No room to swing a Cat?

18 - Curiosity killed the Cat

They kept sitting in the complete silence and Cat Noir started feeling more and more uncomfortable. With every second he became more and more aware that he had made a wrong decision a while ago and instead of sitting in the corner he should have comfort Marinette. What was worse, he discovered that the right moment to do so had passed and there was no option to turn back time. All he could do now was waiting for her move.

"So... That's it..." she whispered finally and looked up at him.

His heart hurt when he saw tears in her eyes. That finally made him do the right thing – he sat closer and took her hand.

"But he wasn't like that, right?" he asked softly, glancing at her. "He used to do everything for you. He would die for you."

"Probably he still would. You know, for the most of the time he was charming and caring. And he always knew what song was playing in my heart..."

Hearing that Cat Noir almost gave in and ran away to throw himself off a bridge to the Sein.

"But then he seemed to fall into a rockstar lifestyle..." Marinette continued, unconsciously keeping her hand still clasped with his. "You know... All those girls around him. Can you imagine how many bras he was bringing back home after each concert?"

"Why did he keep them?" Cat Noir asked in astonishment.

"Huh!" Marinette spotted and wondered for a moment about that he had just said. "I have no idea... When I'm thinking about that now, I'm sure that should alert me then. One day he wasn't my Luka anymore, he turned into a famous rockman. Maybe he became addicted to popularity and adrenaline? I don't know..."

"Popularity doesn't addict, Princess..." Cat Noir commented. He knew that very well from his experience – both as Adrien's and Cat Noir's. "Even when you're a celebrity, it's you who decide what to do with all your fame and how to create your public image. I hated all those admirers around. They didn't like me honestly. It was fake."

"If anyone had asked me in the past which one of you both, I mean you and Luka, would be more interested in being admired by girls, I'd bet on you, not Luka."

"But... You loved him, didn't you?" he stuttered.

"Of course, I did!" she assured him, and he winced involuntarily. "Not like Adrien for sure, but yes. I loved Luka."

"Not like Adrien?" he spotted. "What do you mean? Less?"

"Rather: differently. I can't explain that. I loved him very much, but... differently... You know... It wasn't like a thunder stroke in a middle of a rainy day. It was rather like a feeling growing with each day. Not so obvious one. Luka was always there for me. I could count on him comforting me whenever I needed that. He was nice, charming and supportive. We got befriend. And when... When he confessed his feelings to me, I discovered that I also felt the same way..." Marinette dived in her memories, and her interlocutor supressed sudden nauseous. That was unbearable!

"Do you... Uhm..." he cleared his throat. "Do you think you could love him... uhm... again?"

"Whom? Luka?" she was surprised.

"Adrien." he specified.

Marinette blushed instantly. She couldn't answer this question. On one hand she couldn't abandon this scenario for good. Her old feelings had been too strong to give up all her hopes forever. On the other hand... Adrien seemed to find finally the woman of his life. No one talks about any girl that way if it isn't serious. Besides, that was Cat Noir who made her heart beating faster. Although it was way too early to try Alya's solution of 'fighting fire with fire'.

"Why do you want to know that?" she asked carefully.

"I'm just curious..." he muttered, unsure what she'd been thinking about for that moment.

Was she wondering if it was possible to fell in love with Adrien again? Or did she decide definitely not do it? Did it mean that she had meant him, Adrien, when she'd told him she was in love that evening, when he'd visited her on her balcony for the first time, long time ago? Was it him, Adrien, who had broken her heart then? Her heart that was healed by Luka afterwards... Right... Luka... It turned out that it was him, stupid Adrien Agreste, who pushed Marinette straight into Luka's arms! Marinette, who could have been his, Adrien's girlfriend many years ago... Oh, he was such an idiot!

"Curiosity killed a cat, I've told you that once, Cat..."

"I must agree with you..." he whispered, discovering belatedly that all the knowledge he'd just learnt made his life more miserable than it used to be. How could he keep going now, when he knew that he could have lived happily ever after with this wonderful girl since high school?

"It doesn't matter anymore, Cat. I've already told you that Adrien has been in love already. Truly in love."

"How do you know that?"

"I asked him about his girlfriend. He told me what she is. If you could see how he looked like at that moment. He was talking so well about her. With passion and sparkles in his eyes. It's obvious he loves her. I wish someone said something about me that way..." she confessed with a slight hint of sadness.

Cat Noir wanted to bite his hands. He wanted to assure her that it was about her! That he was talking about her! She shouldn't be sad. She should know! Was it possible to end these tortures?!

"I'm sure there's someone there..." he whispered in a hoarse.

"Right, Cat... I'm sure..." she muttered ironically.

That was the final straw. Suddenly Cat Noir felt that he couldn't stand this anymore. Too much information and emotions within an hour or so. Marinette had been killing him piece by piece with her story about Luka, then she confessed she had been in love with him years ago, and now that... No, he couldn't bear all this.

"Forgive me, Princess..." he jumped on his feet. "I... I have to go..."

He didn't look back, but was certain that she was staring at him in shock and concern. He ran away and when he finally shelter himself in his own room he could throw himself on the bed, not saying a word to Plagg. Well, he got what he wanted...

***

She woke up with a cough. That was consequence of talking too much about the exes. She'd been feeling better during a day, and everything was ruined now! Half-conscious, she sat up and to her surprise she saw a black mug with Cheshire Cat in front of her face.

"Take a sip, Princess..."

"Thanks, Cat..." she muttered and looked at him gratefully. Yet... Cat Noir didn't wear his mask. He was... "Adrien?"

"Shh... It's just a dream..." he smiled and winked at her.

"Weird..." she whispered and gave him back the mug.

"Why?"

"Too unrealistic... And too wonderful..." she murmured, falling back asleep.

Adrien stayed for a moment, staring at her. He couldn't stop smiling...