Treehouse

First Day of School

The night passed, and soon the sun crept through both of their windows. Marinette was half determined to tell Adrien what she had to say, but she was also extremely hesitant. If Adrien didn't know of her feelings, would it really hurt him if she decided that she'd gotten over him?
That morning, Adrien wakes up to the sound of the shower running in his washroom, and he yawned, rubbing his eyes free from sleep. He sat up and stretched, Felix coming out later with a robe, walking to his suitcase. "Morning," Felix greeted, barely nodding towards his cousin's direction. "Where the hell were you last night?"
Adrien blinked and looked at him and just as he remembered the occurrences of last night, giggled to himself. "Nowhere," he said, getting out of bed and grabbing his clothes, walking towards the washroom.
"Oh my god, you're giggling to yourself. You weren't nowhere." He looked at him partly disgusted, mostly curious as he began to dress himself up. "You went on a secret date or something?"
Adrien shrugged and disappeared into the bathroom, saying nothing. "I don't have any obligation to tell you," he smiled before closing the door behind him.
Felix only pursed his lips and shrugged, finishing getting dressed into his usual clothes and tidied up where he slept in, leaving the room to take breakfast.
Adrien finished his shower and came down for breakfast, wearing a salmon colored button up polo and khaki slacks, his hair combed as usual. He had a huge smile on his face (bigger than normal) and sat down to breakfast, thanking everyone (he always did but he was much more enthusiastic this time).
Felix didn't even wanna pay attention to his cousin at this point in time anymore, not like he was going to be telling him anything anyway. It is pretty irritating to deal with his big-ass smiles so putting his cutleries down, he looked at Adrien with narrowed eyes. "What and who happened to you?"
Adrien looked up, mid bite, and blinked, swallowing before smiling smugly. "Marinette did," he grinned. "We're getting closer!! She likes me!!!" he laughed triumphantly, throwing his arms in the air.
Felix blinked, and he looked at the latter in disgust. "Seriously? So you actually met up in secret with her?"
He giggled and nodded. "Not by secret actually. She found me," he shrugged, winking at Felix as he grabbed his bag and an apple and walked out the door whistling.
He groaned and looked at his barely touched food, he's lost all appetite now. He took his bag and followed after him. "So are you two a thing or?"
"Not yet, but... I'm planning something," he grinned cheekily, opening the door for Felix with a sickeningly sweet smile. "After you, cousin!"
Felix looked at the door he held open, glancing to his sickening smile and bat his hands, walking to the other side. "No thanks," he said, opening his own door and climbing in.
Adrien blinked and shrugged, climbing into his door anyways. "Your loss," he said, taking a bite of the apple as he buckled up, then took out his phone and shot the bluenette a message. 'Good morning, I hope you slept well!! xx' he typed, hesitating on the ending but deciding to do it anyways.
'I did, thank you! Did you sleep well???' Marinette replied nearly as soon as the message was received (she took a blunt fall to the ground as she rushed upon hearing his special notification ringer). Adrien smiled and he replied, 'That's good, I slept just as well! You didn't catch a cold though, did you?'
She giggled upon reading it, laying on the bed on her stomach and kicking her legs. 'Lucky I didn't, I think- but hey!! your bdays coming up right? What's ur favorite animal just yk random ahahah' she sent, a little hesitant. She'd been looking for something to decorate the breast pocket she'd put on the sweater and couldn't seem to think of what he would like.
His brows arched and after deep contemplation regarding his actual favorite animal and possibly something they can bond over, he obviously had to choose the latter. 'Definitely cats, Black cats, they look so majestic don't you think ^^' He replied.
She read the message and her eyes widened, cheeks glowing with blush. 'I happen to like black cats a lot too!! they're very misunderstood... people say they bring bad luck, I've only ever been brought good luck though :)'
His cheeks coat a reddish hue, something the observing Felix didn't fail to notice and he gagged, Adrien throwing him a glare. He turned back to his phone. 'Exactly!!! One doesn't exactly go around calling chat noir a bad luck either do they XD'
'Anyways, i'm not keeping you for long! I'll see you in class ok?? xoxo'
She smiled widely, sighing as she read his messages. He was so charming. But when she read the specified black cat hero's name, a pang of guilt rushed through her. Who was she to choose anyways? She shrugged it off though, and went to school. 'See you soon! <3' she sent right before she left.
