Another Felinette Shipper

~~~~~~~

Ladybug sat atop the Arc de Triomphe, her lazy gaze settled on the lights of Paris while awaiting her partner for their post-patrol chat. However, tonight wasn’t about akumas or battle strategies or even the current leads on Hawkmoth… No, tonight they had scheduled just for fun. Something out of the ordinary for the two superheroes but, with the recent blind date fiasco, the partners had grown closer. Their kwamis had also concluded that this would also improve their teamwork…thus their newly scheduled evening atop Paris. Not that she minded, it was nice to have someone else to talk to that wasn’t attempting to push her into yet another relationship!

Landing near-silently, Chat Noir retracted his baton and stowed it away with a grin. “Evening, Bug. Brought us a little snack. I know you’ve likely been skipping meals due to your commission deadlines again.” He held up and shook a small bag holding five takeout containers.

“Hmph, I can take care of myse—” The smell wafted towards Ladybug, causing her stomach to growl in protest to her words. Chat raised an eyebrow at the noise and watched as the heroine’s cheeks beneath the mask rouged with embarrassment, “Alright, so I may have lost track of time…”

The cat holder rolled his eyes and chuckled fondly, settling down beside her and spreading the containers out between them. “It’s tapas from Les Apotres de Pigalle on rue Germaine Pilon. Figured something small and shareable would be best while we’re suited up.” Containers were opened, revealing everything from a delicate cheese platter to quesadillas to macaroni and cheese – there was an obvious theme to the selections: cheese.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow and Chat’s grin turned a bit sheepish, “Yes, Plagg did assist in the choices this evening.” She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation but refrained from making a comment. They both tucked into the food before laying back with full stomachs to look at the stars.

“You should have heard the comments the girls made after our ‘date’ the other night!” Ladybug giggled, tapping her feet together softly from where she lay. “They would not let it go!”

Chat Noir smirked as he laid back, propping himself up on his elbows. “My cousin was quite incensed as well. Thanks for helping me lighten his wallet’s burden.”

“Any time, Chat. I had a great time. Far better than the last time they set me up,” she snorted derisively around a bite of quesadilla she had decided to nibble on.

A corner of his black mask raised as he leaned back on his palms, “Oh? Just how low of a bar did I clear?”

She rolled her eyes, “Are you sure you want to hear about my horrible dates?”

Chat’s grin in response would rival the Chesire cat, “Trade you, story for story. You don’t need to give me names or personal details. We don’t need to know if we’ve dated in each other’s social circles by accident.” He waved a clawed glove dismissively to punctuate his point.

“Alright, but you’ve been warned!” Ladybug shook a finger towards her partner with a chuckle. “Let’s see…” Her eyes drifted up to the sky as she ruminated on the details of her disastrous dating life while the black cat took to snacking on one of the treats between them. “Hmm… The last one we’ve taken to calling the ‘Cheeto Guy’…” she began.

“Pfft, what? Cheeto guy? As in the atrocious American snack food?” Chat scoffed.

“Cheeto Guy,” she confirmed with a nod while brushing crumbs from the front of her suit. “He was a friend of a friend, someone I had bumped into randomly at school, seemed nice so said friend arranged for a date. Pretty typical date: had lunch together, chatted for a while, had quite a bit in common…”

“Alright, then where do the Cheetos come in?” The bewildered blond asked, watching her facial expressions.

The spotted heroine leveled a flat look upon him, “After the date. He apparently was so taken with me; he wrote me a poem! Two pages of rhyming prose about how my beauty was so distracting that he spent the entire date thinking about crushing up Cheetos…smearing them on my body…and licking it off.”

For a moment, the only sounds that could be heard were the passing traffic below and the wind in the trees before a loud, barking guffaw was ripped from her companion. “You’re joking, surely? Please tell me you’re joking!”

Ladybug shook her head ruefully, her eyes glittering with mirth at his reaction, “Unfortunately, not! I had planned to burn it, however one of my friends found the poem so hilarious that they took it home with them. I didn’t feel up to a second date after that, I just apologized that I was simply too busy for a relationship.” She giggled and blew a piece of hair from her eyes, “He found someone new and is now happily married.”

“Wow, talk about low standards…” Chat murmured mockingly.

“Hey now, I firmly believe there’s someone out there for everyone! You just have to find the right person.”

He snorted, “I suppose it must be true if Monsieur Cheeto can find someone… Alright, not sure if mine will top yours. Let’s call this one…Shark Girl.” Chat watched as she mouthed the name with a befuddled look on her face. “We were set up for a date through my mother. I took her to get coffee and tried to get to know her. It was glaringly obvious to me that we did not suit, however she had a different opinion for, when I attempted to drop her at home, she lunged across the seat and kissed me.”

The spotted heroine tilted her head in confusion, “Awkward…but why call her—”

“She kissed with her teeth!” The black-clad hero winced at the memory, mimicking the movement with a clawed hand in front of his face. “Her mouth was opened wider than mine, as if she were a lamprey attempting to latch onto my face and had suctioned herself onto my lips! Then she dragged her teeth inward and down, in some odd facsimile of a passionate kiss; felt like a dozen rasps being drawn across my flesh! I was in such a shock that she did this twice before I finally shook her off and kicked her from the car.”

Ladybug was giggling uncontrollably at the description, thoroughly enjoying the looks of disgust and horror as his face oscillated from one to the other. “Oh my gods, that’s… that’s…”

“Abhorrent?” He offered; his features settled into a revolted sneer.

“Hilarious, Chat!” She fell back as her peals of laughter echoed into the night sky.

“I’m glad someone finds my misfortune entertaining,” he rolled his eyes. “My lip was bleeding in two spots by the time I returned home, I’m lucky I didn’t need stitches!”

“Or a rabies shot!” Ladybug wiped a few tears from her eyes as her laughter died into soft hiccups, “I suppose it could be worse!”

“Pray tell, how could it be worse than that, Bug?” He scoffed with disbelief even as his eyes twinkled with humor.

“I met someone at my parent’s bakery that proudly told me he got a tattoo over the weekend…he gave it to himself! Pressed a needle into the skin to make a hole, then took a ballpoint pen and rotated it around until the ink filled it in.”

His mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with shock, “My gods…that is worse!”

She giggled, “Apparently, he also thought it was wise to claim our astrological signs were compatible. Maman shut him down real quick. He hasn’t been back, although I’m not sure if that was because of my mother or the obvious infection he was developing at the tattoo site.”

Chat winced, “I would not want to be on the end of either, I assure you.” They lapsed into silence for a bit as they picked at the swiftly cooling food before them.

“It’s your turn, you know.”

Rolling his eyes with exasperation, he hummed thoughtfully. “How about the date I didn’t think was a date?”

“Wait, wa-what?” She turned and leaned towards him. “How?”

“I…” He blew out a breath and ran a clawed hand through his hair, “I had met someone through a seminar, they invited me to a documentary screening I had expressed interest in, and I accepted. About ten minutes into the show, she reached over and grabbed my hand…”

“Wow, that was bold!” she exclaimed quietly.

“Of course, I immediately realized it was that kind of outing. I wasn’t sure how to react.” He cringed, his hand flexing in his lap as if reliving the moment physically rather than mentally. “Her hands were so clammy and uncomfortable. I have long, boney fingers and hers were thicker so, when she attempted to lace our fingers together, it cut off the circulation and I felt like she was going to crush me…”

Raising a red glove over her mouth, she whimpered sadly. “Oh no, the poor thing! She must have been so nervous!”

“Oh, it gets worse. She must have realized she couldn’t comfortably hold hands that way, so she started stroking my hand – cupping it, rubbing her fingers back and forth over my knuckles, then repeating it over my palm – in the most disturbing way possible.”

“Why didn’t you just, you know, pull away?”

“It wasn’t my…proudest moment, I admit. However, I just wanted to enjoy the documentary, so I resigned myself to soldier through until the end.” The cat hero sighed, his body tense – obviously discomforted by the memory.

“You’re not the only one with some dating guilt…” Ladybug sighed, “There was this guy in my lycée that invited me out to an arcade. You recall that I’m a bit of a gamer, right?” Chat nodded, his shoulders slowly lowering as she spoke. “Well, I get a little competitive,” she admitted sheepishly.

“From what my cousin has told me, that is a gross understatement,” the blond amusingly corrected.

She huffed softly, “Anyway! I kept winning. About an hour into our time there – and in the middle of race number three on Mario Kart – he suddenly ripped the steering wheel off the console, threw it into the screen, and stormed out. Everyone was quite shocked, and a hush fell over the arcade; it was almost as if even the games themselves were momentarily stunned to silence by his vicious display. Apparently, he did not take it kindly being hit with my blue shell on the last lap! Whoops,” she ended cheekily.

“Bug, it sounds like you dodged a bullet with that one. Only you would upset someone by being too good at something!” Chat chuckled. “Did you at least buy him a prize with all your tickets?”

“I’m… actually saving up my credits for one of the top tier prizes. They have a signed copy of UMS III that I’ve had my eye on for months!” Ladybug responded slightly self-consciously as she bit her lip and picked at the hex material of her suit.

Her partner chuckled softly, “You just want your prize and I wanted to watch my documentary.”

“See? We aren’t so different, we’re both selfish!” She smiled gently. They lapsed into a companionable silence, looking out over the city as their words drifted off on the breeze.

“I suppose it could be worse, we could be greedy instead of selfish,” Chat muttered softly. The spotted heroine refocused her attention on him, cocking her head to the side as a sign to continue. “I once agreed to a blind date with a young lady except, when she arrived, she had brought along nine of her friends and demanded I pay for them all simply because I am, and I quote, ‘so flush with cash that ten five-course meals would be a drop in the bucket’ for me; and ‘I expect you to provide a certain quality of lifestyle in our relationship’ end quote.”

Ladybug’s face had morphed into one of scandalized outrage. “Wow, the sense of entitlement! I mean, honestly, the audacity!” She paused and leaned in with a whisper, “Wait, was it one of Chloe’s friends?”

He smirked, “I’ll never tell.”

“That’s confirmation enough!” She chortled gleefully for a minute, her mind awhirl imagining a gaggle of haughty blonds descending upon a restaurant for a blind date.

“Your turn, Bug,” he reminded her jokingly. “What other skeletons lay in that closet of yours? We’re in Paris, there must be one pompous peacock strutting through with his sense of entitlement.”

Shaking her head, she sighed. “Pompous? No. Arrogant and a bit cruel? Yes.”

He laid a clawed hand on her shoulder, his brow scrunched with worry as he attempted to lighten her declining mood, “Cruel? To you? Was he also unable to defeat you in virtual combat?”

“Funny enough, he actually enjoyed watching me game! I met him through my work,” she fiddled with her fingers in her lap as another sigh escaped her lips. “We hit it off immediately. So much in common – video games, fashion tastes, food – even my friends loved him! They called him ‘The Beau’ since he and I agreed to date casually due to the significant distance because he lived in Rouen and was contracted to work here in Paris for a year.”

“An hour and a half is quite the drive…” the cat offered gently.

She chuckled sadly, “Yeah… Well, his contract was coming to an end and he had been having trouble finding further work here. He ended up landing a job in Madrid! I was so happy for him and he insisted that we could make long distance work.” Ladybug stared out upon the city lights, feeling his gaze and the slow circles he was rubbing into her shoulder. “Christmas was coming. Gifts, you should know, is one of my love languages and I…I was definitely falling for him. I remembered that he was interested in this beautiful pocket watch and I had saved up to buy it for him, even had his initials engraved on it…”

The spotted heroine paused to get the growing quiver in her voice under control. “Ahem! He, uh…He was in Rouen for the holidays and we had planned to meet up for a fancy dinner halfway to celebrate. I had asked him about the plan – specifically transport: ‘Are you coming to get me? Am I going to you? Meeting there?’ Pretty basic inquiry! Do you know what he said?”

Chat shook his head silently, taking in her watery blue eyes filled with anger and sadness.

“He said, ‘you’re cute but not three hours round trip cute.’ As if I had not been traveling out there to see him before! As if he was deserving of my effort to see him but I wasn’t worthy of his effort! As if my time was less precious than his own!” She scoffed, “Here I am, fighting akumas and attempting to defeat a magical super villain and I’m the one that isn’t—anyway! So, I rightly called it off and asked where I should send his gift. It’s personalized, not like I was going to keep it. He told me, ‘I live in a tiny flat, what makes you think I want more junk?’ I was so, so angry! I convinced him to open it and, if he didn’t want it, he could toss it out for all I cared!”

The black clad hero surreptitiously watched for akuma butterflies on the horizon as the rage rolled off his partner in waves, giving her a moment to simply feel without worry. The concern was unneeded as the roiling emotions were just as quickly snuffed out before Hawkmoth could detect it. “When he finally opened it, he apologized profusely and expected me to just…forget it ever happened.” She pressed her gloved hands into her eye sockets with a wet – if not sardonic – chuckle, “Needless to say, it didn’t work out.”

Ladybug was quickly engulfed in a comforting hug as she concentrated on taking a few breaths to get herself back under control. “I’m sorry, Bug. That was completely uncalled for and I, for one, am ashamed that wanker – that bloody tosser of a git – is among those of my gender. That absolute poxy excuse of a man is such a blighter and doesn’t deserve you. If you hadn’t called things off, I would have told that gormless prat to sod off myself,” he murmured fiercely beside her ear, relieved when he felt the silent chuckles growing stronger with each British insult he could dream up. He knew she was always fond of the way his English relations spoke and used it to his full advantage whenever she needed a mood lift.

When the sniffles had stopped and her hands dropped from her face, Chat released her and resumed his seat. “Thank you, you always know just what to say…” came her murmured reply.

“Hardly, I simply stated the facts. It is a truth universally acknowledged that any idiot willing to debase himself to insulting a Lady does not deserve her affections."

“Still, thanks. And I’m sorry for ruining the mood. We were sharing silly stories – and we were having so much fun – and…and I had to go and muck it up!”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Bug. Besides, you’re not the only one with a story like that,” he sighed. “My cousin set me up with a young model that seemed a good fit at one time. We had similar tastes in books and films, even shared a few of the same pet peeves and bonded over classical music. However, she traveled a lot for work, and we would meet when she was in Paris, not as if I’m jet-setting for obvious reasons. Left plenty of room for this hero business, too. It wasn’t love but it could have grown to be. For all intents and purposes, we worked.”

Ladybug furrowed her brow at him, “Then what was the issue?”

“About two months into our ‘relationship’, I discovered she was dating – and subsequently sleeping with – fourteen other people,” came his deadpan reply.

Her mouth dropped open in shock, “No!”

“Oh yes. Found it by accident on her calendar while planning a surprise for her birthday. We were all noted on her schedule with every intimate detail – down to the location and even sexual position used – going back months in her Planner. And those were only the ones I knew about! Apparently, she had heard from some American television show that it wasn’t cheating if it ‘wasn’t the same area code’ or something equally as absurd. She felt justified as each of us was in a different part of Europe.”

“Wow…” The heroine was speechless.

“Obviously, I did not agree with said sentiment and cut my association with her.”

“That’s…gods, that’s awful, Chat. I’m so sorry.” She rested a hand on his forearm, her blue eyes glowing with sadness.

He patted her hand gently, “Don’t be. It was years ago. I heard that she lost a major modeling contract after she tried to hook up with my cousin and has since found a job working in a diner over in Nice.”

“Well, Mademoiselle Serialist Cheater sounds like a perfect match for Mister Elevator.” She shook her head disgustingly as Chat raised a brow. “He introduced himself to me in the library and asked me out, I turned him down. I was supposed to hang out with your cousin a few days later and – you know how Adrien is, far too friendly with strangers than he should be – stumbled upon the two of them chatting at our meeting spot. Mister Elevator was giving him the advice to ‘give a girl a flower, it’s a surefire way to win them over!’”

“Well, flowers are a traditional gift when dating…” he murmured.

“Yeah…part of his advice was a story about giving a girl a flower and receiving a blowjob in the elevator for it. Thus his name.” The heroine rolled her eyes as her tone turned flippant, the memory nothing more than a short ridiculously humorous interaction that still made her snort to this day.

The blond choked mid-chew on a bit of brie and began to cough roughly, “Forgive me, what the fuck?!”

Ladybug simply nodded sagely and looked over the cheese platter for her next nibble but found mostly crumbs left. “I know. I was pretty floored when he told me about it. Mister Elevator saw me with your cousin and encouraged him to ‘get lucky’ with me. Like a man and a woman couldn’t be just friends, they must be sleeping together too! And that I would be so easy to ‘put out’ simply by being given a flower? Just ludicr—”

“He said what?” His words were an angry growl, one that seemed to reverberate the very air across the empty rooftop with its ferocity, which surprised a squeak from the heroine. Chat’s eyes looked absolutely feral, his claws attempting to dig into the limestone beneath them as if imagining them sinking into the object of his ire, his tail lashing wildly behind him.

“Chat! It’s fine! You know your cousin would never do something like that—!” She attempted to calm him, her eyes jumping about the horizon for possible butterflies with increasing concern and internal panic.

“That’s hardly the issue! Adrien was raised to meet very strict standards of behavior but, Bug, to insinuate that you—! He could have been—” Chat jumped from sentence to sentence in his agitation, unable to completely vocalize a single disgusting thought, as the desire to find this lout and defend her honor fed his outrage further.

“Woah, woah! I’m fine!” Ladybug held up both hands between them, approaching slowly before laying a reassuring hand on the claws currently scraping the top of the monument so as not to agitate him further. “It’s not right what he said but at least he heavily implied receiving consent. I had rejected him, he saw us together, he assumed we were dating… And I never even saw him again after that!”

As the stiff tension around his shoulders began to release, Ladybug wrapped her arms around her partner’s neck and she whispered reassuringly into his neck, “I promise, Grimalkin, I am okay. No need to cataclysm some civilian’s face off for me.”

Claws released their stranglehold on the rooftop and wrapped around her body, pulling her closer until they were settled hip to hip. She listened to his deep breaths as he calmed once again. When his voice returned, it was a hushed rumble rather than the ferocious growl it had been, “Are you sure I can’t, Bug?”

“Yes, I’m sure. It wouldn’t help anyone right now,” she chuckled against his side.

“It would make me feel better…” he muttered under his breath.

“If I ever need someone’s face to be melted off, I will come straight to you.”

“Hmm, see that you do,” Chat rested his cheek against her hair, his toxic green eyes taking in the lights of Paris once again. They lapsed into a companionable silence now that their emotions had calmed and take out containers were empty. The beautiful evening breeze tugged at their hair; a few stars twinkled through the light pollution high in the sky above their heads. It was a peaceful moment that reminded them that they always had each other to fall back on.

Ladybug’s snort broke the silence that had wrapped around them, drawing the black cat’s attention once again. “Besides, you’d be proud of how I handled a guy earlier…I channeled my inner Felix.”

The edge of his mask rose curiously, although his tone sounded as if torn between being flattered and insulted, “Oh? How so?”

“This man that I’ve been working on a commission for has taken a liking to me,” she began with a laugh, one hand immediately rested on his thigh as soon as she felt his body tense beside her. “He decided to ‘shoot his shot’ this morning by using the most bizarre pick-up line I’ve ever heard!”

Chat tried to relax, “Was it something as corny as my cousin would use? Something like…besides sexy, what do you do for a living? Or perhaps… If you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple?”

The heroine’s face flushed even as she broke into loud howls of laughter, “Gods, no! It was worse!”

“Worse? I’m not sure that’s possible.”

Wiping a tear from her eye, Ladybug’s laughter died down to gentle chuckles. “No, he dropped his voice down as deep as it could go – I assume in an effort to sound rough and sexy – and asked me: ‘if I was a bear, what would I do to you?’”

Her partner leaned back enough to stare down at her, momentarily speechless over the reality of such a person existing and using such a horrid line. “…And how did you channel your ‘inner Felix’, may I ask?”

The spotted woman sat up straighter, schooling her features with an air of refined calm as she stared down her nose haughtily. “I gave no outward reaction, just simply stated – completely deadpan – that, if he were a bear, he would likely maul me. Then I proceeded to give him a factual information dump about which organs would likely to be ripped from my body first before I would lose consciousness from blood loss.”

There was a beat of silence before both dissolved into uproarious laughter.

“Bug, I’m so proud of you!” Chat enfolded his companion in his embrace, sharing in her mirth. “But, for my sanity, please never tell my cousin that line…”

She scoffed, “I can make no prom—"

Suddenly an explosion lit up the Parisian night sky, followed closely by the familiar akuma alert tone echoing through the streets below, interrupting their conversation. Ladybug groaned, “Can’t he give us one more night off?”

“No rest for the wicked, I’m afraid.” The black suited hero rose to his feet, brushing off any bits of dust that may have clung to his hex-leather suit before offering her a hand up. “Aren’t you always looking on the bright side? At least we finished dinner twice this week.”

“I suppose you’re right…” The heroine gladly accepted the hand and unraveled her yo-yo while Chat wrangled their garbage back into the bag. “Want me to take that to the nearest garbage can while you go scope things out?”

He hummed an affirmative as he settled it into her offered hand, “Probably for the best. You’re not exactly the picture of stealth, Bug.” Chat smirked at her offended scoff, jumping off the Arc de Triomphe before she could hurtle the bag at his head.

Ladybug’s angry shout echoed in the air behind him, “Must I remind you that I DON’T HAVE ANY SAY IN MY SUIT DESIGN?” He didn’t need to have super hearing to know his partner was grumbling.

Chat allowed himself a rare smile as he vaulted toward the latest akuma. ‘Being a hero can be a lonely existence but it’s a little easier together.’

~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Yes, I know...not my usual romance but I enjoyed ggomo's story so much that I felt inspired. Most of these horrible dates are based on real life experiences... Details changed to protect the guilty. What's your worst dating story?

~~~~~~~ “Shit!” Felix cursed as he dodged a wayward akuma blast, the wall of the store he had been hiding beside becoming nothing more than a crumbling pile of bricks in his wake. He stumbled as the ground shook again, hazel eyes darting around to seek out another route away from the battlefront before the akuma-of-the-week targeted the blond directly instead of the thinning crowds around him.

‘There! I can hide in that alley!’ Felix rushed forward, panting as he sprinted across the street towards perceived safety. However, just before he could breach it, another blast struck the building to the left and the debris blocked the mouth of the alleyway – a few bricks slammed into his left leg, their bruising impacts ripping his pants and leaving a smattering of cuts on his thigh. By the way the material of his black slacks bloomed matching glossy spots, there were likely more bloody wounds than those visible through the tears. Cursing under his breath, he spun to his right to begin limping further down the avenue when the sound of maniacal laughter sent chills down his spine. Felix turned and dropped into a fighting stance; hazel eyes focused on the threat approaching slowly. The akuma was dressed as a Medieval court jester; bells jingling as they bounced from foot to foot, legs and arms as pale as snow and unnaturally long like some sort of spider. Eyes wild and toothy grin wide, their head tilted like an inquisitive puppy looking at a new toy.

‘Well, new fear unlocked…’ Felix thought, his rising panic hidden behind a carefully constructed mask of indifference and splotches of plaster dust.

“When I was a lad, I was gloomy and sad / As I was from the day I was born / When other babes giggled and gurgled and wiggled / I proudly was loudly forlorn. / My friends and my family looked at me clammily / Thought there was something amiss…” the akuma’s unhinged, sing-songed limerick coming out dejected as it approached slowly, their grin temporarily dropping into an overexaggerated frown. Felix took a cautious step back, was this the victim’s backstory?

“What else could he be but a Jester? / A Jester? A Jester! / A funny idea, a Jester!” Suddenly the akuma’s mouth stretched up into an unnaturally feral grin, like some sort of horror game villain – equal parts terrifying and disturbing that would certainly not haunt his dreams later – and squealed with joy, clapping its hands around their marotte. “Only the sharpest eye, the keenest nose / the quickest ear and the fleetest toes / Can ever outfox the Jester! Can ever outfox the Jester! / Only the stoutest arm, the bravest heart / with a magic charm and a good head start / Will ever outfox the Jester!”

The hazel-eyed teen braced himself to fight as the akuma lunged with a sharp jingle, marotte extended above their head as if to club the blond over his skull rather than shoot a blast from the tip. Out of nowhere and with a quiet fwip, a pink jump rope shot in front of the jester, tripping them. Just as soon as the rope appeared, it retracted in the blink of an eye and, in its place, a grey dressed figure somersaulted in the air directly above the flattened akuma. Time seemed to slow as Felix watched her pink hair ribbons flutter in the air behind the space buns holding back her hair, tresses as dark as a raven’s wing. His breath briefly caught as bright, bluebell eyes flashed – focused and calculating – from behind the edges of a baby pink domino mask. She brought her black booted feet together and ruthlessly planted them directly into the back of the akuma’s skull, impaling their head into the pavement like some sort of avenging Valkyrie taking down a mythical beast. Felix felt breathless and his knees turned to putty watching the graceful, powerful display. Just who was she?

Shaking off the foreign feelings clouding his mind, the blond limped backwards, unsure if this lithe woman was a friend or foe. Perhaps she would attack him next. Why did he feel a thrill at the idea of sparring with her? Focus! The movement drew the attention of those enchanting blue eyes. She squeaked in surprise, as if just noticing him for the first time. However, they took on an intelligent gleam, quickly assessing his physical state – those eyes pausing on his leg – as she approached him with her hands outstretched in a placating manner. “Um. Excuse me, garçon, I’m here to help. You need to evacuate. Are you badly injured?”

Ignoring the way that her sweet voice – which sounded like silk wrapped around steel – made his heartbeat quicken, he evaluated her for a threat. She was petite and so thin that it looked like the next strong breeze might knock her over. Hazel eyes trailed down the woman’s grey suit – lines of pink breaking the black and grey tightly hugging her tiny frame, the fabric caressing each toned curve and valley in a way that made his mouth run dry – before taking note of a familiar pink jump rope hanging around her waist like a tail. He relaxed fractionally and cleared his throat. “You were the one that tripped him before, weren’t you?” he questioned, gesturing to the now thrashing akuma attempting to free itself from the ground. If Jester had not been struggling to free themselves, Felix would liken the akuma’s current state to an ostrich hiding their head in a hole – the blond choked on a laugh over that mental image!

The grey suited woman glanced back and nodded, “I apologize but…we need to get you out of here before Jester sees us and decides to get revenge.” She drew out the jump rope and stepped into his personal space. Felix realized just how much shorter she was, the top of her head just barely clearing his shoulder, before her words finally registered.

“W-wait, what are you—OOF!” The lithe figure quickly lifted him in a fireman’s carry over her shoulder with shockingly little effort before whipping out the rope and tugging them into the air as if snapping a rubber band. Watching the ground flash by beneath them at a dizzying speed, Felix was pretty sure he was going to be sick. ‘What a way to go…throwing up while escaping an akuma, being manhandled by some superhuman, spandex wearing, midget!’ He refused to admit that this position also provided a lovely angle on some of her finer assets…which was distracting enough to assuage the rising bile in his throat.

With a jolt, they landed on a rooftop, but she only paused for a moment. The woman returned the rope to her waist and shifted him into a bridal carry before dashing quickly across the uneven terrain as if it were second nature. Felix’s arms instinctually wrapped around her neck in a desperate attempt to prevent being dropped. He glanced over her shoulder to see the rapidly expanding distance from whence he was kidnapped – perhaps rescued? – off the street while the wind whipped noisily past his ears. ‘It appears she’s just as strong and fast, even with my added weight,’ the blond thought with mounting admiration. The grey suited woman began to slow and hopped onto a flat roof with a small garden next to a fire escape, finally halting their advance and gingerly returning him to his feet. The blond attributed his racing heart from the unexpected flight rather than their proximity.

“Sorry about that! We didn’t have much time and I needed to get you away from that akuma before they freed themselves. You should be safe here and, if you’re not in too much pain, you can easily take the fire escape down to the streets. Just try to avoid Rue de Rivoli or else you might bump into our crazed jester friend again.” Her lips curved into a gentle smile that made him feel fluttery—er, reassured.

Felix furrowed his brow, “Who even are you?”

The woman blinked and opened her mouth to reply when a cry of “MOUSINETTE!” came from his right, followed by a black blur crashing into the grey suited woman. She stumbled back a few steps with a giggle that sounded like wind chimes dancing in sunlight. Wrapped around Felix’s savior, belt tail seemingly interweaving with the hanging jump rope length, was none other than a grinning Chat Noir. “What are you doing here?! Milady said she was sending in help, but I didn’t think she’d send you after…” The cat hero trailed off, one hand gesturing towards her mask. Now what was that about?

“O-Oh…Yeah…She said that it was just temp-temporary since she’s…uh…” The young woman glanced over towards Felix and then back to Chat, dropping her voice to a soft whisper, “…indisposed.”

