#Marinette can play | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nobodyfamousposts · 1 year ago

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Imma just add to this...

Well now, this wouldn’t do.

It was a long moment‘s pause as Felix watched everyone, contemplatingly.

“I do have to wonder,“ he stated carefully. “Since he has taken it upon himself to publicly reveal details of the private incident without the consent of the other party, did he also mention that at the time she slapped him, he had taken hold of her arm and refused to let her go despite her repeated requests to release her?“

That got everyone’s attention.

“Wait what?“ Alya asked.

Adrien, for his part, paled considerably.

Felix did not smirk or show the slightest indication of satisfaction. He merely continued.

“It just so happens that I was passing by at the time of the incident in question. By the time I entered the hallway, Agreste had grabbed Dupain-Cheng by the arm rather forcefully from what I could see, and refused to release her despite her pleading for him to. All things considered, her slapping him may have had more to do with that than any upset over a rejection.“

Adrien realized just how bad this looked as all the classmates turned to him in varying states of shock.

“He did what?!” Alya shouted, spinning on Adrien in a fury.

“Dude!” Nino exclaimed.

“So he didn’t mention that?” Felix asked with false surprise. “I can’t imagine why. Adrien Agreste is honest, after all.”

The others turned to Adrien, confused from Felix’s claims and waiting for his take.

How typical, Felix thought. They wait to hear his side of the story but don’t offer the same consideration for Marinette before making assumptions and jumping to conclusions.

“I was just trying to help!” Adrien insisted. “I was trying to get Marinette to agree to leave Lila alone! I was trying to help!”

“You don’t do that by grabbing someone when they're telling you to let go, man!” Ivan admonished. “That’s wrong!”

“It’s no wonder she slapped you then. I would have punched you if you'd grabbed me.” Alix bit out.

Adrien held up his hands, placatingly. “But I was trying to help! This whole mess has gotten out of hand and I just wanted to resolve things peacefully!”

Felix tapped his chin with a finger, looking thoughtful.

“Then answer this, Agreste. Is Rossi or is she not lying?”

Adrien hesitated.

Lila proceeded to sob into her hands, likely in yet another attempt to cause a scene and distract from the current situation.

“Felix!” Nino shouted.

“It’s a simple question.” Felix defended, arms raised. “Dupain-Cheng said she saw Ladybug out Rossi in an incident at the park. Surely, Agreste would know about the incident in question—seeing as how he was apparently there when Ladybug called Rossi out in front of him per Dupain-Cheng’s report. If he answers, at least then we would know for sure where he stands.” He finished, giving Adrien a glare.

That was what it all came down to, wasn’t it? If Adrien was really on Marinette’s side—or in any way cared about honesty or that his friends were being manipulated…then when push came to shove, he would tell the truth that Lila was a liar. But if he refused to admit it—despite everything…then at least Marinette would know for sure that he wasn’t her friend, nor someone she could trust, and finally break away from him for good.

And Adrien knew it, too, given how scared he looked.

Perhaps it was cruel of Felix to push things this direction. There would only be two ways this could go, and neither would given Adrien the "peace" he wanted. But the outcome would entirely be of Adrien's own making here.

“This is a moment of truth, Agreste. No take backs. No halfway ‘I’m on your side but’. Has Lila Rossi been telling lies? Yes or no?“

“I…I…” Adrien stammered, glancing around the room fearful, as if hoping someone would step in. “I—I mean, of course—”

“Bear in mind,” Felix continued, “that you won’t be coming back from this. If you say she isn’t a liar, and then it’s eventually revealed that she is, everyone will remember this and will remember that you defended her and lied to them yourself to protect her. And I’m not sure they will forgive you for that. I know I won’t.”

Felix stepped forward.

Adrien hesitated, noticing the growing number of eyes falling on him. “I…”

Felix shook his head. “But if nothing else, at least Marinette will know where you stand. She will know that you aren’t a friend in any meaning of the word.”

“Or he’ll show that he’s just not willing to put up with such mistreatment of one of his friends!” Nino insisted, coming to Adrien‘s defense.

Felix shrugged. “That would be news to me. Tell me, when did he ever defend you from Bourgeois? Or anyone, for that matter?”

