Marinette was so tired.

Few days of constant akuma fights dragged all the strength out of her. So it wasn't very surprising that she fell asleep, resting her head right at her desk.

The problem was — it happened when they met to work on their project with Felix.

Marinette felt her body lifting and something pleasant and soft under her cheek and smiled in her half-asleep state. She wanted to stretch, but felt something limiting her movements and opened her eyes.

Felix was holding her bridal style in his arms and was about to put her on the chaise longue.

"No, no, no!" She protested weakly. "Sit me back, I'm not tired at all!" Maybe it wasn't true with the number of the akumas, patrols, school and various projects she was participating in, but Marinette wasn't gonna admit it! "We can go on with a project! You just came..."

"It's out of the question." Felix cut her off, putting her down on the chaise longue.

For some reason Marinette felt lonely once he let go of her. Somehow she didn't want to lose his touch. But it was just fatigue, she thought.

"But we need to work!" Marinette still tried to resist, though her eyes were closing again.

"Just relax and rest." Felix's voice said from somewhere around.

Then she felt his hands taking off her shoes gently one by one.

"What are you doing?!" Marinette protested again, bending her legs to herself, but her eyes still refused to open.

"I took off your shoes, not earrings." Felix replied, and she could hear even without watching that he was smirking.

"What if you try to take them next?" She asked in a sleepy voice, but for some reason the idea didn't seem realistic to her.

"If I wanted to, I would take them off while you were sleeping." Felix reasoned. "And we both know that with your miraculous on you can kick my ass any time if only I make a wrong move."

"That isn't a gentlemanly language." Marinette noticed, smiling.

"We all wear our disguise." Felix replied. "I've got a few masks myself."

"I see." Marinette yawned. "So, should I be prepared for you to make a wrong move?"

"I'm not like your partner, who constantly flirts with you, distracting you during every fight." Felix's disapproving voice said. "Imposing his feelings on you." He added firmly.

"You realize the first time we've met you were trying to force a kiss on me, right?" Marinette argued, dimly realizing that no one but the two of them knew this, so now her disguise definitely flew to hell.

Well, not that there were at least some chances that she could still convince Felix otherwise, so...

"And I apologize for that." He replied to her surprise. Marinette even opened her eyes slightly to see Felix sitting at the end of the chaise longue. His expression seemed genuine. "It was childish of me." He continued. "Next time when I intend to kiss you, I promise to give you more room for a free choice."

"Then you should know that that kiss won't happen." Marinette informed him, closing her eyes.

She felt him take her feet and put them on his lap, gently but confidently. She froze for a moment, not sure how to act. Felix wasn't forcing her to anything, and it was true that she could free herself easily even if he did. But his touch wasn't unpleasant.

Probably Marinette with a proper amount of sleep and clear head would protest anyway. But this Marinette was tired, sleepy, and seeking comfort.

And the way Felix began to slowly massage her feet, making soft circular motions with his thumb on each foot, was so relaxing, and good, and exactly what she needed right now.

Marinette let out a slight groan, unable to contain her pleasure. She blamed Shadowmoth and his akumas for this...

"Then I have to make sure you want that kiss as much as I do before I make my move." Felix finally said quietly.

And it wasn't clear whether he was still talking to her, or to himself, but... Marinette felt a slight tingling sensation in her chest and swallowed. Did he just admit he wanted to kiss her?

That first time Felix was playing, pretending to be Adrien, probably just to piss his cousin off. But now she could hear in his serious voice — and had other conformations of his sympathy before: in the way he reacted to his mother's words, the way he was worried about her when she was in danger...

It felt like he really meant it.

So what if he really liked her and wanted to kiss her?! It shouldn't touch her feelings, right? Marinette didn't like him that way, or any way at all!

So why then did her body react to the idea of that kiss? She must be just tired! Very, very tired. And sleepy. Yeah. That's all.

Marinette lost her line of thoughts as Felix's hands began another massage cycle on her feet, and she completely gave in to the sensation.

The last image in her mind before she fell asleep was the kiss.

*

It was Saturday and Felix decided to have a short trip through some museums, which he hasn't visited for a long time. His mother was busy that morning, which was fine, as he didn't mind spending some time alone.

But when he returned home, Felix heard muffled female voices coming from the living room, and... laughter?

He paused and instead of going to his room, decided to check with whom his mother was having so much fun.

Felix entered the living room and, to his surprise, found his mother seated on the sofa with Marinette. They were pointing their fingers at the album open on the coffee table and discussing something enthusiastically.

Right. They were supposed to meet to look through Marinette's designs one of those days. Only his mother never asked him Marinette's contact information, or warned him about his classmate's visit. Not that his presence was necessary... but still.