“Indisposed? But isn’t her kwam—” Chat Noir looked confused before finally realizing they had company, his mouth dropping into a silent ‘oh’. “Gotcha. Ixnay.” Then he grinned again and ruffled her hair, “It’s good to see you again, Little Mouse! No one deserves it more than you!”

Her cheeks flared in rosy embarrassment and her lips protruded in a pout at the hero’s praise. “Um…I-I…Thank you, Chat. That’s very sweet but…uh, don’t get your hopes up?” The mousey girl cringed and backed away, tugging her jump rope free as she prepared for her departure.

Felix’s lips quirked up slightly at her increased nervous vocal quirks, ‘First she’s badass, then she’s adorable. Just who is she?’

“Since you’re more, uh experienced than me, wo-would you mind checking out this man’s le-leg? I’m heading back to see if Jester has um…broken free from where I…uh…left him.” With that, she scurried away, using her jump rope to swing back towards the akuma.

“Wow! You don’t know it, sir, but you’re a very lucky man… saved by THE Multimouse!” Chat crowed with joy while slitted eyes watched her disappear from sight.

“…Multi-who?” Felix questioned awkwardly, wondering why the cat hero appeared to be so excited.

Chat chuckled softly before turning to him, “Multimouse. She’s smart and funny and strong and sweet…She’s one of the temporary heroes, our greatest strategist (next to my Bugaboo, of course)! Our heavy hitter!”

“Is she some sort of stealth hero? I don’t recall ever hearing about her online…” In fact, he had researched all the heroes before this trip and found not a single mention of a mouse hero.

The black clad cat deflated slightly and sighed, “Yeah…she’s only been out once or twice before this…never really been caught on camera but something happened last time and…well, Ladybug said we couldn’t call her back out. I guess Milady decided it was enough of an emergency… Not that I mind!”

Felix took in the goofy smile that slowly stretched across Chat’s face while he looked off in the direction Multimouse had retreated. Suddenly he felt nauseous, as if something ugly was twisting up and clenching in his stomach, causing his neck to burn red. Unable to control his emotions any longer, his tone became clipped and hard as a lump of anger gripped his vocal cords. “Aren’t you…supposed to be in love with Ladybug?” Did he sound jealous? It was definitely not jealousy!

Chat Noir’s eyes widened comically, his arms swinging wildly in the air as if to physically dispel any misunderstanding. “Yes! Milady is the only one for me! B-but—wait...” Green eyes narrowed with suspicion and the cat stalked closer to the injured teen, his entire demeanor flipping like a switch: from nervous house cat to dangerous panther. Felix struggled to keep himself calm and attention locked on the approaching predator so that he could leap away at a moment’s notice. The cat leaned into his face before a huge grin broke through, his voice a smug murmur. “Do you have a crush on Mousinette?”

Now it was Felix’s turn to panic – eyes widening, heart racing, body trembling, and face burning red – as the image of a grey suited, blue-eyed Valkyrie popped up in his head. His mind replayed the way the breeze tugged at the ribbons in her hair, the obvious strength her petite body contained while effortlessly holding him, the intelligence that showed in her eyes, the blush painted across her cheeks and a giggle that made something inside him sing!

‘Oh…’ he thought dazedly. Sure, Felix had always heard of ‘love at first sight’ but had excused it as nothing more than romantic fantasy! Some unrealistic and overused movie trope! Yet here he was…falling for some mystery heroine that hadn’t even spoken more than a handful of meaningless sentences to him. Mortification bled through the warmth expanding in his chest.

Chat Noir’s grin became sharp, as if he could hear the hazel-eyed blond’s heart beating in time to the heroine’s name. “You and I aren’t so different; I was the same way for Ladybug. Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

~~~

He refreshed the Ladyblog and scrolled through the latest posts for possibly the hundredth time, the habit becoming a daily routine for the blond. There was no real evidence of Multimouse’s existence, merely anecdotal or the occasional passing comment about a pink jump rope appearing during a time of crisis. The only images captured during the Jester akuma were blurry and taken at too far of a distance, Felix checked. Thoroughly. He questioned his memory more with each passing day as little details seemed to slip away, like a well-worn film played so many times that the sound and images began to distort. He could recall that her voice and laughter were sweet but why was it so hard to remember the exact tone? Was she really as lovely as in his dreams? Did her eyes sparkle like the sun glancing off a lake’s surface or were they more like the color of a cloudless sky at noon? What was the shape of her face like again? Did she have freckles?

Frustrated, the blond refreshed the page yet again.

The next time that Felix visited Paris, he watched the skies for a streak of grey and pink. No matter how many akumas appeared, it was simply the original pair: Ladybug and Chat Noir. His attention was divided between his phone and the skies, constantly hoping for another glimpse of the heroine that stole his heart; enough that even his cousin seemed to notice the level of his distraction.

“Hey Fe, you seem really out of it. You okay?” Adrien asked, concern seeming to drip from every pore.

Felix sighed and dropped his phone back down into his lap, “Yes. Apologies, cousin, I’m simply…” He made a motion with one hand as if scrolling through a list of words before settling on one, “…distracted.”

The model approached and hung himself over the back of the couch like a discarded throw blanket, glancing down at what had captured his interest on the screen. “Oh, are you checking out the Ladyblog? My friend, Alya, actually runs it!”

The hazel eyed teen turned with interest, desperately he tried to keep hope from bleeding into his voice. “Do you know if she has a database of images of the various heroes, perchance?”

“Besides the gallery on the blog itself, no, I don’t think so. Why?”

Felix’s posture deflated a bit as he stifled a groan, “It’s…nothing.”

“Are you looking for a certain hero, maybe?” Adrien innocently asked.

“No!” The Londoner answered a little too quickly, unable to keep his ears from turning bright red as he denied the question emphatically.

A playful grin spread across the green-eyed blond’s face, “Yes, you are, Fe! Who is it? Was it a temporary hero during that attack you were caught up in last time?”

He gripped his phone and clenched his teeth, attempting to stifle the spread of the blush now blooming across his cheeks. Good gods, he would never live this down…but his cousin was a fan of the heroes, surely, he might have some information? He hated feeling vulnerable. Felix pressed his eyes shut as if pained to admit it, his voice coming out as more of a whispered hiss than he would care to admit. “…Yes.”

Adrien seemed to light up, “Really? Who was it?” Bouncing like a puppy with a new toy, the model’s eyes gleamed. “Viperion? Or perhaps Ryuko? Rena Rouge? Or...Carapace?! No judgment.”

Felix scoffed and looked down into his lap pensively, his fingers gliding over the darkened surface of his phone’s screen as he struggled to open up. “No…none of them. She doesn’t appear on the Ladyblog anywhere and there’s no pictures of her in battle…I—”

The model gently set a hand on his shoulder, finally hazel met green. “Hey, it’s okay to have a crush on whoever it is. I mean I…” He watched as his cousin blushed, his eyes looking out the wall of windows with a dreamy, far-off look. Felix couldn’t help but think that his cousin looked like some sort of melancholic-romantic lead pining for their lover. “I’ve…had a huge crush on Ladybug ever since she saved me.”

The formal boy stared at his cousin’s profile, dumbfounded at finding common ground with his lookalike. They had been raised so differently, had lost contact, lost parents, and pursued different routes in life… The model was like sunshine incarnate while the magician resembled that of a thunderstorm. All their lives, Felix had always been compared to Adrien and found lacking. Perhaps they weren’t so different after all?

Adrien sighed softly and turned his gaze back towards him, excited once more. “So? What was she like?”

“She…” He allowed his eyes to drift up briefly as he recalled the encounter once again. “She was…strong and agile. Small, but powerful, like some sort of petite battle angel.”

“Yeah… I’m a sucker for a strong woman, too.” Adrien climbed over the sofa and settled beside him with a chuckle, leaning back so that the model’s face looked up at the ceiling. “And beautiful.”

“Graceful,” Felix supplied with an agreeable hum, lost in thought as his eyes drifted down to his lap once again. Fingers tracing the edges of his phone case as the image of bright eyes framed by a pink mask flooded his memories.

“Kind,” his cousin sighed into the air around them, his mind’s eye bringing forward images of his Lady.

“Capable.”

“Smart.”

“Clever.”

“Confident.”

“…yet adorable.”

“Especially how her nose crinkles when she laughs…”

“Laughter that makes your heart dance.”

“And a smile that makes you feel warm all over.”

“With blue eyes as clear as crystal…”

“Hair the color of the midnight sky…”

Felix laughed wryly, “Almost sounds like we’re in love with the same girl.”

“Oh gods, I think we have a type!” Adrien’s whole body shook with his laughter.

“Seems so, cousin!” The formal boy’s chuckles died out as the original issue arose to the forefront of his mind yet again. “At least you can find pictures of Ladybug all over the blog. Multimouse doesn’t appear on camera nor is she called out much. It’s…It’s like she never existed!” He ran a hand through his hair in visible frustration.

“Yeah, I’ve…uh…heard rumors of a mouse hero. But I’ve um, never seen her myself,” the model admitted while twisting his ring. “Wait! What if I ask Chat Noir – he, uh…patrols nearby sometimes – to get you a picture?”

Felix scoffed at the idea, “That’s not likely to happen. Even that cat mentioned that she is hardly ever called out to help. Besides, I don’t need any of the heroes to find out about my…inclinations. They might think I’m some sort of stalker and never call her out again.” Crossing his arms, he glared at the tops of his knees.

“Oh. Um.” Adrien seemed to deflate a little, his eyes twitching back and forth pensively as if trying to find an answer. “Then…what if you describe her to me and I can try to get my friend to draw her for you? His name’s Nathaniel, he’s really good – even has his own Ladybug comic book! Here, I’ll show you some of his work.”

Felix watched as his cousin pulled up a few screenshots he had saved of the bug heroine – obviously full colored, pre-print cells from the final draft – and was begrudgingly impressed. “That…that might just work. I…” He furrowed his brow and cleared his throat; an uncomfortable tightness having lodged deep in his chest. Hazel eyes rose to look into the model’s face once again, his voice a murmur of gratitude. “Thank you, Adrien.”

A genuine smile stretched across the model’s face. “Hey, what is family for?”

~~~

A few weeks later, a small package arrived at Felix’s door in London with a return address from Paris.

Retreating to the privacy of his room, the blond allowed his emotions to go unguarded as he quickly peeled back the tape with anticipation. A small gasp echoed in the silent room as hazel eyes finally laid upon the contents. Inside the rigid packaging and protected by a stiff plastic sleeve, lay three realistic drawings of various sizes and poses, all professionally colored and inked in a way that made it seem almost like the heroine could jump straight off the page.

“Multimouse…” his whispered voice filled with awe and admiration.

Felix pulled the largest image from the sleeve, an action shot that he had described in great detail – repetitively – to Adrien. Jump rope curled around her waist, ribbons blowing in the breeze, her booted feet together and arms extended above her head as she came down upon the akuma… Suddenly he felt as if he was right back in that moment! The artist had drawn her form as if hovering in the air, looking like an instant frozen in time, and filled in the background with a simple watercolor burst that accentuated the grays, pinks, and dark blues in the rest of the piece. With trembling fingers, he reverently traced the curve of Multimouse’s domino mask. He gazed into the bright blue eyes that had bewitched him and haunted his dreams. Somehow Adrien’s artist friend had even perfectly captured the determined sparkle in her eyes!

Gently setting that drawing aside, he pulled the medium sized image out next and found another action shot of the heroine mid-flight. Jump rope extended beyond the paper’s edges, legs extended behind her in freefall, her eyes partially closed against the wind whipping at her face – it was a beautiful vision! However, what captured his interest and stole his breath was the bright smile stretched across her face. She looked so carefree and relaxed, as if she were simply patrolling the rooftops with the rest of the team. Had they used Ladybug for reference? Or did someone see her recently?

No, if she had been seen, it would have been on the Ladyblog.

Placing that piece beside the other on his desktop, Felix finally pulled the last from the sleeve. Unlike the others, this one was laminated and covered by a sticky note in Adrien’s usual scrawl.

Dear Fe, I asked Nath to make this one small enough to fit in your wallet. We asked my very good friend, Marinette, to pose for it. I hope you like it! ~AA

The hazel eyed teen scoffed and peeled it away, freezing once he revealed the image beneath. The mouse heroine was pictured sitting on the edge of a building, reclined back on one arm while glancing over her shoulder almost flirtatiously, the sunset and Eiffel Tower behind her so that part of her face was cast in shadow. One delicate hand was brushing her bangs from her eyes, a shy smile upon her lips, her body language open and comfortable. The angle was close enough to make out long lashes and a light blush on her freckled cheeks. It almost felt as if she were looking right at him!

Knees shaking from the weight of his overwhelming emotions and eyes still locked on the small drawing, he sat heavily into the desk chair with a sharp creak in protest. Felix raised a hand to his chest, as if trying to calm the rapidly thumping organ currently threatening to flee from his body. His imagination ran wild – supplanting memories of the Jester with daydreams of shy smiles, sweet giggles, and teasing banter as they watched the sunset…

‘Wow…’ thought Felix, looking back over the three drawings before his eyes settled back on the one still in his hand. ‘I don’t know how I’m ever going to return the favor for this… Perhaps I can help my cousin with his crush the next time I visit?’

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

~~~~~~~Author's Notes: I had a this thought and decided to type it up. I'm the only one to blame here. I couldn't stop myself if I tried. I swear, I don't know why my brain spits this stuff out…

Jester lines are modified prose from character dialogue in 'The Court Jester' (1955).

Jester's visuals were inspired by a combination of Spinel (corrupted) from 'Steven Universe', Joker from 'Batman', and Huggy Wuggy and Mommy Longlegs from 'Poppy's Playtime'. Disturbing enough? Check.

Marotte: Originally the medieval fool's stick or sceptre, a short rod topped with a small head.

~~~~~~~

(Marinette humming in the kitchen while preparing coffee wearing just one of Felix's dress shirts, sleeves rolled up and bottom barely covered)

(Door opens, Adrien enters and tosses keys onto the entry table) "Hey Fe....M-Marinette?!"

"Oh...um, h-hey Adrien. Felix was checking on the laundry. You...uh, want some coffee?"

"Uh...sure..." (takes in her appearance: tousled bedhead hair, pink cheeks, lack of clothing)

"Um, what are you doing at Felix's apartment, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, we uh...got soaked in the snow and h-he invited me back to warm up?" (busying herself with the coffee maker)

'Wow, that was so nice of Felix...I'm so glad they're friends!'

(Felix enters and slides up way too close to her backside while helping her retrieve a mug from a tall shelf, a hand placed on her waist in a way that is more than friendly. He's wearing just a t-shirt and boxers, looking just as tousled, winks at her and pulls away just enough for her to complete her task while still staying in physical contact) "So cousin, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

(Adrien, watching their interaction with increasing confusion, Felix just smirks at him) "Buh... We were, uh...supposed to meet up today and...I figured you might want company for breakfast."

(Marinette slides Adrien his mug with a small smile, then hands Felix his. Felix takes her hand and kisses it with a smile before starting his coffee and resting an arm around her loosely) "Well, as you can see, Adrien, I already have company for breakfast." (Fe's eyes slide down her body lecherously for a moment while she rinses out her mug)

"I...uh...ye-yeah..." (flustered and confused Adrien)

(Felix leans down to Marinette's ear and murmurs to her while his arm snakes around her hips) "I put your clothes on the bed, my dear. But you're welcome to stay as long as you like..."

(Marinette smiles slyly up at him and brushes some imaginary lint from his right pec of his shirt) "I would but I have classes today." (flutters her lashes) "Perhaps we could meet up for some Netflix and chill later tonight..."

(Felix grins) "I look forward to it." (his grin becomes predatory as he watches her walk away to change, she flirtatiously looks over her shoulder at him before passing out of sight)

(Adrien looks perplexed, also noticed how short the shirt was on her and feeling confusing urges) "So... you and Marinette seem...close."

(Felix goes back to smirking and dumping his coffee in the sink) "Oh, very close. Now, I apologize, cousin, but I have a guest to take care of before our meeting. You'll see yourself out, won't you?" (Felix heads in the same direction that Marinette left, looking quite excited)

"Sure..." (Adrien rinses out his mug and proceeds back towards the entry, murmuring to himself and Plagg as muffled giggles/squeals/moans are heard further in the apartment) "I didn't realize how mannerly Felix was towards his guests..." (Plagg facepalms in his pocket)

"I'm so glad Marinette made friends with him! Did you see how much he was smiling? If anyone can bring out the best in him, it would be her. She's amazing, our Everyday Ladybug." (blushes remembering the shirt hiking up as she was grabbing him a mug, shakes it off and walks away)

~~~

[Imagine him telling Nino?!]

"Uh...dude, I don't think..."

"You should have seen them! They're probably better friends than us, Nino!"

(Nino's visible confusion, perhaps bi-confusion, dissolves into a facepalm)

Nino muttering: "not for a lack of trying..."

Adrien: "What?"

Nino: "Nothing, dude!"

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Taking a calm solitary stroll through the park on the way to the library was interrupted when a pink blur collided with his chest, knocking him back into the snowbank behind him with an “oof!” Scowling as he shook free the snow that had fallen into his face, Felix took in the sight of one Marinette Dupain-Cheng sprawled across his lap and looking a bit dazed from the impact. “Miss Dupain-Cheng, to what do I owe the pleasure…”

“I saw her go this way!” The sound of the quickly approaching voices of their classmates, namely the those of the classroom pests Miss Rossi and Miss Césaire, broke his train of thought.

Marinette snapped out of her stupor and sat up to glanced around, assessing what her best escape route was with her limited amount of time. She quickly deduced that she wouldn’t be able to lose them in the wide-open park. Her bluebell eyes took in the now disheveled and snow-covered Felix with a calculating gaze before nodding. Pulling her knit cap down and tucking in her pigtails, she addressed the taciturn blond. “Sorry, Felix. I’m trying to avoid Alya and Lila.” Having disguised her hair as best she could, the young designer then grabbed his jacket lapels with a firm grip. “You’re an actor, right? Think you can play along?”

“Play along? What are yo—”

In one swift motion, and with a strength he hadn’t known she possessed, Marinette pulled Felix in for a kiss and then flipped them so that he was on top of her in the snow. With the last vestiges of his awareness, he caged her against his chest, so as not to crush her with his weight and block her face from being seen. Her lips were warm and sweet, like a cookie straight from the oven. With a muffled moan and compelled by a dizzying yet sudden hunger, his lips began digging into hers. He felt her body quiver before her mouth answered his with equal fervor. His hands cupped and gripped her body with a soft growl of desire; she mewled into his mouth as her fingers took purchase in Felix’s hair. When Marinette’s tongue shyly brushed against his bottom lip, he eagerly deepened the kiss with his own. Their mouths now locked in a heated battle for dominance; a mess of lips and tongues as their bodies pressed together in the snow.

While lost in the moment, their senses completely overwhelmed with each other and blissfully unaware of the world around them, Lila and Alya slowed to a stop about ten meters away. They were sure they had seen Marinette come this way but the only thing they found was some overly amorous – and vocal! – couple snogging in the snow.

“I could have sworn she came this way! Sorry, girl, we’ll get your scarf back from her next time,” Alya regretfully patted Lila’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Alya! You’re the best! Let’s go. These two are making me uncomfortable,” Lila replied as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder towards the couple. They quickly walked away, shouting comments about ‘getting a room’ as they exited from whence they came.

Marinette broke the kiss and peeked over Felix’s shoulder to confirm her two pursuers had gone before meeting the blond’s eyes. They both were breathing raggedly, their cheeks flushed and warm, their pupils blown wide as they stared at each other, and their bodies still intimately entwined. At some point his jacket buttons had come undone and her delicate hands had found their way beneath his shirt. She fared no better, his one hand causing little electric jolts while stroking the exposed skin on her spine while the other cupped her butt through her jeans.

Felix broke the silence between them first, the hand on her butt squeezed gently to accentuate his words. “You’re quite the method actor, my dear.”

“What can I say? I’m full of surprises, Mr. Fathom,” Marinette smirked slyly, slowly dragging her foot up the calf it had wrapped around.

“Although, I do have a few notes on how to improve your performance,” the blond glanced down at her lips. He leaned in, his forehead and nose resting against her own. Felix pressed closer until their lips were about to touch, murmuring before diving in for another kiss…

“Once more from the top, shall we?”

~~~~~~

NOTES: Dialogue my brain came up with that just didn’t work for me at the time:

“That was…quite a realistic performance, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

“…What if it wasn’t entirely a performance, Mr. Fathom?” (she bites her lip nervously)

(he leans in, his voice becomes a rough/growling whisper) “Oh. Then you should stop biting your lip, that my job now.”

~~~~~~

…is so Delightful.

Marinette had always been drawn to the snow. Even as a little kid, seeing the city blanketed in a fluffy blanket of white, she would squeal in delight and rush outside. Perhaps it was the individual patterns of every snowflake or the glittery, glistening effect of the sun upon it that drew her in… There was nothing quite as magical as fresh wintery powder just begging to be danced in. Okay, so there’s miraculous that gave wielders magical powers – sure. But the snowball fights! The snow angels! The dragon’s breath! Snowmen and igloos! The quiet stillness over the rooftops at night! She hadn’t outgrown her love of the snow as she’d gotten older – if anything, it grew stronger. Seeing the first snowfall made her just as giddy as when she was barely big enough to put on her own boots.

That’s why, when the class was on a field trip to a local park to learn about various animal behaviors in winter, she quietly slipped away until the nattering tone of their teacher’s voice was a hum in the background. She wandered into an open area with a fountain, thrilled that it remained untouched by anyone else since last night’s storm rolled through. Her smile widened with excitement, too big to be contained by her scarf as her small boot crunched down on the fresh snow for the first time. No one else was around…

Unable to contain it any longer, she squealed with joy. The young designer eagerly danced into the square and around the fountain. Her arms outstretched and mouth wide to catch the falling flakes, twirling from one foot to the other with grace, as if her body had forgotten how to be clumsy. Marinette hopped up on the edge of the fountain and ran her gloved fingers along the edge of the thin ice that had formed along the middle tier, watching with wonder as drips of water escaped down the still forming icicles below. Then she giggled and kicked her foot along the top of the basin – a spray of snow showering down to the sidewalk below. She continued her dance on her tiptoes, mimicking a ballerina’s pirouette with a spin, before leaping off and landing safely in the grass beneath a lamppost into a penché. Marinette’s heart thumped loudly in her ears from the exertion, mimicking the applause of her invisible audience as she made a bow. Her hand plucked an imaginary rose from her feet – scooping a small amount of the delicate white dust there – before launching it into the air above her head with a swift upward arch.

As the snowflakes rained back down, the pigtailed girl turned her face up to the sky with a dreamy sigh. “Been a long time since I’ve danced like that! I wonder if Nino still remembers the lifts we used to do,” she giggled as she closed her eyes, lost to the memories of childhood dance classes meant to improve her coordination. She let her mind drift to the haunting melodies her madame had played, puckering her lips to whistle along as snowflakes landed on her face.

~~

Oh, the weather outside is Frightful…

Felix always hated the snow. Even as a little kid, he avoided going out in the winter. If he awoke to find frost upon his window, he would scowl and dive back into his blankets. While others ran around outside, dirtying their clothes, he preferred to stay inside where it was warm. He just couldn’t understand the appeal. It was cold and wet! The slush and mush! Icicles dripped down your neck when you least expected it! It clung to your clothes and made every joint in his extremities ache! Not to mention the chance of frostbite! Inevitably his cousin, a bundle of joyous energy, would drag him unwillingly from the house into the yard…where Felix would have to endure his every antic with a concealed grimace. Be it snowball fights, snowmen, or the nondescript lumpy buildings Adrien called a “snow fort.” After enough time had passed to assuage his boisterous cousin, he would retreat back into the warmth of the house and curl up by the fire with a book while Adrien nibbled on popcorn. Sure, he was intrigued by the ice and snow sculptures that people would create but felt no affinity to experience it firsthand!

That’s why, when the class was on a field trip to a local park on this overcast day, he waited on the outskirts until he could silently sneak away to find shelter from the light dusting that was falling from the sky. Only when Felix could no longer hear their teacher’s voice did he breathe a sigh of relief, pulling his scarf and jacket lapels in tighter to his body to keep out the frightful cold. He wandered along a newly trodden path, hoping that the hastily made footprints were a sign that whoever came before him was cutting the quickest path to a nearby café…

Felix rounded a small oak copse and came to a sudden halt at the sound of a girl’s squeal. In the clearing ahead was the class representative, Marinette, frolicking around a fountain, as if dancing to music only she could hear. This was a whole other side to the shy designer that he had never seen before! He was utterly captivated... The way she flitted around like a fairy, the bits of flurry decorating her coat and legs like flounces in a skirt; the crystals sparkling with the diminished sunlight as she moved.  The way the newly fallen snowflakes adorned her hair, like a laurel of edelweiss. The graceful movements that seemed so foreign on the girl he knew for tripping on air. Her reverent yet excited touches that led to carefree kicks of snow.

When she leapt from the basin edging, his heart raced as he was sure this would be the moment the girl’s clumsiness would reappear… only for her to land and bow to her imaginary audience. The blood pumping in his ears sounded like the roar of a crowd. Marinette seemed to finally settle; her face upturned towards the cloudy sky. She started to whistle softly, the hauntingly beautiful melody drawing him in. Felix stepped forward as quietly as he could, not wanting to scare or disrupt the song. As Felix closed the distance between them, his breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were closed, he could see the way snowflakes were coating her eyelashes like glitter. Her cheeks were brightened by the exertion of the dance she had just completed but her breathing was even; her obvious concentration on the melody she was creating. She was absolutely enchanting.

He watched with fascination as a snowflake landed and promptly melted against her lips. He wondered if they were as warm and inviting as they looked. Overcome by his curiosity, Felix leaned in and pressed his lips to hers with a feather-light touch…

~~~

But if you really hold me tight, all the way home I’ll be warm…

With the final notes cut off by a warm pair of lips that brought fire to their veins, a silence settled around the two. Marinette’s eyes shot open with a start. In front of her stood Felix Fathom, the snobbish blond from her class. The same Felix that loved to cause chaos and impersonate his cousin. His hazel green eyes met hers, looking just as surprised as she felt. They were so close together that their cloudy breaths mingled between them, their noses just millimeters from touching. Their lips tingling from more than just the cold nipping at their noses.

“Felix…what…,” her voice came out as a confused whisper.

“Your little recital around the fountain was exemplary. It is customary to gift a performer with a token of esteem, is it not?” Felix murmured just as quiet, watching as the knowledge that he had seen her dance caused Marinette to blush a rosy hue.

She scoffed softly and took a step back, still bewildered by his actions, “Isn’t that usually flowers?”

“Was my token too meager an offering to the great Miss Dupain-Cheng?” He asked with a smirk.

Marinette sputtered for a moment and Felix took the opportunity to wrap an arm around her waist, drawing her into his embrace. She squeaked with surprise, staring at her hands as they came to rest on his wool coated chest. He chuckled and murmured into the crown of her hair, “Perhaps I can show you a better way to spend a snow day, my dear?”

Her gaze shifted up to look into his face again, only to be caught by a movement in her periphery. There, unexpectedly hanging from the lamppost, was a sprig of mistletoe tied with a red ribbon. Felix watched as her blue eyes filled with mirth at something over his head before coming back to meet his green stare. One of her hands slid up to the nape of his neck as she leaned in.

“‘Tis the season…”

Their lips met and they quickly found themselves lost in each other, no longer affected by the cold breeze or wayward snowflakes that flurried around them.

Felix never made it to that café but he did discover a new appreciation for the snow.

Let it snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow…

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

~~~ Felix POV: 10 Years Later ~~~

Felix limped through the graveyard towards the familiar tree on the nearby hill. The wind rustled through the grass and whipped up the fallen leaves that crunched beneath his cane. He paused to tuck some longer strands of blond hair behind his ear, closing his eyes as he took in the peaceful stillness that exuded from this place. Releasing a sigh, he closed the distance to the lone headstone and bench beneath the shade of the tree; settling down in a way that would lessen the muscle stiffness that lingered from his old injury. Tikki solemnly drifted from his jacket pocket to rest upon the cold stone, paying her silent respects.

He let his gaze stray over the hilltop and down the embankment covered in marble markers before dragging them back to the one directly in front of him. “It’s been ten years now,” he declared quietly. “It still feels like yesterday when we lost you. I still struggle to put into words how big of a hole you have left in my—no, our lives, to express the sheer guilt I hold for your death…”

“Felix, it’s not your fault—” the red kwami murmured softly.

He cleared his throat and rubbed his now damp eyes, “I know it isn’t my fault, Tikki, but I wish I had known…I could have shared the burden!” Taking a shaky breath, he readdressed the letters carved into the surface. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there enough for you. I know you don’t blame me. The years haven’t made your loss any easier, but it has improved. I try not to let the past haunt me…sometimes I can’t help it.” Felix allowed his mind to drift as he stared off, delving into those sensitive memories once more.