That got a response, as several of the classmates either looked away anxiously in realization or looked specifically to Adrien as if in an attempt for him to refute Felix’s claim.

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t and he knew it.

“Stop it, Felix! You’re clearly pushing Adrien for a specific answer.” Alya exclaimed angrily.

“One of two.” Felix corrected. “If he admits she’s a liar, then we can stop enabling Rossi’s ludicrous storytelling and put an end to her obvious digs at the Dupain-Chengs that have clearly been setting her off. A peaceful, happy ending where everyone is finally on the same page and able to work together instead of being pitted against each other based solely on one person’s word.”

Everyone glanced at one another, uncertain. Lila, for her part, actually appeared nervous, though she tried to hide it.

Felix seemed to be fully aware of the effect he was having, as he smirked and gesture to Adrien. “If he denies it and proclaims Rossi is as innocent as a newborn, then he will need to explain to Dupain-Cheng why he lied to her that he was on her side all this time.” He stated casually, before his eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. “And I will find some satisfaction in knowing that everything I ever thought about him is true.”

Adrien shook his head, helplessly.

“I…I didn’t lie—”

“Didn’t you?” Felix asked, coldly. “What was it you told her? ‘As long as you and I know the truth?’ That certainly sounds like an admission to me.”

It certainly seemed to sound like an admission to the rest of the class as well, as they all stared at Adrien in some form of confusion and growing betrayal.

Felix sighed. “Which is a lie all its own. Because there is no other word for it when you tell someone that you have their back only to abandon them when they look to you for the support you promised them.”

“I was just trying to—”

“Not to mention,” Felix continued, smiling like a viper, “You neglected to mention to your classmates the full story of your altercation. Only telling them enough to keep you firmly in the victim position. How you were cruelly slapped by the ‘evil bully Marinette’ for not giving her the answer she wanted to hear instead of the fact that you grabbed her arm,” here, he outright glared at the other boy, “hard enough to leave marks, by the way, which is technically assault—and refused to let her go despite her telling you to. Several times.”

“Wait—he did what?!”

Several of the girls looked outraged. A few of the guys looked green.

“I didn’t do that!” Adrien insisted. Because he…he hadn’t held her that hard, right? “Marinette, tell them!” Because surely she’d defend him, right? She liked him. They were friends! She was always willing to support him before!

That made everyone look to the other girl.

Alya for her part spun to Marinette in shock and worry. “Girl?!”

Marinette winced, clutching her arm and remembering just how tight the grip was. “I…well…I mean…”

Alya didn’t wait for a full answer, coming up to the girl and reaching for her arm. She hesitated, looking up at Marinette for permission. “Let me?”

Marinette was never good at hiding things from her friends, and held out her arm for Alya to see. Alya cautiously lifted the presented sleeve and gave a hiss at the sight of the markings that were still there in the shape of fingerprints. It was light—clearly healing. But it was there.

“Adrien!” Alya shouted, turning on the boy in a fury.

He waved his hands. “I didn’t know! I just didn’t want her to leave until we agreed—”

“That was no reason to grab her and even less reason to not let her go the instant she told you to!” Alya raged.

“And isn’t it convenient that you left that particular detail out of your story?” Felix added, tapping his chin. “I would almost say you did it on purpose. As if you had been lying, if only by omission.”

Adrien winced but shook his head insistently. “I…I didn’t!”

“Of course you would say that.” Felix replied sarcastically. “You’ll defend yourself but speak nothing in defense of your actual friends to protect their tormentors.”

“Dude! Don’t say it like that!” Nino exclaimed, resting a hand on Adrien’s shoulder in support. “Adrien never abandoned us!”

“Is it really so impossible to consider?” Felix questioned. “After all, he’s done this before.” He shrugged, seeming a grander gesture than it was. “‘Let the bully bully.’ ‘Let the liar lie.’ He’s protected horrible people in the past. After all, he was the reason Dupain-Cheng got everyone to throw that ‘Queen Bee Appreciation Party’. Which I noticed none of you who are so quick to condemn were willing to do until Dupain-Cheng advocated for it—something a truly cruel person wouldn’t do on behalf of someone they hate even if they were only pretending to be nice.” Felix said, shooting them a pointed look, making even more of the classmates look away in shame.

