No room to swing a Cat?

6 - Three is a crowd

Marinette felt fagged out. That day was so long and exhausting. Somehow she managed to get to her room and she fell in a heap onto the bed.

"Are you alive, Princess?" she heard a familiar voice at the window that made her get up immediately.

"Cat Noir?" she asked in a faint tone. "We weren't supposed to meet today."

"We didn't plan a meeting of our support group. But I told you I'd come to ask you how your visit went. I mean visiting your collapsing home."

"Oh, right. You mentioned something like that..."

"So? How was it?"

"First of all, Mr. Mattieu told me that I'd made a good decision with moving out, because he wouldn't bet on that the building would survive one more night if I stayed."

"See?!" Cat Noir grinned with satisfaction, showing her he had been right taking her to Alya.

"Yeah, Cat..." she sighed. "I can congratulate you on your stubbornness. And myself on my intuition..." she added with a half-smile.

"All right. I'll share my glory." he joked winking at her. "So, what now?"

"I had to take my stuff, but we couldn't take too much. My sewing machine and designs were the priority. Well, the whole building needs to be renovated, and it won't be easy, because it's the city centre. I'm afraid that they can send a historic preservation officer, but I hope they won't. That would make the whole process even longer. Well, I'm not quite sure if I understood everything..."

"The most important is that you're safe here, Princess. Do you know how long the renovation can take?"

"No idea... A month? Half a year? Oh, they have to find the cause first."

"Can you stay here for so long?"

"I'm rather afraid that Alya will never let me go..."

"Unless you get married..." he joked, and she glanced at him with amusement. How did he know what Alya had told her when they were packing her clothes?

"It looks like my husband will have to move in here as well..." she muttered, reminding herself Alya's words.

Cat Noir looked at her with concern but said nothing to that.

"Anyway, I can stay here..." she summed up, not noticing his glance. "So, if you still want to organise our little support group, feel invited." she smiled shyly.

"Great..." he muttered, still processing that information about her future husband.

"By the way..." she hesitated, and Cat Noir pricked up his ears. "I wanted to ask you about something..."

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I ask Adrien to join us?"

"Ad-Adrien?" Cat Noir choked. "Why?"

"It's a long story..." she replied evasively.

"We have time." he said, settling down on the windowsill.

"Oh..." she murmured suddenly embarrassed. "I'm not sure, if... Uhm... I mean... Well... OK, here's the thing. Today Adrien went with us to my house. I had an opportunity to observe him a bit..." she admitted, but when she noticed Cat Noir's meaningful grin, she glared at him. "It's not what you're thinking about, Cat! Uhm..." she hesitated, but if she started she should finish. "He... I can see that he's upset. I mean like downcast."

"Rea-Really?"

"He used to be different. We all used to be happier, more optimistic... But even I can find some bright sides of my adult life. And he... Uhm... I feel pity for him. As a human being. As a friend. And I thought that if you and me planned to help each other, we could help him as well? What do you think? You know, that was a spontaneous thought this afternoon, but then I realised I should ask you first."

"Ahem..." Cat Noir cleared his throat. "Whatever you say, Princess... Maybe you should ask him first if he wants to share his problems with some strangers?"

"Of course, I'll ask him!" Marinette looked at him significantly. "But before I do so, I wanted to know what you think about it. That was your idea to organise the support group, so I wasn't sure if you want more people in it. But if you don't mind, I'll invite Adrien for tomorrow meeting."

"Do you mean we have a meeting tomorrow?" he asked surprised.

"Caat..." she sighed theatrically.

"Just teasing..." he winked at her. "Can you prepare some snacks?"

"As I promised. Just come here tomorrow at eight. Can you?"

"Sure. I don't have plans for tomorrow."

"Thank you, Cat."

"For what?"

"For agreeing on Adrien."

"I'm not convinced. Won't you feel awkward sharing your love life with two guys?"

"I don't think that the support meetings should focus on dragging our traumatic past up."

"So, how did you imagine these meetings?"

"How did you?" she answered back. "That you'll tell me your whole story without revealing your civilian life? You can't even name your girlfriend, because it may happen that I know her."

"Ex-girlfriend..." he corrected with the same grimace as always when he mentioned her. The same grimace that appeared on her face every time she mentioned Luka.

"Ex. Yes."

"You're right, Princess. I haven't considered all possible consequences." he admitted. "I have to find a nickname for her. What would you say..."

"No!" she stopped him. "Nothing that could be a hint to guess her name. Or personality!"

"That might be a problem then... But I'll try to find something." he promised, then looked at Marinette with concern and gathered all his courage to ask about Adrien: "Your computer programmer is a bigger problem, I think."

"Not mine. I just wanted to show him that there are more of us."

"Us?" he spotted.

"I mean people with broken hearts. I don't know what happened to him. And I don't want to know!" she emphasised. "But I can't stand he suffers. I would do anything to help him."

Cat Noir was staring at her with sparkling eyes. And then – without a word – he approached her and hugged her tight.