#Felientte

[myownworldstayout]

New Friends Ch.3

Ch.1 / Ch.2 / Ch.4

(Thank you guys so much for your support and kind words!! It really means so much to me that you guys enjoy my writing this much! Anyway, Here’s chapter three :D )

Kagami tried to take notes for her class, but in the end they made no sense. She couldn’t even write a coherent sentence with her thoughts lingering on Agreste. 

I’m going to talk to him today. She had decided. 

Kagami didn’t doubt Marinette, but there had been misunderstandings with the girl before. Perhaps this was just that? Another misunderstanding?

She certainly hoped so. Adrien was the first friend she made at this school. If there was a bully in the class, she liked to believe that he would have enough honor to defend the victims. 

“Kagami~” Aurore sang beside her, finally gaining her friend’s attention.

Kagami flinched, looking up with her deep brown eyes, wide with shock.

Aurore pulled a sweet smile, though it faded into concern a moment after.

“Class is over now. You don’t usually get so distracted. Is something wrong?” 

Kagami glanced around the classroom. It was indeed empty. She stood up with a huff, irritated that she let her thoughts wander so easily. 

“Everything’s fine. I just need to have a talk with Adrien.” Kagami said calmly, placing her tablet in her bag. 

“About Marinette?” Aurore said curiously, following Kagami down the steps and out of the classroom. 

“Yes, where are the boys?” Kagami turned back to Aurore in a brief halt. 

“They said they’d meet us at the cafeteria.” 

“Good. I’ll see you there.” 

Aurore nodded towards the implied request. She knew better than to get in the way of Kagami’s “quests”. 

The two parted ways, and Kagami soon found herself outside of Adrien’s classroom. Unfortunately he wasn’t there. It appeared she’d be going to the cafeteria sooner than she originally thought. 

~~~~~~

Marinette walked with Felix to the cafeteria, mostly because no one else wanted to walk with either of them and they were going in the same direction. 

They went through the cafeteria line just as they had walked to the cafeteria. Silently. Though it was a bit awkward at times, Marinette preferred the quietness to listening to Lila. she could still hear her over-glorified classmate from across the lunch room. 

Her class was eagerly flocking around the foreigner, taking in her every word. Every embellished story. The only thing Marinette could even remotely give her credit for is coming up with all of those stories in the first place. Lila tells new ones everyday, none with the same basis except for her being the hero. 

“No wonder she’s so thin. She can’t keep her mouth closed long enough to eat properly.” Felix muttered to himself. 

Marinette couldn’t help but overhear, and before she knew it she had a hand to her mouth trying to suppress the fit of giggles taking over her. 

From the expression he was wearing, she knew he was being serious. The comment was hilarious to her nonetheless. It was a shame she was the only one that heard it. 

“That’s a bit harsh.” 

Or maybe she hadn’t been. 

The two looked up to see none other than Adrien, wearing a frown, right behind Felix in line. 

“Been a while, Agreste.” Felix raised an eyebrow. 

Marinette and Adrien’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“How do you know my name?” 

“Of course you don’t remember me. Even when we were kids, you were just as self centered as Chloe. She just doesn’t hide it.”

Marinette knitted her eyebrows together in confusion, but Adrien’s eyes seemed to glaze over with recognition.

“Felix..”

“I also wasn’t surprised when Dupain-Cheng said you were the one who told her to stay quiet about Rossi’s lies. You never did like actually standing up to the status quo.” 

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows, looking around Felix to see a pale Marinette who was gripping her tray much tighter now. His frown deepened, and he opened his mouth to comment, but Marinette didn’t give him the chance.

She whirled around, moving for a place to sit where Adrien couldn’t follow. Her eyes desperately flicked to different tables until- 

“Marinette!” A savior called out for her. 

The ravenette sighed with relief when she saw Luka, Wayhem, and Aurore waving her to their table. She took a step forward towards safety, only to be stopped by a hand gently grabbing her arm. It was Adrien. Of course it was.

“Mari, can we talk?” He asked politely. 

She knew what he was doing. They had had this talk several times before. Marinette wanted to say no, but his emerald green eyes sucked her in, just as they always did. She couldn’t say she felt as strongly about him as she used to, due to all that’s happened; however, Marinette also couldn’t say her feelings for him were completely gone.  

“Adrien, I-I really don’t-” 

Marinette was cut off by an emphasized clearing of the throat. They expected it to be Felix, but, upon looking up, they found Kagami instead. Felix was still in line picking out his food. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt-” she began, sharing a look with Marinette “-but do you have a moment, Adrien? There’s something I’d like to discuss.” 

Confusion spread across Adrien’s features. His grasp on Marinette’s arm loosened just enough for Marinette to slip away, retreating to Luka’s table.

He called after her. She didn’t turn around. 

Luka pat the chair next to him with a smile, silently requesting her to sit next to him. 

Marinette gladly obliged, setting down her tray and pulling in her chair.

“What did Adrien want with you?” Aurore inquired, glancing back to see Adrien following Kagami into another area. 

Marinette turned around as well, watching them go around the corner.

“Nothing important.” she sighed.

“That’s for sure.” Felix grumbled, sitting down next to her.

Marinette straightened, glancing at Felix with a tense look in her eyes.

Felix raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Marinette bit her lip, looking at him with curiosity and worry. “W-what was that about with Adrien just now? Do you know him personally?”

She knew it was a dangerous question, and frankly, she wasn’t even sure she wanted him to answer. Unfortunately, Marinette also knew it was a necessary one. 

Felix narrowed his gaze- one of annoyance, she assumed -and he looked down at the table.

“I hate to admit it, but he’s my cousin.” The stiff teen revealed.

Marinette, along with the rest of the group, widened their eyes in shock. Wayhem actually dropped his fork.

Despite the circumstances, Adrien could literally be considered the sun on a cloudless day. Felix, on the other hand, was something relating to a storm cloud, his words similar to acid-like rain.

And they were supposed to believe the two were related?

“Oh..” was all Marinette ended up saying. 

“Does Kagami know?” Luka suddenly asked.

Felix nodded. “Let’s change the subject. I hate saying it out loud enough. I don’t want to dwell on my unfortunate bloodline.”

No one argued.