“She could have just been faking her niceness!” Chloe argued.

Felix wasn’t having it.

“Bourgeois, I shouldn’t have to point out that you are by far the last person who should be speaking right now. As someone who has actively bullied everyone here and especially Dupain-Cheng in particular, no one could put it past you to jump on the opportunity to make your victim look bad and retroactively justify your needless cruelty. Or to just try to make yourself look better in general.”

Chloe gasped in outrage, then tried to look to the other classmates for support. But there was none to be had as either they avoided her gaze or just stared back at her pointedly, all knowing full well that Felix was right.

“Let’s not forget,” Felix added, “that Dupain-Cheng gave up a once in a lifetime opportunity to help you reconcile with your equally repugnant mother. Something that no self serving person would do, especially for someone they knew would never return the favor. And this was after you had previously stolen from her, attempted to blackmail her, vandalized her work, and just that day nearly killed her and her parents in your attempt to show off by trying to stage a train crash.” He bit out, practically growling by the end in a way that made everyone present wince—whether from his words or his tone was uncertain.

Chloe, naturally, didn’t want to hear it.

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” She shouted, stamping her foot before storming out of the room.

“Felix, don’t you think that was mean?” Adrien asked, upset on Chloe’s behalf.

Felix had been watching her leave in bemusement before turning to the other male. “Hardly. Though I find it interesting that you would complain of telling the truth to be ‘mean’ but speak not a word about how she nearly murdered a good many people, including your friend and her family.”

Adrien bit his lip. He couldn’t help but feel the blows of Felix’s words and the increasingly suspicious stares of his classmates.

“Though that seems to be the norm for you. You stood up for Bourgeois just now so easily. Where was this capability when it came to helping Dupain-Cheng? Or Lahiffe? Or literally anyone else?”

“This doesn’t mean anything!” Nino insisted, trying to defend his bro.

“But it certainly indicates a trend.” Felix held up a finger to emphasize his point. “So he defended Bourgeois just now even though she had been doing the very thing he admonished me for. And we all know he’s defended Bourgeois before, despite knowing she was wholly in the wrong and that everyone celebrating her leaving had been harmed by her before and would have understandable reasons to not want her around. And we know that Bourgeois is an unrepentant bully. So given these facts we know now, what makes you think he wouldn’t defend Rossi if he knew she was the liar?”

That garnered pause and considering looks from the others. They were starting to think. Starting to question. Starting to apply reason and think past the initial plot they were told.

All according to Felix’s plan.

“And doesn’t it strike you as odd?” He continued, casually moving around the room, passing between the various assembled classmates as easily as water—almost whispering to each of them for all that he was easily heard by everyone. “That for Bourgeois, he’s silent. For his father, he’s silent. For Rossi—even when she sent out that picture of their ‘more than friendly kiss’, he speaks not a word. And yet it’s only when Dupain-Cheng tells him ‘no’ to something he demands that he speaks up. And not only speaks up, but resorts to force?”

Felix chuckled. It was not a kind sound.

“I suppose it’s because it only matters when it’s him?”

The classmates glanced around at each other. Frowning. Considering. One after another turning to Adrien to wait silently for the truth.

“Bro?” Nino asked.

He couldn’t.

He couldn’t take it.

“I was just trying to protect Lila from her!” Adrien finally shouted, eyes closed so he didn’t have to see their reactions.

Marinette’s heart broke at that declaration. Whatever love—whatever friendship she thought they had was soundly crushed as Adrien pointed right at her and…

Lied.

“Marinette was pushing so much and I just wanted to keep things peaceful so they wouldn’t fight! I was only trying to help! But Marinette wouldn’t stop!”

He was actually trying to blame Marinette and pin the fault on her. The only way he saw to save himself from having to actually choose was to play at being the middleman and portray his actions as if they were warranted…as if Marinette was really the one so horrible that she deserved that treatment…

Felix for his part only stared at Adrien with narrowed eyes. He’d known it. He’d known the other boy was a coward. But to have it confirmed in such a way…

Disgusting.

