Shards of fate

The Scientist — Coldplay

They were married quietly. They also quietly divorced. No outsider guessed exactly what kind of relationship between Lady Bug and Cat Noir. Only sometimes journalists caught a careless display of affection on camera. And then it was over. It ended as if it had never begun. Marinette even wanted to give up the talisman, but Tikki convinced her not to give in to the impulse of feelings. It's a pity that kwami didn't tell her the same before the divorce. The kwami don't understand anything about love. Their first patrol happened a month later. All evening, both he and she were just silent. Only when leaving, the Cat wished good night. Lady Bug nodded timidly in response and disappeared into the night. On the wall of her bedroom, as in her childhood, there was a corkboard hung with photographs. These were self-created photos and newspaper clippings. Marinette recently enjoyed making various collages, and Adrian liked to watch her do it. Adrian liked fencing, and Marinette loved going to his tournaments. Harmony. They complemented each other, breathed life into each other, and balanced the scales like yin and yang. On the one-month anniversary of the wedding, Marinette's mother gave the newlyweds exactly such pendants. Marie had a white one, Agreste had a black one, and he liked it very much. Lady Bug flew silently through the window of the room. Rising, she involuntarily looked around the room illuminated by night. The wind fluttered the curtains, blowing them like sails.The milky-colored bed was neatly madeand completely untouched for today. His gaze slid along the wall and touched the mirror. Marinette dropped the transformation, and a thick bun of dark hair fell over her shoulders. Tikki lay down wearily on a specially sewn pillow that lay on the dressing table. Previously, this pad was divided diagonally into two pieces: spotted red and black-green. But now it was just a spotted pad. Marinette tucked her hair behind her ears and walked over to the corkboard.She carefully looked at all the photos and,lookingat each one, remembered how it was.All her friends and loved ones are here. The gaze involuntarily slides to the corner of the board. Blackand white ultrasound image. Marie looks at him for a long time. It seems like an eternity has passed. The hand reflexively reaches for the photo and tears it off the board. The fist crumples the paper and throws it into the trash. Marinette purses her lips. She needs to stop living in the past. They divorced three years ago. All the bridges have been burned long ago. The cat is just a partner. Annoying acquaintance. Not even a friend. She just doesn't need another Cat. Memories swirl in a sudden whirlwind in my head. Marinette remembers everything. Everymoment, every word, every look. She shudders. She pulls herself away from these thoughts and falls on the bed. She just wants to clear her head of all thoughts and reflections. Sometimes in life, everything is as it is.He fell out of love with her — that's a fact. But when Cat looks at her like this during missions, the heart involuntarily draws illusions. "Stop thinking about it, Marinette," Tikki said suddenly, chewing. "About what?" Marinette answers lazily and stares at the ceiling. "Don't pretend you don't understand." Marinette clicks and rolls her eyes, rolling onto her side. "Jesus, Tikki, it's been a long time. There's nothing between us." "Yes, of course," sarcastically says kwami. "What do you mean?" Raising an eyebrow, the woman asks. "Nothing," Tikki chuckles. Damn kwami. They like to keep secrets. Marinette lies down in the fetal position and puts her palms under her cheek. The window is open, a warm summer wind is blowing, and the night is sparkling. The woman is almost falling asleep when she hears the rustle of paper, which breaks the honey silence of the room. She opens her eyes and sees something like a letter lying on the floor under the window. "I haven't had enough pigeon mail yet!" She reluctantly gets out of bed, but curiosity is stronger. Picking up the letter, Marinette notices a rose on the windowsill. The woman frowns and, without taking her eyes off the flower, smartly opens the letter. The eyes read the elegant handwriting fluently. "How about a date night, my lady?" "Damn… Damn cat! A date! Here's another one! Who do you think you are?!" Indignation involuntarily breaks out. Marinette furiously throws the letter on the windowsill and, frowning, begins to wander around the room. Tikki silently watches, not quite understanding the reason for this behavior of the hostess. "Are we going or not?" kwami asks lazily. "Of course!" A pink flash lights up the bedroom. Lady Bug runs across the rooftops. She knows exactly where to go. Her legs carry her as if she doesn't have an ounce of weight in her. The wind ruffles my hair, and it flutters behind my back. She doesn't care about anythingright now. Just the thought that she might see him before going to bed gives her strength. Marinette stops at the right building, but sees nothing. Empty. There is no one. Damn. Damn, damn, damn! You have to be such a fool! She was already swinging, clenching her fists, when someone's palms covered