Adrien grinned childishly upon seeing her message, she added a heart, pocketing his phone with a lovesick sigh. Soon enough, they reached school and he quickly exited the car, leaving Felix for himself as he rushed to their classroom (even though he knew there was a big chance she wouldn't be there yet).
She wasn't there yet, of course (being Marinette, late as always) and when she did finally approach the school, she didn't fail to run into almost everyone she didn't want to run into- beginning with accidentally knocking over Chloe's backpack that was on a step, and then getting bumped into by Lila, and of course as she approached the inside of the school, being wrapped up in keeping her library books safe, ran into Felix. She gasped, her book falling to the ground (as well as herself) and looked up at him. "Sorry," she muttered, scrambling to grab her things.
Felix was barely making it through the hall, what with all the unfamiliar faces he knew he'll have to get to know soon, until the sight of this very clumsy bluenette brought him relief. He crouched down and helped her pick up her things. "You wrinkled my trousers. You should totally get me new ones," he said, glancing up to her with a cheeky smile, although an inkling of it was genuine.
She blinked, a little surprised he wasn't reprimanding her more than that. "If it means you'll leave me alone, I'll make you custom ones," she sighed, standing up, rubbing her side with a groan.
He stood up as well and handed her her things, noticing the slight discoloration under her arm. He furrowed his brows. "No, I can't accept that deal." He pointed to her arm. "I'll leave you alone if you tell me where you got that though. You good?"
She looked down at her arm and then back at him, confused at first as to how he noticed that. She quickly covered the bruise with her sleeve and shook her head. "Probably just... just a shadow of something. No need to be worried."
"I won't be leaving you alone then," he said and walked around to her back, clinging onto her backpack. "Also because I don't know the way to our room. Lead me there."
She looked back at him and then sighed, rolling her eyes. "Alright, come on," she said tiredly, walking towards the classroom. "But seriously. Why do you care? Its just a bruise."
"How deprived are you of love and care that you question such a kind kind gesture from me? You're pitiful," he laughed softly and followed after her, barely caring about the glances that followed the two of them.
"I am not love deprived," she scoffed. "Any normal person wouldn't care if I just said something stupid. I know you're not normal but honestly, make up your mind, do you hate me or love me?" she teased.
He lowered his gaze and chuckled. "Would it help if I said I love hating you?" He looked up to the back of her head, looking at her expectantly.
She looked at him, stopping in her tracks. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. We're not in some stupid 'enemies to lovers' book, you know?" she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Clearly it's not stupid, seeing as how you seem to be aware and well-versed in the genre," he narrowed his eyes, the corner of his lips curling up. He poked her nape. "Do you read, then?"
She stopped again, causing him to bump into her. She quickly moved away from him and glared at him. "I've read a few. Enough to know what you're trying to do, and it won't be working. Sorry."
He blinked and looked at her confusedly. "What, what am I trying to do?" He looked at himself, furrowing his brows. He pointed to her. "Was it my poking your nape? Did that make your heart flutter, hm?" He teased, chuckling a little.
"The only thing fluttering is the akuma going to get me from all my disgust towards you," she rolled her eyes and walked into the classroom, sitting down with a sigh. She didn't see Alya in their normal seat though. She was sitting by Nino a few rows behind her. "Hey, what are you doing??" she asked, turning around.
"Oh, Ms. Bustier assigned a new seating arrangement for the new term. Didn't you see the post at the door?" Alya replied and laughed, before pointing where Chloe used to sit. "You sit there. With a Graham de Vanily, whoever he is," she shrugged.
Her jaw dropped and she shook her head. "Please tell me this is a sick joke. Ah ha ha, so funny, now come over here, please!!" she whined.
Alya looked at Marinette with narrowed eyes, before rolling her eyes and standing up, dragging the blunette by her wrists towards the door. She pointed at the seating arrangements and showed her it is exactly as she said. "There. Looks like this one's a new student though," she said, pointing to the seat beside her, "you know them?"
"Yes. Yes I know Graham de Vanily. Aka cousin of Agreste. Yay." she whined, burying her face in her hands. "This is pure torture. Where's Adrien?"