He wouldn’t have it.

“So you tried to manipulate Marinette.” Felix said bluntly.

Adrien froze. “That’s not what I meant!”

“What else would you call it?” Felix asked with a sneer. “We all heard what you just said. You wanted to protect Rossi. Then why not assure Marinette that Rossi wasn’t a liar and actually help foster a good relationship? As it was, you told Marinette that she was right and you knew and supported her in her stance.”

“I didn’t!”

“‘She’s a liar, I know.’” Marinette quoted, her voice monotone. Her eyes were dull and he repression was blank. “That’s what you said. ‘As long as you and I both know the truth, does it matter?’ It mattered to me.”

The other classmates stared at her in shock and growing horror.

Felix brought his hand to his chin in consideration. “So instead of defending Rossi and assuring Marinette of her innocence to bring the ‘peace’ you claimed you wanted, this means that you lied to Marinette that there was a problem and that Rossi was a liar.”

“Well it’s no wonder Marinette thought something was wrong then!” Alya exclaimed, furious on her friend’s behalf. “We thought it was jealousy and that it would settle soon—sorry, girl,” she said, noticing Marinette’s hurt expression. “But that has happened before and it was all we had to go on.” She then turned to Adrien, looking angry. “But if you were telling her something was wrong, of course she would react! You let her think there was a threat she needed to defend against instead of a friend! Why would you do that?”

Adrien gaped. Suddenly everyone had turned on him. This was not going the way he had thought this would go at all.

And if he expected any support from Lila, he was sorely disappointed as Lila—of course being Lila, began to cry.

Well, fake cry. Which was the closest she could probably manage.

“Adrien, how could you?!” Lila gave out an Oscar-worthy performance of heartbreak. “I thought Marinette hated me because of something I did, and it was because of you?”

Lila Rossi was nothing if not opportunistic, after all.

As soon as she saw how the tide was turning, she jumped ship to the other side. Adrien might have been her ally in keeping her lies going, but that hardly meant she wouldn’t leave him to flounder when things started going wayside. Even if it meant using his corpse as a raft to get herself to shore.

…Felix had expected it.

Adrien clearly had not.

“I—I was just trying to protect you!” Adrien stammered. As if that would convince Lila to help him.

“You don’t protect someone by letting others think badly of them, Adrien. That just causes misunderstandings!” Alya shouted.

“I’m more concerned that he felt Rossi was the one who needed his protection.” Felix cut in, turning once more on the boy. “From what, pray tell? When had Marinette done anything to make you think she was someone who needed to be protected from? On your word, Marinette had arranged a party for her bully. At your request, she supported your date with Tsurugi. She was even the one who got your book back to your father so you could return to school.”

Several gasps resounded around him, but none of them were nearly as great as his own.

Adrien stared, eyes wide in shock. “She…what…?” He turned to Marinette in shock, but the girl only turned away, not even wanting to look at him after his cruel accusation.

“She helped you return to school. Putting herself and her dream at risk—again. For you. To make you happy. Because she cares.” Felix said lowly, to the point it almost sounded like a growl. Adrien had the distinct feeling that Felix was particularly upset about that.

Still, he continued, loudly for everyone to hear. “So it stands to reason that had you asked her to give Rossi a chance and get along, she would have.”

Felix glared.

“So why didn’t you?”

Adrien gaped like a fish. It was clear that no other explanations were forthcoming.

“Enough.” Alya said, giving Adrien a glare before she turned to Marinette and took her hand. “The more important thing is that Marinette is still hurt and I don't know if it's been taken care of. Let’s get you to the nurse.”

Marinette was pretty out of it by this point and the roller coaster that had just occurred. She barely seemed able to respond. “But it’s not that bad.”

“It’s faded, but maybe we can get you some ice to help it heal faster.”

With that, Alya began to lead Marinette out of the classroom and away from the area.

As far as Alya was concerned, this conversation was over and she had a friend to take care of.

And some apologies to make.

“I’m sorry, girl! I didn’t realize he was playing you like that.” Her words trailed into the room, growing softer and harder to hear as they got further away.

“It wasn’t his fault.” Came the murmur as response.

