Work Text:
When Félix makes another trip to Paris, Marinette immediately recognizes the Peacock Miraculous on his person. Realizing that he may know something about Hawk Moth, Marinette prioritizes rescuing Duusu. But also aware that she can't go and out him the way she's tried with Lila, Ladybug consults with Cat Noir about a plan.
Marinette woke up from her sleep, which consisted of mostly nightmares lately, and she grumbled in annoyance.
"Morning, Marinette." Tikki said.
"Morning, Tikki..." Marinette greeted as she got out of bed and went down the stairs to her desk. "It's too quiet without the other kwamis."
"Don't worry, Marinette, you and Cat Noir will get the Miraculous back, no matter how long it takes!" Tikki reassured.
"I know, Tikki, but..." Marinette moaned as she looked at her walls - there were very few solo pictures of Adrien left.
"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked.
"Maybe if I'd never fallen in love with Adrien, this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" Marinette said, almost crying, before turning to Tikki. "You were right: being Ladybug to solve my personal problems just leads to disaster."
After mistaking Félix for Adrien and giving him the Dog Miraculous, once the team defeated Strike Back, he stole her yo-yo and handed all the Miraculous over to Hawk Moth. Yet another case of her crush on Adrien being a problem.
Deciding to forget about her feelings for him forever, she took the first steps in learning to move on: getting rid of his schedule and any and all solo pictures of him, including magazine clippings; changing her computer screensaver and his picture ID for her phone. If he wasn't in a group photo, he wasn't there. She also got rid of all the presents she made for him, choosing to use the chest to store her guardian materials, and other design projects that weren't meant for him (a new beanie for Zoé, a yukata for Kagami, some reference materials for drawing clothing to give to Nathaniel for his comics, some new protest signage for Myléne). Everything about Adrien was gone from her room.
And any time any of her friends came up with another convoluted plan to get her to confess, she didn't bother listening to them. In fact, she protested, calling her crush "toxic", and including the fact that she'd already snuck into his house too many times.
The fact that she even stopped getting upset over Lila getting close to Adrien made it clear to her friends that Marinette was serious. And Alya was definitely convinced of her resolve.
Marinette decided that if she was gonna get worked up, she was going to focus on channeling that energy into recovering the stolen Miraculous. Besides, if she didn't, she was scared that Grand Master Su-Han was going to have another fit. She'd already gotten chewed out by him, and it took Cat Noir threatening to cataclysm him and his staff where he stood to get the literally-past-his-time guardian to stand down. It really made her feel better, knowing that her kitty-cat was standing by her even after all of that. It made her heart pound.
"I should get to school..." Marinette murmured.
"Marinette, it's summer vacation," Tikki said. "You don't have school."
Marinette looked at her calendar and realized Tikki was right.
"I guess my sense of time is really screwed up now." Marinette said as she started to get dressed.
Her phone started ringing. She looked at it and saw it was Alya.
Marinette picked up and said, "Hey Alya."
"Hey girl. Holding up okay?" Alya asked, her tone serious.
"I'm better," Marinette admitted. "Still trying to get my crap together and... you know."
"Yeah, I know," Alya sighed, but then her voice perked up. "But guess what? Nino and I are in the park. You-know-who is doing a photoshoot and-"
"Alya," Marinette said in a firm tone. "What did we talk about?"
"You're done with your crush on Adrien. I get it." Alya sighed.
"Thanks," Marinette said. "Anyway, I think I'll just stay in and design something. Might as well keep away from anything reminding me of him."
"Okay." Alya said.
Marinette hung up the phone.
Alya, meanwhile, looked to Nino and she said, "Marinette's not coming."
"Really? She'd never miss one of Adrien's photoshoots when they're in public." Nino said in surprise.
"When she said she planned on getting over him, she meant it, Nino." Alya said with a sigh.
"What could've triggered this?" Nino asked.
Alya knew, but she didn't say anything. Between being both the Guardian of the Miraculous and being Ladybug, she was under so much stress that Alya was scared that Marinette was going to snap and get akumatized from it all. And then it would definitely be game over. She remembered what Marinette taught her: if Hawk Moth were to make a wish, it would destroy the universe and then reconstruct it in who-knows-what way, and even if his goal was noble (reversing climate change or putting an end to wars and hatred), the consequences of the wish would be very severe. And according to the kwamis, it's happened before.
Just the mere thought of it gave Alya nightmares. If Marinette getting over Adrien once and for all was what it was going to take to stop Hawk Moth and recover all the missing Miraculous and their kwamis, then Alya decided not to argue. It was the least she could do after outing herself as Rena Furtive to Nino.
The following day at the school, Marinette was with her entire circle of friends, barring Adrien.
They were in front of the school building (the group had Zoé get the mayor to pull some strings so the school would be open for the students to come and go for fun), talking about their plans for the day. Max and Markov were talking about helping Kim and Alix on their latest bet; Ivan and Myléne were working on their next march for tree-planting; Nathaniel and Marc were going to work on the next edition of their comic series; Rose and Juleka were doing some things for Kitty Section; Alya and Nino were standing together, too.
"Hey, I could use some help running lines and doing these scenes. Would you mind?" Zoé asked, showing Marinette the script.
"We can definitely do that!" Marinette said, with Alya nodding in agreement.
Nearby at Gare du Nord, Adrien was with his bodyguard at one of the platforms for the Startrain. He had an anxious look on his face as the train pulled in. As the train came to a stop, the door opened, and out stepped Félix, his usual flat look on his face. He lit up when he saw Adrien.
"Adrien, hi." He greeted as he approached.
"Hi, Félix." Adrien said, returning his cousin's smile with a forced one of his own.
He had a pit in his stomach. After Félix's last trip to Paris, Adrien was doubting whether or not he knew his cousin at all. It was the second time he'd done something to cause trouble, and this time, all but three Miraculous from the Miracle Box were now in Hawk Moth's possession. So, Adrien was worried about what problems his doppelgänger cousin of his would create during this visit. But at the same time, Adrien couldn't really bring himself to hate Félix - he was family.
"So, shall we head to the mansion? I'll be happy to see uncle again." Félix said to him.
Adrien's phone rang, and he pulled the device out. He said, "It's Nino."
Félix pulled a scowl. He remembered that video his friends sent him on the memorial of Emilie's passing.
"Hey, Nino... Sure, I have some time... At school? Okay, I'll be right there!" Adrien said before hanging up. "Sorry, Félix, my friends want me to meet up with them at school to hang out."
"I see." Félix said as the Gorilla started leading Adrien and Félix to the car. As they got in the back seat and buckled up, Adrien chanced a sideways glance at his cousin.
'Maybe...' Adrien thought before asking, "Hey, Félix... Want to come with?"
Félix looked back at Adrien and asked, "Come with you? To the school?"
"Yeah, to meet the rest of my friends. You already know Chloé and you've met Kagami, but not the rest of the group." Adrien elaborated.
Félix seemed to smile in response before saying, "Sure. That sounds like fun."
Adrien breathed a sigh of relief before telling the Gorilla, "Can you take us to the school, please?"
The giant man didn't answer, merely driving the car.
At the school, everyone had gotten inside and they were in the yard, doing their respective activities. Marinette was standing across from Zoé, and they both had scripts in their hands.
""I may have loved him, but over time, I've realized that nothing's going to come of it. I can't keep going like this, it's only going to become more problematic. So... I'm sorry, but I have to say goodbye to this fruitless, one-sided poison that is my love for him."" Marinette recited, putting all of her emotion into the scene.
Zoé looked at her in surprise, impressed by how genuine Marinette's act was. Alya looked at Marinette too, understanding that Marinette wasn't joking.
Outside, the car pulled up and the cousins came out of the car and they started walking up to the school's door.
"Hey guys!" Adrien said, calling out to everyone.
The rest of the group, barring Marinette, looked over to the door and greeted Adrien before walking towards him.
Marinette kept her eyes on the script instead.
"Hey, Adrien! Nice to see you! I'm so glad your old man isn't filling your schedule excessively on summer vacation." Nino said as they did their signature handshake.
"I know, it's great!" Adrien said. "And I brought a guest."
"Really?" "Who?" "I didn't think you had any friends outside of us and Kagami."
"So, these are your friends?" Félix asked as he came up next to his cousin and looked over the group.
Everyone pulled anxious, uncomfortable faces. Ivan folded Myléne into his arms, Rose and Juleka snuggled closer, and the others were on edge.
"Yeah! I'm glad you're meeting them in person, Félix!" Adrien said.