Alya gasped and looked right behind them in the room, pointing to Adrien who now was apparently being terrorized by his cousin. "How could you leave me alone because of a girl?" Felix clicked his tongue, taking his seat next to Adrien, just as unaware of the seating arrangements as Marinette was.
Adrien rolled his eyes and glared. "You could've asked anybody in this building!! And besides, you ended up seeing the said girl anyways!!" Adrien shot back, but then they both caufht a glance of the bluenette sitting in the seat in front of them, the one she and Felix were assigned to.
"Okay and so what? Are you jealous? Weren't you so sure that she likes you anyway?" He rolled his eyes and glared, imitating him and crossing his arms.
Adrien sputtered and slapped a hand over his mouth, nodding towards Marinette. "Shut up!" he whisper yelled. Mari was curious to see where this would go, though pretended to be fully absorbed in something else.
"What, you clearly wouldn't shut up about it earlier. It was showing all over your face," he fan his hands over his face, a disgusted look on his face then a whole lovesick one to prove his point. "I should get to do what I want too."
"Yeah. whatever," Adrien scoffed, and then Chloe came up to the desk. "Excuse me, I'm supposed to be sitting here," she looked at Felix with a scrunched up nose. "Ew, you're here?"
He was about to grill on Adrien some more but he heard Chloe and he grinned widely. Imitating her voice, he stood up and pulled her in for a tight hug. "Chloekins!! Long time no see~~" He pulled away and pinched her cheeks. "I see you're still incredibly not so tall, huh?"
She gasped and pushed him away with the hug, groaning and brushing off her clothes as if he was some kind of virus. "And I see you're still incredibly not so handsome," she sneered. "You're sitting with Dupain- Cheng. Move."
He blinked and looked at the blunette, then back to Chloe. "Haha, nice plan but I'm not letting you sit next to Adrien so easily," he narrowed his eyes.
"Excuse me. I don't lie, unlike some people," she spat, and then pointed to the door. "Go look then. You're not in this seat."
"I don't lie, too," he spat and narrowed his eyes, standing up and walking to the door where the notice was posted. He didn't know whether to feel happy or annoyed at this fact, but he sure did feel something. He turned to the blunette with a wide, joyous smile. "We're sitting together!"
She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I know... yay..." she muttered, scooting over to her side reluctantly.
He noticed her reluctance and with a wide smirk, he took his seat beside her and reached his hand out to her, a sickeningly sweet smile. "Hello seat neighbor," he greeted.
She looked at his hand with disgust and then up at him. "Hi," she said, and then turned away, crossing her legs the other way and getting out her tablet for note taking.
"What a snob," he muttered, loud enough for quite a handful of people to hear, Chloe amongst them. She cackled. "Right? You'll never go wrong trying to befriend Dupain-Cheng and end up being irritated. She's the absolute worst!"
Marinette gasped and turned around to look at Chloe. "Excuse me? I'm not the one that's a pain in the butt!! You're the one that got all pissed when we wouldn't use all your ideas in our movie, no?? The snob here is not me," she sneered and then turned back to her work, trying to ignore them.
"Well, I wasn't the one who wouldn't use all my ideas in a movie - I only wanted it to turn out for the better!" She scoffed, looking at her nails and glaring at the girl. Felix only laughed in amusement, head cocked to the side. "What movie?" He turned to Marinette. "You starred in a movie?"
Marinette looked at Felix shocked and then shook her head. "I made costumes for a movie, and helped with the plot. Mylene and Zoe were leads, and Chloe ruined it by adding some cardboard banana throwing monkey. And then got akumatized when it wasn't how she wanted it and we went back to our original idea."
Felix glanced between the two arguing girls, mouth slightly parted into a crooked smile as he tried to picture out what was happening. He laughed softly before nodding and leaning closer to the blonde's seat, while looking at Marinette. "You know I'm a really big fan of cardboard banana throwing monkey myself. It's such a shame you decided to be a snob and completely discard the idea!" He claimed dramatically.
Marinette glared at them both and sighed, shaking her head and waving them off, but then looking over her other shoulder at Adrien. "Should we let these lovebirds sit together and you and I together?" she asked with a little smile, partly just to make the other two upset, partly because it's Adrien, duh.
Felix narrowed his eyes at the two of them, mostly lingering on Adrien. It was just then that Mrs. Bustier entered the room and hissed through gritted teeth. "You know how stern our adviser is when it comes to seating arrangements," he pouted.