“Like HELL it isn’t! What kind of guy tries to play two girls like that…no wonder you couldn’t get along…shouldn’t have tried to force it…so sorry…I didn’t notice…are you okay…no, sorry”

Taking their cue, the other classmates started to trail out as well, either following or going their own ways to think through what they learned.

“If I’d known he was like this, I never would have encouraged anything…”

“Can’t believe…”

“...could have made up already...”

“…jerk!”

And Lila Rossi herself was the last to exit, sending a smirking glance back at Felix and Adrien before she left the room as well, a skip in her step. Clearly none the worse for wear.

All that were left were Felix and Adrien. The latter of whom was on the verge of panic.

Adrien’s attempt to protect himself backfired. Horribly. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Marinette, but he had been desperate to protect himself and had gone for the method that would afford him the least amount of accountability. He had thought that by making it known he had done this on Lila‘s behalf, he could at least make everyone see that he had good intentions. Because he had! Really!

He thought that if he explained he had been trying to support Marinette while protecting Lila, he could reassure everyone that he had only been trying to help and keep anyone from getting hurt by revealing Lila while also disproving Felix’s accusations. Surely Marinette would understand, right? He wasn’t abandoning her!

But Felix had almost seemed to expect him to try to deflect blame hold to the middle ground and had artfully and masterfully turned the conversation against him regardless.

“Felix, how could you do that?”

Quite easily.

“Now everyone hates me!”

“You’ll be fine.” Felix replied dismissively. “They may be angry right now, but they’ll chalk it up to your sad upbringing and daddy issues and forgive you by the end of the week.” He narrowed his eyes at the other boy. “Which is more than they would have done for Marinette had your little ploy worked as you wished. Which is rather cruel of you. I half wonder if you weren't trying to punish her.”

Adrien winced and looked away. The fact that he couldn’t meet Felix’s gaze was telling.

“I…I didn’t want to get her in trouble.” He insisted.

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Felix questioned, feeling the fury starting to build once more. At the other model’s audacity. At his willingness to try and throw a friend under the bus. At the fact that this whole mess only happened because of his actions in the first place. And at how, even now, he couldn’t seem to accept even the slightest of accountability for what he had done.

He had to turn away to his desk to avoid looking at the other boy for all the frustration he brought him.

“If you hadn’t wanted to harm her, you wouldn’t have given your heavily edited version of events that conveniently left out your own actions. All so you could look like the innocent party. Please, tell me, Agreste. How that was not wanting to get her in trouble?”

Adrien winced at the bite in Felix’s tone.

“Look, I’m sorry—”

“I don’t think I am really the one you should be apologizing to right now.” Felix clipped, annoyed.

“But you’re the only one still here.” Adrien said helplessly.

Against his better judgement.

Adrien bit his lip anxiously before trying to speak. “I know I upset you—”

“Upset? No, Agreste. ‘Upset’ is nowhere near an adequate descriptor for what I feel for you right now.”

Felix spun to glare at him.

“What I feel just by looking at you...” Felix took a breath. “Disgust, certainly. Anger, definitely. And I wish I could say I was disappointed, but that would require anything you did to actually come as a surprise to me. And you…” He gave a bitter smile. “Well, I had already known you were capable of such cowardice, but at least now everyone else knows it, as well.”

“I had no choice!” Adrien shouted in response. And he didn’t. Because any other path he could have taken would have gotten someone hurt. Marinette could have avoided it herself if she had done the same! He was only trying to help and do the right thing!

Felix, however, had no sympathy.

“No choice? Don’t be absurd. All you had to do at any point to help your friends was tell the truth. Or simply apologize and tell Marinette you wouldn't help. But that would require you to take a side and stay there. And you couldn’t even do that much.“

Adrien clenched his fists in anger.

But he couldn’t argue.

Even as much as he wanted to, he had no words in defense. Not good ones. Not any that he knew Felix would accept.

And Felix knew it, given his smirk.

