"Never have I ever been the subject of a rumor that wasn't true." Alya continued.

Adrien, Felix and Marinette bended their fingers.

Felix looked at Marinette attentively. Her face faded. For some reason he had a feeling that she wasn't referring to her superhero identity right now.

Adrien was a celebrity, so all kinds of rumors around him were to be expected. Felix himself was a rather controversial person for the public, and this more than once aroused interest in people and a desire to speculate on their own.

But Marinette?

"You'll have to tell me more about this later." Felix said without taking his gaze from her.

"It's really nothing." Marinette assured.

But Felix heard the formality of her voice, which meant that she just didn't want to talk about it. And it definitely wasn't nothing.

"One word." Alya said from another sofa. "Lila."

"It's not that bad!" Adrien interrupted. "She isn't actually hurting anyone."

Both Alya and Marinette glared at him.

"Or does she?.." Adrien looked between them not so confident anymore.

"So... uh... anyways..." Nino began cautiously. "Let's imagine that we want to enjoy the evening and not think about bad things tonight." He suggested. "I'll try to cheer you up." Nino paused to think for a moment.

Felix reached out to Marinette and took her hand gently. The girl looked up at him.

"This conversation is not over." He whispered, leaning slightly towards her.

Marinette closed her eyes with a little nod in agreement, and squeezed his hand lightly before releasing it. Then she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them with her arms.

"Never have I ever accidentally said "I love you" to someone." Nino came up with, trying to bring the party mood back.

Everyone looked at Marinette, who bent her finger.

"I thought it would just be funny to say..." Nino muttered confusedly.

"Insidious woman!" Alya cheered.

"I didn't know that behind your charming face there is a femme fatale." Felix teased.

"Would you believe me if I said that it was also for a common good?" She asked shyly.

"Of course we would!" Adrien supported. "You are so kind, Mari! I'm sure you wouldn't mislead someone on purpose!"

"Right." Felix smirked at Marinette slyly. "Pure angel..." He bit his lower lip, glaring into her eyes.

"Never have I ever danced in the rain." Adrien's voice was heard, but Marinette and Felix continued to stare at each other.

Felix didn't see if someone bent their fingers, lost in her deep blue eyes.

"Mari!" Alya called. "Your turn."

"Right!" Marinette squeaked and turned to the group. "Never have I ever... uh... thought a cartoon character was hot?"

Adrien and Nino bended their fingers.

"I... uh... I'm afraid to ask..." Marinette said, looking between them.

"Jessica Rabbit, dude!" Nino exclaimed.

"Duh!" Adrien supported cheerfully. "There is no guy who doesn't think she's hot!"

"I'm afraid I have to support the male half of the population this time." Felix sighed, bending his finger.

"And female." Alya said, bending her finger.

"Babe?" Nino looked at her questionably.

"What?!" Alya exclaimed protectively. "She's hot!"

"I can see who liked the picture to the extreme..." Felix said, smirking at Nino and glancing over Alya.

"What can I say?" Nino sighed, looking at his girlfriend with affection. "Sometimes we find a dream in real life."

"Sometimes we do." Felix agreed thoughtfully, and kept himself from looking at Marinette again. How hard it was for him to control himself when she was so close! "Never have I ever fought with a partner in public." He said, lightly grinning.

Everyone else bent their fingers, and Marinette nudged him in the side playfully.

"No cheating!" She whispered only for him to hear.

"Ouch!" Felix portrayed pain theatrically. "Who do you take me for?!" He smiled naughtily at her. "When did I cheat?"

"Never have I ever played a musical instrument." Alya said, smiling at them approvingly.

Adrien, Nino and Felix bended their fingers. Marinette turned to Felix.

"I didn't even know that you were playing an instrument!" She exclaimed accusingly.

"We aren't even married yet so you know everything about me." He joked, smirking at her.

"You silly thing!" Marinette exclaimed playfully, slapping him on the shoulder with the cushion.

"Pillow? Again? Who placed this aggressive woman next to me?!" Felix couldn't hold back a happy grin. "What's with you and those pillows?"

"Oooook." Nino held out, looking between Felix and Marinette. "I guess I'm starting to get the point." He said. "So, uh... Never have I ever thought a friend's baby was ugly."