Hearing his cousin's name, Marinette looked eyes zeroed in on the brooch on Félix's tie - it resembled a peacock with orange and dull gold designs on it. Her heart squeezed when she saw it, and she took a step back. She patted Alya on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow her. Alya nodded before ducking away and following Marinette.
Adrien noticed Marinette leaving, and his face fell a little in response. Instead of dwelling on it, Adrien started introducing his cousin to the others.
In the art room...
"The Peacock Miraculous?" Alya asked as Marinette paced. Tikki was out. "Are you sure? It doesn't look like it."
"That's the thing - when a Miraculous changes owners, their camouflage mode changes appearances, which makes it harder for people to recognize it. This way, the gemstone can hide in plain sight when it isn't activated." Tikki explained.
"That's why you couldn't recognize my stud earrings as the Ladybug Miraculous in the beginning. It's also why we didn't suspect Alix's pocket watch of being the Rabbit Miraculous, either." Marinette continued.
"That explains a few things," Alya said. "So, what are you going to do? You can't just go and take it from him."
"And you can't just transform into Ladybug and snatch it, either. He's too smart." Tikki agreed.
"I have an idea, but I'll need to talk to Cat Noir about it before I put my plan into motion." Marinette said before explaining her thought process to Alya.
Later that night, at her rendezvous spot with Cat Noir...
"What?!" Cat Noir asked. "Félix Graham de Vanily has the Peacock Miraculous? Are you sure?"
"Definitely," Ladybug said as she showed Cat Noir the picture she'd taken. "I got an alert from that girl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She says that the brooch he's wearing looks like a peacock and is wondering if that's one of the missing Miraculous."
"It does look like the Miraculous... So, what are we going to do?" Cat Noir asked.
"Nothing." Ladybug said with a shrug.
"Wait, come again? Did you just say nothing?!" Cat Noir balked. "One of the stolen Miraculous is within our reach, and we're not going to do anything about it?!"
Ladybug smirked and said, "We're not going to do anything because Marinette's gonna get it back for us."
Cat Noir looked Ladybug over and asked with a quirked eyebrow, "I don't get it."
Ladybug whispered her idea into Cat Noir's ear and his face contorted in discomfort.
"Whoa, whoa, you're going to have Marinette do what?! That just doesn't seem like her." Cat Noir began.
"What are you saying, that she's incompetent?" Ladybug asked.
"No, I just don't think that's in her nature, and... I mean that as a compliment." Cat Noir said, backpedalling.
Ladybug smiled before saying, "So, here's the plan..."
The following afternoon, Marinette was on the barge with everyone else. The band was playing and Marinette was talking with some of the others.
They heard a car coming, and Nino looked up to the Agreste family car pulling up towards the gangplank.
"He's here, dudes!" Nino said to the others. Marinette looked up and saw that Adrien was crossing the gangplank.
"Hey, Adrien!" Alya said, greeting him.
"Nice to see you guys!" Adrien said, smiling, and he turned behind him. "Félix, come on!"
His cousin walked on board, his hands behind his back as always, and scanning the boat with a blank expression.
'Target sighted.' Marinette thought as Adrien was gesturing around the boat, leading Félix around.
Marinette stayed put, taking her sketchbook out of her backpack and scribbling in it, pretending to be designing. Alya was sitting next to her, confused at the nonsense Marinette was making at first, only to realize what Marinette was really up to.
Adrien made his way to the table that was set up for food and drinks, and he picked up a watermelon slice. Félix, on the other hand, was scanning the spread with his eyes. He picked up a macaron and began to nibble on it.
"Hey Adrien!" Ivan called. "We need you on the keyboard!"
"Coming!" Adrien said as he put made his way to the bandstand to take his place at the keyboard.
Seeing Félix alone, Marinette put her sketchbook away and stood up. She started walking away from the girls. The others saw this and they gave each other knowing smiles and whispers.
"See, she's approaching him!" "I knew this "I'm getting over Adrien for good" crap wouldn't last!" "She's going to go back to being the stuttering mess she always is around him."
With the exception of Alya, everyone's eyes widened in surprise when Marinette went right over to Félix instead. He was still chewing his cookie.
"Hi there," Marinette said, giving Félix a small smile. He looked at her out of his peripheral vision. "Um... Félix, right?"
"Yes." He said after swallowing his bite. He recognized her from the video, and wasn't looking forward to another one of Adrien's fans bothering him.
"How was the macaron? Pretty good, huh?" Marinette asked, not changing her expression.
"It was good," Félix said neutrally as he picked up another one from the box. "The cocoa flavor was on point."
"Great! My dad will be happy to hear that," Marinette said as she picked up another macaron from the box. "My parents own the bakery these came from."
"Is that so?" Félix questioned.
"Yep!" Marinette said with a nod.
"The hell is she doing? That's Félix!" "She's getting her blonde boys mixed up." "Girls, be quiet."
"So, you're from London, right?" Marinette asked.
"I am." Félix confirmed.
"It's a beautiful city," Marinette stated. "I've been there a few times myself."
"Have you?" Félix asked, seeming to get a bit more comfortable.
"Yeah! A lot of us here are in the same class; we went there for a field trip once. And my Aunt Shu Yin lives in London, so my family and I were there recently for her birthday." Marinette said.
Adrien watched the scene with caution, refusing to make any moves.
Ladybug's instructions to Cat Noir were to be Marinette's contact for progress on the plan. Cat Noir was also asked to tell Adrien what they were up to and ask him for help. As far as Ladybug knew, Cat Noir told Adrien the bare minimum, and the model was instructed to take any opportunity to help Marinette get close to Félix without interfering in her work.
Everyone else was looking at Marinette in worry. Félix said something, and then Marinette stifled a giggle at it. Alix stuck out her tongue in disgust, meanwhile Rose was wondering why Marinette was talking to someone so mean.
'Okay, I think this is a good stopping point.' Marinette thought before saying to Félix, "Well, I hope you enjoy the music and the food tonight. Believe me, Luka and the rest of the band are amazing."
Marinette took up a glass of orange juice and started walking away from him to go back to the girls. As the music kept playing, Marinette kept her eyes on her friends, vaguely aware that Félix had his eyes on her.
The following day, the cousins were in Adrien's room, playing a round of chess.
"That was so much fun last night," Adrien said as he made his move on the chess board. "I'm really lucky to have such great friends."
Félix was quiet for a second, looking at the chess pieces and trying to decide on his move. He took the queen and knocked Adrien's rook out of its spot in square 6g.
"Nice move!" Adrien praised.
"Thanks," Félix said as he watched Adrien's eyes scan the board. "...So, you seriously like those people on the boat?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Adrien asked as he kept scanning the board. "They care about me."
He kept thinking of a way to slip Marinette's name into the conversation, when Félix asked, "They legitimately care?"
"Yeah. They've had my back almost since day one, Nino especially. Sure, the first impression I made was very bad. Poor Marinette, she really hated me at first." Adrien said, chuckling at the last sentence, and deliberately bringing up Marinette.
Félix, surprised at that, looked up and asked, "Marinette? What happened?"
"Chloé put gum on her seat on my first day of school and I ended up taking the fall for it when I tried to get it off. We managed to clear up the misunderstanding, and now we're pretty good friends... I think." Adrien explained, letting some of his true feelings slip in.
"You think?" Félix questioned, quirking a brow. Adrien's face fell as he kept looking at the chess board.
"Well... She's been avoiding me like the plague lately," Adrien said as he made his next move - his king capturing Félix's knight. "I don't know if I said or did something to piss her off. But she hasn't been talking to me much these days unless we're in a group."
His eyes glanced to his queen, and for a brief second, Marinette's face appeared on the piece.
Félix's eyes narrowed a bit, thinking, 'Idiot, she adores you! It's kind of pathetic, really. She probably doesn't wanna embarrass herself in front of you with her stupid crush.'
Adrien perked up and he said, "Hey, maybe I'll call her and check on her."
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Marinette's contact number, while thinking, 'I wanna make up with Marinette, but I gotta help speed things up for Ladybug's plan!'
Marinette, on her end, was up in her room and planning her next move for her the plan. She made a point to avoid cyberstalking Félix, because A. She had a hunch he wasn't that active on social media. And B. She was still trying to avoid any imagery about Adrien. Even though Félix was identical to him physically, she decided that was the only thing they had in common.
"So, what's your next step in the plan?" Tikki asked.
"Try and keep getting close to Félix and getting to know him without hinting about the Peacock Miraculous. The second I show an interest in the brooch, something could go wrong." Marinette said.
Her phone started ringing, and she saw it was Adrien. She took a deep breath, thinking, 'Maybe this is Adrien trying to help with the plan per Cat Noir's instructions.'
She took the phone and answered the call. She said, "Hi, Adrien."
