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Felix was quite aware of how most people viewed him. He was cold, heartless, selfish, exactly as he liked to be seen. If people couldn’t see past his worst then they didn’t deserve his best. This is also why he was always surprised by the kindness his cousins friend continued to show him. It was made more baffling by the anger he could see she still harbored towards him for the prank he had played on Adrien and all his classmates. Yet she never did worse than the occasional glare. No insults, continuing to go out of her way to include him, even offering baked goods she had made for him with his preferences in mind. The more she confused him, the more he tried to understand her. Now here he was trying to process when he had developed feelings for the befuddling girl.
The worst part was that she was in love with his cousin. He watched as Marinette tried again and again to confess to the oblivious blonde. Again and again he watched her attempts fall. Not once did Adrien see the pain he was unknowingly causing her.
He continued to watch, never showing it was her he was watching out for and not his cousin. Again he watched her cover eyes red rimmed from tears, watched her state that next time would be different, watched her reassure herself that next time it would all go to plan.
Felix was at the point of questioning whether he was really a better liar and actor than Adrien, for how could it be possible for one person to be so oblivious? It wasn’t, so Adrien had to be acting, it all would have to be a lie. He must be aware of how his actions affected the girl. If that was all true than him constantly pushing Marinette away had to be some sort of power play meant to boost himself in some way.
He threw a coin into the fountain he was sitting on, distorting the reflection of his cousin. He watched the ripples flow out and warp his own reflection. The two were so similar yet obviously different to anyone that took the time to care. Adrien’s reflection seemed to distort more so he looked up and saw him crying over a flower that he had accidently squashed. He sighed internally. If only his cousin really was a heartless manipulator, then he could at least justify wanting Marinette to give up and instead give her heart to him.
Thinking about the noirette seemed to summon her. Here she came for yet another attempt at approaching Adrien with her heart.
This attempt had gone more spectacularly wrong then he was used to witnessing. He wasn’t even sure where the fireworks that had hit the fountain had come from, they were obviously no part of her plan as she too looked surprised at their appearance. Yet somehow she had taken advantage of the chaos and used it to save to squared plants Adrien had been previously mourning. While he was stunned and trying to piece together the events, Adrien told Marinette that he was thankful she was such a great friend and their everyday ladybug, before he ran off to where Natalie was waiting.
Felix was still trying to figure everything out when Marinette crumpled to the ground, seemingly no longer holding the will to even care to pretend. She fell so quickly that even Felix was unable to keep himself from surging towards the girl to make sure she was uninjured.
No tears, was his first thought, if he was asked to guess he would say that she seemed surprised. At least before she noticed him.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Her words took him even more off guard and it must of shown on his face because she smiled sweetly at him, leaving his brain unable to formulate even an ‘Excuse me.’
“Adrien’s unknowing rejection. It didn’t hurt this time.”
I had to salvage his mask, “Why should I care?” It didn’t work, she smiled even more brightly as she looked up at him from the dirt.
“You don’t need a reason to care, but you do. If you didn’t care then you wouldn’t stay nearby after every rejection to watch over me. If you didn’t care you wouldn’t make sure no one ever stumbled upon me until after I stopped crying.”
Felix watched her sit up and dust off her hands, he hadn’t thought she would notice him. His thoughts froze as he felt her take his hands in hers.
“I have had enough of pining after someone who will only ever see me as a friend.”
He knew he should say something, he was could craft eloquent poetry from scraps, yet as she stared into his eyes, as her eyes burned honestly with no hint of hatred, he couldn’t find any words.
“Do you see me as a friend Felix?”
His name from her lips broke the spell. He hoped, no he prayed that her words meant what he thought they did, because if not he was about to make a fool of himself. Kneeling in the dirt next to her he did his best to release his mask completely. “A friend, good or otherwise, is the last thing I see you as.”
“Good.”
He savored the moment as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek before standing with a smile.
“I expect to here from you later then.”
And she was gone. Felix stayed kneeling for longer than he would admit as he replayed the moment and tried to figure out what is was that he did to chase her away. That was probably why it had taken him an hour to discover the minx had slipped her number into his vest pocket as she left.