Adrien, Alya and Marinette bended their fingers.

"Oh, come on!" Alya exclaimed, looking at Felix skeptically. "I don't believe that. Don't tell me you love all the babies or stuff like that!"

"Not really." Felix smirked. "My friends don't have babies yet."

"Well, that would mean you at least have friends." Marinette smiled at him.

"Don't make me take that cushion too." Felix rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh, Feli!" Marinette pushed his shoulder with hers playfully. "You're much softer than you're trying to show."

"I remember telling you not to use your intel as a compromising material." Felix said, preparing the pillow.

"Don't you dare!" Marinette giggled, robbing the pillow from him.

Felix gave up the pillow, looking with adoration in her eyes, as the warmth spread through his chest.

"I have never stolen someone's phone." Felix heard an angry Adrien's voice from behind Marinette.

Felix straightened up and caught an angry look from his cousin. It looked like Adrien had decided to recall old grievances...

Maybe an evening with 'friends' wasn't such a good idea after all?

Felix bended his finger and his eyes stopped on blushing Marinette, who bended hers.

"Maybe in this case the reason wasn't that noble..." She admitted.

Felix's eyebrows jump up.

"We probably have more in common than meets the eye." He smiled.

"We probably do..." She agreed, not meeting his eyes. "Never have I ever gotten or given a hickey."

Felix liked the direction of her thoughts, but he avoided saying it out-loud, seeing she was still blushing.

Two more blushing faces appeared in the room as Alya and Nino bended their fingers.

"I never thought that party games can be so informative." Felix commented, and continued before Alya could unleash her rage on him. "Never have I ever lied to my best friend." And added, seeing everyone looking at him in surprise. "I don't have one, so..."

All the other four bent their fingers, and looked between each other.

"Dishonest people all around me." Felix sighed theatrically, observing the scene.

"That's cheating!" Alya protested.

"You tricked us!" Adrien exclaimed.

Nino shook his head disapprovingly.

Felix only grinned at them.

"It's not my fault that you all can't be trusted!" He chuckled smugly and turned to face Marinette.

She was looking at him, smiling, and looked deep in thought.

"You won." She said softly, nodding at his fingers bent only on one hand.

"I'm afraid my taste in cinema may not coincide with the public." Felix replied, matching the tone of her voice. "So... will you do the honors?"

*

The movie that Marinette picked was only halfway through when her head bent down on Felix's shoulder. He turned to see a sleeping girl and smiled fondly. Then he gently put his arm around her shoulders to insure Marinette's stability, which didn't escape his cousin's attention.

"Since when do you allow people to lean on you?" Adrien whispered in surprise from the other end of the sofa.

"Since it is Marinette." Felix replied quietly and looked at the girl again.

'She won't rest this way', he thought, and stood up, raising her in his arms.

"Would you like me to ask to prepare another guest room?" Adrien asked with worry in his voice, jumping to his feet. "Or I can give her mine, seeing it's already prepared." He suggested.

"No." Felix replied decisively. "Marinette would be disoriented if she woke up in an unfamiliar room. She knows my room well, so she won't be lost there." He explained to his slightly perplexed cousin. "Besides, my bed was changed this morning. And I can take a guest room."

"Don't you think she would mind sleeping in Felix's room?" Felix heard Adrien's agitated whisper behind his back while moving towards the door.

"Even if she would," Alya replied. "I think at this point there are not many things for which Marinette wouldn't forgive Felix."

Felix went out of the room with a satisfied grin for Alya's assessment on his face.

Maybe she was no longer so against his rapprochement with Marinette.

*

When Felix returned to the living room, Adrien jumped to him uneasily.

"Are you going to leave her to spend the night in your house?" He asked discomposed. "What about her parents?"

"I just talked to Sabin." Felix replied calmly. "She doesn't mind."

"But what about your mother?!" Adrien didn't let up.

"From the fact that I found not one, but two prepared guest rooms, I can suppose that my mother wouldn't mind." Felix said. "I think she assumed that there might be someone who won't stand the whole evening."

Adrien opened his mouth to say something, but apparently couldn't find what.

Felix sat down on the sofa and looked at the screen, where the movie was still running. He sighed. Although his gaze was fixed on the screen, his thoughts were on the girl sleeping in his bed.