~~~ Flashback ~~~

By the time the storm broke, Marinette had not regained consciousness, however her breathing had evened out and color had started to return to her face. Tikki’s healing ability took care of the life-threatening injuries and had stabilized her Chosen. There was still concern about the loss of consciousness and obvious concussion. Would there be brain damage? She would need to be watched for any behavioral changes or sudden mood swings. Could the heal factor even assist with cognitive impairments? So much was unknown.

He replaced the vest and slung her satchel over one shoulder, making sure the peacock miraculous was firmly attached to the inside lining of his pocket. Now came the hard part. Carefully maneuvering her limp body gently through the opening of his amok shelter, he breathed a sigh of relief when Marinette’s head cleared the narrowed entry. Most of the shed had been blown away by the winds once the roof caved in, making it only small enough for one person to exit at a time. Recalling the amok would have simply left the timbers to fall down onto the two teens. Placing her back into a bridal hold, the blond gripped the designer’s body tightly to make sure he would not drop her as he pieced his way through the debris. Looking around, he saw residents beginning to emerge from their homes and digging through wreckage for lost items or people. The sky was ridiculously clear – if it were not for the large pools of flood water and blown down branches, not a single cloud in the sky belied the storm that had just raged.

He looked over at Duusu, “Do you have enough power for one more transformation? I want to get her to the hospital as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Master! I can probably hold it for at least five minutes,” she chirped.

“Perfect. Duusu, spread my feathers!” The purple light washed over him once again, leaving Argos holding an unconscious Marinette. Immediately his miraculous beeped its initial warning and he turned to Tikki. “Hide in my hood for now, we’ll get you both into the satchel when we arrive.” The ladybug kwami hurried to hide and nuzzled herself into the crook of his neck, the warm pressure seemed to lessen the exhaustion he was feeling. Magenta eyes turned steely with resolve; he launched himself onto the nearest roof, glancing about for landmarks made him realize how far off course the two had been blown. Another beep, three minutes.

Argos made quick work of locating a still operational hospital and his transformation made travel quick, the peacock holder just hoped that he was not jarring the bluenette with each leap. Even with his flashy outfit, not many people were looking upwards and, for those that had, they would only see a brief blur as he sprinted past. His miraculous beeped again, two minutes. He stopped on the edge of a rooftop of an apartment building and looked into the neighboring alleyway: it was clear of debris, water, and people. Perfect. He hopped down and whispered his detransformation phrase, seeing a weary peacock kwami settle on the ground from the corner of his eye, her energy spent. Immediately he felt each small bruise and wound on his skin, but Marinette’s weight in his arms refocused his thoughts upon the task at hand. “Tikki, help Duusu into the satchel. Stay quiet. I’ll try to get you both a snack once we’ve gotten checked in.”

The moment Felix was sure the two were settled, he briskly walked out of the alley and down a couple storefronts to the emergency entrance. It was packed with people, but a triage nurse spied the head wound of his ward and flagged him over to one of only a few open stretchers. He assisted the nurse in cleaning and holding Marinette’s head so they could wrap the wound. However, when he tried to settle her into a lying position, he felt a tug that prevented him from standing straight. The blond glanced down to find a pale hand gripping one edge of his vest; the unconscious girl’s face pinched in pain. Unable to dislodge or remove those fingers, Felix sighed before guiding his body onto the hard bed and around her. The nurse came back by with an emergency blanket, only raising a brow at the two cuddling teens before rushing off again. He could hear the two kwami giggling at his predicament but, seeing the lines on her forehead smooth and body relax with his proximity, he suddenly couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“Don’t complain when I’m not the blond you were expecting, Dotty,” he whispered in her ear while pulling her close under the blanket.

It had taken a good twenty-four hours before Marinette awoke and she was far too weak to try to move. Once they had cleared the air over her other identity – the subsequent panic attack was heavily muted by her concussion, preventing her from a full doom spiral – he had worked tirelessly to get in touch with her family. Her phone was trashed and waterlogged, her mind a jumble of pain, so he called Adrien. The model had helped contact their parents and insisted on flying Marinette back on Gabriel’s private jet. By the time the plane was ready, and Adrien had convinced his bodyguard to visit, the two had finally been cleared for release.

Unfortunately, Felix also got to meet Lila Rossi. The snake had wrapped herself around the model’s arm and insisted on visiting her ‘dear classmate.’ If his cousin had noticed how unusually protective the peacock holder was, always making sure to stand between Marinette and Rossi, never leaving them alone – though she certainly had tried – and refusing to leave the injured teen’s side…Adrien never mentioned it. After what the Fathom heir had learned from the bluenette and her kwami, he wasn’t willing to take any chances. Even without that information, he got a strange vibe from the Italian that told him she was definitely bad news. Felix had quickly decided to become the ladybug wielder’s permanent protector – even if that meant putting himself in the line of fire for his uncle’s attacks. He resolved to create a disguised sentimonster lapel pin for Marinette to wear so he could know of her current wellbeing without putting her directly in danger with Argos’ constant presence.

However, when they arrived back in France, the young designer’s concussion healed as expected and she was not the one whose behaviors were of concern. Adrien had begun acting strangely. He distanced himself from his friends, fencing teammates, and even his girlfriend; instead choosing to spend more time with Rossi. Felix could see the strain around the model’s eyes each time the liar wrapped herself around him possessively. He had approached the other blond privately, trying to figure out what was going on, but his cousin smiled sadly and simply said:

“…I’m doing what I have to, Fe.”

Meanwhile, Chat Noir started to appear less and less during fights. He could feel the strain on the bug heroine with each battle and started to assist from the shadows as much as he could while trying to keep his connection with the team under wraps. Argos couldn’t afford to accidentally lead Monarch to Ladybug. When the cat-themed hero did appear, the atmosphere was strained between the ying-yang miraculous holders. There was a massive imbalance in their dynamics! Chat tried to be chummy with Argos but, due to the nature of the secret alliance, it was difficult to form any sort of bond. Once they had recovered a few other Miraculi, Argos began strategizing with Ladybug over new allies.

“I trust you, Argos, to choose wise and strong holders.” The bug heroine’s words had left him being inordinately warm in a way that he had only felt with his mother before. Trusted, welcome, considered, camaraderie…now he felt ridiculous for how in denial he had been at the time.

You see, through the lapel pin and his own miraculous powers, the peacock holder could feel that the pain Marinette experienced was growing with each passing day. Deciding to be proactive against a possible akumatization, Argos took to secretly spending time with the young designer in hopes of alleviating some of those pent-up negative emotions. It started only on days when her feelings were at their highest, then a scheduled couple of days a week, and finally almost every evening was spent either in her room or on her small balcony. He would detransform and they would discuss her latest designs or book he was reading, sometimes opening up about themselves. The taciturn blond began to look forward to their time together, even the companionable silences where only the whirring of her sewing machine and the crinkle of pages filled the air. Over time, Felix realized he was developing a crush on Marinette but kept it to himself, unwilling to be the homewrecker in his cousin’s relationship. Their friendship was more important.

Then the night he feared most came to pass. There was such emotional upheaval in all of Paris, Felix was sure there would have been another Scarlett Moth incident had it not been for Uncle Gabriel’s fashion show related absence. As he struggled to process the tidal wave of emotional input crashing into him, the chain on his neck turned ice cold and began to aggressively vibrate against his chest. Something was horribly wrong with Marinette! His transformation words were out of his mouth as he leaped from his window, furiously pushing himself to be faster and not caring if anyone saw him as Argos soared over rooftops. Any images of him from that night only show a purple blur as he had rushed to her in a panic.

‘I’m coming, Dotty! Please wait for me!’

He could see her precariously leaning back against her railing and, for a moment, he was afraid she was going to fall. Then her phone slipped from her grasp, knees trembling as tears rolled down her extremely pale face, and his senses went haywire as she went into a full-blown meltdown. Then he feared it would be more of a jump than an accident. Argos landed just in time to catch her as Marinette’s knees collapsed, pressing her face into his chest to quiet the ear-piercing, heart-rendering, screeching sobs that wracked her small frame. Just the noise alone felt like a hundred daggers impaling his heart. He wrapped his whole body around her, trying to make her feel safe and protected. Argos scanned the rooftop for anything that might have caused her distress, his eyes landing on the dim phone screen displaying an image that made his blood boil…

There was Adrien, clinging to some unknown redhead in a revealing dress and shoving his tongue down her throat on a secluded hotel balcony. The headline read:

EXCLUSIVE: ADRIEN AGRESTE OFF THE MARKET?

ROMANTIC DATE BECOMES HEATED NIGHTTIME TRYST!

He stared at the phone in anger until the screen went black. ‘I can’t do anything about that now…’ He dropped his gaze to the bluenette in his arms, hearing her painful sobs slowly turning to hoarse whispers. ‘She’s my priority.’ Tikki appeared from the attic room below, worried eyes flicked from her holder to the hatch before the little red goddess returned from whence she came. Argos was always amazed at the immense connection that Marinette had with every kwami, especially her own, as they seemed to feel the most intense affection for the young Guardian. Even Duusu seemed to favor the blue-eyed girl over Felix; although he suspected that was more for the berry tartlets the bakers’ daughter fed her than anything else. And now that same ladybug kwami – that had looked at him so defiantly in that shed all those months ago – trusted him with the safety of her most precious Chosen. To be trusted by the Goddess of Creation was a high honor for a betrayer, such as he, to earn. Looking back down to the tear-stained teen in his arms, he wondered if that meant he had finally earned the bluenette’s trust as well…

Argos waited until Marinette’s sobs died out and became soft snores, having worn herself out from crying, before carefully picking her up bridal style and taking her back to her room. The chain around his neck remained cold but was no longer buzzing, hopefully the worst was now over. He tucked her under her covers, brushing hair away from her eyes, as the two rescued kwami snuggled into the crook of the Guardian’s neck to comfort her. Tikki floated beside him, sorrowful eyes affixed upon her holder. Unable to help himself, Argos leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her brow. ‘Rest well, my sweet Dotty.’

“I assume an akuma did not appear because Monarch is not in the vicinity, correct?”

Argos glanced at the tiny goddess before returning his gaze to the slumbering girl, “You know I cannot answer that without ensuring my demise.”

“We need to know his identity to end this war, to allow all Parisians to feel emotions as raw as what she went through tonight without the fear of being possessed!” Tikki’s frustration was palpable from the venom in her voice. “She could have been akumatized!”

“I made a deal with him, one that I cannot break—”

The goddess cut him off with a swift and commanding “No!” that seemed to resonate in his very bones. How could he forget that Creation was just as terrifying as its counterpart? Argos trembled looking into her big doe eyes, now filled with rage and a touch of deviousness. “Argos and Felix cannot break the deal…”

Magenta eyes widened with realization, “…but a different hero can!” He quickly detransformed and motioned Duusu and Tikki toward the pink chaise where he settled, that night the three plotted quietly.

With a touch of acting during the next akuma fight and some help from Tikki, the new hero Phénix was born! In one fell swoop, Felix was freed from suspicion – due to Guardian-induced amnesia – and Argos was no more. Marinette reintroduced herself to Felix several weeks later, a new student that struggled with gaps in his memory and whose forgotten previous actions made him an instant outcast with his new peers. Their friendship was instantaneous and stronger than steel. He provided the young designer with solid alibis for her absences – since Ladybug was always with Phénix in battle – and shielded her against any bullying attempts. It also helped that the looks of jealousy and pain his cousin shot the amnesiac blond from the front row fueled his internalized malicious glee. Marinette’s mental health and emotional state slowly improved, Felix’s soul surged with happiness as he watched her heart heal. When the time was right, Phénix was the one to reveal Monarch’s identity.

Having seen the way Ladybug’s bluebell eyes burned with vengeful rage – a sight that made his heart race at her Valkyric beauty – the peacock holder was suddenly very glad he had done so during a moment of relative safety: just after defeating Monsieur Pigeon for the hundredth time. At least Monarch would not be able to akumatize the heroine until he could recharge. Not that the resulting akuma would actually do the villain’s bidding…but Phénix did not know how he would ever get such a glorious, wrathful goddess back under control.

Oh, he had heard of Chat Blanc’s rampage after Hawkmoth was Cataclysmed in another timeline. It was during one of their post-patrol, heart-to-heart chats after her heartbreak. He recalled the painful conversation with absolute clarity…

“Maybe I’m not supposed to find love until after Monarch is defeated,” Ladybug sighed into the Parisian air from atop the Montparnasse Tower late one night.

He refused to acknowledge his aching heart dropping in his chest, “Why do you say that, LB?”

Phénix felt the terrifying fear rolling off her in waves, her stare unfocused upon the stars as if waiting for something. When nothing came, her shoulders relaxed incrementally and her voice came out in a soft whisper, “There’s a future hero named Bunnyx, her power is over Time. In the past, I’ve been called upon to undo the mistakes of future Ladybugs that caused worldwide destruction, erasing the entire timeline, and leaving only the two of us with the memories. The first time it happened…”

As the words tumbled out of her, so too came tears over the absolute horrors she had witnessed. Suddenly he understood the weight that hung over her, that leeched into her troubled civilian life, and saw the shattered young woman in totality. Guilt for his part in that weighed heavily on his heart. Holding her close that night on the tower, the peacock hero swore he would end her suffering – this Miraculous War – once and for all. When the inevitable butterfly appeared floating towards them on the horizon, attracted by her negative emotions, Phénix deftly wielded the yo-yo to capture it while Ladybug was in no state to. The instinct was inherent but the stars of adoration in her eyes when he returned to her side made it all worth it.

The final battle was planned over many weeks, meticulous in detail and cautious in scope, and new allies trained in the Miraculous. One a weather-obsessed akuma victim from their school who was passionate for revenge and the other a stoic boy he had previously observed as Argos helping injured citizens to shelters in the battle zones. After hearing about Blanc and the black cat’s increasing absence, Felix argued to bench Chat Noir in the final fight. Marinette refused to be cowed, “We started this fight together, we will end it together. End of discussion!”

The fight itself was long and arduous, requiring a power-up to elongate their transformation times. The team was sporting a multitude of injuries by the time most of the Miraculous were stripped from Monarch’s hands. Chat had surprised them both by fighting with a vicious seriousness they had never seen before. In the end, Phénix stripped the last brooch from the fallen villain and stood over an unconscious Gabriel Agreste. Ladybug cast the cure to heal their wounds, some would have been life-threatening if left untreated for much longer. Their relief and joy erupted in cheers from their newest members, Kobra and Huntress. Even Phénix, his Miraculous beeping a two minute warning as he recalled his amok, shared a warm smile of victory with the bug heroine a couple meters away as she held out a fist for their final celebratory fist-bump. Emotions were high and the peacock hero was exhausted enough that the sensory input felt like static to his fried senses. The other three holders pulled themselves up and began to make their way across the room…

That’s when disaster struck. It all happened so fast. A furious Gabriel, inadvertently healed by the Cure, pulled a sword from his cane and sliced the back of Phénix’s leg as he rose to his feet. The wounded peacock cried out and fell to the floor, barely hearing the frantic call of 'Phénix!', clutching at his bloodied limb in an attempt to staunch the flow. With a blood thirsty scream, the villain then charged at the heroine, aiming to skewer her through the heart. The spotted girl had turned towards the sound but didn’t have time to dodge, Phénix’s eyes widened as he reached out a hand as if to grab her away from his spot on the floor. Kobra and Huntress were frozen in shock, nowhere close enough to respond in time. A blur of black shot forward and pushed Ladybug out of the way with a bruising shoulder check…only to reveal an impaled Chat Noir, sword through his chest, glaring down Gabriel’s self-perceived triumph.

Blood bubbled up from his throat and dribbled down his chin as he spitefully called one word, “Cataclysm.” Within seconds, the disgraced designer turned to dust before their very eyes. Then the cat hero dropped to his knees, hands shakily cupping the sword in his chest as he struggled to breathe.

Ladybug screamed and rushed to his side, carefully angling her partner into her lap as tears rolled down her face. “No! Chat…the Cure…I can’t…Why did you…” Phénix dragged himself closer, desperate to comfort her as the jagged edges of her emotions ripped across his mind like shrapnel.

The hero smiled painfully and grabbed one of her hands, words coming out between wet coughs, “I couldn’t let him hurt you, Milady. I’m sorry I was gone so much. I had to keep my father from figuring out the Black Cat was beneath his roof…”

Ladybug gasped as the information filtered through her consciousness, Phénix choked on a cry. Adrien was Chat Noir! He must have figured out who Monarch was and had been dancing to Gabriel’s fiddle to keep him from discovering his secret identity, from gaining another advantage over the team. No wonder Chat had tried to be so friendly! Then Phénix recalled the sorrowful smile his cousin had given him months earlier as tears slid down the peacock’s cheeks, “You idiot. Why didn’t you tell me?” Chat’s pain filled eyes turned towards him just as the brooch’s transformation gave out, revealing a bloody and grief-stricken Felix.

“Fe…?” The cat hero’s smile rivaled the sun even as his other hand trembled while reaching out. Felix grabbed it, their blood mingling between his bare palm and Chat’s hex leather. “Of course, it was you all along…” The coughs were getting wetter and his green irises began to dull. “Keep…my girls…s-safe. Tell M-Mari…I’m s-sorry…”

Ladybug’s sobs echoed in the chamber as Chat turned to look up at her one last time. His voice was fading slowly now, barely a murmur but the smile stayed on his face regardless. “Don’t…be s-sad, this c-cat had a great ni-nine lives. I’ll…always b-be wi-with…you…”

With his last breath, his transformation fell away to reveal a dead Adrien Agreste and a passed out black cat kwami. That night they had also found the remains of Emilie Agreste, making the final battle even more tragic as the entire Agreste family was wiped out almost overnight. With the help of Guardian Su-Han, they found a way to revert the miraculous to their former glory and returned them to the Miracle Box…but they could not celebrate. The cost was so high… It was a bittersweet, pyrrhic victory.

~~~ Present Day ~~~

Tikki cleared her throat, jostling him from his thoughts. Tracing the headstone lettering with his eyes as he wiped away a few rogue tears.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

ADRIEN ÉMILE GABRIEL DONATIEN ATHANASE AGRESTE

CUT DOWN TOO SOON

BELOVED SON, COUSIN, NEPHEW, AND FRIEND

YOU’LL ALWAYS BE OUR HERO

SEP 12, 20XX – JUN 27, 20XX

“I’m sorry I didn’t visit the last few years; a lot has happened. There was an investigation by the Justice League into the heroes of Paris, not that any remain active. Batman tried to convince the new mayor to set up some sort of spotlight that would have a ladybug on it? Bizarre, to be sure. Rossi was arrested after trying to break into the mansion for something…we think she was after the Grimore, perhaps hoping we left a Miraculous behind.” Felix pressed his lips together in a grim line at the thought.

“Plagg did curse her with bad luck, though!” The little red goddess giggled.

He was all too glad when the little cheese gremlin recovered from the loss of his holder but how Adrien had ever put up with his constant hunger complaints was beyond Felix. The blond chuckled, “It did make all the good luck we had to spread after that worth it when she tripped while walking up the courthouse steps! I thought only Mari could be that clumsy!” He smiled softly towards the grave once again, “There’s also a few more members of the family you should meet—"

A small happy cry of “Daddy!” interrupted his words, he turned just in time to catch a three-year-old blond girl and hoist her into his lap for some tickles. Felix smiled lovingly down into her pale green eyes that reminded them so much of her namesake, letting her hands tug at his tie as she giggled uncontrollably. “Andrea Athena Amelie Fathom, where is your mother?”

“Daddy! Sh-shtop! Sh-she’s…with B-Bennie!” Andrea managed to stutter out between laughs.

“Felix! Are you torturing your little golden chick again?” A playful singsong voice called from the path meandering up the embankment, bringing his tickle attack to a standstill as his beloved wife joined him at his side.

“Now, my dearest Dotty, what makes you think I would torture our precious princess?” He arched up slightly to retrieve a kiss before sitting back on the bench.

Marinette had grown a bit after high school, doffing the pigtails for a braided bun now that her hair had grown past her shoulders. Her eyes remained that alluring color of bluebells that sparkled whenever she laughed. However, gone was the gangly teen, replaced by a refined beauty with hourglass curves any woman would die for. He had spent so many years scaring off riffraff attempting to flirt with her while she was grieving her fallen partner. He was over the moon when the gorgeous woman he had called his friend had asked him on a date in university!

Their subsequent engagement came fairly quickly after that, Felix having known she was the only one for him since that fateful trip to China. However, Plagg was apparently very protective of every one of his Kittens, no matter how brief their stint with his ring. The tiny God of Destruction had given him quite the shovel talk, but it was Sass’s quiet ‘what he sssaid, but timesss a thousssand’ comment that had been nightmare inducing. Gazing into the smiling eyes of his wife now, all he could think was: ‘Worth it.’

“Mm hmm, like I believe that, Feathers…” Marinette grinned down at her husband, both hands full – one with a baby and the other juggling a bag and a bouquet of flowers.

“Andrea, why don’t you go help Mummy with those heavy flowers, hmm?” The little blond nodded eagerly and hopped off his lap to assist, he outstretched his hands towards his wife with a little ‘gimme’ motion. “Let me take Bennie, my dear. I know you want to clean the grave and that will be hard with our wiggling little beastie in your arms. Looks like he’s ready for his nap.”

His wife acquiesced with a smile, handing over their youngest before settling down on her knees to brush the dirty and dead grass blades away from the grave marker.  Benedict ‘Bennie’ Manton Sabin Fathom was a one-year-old with the personality of a cat – affectionate wiggle butt one minute, stoic grub the next. His dark hair and blue eyes came straight from his mother, but the attitude was all Felix, at least according to Grandma Amelie. Andrea was planned, her name a fitting memorial for their fallen Chat. Bennie was a surprise from a second honeymoon that they had taken for their vow renewal. Felix adored both of his children, finding any excuse to hold or play with them and never let his cane get in the way. He knew his wife was open to the possibility of more little scamps in the future, should her fashion career permit it. Felix was perfectly fine being a stay-at-home trophy husband.

“Mummy, what are you doing?” Andrea questioned innocently; her face mostly obscured by the large bouquet held in both arms.

“I’m cleaning Uncle Adrien’s grave, Love. He was Daddy’s cousin and Mummy’s very best friend growing up.”

“But why?” The tiny blond’s words sounded a little whiny as well as curious, the older blond noted it might be time for her naptime as well.

Settling a sleepy Bennie into the crook of his neck, Felix watched two of his favorite ladies trim the weeds away, wiping down the stone with a rag and water bottle, and exchanging the flowers in the memorial vase for the bouquet. “Because it’s important to Mummy and Daddy. We want Uncle Adrien to know we remember him.” Taking a stone bowl from her shoulder bag, his wife set it before the grave and placed a few small paper objects inside before using a match to light them on fire. As the contents burned to ash, Marinette proceeded to light a couple sticks of incense and place them in a small groove in the tombstone base specifically designed just for such a thing while saying a short prayer.

Andrea watched with interest, absorbing the actions like a sponge. “Mummy…do you think Uncle would want some company?”

The older bluenette smiled, “Awful lonely way up here. I bet he would, why?”

Hesitantly, the little girl pulled out a small black cat plush keychain she always kept in her pocket and held it up, “…Would he like Mr. Whiskers?”

“Are you sure, Sweetie?” Felix and his wife exchanged a concerned look, their daughter never parted with the cat. However, Andrea just nodded and hummed an affirmative.

Tikki floated down to rest on the blond child’s head, nuzzling into the waves with a smile, “I think that’s a delightful idea, Little Bug! I’m sure Plagg would be happy to cuddle with you if you ever miss Mr. Whiskers!” Taking a cue from her mother, Andrea placed the little cat against the upright stone and tightly pressed her hands together to give a little prayer.

“That was very kind of you, Andrea. We’re very proud of you.” Marinette gently pet their daughter’s hair, “How about we go get a bit of ice cream on the way home? Uncle Adrien loved ice cream.”

Those must have been the magic words as she perked up with an ecstatic ‘OKAY!’ as the little girl followed a floating Tikki back to the car. His wife rose to her feet and dusted off her knees before gathering her things. “We wish you were here, Kitty. I know you would love the kids and being an uncle. We’ll be back around your birthday with Plagg next time. I know he misses you.” Pressing a kiss to her fingers, she then let them linger on the top of the tombstone with a sad smile.

“You know, he’s probably haunting us right now…” Felix joked softly so as not to wake the baby.

“Oh stop!” Marinette quietly chastised her husband, shaking her head at his antics. “What possible unfinished business could he have to be a ghost?”

“Well, we both know he would have liked to have made far more cat puns than he had the chance to,” his words made her scoff, but her eyes were laughing.

“Come on, give me Bennie so I can take him back to the car. Say your goodbyes, my love.” Carefully transferring the slumbering boy, she gave Felix a quick kiss before heading back down the hill. He watched her go with a soft smile.

“I’ve been taking care of our girl, just like you told me to, Adrien. She’s…they’re my whole world.” The blond pulled himself back onto his feet, balancing his weight with his cane as he rested a hand on top of the marker. “I hope I’ve done you proud. Give my regards to Aunt Emilie.”

As Felix slowly limped back to the car, he paused halfway to glance back up to that lonely grave on the hilltop. Only one plot was taken, but there was room for two more when the time came. Knowing a bit about the blessings of the Miracle Box upon his wife and their family, he knew that day would not be any time soon. “Cat-tch you later, cousin, and…thank you.”

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

Words from broken sentences filtered through the darkness, a familiar voice increasingly tinged with desperation and pain.

“You’re cold to the touch…”

“Could be mild hypothermia from the rain…going to wrap you in my shirt.”

“Don’t be surprised if you find me in a state of undress.”

“Your bleeding has stopped, that’s a good sign.”

“Marinette, I’m going to use my pant leg to bind your head injury…..this may hurt.”

“It’s probably strange to hear… I’ve always looked forward to our spats...”

“…Life would be empty without you in it.”

“Don’t you dare die on me.”

“…your Miraculous cure would be helpful now…”

“God, you shouldn’t have been the one to get hurt!”

“It’s all my fault…”

“…Adrien is going to kill me…”

“I swear on all the Miraculous that Lila will fucking pay!”

“Just keep breathing.”

“…I was such an ass…”

“I’ll keep you safe, Marinette.”

“When this storm passes, we’ll head straight to the hospital and... You’re going to be fine.”

“I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry… for everything…”

“…we’ll defeat Monarch together…”

“Please…please don’t die.”

“…I don’t know if I’ll ever get to say it but I…greatly admire you…I think I might love you…”

“Please stay with me.”

“Please…open your eyes…Please…”

Marinette tried to push through the haze in her mind, feeling like she was fighting to surface from deep under water. She felt drops of moisture on her face, dully wondering if they were still stuck in the rain. Her eyelids fluttered open, taking in the sight of the blond boy cradling her against his warm bare chest that trembled with each breath he took. Though his eyes were closed, she could tell they were red rimmed and observed the dampness of tear tracks down his cheeks.

‘Is Felix…crying?’ the drowsy girl thought as she mentally tried to move her body, her limbs feeling as if they were made of lead.

~~~

It had been a few hours and Marinette had yet to awaken, his fingers had grown too numb from the cold to check for her heartbeat. She was so still that Felix was sure she was at death’s door. He didn’t know what else he could do for her, so he held her cocooned to his chest in an effort to keep her warm with just his core temperature. “Please…open your eyes… Please…,” he begged, allowing a few new tears to fall. How he still had any left to shed, he did not know. It seemed the well of sadness within him was bottomless. He thanked his lucky stars that he was not anywhere near Gabriel to be akumatized…

Suddenly a small, cold hand brushed his cheek and his eyes flew open in shock where they met hazy, unfocused blue. Felix’s voice failed him as he stared at the girl in his arms. She was alive! – pale, injured, and concussed but alive. And she was awake! Thank heavens!

Her voice came out as a pained but concerned whisper, “Fe-lix…are – are you h-hurt?”

He couldn’t help himself, he started to laugh. Hours of holding her limp, cold body after she took a blow for him…and that was what she was worried about? “I’m perfectly fine, my dear. You’re the one that took a hit to the head. A hit meant for me.”

She winced, her eyelids closing slightly against the dim light of the room they were in. “Ah, I wondered why my head felt like it was split open… I’ve had worse—”

“Why did you do that?!” Felix cut her off, his eyes wild with a mix of fear and anger.

Marinette winced at his raised voice, feeling like she was just punched between the eyes. “It was going to fall on you, I couldn’t…”

His voice dropped to a whisper, his shaky hand cupping her face as if she was something precious, “I was so worried, Marinette. Please don’t ever do that to me again.” Unable to stop himself, he leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her bandaged brow, taking a shaky breath against her hair. “You need to stay awake, but you shouldn’t move around too much. The storm seems to be lightening up so we should be able to get you medical care soon.” He positioned her so that her forehead was against his neck, securely wrapping his arms around her once more.