~~~~~~~

Adrien didn’t understand what was going on with Marinette. Hadn’t they agreed to keep Lila under wraps? Not to mention, he thought Felix was new at the school. How did Marinette know him, and why was she talking to him about Lila? None of this made sense.. 

“I apologize for pulling you away from lunch.” Kagami said at first, regaining Adrien’s attention. 

“It’s alright. What did you need?” The blonde replied, pulling a friendly smile. 

“Do you know a girl named Lila?” She got right to the point.  

“Yeah, she’s in our class.” 

“I’ve heard she claims to know ladybug, that they’re good friends. Is that true?” 

Adrien shifted uncomfortably, obviously unwilling to answer the question.

“Well, you never know I guess..” He ended up muttering. 

Kagami’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t the reaction she had expected nor wanted. 

“So you think she’s lying?” 

“I..” 

“Does the rest of the class know she’s been lying?” She pressed further. 

Adrien frowned at that. “You already know the answer. So why are you asking me?” 

“You’re in their class. I assumed you wouldn’t let them be deceived.” Kagami snipped, though her calm demeanor remained. 

Adrien stiffened, becoming a bit defensive at the implied accusation.  

“Look, it’s complicated. I just don’t think that outing Lila to the class will help anything.” The boy finally admitted, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “If we do that, she’s just gonna get akumatized again.” 

Kagami’s gaze sharpened when she heard his reply. 

“Marinette was right..” She whispered to herself with a mix of disbelief and disgust. This changed things. 

Adrien was now not only confused, but surprised. Did Marinette tell Kagami about Lila too? How many people did she tell? 

“That’s all I wanted to ask. Thank you for your time.” Kagami abruptly ended the conversation, walking past him and back to the cafeteria.

Adrien turned around to ask her some questions of his own, but she was already gone.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Kagami returned to her table of friends, Marinette noticed she seemed frustrated, yet determined. Since she brought her own lunch, Kagami skipped the line and sat next to Aurore with a pondering expression. 

“How’d it go?” Aurore was the first to ask. 

Kagami didn’t respond at first. Instead, she looked to Marinette. 

“You were right. Adrien’s enabling Lila.” 

Confliction pricked at the back of Marinette’s mind. She was relieved that Kagami believed her about Lila, but to say Adrien was enabling her was a different story. Kagami said it yesterday as well. Marinette couldn’t fully agree with her then either. He just wants to keep the peace..or so he says.

“So what do we do about it?” Luka spoke up. From the look in his eyes, Marinette could tell he was upset about this. 

“Adrien Agreste strikes again.” Wayhem sighed, surprising Marinette further. 

When she first met him as Ladybug, he was extremely obsessed with the model. Does that mean he’s changed his opinion of Adrien since then? 

“Should we tell the class about Lila’s lies?” 

“That hasn’t worked out for Marinette before. We need a different strategy to clear Marinette’s name.” Kagami speculated. 

As the group buzzed about ideas and what to do about Lila, Marinette took the time to think things over. Kagami had a point. If Adrien knew about Lila’s lies and didn’t tell people, he was technically enabling her. Could Marinette really lean on someone like that? 

Alya and Nino didn’t even believe what she said anymore, so they were a clear no in loyalty. 

“Maybe..” Marinette began, hesitantly and quietly. “Maybe we don’t need to.” 

She looked up at the group, who had trailed off. 

“What do mean?” Luka furrowed his eyebrows. Of course they needed to clear her reputation!

Marinette drew in a breath, her gaze flicking to Felix. He hadn’t spoken this entire time. 

Felix met her eyes for a brief second, before going back to the book he was reading. 

“Adrien knows Lila’s not only been telling lies about herself, she’s also been telling lies about me. Yet he does nothing to stop them, going so far as to ask me to do the same.” Marinette chose her words carefully. “The class has known me for years, and Alya’s supposed to be my best friend. Despite that, no one hesitated to believe Lila. doesn’t that.. Doesn’t that mean something?” 

The group went quiet at the question. None of them felt they had a correct answer. 

Felix was looking up now, curious as to where Marinette was going with this. 

Aurore tilted her head to the side with a troubled expression. “Marinette, what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying.. I think.. I think we should just not do anything. To make everyone believe, I mean. If they didn’t believe me at first, is it.. Is it really worth it?” She finished, uncertain. 

The group seemed to think it over, before exchanging glances and nodding in agreement. 

“Okay, Mari. if you want us to leave it alone, we will.” Wayhem said supportively. 

“But would you wanna hang out with us?” Luka then offered, the others immediately joining in. 

Marinette smiled at the suggestion. Hanging out with these wonderful people? People who actually believed her?

“That sounds great.” She answered brightly. 

If she wasn’t sharing so much excitement with the others, she would have noticed a small smile on Felix’s lips when she accepted the proposal.

Tag list: @unabashedbookworm @bluerosette23 @minightrose @rhub4rb @clumsy-owl-4178 @kuroko26 @angstyrastuff @fanboy7794 @choaticneturcl @kristycocopop @dargeon-lissa

(Sorry if some of the tags don’t work. I tried lol)

#Felientte #Felix Culpa #New Friends AU