"Marinette, hi! I wanted to tell you that I had a great time last night." Adrien said.
"So did I," Marinette said before asking, "Is Félix there?"
The scene changed to Adrien, who was on the phone and smiling, saying, "Yeah, he's here. We're playing a round of chess."
"Really? That sounds very interesting. I'd ask Max to teach me, but I've got so much to do that there's almost never any time." Marinette said.
"So... Wanna talk to Félix?" Adrien asked.
"Sure." Marinette said as Adrien handed the phone over to his cousin.
Félix said, "Hello, Marinette."
"Hi, Félix. It was great talking to you last night," Marinette said, causing him to perk up. "We're having another hangout at the barge later this week. You're welcome to tag along if you'd like!"
Félix, perking up a bit, said, "That... Would be nice."
"You know what else would be nice? I heard through Adrien that you do magic tricks," Marinette said as the scene changed over to her in her room. "I'd like to see that!"
"You would?" Félix asked, and Marinette detected a smile in his voice. "Then maybe we could meet up at some point and I can show you."
"I actually have some time today. Come by the Dupain-Cheng bakery." Marinette said, while thinking, 'So long as Hawk Moth doesn't attack...'
"Okay." Félix said before hanging up.
He handed the phone back to Adrien, and he said, "I guess I'll be meeting Marinette again."
"That's great!" Adrien said, thinking, 'Perfect!'
Back on Marinette's end, she put her own phone away before looking at Tikki.
"Very well-done, Marinette," Tikki said. "I think this might work!"
"I'm sure it will, but he's a crafty one, so I definitely have to tread lightly." Marinette said to her kwami.
When Félix arrived at the bakery, he stepped inside and asked, "Hello?"
Tom and Sabine looked up from their work, and Sabine said, "Oh, Adrien! It's so nice to see you! You look very nice in that suit!"
"Thank you." Félix said as he looked over the goods in the shop.
"Mom, that's not Adrien," Marinette said as she came into the bakery through the door. "That's his cousin, Félix Graham de Vanily."
"Oh, really? He looks so much like Adrien, it must be so easy to make a mistake." Sabine said as Marinette approached Félix.
'Don't I know it...' Marinette thought as she took a box of macarons from the counter.
"So... Shall we? It would be nice to make a new friend." Marinette said as she led Félix out the door.
Tom and Sabine looked at each other and shrugged.
Marinette and Félix had taken their seats at a nearby park bench, and they were eating the macarons. Cat Noir, as per Ladybug's instructions, was hiding on a nearby rooftop and watching the scene from his vantage point, using his staff as a pair of binoculars.
"So, what kind of magic tricks can you do? Cards? Slight-of-hand?" Marinette asked.
"All of the above." Félix said to Marinette, not looking at her as he ate one of the macarons.
Marinette, trying a different tactic, asked, "How was your chess game? I've never played, but it sounds like fun. I'll bet you and Max could have a nice time, playing a round or two."
Félix, starting to get annoyed, asked, "Look, what do you want from me?"
Marinette looked at him innocently, before asking, "What do you mean?"
Félix leaned in closer to her, glaring her down. Cat Noir was watching, his temper getting hotter, the grip on his staff got tighter, and his eyes narrowed at the scene. Just the sight of his cousin getting that close to Marinette wasn't sitting right with him for some reason.
"Don't play dumb. I recognize you from the video you guys sent Adrien that one time. I know how you feel about him," Félix said just loud enough for Marinette to hear. "If you're trying to get to Adrien through me, don't waste your time!"
Marinette's heart hurt at the accusation, but she had to put it aside. She gave Félix a quizzical expression before asking, "Why would I do that?"
"I can tell what you're thinking: "this guy is Adrien's cousin, so if I can befriend him, maybe I can get closer to Adrien". I'll bet you see Adrien every time you look at me. Am I wrong?" Félix spat.
Marinette's expression melted into a smile before telling him, "It's true that you're Adrien's cousin, but you're more than that. You're your own person, aren't you?"
Félix's eyes widened in surprise before blinking. He asked, "I'm... my own person?"
"Yeah," Marinette said, nodding while maintaining eye contact. "You two may look like identical twins, but you're completely different people. And that's how it should be."
Félix's face seemed to turn into a smile before saying, "...Thank you."
Marinette wasn't sure if he really meant it, but she nodded, her face not changing. He leaned away, and he maintained his smile.
"So, what tricks do you wanna see?" Félix asked.
"How about a few card tricks?" Marinette requested.
Félix nodded before pulling out a deck of cards. He started doing the Upside-Down Card trick. On the sly, he turned over the card on the bottom of the deck before continuing his trick.
He put the cards behind his back, and closed his eyes. He covertly flipped the deck over before showing them and fanning them out. The one face-down card that was visible to Marinette was front and center. He slipped the card out and he flipped the card to reveal it was the Ace of Hearts.
"The Ace of Hearts! That's the card I chose! That's impressive!" Marinette said, clapping her hands in delight.
Félix decided to do a few more card tricks. With every trick, Marinette seemed more and more bubbly. She kept her eyes and smile happy as she watched Félix do his tricks.
Cat Noir, still watching, was relieved that Félix backed off and that he seemed to start warming up to Marinette. But still, there was a big pit in his stomach and he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"Everything's going fine. I'll check in with Marinette later." Cat Noir said as he went to leave.
Back down with Marinette, she was laughing at Félix's latest trick, and she was clapping in delight. Her eyes were flitting between Félix's trick and the brooch on his tie, and she was thinking, 'So far, so good!'
She wasn't aware that Félix was looking at her with the same wicked smile he usually had when he found success in one of his schemes.
Later on, up in Marinette's bedroom, she was touching base with Alya.
"How's it going so far?" Alya asked. "Any progress?"
"Doesn't seem like he suspects anything. He thought I was trying to get to Adrien through him, but that didn't come as a surprise." Marinette said as she was organizing some of her guardian materials.
"Remember his first time in Paris? He intercepted the video we made for Adrien, and then responded with something really cruel. He probably saw your clip and doesn't think that highly of you." Alya said to her.
"That's what I'm counting on, Alya," Marinette said as she put the pages of the translated grimoire in her chest. "My theory is that if I keep treating him as an individual instead of "Adrien's cousin", he'll open up just enough, then I can find a way to nab the Miraculous back."
"That's a solid thought process." Alya agreed.
"I still don't like this whole "honey trap" idea, Marinette," Tikki said, worried. "You're sinking to Lila's level, deceiving him to get what you want."
Alya nodded. It took Tikki's testimony about Lila and bringing up the whole "Ladybug's best friend" lie to get Alya to wake up about it. Ever since, Alya promised to never trust a word Lila would say, or hand the twins and/or Chris over to her to babysit.
"I know I'm being a hypocrite, and I don't like it either... But don't you think giving him a taste of his own medicine would be a good idea? Sometimes that's the only way people will learn." Marinette stated.
"Fair enough. If anything, he deserves it after stealing all the Miraculous and handing them over to Hawk Moth! Besides, if that's what it takes to save Duusu and get one step closer to defeating Hawk Moth, then go for it." Alya added.
Marinette nodded before picking up her phone. She pulled up Adrien's contact and pressed the call button.
"Girl, that's Adrien's number! Why are you-" Alya asked, but Marinette put a finger up to signal "give me a minute".
The dial tone stopped and Adrien said, "Hey, Marinette!"
"Hi, Adrien! Is Félix there?" Marinette said.
"He's in the bathroom right now, why?" Adrien said, albeit his tone sounded a bit deflated.
"Well, I just wanted to tell him that his magic tricks were amazing and they were a pleasure to watch!" Marinette said with a delighted tone.
"I'll pass the message along. I'll give you his number if you'd like." Adrien offered.
"Oh, no thanks," Marinette said, as Alya watched curiously. "I wouldn't want to call him up out of nowhere and make him uncomfortable. He seems so stiff..."
"He's been... Different since his father passed." Adrien reported.
Marinette was tempted to talk about how Adrien's mother's passing had a major impact on his father, but she had to maintain her focus.
"Maybe he could use a friend or two." Marinette said with a shrug.
"You're probably right." Adrien agreed.
"Anyway, I gotta go. If Félix wants to talk to me, just call me up." Marinette said.
"I will." Adrien said as Marinette hung up.
Marinette looked at Alya, who nodded, impressed.
Back with Adrien, Félix had just come out of the bathroom, and Adrien said, "Hey, Marinette just called."
With a scoff, Félix smiled and said, "What'd she say?"
"She liked your magic tricks." Adrien said, shrugging.
"Of course she did," Félix said with another shrug. His arms were behind his back as always. "She's... A unique one."
