Worth It

Chapter 17

She's drifting off again. Marinette's eyes haven't blinked open in a few minutes now. She insisted on watching a movie but was now resting her head on Felix's shoulder.

Felix connected the dots about halfway into the movie after watching her slowly close her eyes and let her head roll, only to startle herself awake a few minutes later. This has been happening on repeat ever since the movie started. He tried to wake her up but she wouldn't budge. He couldn't move about too much because Holly was still asleep in his arms.

Instead, he just sighed and focused on the movie again allowing the two girls to sleep. If his other friends saw him now, they'd find this situation hilarious and he wouldn't hear the end of it.

The movie finished and Felix wanted to get up so he could place Holly down in the Moses basket that her mother had left.

As he tried to get up, however, Marinette gripped onto his arm. He hadn't even noticed that she had been holding onto him. Her face was scrunched up in discomfort and her breathing seemed to have quickened.

"No..." she mumbled softly but loud enough for Felix to hear, "you can't take them too... liar... I- I won't... you... please,"

He noticed the tears that slipped out of her tightly closed eyes, "believe me,"

She was having a nightmare, Felix concluded.

"Dupain-Cheng?" Felix tried to shake her enough not to disturb Holly, "Dupain-Cheng, wake up!"

"I didn't do it.... I'd never... don't hurt m.... Begging you... I can't take it!"

"Marinette!"

Marinette jolted her head up. She looked around frantically, fear evident in her blue eyes. She became aware of where she was, remembering she was in Felix's house. She hid her face in her hands, shaking, softly crying.

Felix got up but Marinette grabbed his shirt, "Don't leave. Please?" She wasn't looking at him.

"I'm not leaving. I just want to put Holly in the Moses basket ok?"

Marinette's grip tightened a little before she nodded and let go. Felix gently put Holly to bed, thankful that she didn't wake up. He sat back down next to marinette who still looked scared from whatever she was dreaming about.

"Do you... want to talk about what that was?" He asked cautiously.

"It was a nightmare. I'm sure you could tell. I haven't had one in a few weeks now,"

"You had them before?"

Marinette nodded, "Ever since... I don't want to burden you with my past Felix. It's not something you should be concerned about. I'm not sure you'd care either,"

The blonde already knew what she was talking about. He was a little shocked and hurt that she thought he wouldn't care but at the same time, he understood why she would think that way despite their previous relationship.

"Why wouldn't I care?" He asked, "Look at me,"

Marinette sniffed and looked up at him, "I-I don't know. It's just-"

"I know you were bullied before,"

Marinette's eyes widened, "w-what? How do you know that?"

"I found out myself. By mistake. I was snooping when I shouldn't have. Your old diary that had all those sketches in as well,"

"Oh..."

"Listen, I apologise. I had only read a page, I couldn't go any further but-"

Marinette lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Felix's middle and hid her face in his chest causing him to gasp in surprise. He didn't expect the sudden action.

He chuckled nervously, "Are you... are you not going to yell at me or something? I invaded your privacy Marinette,"

Marinette sniffed, " I know. I want to be mad but... I feel more relieved than anything. like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It was hard to keep this from you guys y'know,"

"Relieved?"

He felt Marinette nod, "I hated hiding my past from you guys but I wasn't ready to trust you guys yet. I've been betrayed by so many I just wasn't sure,"

"I understand," Felix replied softly, placing an arm around her shoulders, "and the nightmares?"

"I dreamt that Lila took you guys away from me too. The way you guys looked at me. The way that y-you looked at me. I-It hurt me. So much," she sobbed, "it felt so real this time. You guys looked at me with such disdain like my old classmates while Lila looked smug and victorious from behind," Marinette explained. She then proceeded to talk a little bit about Lila and how she took everyone apart from Chloe, kagami and her parents. How she wouldn't have moved schools if it wasn't for Chloe sending an application to move. How his damn cousin had told her not to expose Lila and how she was at fault that the dynamics between the class has changed.

"Well, all I can say to you is that those people were never your friends. This also explains why you seemed a little taken aback when I said I'd pay for the dress. I can't believe you did so much for such ungrateful people for free,"

Marinette let out a bitter laugh, "Neither can I to be honest. Gosh, I was such a pushover,"

"Yes, you were,"

Marinette rolled her eyes but smiled. She was feeling much better.

"Also, we aren't foolish enough to believe lies like the examples you told me. And even if they sounded somewhat believable, we know what fact-checking is. You are also not the type to bully someone. You are too nice,"

"That's nice to hear. Especially from you Felix. I'm really glad we get along now and are able to have moments like this," Marinette said with a sleeping tone.

Felix couldn't help but smile a little, "so am I Marinette,"

"I'm also glad you're finally saying my first name rather than my surname,"

Felix blushed at the realisation. He hadn't quite noticed he wasn't calling her Dupain-Cheng.

"I guess that solidifies our amazing friendship then huh?" Marinette softly giggled. though she wasn't looking at him, her heart swelled with joy when he finally called her by her first name and she couldn't help but hold him a little tighter.

Felix didn't bother answering. Instead, he continued to let her hold onto him. It's what she needed. The last time he was in a situation like this was when he comforted his mother after his father passed.

Marinette eventually fell asleep again. Felix carefully untangled himself from her and let her lay comfortably on the sofa.

He cleared up the mess in the living room and took anything that needed washing to the kitchen so he could clean them. As he did so, he couldn't shake off the tight feeling in his chest as his heart thumped against it. It irritated him because he didn't know what was wrong with him. It only happened if Marinette invaded his thoughts.

"Damnit," he sighed as he dropped Holly's bottle he was in the middle of washing back in the sink. He couldn't focus like this.

He took his phone from his pocket and called the first person that came to mind.