“On the positive side, if your previous disastrous rejection wasn’t enough to kill Marinette’s crush on you, this surely has.“

“I didn’t want to hurt her!” Adrien shouted helplessly as he lowered himself to sit on the desk bench. It felt like he was too weak to stand at this point. Because everything had gone so wrong and he hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone! He certainly hadn’t wanted to hurt Marinette! She was his friend! He just…he wanted things to be normal.

Felix shook his head. “But you had no problem when it was Rossi hurting her. Or Bourgeois. It was okay by you that she was hurt, as long as you didn’t have to feel guilty about it.”

The boy before him looked up at him weakly. His eyes large and dewy. His features torn in anguish as if he had been the one to suffer the most in this situation.

Felix was not moved.

Pathetic.

“This is why you are a poor friend.”

At least now, Marinette finally knows it, too.

What If - Adrien Rejection in Felix Culpa

Making this its separate post as well for those who don’t want to have to scroll to the cut to see it.

Continuation of this.

(Eyes salt shaker…)

(Drops a full shaker of salt into the mix)

She slapped him.

Marinette had actually—

“It’s been said that everyone has their limits of how much they can take.” Came a voice, and Adrien turned to see Felix staring down at him with what had to be the coldest he’d ever seen him. “I never thought out of everyone it would be you to push Dupain-Cheng to hers.“

“I didn’t!” He insisted. “I just…I was just trying to keep the peace.”

“No, you were trying to maintain complacency. There is a difference. Your assurances of being in her corner ring hollow from the other side of the room.” He closed his eyes and released a breath. “But that’s hardly far from the norm for you.”

Adrien’s growled in frustration. Of course Felix would jump on him, but he wasn’t in the wrong here! “She was being cruel. There was no reason to try to out Lila when she wasn’t hurting anyone!”

The older male sighed.

“I know I’ve called you an idiot before, but that was by no means an invitation to prove me right.”

That actually got his attention. He looked up at the other in confusion. “Felix?”

But the other blond simply walked past him without even glancing his way.

“Do us all a favor, Agreste. If you aren’t going to honor your word, then kindly say nothing.”

With that, Felix was gone, leaving the confused and ignorant child behind.

He had someone more important to see to.

When he found her, she was seated on a park bench, sobbing and unaware of her surroundings. It made for a sorrowful image, and though Felix struggled with emotional interaction, he wanted to intervene.

And so he approached, slowly and cautiously. Not like she was a scared rabbit who would flee at the first sign of danger, but so she could have the time to regain her bearings and be aware of his approach.

“Felix? What are you…” She paused, cutting herself off as she realized. “Oh. You saw, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I was the only one, fortunately.” He had made well sure of that, as his very presence seemed to be enough to deter most people from trying to linger. And he was glad he had, as the last thing anyone needed was for someone to be around and potentially overhear the commotion.

Marinette nodded in thanks, but didn’t speak.

Something in him ached as her tears continued to fall.

“I apologize.” He stated, making her look up at him in surprise. “I want to help you, but I’m not the most…proficient with comfort or emotional support.”

She wiped away a tear. “Are you going to call me a bully?”

“No.”

She gave a small bitter smile. “Then you’re already doing a better job than Adrien.”

It was a joke, he was sure. But it wasn’t funny. And neither of them felt up to laughing.

“May I sit with you?”

She nodded, and he settled next to her. Enough distance to offer her space, but close enough that she could lean on him for comfort if she so chose.

The two simply sat in silence for a few minutes. He didn’t bother asking if she was okay—that was a stupid question, as clearly she wasn’t. And he wasn’t going to force her to talk just to start up a conversation.

This…Marinette needed to regain some control. He needed to let her speak at her own time. So he simply sat and waited.

A silent comfort.

Until finally…

“It’s just…this isn’t how I was expecting it to go.”

He tilted his head, curiously.

“I knew he might not feel the same. I mean, he’d been calling me his ‘good friend’ since forever. But…for THAT? Just…does he even see what’s going on?”

“He does seem to have a propensity to blindness.” Felix remarked, dryly.

She chuckled at that. That may have been some sign of progress.

“It’s just…what was I supposed to do? Sit there and do nothing? While she insulted me? Insulted my—my family? And everyone just let her. HE even did…”

Felix still regretted not being present for that particular altercation. By the time he arrived, Adrien was trying to play peacemaker, but only seemed to be playing more into Lila’s hands the further things went. He managed to help bring it to an end, but not before Marinette was left feeling deeply hurt and Lila had another pity party that the class attempted to cater to.