"Believe me, she's a lot like Ladybug." Adrien chuckled, with Félix's face twisting a little.
"How so?" Félix asked.
"She's always doing good deeds for friends," Adrien said, his facial expression turning a bit smitten. "She helped Ivan get his feelings out to his girlfriend, Myléne. Then, Marinette helped out our friend Juleka. She had this "school photo curse" that Marinette helped break. And our friends Marc and Nathaniel, who make those popular Ladybug comic books? She's the one who got them together - they even dedicated their first edition to her. Also, she made the costumes for Kitty Section, stood up to my father to help me go to New York for a field trip, and she helped Zoé break out from under Chloé and their mom's thumb. Marinette... She's very special."
Félix smiled with the same psychotic twist to it that Lila would have whenever her plans went accordingly. He said, "You like her, don't you?"
"Of course I do! She's a great friend!" Adrien said, albeit for some reason, it didn't sound right to him anymore.
"Hm... Well, maybe talking to her again wouldn't hurt." Félix said as he held his hand out for Adrien's phone.
Adrien gave a tight smile as he watched Félix dial Marinette up.
"Marinette?... It's Félix. I have to tell you, I had a wonderful time today. I don't think I remember the last time I've enjoyed putting on a magic show for someone other than my parents..." Félix said.
Adrien, on the other hand, had his arms crossed and he wasn't looking very comfortable.
'It makes me sick, setting my cousin up with Marinette like this, but if it's to get the Peacock Miraculous back from him...' Adrien thought as he watched Félix talk to Marinette on the phone.
That evening, Marinette was up on the balcony. Even with the threat of Hawk Moth and all the Miraculous looming over the city, she felt at peace. The stars were twinkling, as always.
On a nearby rooftop, Cat Noir was watching, and he smiled. Using his baton, he started leaping from roof to roof before ultimately landing on the balcony.
"Hey, Marinette!" Cat Noir greeted.
"Cat Noir?" Marinette asked, playing dumb while blushing.
"I just came to check in about the plan." Cat Noir said.
"That's right, Ladybug wants me to keep you updated on the progress." Marinette said, still red in the face.
It was dead silent for a few seconds, and it was a bit awkward. Cat Noir broke the ice before asking, "So... Care to report?"
"Oh, right!" Marinette said, shaking her head. "Um, well, perfect- er, progress is being made. Don't get me wrong, he's a tough nut to crack!"
Cat Noir held back a chuckle as he watched Marinette's antics. Marinette took a deep breath, and said to herself, "Gotta get serious!"
She turned back to Cat Noir and said, "I've invited him to my group's usual hangout at the Couffaine's barge this week, and hopefully he'll come."
"Any information about his brooch?" Cat Noir asked.
"Nothing yet. I don't want him to suspect that I know something," Marinette responded. "I can't take any chances of slipping up."
"Don't worry. If Ladybug trusts you to do this, then so do I." Cat Noir reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Marinette looked at his green eyes, and the joyful, almost loving sparkle that was in them made her heart pound. She'd realized that as Ladybug, he'd taken him for granted. Even after she'd lost all the Miraculous to Hawk Moth, he (and the rest of the city) stood by her. He stood up for her. From the beginning, he'd always been there for her. Even when Plagg had given Cat Noir's Miraculous to whoever Cat Walker was, the partnership between them just didn't work. She'd been too enamored with Cat Walker to legitimately fight.
Bad jokes, clownish behavior, recklessness and all, Cat Noir was irreplaceable.
And now that she and Cat Noir were basically back to square one with their team, and that Hawk Moth had almost the entire Miracle Box, she knew that she needed Cat Noir more than ever. She promised herself: no more rejecting his help, no more bad communication and keeping him out of the loop, no more controlling behavior. And once they got their entire team back, she promised to fill him in on who was who and then they would work together to create a new system on drafting/recovering the Miraculous. She already had a few ideas that he'd put his paw-print of approval on (including creating a few booby-traps in her yo-yo in case someone tried to steal it again).
Marinette sighed before saying, "...Thank you, Cat Noir."
"You're welcome. I'll monitor the situation, too." Cat Noir said before kissing Marinette's hand and vaulting away.
She sighed as she held her kissed hand to her heart and watched his black form retreat. She went back down in her room, ready for the next part of her plan.
When the day of their next barge meet-up happened upon them, everyone was talking about everything they liked, dancing, drinking juices and eating treats from the bakery, etc.
Alya whispered in Marinette's ear, "He should be here soon. Keep your wits about you."
Marinette nodded as the car pulled up. The boys came out of it and approached the gangplank. Everyone was calling out greetings to Adrien, who crossed the gangplank and on board. He started chatting with Nino.
Marinette caught sight of Félix, and she began walking towards him. Some of the girls blocked Marinette, and Myléne asked, "Marinette, what are you thinking?! That's Félix, not Adrien!"
"I know." Marinette said with a shrug.
"What is he even doing here?!" Alix spat, looking over her shoulder.
"I invited him." Marinette said. The rest of the girls looked at Marinette like she'd turned into an alien or something, but Marinette merely sidestepped them and walked over to Félix.
As Félix took a sip of water, he saw Marinette out of his peripheral vision.
"Hi, Félix! Glad you could make it again." Marinette said.
"Ah, Marinette," Félix said, putting his water down. "I'm glad to come. It's certainly more fun than those stiff parties that my mother holds."
"Did you bring any of your magic tricks? Maybe you can show off a few to the others?" Marinette asked.
"Great minds think alike, Marinette," Félix said, a cunning smile coming on his face. "I actually did bring a few tricks. Speaking of tricks, I have one for you right here and now."
"Really?" Marinette asked, a smile growing.
Félix waved his right hand around his left sleeve, and with a flick of his wrist, he pulled out two roses: a yellow one with red tips, and a peach one.
He said, "For you, Marinette. As my thanks for the other day."
"Aw, thank you!" Marinette said as she took the two flowers and started smelling them.
Adrien, who was watching the scene from the bandstand (he was at the keyboard again, standing next to Luka), saw the flowers and his blood went cold. From all the research he did on floriography (the language of flowers) to win over Ladybug, he knew what that combination of colors and the number of flowers meant.
'Shit, looks like the plan's working... But why do I feel my stomach churning this way?!' Adrien thought.
"You okay, Adrien?" Luka asked, breaking Adrien out of his thoughts.
"I... I'm fine, but seeing Marinette with Félix like that is... It's weird. And not a good weird." Adrien admitted.
"Yeah, the music I'm getting off of him seems... Deceitful. Like his internal orchestra is trying to play Beethoven's 9th, but it's also hiding something very sinister," Luka pointed out. "Meanwhile, Marinette's music, as beautiful as it always is, sounds like she's trying to play "Spring" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It's like she's intending on using that influence to soften him up, meanwhile she's fully aware of the harsher, crueler side to him, and knows which parts of that music can reflect that, like the thunderstorm portion."
Adrien nodded before saying, "I get that, but I just feel sick to my stomach at the sight, and I don't know why."
Luka gave his friend a sad expression before turning his attention back to his guitar.
Minus Alya and Adrien, the rest of the group was watching suspiciously as Marinette talked Félix up. A few minutes later, Marinette gathered everyone up to sit down and had Félix stand in front of them, doing a magic show.
He started doing card tricks, including the same Upside-Down Card trick from before. He asked Adrien to volunteer for the trick - he got the King of Clubs as his card. When Adrien held it up, everyone else giving Félix polite applause, but Marinette's was genuine. Félix, for his part, once again had his eyes solely on Marinette.
The next few days were quiet - Marinette was trying to befriend Félix (which was a slow process, but it was working), and she was reporting any and all progress, no matter how small, to Cat Noir.
One day, she was out at a local smoothie shop with the rest of the girls (given that Hawk Moth hadn't attacked in a while, Marinette was on guard, but she also took the chance to relax with her friends). Marinette had her sketchbook out and was working on something themed after Cat Noir.
"Hey Marinette, what are you working on?" Zoé asked, and Marinette perked up.
"Oh, just a new design," Marinette said. "It's a formal suit, and I themed it around Cat Noir."
The girls seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Marinette looked at them and she asked, "What?"
"I'm glad you said you were designing something for Cat Noir," Myléne said. "If you said Félix, we would've definitely been worried."
"Oh, speaking of whom, I'm actually going to make something for him - maybe a top hat for his magic tricks, or even a few accessories for his outfit, like a cape." Marinette mentioned as she showed a few designs. Everyone besides Alya moaned.
"Marinette, you can't be serious," Alix said. "You're designing something for Félix?"
