When Walls Crumble

Chapter 31: Cat Out of the Bag

Cat Noir landed a couple blocks away from Alya's and changed back to Adrian.  There was no sign of Marinette, so he dialed her number.  

"Hello?"  her voice sounded muffled, like she had been crying.  

"Hey, I wanted to check in.  You still with Alya?"  He directed his steps toward Alya's house.

"No, I'm at her house, but she ran off to film it once Nino got here.  I'm sure she'll be back soon."

"She's going to get herself killed one of these days.  I'm like a block away.  Want me to walk you home?"

"Uh, sure.  But how will you get away from Nathalie?"

He winced, remembering his lie.  He hated lying to her.  "I'll explain later.  That may have been a poorly conceived on-the-spot excuse that Alya wouldn't challenge.  And there are very few lies that she won't challenge.  Except, ironically, the ones about Ladybug."  

"Yeah...she can be a bit dense at times.  Especially around Ladybug.  It's like she gets so focused, everything else vanishes."

"Ladybug spoke to her today."

"Oh?  I bet she loved that."

"Yeah.  Something about how she likes the Ladyblog but Alya should be more careful."

Marinette snorted.  "Yeah, she liked that."

"Never took you to be that sarcastic."

"I am.  Deal."

"What happened to the stuttering girl in 6th grade?"

"She grew up."

"Well good for you."  He rang the doorbell.  "I'm outside."

Moments later, the door opened.  Marinette's eyes were very red and Nino looked really uncomfortable.  She hung up the phone and stepped out, waving to Nino.

"Tell Alya I'm okay and going home with Adrian.  Don't want her to worry."

Nino nodded and then shut the door as they walked away.

"So what's the deal with Nathalie?" she prompted.

"Actually, I haven't seen her in quite some time.  I may have kinda moved out."

"Oh, cool!  But...weren't you going to be working with your father until after college?"

Adrian looked down.  "We fought and I left.  I moved out and am still not sure what to do with my life.  I'm not ever going to work in an office or as a model for obvious reasons, and without a college education, that's about the best I can do."

"You can still go to college, you know."

"I can't pay for it."

"Pul-lease.  You're one of the smartest people I know.  Scholarships will come easily.  And you don't necessarily have to go to Oxford."

He chuckled.  "But I still don't know what I'd want to do.  All my interests have bad memories attatched now.  Fencing and piano were because of my father and honestly...I don't really know what else I like to do."

Marinette put her arm around her shoulders, which was a little hard considering the height disparity.  "You'll figure it out.  What subjects did you like in school?"

He thought about it.  "Literature and science.  But I think I only liked them because they were easy."

"Easy?  Mme. Mendeleiv's science?  What alternate dimension were you living in?"

He laughed.  "Yeah, that one I liked because science is interesting.  But I loved literature best.  Mlle Bustier was the best."

Marinette sighed, reminiscing.  "Yeah, I almost miss her class."

"Almost?  I definitely miss it."

"Well, how about you go into literature?"

"What kind of careers does that offer?"

"Let's see...writer or literature teacher.  Maybe, literary critic, but you're waay too nice for that.  Editor?  Journalism, maybe?"

"I think Literature teacher sounds the best."

She laughed.  "The second you said it, I got an indelible mental image of you in nerd glasses and a plaid sweater vest at the front of a classroom."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I guess it's possible to be a teacher with good style.  Look at Miss Bustier!"

He facepalmed.  "Marinette, you have a vivid imagination."

"It isn't for nothing I have an up-and-coming fashion line."

"You also have a solution to every problem.  What was it I said...Hero's Day, all those years ago?"  He looked at her, studying her reaction.  "Something about an everyday Ladybug with all the solutions and answers?"

She flushed.  "Yeah...not so much anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Nevermind.  Cookies?"

They walked up the gangplank into the kitchen.  Adrian stopped at the table, noticing the note he left there.  Marinette leaned over his shoulder to read it.

Hey Purrincess!

I've got a couple errands to run and will be out for a while.  I'll be late, so don't wait up for me.

~The stray 

It was signed next to a little hastily sketched paw print.

"He calls you 'purrincess'?  That has got to be one of the worst puns he has," he joked, trying to think how a normal non-Cat Noir would respond to that note.

Marinette giggled.  "I've gotten used to it."

"But...he's staying here?"

"Yeah, he needed shelter.  He wasn't able to tell me everything, but I do what I can.  Besides, I couldn't say no to his big sad green eyes.  Anyway, cookies?  I make them fresh every day.  Can you believe that Cat Noir was deprived of cookies in milk for years?  It was absolutely atrocious!  I make him cookies all the time.  Want some?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to eat Cat Noir's cookies."

"They aren't just for him, silly.  No one eats a full batch of cookies every day.  We share.  I love them, Cat loves them and Luka loves...Luka loved them too."

She started crying in earnest.  "I miss him, I really miss him!  And it's...all my...fault."

Adrian sighed.  He turned so they were face to face and put his hands on her shoulders.  

"Marinette Couffaine," he said sternly.  "Please, don't make me go through this with you yet again.  It is NOT your fault.  If anything, it's mine.  I should have stopped the other guy before he fired and..."  Oh shit. he thought.  Please, don't notice, he mentally begged.

She met his eyes, so full of concern and worry.  "Are you..." she asked skeptically, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.  "Cat Noir?"

He sighed and pulled her into a hug.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to.  I know you didn't want to know."

She squeezed him back.  "I guess it would have come out sooner or later."  She sighed.  "I really am an idiot, huh?  It makes so much sense.  Thank you, mon minou."

He ran his hand through her hair.  "I'm here for you m'lady."