She sighed and looked at the teacher and nodded. "Yeah," she muttered. "I'll see you at lunch then," she smiled sadly and turned around, putting her bag on her side so there would at least be something between her and Felix.
The teacher greeted them and after short queries about their short break, began the lessons. Felix paid attention for about a whole minute before scooting a little closer to Marinetter. "Hey, how's your arm?"
She didn't look up from her work. "Fine," she said shortly, looking up to the teacher. "I suggest you pay attention. You'll get lost quick if you don't."
"Barely any need for that when I have such a diligent student next to me," he bat his hand dismissively, glancing at the board then back at her. "You know if you didn't tend to that bruise, it'll totally hurt and you won't be able to pay attention?"
"I'm fine, just stop talking, I'm not going to be tutoring you. Pay attention," she muttered, shaking her head and clenching her jaw.
He sighed heavily and scooted away for a little bit before wounding an arm over his abdomen, lightly groaning in pain. He raised his hand. "Mrs. Bustier?"
The teacher looked at him. "Yes, Felix?" she asked, worried. "Is everything alright?"
He winced and hesitantly shook his head. "N.. No, I don't think so. My stomach really hurts," he managed to mutter out.
She frowned. "Would you like to visit the nurse, then?" she asked, writing a pass. "Marinette, would you take him, please?" she asked, and the bluenette paused, clenching her jaw and trying to force a smile. "Yeah, of course," she said reluctantly, glaring at the blonde out of the corner of her eyes.
He bit back a simper and cleared his throat. "Thank you," he croaked, clutching onto her arm as they walk past their teacher, thanking her for the pass and leaving the room. He groaned again, this time obviously all for theatrics. "It huuuuuurts."
She glared at Felix and rolled her eyes. "I know you're lying. I'm dropping you off and leaving you there, I hope you know," she scoffed and continued walking to the stairs, helping him down.
Felix opened his screwed shut eye the tiniest bit, glancing up at her before sighing. He looked behind him and made sure no one saw him before sighing and moving away from her. "You're an absolute killjoy. Would it kill you to act nice even if you're not in front of Adrien?"
She stopped and looked at him. "I'd act nice if you wouldn't keep acting like this. I know it's all an act, and you don't like me at all, so please stop pretending like you do," she said, crossing her arms.
"It's not an act," he replied bluntly, hands behind his back as he matched her gait. She was an incredibly fast walker, he noted. "I quite like seeing you irritated. You look like a hedgehog."
She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, her face coated with anger. "Stop acting like this!! I don't like you, okay? I never will!! So leave me alone before I let my own act fall and punch you in the face!!" she hissed, walking faster.
He pressed his lips into a tight line, zipping a line across his mouth before following after her silently. They finally reached the infirmary but before she could even leave, he held onto her sleeve. "Stay for a little bit. My stomach actually hurts."
She looked at him silently and sighed, nodding. "Fine," she said softly, opening the door for him. When the nurse saw them, she glanced up at her. "He has a stomach ache. He wanted me to stay with him," she explained.
The nurse nodded and drew the curtains open by a bed and had Felix sit on it. "I'll warm up the compress okay? I'll be back," she said, leaving the both of them. As soon as she left, Felix was back up on his feet and walked to the mini fridge behind the nurse's desk and took an ice compress. "Sit down," he said to her, pointing to the bed.
She looked at the compress and then him, realizing this was about her stupid arm. "Honestly, it's fine, don't worry about me," she said, continuing to stay standing.
"Marinette, I'm serious," he said and walked over to her, holding her uninjured arm and forced her down the bed. He held his palm out. "Roll up your sleeve and give me your arm."
She looked up at him, the serious look on his face showed no signs of joking or teasing. Marinette sighed and nodded, finally rolling up her sleeve and putting her arm in his hand.
He lowered his gaze and tended to her arm, pressing the cold sleeve on the bruise. "Honestly, how did you even manage to get a bruise up here? What, you played volleyball and tried receiving it with your face?" He laughed softly, looking up at her.
She clenched her jaw and shook her head. "No, I just- I rolled out of bed," she said softly, looking at her feet. "It doesn't even-" she paused and hissed as the cold hit her skin. "That's freezing!!"