her eyelids. Lady Bug shudders. "Cat..." she whispers. "I'm here." Lady Bug lets out a relaxed sigh and leans back slightly. The cat draws her to him, puts his hands on her waist, and presses her to his chest. Marinette puts her cheek on his shoulder and inhales the familiar, painfully familiar scent. He shudders. They stand like this for a few minutes. In silence and harmony. Leaning her back against him, she feels happiest. Suddenly, Lady Bug breaks out of his arms and, taking a few steps back, looks at him with incomprehension. "What does all this mean, Adrian?!" She doesn't even notice how her voice is shaking. He is silent. Looks with understanding and regret. He looks away at the sparkling city. "Your silence has never led to a good thing yet! Why are we here?" Marinette first breaks down, then whispers. The gaze runs over him in search of an answer. The man's pale lipsare pursed. He closes his eyes, exhales. Then he looks at her again. "I want everything back," he says in one breath. "What?" Lady Bug whispers with her lips. Then a nervous laugh breaks from her lips. "After everything that happened? After all these years, you suddenly pull me out of the house in the middle of the night and tell me you want to come back?"She retreats in nervous in comprehension and actively gestures,more like conducting a dialogue with herself. "How can you tell me that you love me!" "I love you," Adrian says firmly. "It's not funny, Cat. I'm leaving," she's already releasing a yo-yo when his voice is heard again. "I'm not kidding, Marinette." She stops. Looks first at the floor, then looks at him. Looks scared, uncertain. "Don't think I lied to you then. I told the truth and I don't regret it," he takes a step closer and Lady Bug doesn't resist. "Why is it taking so long? Because I fell in love with you again, Marie. It took a lot of time to understand what I want in this life and with whom I want to spend it. I managed to look at you differently." Lady Bug slightly clenches her fists, not letting go of the yo-yo in her hands. She can't take her eyes off such dear green eyes, which are now filling the whole space. Inside the woman, everything is trembling and waiting. But she herself behaves tougher than she feels inside. Afraid of getting burned or hurt. "You said we weren't right for each other. That we are different. Don't you think so now?" "We have been in the status of teenagers with uncertain feelings for each other for too long." "And yet they took risks for each other! Always! Sacrificing everything, Adrian. Being just a man or a superhero, Lady Bug did not back down." She suddenly began to squint her eyes, and he recognized this familiar movement – she was trying to hold back tears. Now Cat comes very close and puts his hand on the fragile shoulder of this strong woman. "We needed to be alone, apart from each other. To understand yourself, to try something new, to understand exactly what we want and what we strive for. We got used to each other, got used to imaginary images. The illusions that we have created.The ideal boy of the grandiose designer did not fit in with the personality of the charismatic Cat Noir, and the pie-girl, the daughter of bakers, did not fit at all with the brave and courageous super-heroine.All these years, it was like I was getting to know you anew, watching you and your life from the side.And you've changed a lot, my lady…" "Perhaps you're right... we're completely different now," she turns her head to the side, looking at the endless string of houses, and the wind ruffles her dark blue bangs. Marinette frowns, slightly lowers her gaze, and Adrian waits humbly, silently watching her expressive, beautiful face hidden behind a spotted mask. He feels incredible pleasure from the fact that he has finally spoken out, from how close he can now stand to her, almost touch her body with his, and she does not dodge at all, does not leave. "Marinette..." Cat can't stand it and still decides to ask. "Would you like to get to know me again? Would you like...a relationship?" She finally turns her gaze to him and looks at him with her clear blue eyes that are barely filled with tears. A smile touches her lips, and for a few seconds, Lady Bug just silently looks straight into her partner's eyes. Then he takes a small, barely noticeable step. Kisses. So tremulously, tenderly, and at the same time terribly greedily, like a starved animal, she bites into his lips. Cat is slightly lost at first, but soon his palms find her waist and squeeze as tightly as possible. The man feel show the beloved bites his lip slightly and pull sit off, and then touches it again with a kiss. Hot, inflaming, desirable. Her neat fingers squeeze his shoulders. Feeling that Marinette is standing on her toes, trying to reach out, the Cat bends slightly and now touches her neck, pressing her to him. Suddenly, she breaks away and, without immediately opening her eyes, whispers almost to his lips. So gentle and exciting. "I want to be your girlfriend, wife, and mother of your children. I want to be yours, Agrest." And he fulfills her desire, dragging her into the next hot kiss and holding her so close to him, as if the whole world means nothing to him now.