as she held her head over the toilet bowl, waiting for her stomach to give out.

Renard flew out of her bag, annoyed. "Hey! What was that-" His voice cut off when he saw Alya. "For...?"

Alya looked at him. "S-sorry, Renard... I just..." She paused. "Nino's back. Why is he back? Why is he here? Why now?"

Renard stayed silent, apprehensive. What would Alya say if she knew he was the one who orchestrated Nino's return?

"Alya?" Marinette knocked on the door to her bathroom stall. "Are you okay?"

Alya gestured wildly for Renard to get back in her bag, and as soon as he was, she stammered out a reply. "Uh, well, I feel really nervous and sick to my stomach... But I guess I feel good besides that?"

"Do you... wanna talk about it?" Marinette offered.

Alya swallowed hard. "Why is he here? Why is he back, Mari? Why so soon? Why now?"

"I... I don't know, Alya." Marinette sighed. "But, well, I think you're gonna have to talk to him eventually... Might be good to just get it over with...?"

Alya chuckled halfheartedly. "It sounds so easy when you say it... Alright... Just... Just give me a few minutes."

Alya heard shoes scuffling outside the stall, along with Marinette's voice. "O-of course! I'll just, uh, go to my, uh, locker..."

The bathroom door closed with a quiet thud, and Alya was alone once again.

------------------------------------------

And at that moment, Nino realized he'd made a huge mistake.

Of course he'd regretted it before, but that moment, when his eyes met hers, he knew. He still loved her. Seeing her again reminded him of everything that he loved about her. Everything that let him to fall so hard for her in the first place, and forget his little crush on Marinette.

But also, in that moment, he realized she didn't feel the same. Her eyes held no relief, and she ran away as soon as she saw him.

Nino felt conflicted. Breaking up with Alya seemed like the best, or only way he could get through to her. But he had missed her so
much, and now, who was to say she'd even ever talk to him again?

Nino slumped down on a nearby bench and held his head low. He had made a mistake before, and now he had to face the consequences.

I wish I'd found a better way...

Suddenly, Nino felt the bench creak a bit. Someone had sat next to him.

He looked up, expecting to see Adrian, but instead saw her.

"Alya?" It felt so natural, her name. It just rolled off of his tongue perfectly. He had missed it.

She looked nervous, above all. He also saw a level of calm in her eyes, trying to mask it. Though he wished he couldn't see it, he couldn't help seeing scorn in her expression.

Alya breathed out a long sigh. "Let's just... Talk. Okay?"

"Okay..." Nino replied. Talking was something he could do. Especially if Alya was the one who initiated the conversation. He was ecstatic she even spoke to him at all. "I... I guess, uh, you must be wondering how I'm here now?"

"Yes."

Nino knew he shouldn't tell her the full truth. "Um, this... Uh, this nice family is fostering me now... They, uh, they're considering adopting me... And they live near enough to the school... So, uh, I can go back here."

Alya remained silent. Nino wanted to bad to know what she was thinking. But, at the same time, he knew it wouldn't be anything he wanted to hear.

Nino breathed in shakily. "I-I wanted to... I mean... I know I... I was an idiot... And y-you... You have so many reasons t-to be mad at m-me... But-"

"That's right, Nino." Alya interjected his broken string of words. "You hurt me. I was trying to help you, but you wouldn't let me."

Nino wanted so badly to just throw his arms around Alya, let out the tears he'd been holding in, and gush out the thousands of apologies that had run through his mind since he made his mistake. But his voice wouldn't work, and he knew if he were to even touch Alya, she wouldn't ever speak to him again.

"But I don't think I should hold it against you." Nino's head jerked up sharply. Did she really say that? Did he just imagine the words he'd wanted to hear so badly? Was she forgiving him?

"I mean, you were desperate to get away from your parents." Looking at Alya, he could tell. She wasn't forgiving him. Her heart wasn't in those words.

"Nino, I don't want to actively hold a grudge against you." This was it. This was her truth. She was being honest now. "But I don't know if I can really forgive you. So..." Alya paused. "I think we should just be acquaintances."

Acquaintances. He knew what she meant by that. A step above 'don't ever talk to me again', but below 'let's just be friends'.

It hurt. But Nino knew she wasn't asking. These were her terms. He caused the conflict, and she would determine the outcome. Honestly, he was lucky enough that she even talked to him again.

"Okay." Nino choked out the word. Inside, he wanted so badly to beg Alya for forgiveness, to tell her everything he felt for her at this moment, to offer a thousand apologies... But he had absolutely no right to do that to her.

Alya stood up from the bench, preparing to walk away, before Nino stopped her. "Wait!"

She didn't bother turning to face him. Her silence beckoned him to speak.

"I... I just wanted to..." Nino stammered for a moment. "I'm- I'm just... So sorry..."

Alya didn't speak for an agonizingly long thirteen seconds. "I know you are."

Then, she walked away.