She was only able to hum an affirmative in reply, feeling the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. Groggily she combed through the haze of her memories that seemed to be jumbled together. Her leg injury, the storm, the roof caving in, Lila…and Felix’s voice coming through the darkness. “…did…you mean it?”

She felt him chuckle silently before he answered, “Mean what, my dear?”

“…that you loved me.” The body beneath hers suddenly went rigid and his heartbeat raced where her nose rested against his pulse point. “…that you’d protect me…and you know my identity…”

Felix turned his head as much as he could to look down at her, knowing he could not see her eyes from this angle. “How…”

“I…I heard you…in the darkness…your voice…”

Tikki flew into Felix’s view, staring into his eyes as if daring him to lie; willing for him to tell the truth. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to reply when Marinette interrupted him again.

“…need to get you…new suit…now that you’re on the team, Argos…” His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest. However, any words he planned to say died in his throat as one slender finger wobbly rose into his field of view and weakly poked him on the nose. He blinked, aware of the hand falling limply against his bare chest but was stuck staring down the bridge of his now ‘booped’ appendage in bewilderment.

Duusu broke into a fit of giggles and a smug smile spread across Tikki’s face. What had he gotten himself into?

~~~ Ladybug POV: 6 Months Later ~~~

“Alright, boys, let’s see drill sixty-two today!” Ladybug called out as she settled onto the edge of a roof to watch her team train. With a carefree grin, the former antihero Argos – now known as the hero Phénix – traded playful blows with the new recruit he had suggested for the Snake, Kobra. Their suits taking on golden highlights as their movements caught the light. Felix had drastically changed over the last few months, no longer the troubled and lonely boy that had betrayed them a year before. His scowls had slowly become soft smiles and quiet chuckles around Marinette, still hesitant to fully express his emotions when out of suit or the privacy of her room. He blossomed under the sincere friendship only she could offer.

They had plotted Argos' retirement – with a little help from his unsuspecting and devoted mother – framing a rather destructive akuma for him being trapped in the rubble, Ladybug took the peacock brooch and cursed him to lose all memory of the Miraculous. Wayzz had confirmed that the old temple could do so but that the knowledge was lost with the Order. What mattered was that Monarch had no idea if the Guardians could do so or not. Tikki, for her part, provided a pretty light show from her hand as the 'curse' took effect. Ladybug looked determined while the de-transformed teen's eyes became blank and passed out. Marinette had watched the replay on the news and felt they were rather convincing. Amelia and Felix showed their superior acting skills in the weeks following as they convinced everyone around them to believe it.

This fabrication had to be done to protect him, the few recovered Miraculous in their possession, and their future plans. Chat had become withdrawn due to issues in his personal life and, although no one except Ladybug remembered it, had been akumatized again. Seeing Chat Blanc once more had brought back so much repressed trauma that Argos started spending nights in the shadows on her balcony, watching for akumas, and risking their connection being revealed. He didn't remember being turned to dust by Chat as he defended the shell-shocked heroine but had held her when she could no longer keep the words from spilling from her mouth. Marinette would never forget the grim look on his face paired with the empathetic glow of his eyes as he dried her tears.

An older Bunnyx, one with eyes that spoke of a haunted wisdom, appeared to them soon after the fight and had then cryptically explained that it was time for new holders and new identities... To play these close to their chests and to trust no one, not even the rest of the team, until Monarch could be defeated. Chat had been oddly sad over the loss of Argos, but the young Guardian knew he was still secretly among them. Her hero partner became even more distant, telling her that his home life had deteriorated further, and he struggled to escape to help out in the fight as he was under even more surveillance than before. When Chat did appear for patrol, he would try to bond with the new holders. However, it was still very much a work in progress – especially with the cat hero’s old grievances about his place in the team still dangling over his head like a hangman’s noose. That coupled with some sort of internalized hysteria expressed in sporadic aggressive behaviors that left her concerned he might be approaching some sort of breakdown – concern and a tingle of dread down her spine. Felix seemed angry for the hero, likening Chat's situation to his cousin's...which was understandable after the peacock holder finally confessed Monarch's identity to the shocked bluenette in the privacy of her room.

Marinette had sworn to Felix that they would get Adrien out of that house and from the clutches of his crazed, terrorizing father! Sure, the two of them had not worked out… Ladybug stared off and frowned as she recalled that disastrous period of her life.

~~ Flashback~~

Gabriel had disapproved of their relationship and tried to bribe her to leave. She had steadfastly refused; Marinette had faith that Adrien would stand up for her. However, the teen model, deciding it was more a matter of trust and perceived immaturity, had thrown himself into ‘proving’ to his father and gain his approval. She had watched as Adrien was bogged down with additional extracurriculars, photoshoots, and supplementary lessons. At first, they had still tried to meet up, but planned dates were inevitably canceled or put on hold indefinitely. Lila doubled her efforts in keeping them apart during the day and his bodyguard constantly hovered nearby to whisk him away. However, it wasn’t until she started wearing a feather-shaped sentimonster brooch Felix had insisted on making her for her safety – linked to a necklace he wore tucked into his shirt – that Adrien seemed to distance himself from her at school, followed by his texts slowly trailing off to nothing. The bluenette had explained to him why, the model had claimed to be relieved and understood, however his actions expressed resentment. Her faith in him had been shaken but her hope held on by a thread, excusing her feelings of abandonment and hurt as a mistake.

Marinette had finally gotten the message over a holiday break when a full-page photo spread of Adrien and some copper-haired heiress enjoying a romantic evening together in Italy was published online. Paparazzi had even caught them sharing a kiss on a starlit balcony at a ball. Her denial and that tenuous thread shattered along with her heart. She stumbled against and gripped her balcony railing as a sob ripped from her throat, her vision blurred with tears as she choked on her overwhelming emotions. Within moments a panicked Argos had landed heavily on her balcony, having sensed her heartbreak halfway across the city regardless of the furiously buzzing chain around his neck. He caught her in his arms before her legs gave out, muffling her agonized wails against his chest and whispering words of comfort into her hair until she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Tikki had dutifully recounted how the antihero had carried her slumbering form back to her bed and tucked her in.

‘I thought it was some kind of miracle I had not been akumatized,’ Ladybug thought amusedly, ‘now I know it was only because Monarch had left for Milan Fashion Week.’

Felix took it upon himself to confront Adrien upon his return to demand answers. He found out that his uncle had essentially been selling his own son off for monetary favors from investors and the model had gone along with it in some misguided scheme to continue dating Marinette. Ever her stalwart defender, the outraged peacock holder had spelt out just how monumental of an error his cousin had made before storming off to return to her side. The secret bug heroine had not had time to dwell on that information before she was summoned to defeat Chat Blanc, approached by Bunnyx, and began planning a new identity for her ally…

~~End Flashback~~

Ladybug shook herself free from those memories, refocusing her gaze upon the playful sparring match that had devolved into a game of rooftop tag. Phénix launched himself from one roof to another, his indigo-colored peacoat flaring out to reveal the shimmery peach and tan tones of the interior that, in the golden light cast by today's sunset, gave him the same fiery appearance as his namesake. Ladybug watched with a smile as he threw back his head and laughed; his white-striped, blue mohawk shifting in the breeze like a crest of feathers. Gone were the blue tinted skin and magenta-colored eyes, replaced by a half mask over naturally creamy skin. It resembled three peacock plumes whose quills started from the tip of his nose – forming a miniature faux beak – and flared out over his eyes and brow ridge. The ellipsoid pupil of each ‘eye’ feather substituted by his now blue and gold-ringed irises; a delicate t-feather shooting straight up the center to bridge the gap between the two peaks and covering part of his forehead. The edges of his mask seemed to crinkle like a real feather when he smiled or furrowed his brow – an optical illusion his kwami was quite proud of.

‘It’s good to see him smile and laugh so freely,’ Ladybug thought happily, proud of his metamorphosis.

Felix had saved her from the storm in China and nursed her injured form. While his confession had been a shock, he did not expect her to reciprocate and even fully supported her quasi-relationship with his cousin – simply stating that he was happy if she was. Their subsequent friendship felt natural and easy. Argos became a trusted confidant and protector to Marinette, a huge support for Ladybug and Chat Noir in their fight against Monarch, and then became an integral part of the team as Phénix. He had even begun assisting her with the Grimore and her Guardian duties! However, the two teens had grown even closer over the weeks since her heartbreak. Spending almost every evening on her balcony or in her room whispering secrets and pouring out emotions that they had kept bottled up. Comforting, supporting, and commiserating with each other. They had become each other’s ‘safe haven’ where no word, thought, action, or feeling were forbidden nor degraded. They could be who they truly were without judgement, it was freeing! It was in that air of safety that she had watched him blossom into the cordial man before her now. At this point, on the cusp of the final battle against Monarch, she could readily admit that she trusted Felix with her innermost thoughts, her welfare, even her Miraculous…

Thinking back to that horrible day in the rain and his desperate, whispered words, Ladybug’s expression turned contemplative. He had seen her at her best and worst, had saved her countless times – emotionally and physically, and remained diligently at her side as a pillar of unwavering support. Whose gentle encouragement had slowly helped mend and reform her torn emotional landscape.

‘I trust him with my life,’ the spotted heroine eyes met Phénix’s warm gaze for an instant before her lips curved into a small smile. As if sensing her thoughts as well as her emotions, the pale blond returned her smile.

‘Perhaps it’s time to trust him with my heart as well…’

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

When the storm finally cleared, Felix left his amok-made shelter behind and carried the weakened, unconscious girl in his arms to safety. Through thigh deep flood waters and around piles of debris. Past knocked over cars, damaged storefronts, and other stupefied survivors. It took almost an hour but, at last, he found a hospital that had most of their operations in functioning order. While doctors and nurses attended to Marinette, he never let her out of his sight and remained steadfast at her side – her dedicated protector. He had managed to contact Adrien – who had already been evacuated by Gabriel against the model’s wishes – Felix was sending periodic updates to his cousin when service was available. The storm had taken out many of the towers nearby and the remaining network was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of users attempting to check in on those in the affected area. The medical staff assured him that the young designer was simply concussed, chilled, and lightly injured but, thanks to his quick actions, would make a full recovery. After being treated for his own minor injuries, Felix breathed a shaky sigh of relief once they were alone. Taking a seat at her bedside and delicately holding her smaller hand in his, the blond gazed into her pale face. She was still unconscious, but a kindly nurse had suggested he talk to her so that she would know he was there. "You scared me back there... I thought we lost you," he could feel two sets of paws tap comfortingly against his leg from within her discarded satchel he had dutifully carried for her. In the hours since her reveal, Felix had built somewhat of a rapport with Tikki. Her bright blue eyes spoke of a wisdom developed over many millennia, yet she still retained the hopeful exuberance of a child. He was no longer surprised that she had caused the storm to develop into, what meteorologists were calling, a ‘frakenstorm’ that behaved more like a hurricane without a discernable eye. Experts could never know it was caused by a tiny pocket goddess that simply wanted to protect her holder. It certainly gave Felix a newfound respect for the power of Creation! Through their interactions, he had come to realize that Ladybug's kwami was as kind and caring as the bluenette laying before him. Now that he knew the girl behind the mask, he could not imagine a more fitting candidate to fill her spotted shoes. Felix had known Marinette was a bastion of light in this dark world but, now knowing her identity, he finally realized just how bright her very existence was... How cleansing and purifying, that even the shadows deep in his heart seemed to have fled in her presence. While Argos had protected her part-time and had distanced himself from her out of respect for his cousin, he found that just a scant few – if apprehensive – hours in her presence had changed so much. The bluenette inspired people around her to be better versions of themselves and damn if he wasn't now among them! He squeezed her hand gently as he murmured, "I know your enemy's identity, but you'd never believe me. You don't trust me – not that I blame you with how atrocious I've acted." Felix chuckled and brushed a piece of hair from her brow with his free hand, reflecting on each of their interactions with a new perspective. "I will find a way to build that trust with you and then we'll take him down together. I swear it."

He silently hoped that he could earn her forgiveness as well. ~~~ Chat Noir’s POV: Four Months Later ~~~ Chat Noir reflected on the past few months of his life while Ladybug and Argos playfully sparred on the dark Parisian rooftop. In the time following the disastrous trip to China, the peacock holder was seen joining the fight against Monarch in Paris. Ladybug and Chat were wary at first but, as battles became harder and more complicated, Argos remained a constant companion to the two heroes. Two months on, Chat's doubts were dispelled after witnessing Argos sacrifice himself during a particularly hard battle, taking a fatal blow for LB. The cure had brought him back and healed his wounds, but the black-clad hero could still vividly recall the pool of blood and feathers in the street... So much blood. After watching his cousin die such a gruesome death, the cat boy now understood firsthand how LB had felt whenever he had lost his life to an akuma. Both he and his lady had had tears in their eyes after that fight. Chat recalled the spotted heroine had swung down to Argos' recovered form in a fury while her earrings' timer blared. She had screamed at him and jabbed a pointed finger into his chest with each word of the lecture, before pulling him into a tight yet desperate hug. The peacock user had looked shocked and contrite as he hesitantly returned the embrace; supporting her as she shook from silent sobs. That wasn't the only time he sacrificed himself either, just the most jarring. To the consternation of both heroes, the purple-suited teen seemed to have become even more of a shield than Chat had been! A slowly building camaraderie had formed between the three as he also began to join them on patrols. He had proven himself to be smart, reliable, respectful, and strong. A true holder of the Peacock. 'Felix seems to be truly becoming a good person,' Chat thought to himself. Adrien had been disappointed to discover that his cousin would remain in hiding in his civilian form, wishing to get closer to Fe without the mask as well. He understood though: Argos' identity was essentially public knowledge at this point. Monarch could attack him or Amelie or even put Adrien in danger if they were seen together. At least Chat could be closer to the taciturn blond. Adrien had caught Felix watching over Marinette in his Miraculous form as well, camouflaging himself in the shadows on rooftops or sending a small sentimonster spy so as not to call attention to himself. Adrien had asked Felix to help protect her from danger months before and, while Argos had done so occasionally, his efforts had redoubled since their aborted senior class trip. It was suspicious and odd for him to take such an interest in someone… But then the model had seen Argos slipping the injured bluenette away to safety at the beginning of an akuma attack only a couple weeks after their return from China. He had given chase as Chat, hissing and ready to protect his princess, but instead found out his cousin was just looking out for her. Marinette, now nervously sporting a small feather-shaped pin on her jacket lapel, quietly confirmed to Adrien later that day that Argos had decided to become her version of Le Gorilla since Felix saved her from that horrible storm.

Oh, how he hated that pin. It was as if Argos had marked her as his hen, she willingly wore another man’s symbol! Not that he could tell her that her beloved model boyfriend was also a superhero… Still, Adrien could not stand that pin! He wanted to rip it right off her lapel and throw it into the Siene. Marinette was his, not Felix’s! Worse, Chat had even caught the two of them on her balcony several times… That was his spot! He growled in anger, his eyes glowing a toxic green as the young designer laughed at some joke Argos had made while they leisurely sat on the deck chairs under the stars. Quite a few rooftops sported deep claw marks by daybreak and Plagg had started giving him concerning stares... The model was seething possessive livid not entirely thrilled with the idea but was grateful that his girlfriend – the best girlfriend a boy could ask for – would at least be safe while he was distracted being Chat Noir. He hadn't even had the chance to spend much time with her... He wasn’t even allowed to see her while she was in the hospital! His father seemed not to approve of their relationship. She was beneath them, a simpleton, a passing interest that would fade. She was too clumsy and would be an embarrassment to the brand. Agreste Sr. wanted someone perfect, wealthy, well-behaved, easily controlled. Instead of flat-out forbidding Adrien from seeing her, Gabriel simply made his schedule impossible to get away. Months of cancelled dates, interrupted phone calls, and missed anniversaries...they hadn’t even had their first kiss yet! At least he could see Mari at school...even if Lila seemed to constantly get in their way now, separating them every chance he got near the young designer. The model ignored the way her eyes dimmed as he was pulled away or made yet another excuse.

'Thank goodness Felix was there for her in my stead and quietly supported her through her recovery,' the boy thought blithely. Although his cousin was being too friendly…

Adrien would make it up to her eventually!

Sure, Gabriel kept setting him up on those dates with debutantes of respectful families. Floosies he was forced to ‘wine and dine’, pose for photographs, give them special treatment and gifts… Adrien was just doing it to appease his father. Marinette definitely understood! So what if he hadn’t been able to see or text her much in the last few months? When was the last time he had texted her anyway? Last month? She understood why he couldn’t be there to help her with her recovery; of course, she would understand he was doing all this for them.

He just needed to work even harder to convince his father to accept them, to see how great Mari was!

Yeah, it was just a matter of time! What’s a few months apart when they have a lifetime ahead? And once he became a legal adult, they could finally move to that island he always dreamed about… The cat hero was drawn from his increasingly discordant thoughts by the sound of Argos and Ladybug sharing a laugh after their match, trading lighthearted quips. Chat smiled as the two exchanged a warm look that he understood all too well. 'I'm glad they've gotten close. It's good that she's found someone. She deserves to be happy.'

And maybe this means Felix will leave her alone now…

With a soft lovesick sigh, he turned his toxic green eyes towards the darkened T&S bakery in the distance. 'My lady will always hold a special place in my heart, but I have Marinette now...'

‘She’s MINE, no one else’s.’

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~

By the time the storm cleared, Marinette’s heartbeat had gone silent beneath his chilled fingers. He drew in a shaky breath and looked at the two gods curled on her chest for confirmation of his greatest fear. The kwami shared a solemn look before silently retreating into his pant pocket. He stifled a sob in his throat. Now was not the time. Felix carried her limp body, still cradled against his chest like a precious treasure, to the nearest hospital but there was nothing to be done. The sweet bluenette whom he had wanted to protect, whom he had grown to admire, was gone.

He felt numb as he meticulously cleaned the blood that marred her angelic face, not wanting Adrien to see her in such a state. When his cousin did arrive, harried and in a panic, Felix finally broke down in fresh tears from a well he thought had long run dry. He confessed that he had seen her injured and left out in the storm. How he carried her to shelter. How she saved him. How it should be him lying in that bed! Adrien enfolded him into an embrace as they both sobbed over the loss of the purest person either boy had ever known. The world was a darker place without her. Felix kept her hero identity to himself – it was not his secret to tell – her blood-spattered earrings burning a hole in his pocket.

Time flew by as the two boys returned to Paris on Gabriel’s personal jet and attended Marinette’s funeral – Adrien stood sentry beside her casket, Felix from the cover of shadows.

~~~ Chat’s POV: Two Weeks Later ~~~

Chat Noir spent another night desperately searching for Ladybug to no avail. She was not answering calls nor appearing for akuma fights. It was taking a toll on the city, half of the buildings lying in ruins and streets torn from explosions. He landed high up on the Eiffel Tower and looked out over the city with desperation in his eyes. “Where are you, LB? I need you…Paris needs you…”

A noise to his left caught his attention and he turned, quickly dropping into a fighting stance in case of an akuma. From the shadows emerged Argos, his face cast in shadow. Chat Noir narrowed his gaze, even though he had forgiven and grown closer to his cousin in recent weeks while mourning, he could not know what to expect from the peacock user that considered his hero persona an enemy. “What are you doing here, Argos?”

With a swish of cloth, he dropped his hood back and revealed his face. Silently he lifted his hand and a solemn kwami floated from his sleeve. Tikki! But that would mean…

“What have you done, Argos?! Where is Ladybug?!” Chat growled loudly, his claws extended and ready to rip his throat.

He watched as the blue clad teen raised his fan with his other hand, pulling out and brandishing a pointed silver hatpin from between the feathers. Argos’ magenta eyes glowed as they looked at the sharp tip glinting in the moonlight. Something dark and sinister swirled in their depths, as if the peacock holder was fighting demons that lingered deep beneath the surface. Chat broke into a defensive stance – anticipating an attack – when the other boy did something unpredictable… He tilted the pin towards himself and plunged it down into his earlobe with nothing more than a soft grunt. Chat flinched back as he watched the peacock villain repeat the action in his other ear before dropping the bloodied pin onto the beam beneath his feet with a sharp clatter. Argos pulled something from his pocket and affixed it to his ear. As he moved his hand away, the moonlight briefly caught on the red spotted earring that dripped with blood.

“What have you done? Where is she?!” demanded the cat hero, advancing a step towards the other boy, a cold shiver of dread slid down his back.

Instead of answering, Argos quietly declared, “Duusu, Tikki, unify.”

Chat shielded his eyes from the flash of red that followed, finally looking up with dawning horror at the teen before him. Where once stood the purple and blue villain, now stood Argos in military regalia. On his legs rose black jackboots that flared at the knee and matching gauntlets stopped at his elbows. His jacket had morphed into a coat that would not be out of place on an English royal attending the Trooping of the Color ceremony, the peacock brooch glittering on his raised gold collar. Around his waist rested a new yo-yo, tipped with blades that glistened like stars in the sky, alongside a fan tucked into its string. Across his chest, from hip to golden shoulder epaulette, was a blue and purple sash, decorated in black spots rather than metals. His hair had changed to a side swept undercut, the left side appearing shaved. Gone were the green colored locks, replaced by highlighted tips – red to blue to blond, like the intensified flame of a butane torch. Upon his face was a half venetian mask, jet-black except for the three red tears that trailed down beneath his right eye like dripping blood.

Chat sucked in a breath as Argos opened his eyes – glowing purple met toxic green. “Argos…what…”

“I tried to save her,” the red clad boy began, looking down at his hands with despair. “I did everything I could to keep her alive but…” He clenched a fist as if attempting to grasp the wind slipping through his fingers, “…she died in my arms.”

Chat’s eyes widened with rising horror at his words, his delicate mental state beginning to unravel as he connected the pieces. His heart felt as if someone had ripped it in two. ‘No…Ladybug was…Marinette, she…’ Chat choked on air, drowning in a new wave of grief that crashed over him. He collapsed to his knees, tears filling his eyes for the girl he loved – inside and outside the mask – but he dared not look away from his cousin’s new form. The murmured words somehow cut through the roar of blood in Chat’s ears.

“…I promised her that I would finish what she started,” stated red Argos, his face set in a resolute expression while his eyes burned with the fire of vengeance. “Until Monarch has been defeated and all the Miraculous have been retrieved, I am no longer Argos nor Felix.”

The vengeful teen turned his intense gaze out towards Paris, his eyes narrowing upon a point in the distance as if glaring down Monarch himself.

“You may call me…The Red Baron.”

~~~~~~~

Wanna see some fanart? @jheqiawrites drew The Red Baron! 💙 If you also feel inspired, please feel free to tag me, I would love to see The Red Baron in his terrifying glory!

~~~~~~~

It was a fine June day in Hong Kong, where the Parisian akuma class had chosen to spend their end of the year trip. Marinette wandered along the store fronts, looking for the perfect souvenirs for her family while her classmates buzzed from one table to the next in the bazaar. They were just out of her reach, flitting about on the bluenette’s peripherals, barely acknowledging her existence within their group. Things had not really improved at school but at least the bullying had stopped after she had reported Kim for pushing her into a locker – which was caught on the newly installed security cameras! Ladybug’s public endorsement of the new camera system throughout Paris was very popular and had come in very handy for her civilian self. It did not stop the lies or isolating behavior, but at least things were tamer. Another change had been Adrien’s sudden interest in the young designer. Things were still new; they had not put any labels on their relationship…was it even a relationship? Whatever. They were focused on getting to know each other and spending time together. There had even been a few times in the last two months where she and the model had almost kissed! Perhaps she should finally ask him what they were…

While perusing some ceramic figurines, Marinette caught a flash of something purple from the corner of her eye and she turned her face toward the rooftops to seek it out. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted toward one particular shadowed overhang across the large square from where she was, sensing something that was not entirely visible to the naked eye but having no proof. Tikki’s pats against her leg from her satchel made her shake her head. Ladybug should not be seen in China so, unless it impacted herself directly, she was not going to panic about it. She smiled politely to the vendor and purchased the small porcelain bird, which would be a gift to her grandfather. He’d appreciate the classic lines and old-fashioned process of how it was made. Turning around, she looked around to find a classmate, only to find that she was left alone again. Marinette sighed and began walking down the direction she had last seen them, hoping to catch up with her group. She knew that this was the likely outcome when Bustier had split them into smaller groups but had hoped no one would leave her behind. Guess that was out the window!

As she walked, she had the feeling of eyes on her back. A quick glance around as she pretended to look for her friends gave her no evidence of whom might be watching. Hearing a soft chime, the bluenette pulled her phone from her jacket pocket to check her weather app. She had downloaded it specifically so she wouldn’t get caught in bad weather while overseas – unfortunately the app was in Mandarin and, although she thought it would be good practice, she was still struggling to remember all the Hanzi symbols. “Hmm, there’s a summer storm coming in. Is that the symbol for rain or wind? It has been rather breezy today…” Distracted by her phone, Marinette did not see the attack coming. One minute she was walking between buildings, the next she was being shoved roughly into an alleyway. The bluenette stumbled and slammed her side into a dumpster with a hiss as the wind was knocked out of her. She could hear her phone clatter across the pavement before making a sickening crunch. Pushing herself back onto her feet, she looked up to find Lila’s cruel smile as her foot stomped down one more time on her now shattered phone.

“What is it this time, Lila?” She asked lowly, cradling her bruised ribcage.

“I warned you, Marinette, to stay away from Adrien,” her eyes took on a wicked gleam.

“Adrien can talk to whomever he wants, he’s not someone you can control or a possession you can own!”

The Italian chuckled darkly, “That’s where you’re wrong. And I’m done giving you warnings.” That’s when Marinette realized Lila was holding a short piece of metal pipe, which she now brandished against her open palm as if testing the weight, her fingers carefully avoiding the slightly jagged end where it had been previously cut. “You know, it’s a real shame about the crime rate in other countries…” Marinette barely had time to duck under the first swing, covering her head with both arms as Lila swung the pipe against her jacket-covered ribs, followed by one to her shin that made a horrible snapping and tearing sound before it collapsed under her. Tears sprung to the bluenette’s eyes; she cried out as she curled into the side of the dumpster for protection. She felt Tikki buzzing angrily in her satchel along with a huge burst of creation magic…uh oh.

Just as Lila was about to swing again, a gust of wind strong enough to knock a person off their feet whipped through the alleyway and rain began to fall, growing steadily heavier as the sky darkened. Her attacker let off a shriek as she was drenched before running off to find cover, leaving the bluenette behind to whatever fate would befall her. Marinette sucked in a ragged breath, letting her tears wash away with the rain, as she looked down at her leg. There was a horrible gash just beyond the edge of her pink capris, but nothing appeared to be sticking out of it. Grabbing hold of the bricks in the wall, she dragged herself back onto her feet and attempted to put weight on it – causing her to muffle a whimper, something was definitely fractured but she could hobble at least. Balancing on her good foot, she fished her phone up from the ground and confirmed that the entire screen was shattered beyond use. Marinette opened her bag and met the eyes of a contrite looking kwami as she tucked her phone away.

“Was it you that made this storm kick up suddenly?”

“I’m so sorry, Marinette…I was so angry that she was hurting you and I couldn’t think of anything else to help…”

The girl smiled softly, her hair and clothes beginning to stick to her skin. “Thanks, Tikki. I think you might have overdone it though…” Marinette stumbled towards the mouth of the alley, using the wall to support herself as she moved. Once she was closer to the market square, she looked around to find the place deserted in a hurry, the winds beginning to tear up the fabric sided stalls as growing rivers of water took over the streets. “It looks like you made the summer storm into a full-on cyclone…” the secret heroine murmured in terrified amazement, shutting her satchel. How was she going to get back to the hotel? Could she even find higher ground on her own without a map? Bracing for the pain that she was likely to feel, she pushed off the wall and hobbled towards a street sign on the corner, gripping the pole tightly as she tried to get her bearings. If she could get across the street, there would be a direct route back to the thoroughfare that led to their hotel around the next corner…

‘How deep does flood water have to be to sweep a person off their feet again?’ the girl questioned, not remembering the exact number Aurore had mentioned on her weather podcast. She looked down into the rushing water in front of her, it looked to be about 10-12cm deep already – she could make that, couldn’t she? No real choice now… Biting her lip, Marinette summoned her strength and stepped down off the curb, attempting to hop with little assistance from her injured leg – she made it about halfway when her footing was knocked out from under her, the water cushioning her fall, and she was swept down the street with a scream. The young designer splashed about as she attempted to get into a rescue position, struggling to keep her head above the rushing water as she cried for help. Up ahead she could see the water pounding against the side of a white delivery van before it diverted down the street and her mind raced with panic, not knowing how she could brace to be slammed against that without losing consciousness or breaking more than one bone! Closing her eyes tight and bringing her arms up to protect her face, she prayed for any intervention that might help her, she left off a scream of utter fear…

Only to feel herself pulled from the waters and into the wind driven rain, held by a set of arms cloaked in a familiar fabric. Opening her eyes, Marinette turned to meet the magenta gaze of Argos as he leaped off the van and onto a neighboring roof. “Ar-Argos? What are you doing here?”

