No room to swing a Cat?

12 - Unlucky Friday

The day was like endless. Marinette hated Fridays. They had classes till late evening with the worst ones at the end – design workshops with the worst teacher she'd ever met. Pierre de la Coste – who had nothing in common with the Fashion House Lacoste, but with a similar-sounded-surname he acted as if he was someone important – was a spiteful person, especially for Marinette. It looked like he lived for humiliating the students.

After the last classes Marinette felt like barely alive. All she wanted was to go back home and hide in her bed for the whole weekend. Of course terrible Pierre had taken it out on her again, because she was his most popular target. Always the most often mocked. Always called as a lack of any talent. But today Pierre was nastier than usual. He even tore up her latest design calling it an intolerable eyesore.

Marinette waited for a moment when everyone left the classroom to collect the pieces of her project. She knew it wasn't perfect – indeed she wasn't in her best shape, but it still didn't justify that complete idiot's behaviour. He was a frustrated designer that no one had ever wanted to hire.

She sighed heavily. Suddenly she realised that usually such situations attracted akumas. She'd seen so many times that after purifying black butterflies it turned out that they had been hidden in pieces of someone's despised work. That thought made her cheer up a bit, just to avoid Hawkmoth's attention. She laughed under her breath thinking it would be quite ironic...

And to think the day had started so well! Adrien finally left his shelter, he took the initiative, talked with her as he used to talk a long time ago. The difference was in her – this time she didn't stutter or mumble as she used to do when she was a teenager. But that breakfast was like a distance dream right now. She sighed again and shook her head. She finished collecting pieces of her project and left the classroom.

When she went out of the building, she laughed at herself ironically. Great! It seemed that her bad luck lasted till forever! The rain was pouring down and she... She didn't have an umbrella with her...

"Oh, please! Just send a storm too, with thunders just over my head!" she yelled to the sky.

"I don't have it in my competences, Purrincess..." a familiar voice answered right next to her, and then she saw Cat Noir emerging from the darkness.

Marinette couldn't help smiling. That was unexpected, yet a very welcome surprise. She noticed that he'd had to be waiting for her for a while, since his hair was totally soaked.

"Do you have an umbrella, maybe?" she asked, winking at him.

"Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you again. I don't have an umbrella. But... I can offer my arm and promise that I'll take you home in a speed of light."

"I'm in such a state, that I'd accept anything."

"What state?" he asked alarmed.

"Akuma-attractive..." she murmured, and he chuckled.

"Akuma-attractive?" he repeated, glancing at her. "What's that word?"

"Obvious! The mood that attracts akumas..."

"In that case I'm so glad I've come for you. I'll protect you from all black butterflies around!"

"Yeah, very funny, Cat..." she winced. "By the way, what are you doing here?"

"You weren't home at our usual time of meetings, so I became alarmed. Then I thought that maybe you were still at the university, so I came here. And saw you yelling to the sky."

"Oh, because it's been a terrible day!"

"Has it?" he looked at her uncertain. "You didn't sleep well? Or maybe didn't eat breakfast?" he bluffed.

"I slept very well and I ate delicious breakfast. But then I came here and every classes were worse than the previous ones. And those workshops at the end were a complete disaster! Argh! I would tear that Pierre into pieces if only I could! First I have to pass all the exams, of course. Including his classes, even if that would be the last thing I'll do in my life!"

Cat Noir was staring at her in amazement. His heart was flooded with bliss, when he heard her praising his breakfast. She liked it! Then he made himself listen carefully what she was talking about, because clearly something wrong had happened later that day.

"Who's Pierre?" he asked, and she looked at him surprised as if she didn't expect him to listen.

"Pierre de la Coste. My teacher of fashion designing. He hates me."

Cat Noir almost blurted out something about Pierre, but he stopped just before he did so. He remembered that guy when he'd tried to get a job at Gabriel Agreste's Fashion House. And now it turned out that this complete idiot was teaching students how to design clothes! How was it possible that someone who had no idea about the profession was teaching the others in the subject he didn't know.

"Véronique always says that he chose me as his favourite victim because he's jealous of my talent." Marinette continued, not paying attention to her interlocutor's face. "I wish she was here today, probably I wouldn't be so anxious after his bullying."

"I can help you. I'm your friend, right?"

"Sure, Cat! I knew I could count on you!" She smiled grateful and was about to add something when she suddenly shivered. That made them both realise that it was too cold and they should get going. "I should have taken some sweater or jacket... But it was so sunny and warm in the morning!"

"Maybe let's go home, Princess..." Cat Noir whispered, embracing her. "It doesn't look like it would stop raining soon."

"I'll get wet anyway..." she whispered and cuddled in his arms. He felt like a hot dragon woke up in his chest.

"Why haven't I taken that damn umbrella with me..." he muttered and lifted her up. "Hold on, Princess. Home's not so far away. We'll be there in a minute."

She answered with a humming that made his heart beat faster. She was becoming more and more adorable and he felt completely lost. But now he had to focus on taking her home as quick as possible, so he ran through the rain trying to protect Marinette from getting soaked. He relieved when he saw the house they lived in.

"Sorry, Princess... I have to take you to the front door, because your window is closed."

"H-How d-do you kn-know t-that?" she asked stuttering, and he cursed under his breath. Marinette was practically drenched to the skin.

"I tried to get into your room for our support group meeting. I told you already..."

"O-Oh... R-right..."

Cat Noir quickened his pace and ran up the fifth floor like it was nothing.

"Are you all right, Princess? I'd better go, because if Alya saw you again in my arms, that would make things more complicated..."

"Su-Sure, Cat. Ju-Just go!" she tried to chuckle, but failed.

He hesitated, but when he saw she was reaching for keys, he sighed with relief and ran downstairs. Yet, he didn't want to risk too much, so he transformed back in the nearest alley and came back on the fifth floor – this time it was more demanding for him to run upstairs. When he saw Marinette still looking for her keys, he became breathless – and it wasn't related to his run.

"Oh, A-Adrien..." she muttered. "I-I ca-can't fi-find..."

„It's OK." He stopped her and without hesitation he reached for his keys.

"I tried to-to r-ring..."

"Don't say anything, Mari. You have to warm up immediately!" he said and opened the door for her.

"I'm O-OK!"

"Hot bath. Now!" he ordered.

Marinette glanced at him surprised, but without a word she followed his command. Until she felt warm water around her body, she didn't realise how cold she'd been before. After that she started thinking about what had just happened. And she had no idea how she should interpret all that.