"Yeah, why?" Marinette asked.
"This is the same guy who sent us a super-mean video, pretending he was Adrien, just to be nasty!" Rose said. "Why are you being so nice to him?!"
Juleka mumbled something before Marinette said, "What? A crush on Félix? Pssh! No way."
"That's what you said when you first met Luka," Myléne pointed out. "Are you sure you aren't just seeing another version of Adrien in Félix?"
Marinette sighed before saying, "Listen, I meant it when I said that I needed to let go of my feelings for Adrien. You saw me - both times on the boat, I didn't go after Adrien once."
"That's true, but in that case, where does Félix fit into this?" Alix asked in a near-interrogating tone.
Marinette looked over the girls' faces before saying, "Well... I guess I just thought that maybe Félix could use some friends. He could be in a similar situation to Kagami or Adrien, just not going about his frustrations over it in a healthy manner."
"Sure you're not just making excuses?" Zoé gently asked.
"I mean it - maybe reaching out and showing him that he isn't alone might help him turn his behavior around." Marinette suggested.
Alix rolled her eyes, turned to Alya and said, "Alya, seriously! Talk some sense into Marinette, please!"
Alya only shrugged and said, "Marinette's not wrong. That kindness of hers helped us get Zoé as a friend, and Kagami's opened up more for the same reason. We know it isn't foolproof, but maybe it will work on Félix."
When the girls heard this, they sighed, and Rose said, "Alya has a point. And remember what I said before: it's not the problems that matter, it's how you deal with them that's important."
Juleka gave a nod, and Marinette said, "Okay, now that we've gotten that cleared up, back to our smoothies?"
The girls agreed before going back to their fruity drinks. Alya winked at Marinette on the sly.
Meanwhile, in the Agreste family car, Adrien was sitting in the back, with Félix sitting next to him. Adrien had just finished up another photoshoot and Félix had tagged along to watch.
"Are these photoshoots always so boring?" Félix asked.
"Yeah. They're not much fun unless some of my friends are around," Adrien admitted. "I don't hate doing it, per say, but I don't see it as a career. Juleka wants to be a model, and she's definitely got what it takes once she comes out of her shell, but I've warned her that it's not all glitz and glamour. Though I'm sure when Marinette opens up her own fashion company, she'll make sure that changes."
Félix's smile turned cruel as he said, "Marinette, huh?"
"Yeah, she's an amazing fashion designer," Adrien said, remembering Ladybug's plan. "She's always making presents for her friends for their birthdays. Like a pocket watch protector for Alix as a belated present."
"What about you?" Félix asked. "What did she make you?"
Adrien's face fell when asked that. He sighed before saying, "Yeah... That's another reason I'm wondering if she's pissed at me. My first birthday in school, she didn't make a present for me. Knowing her, it might've gotten ruined and she wasn't going to give it to me if she wasn't happy with the final product."
Félix's smile only grew and his eyes narrowed, triumphant.
He saw the bakery pass by out of his peripheral vision.
"Speaking of Marinette," Félix said. "Shall we go see her? We just passed the bakery."
Adrien smiled tightly before saying, "Great idea! I may not be able to eat much of the bakery goods, but I don't see why you can't."
Hearing this, the Gorilla turned the car around to park in front of the bakery. There was a bit of a line outside the door, people coming and going, and the boys came out of the car before stepping in line.
Once their turn in the bakery came up, they saw the busy bakers selling their goods and making more in the back while customers came and went.
"Hi, Mme. Dupain-Cheng!" Adrien said as he and Félix came up to the counter.
"Oh! Adrien, Félix! Good to see you both!" Sabine said.
"Is Marinette in?" Félix asked.
"Oh, no, she's out with the girls," Tom said as he came forward with some other items. "It's great that she has a big group of friends, isn't it?"
Adrien nodded in agreement while Félix had his usual scowl. As Adrien was talking with Marinette's parents, Félix once again snatched Adrien's phone from his pocket. Félix opened the device and went into Adrien's contacts, found Marinette's information, and sent that info to his own phone. He slipped Adrien's phone back to him.
"So, what can we get for you boys?" Sabine asked.
'You can get Marinette home.' Félix thought before saying, "A few of those chocolate chip cookies would be great."
He took out his wallet and a credit card before presenting it to the Dupain-Cheng family. Sabine rang him up while Tom packaged up a half-dozen cookies before presenting them to Félix.
"Meet you back at the car, Adrien?" Félix asked.
"Um, sure..." Adrien said as Félix left the building.
Once Félix got in front of the car, he pulled up his phone and opened the message that had Marinette's contact information. He saved it in his phone before dialing it up.
Around the corner from the bakery, the girls were escorting Marinette home before going their separate ways for the time being. Marinette's phone started going off. She picked the device out of her bag before reading the unfamiliar number.
"That's weird... I don't recognize this number," Marinette said. Everyone stopped in their tracks as she accepted the call and put the device to her ear. "Hello?"
"Marinette, hello," Félix greeted. "It's Félix."
"Félix?" Marinette asked, causing the girls to look at Marinette in worry. "How'd you-? Oh, Adrien, right?"
"Indeed," Félix said. "I'm at the bakery right now. Where are you?"
"Funny you should ask. I'm actually on my way back home with the girls," Marinette asked. "Why-"
"Perfect." Félix said.
"What do you mean "perfect"?" Marinette asked as she looked up and saw Félix was standing in front of the bakery window. "Oh."
She hung up the phone as Félix started walking towards her, his hands behind his back as always. The girls were giving him pensive expressions, meanwhile Marinette was front and center.
He said to Marinette, "Have any plans for tomorrow?"
"Well, I was gonna-" Marinette began.
"Great!" Félix interrupted, to everyone's confusion. "Since you don't have anything planned, I'm taking you out on the city."
"Pardon?!" Marinette asked, and the girls looked at Félix in annoyance/worry.
"We're going on a date tomorrow, plain and simple." He said, not moving.
"Now hang on, I never said anything about-" Marinette tried to reason, but Félix snatched her phone, put his contact information in it, and then handed it back to her.
"I'll call you tomorrow. Be ready, Marinette." Félix said as he grabbed Marinette and kissed her cheek.
She shouted and pushed him away, but he merely put his hands behind his back in his usual way before turning on his heel and going back to the car.
Once Adrien got outside, he gave the girls a friendly wave before getting in after his cousin. The car drove off.
"Did... He just ask me out on a date?" Marinette asked, befuddled as she wiped her cheek with a napkin she had on hand.
"More like ordered you out on a date, if you ask me." Alya said, crossing her arms.
"He didn't even let you get a word in edgewise," Myléne agreed. "That wasn't very polite."
"He could afford some manners!" Alix said.
"You're not going to go with him, are you?" Zoé asked.
"Well..." Marinette began, looking at her friends with a pensive expression.
In the car, the cousins were quiet. Adrien had a box of macarons in hand while he was watching his cousin out of his peripheral vision.
"So, what was that about?" Adrien casually asked.
"I'm taking Marinette on a date tomorrow." Félix said as he started messing with his phone.
"Wait, what?" Adrien asked, his eyes the size of dinner plates.
"Marinette and I have a date." Félix repeated.
"Whoa, whoa!" Adrien said, waving his hands in a "stop" gesture. "Marinette actually said she'd go out with you?"
"Doesn't matter." Félix said, avoiding his cousin's question.
'Sounds like Cat Noir needs to check in on her.' Adrien thought.
That evening, Adrien double-checked to make sure Félix was completely asleep.
"Okay, we're good," Adrien said before sneaking to the window and whispering, "Plagg, claws out!"
Cat Noir jumped out the window to get to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.
In Marinette's room, she was talking with Tikki about how she was going to get the Peacock Miraculous back from Félix.
"No, that won't work! He's smart, he'll immediately think something's up if I do that!" Marinette said to Tikki.
"Again, you're overcomplicating it, Marinette," Tikki said. "So far, it's working. He's interested in you, and now you can-"
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
"Marinette?" Cat Noir asked.
Marinette looked at the skylight while Tikki hid. She climbed up and out, and was greeted by Cat Noir's smile.
"Sorry to yowl, but I wanted to get an update on your purr-ogress." Cat Noir said. Marinette rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Yeah... About that," Marinette said. "I've got a date with him."
"Wha?!" Cat Noir asked.
"I know," Marinette sighed. "It's more like he said that we're going to spend the day together tomorrow, not leaving any room for discussion."
"He didn't even let you have a chance to say anything?" Cat Noir questioned, crossing his arms.
Marinette shook her head, saying, "He didn't. But it's okay."
"Okay how?" Cat Noir asked again.