“It seems I’m here to fish you out of the flood waters. What the hell were you thinking?” came the angry question from the villain gone anti-hero.

“Look, I was out shopping for souvenirs for my family – I just found one for my grandfather but I haven’t found anything for my Maman… Anyways, then the storm happened very suddenly! I was trying to get back to my hotel! But my leg is injured, and the water was too fast…” she tried to defend herself.

“And how the hell were you injured? One minute you’re in the square and the next you’re missing…” Argos angrily replied. “I followed you and Adrien to China; I knew one of you would likely get into trouble. Adrien luckily has Gorilla but you, oh ho, you are a natural magnet for trouble.”

Marinette looked away; her face scrunched in pain as her voice dropped to a whisper. “…you wouldn’t believe me, if I said how…no one does…”

Argos’ forehead creased in concentration, his gaze taking on an analytical light. “What do you mean?”

“The girl that models with Adrien sometimes…Lila Rossi, she hates me and has lied since day one to get her way. I think she’s spying on your cousin for his father. She wants me to stay away from him so she can seduce him or something…” Marinette took a shuddering breath and let her eyes wander over the rain drenched rooftops, her voice breaking as she admitted the truth. “She attacked me in an alleyway, hit me with a metal pipe and left me for dead when the storm started.”

The hands holding her tightened and she could swear that, although it could not be heard over the present storm, a snarl reverberated against her side. She dared not look up to see what might be held in his eyes. “…I see. Does my cousin know?”

Marinette nodded weakly, shivering lightly as winds quickly chilled her wet clothes. “He knows she’s lying, but not about the abuse. Not sure if he knows if she is spying for his father. This is the first time in a while that anyone has become physical with me…” She looked out from the rooftop, realizing she must have been washed off course by several blocks, she couldn’t recognize a thing. Argos stumbled slightly as the winds beat down on them once more, making the raindrops feel like needles stabbing into their exposed skin.

“We’ll need to discuss this more later. For now, we need to find shelter.” The purple suited teen hopped from roof to roof, attempting to open the access hatches they came across – only to find them battened down tight. Letting the winds at their back to carry them further inland, Argos eventually brought them down to a small shack against a larger building on a slight hillside. It looked rickety and seemed to shake as the howling winds ripped through the streets but the wood around the latch was rotten enough to mean it was not as secured as the other buildings around them. With a slight splintering, Argos kicked in the shed’s door and settled her down on her good foot nearest the entryway before he dropped his transformation. Duusu was nowhere in sight, likely hidden away in a pocket just as quickly as he appeared from the brooch. Marinette watched as the proud, conniving Felix stalked through the room looking through the meager items stored here.

After all that had happened – on both sides of the mask – she couldn’t readily trust him. Adrien had been adamant that his cousin was turning over a new leaf, but she was unsure. Ladybug had little to no interaction with Felix beyond their first few…mishaps. Marinette had certainly met him once or twice while spending time with Adrien – like the ill-fated night of the Diamond Dance. Argos was an entirely different story, having become both a nuisance and an occasional protector. He wasn’t working with Monarch; however, he knew the villain’s identity and was unwilling to share it with the heroes. He was looking to obtain their Miraculous to make his own Wish – which had led to several confrontations on the battlefield. Felix himself was still a bit of an obnoxious jerk but, as Argos, he seemed to have appointed himself as Marinette’s bodyguard whenever his cousin was not present. Sometimes it was helpful, like the time she was being chased by a pack of wild pigs – gods, that akuma was ridiculous – and the peacock holder had pulled her onto nearby building with a scoff before dashing away. More often than not, it was just annoying. Whenever he showed up, he acted as if he was personally put-out by having to do so. It irked her to no end, yet Argos did just save her from the flood waters…

She took a moment to inconspicuously tap twice on the side of her satchel and nearly sobbed when she felt Tikki’s two taps in reply. ‘Thank goodness, at least she wasn’t hurt or lost in that current…’ Looking around the small space herself, she noted it housed mostly garbage – complete with a disassembled motorbike missing several key pieces, some rusted lumps that used to be hand tools, and a pile of loose recycling. The shed itself was perhaps three by three and a half meters in size, the wood panels that made up the walls and roof weathered by years of storms. The bluenette shivered as the wind blasted through the open doorway, causing the door to bang against the wall and empty aluminum cans to clatter about. Another rogue gust was so strong that Marinette stumbled sideways; she released a startled cry as she attempted to steady her footing with her injured leg. Felix turned at the noise and looked concerned for a moment before scowling down at her injury.

“There’s nothing here to bind your leg with, we may need to improvise until the storm dies down. No use trying to stand on it,” came the blond’s gruff reply.

Marinette scoffed softly, “Really? And here I thought we were about to perform a waltz in the Ritz ballroom. My injuries are not that severe. We’re more likely to develop hypothermia or die when this rickety old shack comes down on top of us.” The building let out an ominous creak as if in agreement with her statement.

Felix’s eyes narrowed and crossed the limited floor space, gesturing towards the doorway. “Would you rather be outside in that?”

“No, but we certainly could have found better shelter! Something off the ground and made of brick!”

“Well, excuse me, princess, if it isn’t to your liking!” The blond threw up his hands in defeat and turned to stalk away towards the opposite corner.

Another heavy gust smashed something heavy into the side and roof of the shed, adding a sickening SNAP! to the creaks and moans. Marinette watched in horror as, within an instant, part of the roof started to give way above Felix’s head. Time seemed to slow and her hero instincts pushed her into motion. Ignoring the searing pain in her leg and ribs, the young designer launched herself towards the blond while screaming his name. He began to turn at the sound just in time for her two palms to roughly press against his chest. Their eyes met for a single, fear filled, heart stopping second as he was pushed away from the falling debris…

‘Thank goodness,’ she thought.

Then everything went black.

~~~

If you had asked Felix yesterday if he knew true fear, he would have sneered. His youth had been filled with abuse and pain at the hands of his father, who made sure the young Fathom knew the true meaning of fear.

But he would have been wrong.

For nothing had ever made him feel such pure, unadulterated terror as hearing Marinette scream his name with a tone filled with desperate dread in that shed. Her small, calloused hands shoving him from danger mere seconds from impact. Her bluebell eyes wide with fear and relief. Watching with growing horror as a large piece of debris crashed into the back of her girl’s skull with a gut-wrenching crack! Her eyes rolling back in her head as her limp body fell; being covered by debris and drenched with the unforgiving rain that came between the jagged timbers of the roof.

Felix’s back slammed into the wall, knocking the air from his lungs. “Mari-nette…” he wheezed, gasping for breath before his vocal cords finally let out a broken cry, “MARINETTE!”

Panic rising like bile in his throat, he rushed over and pushed the rubble away, digging the girl he promised his cousin to protect free. Carefully he pulled her away from the remaining pile and looked her over, finding a large and bloodied gash on the back of her skull. Felix could not stop his eyes from following the trail of bright red spots back towards the heap of timbers and roof tiles, from seeking the blood covered support beam that was meant for him. Swallowing thickly, he pulled his eyes away and back towards the bluenette. She was unresponsive, pale, and barely breathing but alive!

‘Not for long, if you don’t do something, idiot!’ he chastised himself mentally. The blond’s eyes flickered over the room again, now desperate for anything he could use to staunch the bleeding as he began to rip his shirt sleeve and press it firmly against Marinette’s head wound. Felix watched as the fabric turned red but the flow down her neck eventually slowed. ‘There has to be something else…’ His eyes fell upon her purse and he reached for it with his free hand. Opening it, he began to pull trinkets free as he desperately searched for anything – a scarf, a sanitary pad, gauze – that he could use for first aid…only to find the one thing he never expected.

A red kwami with black spots. Like a ladybug. Just as Duusu had described.

The little red goddess rose from her hiding place and solemnly took sentry over the unconscious girl, floating at his eye level. He froze as he stared at the creature, his mind whirling as it connected the logical dots and stripped back the Miraculous magic that – until this point – concealed her identity.

Marinette had a kwami.

Not just any kwami, the Ladybug kwami of Creation.

Marinette was Ladybug.

Wait… Ladybug was the Miraculous Guardian.

Oh gods, that meant Marinette was the Guardian.

Her multitude of identities collided in his mind, every memory coalescing into a single portrait of the bluenette before him. The pieces fell into place too easily, it made too much sense. Of course, she was Ladybug! He knew of no one more selfless or heroic – nor frustrating – than Marinette. But she had saved him – saved the person she knew had betrayed her and treated her so poorly, who had attacked her and made battles difficult... Knowing he could find out her identity and run back to Monarch. Or take her Miraculous for his own designs, for his own Wish. Hell, he could take the Miraculous right now!

Felix felt Tikki’s patient stare as he fingered the plain black earrings still secured to Marinette’s earlobes. It would be so easy; he could easily see his goal within reach. Ladybug was his enemy, but Marinette was… She was Adrien’s current fascination – possibly girlfriend – wasn’t she? He plucked a large splinter from her hair, careful not to agitate the bloody spot on the crown of her head. “Why did you save me? I don’t deserve to be saved…for what I’ve done…for the pain I’ve caused…” Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he traced her delicate features with his fingertips. “I’m a horrible person, Marinette. I’m broken inside, I don’t deserve your kindness.”

“My Bug would sacrifice herself to save anyone in trouble, it’s why she kept the Ladybug mantle even when she doubted herself…” Tikki calmly supplied.

“What do you mean ‘doubted herself’?” Felix demanded of the red kwami. That description did not fit either of the girl’s identities in his mind as he knew her.

Clumsy, flaky, nervous as a civilian.

Righteous, confident, commanding as the Parisian heroine.

And, if his cousin was right about her design prowess, the embodiment of creation in both.

“She was so young when she was given my Miraculous, just thirteen. There was no training, she and Chat were simply thrown into the fight without warning, and our prior guardian was far too old... She made a mistake during Stoneheart and tried to give up the earrings,” Tikki paused as she looked at her injured chosen as she recalled that day. “But her friend, Alya, was in danger of being crushed. Marinette took immediate action and never stopped. Even when her friends abandoned her, even when she was bullied or belittled or betrayed,” the tiny god glared at the blond and he flinched.

“She never gave up saving people. Even those that didn’t ‘deserve saving’ – because everyone deserves to be saved,” the red kwami stated with finality.

Felix felt a new wellspring of guilt at his actions, but the little goddess was not done. “Hawkmoth even tried to akumatize her…” A stabbing pain, like an icy knife, went up his spine at the thought. Marinette, even without being Ladybug, would be a terrifying akuma! “She fought him off by sheer strength of will. But my little Bug has been so alone. Shouldering the world by herself. Losing allies and the Miraculous…because of you, Felix.”

The blond could no longer look into the eyes of the red kwami, too pained by his guilt and overwhelming sadness. He turned his gaze down to the face of the unconscious girl in his lap. ‘What have I done? If I had known she was you… would I have done the things I did? Would I have made my deal with Hawkmoth or stood beside you?’ Felix blinked back a few tears and gently shifted Marinette in his arms, making sure to keep the pressure applied to her head wound. ‘I can’t take back what I did but…’

“Young Master, what will you do now?” Duusu asked from his vest pocket.

“Duusu, transform me,” simply ordered the blond with a determined look in his eye. With a bright flash of light, he was transformed into Argos. He surveyed the room with a calculating eye. “Tikki, would you bring me that empty can over there?” The little goddess stared, seeming to assess his motives. Seeing her hesitancy, he softly added, “Please.”

Tikki nodded in acknowledgement before complying. The peacock user pulled a feather from his fan and infused it into the can, building a mini shelter amok that would comfortably fit the two teens in a more fortified corner of the building they were in. Argos gently lifted the immobile girl bridal style, carefully cradling her injured head against his neck, before settling them both onto the floor of his amok structure. With a gesture, the door closed behind them to keep out the wind and rain. He wrapped his cape around them both, knowing his transformation would only hold out for so long but hoping the added material might help keep Marinette a little warmer.

Eventually he heard the beeping of his Miraculous and glanced at the lapel pin on his chest. One of the five red gems darkened. Four minutes left, he needed to figure out a plan. Argos knew from experience that his amok would remain so long as he did not break it or release the feather. Not that he had anything on him to recharge… ‘May as well not exhaust Duusu,’ he thought with a frown.

With a deep breath, he released his transformation and watched as the two kwami settled onto the bluenette’s chest to monitor her shallow breaths. He gently brushed his fingers over her brow and cheek. “Marinette. Please wake up. We have so many things left to fight about, you still need to find a perfect gift for your mother, and I…I have so many things to say to you. So many things to apologize for.” Tears came to his eyes once more as he looked upon her still form that laid limply against him, pulling her a little tighter into his arms as his whole body shook from suppressed sobs. “I’ve been such a fool! Please, I’ll do anything if you just wake up!”

The two kwami watched Felix brokenly cry in silence, Tikki knowing her powers would help the girl recover but unsure how long that might take. Humans being unconscious with a concussion was not a good sign and, if the injuries Marinette sustained were worse than they appeared, her powers could not reverse the damage like with an akuma. Duusu watched her holder, knowing this was the moment that would decide his future fate. Would he turn over a new leaf and finally help reunite the Miraculous? Or would this twist him into a worse tyrant than Monarch?

Felix removed his vest and what remained of his dress shirt. He draped the vest wider over his back, then wrapped the shirt around Marinette’s torso before huddling over her body to share what warmth he could. Outside the storm raged, drowning out the intermittent sounds of the boy's quiet sniffles and whispered words of encouragement to the injured girl.

~~~~~~~

How does it end? YOU CHOOSE. YOU DECIDE. READ ONE, READ THEM ALL.

~~~~~~~

It was a rainy Saturday in Paris, the city of love and magic, of superheroes and villains… One would expect to be charmed by a gentle sprinkle on such a lazy day! However, standing under the sopping café umbrella that threatened to snap shut under the weight of the current downpour, we find a boy who feels the polar opposite. Felix Fathom was unimpressed and just plain irritated with Paris – he didn’t even want to be here! It was not the city itself but his week that had put him in such a foul mood. He took stock of his life up to this point and was convinced he was on a bad luck streak – one that built with each passing day until this very moment.

Why, you may ask?

Monday he was shipped off to Paris by his mother to visit his oblivious cousin for two days. Two days of pretending he didn’t know Gabriel was Monarch. Sure, what could go wrong?

Well, he must have jinxed it or angered a random omnipotent god because this week must be divine punishment…

On Tuesday, he discovered his favorite fountain pen had exploded all over his new book and the contents of his book bag.

Wednesday his mother joyously announced he would be staying for the whole week due to work obligations on her part. Phenomenal.

Thursday he was targeted by an akuma – which, in all honesty, he had instigated the akumatization… but only because that damn waitress had dumped his iced coffee into his lap!

If the akuma seemed a little too hostile, well, Uncle was likely gunning for him…

On Friday, he discovered Gabriel had someone ransack his room – likely looking for the peacock miraculous. Felix suspected it was Uncle Gabe himself because half his clothes were ripped asunder by someone expressing a lot of frustration! And he was not sure what that awful odor rubbed all over his boxers was!

Although he was unsure what his uncle would have burnt to leave a random trail of ashes on the floor…

But this morning?

Oh ho ho, this fucking morning was the pièce de résistance!

Saturday brought forth quite a surprise! He awoke in Adrien’s bed, in his cousin’s pajamas, and a note on his forehead from said conniving cousin telling Felix to ‘fill in’ for him on a photoshoot while he spent the day with his friends. Felix had no idea how the model had gotten out of the house, although he assumed that he would find some of his own clothes missing from his closet if he checked. How did Adrien even get him from his room down the hall without waking him?!

That wasn’t even the worst part.

Halfway through the boring photoshoot on the outskirts of Paris, there was an akuma attack. Stormy Weather appeared after being slighted by the meteorologist at the news station – something about Stormy’s predictions being wrong? He didn’t fully know, he only caught part of her monologue before running for cover. They had been hit by hurricane level winds, sleet, and snow so suddenly that half the equipment had to be left behind. Le Gorille had rushed him to the car to make a quick getaway however, just eight blocks away, they had hit some black ice and popped two tires on the curb. Gorille sent him to go find a place to shelter while he called the auto club, but nothing was open due to the attack. So, Felix made the executive decision to walk back. He was about halfway across Paris when the wave of ladybugs purified the area. Finally, his day was looking up!

Felix pulled out his phone to call Le Gorille…only to find the battery dead. Great.

He was stranded, in the middle of Paris, with a dead phone and no money to even hail a taxi with. ‘This day could NOT get any worse!’ Felix thought in a huff.

That was when the rain started.

You see, Stormy Weather – Aurore, whatever – had predicted an unseasonable rain coming that day and the chief meteorologist had scoffed at the teen. Felix was suddenly very supportive of the akuma’s desire to correct the idiot! The blond ran down the street to a café, only to find it was closed due to a shortage of staff. Luckily there was a left-out patio umbrella that he could take shelter under until the rain lightened up.

Except that it didn’t. It grew heavier by the passing minute and Felix found himself huddled under a flimsy, soddy, dripping umbrella in seemingly the worst rainstorm to hit Paris since the Great Flood of 1910. The wet blond mused over the fact that somehow, someway, this was not caused by an akuma. If that were the case, then could all these linked bad events just be coincidence? Or was he simply that unlucky? Once he returned back to London, he would definitely need to ask Duusu if kwamis could curse people…

Just as Felix was about to settle for getting drenched in the rain, a flash of pink caught his eye. There, across the street, moved a lone hazy figure with a polka-dotted umbrella and pink galoshes. As he turned to look at them fully, he realized this figure was not walking down the street but dancing; kicking up puddles on the sidewalk while humming a little ditty as they crossed the intersection nearby. As the figure got closer, he could make out dark hair pulled back into pigtails… pigtails that reminded him of…

“…Marinette?” He hadn’t seen her since that disastrous night at the Diamond Dance!

The girl jolted with surprise when she heard her name, her bluebell eyes taking in the damp blond boy huddled beneath the dripping canopy. He looked exhausted and just as shocked as she was.

“Ad-Adrien? W-what are you doing out h-here?” she squeaked, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

‘Ah, she thinks I’m Adrien again…perhaps I could trick her into letting me borrow her umbrella,’ Felix thought strategically.

He plastered on his imitation model smile and approached her as far as his sparse covering would allow. “I uh… I had a photoshoot today, but then there was that akuma attack? Then my phone died! And, well, it’s a long story...” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Wow, talk about bad luck. But are you lost? Your house is this way,” the young designer pointed in the opposite direction that Felix had been headed.

The blond blinked and muttered a curse under his breath. “I guess I got lost with everything going on… Would you mind if I walked back with you?”

“Oh…um…s-sure,” Marinette lifted her umbrella to accommodate his taller frame. He ducked under but quickly discovered that she would shrink slightly from their proximity and cause the umbrella’s armatures to smack him in the head. With a gentle smile disguising his irritation, he offered to hold it for her, and she quickly acquiesced. They fell into a companionable silence as they walked. He knew he needed to say something, Adrien would obviously be chatting with her…

“So…what were you doing out in this storm, Marinette?”

“Oh…uh, I was out running a delivery for my parents.”

“Really? In this dreary weather?” Felix asked with obvious surprise.

“Dreary? No, I love the rain! There’s something magical about it…like having a million sparkles falling from the sky!” He watched as her eyes twinkled and he could almost imagine the raindrops glistening just from the brightness of her smile. “It’s special to me,” she finished with a blush.

“Is that why you were dancing in it when I saw you?” He chuckled remembering her hops and twirls on the sidewalk.

Her cheeks flushed dark red, her eyes dropped to her fidgeting hands, and her smile faded with her embarrassment. “Ooh…you saw that? I just…,” Marinette paused, unsure of how to proceed. “I’m not any good at dancing but…it’s fun,” she finished with a whisper.

Felix frowned at the change in her behavior, he clearly recalled their short dance together and her natural grace on the dancefloor. Perhaps she was just self-deprecating because she was intimidated by his cousin? Adrien would surely attempt to cheer up his friend – perhaps girlfriend – wouldn’t he? With not a second longer in hesitation, he stopped and held out his hand to the bluenette. She stared at it for a moment before turning her impossibly blue eyes toward him. “Could I have this dance?” Her eyes widened and she blushed, taking his hand bashfully. He handed her back the umbrella to hold over his shoulder as he wrapped her in his embrace. With a soft hum he began to lead her in a gentle waltz down the sidewalk.

Slowly but surely the warm smile returned and brightened before his eyes as he guided her into bigger and faster spins, keeping them both in tempo to the steps long ingrained in his limbs by dance instructors his mother had insisted he learn from – much to his dismay at the time. ‘I guess I’ll have to thank her now that those silly lessons were finally of some use,’ he thought while a grin spread unwittingly across his face. He lost himself to the movements of their dance, a comfortable warmth growing in his chest. In a rather large puddle he spun Marinette, her foot fanning out in a way that caused the standing water to splash in a great wave over the curb before she settled back into his arms for another set of steps with a giggle. The warmth grew as Felix dipped her, watching as her radiant smile turned up towards the heavens as raindrops danced across her face.

They progressed down the street, both of them smiling and laughing as their hair and shoulders were moistened by wayward drops that missed the umbrella. Eventually they slowed to a stop as they waited for the crosswalk light to change; he gazed down at her – noting the flushed pink cheeks, sparkling eyes, and wide smile. Felix wasn’t sure what came over him. He glanced down at her lips, parted and panting from their energetic dance, and suddenly wanted to know how they felt. With hooded eyes he leaned forward, his arm tightening around her waist as he felt her rise up slowly on her tip toes as if to meet him halfway…the umbrella dropped from her fingers as they slid to the short hairs on the back of his neck, but neither could find it in their minds to care about the rain falling on their heads…

Just as their lips were about to touch, a car came careening around the corner and hit the large puddle forming at the blocked drain. Felix quickly rotated them so that he would shield her with his body. Within seconds a massive, brackish tidal wave splashed over them both and left them drenched. Feeling the cold, dirty water sliding down his spine, the blond let out a string of English curses that even his mother would be ashamed of. Marinette seemed to jolt at the noise and stared at him while he pushed the very wet hair from his face – unconsciously putting it back into his normal style – as the heavy rain continued to pour on their heads. He missed the calculating look she gave him before that gave way to a small smile, then to a chuckle, then a full belly laugh. Felix looked at her dumbfounded before he, too, began to crack up at their situation.

“You look ridiculous,” she giggled out.

“You look like a drowned mouse!” Felix laughed back, unable to contain himself.

“At least I don’t look like an overgrown komondor!” They laughed harder, tears springing to their eyes as the rain plastered their hair to their heads.

‘When was the last time I laughed like this?’ both thought to themselves wryly.

They both eventually calmed down, wiping tears and hair from their eyes. He fished the umbrella from the sidewalk and shook some of the water free before offering it to Marinette. She shook her head and motioned for him to keep it. “My house is just a couple doors down from here. You need it more than I do. The mansion is just up this street,” the blue-eyed girl pointed down the adjacent road.

He furrowed his brow slightly, realizing that their stolen time was coming to an end; he found the warmth in his chest had turned to an ache – he would miss her presence. “You’re sure? At least let me walk you home.”

Marinette quickly shook her head, her wet pigtails flinging droplets of water with the motion. “I’ll be fine, besides you need to get back, so you don’t catch a cold.  We’re both soaked to the bone!” He watched as she hesitated for a moment before sliding in close, pulling him down by his shirt collar, and kissing his cheek. “Th-thank you for the dance, Felix.”

With a distant clap of thunder, a red flush crept up his neck and onto his face as her soft lips pressed against his cheek. In the seconds that it took for him to register her words, she had taken off at a full sprint and disappeared into the heavy rain – returning to the pink blur he first saw by that café. Felix stood there in the rain, speechless and flustered as he touched his cheek. He couldn’t say how long he stood there, staring off, but it was long enough that the downpour had finally become a light drizzle. He looked down at the umbrella in his hand as if looking for proof that this had not been a dream… He gripped the handle a little tighter. It was solid, tangible, real.

A small smile spread across his face. Perhaps his luck wasn’t so bad after all.

~~~ BONUS SCENE ~~~

On Friday after school, while Adrien took care of his extra Chinese lessons and the others were out of the house, Plagg decided to do a little reconnaissance. He carefully zipped across his holder’s room and phased through the wall, floating down the empty hallway until he got to the end. Once there he passed through the door and ducked behind a garbage can while he surveyed the room. A wicked gleam and mischievous grin lit up the kwami’s face; the room was empty!

It had been about two months since Tikki told him about the Adrien knockoff showing up with Duusu and making a mess of things. The London blond had been very combative with Ladybug but oddly protective of Marinette. Tikki was hopeful that Felix might be reformed and join their side – his other half was so optimistic like that. The cheese wheel was always half full with her!

Plagg though? He was a ‘it’s a half a damn wheel of cheese’ type of cat – he jokingly liked to say he was an ‘optipissed’: pissed off optimist. Could things go right? Sure, but things could also just be what they appear.

Plagg didn’t know if Adrien’s cousin was redeemable and didn’t care to figure it out; planning was Tikki’s thing. He preferred results. That’s why he decided to curse that fluffed-up popinjay with a little bad luck! Well, that was mostly because the tiny cat god wanted revenge. Tomato, potato. Right now, the cat kwami intended to get results by taking the peacock miraculous and get it to Pigtails ASAP. Plagg hoped that Felix had left it behind in a hidden compartment or spot in the room while not in use. If it was on his person, the black cat wasn’t sure what to do!

“Duusu!” the black cat called, “Hey Duusu! You in here?” There was no answer.

“Tsk. If I was a feather-brained, pompous, jerk face, where would I hide a broach?” Plagg asked himself as he looked around the room. He decided to check the desk first – rifling through the neat stacks of paper and pens – before dive bombing into the bed to phase through the mattress and pillows. No dice. He proceeded around the room, passing through lamps, tables, and books with increasing irritation. He didn’t even sense the miraculous nearby! He swatted a pillow with his tail in agitation.

Well, if he wasn’t going to get what he came for, he might as well enjoy himself…

Just then the door opened and Plagg hid himself inside a lampshade, watching with great suspicion as Gabriel entered the room to do his own snooping. The cat kwami stayed silent as his holder’s father dug through the closet and dresser, ripping apart jacket and suitcase linings in search of something. After about five minutes, Gabriel let out a soft growl and stalked back across the room to the door. With one last glance around the room, he slammed the door behind him.

‘Seems he didn’t find what he was looking for either!’ Plagg thought suspiciously, he wondered what the kid had stolen this time.

The black cat kwami slowly exited his hiding place, making sure no one would be near to hear his next actions. Then he phased into the closet and began to toss the remaining collection of trousers, vests, and pristinely pressed shirts all over the floor while he cackled with glee. When it was in proper upheaval, he gathered up one each of Felix’s socks from the dresser, called upon his cataclysm, leaving only a small pile of dust on the floor as evidence of their existence. Plagg then burrowed into the underwear drawer, intent to claw some holes in the materials there when the door opened again…

“Plagg?” came Adrien’s hesitant whisper.

Popping his head out the leg of a pair of boxer briefs with a cheesy belch, the kwami called back, “hey kid, I’m over here!”

Adrien quietly closed the door and stalked across the room, tripping on a shirt and unconsciously kicking up the small pile of ashes as he recovered his balance. Plagg watched with satisfaction as the ashes settled to litter a bigger portion of the floor. “What the hell are you doing in here? Felix will be home any minute!”

“Just lookin’ for the miraculous, kid. Figured we know sourpuss has got the peacock, perhaps he’d leave it unattended, then we could get it back to the guardian.”

“Did you have to make such a mess?” the blond pressed his hand to his forehead as he looked over the random piles and ripped items on the floor. “I’m already stuck doing that photoshoot tomorrow instead of hanging out with Nino; if Father thinks I destroyed Felix’s room, I’ll probably be grounded for life!”

Plagg landed on Adrien’s shoulder, “About that kid… I got an idea. Why don’t we…,” as he whispered quietly in his ear.

Adrien’s eyes lit up and he chuckled, gathering up a few pieces of clothes from the floor to use as his disguise in the morning. “That’s sure to put him in a fowl mood!”

~~~Author's Notes: yes I referenced a historical event (Great Flood of 1910), a specific breed of dog, and made a peacock pun.

