Chapter Text
Only the discipline instilled after years of modeling for their father allowed Adrien to sit as still as he possibly could in the cafe. He knew that if he gave in to the need to fidget the dainty table he was seated at would rattle from the force of his nerves alone.
Felix sat across him with a look in his eyes that Adrien just couldn’t put a name to. It had been a hectic week. From finding out the Maribug mystery and realizing that his biggest love rival was his brother. From that weird, not date that the three of them went on.
Chloe confirming that Marinette used to have a crush on him had been mind-blowing. And watching Ladybug admit on live camera that she would marry both Adrien and Chat Noir, it had made his pants uncomfortably tight.
Even thinking about the stream had him almost shifting in his seat. His fingers clutching the now cold cup of coffee. He had been here for a while now, sitting in silence with his elder brother.
Is this what siblings did? Sit around in awkward silence while avoiding the obvious elephant in the room. Or was this an Agreste special. Adrien didn’t know how to be a good brother, and it didn’t look like Felix had much of a clue either.
He had only ever seen Felix for a week every summer vacation. It used to be more frequent while Mother had still been alive but it felt like his father had withdrawn from anything and everything that reminded him of her presence.
Even their firstborn son.
Adrien could feel his heart clench painfully in his chest. All those years, he had assumed that Felix simply hadn’t cared enough to fly back for Mother’s funeral, it wasn’t like Father didn’t have the money. He had hated his brother, felt that anger fester and boil in his heart for months before it cooled to indifference.
He couldn’t think of why his brother wouldn’t want to see their mother for the last time. Couldn’t figure any reason for his brother’s absence from the funeral.
But Marinette had pulled him aside after a patrol, had asked him what he thought of Felix now that the older blond was back in their lives. Adrien had admitted it immediately, the dark feelings he had against his brother for abandoning their family.
He had expected Maribug to hate him, to be angry at him for feeling such negative emotions. Emotions strong enough to summon a butterfly. But Hawkmoth must have been asleep or something, the night sky was clear of any havoc causing magical bug.
Maribug had sat him down, told him that his feelings were valid. She allowed him to get all the hurt off his chest and listened to him rant about the feelings that had been plaguing him for months after his mother’s death.
Then she had told him that Felix hadn’t even known. That their Father had forbidden everybody, even Natalie, from contacting Felix until his brother’s exams were over. He didn’t want his firstborn to be distracted from anything.
The ache in his chest transferred to weight in his abdomen.
The anger disappeared and replaced with such strong hurt that Adrien had stumbled over his own feet at the realization.
Felix hadn’t known.
He had accepted Adrien’s cold shoulder for years. Even though they only saw each other for a week at a time. He had allowed himself to be seen as the enemy in Adrien’s eyes.
Just so that Adrien wouldn’t think any less of their father.
It was earth-shattering.
Adrien had never shed so many tears over his Mother’s death, but the revelation that his father had refused to even inform Felix of her death? That was unreal. But Felix wasn’t a liar. And Marinette definitely wouldn’t lie to hurt him.
She had sat him on her balcony like he always did, wrapped him in their blanket and gave him a thermal of her special hot chocolate. It was laced with just a hint of Bailey’s and that little rebellious streak in Maribug’s eyes had made him fall in love even deeper with the blue-eyed girl.
And now, Adrien was sat across his brother who was typing away at his laptop, neither of them saying a word to the other. It was an awkward silence that Adrien didn’t know how to break.
A vibration on the table shocked Adrien from his brooding and he patted his phone instinctively, even though he knew that it was in the back pocket of his pants.
Felix did have their father’s eyes, stormy blue-grey that hid everything but showed everything at once.
“Marinette thinks that we’re wasting time being awkward with each other.” Felix sighed as he spied Adrien’s curious eyes. Adrien could feel his cheeks flush in embarrassment.
“Why are we here, Adrien?” Felix pointed out, snapping his laptop shut. The firm line of his mouth reminded him very much of their father.
“I-I wanted to apologize…” Adrien mumbled, immediately bringing the cup to his mouth to take a sip. He wanted to hide behind this cup for the rest of his life. There was just something about his father and brother that made him feel so small.
“What for?” A raised eyebrow, but the eyes looked softer now, no longer cold stormclouds.
“I… I didn’t know that… Well, the thing is… Maribug told me... “
“She told you that I didn’t know of Mother’s passing,” Felix answered with understanding.
“I forgive you, Adrien. It was never your fault. My misgivings do not lie with you.” Felix added easily, crossing long legs as he shifted his weight. Adrien could only blink in surprise, that had been surprisingly easy.
“It was also partially my fault as well, I should have tried better to keep in touch with you, with anyone from the family, really.” Felix admitted. This time Adrien was sure that his jaw had dropped and rubbed a hand against his cheek just to be sure.
“I… I forgive you, thank you… For the apology. I appreciate it.” Adrien blushed, both hands clutching his cup like a lifeline. He didn’t expect to feel so light. He didn’t think it would be this easy.
“Well, she did warn me.” Felix sighed and rested his chin on his hand, an elbow on the table. Oh, Adrien must have said that last bit out loud.
“She did?” Adrien peeked with interest.
“She told me that if I didn’t tell you, she would do so herself and she was definitely not be held responsible for any awkwardness.” Felix frowned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand.
“That’s my Maribug.” Adrien grinned. It did sound like something nosy, caring Marinette would do.
“She cares for you. You are aware of this, yes?”
“I care for her too.” Adrien jutted his chin out immediately. As if daring his brother to refute Adrien’s claims.
“Calm yourself Chaton, I know of your love for our petit amour.” Felix waved a hand as if dismissing him. Adrien immediately slumped his head.
“I know you love her too.” he pouted.
“I think I have loved her even before I knew what love was.” Felix admitted, glancing out of the window, as if deep in thought. “She’s the color in my life.”
“She’s my light,” Adrien admitted quietly.
“She does have a thing for helping people.” Felix chuckled.
“Who knew she would find it in her heart to adopt a couple of stray cats like us.” Adrien grinned.
“It’s funny that you refer to us as strays.” Felix hummed, “Especially since we prefer to spend our time at her house more often than not.”
“It’s just warm, and comfortable.” Adrien mused, thinking of their little corner on the balcony.
“Yes, and the owner is especially adorable.” was that blush on his brother’s cheeks? It was! How cute. Had he ever seen his brother blush? Ever? No. Definitely not.
“Happiness suits you.” Adrien blurts out instead and he could feel his own cheeks heating up.
“So it does.” Felix had such a handsome smile. It lifted his face and brought out the light in his eyes. As rare as they were, they just made his stoic beauty all the more brilliant.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.” Adrien admits.
“There wasn’t much to be happy about.” Felix answered as if the answer was so easy. But it made their realities so much sadder. All the money in the world couldn’t buy them the happiness that their father had tried to provide.
But Marinette, with barely more than an average person, she had given them so many reasons to smile. It was mind-boggling.
“Thank you for requesting this meetup, Adrien.” Felix pats Adrien’s shoulder with a proud look in his eyes. “I am not one to take initiative for such matters. I appreciate the chance you’ve given us.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” Adrien countered easily. The awkward atmosphere from before was but a thing in the past.
“I would like it, if… Hmm…” Felix tried to put his thoughts into words and Adrien could only smile, it was similar to what he did when he didn’t know what to say. It happened a lot during his first year of public school.
“I’d like it if we could spend more time like this. Together. Just the two of us. Bonding.” Adrien interrupts, a cheeky smile on his face.
“I’d like that. Yes.” a relieved smile shared between two brothers.