Marinette looked at him with a smile and said, "This is the opening I need to get the Miraculous back. Here's what I'm going to do..."
Cat Noir nodded as he listened to Marinette explain her plan to him, keeping an eye on her body language and facial expression. With each detail, he got more and more impressed with how clever her plan was. It was like he was talking to Ladybug about her usual plans.
"That's pretty impressive!" Cat Noir said. "That sounds like a brilliant plan."
"Thank you," Marinette said. "Now, you know your part, right?"
"Yes," Cat Noir said. "Keep an eye on your "date" from a close-enough distance, and wait for your signal."
Marinette nodded in confirmation.
That next day, Marinette was wearing her standard outfit, and she was brushing her pigtails.
"So it's today?" Tikki asked.
"Yes," Marinette said. "I'm getting the Peacock Miraculous back."
There was a knock on her bedroom door and Tikki hid.
"Marinette, are you ready?" Félix said from below.
"Yes, I'm ready." Marinette said as she went to the door and opened it.
A bouquet of flowers (this time, red and orange roses) all but hit her in the face. Marinette looked passed the petals and saw Félix looking at her with a similar expression to Lila whenever she achieved success. Her skin crawled, but she made sure her facial expression didn't betray her discomfort.
Her parents were in the living room, watching the scene, blissfully unaware of the nastiness that Félix hid. She slapped on a smile before taking the flowers and saying, "Félix, thank you."
"You're welcome. Very welcome," Félix said as he snagged her hands. "Let's go!"
He dragged her out of the house, and Marinette flailed her hands, throwing the roses by accident. Sabine caught them, and she said, "Oh dear! He didn't take the thorns off..."
As they left the house, Félix brought Marinette into the car. Up on a vantage point a few rooftops away, Cat Noir was watching through his staff. He hid before covertly following them.
Félix brought Marinette over to the Champs-Elysées, and they were standing in front of a nearby magic shop.
"You really are into magic tricks, aren't you?" Marinette asked.
"I am," Félix said. "Even more so lately."
Marinette took a deep breath before saying, "Well... Every magician needs a stage costume, don't you think?"
"Oh, I do think," Félix said, giving Marinette a predatory look out of his peripheral. "You planning on making one for me?"
"Yeah," Marinette said as she took out her sketchbook and flipped it to the page of some of the accessories she thought up and showed him her drawings. "I actually have a few things in mind right now. Like a top hat for your tricks, but maybe I could twist it around and try a different type of hat to break the stereotype - maybe instead of a top hat, it could be a safari hat. Ooh, maybe a duckbill cap instead!"
Félix watched as Marinette rattled off ideas, flipping the pages and Félix looked at each of them with an intrigued eye.
"And a cape! Every good magician has a cape!" Marinette said, but then she sagged. "Hmm... Adding a cape to the ensemble is too traditional. Not to mention after watching "The Incredibles" that one time, I wouldn't want your outfit to snag. Embarrassing much?"
Félix held back a chuckle as Marinette kept prattling on.
"So, what do you think?" Marinette asked as she shut the book.
"I think you're full of surprises, Marinette." Félix said.
"This might be a good birthday present for you..." Marinette began.
"So you'll make a birthday present for me, but not for Adrien?" Félix asked, and Marinette looked at him in confusion. "He told me that you make birthday presents for all your friends, but he didn't get one. Clearly, you don't love Adrien like you've claimed."
"Oh, that," Marinette said, sighing. She put her sketchbook away and took out her phone. She pulled up a photo of Adrien, wearing a blue scarf. "See that scarf?"
"Yes. Very well-made." Félix commented.
"I made it for him for his birthday. I don't know how it happened, but he thinks his father gave it to him." Marinette explained, to Félix's surprise.
"Hold on, you let my uncle take credit for a birthday present for Adrien that you made?" Félix asked.
"Yes," Marinette said as she put her phone back. "Adrien just seemed so happy to think that he got a birthday present from his father. I wasn't going to ruin it for him. Besides, there's always next time."
Félix looked at Marinette with wide eyes as she kept perusing the shop.
"You're definitely a special girl," Félix muttered under his breath, his conniving, cruel smile coming upon his face. "Very special."
Getting an idea, Félix hooked his hand on Marinette's arm before dragging her out of the store.
"Hey, where are we going?!" Marinette asked as she was stuffed into the car and it drove off again.
Up on the rooftop, Cat Noir was watching the scene, and he looked pretty anxious. Sighing and remembering his task, he started chasing after the pair.
Their next stop was a jewelry store. A very high-end one at that. Félix was taking the jewelry and putting it on Marinette, trying to see what would look good on her. He put a simple diamond pendant around her neck.
"Hm... Diamonds definitely suit you." Félix said, eyeing Marinette in a sly manner.
Marinette swallowed a lump in her throat, before saying, "Really? I prefer pinks, honestly, and I'm not fond of excessively-shiny gemstones like that."
Félix's eyes narrowed before they landed on her earrings.
"Those earrings don't do you justice," Félix pointed out. "Let's get rid of them and put something else in there. Like these diamond dangle earrings."
Marinette's blood went cold and her skin got goosebumps as he reached out to her earrings. She stepped away, saying, "No, no! These are my favorite earrings! I'd never take them off!"
She remembered what happened last time she took her Miraculous off. Being Lady Noire wasn't easy, as she spent most of that fight telling Mister Bug how to actually use the Lucky Charm, and she made the (possibly lucky) mistake of hitting the sentimonster with a Cataclysm.
Again, Félix's expression was unhappy, but he backed off, saying, "Fine, but you really don't know what you're missing. You would've looked beautiful with diamond jewelry all over you."
Marinette sighed, then decided to take a gamble as she started looking at the brooch. She asked, "Speaking of jewelry, I've been meaning to ask you something..."
Félix looked at her in curiosity.
"That brooch you're wearing is very beautiful." Marinette said, trying to be innocent and sweet about it.
Félix looked at the brooch before looking back up at Marinette. He smiled, saying, "It is, isn't it?"
"I've never seen anything like it," Marinette added as she stepped closer and kept her eyes directly on it. "Where did you get it? Is it an heirloom?"
"You might say that," Félix chuckled as he fingered it. Marinette didn't tear her eyes away from the piece. "Between you and me..."
He leaned in closer to Marinette, a Chloé-esque, triumphant smile on his face, and he said in her ear, "I actually got this off my uncle. I cut a deal with him."
"Gabriel Agreste?" Marinette asked.
"Yes," He said. "It's... It's very special."
"I'm sure it is." Marinette said, keeping a smile on her face. She deliberately moved her eyes away from the brooch and over to some of the other jewelry pieces in the store.
"That almandine garnet bracelet looks pretty! Maybe I can look at it and see if I can design something for Kagami to go with it!" Marinette said as she walked over to the stand that had the bracelet on it.
Félix watched as Marinette examined the pieces.
Once they were finished at the jewelry store, dusk was coming upon them. Félix continued walking down the streets, with Marinette at his side. He had his arm around her waist and was leering at her (much to her discomfort). Around her neck was a simple diamond pendant on rose gold. While Marinette said otherwise, Félix insisted on getting it for her. When she saw the price tag, she nearly fainted.
"That pendant really suits you," Félix said. "I think you should consider creating a beautiful, white dress to go with it."
"Er..." Marinette said before nodding in agreement. When he looked forward, Marinette directed her eyes on the brooch as it glinted in the dimming sunlight.
'I gotta get it back TODAY, but I need to find the right opportunity.' Marinette thought as she felt Félix yank on her wrist.
"Hey!" Marinette shouted as she kept walking.
Félix kept dragging Marinette around Paris, and Marinette would try to reach for the Miraculous whenever she got the chance. Unfortunately, every time she found a moment, it would get ruined by either Félix facing her again or bringing her elsewhere.
Marinette made sure to act like she was enjoying herself, even putting up with him touching her in places she wasn't comfortable with. And she would look up to the rooftops to make sure Cat Noir was watching. Every time she got a glimpse of him, she felt reassured.
As they were walking along the Seine, Marinette glanced up at the roof again, and she saw a blonde head with cat ears on it. She smiled before giggling and turning back.
"What were you looking at?" Félix asked.
"Oh, um... Just the sky - the colors of the dusk are so pretty, and I couldn't help but wonder how to incorporate that into-" Marinette began, but then she heard a bell tingle.
She looked up and she saw a familiar man and ice cream cart up ahead on the bridge. A couple had just left the cart and the man was waving at them.
"Oh, André!" Marinette said, smiling at the sight.
"André?" Félix asked.
"Yeah. He's a popular ice cream vendor. You have to follow clues around town to track him down, and legend has it that if a couple gets a Lover's Ice Cream cone from him, they'll be together forever." Marinette said.