~~~~~~~

It was summertime in Paris and, thanks to whatever gods were smiting mankind at this moment, it was the middle of a horrendous heat wave. He was now attending a London university and working towards his business degree but had decided to visit his dear cousin while on summer break. Adrien was excited to get his friends together and had planned some sort of party to reintroduce them all. Felix was more of an introvert than his boisterous cousin, but he couldn’t help a fond smile spreading across his face at Adrien’s excitement.

Felix changed into his borrowed swim trunks and joined Adrien at the pool. Nino was already with him, chatting up about his dual music and medical degree tracks at Universite de Paris. Felix joined in on the conversation to be polite, not knowing enough about the subject to contribute to the conversation, noting that Nino had greatly matured since their disastrous meeting years ago. After reestablishing his relationship with his cousin, Felix had visited a few times and inevitably bumped into the Moroccan-French boy. He had come to respect Nino for his friendly devotion to Adrien, especially after his father was sent to the asylum and his mother was tragically found deceased in their basement. They had developed an amiable acquaintanceship, working together to keep the other blond’s spirits up. Nino was taller and had grown out a goatee but still sported that cap he seemed to favor, just changing the color as the years went on. They sat at the far end of the pool, where the spray of the waterfall misted their warm skin, enjoying the shade of the umbrellas that were positioned for optimal coverage. Adrien and Nino shared a lounger that faced the house; Felix opted to sit in his own deck chair, his back to the entryway.

“The girls should be here soon, Adrien!” Nino remarked after checking a notification on his phone.

“Awesome! It’s been so long since we’ve all been in one place. We’re all so busy these days with school and internships,” Adrien lamented. “It’s a shame that Luka couldn’t make it since he’s on tour right now... Oh, don’t worry, Felix, it’ll just be the six of us. I know large crowds make you nervous.”

He felt a warmth in his chest at the thought that Adrien considered him when planning this gathering. “Thanks, cousin. You don’t know what it means to me that you took my feelings into account. Who will be joining us today?”

Adrien opened his mouth to reply when he was suddenly interrupted by the echo of a doorbell coming from the main house. Within a moment, the backdoor swung open and the other two young men stood to greet the newcomers. With the looks of elation and desire on their faces, Felix would bet at least two must be their girlfriends. He turned slightly and looked over his shoulder towards the advancing group. In front was Kagami Tsurugi, the confident fencer had grown her hair out enough to tie it into a bun at the nape of her neck, sporting a purple hexagon printed one-piece bathing suit that conformed to her athletic figure. He noted that the hexagon pattern gave the illusion of scales – an interesting choice that suited her. Next to her was Nino’s girlfriend – Alya, was it? Felix recalled that she had long hair in the photos in Adrien’s room. Seemed she had cut her hair short, letting the bob naturally blow in the wind. Her curvy figure was emphasized by a sunset orange monokini, one that she had likely donned knowing it would make Nino melt into a blubbering fool.

He glanced at his cousin and Nino knowingly, smirking as he saw them shift uncomfortably in their swim trunks to hide their obvious reaction before joining the ladies. Unlike Adrien, whom came out as a polyamorous bisexual only a few years ago, Felix himself was unaffected as he had never truly reacted to anyone else in the way these two were. He was happy for his cousin and his two partners – he really was! – but Felix had long ago realized and accepted that he was asexual and would never experience the same attraction to another person as others did. He could appreciate the human form, take note of how their clothes complimented or accentuated their bodies, even enjoy their company, but he felt nothing more than that. There had been a few casual relationships over the years, never going further than awkward kisses and uncomfortable handholding, some feelings that were mistaken for more in the folly of youth… However, he came to realize that he felt no attraction, no spark, and was all too glad to break it off when it was apparent things would never progress beyond platonic.

He had been an eligible but disinterested bachelor for four years now. Sure, Felix longed for companionship but had not yet found that special someone that would fill that role. There had been one obstinate class representative back in collège that had made him feel something distinctly different but he excused it simply as rose-hued nostalgia for the past. Besides, it was not as if someone from ten years ago would appear back in his life and be the ‘miraculous cure’ for his loneliness. He scoffed at the very idea! Perhaps he should get a mouse or a hamster, he mused ruefully. They would be acceptably small for a dorm pet. He decided to slip into the pool now to cool off while those two were summarily distracted.

Nino and Adrien guided their girlfriends towards one of the shady areas at the opposite side where they could set their things, finally parting to reveal a slightly shorter third figure. As soon as he saw her, he felt as if struck by lightning. The young woman was the shortest among them, likely not taller than his shoulder, but immediately stood out like a beacon in the darkness. His eyes immediately noted the way her dark hair, which was pulled into a sporty ponytail, and eyebrows seemed to accentuate her heart-shaped face. Sunglasses rested on the cutest button nose that was littered with a constellation of freckles that seemed to beg for him to connect the dots with his fingertips. Her lips were tinted dark pink and the visible sheen of her lip gloss made him instinctually lick his lips. Felix followed the trail of delicate spots down her slender throat to her shoulders, noting she wore a bright red, ruffled halter bikini that exposed her pale skin to the harsh sun and made his knees feel weak. Still following that damnable trail to her humble breasts, which jiggled enticingly when she laughed, and then to her slender stomach that made his mouth go dry. Felix swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he visually traced the tiny bikini bottoms that hugged her tantalizing, pear-shaped hips, before seeking out the next freckle on her long, muscled legs… With every movement he could see the impressive sinew of her muscles flex under her skin. She may be shorter than the other two, but she was definitely no shrinking violet!

He was frozen mid-step, blatantly staring at her as she chatted with his cousin and Kagami. She smiled up at the two of them and it blinded Felix for a second. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, he felt like he was sunburned all over and a sharp implement had been driven into his chest. Perhaps he was suffering from heat stroke? And his heart…but he was too young for a heart attack, surely! The petite woman gave his cousin a friendly hug in greeting and flicked a spot at the base of his throat as she laughed at something the blond model had said. Felix felt sinister tendrils of jealousy squeeze his chest painfully and rose like bile in the back of his throat. Distracted by this sudden foreign emotional response, his next step towards the water’s edge hooked his toe on a wayward deck chair and he was launched into the pool with a resounding SPLASH! He surfaced and slicked back his now wet hair, hoping that no one directly noticed his ungraceful dive.

Everyone was looking at him, including the bombshell in the red bikini, and he pretended to be completely in control. Felix swam up to their side of the pool and hooked his arms over the edge of the deck. He nodded to them, “Sorry, cousin, for jumping in early. Just could not handle this blasted heat any longer. How you Parisians handle it is beyond me.”

Adrien laughed, “That’s fine, Fe! Ladies, you remember my cousin, don’t you?” Felix did a small wave with the flick of his wrist, trying to project an air of nonchalance. “Felix, as you know, this is Kagami. It’s been a while since your short stint at Francois Dupont so you may not remember the others… That over there is Nino’s girlfriend, Alya, and this little powerhouse is Marinette.”

The woman in the red bikini, whom he now knew as Marinette, laughed at the descriptor Adrien had used before lifting her sunglasses. Intelligent eyes seemed to bore straight into his soul as if assessing him from every angle. He sucked in a breath at the hauntingly familiar bluebells that she had kept hidden up to this point. “Hello! I remember you and all the trouble you once caused at our collège before Hawkmoth’s defeat,” her lips quirked up into a playful smirk. The sound of her voice was like tinkling bells and it sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.

Had he really met her before? This gorgeous goddess? Gods help him, he was sure he made a horrible first impression! It took a while for Felix to realize what he had done, start attending therapy, and apologize to the heroes of Paris. He had since grown as a person and rebuilt his relationship with Adrien. Felix avoided France for a while, focusing on himself and processing the guilt he carried from his gross adolescent misconduct. He hoped he could improve upon any preconceived notions she may have about him.

She walked over to the side of the pool and she bent to offer her free hand to shake. Having Marinette be this close, he realized that she smelled like freshly baked bread and night blooming jasmine – he was instantly and inexorably intoxicated. “Adrien told us it was a trying time in your life. I, for one, am happy to make your re-acquaintance!”

He reached out and tried to keep from shaking. While her touch made his arm tingle, he noted that her hands also fit perfectly into his own. Her skin was soft yet were a little callused as if she worked with them. It took far more willpower to let go of her than he was willing to admit and return to his original position against the edge of the pool. He cleared his throat, “The pleasure is mine, mademoiselle, I assure you.”

She giggled softly at his comment and he felt his heart flip in his chest. ‘That is the most heavenly sound I have ever heard!’ thought the stunned Felix. ‘What is happening to me?’ He bit the inside of his lip as he abruptly felt an uncomfortable and perplexing twitch in his shorts, suddenly very glad he was in the cool water and against the side of the pool.

Marinette leaned a bit closer and whispered conspiratorially, not knowing what effect it was having on the young man before her. “Thanks for being here. The others make me feel like a total third wheel whenever we get together. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to when these idiots need an impromptu ‘bathroom break’ for way longer than should be necessary.” She rolled her eyes in exaggerated exasperation, then tilted her head and gave him a disarming smile, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, Felix.”

The man in question, completely dumbfounded by the angel before him and distracted by the way her voice pronounced his name, must have mumbled something of the affirmative because Marinette nodded to him before heading back towards the chairs to settle her things. He glanced around, his cousin and Nino were preoccupied with their girlfriends, helping them apply sunblock. He breathed a sigh of relief. No one had seemed to notice his odd behavior. He decided to swim for a bit and try to get himself back under control. Felix proceeded to do a few laps until he felt his muscles hum from the exertion. He had stopped and was taking a deep breath to steady his heart rate when he noticed the two couples getting into the pool and treading water while they chatted. He glanced over towards the chairs and saw Marinette pursing her lips in thought. Felix swam over to the side and called out a soft “hey” to get her attention.

“Oh, hey, sorry. I’m just really susceptible to sunburns – pale skin and all – but the others just got in so I was trying to figure out how to get sunscreen on my back since they’re off in their own little world,” the young woman replied.

Felix glanced over to their friends and shook his head. “I see what you mean. Here,” he climbed out of the pool and walked over to her, trusting his wet trunks would protect his decency. He dried his hands on a nearby towel and situated himself in a neighboring chair. “Turn around and I can apply some to your back for you since our friends have abandoned you in your hour of need.” He tried to give her a conciliatory smile to help her relax. She seemed to stare for a moment, then blinked a few times and nodded, handing him the bottle shyly before situating herself better on the lounger. He exhaled and centered himself, he was a gentleman. He could do this. He scooted the chair closer until she was boxed loosely between his knees. She shifted slightly and the skin of his knee brushed against her side unexpectedly, causing him to squeeze a little too much of the sunblock into his palm. He swallowed hard and distributed it evenly between his hands. Felix looked up at her back and felt a little lightheaded looking at the lean muscles flexing as she settled into a comfortable position.

As soon as his hand touched her skin, he felt another jolt but forced himself to continue. He made sure to slide a finger under the center strap without disturbing the fit of her suit before sliding his hands down to her lower back. She arched a little and his breath caught looking at the curvature of her spine as his hands slid back up her sides slowly, imagining a different set of circumstances in which she would arch like that in front of him without the bikini, his hands on her hips as he…

He shook his head free of those thoughts before he made a mockery of himself. He mentally chastised himself for being so improper! ‘What the hell is going on with me? She is a lady in need of assistance and I am just here to help! Get your mind out of the gutter, you Lothario!’

Felix grabbed a little more sunscreen before repeating the process on the top half of her back, making sure to rub in the white creamy substance around her neck and shoulders with care. Marinette made a soft sound of pleasure and he froze. The sound sent a hot, tingling sensation right down to his groin and inappropriate thoughts flooded his mind’s eye again.

“Uh…sorry…,” Marinette mumbled over her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to do that or make things awkward. I tend to sit a lot at my sewing machine, so I get really tense. Like knots on knots on knots. I’m knotty, get it? Haha! That was a dumb joke, sorry. Anyway! It’s really silly but your hands felt really good and it just slipped out unconsciously and…I’m making it worse, aren’t I?”

He wasn’t sure what came over him. He slid his hands down to cup her biceps as he leaned forward, his lips barely hovering above the curve of her ear. “Perhaps I could help you with that later, Marinette. I’ve been told I’m good with my hands,” murmured Felix huskily.

‘Good with your hands?! What the hell was that, Felix Edward Rory Graham de Vanily?! You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t break your nose after this…,’ he screamed at himself in his mind. He was never this bold or forward. Perhaps he was spending too much time with Adrien, who had taken to watching that ridiculous Host Club anime around him recently. It obviously had been rubbing off on him subconsciously!

Marinette shivered and he mentally kicked himself again. “Just a friendly offer. You do seem very tense, my dear.” He sat back and tried to refocus himself on his task, making sure the remaining sunblock was rubbed in and drying nicely. He was glad she couldn’t see his face. He knew his cheekbones were rouged with embarrassment and his ears felt like they were on fire. He patted her shoulder and got up, seeking distance between them to lighten the heavy atmosphere. “All done. I suppose we had better third wheel ourselves over there,” he chuckled nervously while he mentally cringed at his unrefined behavior.

He quickly dove back into the pool, letting the cold water soothe the redness from his face before surfacing near his cousin and inserting himself into their conversation. From the corner of his eye, Felix saw Marinette descend into the pool via the steps. She looked like a queen stepping down from her throne as she glided gracefully through the water on her tippy toes. He laughed perfunctorily at a joke Adrien was making to the group, not hearing a single word, to cover up his thoughts of the distracting petite goddess that came to join their circle. What was it about her that made him act this way?

They swam or treaded water while they talked. The conversation flowed freely until someone decided to start a winner-take-all splashing fight and they spread out. He and Adrien teamed up to launch a huge wave of water over Nino, who was sheltering Alya with his body. She was trying to do sneak attacks before diving back behind her boyfriend. Not that it did them any good against them, the couple was soaked and laughing within moments – their glasses fogged and dripping with water. It seemed Marinette and Kagami had decided to form an alliance to get the blonds, striking in calculated but strategic ways. Adrien grinned and tackled his girlfriend into the pool with a battle cry before the next strike, leaving he and Marinette to duel it out.

She grinned and declared she would avenge her comrade before launching herself towards him. Felix was taken aback for a moment but quickly adjusted to soften the giggly Marinette’s landing against his chest, wrapping his arms around her as he lost his footing and plunged backwards into the water. Her arms slipped around his shoulders and her whole body pressed up against his as they floated briefly underwater, their forms fitting perfectly together. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, as if attempting to escape to her.

They surfaced after a moment, smiles on both their faces as their hair plastered to their heads and they laughed. Marinette’s cheeks were pink as she moved to separate from him. Felix willed his arms to loosen and watched as she promptly sank. He quickly reached out and gave her an arm to balance with, the pool was obviously a bit deeper where they surfaced than she had anticipated. She smiled gratefully and held onto his outstretched forearm to prop herself up, her legs gently treading water as she looked towards her water-logged friends. Felix glanced over, noting the two couples looked a bit like drowned rats – he was sure he fared no better! He ran his free hand through his hair to slick it back from his face, taking a chance to surreptitiously glance at the young woman on his arm in the process. Whereas everyone else looked like a mess, she seemed to only look more radiant. Her raven-colored hair curled along her skin in tempting patterns that Felix found himself wanting to follow with his lips; droplets of water sliding down her neck and torso in ways that made his mouth water.

“Well, I need to hit the bathroom to tidy up, gang,” stated the drenched bespectacled girl in the corner, bringing Felix out of his reverie.

“Dang, it’s already been a couple hours since you got here? Wow, let me walk you out, babe,” Nino followed his girlfriend nonchalantly up the stairs in the shallow end.

Kagami decided to get out as well, needing to prepare for her own departure. Adrien hurriedly sloshed after her, making the flimsy excuse that he would make sure everyone had spare towels. The four wandered off towards the main house, obviously engrossed in each other. Felix and Marinette shared a knowing look that seemed to scream ‘these idiots think they are so clever, don’t they?’ as they got out of the pool themselves.

“Since they are taking up all of the bathrooms in the main house, perhaps you would like to use the pool house shower?” Felix offered politely, motioning to the small building hidden behind the waterfall alcove.

Marinette hummed an affirmative and smiled, gathering her things. He gestured for her to proceed him and, as she passed, his eyes were inexplicably drawn to the way her wet bathing suit clung to her posterior. He balled his hands into fists and brought one to his mouth, biting it to suppress a moan with every iota of decorum he had left before following. When they reached the building, he gestured with an open-handed flourish towards a small recreation room with its own bathroom attached. “Would you like to go first, mademoiselle?”

She agreed readily; he bowed slightly as she walked past him into the bathroom. Felix let out a shuddering breath once the door was closed behind her. He could hear the shower spray from here, his imagination providing flashes of water sluicing down the contours of her body, tantalizing curves that he would grip while... He dropped himself into an chair on the other side of the room, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Felix roughly rubbed his face to dislodge the images dancing behind his eyelids. He took this moment to finally think through the day and what was causing him to react as awkward as a newborn foal or as libidinous as a bonobo. He was perfectly fine talking with Adrien and Nino before the other three arrived. If he asked his cousin, he would likely make some hopeless romantic declaration about being around such lovely ladies! Felix scoffed into the palms of his hands. He mentally replayed Kagami and Alya’s entry into the pool area, the way their suits fit their bodies, the way the sun bounced off their hair and skin… He came up with nothing. No reaction.

Then it wasn’t caused by the ladies. Hell, he had seen numerous women – and men -- in various stages of undress in his lifetime! Adrien was a fashion model for Heaven’s sake! He had attended many shows to support him and felt nothing. Not a single stirring or urge! It wasn’t until…he suddenly recalled how the ladies split apart and revealed the petite ravenette behind them. The way her suit accentuated every curve, how her laugh sounded like music, the way she pronounced his name, the blue of her eyes, the arching of her spine, the tiny moan that escaped her… His heart leaped into his throat, his palms began to sweat, and his swim trunks suddenly felt too restrictive. He ran his hands into his damp hair as if trying to contain his thoughts.

Felix glanced towards the bathroom door as the shower cut off, he swallowed thickly. Marinette was the common denominator. But he was asexual, wasn’t he? He quickly took stock of all the romantic attempts in his life: the few heartfelt confessions he had received, awkward dates, even the visual stimuli that other schoolmates had snuck into class or their dorms… He did not react then to any of that as he was now. It could just be a one-time aberration. However, it seemed there was just something about her that completely rewired Felix’s synapses and he intended to find out what it was. For science. He straightened his swim trunks and cleared his throat in an attempt to look presentable.

The door opened and a refreshed Marinette exited the bathroom with a smile. She was still in her bikini but had added a lightweight lace wrap dress as a coverup. He rose from his chair and returned the smile. “You’re up!” she stated, popping the ‘p’ in a way that made him chuckle. ‘That smile should be classified as a weapon of mass distraction,’ he mentally sighed.

“I’m just going to rinse off the chlorine, my clothes are back in the guest room. Please make yourself at home and I’ll be right with you,” Felix gestured towards the seating area and walked into the bathroom filled with lingering steam. He didn’t bother to undress, jumping in under an ice-cold spray simply to rinse off and get himself under control again. He would not think about the fact that she had been in this very shower just moments before, probably naked, and… ‘Don’t go there, Graham de Vanily!’ After only a couple minutes, he turned off the tap and proceeded to dry himself off as much as possible. He took a deep breath and gave himself one last stern look in the mirror.

When Felix opened the door, his eyes involuntarily sought out Marinette immediately. He found her sitting on the daybed by a small window that backed up to the alcove outside. She was looking up at the sky, humming tunelessly to herself, as the waning afternoon light highlighted her features. Something inside Felix melted at the sight. He leaned against the doorframe and watched her silently, not wanting to disturb the moment. She really was quite beautiful.

He must have made a noise because Marinette’s humming stopped and she turned to look at him with surprise. “Oh, sorry! How long were you there?” Her cheeks turned a soft pink that suited her.

He gave in to the need to be closer, walking over to her and joining her on the daybed. "Not too long. My apologies, I did not mean to spy but you looked very peaceful.”

“That’s alright. All my friends say I can’t carry a tune to save my life! So I hum randomly to entertain myself. I’m just embarrassed to have been caught,” she laughed at herself.

“I will not tell a soul, dear lady,” he gave her a playful half bow as she laughed. “Would you like me to go so you can hum to your heart’s content?” His heart silently begged for her to let him to stay.

Marinette’s smile twisted a bit and her eyes dropped to her lap, where she was wringing her fingers. Had he said something wrong? Before he could try to fix whatever mess he had unintentionally caused, her murmur interrupted his spiraling thoughts. “I was…uh…actually w-wondering if your offer was still on the table?” His brow furrowed for a second before he remembered his inappropriate comments earlier by the pool. His eyes widened and he sent a little prayer of thanks heavenward.

“That…that can be arranged. Would you like to sit or lay down?”

“Um… could I sit between your legs?” Marinette nervously replied.

Felix nodded, hoping the woman would not notice the beads of sweat that were forming on his brow. Why was the room suddenly so hot? He scooted back and spread his legs enough to give her some space. She shifted into the little spot he made for her, his legs bracketing her hips. She was so close that he could smell her natural scent and feel the heat radiating off her skin. He touched the halter strap of her bikini top and murmured close to her shoulder, “Do you mind if I untie this? I’m sure it cannot be too comfortable.” Felix saw the tips of her ears burn red before she nodded.

He closed his eyes for a second before his nimble fingers began to gently tug the knot undone. Felix felt the weight of her breasts tug the straps from his hands and watched them fall forward over her shoulders. His warm fingers slowly ran along the muscles of her upper back, creating a mental map of the stiffest spots before applying any pressure. He began digging his thumbs into the trapezius, slowly building pressure so as not to start too roughly. Instantaneously a moan came from Marinette’s throat and he felt the vibration through his fingertips resting on her collar bone. The sensation reverberated down his arms and into his chest, making his heart beat erratically. He applied a bit more pressure, rubbing small circles into the knots that he came across, causing her to elicit louder cries of delight. Her hands came to rest on his knees and squeezed with each noise she made, she pushed back into hands and lap, instinctually chasing the pleasant sensations he was producing.

Felix’s skin felt like it was on fire! He was touching a beautiful, moaning woman in his lap! His mind ran wild with the implications of what was happening. He grasped at a way to distract himself, deciding to strike up a conversation. Something tame, safe. “Today has been quite fun getting to know all of you.”

“We did meet before, you know,” she paused to gasp as he worked a particularly large knot on her shoulder. “It was a decade ago though. Ha, I was such a klutz in collège! It’s probably good you don’t remember me!”

“Hmm, I do remember one particularly clumsy classmate from back then… Wore her hair in pigtails, was our class representative. She somehow tripped on thin air every day,” Felix recalled with a chuckle.

He felt Marinette scrunch her shoulders in apparent embarrassment. “So you do remember me…”

“Wait, that was you?” The blond paused his ministrations and stared at her profile over her shoulder, his heart racing as his mind tried to join the dichotomous ladies – one from his past and the other presently before him – into a singular person. Gone was the gangly, stuttering but stubborn girl from his memories; replaced by a mature, gorgeous, poised young woman that threw him entirely off balance with just a look.

Wait. She was the same girl that he—? Oh Gods, he had been an absolute ignoramus then and now. Felix had never wanted to throttle his younger self more than he had in this moment!

“Guil-ty,” she singsonged with a laugh towards the ceiling, not realizing the mental upheaval happening behind her. “I know, I know. I’ve come a long way since I was that clumsy, pigtailed girl. I remember we used to quarrel all the time; how you must have hated me!”

“…Quite the, um, opposite, actually.” Felix struggled to find the right words, “You were always willing to take me down a peg and didn’t seem to give a lick about my wealth or status. It took some time to realize but I was…grateful to you for treating me like everyone else; not showing deference or favoritism because of my last name.” Felix resumed the massage as they lapsed into a companionable silence. His mind tried to process this whole revelation as it replayed every memory he had of her. It was her! It was always her! The same girl that once lit a fire in his gut and made him feel– was still making him feel that indescribable je ne sais quoi that no one else had inspired in him since! It wasn’t just nostalgia or heat stroke or an anomalous singularity; it was real and tangible. Now that he had found her again, as cliché as it sounded, he couldn’t imagine living another day without her…

Lost in thought, he failed to prevent the straps of her wrap from falling from her shoulders. It caught at her elbows, causing the dress to pool at her waist. No longer able to resist, Felix’s hand greedily wandered down the exposed expanse of her back, longing to feel the skin pressed against his chest. As he pressed the tips of his fingers along her spine, Marinette made little mewling cries of ecstasy that were driving him mad. He released a rough breath through his nose and ran his hands back up to her neck to refocus his efforts on the tough muscle groups there. After thirty agonizing minutes of massaging, he pressed his thumbs into the pressure points at the base of her skull to release the pent-up tension held there. Unexpectedly, this caused the woman in front of him to become boneless, laying back against his bare chest and draping over his covered, yet obvious, erection.

His hands stilled on her shoulders as electricity seemed to pulse through every exposed inch of skin against his. Felix’s heart nearly stopped when he looked down upon Marinette’s petite form against him. She was still conscious but in a dreamy, relaxed state with half-lidded eyes. From this angle, he could see her exposed breasts and the pert nipples that seemed to pebble as he watched in awe. They were absolutely perfect; she was perfect. Felix swallowed, attempting to clear the sudden dryness in his throat. His trembling hands drifted down her shoulders, skirting around those tantalizing mounds, to retrieve the edges of her fallen dress that was trapped beneath her limp form. Felix tugged enough of the material up to cover her exposed flesh to protect her modesty and wrapped his arms around her to keep it secured. He leaned forward, cradling her body with his own, shifting her so that he could rest his head in the nape of her neck.

Felix breathed her scent in deeply and felt her shiver as he brushed his lips along the exposed skin there as he reverently whispered her name, like the prayer of a broken man finding salvation. Marinette’s breath hitched and he tentatively placed a delicate kiss to her neck, running his nose up behind her ear. “What are you doing to me?” He sighed against the outer lobe, placing another kiss there. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else…please tell me you feel it, too, Marinette.” He drew a ragged breath and then sighed against her hair, his whole body trembling with the magnitude of his feelings for her. Feelings that had laid dormant until he saw her again; feelings that could no longer be ignored…

After mere seconds that felt like hours, just as Felix was about to pull away, a small, callused hand slid up his bicep to cradle his cheek. The young lady shifted her legs so that she could turn her face up to his without leaving the circle of his arms. Timid blue eyes met nervous green as Felix held his breath.

“…I feel it, too, Felix.” Marinette’s voice was no more than a whisper but the words resonated so deeply that he felt it shake his very bones. Their faces were just breaths apart. “May I…may I kiss you?”

He muttered a quick “yes, my lady” under his breath before they closed the distance between their lips. The slow, languid kiss seemed to electrify his veins and make his heart sing. He let her take the lead, completely at her mercy but loving every second of it. Felix felt like he was breathing for the first time in his life. His arms, still cradling her so tenderly, tightened incrementally as she melted against him. Marinette’s tongue brushed his lower lip and he met it with his own, deepening the kiss as her intoxicating taste overwhelmed him. She moaned and shifted closer; her hip accidentally rubbing up against his erection. Felix groaned into her mouth before breaking the kiss.

“Marinette…you’re killing me, my dear,” he rasped out through labored breathing. “I’ve never—You don’t know what you do to me.”

“I imagine it’s the same as what you do to me,” Marinette’s voice was thick with emotion but he could see a playful light in her eyes as she pulled her hair free from her ponytail.

She gently pushed him back on the daybed and situated herself above him, his hands naturally sliding down to her hips to hold her steady. Her flimsy coverup gaped open to expose her chest once more but Felix’s eyes were too enraptured with Marinette’s face to care. Her hair, now dry, was tousled and hung down to frame her cheeks in gentle waves. Her eyes sparkled in the late afternoon light, filled with mischief and affection; a dreamy smile spread across her features as she gazed down at him. She took his breath away; he had never seen someone more beautiful than her in this moment. As she leaned down to kiss him again, Felix’s last thought filtered through the desire-fueled haze…

‘…I was wrong, I’m a Marinette-sexual.’

~~~AUTHOR'S NOTES: I like to imagine that Felix will likely have a total meltdown when he finds out Marinette was also Ladybug and has a bevy of tiny room mates (they will all give him the scariest ‘shovel talk’ any person will ever experience in the history of mankind).

References:

~~~First~~~

It all started one day when Lila and her lackeys broke her favorite marking pens. Not that she had any proof, except for the cruel light in Lila’s eyes and the way certain classmates weren’t meeting her eye – and hiding their hands in their laps – as she discovered the mess near the back of the classroom. Marinette had returned to the classroom after lunch and found the set of marking pens that her grandmother given her snapped in half, their vibrant inks smeared into a grotesque brown all over her desk surface. Luckily it wasn’t the whole set, but her favorite colors were in her bookbag for work on a commission… The bluenette hid her glistening eyes, not allowing a single tear to escape, as she began to wipe what she could from the desk. Her only response a silent nod when Madam Bustier, whom assumed it was not caused by someone else, told her that she needed to stay after school to make sure it was properly clean.

