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"It's red." Félix said dryly, unimpressed and uninterested.
"No. It's cranberry." Marinette replied. "I know it doesn't look like much of a difference to you, but it has more pink in it than red would. And this green, it's more than just green. It's shamrock."
He rolled his eyes, leaning back in the chair. His arms were crossed, but she could see that he was more relaxed than he usually was. "And what does this have to do with me?"
"Absolutely nothing." Marinette smiled, spinning around in her chair as she tossed a piece of fabric at him, hitting him squarely in the face.
He sputtered and glared at her. "This is a waste of my time."
"You are such a spoiled sport. When you spend time with friends, it's not about what you do but who you do it with." She chuckled, turning her back towards him as she continued to trace the pattern of the material. "If you are bored, you can read a book."
Félix glanced at her, frowning as he saw a stack of books on her desk. He ignored her comment about 'friends'. "What are these?"
"Manga." She said, "Kagami let me borrow them. She insisted that I should read them. Apparently they are good for 'relationship advice', but I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. They were some of her favorites, so take good care of them."
His frown deepened as he glanced at the titles, "I would not take advice from these books."
"Then who do you suggest I take advice from?" She still didn't look at him, but he could see her tongue sticking out slightly as she was clearly focused on her work.
Who indeed. He thought, staring at her for a long moment. "A friend."
"Oh?" Marinette glanced his way, and he turned away quickly.
"Yes. A friend."
"I do. Alya gives me advice all the time." She picked up a few pins and began to manipulate the fabric in an extraordinary way he couldn't understand. Like magic fingers forming a sculpture.
"Has her advice worked?" He commented, eyes following her work with interest he would never admit to.
"Well…” Marinette hesitated, “...no."
Félix nodded, though she didn't see. "You could... always ask me."
Her fingers slipped and she stabbed herself with a needle. "Ouch!!"
"Marinette!" He sprung from his seat and pulled her hand away from the fabric, but it was too late. Drops of blood had already marred the 'cranberry' fabric, staining it with a darker shade of 'red'. He snatched a tissue from the table and wrapped it around her finger, applying light pressure. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yes!" She stuttered out, blushing in a way he hadn't seen from her before. "I... I'll be fine. It's just a small prick."
"But it bled so much." He argued, not believing her.
"It will stop bleeding soon. Will you find me a bandage in the first aid kit?"
Marinette reached up to take over applying pressure, and her fingers momentarily enveloped his own. Both stayed in place for a moment before he stepped back quickly. "Of course."
She sat in silence as he retrieved the kit.
"What was this advice you were needing?" He finally asked, taking her hand and checking the cut. "Maybe it would be good for you to have a guy's perspective."
Marinette bit her lip, looking away as he applied the antiseptic and bandage to her injured finger.
"Adrien's my cousin.” He continued. “And while people may not realize it, I know him better than just about anybody." Félix was very close to her as he spoke, and she could feel his breath on her skin.
"No. It's not... I mean. It's not Adrien I need advice with." She fumbled with her words, pink deepening to a shade closer to cranberry once again on her cheeks.
He froze, taking in her words. "Not... Adrien."
"No. I... I've been over him for a while now."
Félix nodded, taking the time to consider her words before responding. "Then... What relationship advice do you need?"
"How... How to... to tell..." Marinette pursed her lips. He went to pull away and look at her, but she was suddenly holding his hand in her own, refusing to let him put distance between them. "How to tell a friend I like him."
"I... A friend?" His eyes widened, and he dared hope that his heart wasn't playing tricks on him. "Then I would say... if you care that much, and he's that... good of a friend..."
Her blue eyes were staring at him, hopeful. Her hands continued to grip his own. "You think I should tell him?"
He nodded slowly, but then saw the moment Marinette panicked and began to backpedal. Her grip on his hands loosened, and she pulled away slightly.
"But what if he doesn't--"
And he kissed her. Perhaps not the most suave of choices. Marinette wasn't prepared, and she fell from her chair, pulling meters of 'cranberry' and 'shamrock' fabrics from her table and covering them both. They fumbled to untangle themselves from the fabric without any more pins stabbing them. Their laughter filled the room.
"Marinette." "Félix" They spoke at the same time, and he gestured at her to continue, red with embarrassment.
She smiled at him. "I want to be... more than really good friends. I'm tired of being sidelined. And I want more."
"Me, too." He stepped forward, avoiding stray pins that littered the floor as he reached up and brushed her hair out of her face. "May I... kiss you?"
"You already have." Marinette retorted, smiling at him shyly.
He took her words as an invitation, leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips.
With a sigh, she leaned into him, returning his affections. Félix had watched for months as Marinette doted over his cousin, but now here she was. In his arms, not Adrien's. One day Adrien would realize that he had lost the most valuable treasure in the world. But that was tomorrow's problem.