The Scarf for Two

7 - A progress?

Warning! "Troublemaker" spoilers below!

"It seems to me that you were wrong, kid." Plagg commented, while Adrien was trying to pull himself together.

They had been watching the live show from Dupain-Cheng's bakery, where Jagged Stone tried to learn how to bake. A moment ago, the famous musician had revealed all the secrets of Marinette's bedroom. Especially those related to many, many pictures of Adrien Agreste.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation of that." The boy mumbled.

"Oh, I'm sure it is!" Plagg snorted.

"Poor Marinette, she'll be devastated. The whole class is watching this show!"

"Well..." Kwami muttered.

"Well what?" Adrien spotted.

"You're more concerned about her feelings than this obvious bombshell?!" Plagg grinned.

"Oh, forget about it!" Adrien replied irritably.

He felt confused again. What did it mean? Why all those people (and kwamis) around him thought he was in love with Marinette?! Did he have to remind them all that she was just his best friend? One of those the closest to his heart. Why everyone around him added the romantic meaning to that?

Suddenly, he came back to the reality, observing a strange person on the TV screen. It had to be another super-villain. That meant he couldn't think over the misunderstanding of his feelings to Marinette. He had to focus on the task – the Dupain-Cheng's bakery was taken over by Troublemaker. And Cat Noir was going to solve at least that trouble.

When he landed on Marinette's balcony, he felt almost familiar there. He'd been there a few times already. But never in such serious circumstances... Ladybug was already waiting for him, although – to be precise – she had rescued him after Troublemaker had thrown him away into a truck. He had no time to thank her. They had work to do.

Ladybug opened the trapdoor and went into Marinette's bedroom. Cat Noir hesitated. Sure, he'd been here, on the balcony a few times, but he'd never been inside. Except one time when he'd been invited there – as Adrien – before the Ultra Mecha Strike tournament.

Eventually, he followed Ladybug. And he became speechless. That was real – his pictures were everywhere: on the walls, on the bed, under the bed, under the chaise... What did she do with all those?

He had no time for thinking about it. Ladybug was trying to get him distracted, or rather to keep him focused on the fight. She was quite irritated – so unlike her! He justified this automatically by the fact that Troublemaker had almost taken off Ladybug's earrings. Or, maybe it was because he had been holding her hand for a moment after they'd tried to catch Troublemaker's pen? Ladybug didn't pull out her hand, she didn't say a word – except a short grunt. That was rather him, who withdrew, remembering how she'd reacted on the rose last time. So... Maybe... Maybe something had changed?

No. That was only a wishful thinking... It was impossible that she could have changed her feelings within a few days. Marinette had told him that such things didn't happen.

However...

When he told Ladybug – at the end – that she was the girl of his dreams, she only laughed and called him 'silly Kitty...' She didn't reject him, as usual. Could he call it a progress?

***

Cat Noir went back home full of mixed emotions. First, he was so hopeful now, after Ladybug had given him a hope – at least she stopped being irritated after hearing his confessions. But he was so worried about Marinette at the same time. Did it mean that he had been mistaken? How could he connect all his pictures in her bedroom with his theory of her feelings to Luka Couffaine?

He needed to talk to her. He felt like his head was about to blow up from all those thoughts. So, he made Plagg recharge his energy and ignoring kwami's chortle, he transformed into Cat Noir.

Marinette showed up on the balcony just after he landed there. She must have heard his steps. Weird. Usually he knew how to move noiselessly. Maybe she'd been waiting for him? Wait, why did he think that? He immediately subdued those thoughts. They were inappropriate. He glanced quickly at her. She was worried. Or maybe just scared?

"Come on in, Cat. It's getting cold." She whispered, making a welcoming gesture.

"Y-you don't mind?" he stuttered.

"Well, you were there already." She shrugged. "When Ladybug and you were ruining my bedroom."

"We were saving Paris." He reminded.

"It's a pity you couldn't save my reputation..." she muttered and jumped back into her bedroom.

Cat Noir followed her reluctantly. He glanced at Adrien's pictures on her walls next to her bed. He remembered very well, that more of them were under the bed. He blushed unintentionally.

"So, how's the scarf progress?" he asked, just to change the subject.

"I'm so sorry, Cat. I hasn't been in the designing mood recently..."

"It's OK. You know, there's no rush." He replied quickly, still looking around her room.

"I can show you what I've done already." She suggested.

"Uhm... I saw something today. When we were here with Ladybug. I hope she didn't notice anything, because that would ruin the surprise."

Marinette laughed in reply. Oh, if only he knew!

"I think she had her own problems today..." she commented.

"Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, glancing at her computer. "What is that game?"

Marinette giggled again.

"You won't believe it. My dad tried to comfort me today, so he gave me this old game. He told me it's classic. He used to play it when I was little."

"So, what's that?"

"Heroes of Might and Magic. The fifth instalment. Actually, dad told me that the third one was a masterpiece, but he couldn't find it, so he gave me the fifth."

"It's fantasy, isn't it?" Cat Noir asked interested, and he sat down by the desk.

"Yeah." She nodded and sat down next to him. "At first I thought it would be a boring turn-based strategy, but it turned out that the plot is quite interesting."

"The plot?" Cat Noir laughed. "Purrincess, you know that in gaming the fun is in... uhm... gaming?"

"Ha-Ha! What a joke, Cat!" she winced. "I'd better introduce you to Agrael. He's great. His lines are the best. And I think he hits on the Queen."

"Hits on?!" he spotted, surprised. He didn't know Marinette from this side.

"I mean, he fell for her. I think..."

"Oh, now I got it why you liked the plot!"

"Cat, Cat... I should be offended now." She muttered and nudged him. "But honestly, I think there's something there. That Agrael acts a bit weird for a demon. Maybe he hides behind a mask?"

"You have the sixth sense?" Cat Noir whispered.

"It's just bugging me. He was supposed to kidnap the Queen for the Demon Sovereign, but he does a lot of things to keep her safe."

Cat Noir looked at Marinette carefully and quickly looked away to the screen. He was a little bit concerned with the thoughts that suddenly awakened in his mind.