Honestly, she was glad to be alone after the last bell rang. The room was empty and silent except for the ticking clock on the wall. It gave her some private moments to let out those tears that she kept hidden – she would never let anyone see her cry from their bullying attempts – while she mindlessly went through the movements of scrubbing the tabletop. The gentle rasping sounds of the cloth against a hard surface and the familiar circular motions, long ingrained from cleaning parts of the bakery, gave the pigtailed girl a sense of Zen. It was oddly calming for all the emotions she had bottled up inside her earlier; at least she would not be visited by an akuma today. When she was finally done, she gathered up the empty cleanser bottle, dirty rags, and mangled pens to dump in the garbage near the teacher’s desk. Marinette gave one last sorrowful look at the pens, recalling all of the designs she had illustrated with them and the joy she had felt receiving them from Grandma Gina… On the bright side, they had not found her precious sketchpad to ruin. The designer wiped her damp cheeks with her jacket sleeve before dropping the pens into the can with a sigh. She trudged out of the class and down the steps, completely missing a pair of calculating eyes that watched her from the shadows…

~~

At the end of the next day, Marinette found a brand-new set of expensive Copic Marking Pens and five Bosco Wood pencils tucked into a simple pink ribbon bow on top in her locker, no note was attached. She looked around, feeling eyes watching her but not seeing anyone standing out in the crowd of random students gathering their things and chatting with friends. She reverently touched the beautiful clear case and hugged it to her chest, a small genuine smile gracing her features as she imagined all the stunning designs she would make, before tucking them safely into her bookbag. Perhaps one of her classmates felt bad for what happened and wanted to remain anonymous for fear of Lila? Whatever the case, these would be safer in her room.

~~~Second~~~

A few days later, Marinette sat at one of the tables in the library during lunch, off in her own world with her headphones playing the latest Jagged Stone single just loud enough for her to block out any passing sounds but low enough not to disturb others. She found it easier to focus on her work not surrounded by her former friends and the kindly librarian allowed her to eat at the tables so long as she didn’t make a mess. Today the designer was working on a dress for Clara Nightingale’s next award show appearance. The overall look was done but the colors… She tapped the end of her new oak pencil against her lips as she contemplated. The margins on the page were filled with tiny smudges of carefully erased notes. She pulled out her phone, looking through various Pantone color chip options through Qwant. Unfortunately, like with all electronics, the inherent settings and hardware capabilities altered the tones just slightly – making the decision even harder.

“I wish I could afford those Pantone Color chips…it would make it so much easier to choose,” Marinette murmured to herself with a sigh. “Perhaps I can buy one with the money Maman’s family will send me for New Year but that’s still months away...”

The five-minute warning bell signifying the end of lunch rang, pulling her from her thoughts. The girl packed her sketchbook and headphones away before sweeping any remaining crumbs and rubber shavings into her empty lunch containers, then headed off to class without a second thought to the other students meandering through the book stacks or lining up to check out something last minute. Her mind was elsewhere, dreaming of which colors would combine best to fit Clara’s style and still wow people on the red carpet, when she knocked into something solid. Marinette’s elbow was caught in a firm grip before she fell backward, finding herself hauled up against a familiar grey vest.

“Hello Angel, did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?” came the smug voice of the other blond boy in her class. Just great. She righted herself with a scoff, rolling her eyes at his ridiculous pick-up line while brushing imaginary wrinkles from her blazer. She knew he was only doing it to get a rise out of her but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of losing her temper.

“Not as much as when they kicked you out of hell, Felix,” she replied sweetly as she pulled away.

“Are you saying I’m hot?” he asked with a predatory grin.

“You’re about as hot as a dumpster on fire and only half as pleasant!” Marinette sing-songed before quickly brushing by him and walked back towards class, missing the playful look on his face as he followed her at a respectable distance. She settled into her seat with a huff, zoning out while Madam Bustier droned on about the Revolution, the girl’s mind lost in the details for Clara’s dress once again.

~~

The next gift unexpectedly appeared at lunch the next day. The librarian called her over and presented a small parcel wrapped in pink striped paper. “This is for you, dear.”

“What? Who…,” began the confused bluenette. She spied a small, unsigned tag with her name on it taped to the top. The tag itself was not handwritten, instead seemed to have been made on a typewriter. Who, besides her Grandpa Roland, even owned one of those anymore?

“Sorry but I don’t have any idea. It was left here with just your name printed on the card while I was busy with a phone call. Seems you have an admirer, dear!” chuckled the librarian as she patted the girl on the shoulder, then went back to sorting a stack of returns for reshelving.

Marinette settled the parcel on her usual table, carefully unwrapping to preserve the lovely paper for another of her crafting projects. She pulled off the lid of the plain white box and unfolded the tissue paper inside – her breath caught in her throat. Inside were four Pantone Color Guide fans for fashion and home design, each with 350 different swatches, in every shade of the rainbow. Her fingers trembled as she lifted one from the safety of its tissue bed, fanning it open with a look of awe. Who had done this? First the pens, now this… She was overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude, her face lighting up with palpable joy as her mind buzzed with questions and plans.

‘I need to take these home, immediately!’ she thought, returning the Pantone guide back to the same spot she had pulled it from. She closed the box and pressed it to her chest as she quickly departed from the library, barely preventing herself from bumping into a student that was about to depart through the doorway. She threw a quick “sorry!” over her shoulder as she ran, only catching a blur of gold hair in her periphery as she exited the school.

~~~Third~~~

A couple weeks later, after the commission for Clara was done, Marinette found herself with some free time on the weekend. Time to find a nice spot to draw! She had planned to wander through the park near her house, but discovered Adrien was doing a photoshoot with Lila. She rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something rotten.  Not that she didn’t still enjoy watching Adrien’s photoshoots – on the contrary, it was fun to see the modeling process and clothes – but the motivation had changed. She had found her feelings for the model fading as time went on; eventually she accepted that it was a temporary obsession rather than love that she felt. Being around him wasn’t as awkward as she expected but she preferred to avoid being around Lila – which meant not hanging out with Adrien as much as he was constantly around her due to his father’s wishes.

She hummed softly and turned on her heel, deciding to seek out another spot that might inspire her. The pigtailed girl wandered along the Siene, giving a friendly wave to Andre the ice cream vendor as she passed and enjoying the light breeze against her cheeks. She decided her time would be best spent at the Luxembourg Gardens – it had been a while since she had visited. Marinette took a deep breath as she meandered along the sunlight paths, surrounded by trees and flowers, the calming effect of the garden and architecture washing over the secret bug-themed heroine with each step. She found a bench near one of the buildings that caught her eye, settling down with one of her drawing pencils and losing herself to the sketching of various designs that began to form in her head. A few gowns inspired by flowers and the stream nearby, jackets and hats noted with colors of the various leaves overhead, but what appeared the most on the pages were men’s three-piece suits with embroidered vests… Marinette paused, gazing at the newest vest she had drawn. Deep twilight blue, bordering on black; with barely imperceptible golden and green abstract detailing that was vaguely reminiscent of peacock feathers.

It reminded her of Felix for some reason – not just the vest itself but the stylization she had added. She glanced up to the building again, taking in the architecture with a discerning gaze. It and part of the surrounding garden was of English design, merging in with the French touches seamlessly. Adrien’s cousin was from London, perhaps that was why it reminded her so much of him… She dropped her gaze back down to the page, her eyes widening as she realized she was unconsciously doodling Felix’s face and shoulders into the vest she had created. It was rough but the sketch – hair, jawline, and the beginning curve of a grin – was distinctively him. Marinette’s cheeks pinked at the realization, hurriedly attempted to flip the page only to discover it was the last sheet. Her book would need to be replaced!

“Well,” she said as she closed and halfheartedly tucked the pad away, “looks like I’ll have to buy a new sketch pad with my allowance next Friday.” With one last look at the beautiful garden around her, she began her journey home through the afternoon crowds. Marinette failed to hear the soft plop behind her as her sketchpad fell from her bag until she was back in her room. She returned to search for it with no luck, lamenting the loss of her work but hopeful that her luck – Tikki’s really – might just bring it back to her. After all, this was why she always wrote her name and address on the inside cover. Someone must have found it and would turn it in!

At school the following Monday and Tuesday, she relegated herself to making little doodles on her notebook’s lined paper. Nothing too serious or professional – little flowers and birds that she remembered seeing at the Luxembourg Gardens, black cats chasing peacocks through a field of flowers, ladybugs on leaves cleaning their antennae or snoozing in a pollen covered pistil bed... She didn’t want to waste a great design on paper that was too thin to accept her bold pencil strokes, not to mention whatever was left would not withstand the colored marker ink without becoming an oversaturated, soggy mess. At one point Marinette caught Felix staring over her shoulder at her drawings during free period; she was so taken aback that she was at a loss for words as his green eyes met hers.

 He propped his elbow on the desk and casually rested his chin in the palm of his hand, his trademark smirk spreading across his face. “Like what you see, Princess? Take a picture, it will last longer.”

Marinette gasped at the audacity and turned away, “No, you simply reminded me of a ‘before’ picture I saw on the TV the other day.”

“Give me a chance and I’ll do more than make you gasp,” he replied close to her ear.

“I’d slap you, but I don’t want to accidentally make your face look any better,” she murmured sweetly, her eyes alight with playful mockery as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. A tingle went up her spine as his breath tickled her ear and they seemed frozen as their gazes met, the moment only being broken by the bell. Without turning her head any further, she heard him chuckle with mirth as he sat back in his seat.

By the end of class on Tuesday, she returned home to find a thick envelope tucked into the mail slot beside their apartment entry in the alleyway. She pulled it out and found yet another typed tag on the front addressed to her. Not wanting to wait a moment longer, she ripped it open right there on the doorstep. She cried with joy when she saw the contents! Inside was her lost sketchpad tied to a brand new one, its cover a pale pink and covered in plum blossoms and irises. Marinette looked up and down the alleyway, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person that had left the envelope, but no one was there. Did she really have an admirer? She blushed as her hand traced the pattern on the cover idly. Whomever they were, they didn’t waste time with cliché gestures of flowers and chocolates… Instead, they seemed very attentive to her likes and hobbies. Every gift was centered around her designing but still found a way to incorporate a personalized touch. She had never felt so special or seen before. A warmth blossomed in her chest at the thoughtfulness this mysterious figure had shown her; this feeling leaving her floating through the rest of the week as if on cloud nine.

~~~Fourth~~~

On Thursday, Marinette sat at her table after lunch and felt something bump against her knee unexpectedly. She shifted and felt something small fall onto her knees. Trying not to look distracted in class, she brought it into her lap proper and held back a squeal as she caught a glimpse of pink striped paper. They must have stuck it to the underside of the table to avoid someone else finding it. The pigtailed girl slowly opened the wrapping, careful to keep it as silent as possible, to reveal a spool of delicate lace edging in a creamy white. She contemplated uses for it and decided she had plenty left over for a little display of appreciation…

Friday morning, she checked herself in the mirror one last time and received the nub’s up from Tikki. Marinette made her way to school and happily skipped up the steps, ignoring the looks she received – didn’t matter to her if they were in envy, anger, or judgement. Let them look! The designer had raised her hair into her Multimouse space buns but pinned small segments of lace around the base of each, giving her a Chun-Li look with her usual red ribbons trailing from each bun. She had paired the look with a red qipao top with a peplum hem, which flared slightly at her hips, over tailored black pants. She had also exchanged her usual pink purse with one covered in upcycled cream colored doilies.

Surprisingly she entered the class with a couple minutes to spare, nearly stumbling into the two blond cousins conversing at the front table. Adrien was the first to see her, his eyes slipping up to her hair as his smile turned warm and fond. “Hey Marinette! I love the new look; did you design it yourself?”

“Hey Adrien! Yeah, just haven’t had the chance to wear it before now. Felt like wearing something new today,” the designer smiled in return, giving him a little twirl. In the meantime, Felix had turned around and standing eerily silent as he stared at her. She could have sworn his ears had turned slightly pink when he finally glanced at her hair. “Cat got your tongue, Felix?” Marinette asked cheekily.

He cleared his throat before he replied. “Can I take your picture so I can show Père Noël what I want for Christmas?”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, “Don’t you know? Only good kids get presents, I’m afraid you won’t qualify.”

“Well, if I must be a Grinch, then I’d rather steal you instead,” Felix stated with a grin.

She leaned in close and dropped her voice low, her eyes taking on a dangerous glint. “I guess I should add ‘body bag’ on my list this year then, because it sounds like you’ll end up in one.” The boy seemed temporarily speechless, so she smirked with victory and headed back to her seat. Vaguely she could hear the imperceptible murmurings of the two blonds get cut off by the bell as she settled in.

Marinette felt – and ignored – Felix’s stare on the back of her head the rest of the day. If she had turned around for even a moment, she likely would have seen the rouged complexion that he was unable to tame in her presence.

~~~Fifth~~~

A week later, after a long day dodging Lila’s machinations and having to stay late to handle Class Representative tasks, Marinette was relieved to find the locker room empty. She mentally ran through the list of books she would need to complete her homework and opened the lock, the door immediately falling open due to an unbalanced package within. Her heart leaped into her chest as she took in the memorable pink stripped paper. The bluenette sat on the bench and brought the package into her lap, noting that it felt soft under the crinkling exterior. Just as she did with the Pantone Guides, she carefully removed the paper. As the last of the tape was peeled and the boundary fell away to reveal the contents, Marinette audibly gasped. There in her lap lay the most beautiful silk she had ever seen, the same shade as the vest she had sketched at the gardens!

She blushed as she thought of the drawing and the image of Felix wearing it in her mind’s eye. She shook her head to free herself from such thoughts. Knowing him, he’d probably think her designs were not worthy enough to be worn. The designer brushed her hand over the material adoringly, unfolding the fabric slightly to gauge the length. There was enough to make a few vests or a skirt or a cocktail dress… Her fingers found a card hidden within the folds and pulled it free. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she read it. Printed in the same font as the others, it simply said:

The vest will only be half as beautiful as you.

~~~Plus One~~~

Marinette spent the next few days sewing the vest and adding the detailing. It now hung on her mannequin as pictured in her sketchpad but…it didn’t feel right. Incomplete. She trudged through school, distracted by the design and what it seemed to be missing. Even Tikki couldn’t calm her or help in any way. The girl wasn’t even sure why she was so focused on it! It wasn’t like she had a way to deliver it to her admirer… she had no way to tell if it would fit him either!

The girl was so unfocused all morning that, when it finally came to be lunch time, she tripped over something on the ground unexpectedly. She groaned from the floor as she brushed her knees off and sought out what item might have caused her fall. In the middle of the walkway was a nondescript black pencil case and – if the solidness she felt through the toe of her flat was any indication – it was full of writing utensils. Marinette grabbed it as she stood up, searching for a tag or name on it to figure out whom to return it to. Nothing was on the outside except for the zipper and a smudge of dirt in the shape of her shoe print. She unzipped it and peered inside, digging her fingers around to loosen the contents. She must have jostled something too hard because pens and pencils popped from the opening and spilled onto the floor.

“Damnit, Marinette…you’re such a klutz,” she muttered as she crouched back down to collect the items, hoping nothing was damaged. She knew how important good pens were. She smiled warmly as she looked at the case, remembering the pens and pencils she had received in her first gift from her admirer…

Just then a pencil caught her eye and she froze; it couldn’t be… As if afraid it was just one of Trixx’s mirages that would evaporate when touched, she reached out slowly and picked it up. There in her hand was a Bosco pencil, exact matches to the ones she had received. Looking around the semi-busy walkway, she quickly gathered up the rest and ran down an empty hall to the supply closet she sometimes used to transform during an akuma attack. The designer knew these came as a matching set of ten and had thought it was odd that she only received five…assuming whomever the giver was that they may have kept the others. She didn’t blame them; these were expensive pencils! She pulled her own pink case out and extracted one of the Bosco pencils to compare it against.

The serial numbers matched.

Marinette gasped and fell to her knees on the floor of the closet, staring at the zippered pouch in shock. “This is…this is my admirer’s case.” She sat dumbfounded for a moment before springing back into action to search for any name that might give away their identity. However, even after emptying it of all further contents, there wasn’t a single thing with initials or contact information. The girl groaned in frustration before carefully replacing the contents and cleaning the dirt from the outside. “I’ll bring it to the office, perhaps they will report it missing to Lost & Found. They brought me back my sketchpad, it’s only fair to find a way to bring this back to them too.”

The designer opened the door and stepped back out into the hall, keeping the case snuggly held against her stomach like a precious artifact, then made her way towards the front office. As she approached, she caught a familiar voice drifting from the open doorway and into the hall, a voice that no longer held the same haughty tone but one filled with anxiety and concern.

“It’s all black with a zipper down the side. Contains several wood drawing pencils and pens which mean a lot to me. Felix Fathom, 01-XX-XX-XXXX. Did you get that?” He paused and she could hear the dulcet voice of their receptionist responding the affirmative. “Thank you. You’ll call me if you find it?” She didn’t wait to hear the answer, instead she ducked into a bathroom nearby and stared at the case as if it had grown legs.

‘Felix is my admirer…he gave me the gifts…this is his case…’ Her mind whirled as it connected the dots. All the times he had shown interest in her drawings and hobbies without calling attention to himself, the times they had bumped into each other in the library or the hallway, the pick-up lines and terms of endearment taking on a whole new meaning as she blushed… He had been there on the cusp of her periphery and paid more attention to her interests than she ever thought he might. And he sounded so worried about losing this case, which contained the matching ones to her set. Then a knowing grin crossed her face – the note cards! She recalled Adrien once mentioning that Felix’s father used to type all of his movie scripts on a typewriter. ‘He did all this…for me?’ Her heart swelled with warmth.

With a flash of brilliance, Marinette suddenly knew just how to finish her design!

But first, she needed to drop the pen pouch off at the front office.

~~

Marinette arrived early the next day and took her usual seat in the empty classroom, deciding to doodle as she waited for others to arrive. Well, one person in particular. Her nerves tingled with the impending confrontation. What if she was wrong? What if he did this as some sick joke? No. She and Tikki had talked through all those issues last night as she hand embroidered the lining with ladybugs flitting between Tudor Roses. It was folded and wrapped in her lap, covered by her jacket.

She heard the sound of his footfall in the hallway and held her breath, forcing her eyes to remain on the paper pad in front of her as she heard those footsteps falter at the doorway. Within a few moments, they restarted and walked up the aisle towards his desk before pausing next to hers. Marinette looked up and met his eyes, noticing he had already dropped his bookbag onto the ground next to his desk on the tier above hers. They were all alone, this was her chance!

“You’re here early, finally decided to be a good example, Miss Class Rep?” Damn him and that smirk!

“On the contrary, I had an important appointment to make this morning.” In one fluid movement she stood, unfolded the vest, and draped it around his shoulders like a cape before he could react.

His eyes widened as he looked down at the material swathed around his torso in awe, his eyes taking on a nervous shadow as they rose once again to her face, “You… How did…”

“You know what that’s made of don’t you?” Marinette’s voice took on a serious tone as if lecturing a student. Her fingers gently fiddled with an edge near his shoulder, pretending to assess the fabric before tucking it beneath his shirt collar. His eyes became searching, but he didn’t reply, his lips parted as if too stunned or unsure to answer.

The pigtailed girl leaned in close to his lips and whispered, “Boyfriend material.” Then closed the distance to seal it with a kiss.

~~~~~~~

Felix Graham de Vanily’s alarm went off at exactly 6:00am and he rose to greet the day with a stretch. He did his morning ablutions before heading to his closet to select his attire – his typical grey vest, dark dress slacks, and white long-sleeved shirt. He preferred a more monochrome palette as it gave him an air of authority and maturity. It helped that it also differentiated himself from his near identical cousin. Felix, the heir to the great Graham Films studio, had dealt with his fair share of grifters and manipulators even without – what did they call themselves again? Ah, yes…Adri-stans. He repressed a shudder as he tugged on a shirt cuff to straighten the sleeve.

He calmly went to the kitchen and retrieved his thermos of mint tea for the day. He basked in the quiet morning, the sound of a ticking grandfather clock’s metronome echoing against the mahogany walls was his only company. Felix preferred the quiet; enjoyed these little moments even if Paris was not where he would consider home. He missed the dreary atmosphere of London, which was perfect for curling up in a blanket in his reading nook to enjoy classic literature. Paris was far too warm, even with the autumn chill in the air. Nothing could compare to the warmth of his reading nook back home.

Once the driver had pulled around, Felix left the quiet house and slid into the backseat with a soft hum. He mentally prepared himself for another day at Francois Dupont. A school full of dullards, mountebanks, and potential exploiters. Not that he gave them any headway in discovering a weakness to take advantage of. He was a Graham de Vanily, they did not cave to pressure or manipulation. They were known for their self-discipline, self-restraint, and ruthlessness to those that tried to attack.

Years of would-be thimbleriggers disguising themselves as friends had resulted in impenetrable psychological walls of steel. While others thought he was condescending or disdainful, Felix viewed himself as the epitome of cool composure. His indifferent and haughty demeanor earned him the nickname of Ice King among those that considered themselves his peers. He was happily homeschooled until their move to Paris. Once settled, his mother had insisted that he should have the same public schooling experience as his cousin and, if possible, repair the rift between them. They were family after all.

The car arrived at the collège and he alighted with a swift nod in thanks to the driver. Heading into the still quiet school, Felix sighed inaudibly as he thought of the unfortunate event that occurred only a few months prior. His callous attitude only became worse when his father died of cancer. He had expected Adrien, a scion of the Graham de Vanily tree, to be supportive but was met with silence. He knew now that it was Gabriel’s fault, but Felix had felt abandoned in his time of need. A weakness like that would not be tolerated. He admitted now that his stunt had been cruel but only apologized to his cousin for acting out. Adrien’s supposed friends that were akumatized did not deserve an apology. They could not even tell their friend from a stranger! Little did he know that he would be stuck with them for however long his mother decided to entertain this schooling idea…

The only other person Felix would deign to apologize was Ladybug for his atrocious behavior towards her. From what he had seen online, she received enough unwanted advances from her own cat partner and did not need his ridiculous actions heaped onto that. Not that Felix had the chance to do so. It’s not as if the heroine of Paris had published her contact information! ‘Unlike Batman, she is not summoned by a spotlight with a bug on it,’ he thought with a chuckle. Plus she was professional and no nonsense during the akuma battles, which Felix respected. He could count the number of people he truly respected on one hand…in fact one of them, begrudgingly and unexpectedly, was in this very school.

He had entered Bustier’s classroom and sat at his desk, pulling out a book to look as if he were reading while other students filtered in slowly. He let his mind wander to the only other person at this school he could respect, not that Felix would admit it to anyone but himself. Who could this person be? Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Sure, he had seen that ridiculous confession video and mocked her, chalking her up to simply be yet another Adri-stan. He had scoffed at the thought that this wisp of a girl was class representative and presumed French schools had lower qualifications. From Adrien’s descriptions of her, she was clumsy, weak, and lacked confidence. Felix would crush her like a bug under his shoe if she tried to wheedle herself into his good graces.

However, Dupain-Cheng proved to be more than he expected…

~~Flashback~~

Madam Bustier beckoned him into the classroom, motioning for him to speak to the class. “My name is Felix Graham de Vanily, cousin to Adrien Agreste, and I’m not your friend. Do not flatter yourselves into thinking I will stoop to your level,” he introduced. He could see his cousin wince at his words and recognized a couple students that had been part of the incident as they began to protest his inclusion. The rest were making faces with varying degrees of anger or shock, except for two students. One was a sausage haired girl in the back that looked entirely too pleased and the other was a familiar dark-haired girl in the second row who seemed to be trying to plaster a polite smile on to her face.

Their teacher’s smile became tight and forced, “Marinette, would you please make sure that Felix is caught up on the notes and give him a tour of the school?” The dark haired, pigtailed girl stammered a bit but was cut off by the teacher before she could form a response, “Great! Felix, Marinette is our class rep and will make sure to take good care of you! Please take the empty seat behind her. Now class, if you will take out the reading…” Felix took his seat and settled in with a small, resigned sigh.

At first break, the bluenette girl met him at the door with an unreadable expression. “Welcome to Francois Dupont, Felix. I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but please call me Marinette. If you will follow me this wa—”

“You look familiar. Where have I seen you before?” Felix interrupted.

The girl smiled to hide a grimace, “I’m sorry, we have not met before. Now, if you would proceed this way, I would be happy to show—"

“Ah, I remember now! You’re the ‘I love you’ girl from the video,” he scoffed rudely. “Pathetic.”

Dupain-Cheng’s shoulders caved forward a bit, as if she were sinking in on herself. “You…you saw that?”

“Pfft, of course. I deleted it off my naïve cousin’s phone. He doesn’t need some gold-digging charlatan or super fan pretending to be in love with him.” Felix replied as he nonchalantly looked around, not noticing as the girl straightened and whirled around to face him until a finger was rudely jabbed into his chest. He followed the pale limb up until he met the eyes of the furious Franco-Chinese girl at the other end.

“Excuse me? I am not a gold digger, a charlatan, nor one of his crazed fans!” The offending appendage prodded his sternum to accentuate every word. The last had been strong enough to force him to take a single step back. Interesting.

“Really? I highly doubt that. Girls like you are just after fame and fortune. I’ve seen it a million times!” Felix rolled his eyes. “Don’t even bother to try to be nice to me in an effort to get to him or to be noticed by Gabriel.”

“For your information,” Dupain-Cheng stated blandly, crossing her arms and stuck a hip out in a defiant stance, “I don’t need your help. My parents are the best bakers in all of Paris, they do business with plenty of powerful people. And, before you even accuse me of using my parents for clout, I’d like to happily point out that I don’t need them to gain notoriety. I’ve won contests and praise from Gabriel Agreste and Audrey Bourgeois for my own designs. I get commissioned by celebrities for my skills on a regular basis. I don’t need to be nice to you to gain anything. I’m trying to be civil because I want to be, even if you don’t deserve it for what you pulled with Adrien’s friends. Not everyone is out to get something from you, Felix.” She took a deep breath and shook her head, her shoulders relaxed, and her voice returned to a pleasant tone but her eyes commanded his compliance. “We only have a few minutes left, let’s do this tour and then we can pretend this never happened.”

Felix watched as she spun on her heel and started the tour in earnest, gesturing towards various features of the school while giving a concise run down of services provided. He blinked a few times and followed. ‘Seems there’s some temerity hidden beneath the cloying exterior,’ a small smirk appeared on his face at the thought. ‘Perhaps school will be less banal than I anticipated.’

~~ End Flashback ~~

They had had several intellectual skirmishes since that first encounter and each time he would provoke her until she volleyed impertinent repartee back at him. She was not intimidated by him or his family name and it left him feeling a little thrill as she always seemed to have a biting retort at the ready. Not only had Dupain-Cheng proven to have stronger character than he expected but she was a competent leader and retained one of the highest GPAs in their grade level. From the few stolen glances at her designs, she was talented as well. The only things he could still criticize was her tardiness, clumsy nature, and lingering crush on his cousin that made her a stuttering mess with only a glance.

Felix pretended to turn the page while he glanced toward Dupain-Cheng’s empty seat. It seemed the tardiness was not going to be resolved today… Just then, the exhausted looking girl in question ran into the room and took her seat as the bell rang. As the substitute teacher started calling attendance, Dupain-Cheng made a loud hiccup that echoed through the room. Felix frowned while he watched her slump into her seat. The rest of the class simply laughed at her antics. He rolled his eyes, ‘at least it’s just hiccups. They should go away soon enough.’

Except the hiccups did not seem to be the common kind normal people had. They seemed to be incessant and frequent. Of course Dupain-Cheng would have the most annoying, over-the-top peculiarity! Each hiccup felt like someone was grating on his nerves; the sound becoming the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard in his mind. As the day progressed, Felix witnessed their classmates betting on and implementing multiple attempts to scare the girl’s hiccups away. At first he found the whole affair hilarious as he expected the class representative to wear down until she would snap and reveal some of that impertinent wit she kept well hidden. Much to his consternation, Dupain-Cheng seemed to take it in stride with a polite smile and dogged yet affectionate look at their attempts. For Felix, however, the commotion their classmates created had the opposite effect: it only increased his ire. Not wanting to attract an akuma, he retreated into the quiet library at lunch to calm his temper. ‘Just a few more class periods,’ he thought wearily, ‘I can persevere through the end of the day.’