"Then we should definitely check it out." Félix said as he started dragging Marinette towards the cart. Marinette got an uncomfortable expression as they approached.
"Ah, Marinette! One of my favorite girls," André said. "And I see you and Adrien are finally together!"
"Oh, this isn't Adrien," Marinette explained. "This is Félix, his cousin from London."
"It's easy to get us mixed up," Félix said as he pulled Marinette closer. Marinette tried to slap a smile on. "So, what looks good?"
"Let me see what I have for you..." André began as he turned to his flavors.
Marinette tried to take a deep breath and calm down as André made a cone up for the two of them. She could tell he had a hard time matching the flavors to the two of them, since Marinette wasn't with Adrien, or even Luka. It was possible that André could tell that something sneaky was going on.
"Here you go," André said as he handed Marinette the sundae, which already had two spoons in it. "Enjoy your day! Savor every bite like it's the last one, okay?"
Marinette nodded as she scooped some ice cream out. But Félix took the spoon before stuffing the bite in her mouth. While Marinette was chewing, Félix took his phone out, and took a selfie of him kissing her cheek. And then he sent the picture to Adrien's number!
Up on a rooftop, Cat Noir was still watching everything from his staff-turned-binoculars. Having seen his cousin kiss Marinette and her adverse reaction, he started growling, his body was shaking, and his expression changed into outrage. When his baton beeped with Adrien's number and he got the selfie from Félix...
"The hell?! I can't believe him!" Cat Noir growled under his breath, before swallowing his emotions and continuing to watch. He muttered, "Come on, Marinette, get the brooch and shut him down already..."
Marinette giggled, playing along with Félix's antics (even though, deep down, she was disgusted) before saying, "That's good ice cream, isn't it?"
Félix's face fell, and he also scooped up some ice cream and took a bite. He shrugged and said, "I see why it's popular."
"Yeah! I love getting this ice cream whenever I can." Marinette laughed.
Félix put his arm around her shoulder and started guiding her away from the cart, saying, "Let's keep this date going."
Soon, dusk turned to dark, and Marinette was getting very anxious. The whole day, the only thing she got was that Félix got the brooch from his uncle, Gabriel Agreste. While it was progress, it wasn't going to be much help if it was sixteen Miraculous against her and Cat Noir's two. She had to get the Peacock Miraculous back, but opportunities were few and far between that evening.
Her anger at being kissed against her wishes was boiling, too, but she tamped it down. It was all part of the plan, she reminded herself.
"Shall we sit down?" Félix offered as he gestured to a bench near the river.
"Oh, yes!" Marinette agreed. Félix took her hand, led her to the bench, and they sat down. As they looked over the river, Marinette tried her best to act like she was relaxing. "It's beautiful tonight."
Félix scooted closer to her, and he said, "Marinette..."
Marinette turned to look at Félix, and she said, "Yes?"
"I've really enjoyed myself," Félix said, his nasty, mean smile on his face. "You did, too, right?"
"I did," Marinette said as he leaned in closer. "Why do you ask?"
"Don't give me that," Félix chuckled. "I can see the way you look at me."
"What are you talking about?" Marinette asked. "The way I look at you?"
"Yeah," Félix confirmed. "You want me. And I want you. You're my perfect girlfriend."
"What?" Marinette asked as Félix put his hands on her shoulders. She looked him in the eyes, and saw a predatory glint in them. He started leaning in closer to her. She leaned back in response.
Meanwhile, Cat Noir had found a hiding spot nearby. He was watching from behind them on another rooftop, still watching with his binoculars from his staff.
"Come on, Marinette, get it, get it..." Cat Noir whispered, trying to urge Marinette to snatch the Miraculous and put and end to the torture she was putting herself (and Cat Noir) through. "Don't let him kiss you!"
"Forget about Adrien. Just devote yourself to me," Félix said as his eyes started to lid. He squeezed her shoulders, causing Marinette to wince in pain. "You're too good for him. You're too good for all of them. You do so much for them, but have they ever done anything for you in return?"
Marinette said, "Yes! They have! I mean... They're my friends. They've been there for me when I've needed them!"
"Screw them. You have me now. What more could you need? Now give me a kiss..." Félix said.
Félix leaned in, his body very close to Marinette's. He smacked his lips, his eyes were closed, and his overly-expensive cologne was all but choking Marinette.
"Hurry it up, Marinette!" Cat Noir whisper-hissed.
Her eyes flitted to the Peacock Miraculous, and it twinkled in the light again, teasing her. She covertly snatched the jewel off his tie. She looked down at it. In her hand, it changed into a shiny rose gold brooch with garnets on the feathers and the center, confirming her suspicions. She slipped it into her bag, where Tikki held on fast.
Marinette looked up at him and said, "Sorry, but I don't kiss sociopathic con artists."
Félix stopped in his tracks and opened his eyes to see Marinette's stern, cold, angry expression.
"CAT NOIR, NOW!" Marinette shouted, shoving Félix away, causing the deceitful blonde to land on his back.
Cat Noir jumped in, hollering, "CATACLYSM!"
He landed his ring hand on the street between Marinette and Félix, causing dust to kick up and a crater to be formed (Félix fell in). In a hurried state, Cat Noir picked Marinette up in a bridal carry before using his staff to get up to the rooftops and out of sight.
Once the dust cleared, Félix crawled out of the crater, his hair a bit messy and he was covered in dirt. He looked around and he snarled, "That damned tomcat! Duusu, spread my feathers!"
Nothing.
"Duusu?" He asked, looking around. He caught sight of his reflection in a nearby window and saw the brooch was gone. His eyes widened. "That girl... She conned me?!"
His face narrowed in rage and his fists balled. But after a few seconds, a wicked smile came upon his face.
"Looks like I didn't give her enough credit," He said. "She's a smart one. Very smart. I guess I finally met my match."
Several blocks away, near the bakery, Cat Noir set Marinette down on the ground.
"You okay?" He asked her.
"Better than that," Marinette said as she opened her bag, reached into it, and held up the Peacock Miraculous. "One missing Miraculous, delivered."
Cat Noir's face slowly grew into a smile. He said, "You did it... You really did it!"
He chortled, hugged Marinette close, then he lifted her up in his arms and spun her around. He kept laughing in delight before gently setting Marinette down on her feet.
"I should never have doubted Ladybug's trust in you, Princess." He said, giving Marinette a look that combined affection and awe.
Marinette blushed, saying, "Thank you."
"No. Thank you," Cat Noir insisted, shaking his head before smiling at Marinette with an affectionate smolder. "You really helped us out. Ladybug will be so happy!"
"Make sure she gets it," She said, giving the jewel to Cat Noir. "I'm going to get home. Get out of here before he finds us."
"I will. Again, excellent job, Marinette!" Cat Noir said before taking Marinette's hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.
Marinette blushed with a giggle, and she watched with affection in her eyes as Cat Noir went to leave.
Remembering something, she said, "Hang on!"
"Yes?" He asked, turning back to her.
"Félix said that he quote-on-quote, "got the brooch off his uncle". Something about "cutting a deal with him". I know who Félix means - Gabriel Agreste. You and Ladybug might wanna check that out." Marinette informed.
Cat Noir grew a sad, uncomfortable, worried look on his face, but he soon shook it off. He smiled and said to Marinette, "I'll tell her, Marinette. Thank you."
He vaulted away on his staff. Marinette sighed wistfully before smiling, spinning on the balls of her feet, and running around the corner to hide. She let Tikki out.
"Marinette, that was incredible! I know the methods were a bit mean, but..." Tikki began.
"He deserved it," Marinette said. "Now for Ladybug to get the Peacock Miraculous back from Cat Noir. Tikki, spots on!"
After transforming, she zipped onto the rooftop, and called Cat Noir up on her phone.
"Cat Noir, how's it going?" Ladybug said as she started running around the rooftops.
"It went just purrfectly, m'lady!" Cat Noir said, his earlier distress gone. "Marinette got it back! Just like you asked!"
"That's great, kitty-cat! Our usual spot?" Ladybug asked.
"Definitely." Cat Noir responded.
A few minutes later, they rendezvoused at their usual place, and Cat Noir presented the brooch to her.
"I can't believe Marinette pulled it off," He said as he handed the Miraculous back to Ladybug. She opened her yo-yo and put it back inside. "You were spot-on as always, M'lady! Sure you don't wanna give it to her for keeps so she can help us out?"
"Bad idea. She'd be the first person Félix would suspect of having it, especially if he wants to steal it back for whatever reason," Ladybug said as she closed her yo-yo. "Did she mention anything else? Like where he got the Miraculous or anything?"
