Moving On?

Rooting Out the Problem

*Updated 3/19/24*

There wasn't much left of lunch once Felix returned to the group, but for the short while left of it, Adrien was nowhere to be seen.

As the ring of the bell echoed throughout the school halls, Alya and Nino made their way back with the crowd back to class, not questioning it when Marinette grabbed Felix's arm as he went to stand up.

Quickly, he snapped his head around to Marinette, sitting down back in his seat. Finally, she gathered up enough strength to take her hood off. Patting down the baby hairs that stood up on the top of her head.

Patiently, Felix watched the whole thing. He couldn't help but feel honored, along with a fluttery feeling in his stomach, at the thought that she trusted him enough to do this in front of him.

"Last night, after the akuma, while I was making sure Chat Noir's injuries hadn't gotten worse than they already are, he told me that he wanted to tell me who he is under the mask. That he had a reason for visiting me at the beginning, but that he shouldn't have done it in the first place. That it was an abuse of his power..." Marinette told Felix.

He was trying to take deep breaths, needing to calm himself from the extent of his cousin's idiotic notions.

"... but quickly, he realized that showing his identity was wrong, and- and-" she started saying, but began to get choked up.

"Hey, it's ok, take a deep breath", Felix told her with a comforting hand on her shoulder. Together they breathed in, then out, in, then out.

"Thanks Felix," she said, giving him what resembled a small smile. Continuing on with her story, she said, "and then he told me he couldn't visit me anymore. Not for a long time, till whatever he needs to sort out gets sorted out."

At least now Felix could be at ease that somewhere in that model brain of his, Adrien had enough common sense to know when enough is enough.

Felix saw as a single tear fell down her cheek. Gently, he wiped it away with his thumb. "Hey, it'll be ok. You'll see him again someday. I know you know that," he told her.

Yet it didn't seem to ease her worries. "But what if I don't?! He's already injured as it is, and what if it gets worse and he gets into serious trouble! What if something happens to him? What if I never see him again?!", all her deepest fears about the situation at hand began to surface.

"Marinette, I can say with full confidence that if anything were to happen to him, he'd somehow find a way to get you to know about it. Whether that's as you, or as you in a polka dotted onesie" Felix told her.

His genuinity with his words helped to ease the worries in her mind. At least enough to help her get back to class.

...

Already in the classroom, Adrien waited what felt like an eternity for Felix and Marinette to make it back. As much as he wished to go back to the cafeteria after him and Felix's chat, deep down, he suspected that until he makes things right, him being there is serving no good for the bluenette.

With his sensitive hearing, two pairs of footsteps could be heard, the sound stopping right outside the door. Quickly sitting up in his chair, Adrien cursed himself for forgetting about his injury. The soreness still very present.

When the door opened, he diverted his attention back to the two. Seeing Marinette, really seeing her, with the hood off was infinitely more difficult than he ever thought it would be. Last night's scene replaying over and over in his head, reminding him of all the shitty things he's done.