And still that little fool did nothing.

He grimaced and looked at his hands, noting the way his fists were clenched.

“I should have stayed out of it like you have. I should have just let it go. Let Lila lie and manipulate everyone. At least then…” She shook her head. “I was so stupid.”

He frowned at that. His reasons for his responses were his own. But while he had thought her actions foolish, that didn’t make her wrong.

“I stayed out of it because I have little attachment to those involved.” He told her. “I’m not close to anyone else in that class, so I can’t say it is of any interest to me if they decide to be particularly stupid.”

She frowned and looked down. He wasn’t having it though.

“Marinette,” He said, using her name for once and causing her to glance up at him in surprise. “You spoke up because these are your friends and their wellbeing matters to you. Don’t belittle yourself for caring about others.”

She stared. Feeling he had her attention, he continued.

“I stay silent because I don’t believe it’s my responsibility to attempt to save people from their own stupidity. If they are so desperate to allow themselves to be fooled, then it isn’t worth my time or energy to attempt to stop them.”

He looked to her.

“But since I’ve met you, you’ve always been someone who would act if you knew something was wrong. You have a sense of righteousness that is…admirable, for all that it may be troublesome at times. You stand up for others. It isn’t wrong to stand up for yourself as well.”

She shook at that, giving another sob even as she finally start to smile more genuinely.

“I’m not…good…with this sort of thing.” Felix admitted. “I don’t know the right thing to say or the best way to offer comfort. But I can listen.”

Marinette bit her lip and looked away, uncertain.

“Feelings—especially strong ones—need to be acknowledged. I can let you vent. Give you a chance to process them safely.”

If nothing else, he could do that.

Fortunately, Marinette seemed to agree. And soon enough, the entire encounter was spilling from her lips. He had been there for part of it, at least. But this gave her a chance to put everything out there for herself, in her own words.

A chance to speak in a way she may not be able to otherwise.

And the more he heard, the more he felt that a simple slap was less than Adrien Agreste had deserved

“He kept saying we were in this together. But we weren’t. It was just me. On my own. Because ‘it’s not like she’s hurting anyone’, right? Like—like she wasn’t still being hurtful. Like she wasn’t hurting me.”

He nodded, all too aware of the depths of Lila’s attacks. Especially with the way the others were trailing after her, following her every word. What would it take before they would start echoing her statements about Marinette and her family? How many times would they hear it before they would let it cloud the truth and allow such good things to be spoiled?

“And for him to keep saying he’s on my side only to turn around and defend her? Like SHE is the victim? What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to believe his claims that he’s with me when he’s standing at her side with everyone else.”

Out of everything, that had been one of the things he disliked about the other model. How he would try to enforce his silly notion of “peace” between unfriendly parties in a horribly one-sided manner. How often, he wondered, had Agreste lectured a victim while ignoring or even condoning the behavior of their offender? There was little doubt at this point that Marinette had been on the receiving end of that judgmental attitude more than once.

Agreste was an enabler. Pure and simple.

“I could accept it if he just didn’t feel the same for me. But for it to be BECAUSE of her? Because trying to stop her from hurting others is somehow worse than what she’s been doing? That’s just…too much.”

He nodded in agreement. That was what infuriated Felix the most about the situation. He could not begrudge Agreste his feelings, even if he felt his obvious obsession with Ladybug was foolish and pointless. But Agreste had used the situation as a sort of springboard to force his view on Marinette, and completely disregarded her feelings in the process.

“And what does it say when he knows full well what she’s doing but is admonishing me like I’m the bad guy?” She laughed bitterly before looking up at Felix, eyes teary like she was about to cry once more. “Did you know he called me the bully?”

He was aware. He had been there for that unfortunate part.

She shuddered and hugged herself. “He…he even grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. Just to get a promise that would protect HER. He knows what she’s doing. He knows how I feel. Does he just not care?”

Felix reached out and placed an arm around her, drawing her to him in something akin to a hug.