Unfortunately for Felix, the hiccups from Dupain-Cheng only continued after lunch and quickly wore down his waning patience. He was ready to snap at her during Literature when her hiccups repeatedly distracted him from his book, he barely managed to smooth out the angry scowl he directed her way before he said something too harsh. He just had to remind himself that these hiccups were ultimately not her fault. She was not doing it with the express purpose of driving him mad. Felix focused on the words of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, once again set himself to the task of ignoring the girl while she huffed in her seat.

At least he tried to do so until free period, when every other student in the class seemed to crowd around and make even more noise than before. Felix nearly ripped the book in half in frustration. They were making Dupain-Cheng do the most ridiculous exercises and tasks in an effort to find a cure for what was ailing her. Was she really standing on her head and drinking water? Lê Chiến even tried to suggest running a marathon! Even Felix was slightly concerned when she tried to hold her breath and nearly fainted, catching herself on the edge of the desk before she could split her head open. Seemed these “cures” were hindering more than helping. It wasn’t until she spilled water on her shirt that she was able to get them to stop. She left during the afternoon break and he basked in the hiccup-less classroom for a moment, for once not minding the usual background chatter of Rossi and Bourgeois. Dupain-Cheng returned right before the bell rang and Felix gripped his pen with each hiccup, his eyebrow visibly ticking with irritation.

~~ Fast forward to the end of school ~~

The final bell rang, Felix delayed his departure in hopes that Dupain-Cheng would leave the school grounds before he needed to meet his driver out front. He held on to his patience and composure by a mere thread. It would not reflect well on his family if he were to overreact or attack the girl in front of the rest of the school for nothing more than a simple annoyance. It was just not done; he was a Graham de Vanily. He finished off the last of his mint tea before replacing the empty thermos in his bag. Taking a deep breath, he exited the classroom and was relieved to not see a pair of dark pigtails anywhere in sight.

Felix walked past Césaire, Lahiffe, and his cousin as they chatted about the Ladyblog. Truly, he could not fathom why his cousin wanted to be friends with these simpletons. As he had already completed his homework at lunch, he did not need to exchange books but he did want to place his borrowed novel into his locker so he could return it in the morning when the library reopened. As he was about to head out, he was disturbed once again by a hiccup and then a soft curse. Felix came around the corner to witness the bane of his existence stuffing a book back into her locker while still hiccupping.

Felix slid closer to Dupain-Cheng as she sleepily shuffled books in her bag and crinkled her brow. He decided to mess with her a little as she had unwittingly vexed him all day. His heart rate sped up; perhaps he could exasperate the girl enough to verbally spar! He slowly stalked towards his prey, keeping his footfalls as silent as possible. ‘What had Adrien called that move from the anime he forced me to watch? Ah, yes, the kabedon maneuver. Let’s see if this will rattle those hiccups out of her.’ He slammed her locker shut with his right hand and watched as she jumped back with no further reaction than a hiccup. He smoothly boxed her in with his body and leaned into her personal space. Surrounding noises seemed to drop down to a dull buzz from their close proximity, like distant cicada songs in summer.

“Your hiccups have been interrupting my peace of mind all day, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” he dropped his voice down low enough so that others would not overhear. With his right hand still firmly planted against the lockers, he lifted her chin with the tips of the fingers from his left. He was close enough to see the tiny smattering of freckles that graced the bridge of her nose and seemed to dance charmingly across her cheekbones. Felix stared into her bluebell eyes, noting for the first time that she had a slightly darker limbal ring around the iris and little flecks that sparkled like silver in the afternoon light. He would bet they would twinkle like stars when she laughed. Her long, curved eyelashes were as dark as her hair and her bone structure was delicate. Dupain-Cheng may not be a refined beauty like his mother, but he would concede that she was beautiful enough to tempt a lesser man. He murmured teasingly, “perhaps there might be one solution you have not yet tried.”

Felix’s gaze flickered to her lips to hint at his meaning, looking deeply into her eyes with the expectation that she would scoff and shove him away at any second. Dupain-Cheng’s breathing seemed to hitch with the smallest, cutest hiccup she had made all day. He watched as unreadable thoughts seemed to flicker through her eyes before she truly did something unexpected: her eyes closed in assent. ‘Is she… Is she calling my bluff?’ Felix wondered with mild dismay. ‘Or perhaps she wishes to make my dear cousin jealous of a little kiss?’ His lips stretched into a small, conspiratorial smile at the thought. ‘Either way, I’m not one to back down from a challenge!’

He leaned in and, for a fleeting second, her warm breath brushed against his face and wrist. With it came the scent of something irresistibly sweet. He felt the tingling sensation of gooseflesh running down his clothed forearm as the very air around them seemed to still with anticipation. With one last push he closed the gap between their lips and Felix felt a jolt of electricity through his whole body. Reality fell away and all that remained was the two of them in this moment. Felix’s whole world seemed to narrow to the girl in front of him, as if he were a compass centering on true north. Dupain-Cheng’s lips were softer than rose petals and the sweet scent seemed to overflow all his senses. It spurred a warmth that seemed to grow within his chest until it enveloped his entire being. It was as if his whole body was wrapped in a cozy blanket. He felt the overwhelming need to bury himself in this feeling!

Felix gave up all pretext of composure and pushed forward with a whisper of a moan, unable to resist seeking out that inexplicable feeling. His lips teased hers as if nibbling on a treat until his teeth raked across her bottom lip. She gasped into his mouth and he swallowed it eagerly, tasting something that was so indisputably her along with the sweet, beguiling scent that was driving him crazy. Felix supped on her lips like a starving man; savoring her like an exotic tea made of the most fragrant flowers. His hand slipped down her jaw to cup her cheek while his arms begged to pull her against him, to give in to this magnetism he felt deep in his bones that pulled him towards Dupain-Cheng. He would wager his entire family fortune that her slender figure would conform to his own, like two neighboring puzzle pieces. He wanted more…

Just as he was about to seek out the tantalizing taste of her mouth, a scandalized noise from the periphery startled him into releasing her. Felix watched as she slowly opened her eyes, noted that they had darkened into the color of the stormy sea and the silver specks flashed like lightning. Oh, how he wanted to drown in their depths! His lips and skin tingled from where he had touched her, as if lingering electricity was arcing between them. His tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip, tasting the residual sweetness captured there. “You taste like strawberries…,” he murmured absentmindedly, not realizing he had said it out loud.

Suddenly the bubble around them burst and he was thrust back into the present. A present where Felix was kissing Dupain-Cheng against the lockers of their school, surrounded by classmates witnessing his complete loss of composure. He quickly slammed down the walls around his heart that had crumbled like sandcastles at high tide. He wrapped himself back up in the supercilious armor that he donned each day to protect against those that sought out any weakness to exploit. He would be damned if any member of the cacophony around them would use the girl as a tool against him.

However, through the whooping and catcalls of the crowd around them, he realized one sound was silent…

Felix pushed away from the locker with great reluctance and stood straight. He addressed the stunned Dupain-Cheng with a satisfied yet mocking smirk. He forced his voice back into his usual haughty tone, tamping down on the trembling of his insides. “Seems your hiccups are gone, mademoiselle. I would appreciate if you would refrain from causing such a disturbance with your hiccups in the future.” He gripped his bag strap with the still tingling fingers, hoping that his classmates would not notice the way his knuckles turned white with the strength of his grasp. Felix then nodded his head towards her and walked away, forcing himself not to look back. He adopted his usual unaffected air, though everything inside him seemed to protest against the expanding distance between them. He just had to hold it together until he could get to the car.

He watched as Césaire glared at him and roughly bumped into his shoulder before running toward Dupain-Cheng, followed by a concerned looking Lahiffe. He broached the doorway to find Adrien in a bewildered state, a mixture of emotions flittering through his eyes. ‘Seems my dear cousin may be conflicted about his dear friend,’ he scoffed under his breath at the thought. ‘I wonder if his girlfriend, Tsurugi, has anything to worry about now.’ Felix hurried down the front steps and into the safety of his family’s awaiting car.

Back in the locker room, a dazed but now fully awakened Marinette rose from the floor with help from her friends. She murmured her thanks distractedly. Ignoring the excited questions and concerned looks of her peers, she evaluated Felix’s reaction to their kiss and wondered if he had felt even a fraction of what she had. Instinctually she followed the pull that led her out to the front of the school just in time to see Felix’s car depart. Only the small bug kwami saw the mischievous light and the steely resolve in her chosen’s eyes as she watched the car leave her line of sight. However, in the recesses of Adrien’s bag, Plagg sensed chaotic energy and shivered with anticipation…

~~ BONUS SCENE ~~

Having to fight an akuma after the incident at school was predictable, so predictable that Marinette transformed in an alleyway nearby before going home. Lila had stomped off with a screech and false tears, muttering something about Hawkmoth. ‘I swear Lie-la is working with Hawkmoth, I just don’t have the evidence to prove it!’ Ladybug thought as she swung along the rooftops in a faux patrol. There was a loud bang and a familiar screech that announced the appearance of Lila’s newest akumatization mere moments before the akuma alert notification popped up on her yo-yo.

Within a few minutes, a distracted Chat Noir had arrived and they were scoping out the area to make a plan. The Embarrassator was an odd opponent. Her outfit seemed to be luchador-esque but she had gained nothing of semblance to a wrestler’s physique. She was seeking out people on the streets, whom she would hit with a ray from a ring on her finger and bring to life their most embarrassing fears. Some felt especially targeted. Ladybug watched as Alya was hit with a ray, transforming her into a fumbling mess that increasingly tripped over her words as she tried to gain information about the akuma. This was obviously linked to Alya’s desire to be a great reporter but what was up with that outfit? Gone were her typical flannel and pants, replaced by a neon green and lavender tux with tails. She looked like a knock-off Riddler from discount comic books!

“Where is Marinette?!” The Embarrassator demanded. “I want to make her suffer!” Chat seemed to stiffen at the akuma’s words, a fiercely protective look in his eyes. She could swear she heard a faint growl come from his throat but was too far from him to be sure.

Ladybug and Chat were heading to their planned positions when a flash of familiar blond hair caught her eye. There was Felix running from the akuma! Her heart rate sped up as she watched him lose ground, mere centimeters from The Embarrassator’s clutches. She changed trajectory and swung down to intercept him, grabbing him just before he hit the ground mid-fall and launching them back into the air until they were a safe distance away. It was not until she set him on his feet that she took in his appearance while he muttered his thanks. Felix’s hair and face were windblown, giving him a tousled bedhead look, but his normal attire was transformed into an orange and hot pink jumpsuit. And…were those clown shoes?

“Did the akuma do this to you?” she asked with a smirk, barely restraining laughter while gesturing to his whole person.

“Yes, and the – HIC! – these dreaded – HIC! HIC! – hiccups!” Felix managed to get out.

‘It seems my hiccups were inadvertently contagious…,’ the heroine mockingly thought to herself. She heard Chat land softly a few meters behind her, likely due to her sudden departure from the plan. He must have finally seen Felix’s appearance because she could hear Chat snicker.

“You try – HIC! – getting hit – HIC! – by that damned – HIC! HIC! – akuma!” Felix yelled angrily, causing Chat to break out into loud guffaws that brought him to tears. Ladybug could see a shift in Felix’s eyes from embarrassed to displeased. She knew now would be the perfect time to get him back for earlier. Before he could bolt, she slammed her hand down onto the plaster of the chimney he was leaned against and boxed him in with her body. He seemed to jump in shock at her sudden actions.

He pressed himself back as he glanced towards her planted hand with a hard swallow, she used her yo-yo to tilt his face back towards her and meet her eyes. Ladybug leaned in and captured his lips in a heated kiss, pouring into it every emotion and sensation she had felt at the end of school. She vaguely heard Chat’s shocked “My Lady!” but she pressed on, devouring his lips with the same ardor that he had shown her in the locker room. Before the prickly boy could respond in kind, she broke away and watched as Felix dazedly chased after her lips. The rooftop was so silent, you could probably hear a pin drop.

“Just returning the favor, monsieur,” she murmured playfully with a confident smirk.

“I… what…” Felix seemed to stumble over his thoughts. She turned and sashayed over to the stunned Chat, bumping his shoulder to help him recalibrate his thoughts. It was time to get back to business. She nodded her head towards an explosion and screams in the distance. Ladybug glanced over her shoulder with a sultry smile and gave a two-fingered salute before launching herself away, leaving behind two confused teenage boys listening to her cry of “bug out!”

A few rooftops away stood a lone figure in blue and white, sipping her to-go cup of cappuccino. She stuck to the shadows to remain unseen by mini-bug and baby-cat; the less they knew about her mission, the better. Her long ears twitched as she watched Felix Graham de Vanily stumble a bit on the fire escape and mutter to himself as he walked away with a red face. The future hero glanced down at her pocket watch with a wicked grin. “Looks like this timeline is on the correct path again. The probability of Risk has been neutralized.” She called for her burrow and disappeared through the time portal. Bunnyx knew from personal experience that it would not be until much later that evening, after the akuma had been purified, that Tikki would remind her chosen that she was not Marinette when she kissed Felix on that rooftop.

The subsequent freak out could be heard for a two kilometer radius…

~Author's Notes: In the bonus, Risk is in reference to the akuma in the episode 'Risk', where Felix steals/trades the Miraculous to Hawkmoth.

I blame Pamela Aiden's Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy for inspiring me to write a different POV for this. I wanted to play around with some cannon divergence and give insight into the mind of our favorite grumpy blond boy. Really tried to channel his attitude and superiority to change the tone of the writing. I also wanted to show just how much kissing Marinette wrecked him. I hope you enjoyed it.

PS: This was actually my first ever attempt at fanfiction writing. It caused me to write all the others I've since posted here.

~~~~~~~

Marinette started the morning like any other: late. Slamming her hand down on the alarm clock to shut off the blaring sounds it was making, she fell out of bed with a dull thump followed by a soft groan. As she stared through the angles of her twisted limbs caught in her blanket, Marinette acknowledged she was far more tired this morning than usual because of the one thing that she could not miracle away as Ladybug and had never found a solution for. The plague upon her life that she suffered from for years. The menace known as…

“HIC! Ugh, why did I have to have – HIC! – hiccups?” Marinette groaned as she sat up and untangled herself from the uncomfortable position she had fallen into.

Tikki flew over the teen piled on the floor and chimed, “Marinette, you’re going to be late!”

“I know, Tikki, but – HIC! HIC! – you know I’ve been up all night dealing with these hiccups. I’m so – HIC! – tired. Argh!” She threw her hands up in surrender and stumbled toward the bathroom to get ready.

The little red kwami, having experienced Marinette’s hiccup fits before, giggled a bit at her chosen’s morning antics. However, with a near tumble down the stairs and quick pitstop in the bakery below to grab cookies for Tikki, they were on their way in fifteen minutes. If she rushed, they would make it before the bell! Marinette sprinted to school, hiccupping through huffed breathing as she managed to slide into her seat just as the bell rang. Luckily for her, Madam Bustier was out sick that day and the substitute was still searching through their paperwork to find the attendance sheet.

“Girl, don’t tell me you have the hiccups?” Alya asked in a whisper.

“Hey – HIC! – Alya. Yeah, I didn’t sleep at all because I – HIC! – kept waking up all night,” whispered back the exhausted teen.

“Did you try drinking a glass of water? That always settles my hiccups,” replied Alya.

Marinette opened her mouth to reply when she was interrupted by yet another set of hiccups. Nino decided to intervene on his childhood friend’s behalf. “Mari’s hiccups are legendary, babe! Nothing cures them! One time in fifth grade her hiccups lasted a whole week before they went away.”

It was then that the substitute hushed the class and started roll call. Marinette tried to call ‘present’ when her name was announced but was only able to raise her hand as yet another loud hiccup escaped her mouth and echoed around the classroom. As the class began to giggle, she felt mortified and resigned herself to the embarrassment that would be her life today. Adrien spared her a pitying glance and small smile over his shoulder, Marinette melted a bit as she shyly waved in acknowledgement. ‘He’s so sweet, too bad his smile doesn’t cure my hiccups. At least he’s not laughing at me. Maybe today won’t be so bad?’ Marinette thought hopefully.

The class was quickly shushed, handed a History worksheet that they could work on in pairs, and told they could socialize quietly if they finished their work early that period. Marinette turned to Alya and got to work. Marinette wasn’t looking forward to attempting to talk through her hiccups, but she wouldn’t mind trying to catch a short nap during their downtime. Unfortunately for her, their classmates were never going to allow the poor girl to rest when they had a cure to find! Thus, during the last 30 minutes in the period, Marinette found her desk surrounded by her friends inquiring about her hiccups and tossing remedy ideas around.

“Mari, have you tried holding your breath?” Kim asked. “Always works for me!”

“Bet my cure for hiccups will work and yours won’t,” challenged Alix.

“Guys, maybe – HIC! – don’t bet on – HIC!” started Marinette.

“You’re ON!” readily agreed the jock as if Marinette had not just spoken.

‘This is going to be a long day…,’ thought Marinette tiredly.

The day passed slowly, punctuated by random jump scares at lunch and unending suggestions from every classmate for solutions to her plight. Each suggestion was followed by Max calling out the probability of success as calculated by Markov. Well, almost every classmate was invested... Felix, as usual, was attempting to enjoy his book and ignore the hubbub around him. Marinette had caught a glimpse of him scowling at her for a fit of hiccups that interrupted the quiet reading time during Literature class. However, as soon as the look was given and before she could attempt to whisper an apology, Felix’s face returned to the indifferent mask he always wore and buried his nose back into his book. The girl huffed softly and went back to drowsily staring at the page of increasingly jumbled words.

Much to her disappointment, her classmates’ never-ending exuberance to help with her hiccups left Marinette without a single moment to rest and, as each hour dragged on, the little energy she had waned even further. All she wanted to do was lay her head down for a few minutes! However, during their free period, her classmates kept piling on the suggestions until she finally sleepily acquiesced to attempting these supposed “cures.” Alya kept a list of their tests and the results:

Jump scare(s), failure.

Breathe into a paper bag, failure.

Running a marathon. (“Really, Kim?”)

Slowly drink a full glass of water, failure.

Pull knees to chest and lean forward, failure.

Swallow granulated sugar, failure.

Bite into a lemon, failure.

Hold your breath (until she nearly fainted), failure.

Practiced measured breathing, failure.

Squeezing your nose while swallowing water, failure.

Stretching her solar plexus, failure.

Standing on your head and drinking water upside-down, failure.

Holding your breath and swallowing three times, failure.

Gargling cold water, failure.

After the last failed attempt ended with water spilling on her shirt from a wayward hiccup mid-gargle, Marinette held up her hands in defeat and stopped. The bell had rung and there was a brief break that she wanted to go retrieve a spare shirt from her locker. ‘Just a couple more periods until school is over,’ she thought as she dragged herself downstairs to her locker. ‘Hopefully there won’t be an akuma attack before these go away! How embarrassing would it be to have hiccups as Ladybug? Chat would never let me live it down!’

Marinette felt Tikki’s little reassuring pats through her purse as yet another strong hiccup popped up mid-yawn. She whined softly at not even being able to yawn without hiccupping. She pulled out the white athletic shirt and quickly exchanged the two with a sigh, making sure to refresh her lip gloss and straighten her pigtails before heading back to class. ‘At least P.E. isn’t until tomorrow,’ she thought, ‘maybe my luck is turning around and these hiccups will stop soon!’

~~ Fast forward to the end of school ~~

The final bell rang, chattering students poured from the classroom and out into the open air. Marinette was so exhausted that she moved in a sleepy trance, dragging her feet and swaying like a ship in a storm. ‘I’ll probably sleep right through my hiccups and an akuma alert at this point,’ she giggled deliriously at her thoughts. Luckily Alya just gave her an amused look while she grabbed Marinette’s elbow to keep the tired girl from falling on her face and guide her through the bustling halls. Once in the locker room, Alya gave her friend a gentle push down the correct aisle before meeting up with Nino and Adrien near the doorway.

Marinette opened her locker to exchange books for the homework due tomorrow. ‘Physics and French Literature? Shoot, did I need anything else?’ Her brow wrinkled with the concerted effort to recall the homework through the sleepy haze of her mind. She pulled a textbook from the shelf, only to have another tumble down when a powerful hiccup jostled her entire body. She cursed under her breath and quickly bent to pick it up, tossing it back into the locker while clutching the needed textbook to her chest so she wouldn’t drop it as well. Just as she turned away to recheck the books in her backpack, a shadow was cast over her feet. Marinette didn’t think much of it until her locker door was slammed shut, causing her to jump back against the next locker with a startled hiccup. She glanced up to find Felix leaned over her.

“Your hiccups have been interrupting my peace of mind all day, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” his voice sounding strangely sultry in the low but dismissive tone he was using. Felix’s right hand was firmly planted against the shut locker door, he had angled his body to face her square on and leaned slightly forward until their faces were close together. So close that she could see little flecks of gold in his green eyes and was momentarily stunned speechless by the intensity of his gaze. He gently lifted her chin with his left hand and his voice dropped down to a teasing murmur, “perhaps there might be one solution you have not yet tried.”

Everything seemed to slow and quiet around them in this moment. She could smell his cologne, the starch from his clothes, and the minty scent of his breath. Felix’s gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips as if asking for permission. If she had not been staring into his eyes, she might have missed the movement entirely. Marinette’s breath hitched with a small, almost imperceptible hiccup as her eyes started to close on instinct to his closeness. ‘Is this really happening?’ She thought. ‘No, the real Felix wouldn’t kiss me. This must be a delusion brought on by an akuma or lack of sleep. Wouldn’t hurt to be curious if this is just a dream though…’ She missed the tiny, conspiratorial smile that graced his lips before he leaned forward, closing the distance between them.

The world seemed to fall completely away as their lips met in a chaste kiss, sending an electric tingle down her spine. A rush of warmth blossomed in her chest. ‘What is this feeling? His lips are so soft,’ Marinette thought. Felix pushed forward slightly and deepened the kiss with a breathy moan. His lips teased hers until he gently bit her bottom lip, causing her to softly gasp into his mouth. Her fingers tightened their hold on her textbook in response, gripping it closer to anchor herself to the ground while her heart tried to flutter from her chest. The kiss was unexpectedly tender yet hungry, as if finding water after a long walk through the desert; firm yet gentle, like the softest satin fabric she had ever touched. The grip on her textbook began to falter as Felix’s hand started to slide down her jaw to cup her cheek. Her fingers itched to touch him. Before she could let go of the book to cave to the need to pull him in closer, a scandalized cry from their periphery broke through the quiet that had engulfed them.

The boy tugged on her lip lightly as he pulled back and she shivered as his warm hand left her skin. Marinette opened her eyes slowly as if breaking a spell. Looking up at the boy with wide eyes and her mouth still hanging slightly open, her bottom lip swollen from his gentle ministrations. His eyes were soft and he sported a surprised expression. His tongue darted out to lick at her transferred lip gloss now adorning his own. “You taste like strawberries…,” he murmured absentmindedly, just loud enough for her to hear.

With that statement, sound and time seemed to return to normal in an instant. From the corner of her eye, she could see a shocked Nino holding back an angry looking Alya ready to go on the warpath. Next to them, Adrien seemed to be confused and distraught over what he had just witnessed happen to his ‘very dear friend.’ Marinette’s face and neck grew hot as reality came crashing back but she couldn’t find any words to speak, let alone think, as if Felix had stolen that ability from her with his kiss. All she could do was stare at the boy in front of her while students hollered and whooped around them. Marinette.exe has stopped working.

However, one sound in particular was completely silent…

A smug and aloof look returned to Felix’s face as he pushed off from the locker where his hand had been and stood straight. “Seems your hiccups are gone, mademoiselle. I would appreciate if you would refrain from causing such a disturbance with your hiccups in the future.” The statement was delivered in his usual haughty, mocking tone. With that he gripped his bag strap, slightly nodded his head towards her, and walked away looking completely unfazed by what had just occurred. In his wake he left a flustered and speechless girl leaning against the lockers for support, staring off into the space he had just inhabited. Her knees shook before she slid down to the floor, her textbook sliding from her numb fingers. She was immediately swarmed by friends barraging her with questions she was unable to answer. She just needed a minute. Or twenty.

No one noticed nor paid attention to the smug looking Felix as he retreated from the building and got into his family limo. Once in the quiet protection of the tinted car, his hand touched his lips with trembling fingers and his breathing became slightly uneven. His ears turned pink as he recalled every second of the kiss in agonizing detail. A kiss that, while originally meant to be in jest, had affected him more than he would ever admit. ‘Marinette…,’ his mind whispered longingly to him. Felix’s left hand tightened its grip on his bag. He involuntarily gazed back towards the front of the school to catch a glimpse of her stumbling out in a daze as his car pulled away.

~~ BONUS SCENE ~~

The akuma should have been expected after what happened at the end of school. Lila became enraged about the kiss and having to watch their classmates positively fawn over Marinette. There was no way for the liar to twist this into making her look good nor gain sympathetic attention. It was completely predictable really. What was NOT predictable was that, when Lila, now called The Embarrassator, switched targets when she could not find Marinette.

‘Great! The first time I’ve been the target of an akuma while NOT impersonating my cousin!’ Felix thought. He hoped Ladybug didn’t still hold a grudge for that attempted kiss months ago. It’s not like he had the ability to apologize to the bug-themed heroine but he regretted it now. If she decided to spite him, he was probably going to suffer until that annoying cat boy destroyed the akumatized object. ‘I just wanted a quiet evening trip to the library to get a new book! Is that so much to ask?’

Felix saw an opening and bolted from his hiding place to try to get around the corner without being noticed by The Embarrassator. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side. He heard the akuma’s cackle before her ray hit him in the back. Immediately he was wracked with hiccups, coughing between fits in an attempt to bring air to his seizing lungs. He barely noticed his clothes had transformed into an atrocious orange and hot pink jumpsuit with oversized shoes before he was running again, the akuma hot on his heels. He managed to make it about two blocks when his shoe caught on a crack in the pavement and he fell.

Within seconds, and before he could hit the ground, he was airborne. Wrapped in a slender red polka-dotted arm that held him over a petite shoulder like a mere sack of potatoes. The wind whipped at his hair and face, leaving him a disheveled mess. ‘Just great,’ he thought, ‘this can’t get any more embarrassing.’ They landed on a rooftop many blocks away from the akuma and he was set onto his feet. He stumbled back against a nearby chimney to regain his bearings from the sudden flight by magical yo-yo and hiccupped through a clipped but grateful response for being rescued.

Ladybug took in his appearance and a smirk grew across her face. “Did the akuma do this to you?” She asked, gesturing to his outfit.

“Yes, and the – HIC! – these dreaded – HIC! HIC! – hiccups!” Felix replied with exasperation. He saw Chat Noir land near the edge of the rooftop a few meters behind Ladybug as if waiting for her cue. The cat took one look at Felix and began uproariously laughing. “You try – HIC! – getting hit – HIC! – by that damned – HIC! HIC! – akuma!” Chat laughed even harder, tears beginning to form at the corners of his mask.

Ladybug was smug but quiet, her eyes seemed calculating yet sparkled with humor. Before he could even hiccup out a scathing remark or head toward the fire escape with his tattered dignity, a bright red glove landed with a loud thud against the chimney next to his head. His eyes widened with surprise as the lithe Ladybug executed a perfect kabedon maneuver. He pressed his back and the palms of his hands into the plaster of the wall behind him. He glanced up to her hand and was gobsmacked as he noted small cracks had formed at the point of impact. ‘Blimey! Just how strong is she? Did she pull her punch before?’ Felix wondered, suddenly feeling the phantom sensation of the punch from their prior interaction. She still had her yo-yo in her free hand and used the edge to tip his face to look at her. Once he met her commanding blue eyes, he was powerless to look away. ‘Her eyes…they remind me of…’

With that last fractured thought and no warning, her lips met his in a heated kiss. From the edges of his mind he heard Chat Noir’s shocked exclamation of “My Lady!” But Felix? He was lost to the sensation of Ladybug’s lips on his own, drowning in the torrent of confusing emotions that bubbled up in his chest. Her lips moved possessively and all he could do was hold on to the chimney as she claimed his. However the kiss ended as suddenly as it started, leaving Felix with a dazed, half-lidded look as he leaned forward slightly to instinctively chase her departing lips.

“Just returning the favor, monsieur,” she murmured playfully as she straightened with a smirk.

“I…what…,” began Felix, his brain still a jumble.

He watched numbly as she sashayed over to a shocked Chat Noir, whose jaw hung wide open. Bumping him with her shoulder, she motioned with a nod of her head towards an explosion and screams in the distance. She gave a two-finger salute and a wink over her shoulder to Felix before launching herself off the roof. With a confident call of “bug out!” she swung out of sight. He witnessed Chat look dumbly off towards the retreating figure of his Lady before glancing confusedly back at Felix. He swore he heard Chat mutter something about kisses and bluenette ladies in his life. Chat physically shook himself and abruptly jumped off the side of the roof without a second glance at the flabbergasted Felix.