And what was all that laughter about? He knew that dresses could delight women, but these two looked especially joyful.

Too joyful in fact.

"I didn't know you were gonna watch designs today, mother." Felix said, trying not to sound too accusative.

"Oh, we did!" Amelie replied, smiling at him happily. "You were right, dear, Marinette is brilliant! I ordered several dresses from her."

Several? How many several were?

Of course Felix knew he suggested it himself. Marinette clearly had a talent, and working with such an exquisite lady as his mother would only do her good.

But at that moment he didn't know how much the girl was exhausted, juggling between school, helping her parents at the bakery and her superhero work.

Felix frowned. Least of all he wanted to put more weight on her shoulders.

"Mother, you can't make her work too much." He said protectively. "Marinette has a lot of responsibilities... uhh... school and all..."

"It's fine really..." Marinette protested shyly. "I'll be glad to work with your mother, Felix."

"Oh.. Feli!" Amelie called sweetly. "You are such a knight, protecting the lady! But you have nothing to worry about." She placed her arm over Marinette's shoulder. "Marinette has all the time she needs. It's not like I expect those dresses tomorrow!"

Amelie turned the page in the album and smiled at Marinette.

"Oh, here it is!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "This is the one I told you about!"

"You were right." Marinette agreed, looking at the album. "This is so cute!"

Wait. Cute? Felix narrowed his eyes. What were those women looking at?!

The boy took a few steps in their direction and his eyes widened. There, on the pages of the album were... his childhood photos! Green-eyed baby in a baby-cap smiled at him from the album.

"Mother!" Felix exclaimed. "This is... I don't think..." Felix felt his cheeks start to burn with embarrassment. "You shouldn't have bothered Marinette with those... photos!"

"Are you kidding?" His mother argued. "No one would be bored looking at them. Baby-Felix is the sweetest thing on earth! Don't you agree, Marinette?"

"I... uhh..." The girl looked at Felix quickly and lowered her eyes. "Maybe we shouldn't watch them if Felix minds. It's private..."

"Of course he doesn't mind!" Amelie protested. "He just wants to steal you for himself, that's all. Don't you, Feli?"

"I..." The question caught him by surprise.

"But don't worry dear!" His mother continued, saving him from having to answer. "I'm letting her go already. We agreed on everything, right?" She asked Marinette, but the question was rather rhetorical. "You kids can go to your room." She said, turning to Felix again.

Marinette looked confused, but got up and, saying goodbye to Amelie, followed Felix into his room.

When they were alone, Felix wasn't sure what to do next, since this meeting wasn't planned.

He quickly pondered his next actions in the circumstances, when Marinette opened her mouth to say something and stopped. She seemed hesitant to start and looked especially insecure.

What could have bothered her so much? A minute ago she looked like she was enjoying the time with his mother. Maybe she didn't want to be alone with him?

"I didn't know about your father." Marinette said finally, looking into his eyes with sadness. "I'm sorry." She lifted her hand and took his, expressing support for his father's loss.

Oh. He didn't expect that.

Felix felt a bitterness rise in his throat. He hated this! Being perceived by others as weak and defenseless!

He yanked his hand out of hers.

"Things happen." He said stiffly. "I'm fine."

Marinette was silent for a moment. Then she sighed and spoke again.

"You take care of people, but you can't accept them taking care of you?" She asked calmly.

Felix didn't answer. This was too deep. He was not ready to open up to her like that.

"I know that strong people don't like witnesses to their weakness." Marinette said quietly. " But you know what? It's not a weakness — to accept someone's care." Then added after a pause. "I think I better leave."

She made a step towards the door, but Felix grabbed her hand. It was an involuntary action. He didn't want her to leave, but he didn't want to be vulnerable in front of her either.

Marinette looked at his hand on her wrist, and Felix let go immediately. If she wanted to leave, he wouldn't stop her.

But she didn't.

Marinette turned to him instead, came close and looked into his face with an attentive, studying look. Then she just hugged him, wrapping her arms above Felix's waist, and resting her head on his chest.

He took a sharp breath and froze. It was intimate, and Felix was not used to such closeness. He didn't even allow his mother to hug him too often.

But Marinette's embrace was... comfortable. There was nothing romantic about this embrace, but at the same time there was so much warmth and simple human presence in it.

Felix's rational brain protested that this was not the way he wanted to hug this girl, but his body didn't allow him to push her away.

Hesitantly, Felix raised his hands to hug her back. His body relaxed and almost limped to hers from powerlessness, as if releasing the tension that Felix didn't know he was carrying with him.

Maybe he seemed weak, but at that moment the feeling of closeness was too overwhelming to worry about it.