“He said he was supporting me, but all he cared about was defending her. He called me the bully when I’m the one she’s been hurting.”

“You tried to tell him.”

“I did! I pointed out how it was unfair!” She said, voice raised in anger. “But no! He’s only worried about Lila being akumatized if she feels bad. Doesn’t he even care about how all this is making me feel?”

“If it’s any consolation,” Felix said, “I believe it may be due to his trust of your strength of will and capability to not be akumatized.”

She chuckled a little at that, but still bitterly. “Just because I CAN fend off an akuma doesn’t mean I should have to.”

“No.” He agreed. “You shouldn’t.”

She hiccuped.

“It’s not fair.”

“Unreasonable expectations often are. While it speaks well of you that he sees you as someone who can act better in the face of adversity, it rings hollow when he seems more inclined to force you to meet standards he doesn’t require from anyone else.”

She sniffled at that, leaning into him and speaking hollowly. “Because if it’s just me, it’s not like it matters, right?”

He stayed silent. He knew the answer already.

“I’ve liked Adrien. Like-liked him for a really long time.” She wilted. “But if Adrien is going to do that…say he’s there with me only to turn on me while excusing what she does…then he’s just as much of a liar as she is. He isn’t…he’s not the good person I thought he was.”

Felix hummed for a moment, thoughtfully.

“Agreste had every right to reject you.” He finally said, making her look up at him in surprise. “His feelings are his own and he cannot force them. But the way he attempted to use those feelings against you…that was wrong.”

Felix stared her in the eyes.

“HE was wrong.”

She felt her vision go blurry again and she blinked quickly in an attempt to try to stop the tears from forming.

“He twisted his rejection to make it about you—how you were lacking, and how you needed to change to be agreeable to him. He tried to use his rejection of you to push his own agenda. He tried to pressure your compliance with something that was hurting you—first through his feelings and then through force. That…what he tried to do was emotionally manipulate you. His judgement of you. His calling you a bully when it is clearly the other way around…”

Marinette gaped.

“That is what a bully does. That is what he is.”

“He’s not—”

“Even if he’s not a bully, he is still at best an enabler. He wishes to keep the status quo so much that he would try to force you to hold to it regardless of its effects on you or anyone else for that matter. That…” He shook his head, unable to find any other way to say it. “That isn’t healthy. That is horribly unhealthy and I think…for all that it may hurt you to hear it, I think you’re better off for this.”

Her breath hitched at that.

“I’ve seen the way you’ve been around him. How much you’ve done just to try to talk to him. How much it takes out of you. And…what concerns me is how time and time again, you only seem more miserable for doing so. This is something that time and again only seems to hurt you. And it is something that time and again, he either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.”

She wanted to argue. Really, she did.

But how could she argue that? After everything that had just happened. She reached a hand to her arm—wincing at the lingering pain that reminded her of how Adrien had grabbed it in his previous attempt to force his way. Felix took her hand in his own, much to her surprise, before he then released it and instead rested his hand gently on the slowly fading marks.

“If his priority has been Lila all this time, then it’s safe to assume that she will remain his bigger concern regardless.”

She winced.

“And if he is going to prioritize the well being of someone who would willfully harm others over someone more deserving…” Over you,went unsaid, “then you are healthier without him.”

She let loose the tears she had been trying to hold back and sobbed.

“But I’m not happier.”

He hesitated, but finally gave in to the impulse and hugged her fully. She leaned into him fully, accepting the comfort.

“Not yet.” He admitted, solemn and apologietic, but somehow, it sounded like a promise.

“Not yet.”

But soon…

He stayed there and let her cry it out for what felt like hours, but he didn’t begrudge her. And when her tears finally slowed and her breathing calmed, only then did he ease his hold. But he didn’t release her—not fully. Instead, he remained a stable support at her side as he led her home and to the comfort of those who loved her.

Neither noticed the silent intruder who was the only witness to their discussion. He did nothing but watch and listen, helpless to act in the growing evidence of his own guilt.

#ml salt #adrien salt #felix culpa #pv felix #marinette dupain cheng #ml fic #round robin #rejection #lila sucks #felix can play this game too

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