"Marinette said that Félix got the brooch from his uncle, Gabriel Agreste," Cat Noir informed, his face severe. "Didn't we rule him out as a suspect before?"
"We did, but according to Master Fu, owners of the Butterfly Miraculous can't akumatize themselves. If he really is Hawk Moth, then he must have created the akuma, renounced the Miraculous, and then allowed the akuma to infect him or something." Ladybug explained.
Cat Noir nodded in response before saying, "One down, sixteen more to go."
"Pound it!" The pair said as they did their fist-bump. Ladybug felt her heart skip a beat at the smile he was giving her.
"I'll see you next time, m'lady?" Cat Noir said, winking at her.
Ladybug's heart throbbed again, and she tried to force back a blush.
"Definitely, kitty-cat. Definitely." Ladybug said as she took her yo-yo out and zipped away. Cat Noir watched after her, a smile on his face.
When Ladybug got back to her room, she landed on the bed before saying, "Spots off!"
She changed back, gave Tikki a macaron, and went downstairs to the Miracle Box. She pressed the button that had the Peacock Miraculous symbol on it, and let Duusu out.
"Tikki!" He squealed, hugging the red kwami. "It's been forever!"
"It has!" Tikki greeted back.
"Glad you're safe, Duusu," Marinette said to the peacock kwami. "And it's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too, great guardian!" Duusu said back to her.
"So, Duusu, can you give us some insight about what Félix knows about Hawk Moth? Or what you know, for that matter?" Marinette asked, serious.
"We can do that tomorrow, Marinette," Tikki said. "It's been a long day, and you deserve a break after getting Duusu and his Miraculous back safely!"
Marinette smiled in agreement before saying, "Sure, Tikki. I can get on board with that."
She climbed back up to her bed, with both kwamis in tow.
Back with Cat Noir, when he leaped back into his bedroom, he said, "Claws in."
Plagg came out and flew for his cheese.
Adrien said, "I'm still processing the fact that Marinette actually got the Miraculous back. I shouldn't have doubted her - she's amazing."
"Bet you weren't too comfortable watching her flirt with your cousin, huh?" Plagg teased while swallowing a huge hunk of camembert.
Adrien pulled a face and his eyes went askance, saying, "Well, yeah, but... I mean, seeing her with Félix like that made me feel really weird. It drove me crazy. Like I wanted to go over there and separate them and get Marinette away from him. But if I did that, then Ladybug's plan would've fallen through."
"I think you might be jealous." Plagg teased again.
Adrien looked at his kwami with wide eyes and his face was red. He shook it off and he said, "Why would I be jealous? Marinette's just a friend."
"Is she?" Plagg questioned.
Adrien shook his head before saying, "Yeah. Still, thanks to her, we have one of the Miraculous back."
Adrien went to the window and looked out to the evening sky. He smiled as he saw faded images of Ladybug and Marinette were up in the stars. Ladybug on the left, Marinette on the right.
"Things are going in the right direction, Plagg." Adrien said.
"In more ways than one." Plagg snickered under his breath.
That following morning, Félix was at Gare du Nord with Adrien seeing him off.
"It was... Nice having you here, Félix." Adrien said, smiling at him.
"It was nice being here," Félix replied. "And I liked meeting all your friends. Especially Marinette. She's a gem, isn't she?"
"...Yeah," Adrien said, a smile growing on his face. "It's too bad she isn't here to say goodbye."
"Maybe it's better that she isn't here," Félix chuckled. "I can't have her hearing this."
"Hearing what?" Adrien asked.
Félix grew a scowl on his face and leaned in closer to his cousin. He said, "You might as well step off, because when I'm through, Marinette is going to be mine. All mine. Try anything, and you'll regret it."
"What are you talking about?" Adrien asked.
"Marinette and I will be a power couple like the world has never seen," Félix elaborated. "With her incredible, conniving brains hiding beneath innocent beauty, she's my ideal girlfriend. She doesn't need you distracting her."
"What? Me? Distract her?" Adrien asked.
Félix didn't answer as the intercom for the train came out, announcing that it was boarding time.
"See you next time, cousin. But I'll win Marinette over." Félix chuckled as he got on the train. The door closed, leaving Adrien standing there, dumbstruck and worried.
"Don't worry, Adrien," Plagg reassured from under Adrien's button-down. "Marinette's too smart to fall for Félix. She knows his game. She got the Peacock Miraculous back from him, after all."
Adrien looked at his kwami and smiled, saying, "You're right, Plagg. Marinette will never fall for Félix. Besides, there's someone else she likes..."
Meanwhile, Marinette was in her bedroom playing with Alya, Tikki and Duusu, with Marinette telling Alya everything that happened the previous day.
"Wow, he seriously thought he had you wrapped around his finger?! I can't believe you pulled that off!" Alya said, smiling as the kwamis were flying around the room in delight.
"I can't believe I did, either," Marinette admitted. "I didn't think I had it in me."
"But now you know you do have a seductress in you!" Alya teased. "But seriously, don't let that side of you out too often, especially since being sly and cunning is my schtick."
The girls laughed.
"I'm so glad that I'm safe! No more sentimonsters!" Duusu cheered as he flew around the room with Tikki.
"And now we have one extra Miraculous to use against Hawk Moth so we can save Nooroo." Marinette said.
Marinette's phone began going off, and she saw Félix was calling her. Marinette, feeling trepidatious, hesitantly picked the device up and answered the call.
"Hello?" Marinette asked.
"Marinette, last night was unforgettable. In more ways than one." Félix purred over the line. Marinette's skin crawled.
"What are you talking about?" Marinette asked.
"Don't play dumb," Félix responded. "You're a clever one, Marinette, stealing my brooch that way."
Marinette's eyes widened and her skin paled, saying, "Again, I don't know what you mean."
"Doesn't matter if you do or not," Félix said. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're my perfect girlfriend."
"I- WHAT? "Ideal girlfriend"?! How so?" Marinette questioned again, getting agitated.
"You're smart. Sly. Able to fool even me and rob me blind," Félix explained. "Deep down, there's an evil side in your heart, just waiting to come out."
"Hey! Don't you dare say that!" Marinette snapped, with Alya gasping in surprise. "Me, evil?! There's no way! Yeah, I have my flaws, I've been selfish, petty... But I'm only human! No one's truly evil or truly good!"
"You say that now, but once I win you over, you'll become the beautiful, dark queen I've been hunting for." Félix said.
"I am not the girl you think I am," Marinette said. "I only did what I did because Ladybug asked me to help. If you can't like me for my true self, then don't like me at all."
"We'll see about that, Marinette. Besides, it's not like you have eyes for anyone other than my cousin, right?" Félix stated.
Marinette looked at her computer's screensaver - it was a picture of her as Ladybug, side-by-side with Cat Noir. Being in his arms the night before made her feel so safe and comforted.
Getting her mind back on track, she let out a quiet, wistful sigh, and said, "That's none of your concern."
"Maybe not. But you can't deny that you felt something between us." Félix responded.
"Yeah, I felt something - revulsion!" Marinette insisted.
She heard his nasty chuckle on the other end of the phone, and she shuddered, with loud noises of disgust being loosed out. Alya shuddered, too.
"I'll see you next time, Marinette," Félix said. "Count on it."
She heard him hang up, and she gagged before saying, "Me, his girlfriend? He wishes!"
Alya nodded and said, "Yeah. You deserve better than that asshole."
Marinette smiled at Alya and said, "Thanks. But..."
Her eyes once again landed on that image of Cat Noir. She smiled and said, "I should've realized how much ma chaton means to me so much sooner. He's been at my side since day one."
"Once you guys defeat Hawk Moth, you two can drop the act and finally reveal yourselves to each other!" Alya encouraged. "Then whoever he is, you two can finally get together!"
Marinette nodded in agreement, walked over the window and opened it, and saw Cat Noir, leaping across the rooftops on his patrol.
She giggled and said, "I know, Alya. I can't wait for that day to come."
End card: Marinette and Cat Noir in the center top with Marinette giving him the Peacock Miraculous and him giving her a happy, almost enamored smile, with her returning the expression. In the center bottom, Marinette with a laughing smile on her face and her two kwamis sitting on her shoulders. On the right, Adrien with a worried/cautious look on his face, his balled hand against his heart and a light blush on is face, with his usual black cat background. On the left, Félix had a wicked, psychotic smile on his face and his hands folded behind his back as always, while looking at Marinette with a predatory glint in his eyes, and his background was dark purple.
Okay, that's it for this! No sequel, and I just wanted to do this because I got inspired. Hope you all enjoyed it!