"Well we can't just go around using some random towel here, can we? Maybe if you weren't stubborn and actually got it tended to, we wouldn't be in this compromise," he sighed, reprimanding her and let go of the sleeve before taking off his vest and wrapped it around the item. It still was fairly cold through the material and he brought it back to her arm. "There. Any better?"
She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly. "Yeah, I'm fine, it's better," she muttered. "Its not that important though, just- just- I don't need your vest, it doesn't hurt that much," she said, gesturing for him to take it off.
He clicked his tongue and looked at her. "You complain about everything. First about it being freezing, so I obviously helped you with that; and now you're complaining about my vest? Why do you hate me so much?" He furrowed his brows.
She bit her lip and stared at him, unsure of what to say. "I... I don't know."  She sighed, shaking her head, and standing up, quickly leaving the room. She didn't know why. She didn't hate him, she just... she didn't know what she was feeling towards him at all. It was just confusing.
His mouth part in disbelief, watching as she walked away. He sat down, trying to comprehend what just happened before the nurse got back in the room. He excitedly looked up, thinking she came back for him, only to be left disappointed. "You can leave after the warmth's all gone," the nurse said, giving him the compress and he thanked her, sighing as he pressed it against his stomach. It didn't really hurt at first, but now all the thinking and the odd feelings of butterflies totally made it happen.
She got back to the classroom and sat down, although she was doing anything but paying attention to the lesson. A frown on her face, she couldn't stop thinking of him. Why did she keep thinking about him? He'd not done anything wrong to her this trip, but she had this stupid feeling that she was just getting tricked again. Class went by silently for about 20 minutes before Felix's compress had gone cold again.
He returned back to class, coming back a little more downcast than he'd left, but after feeling Adrien's examining gaze on him, he assumed his usual countenance. All carefree and laidback. He hung his vest on the hook beside their desk where their bags usually go to, letting it dry. He nudged Marinette a little. "Now you owe me a vest as well," he said and finally paid attention to class.
"Fine," she whispered, and then stayed silent for awhile. She appeared to be paying attention, but her mind kept returning to Felix, and Chat Noir, and Adrien, and she hated that all three of them held some space, no matter how small, in her heart. She decided to write a note, since she couldn't speak at the moment. It read, 'I don't hate you. I just don't know if I can trust you. Prove it, and then we'll talk.' she wrote and handed it to him.
He looked at the slip of paper, glancing up to her before back to it, taking it hesitantly. He read through the paper and a small smile grew on his face and he whispered, "Okay," signing the same with his hand. He turned his attention back to class until the bell rang. As Felix was fixing up his things, Adrien tapped Marinette on the back. "You free for lunch?"
She turned around and looked at Adrien, and as much as she wanted to say yes, she was still overwhelmed with everything and just wanted to take a walk. "No, I'm sorry," she said, taking her bag and leaving the room quickly, taking a deep breath.
Before Adrien could say anything, the girl was gone and he knew there was only one culprit for the whole thing. He turned to a whistling Felix, a glare present. The latter stopped in his tracks and turned to Adrien. "What?" Felix asked, looking at him weirdly.
"Why's she so upset???" Adrien hissed, furrowing her brows. "She was fine this morning, and now she won't have lunch with me!"
Felix took a deep breath, shaking his head in disbelief. He looked at Adrien skeptically. "Are you blaming me?"
Adrien stammered for a moment, unsure of what to say before sighing heavily. "Yes. I am. What did you do to her??"
The corner of his lips curled up in a snarl. "I took care of her. You didn't even notice the bruise in her arm and you think you're so cool," he scoffed, finishing packing up his things and he swung his bag over his shoulder.
He was shocked but shook his head. "Maybe if she wasn't happy about it, you should've just left her alone," he said, rolling his eyes before leaving the room. He paused right before he got to behind Felix and turned around again. "I know you mean well, but she's obviously annoyed with you. Why can't you take no for an answer??" he scoffed before finally leaving.
Felix genuinely had no answer to that, but then again, he was doing this in the first place for the sole reason of getting under Adrien's nervers, so he supposed it wouldn't matter who it was he annoyed in the first place, would it? "Because I like her!!!" He shouted to his back, chuckling softly before going about his merry way.
Adrien stopped, spinning around slowly. "If you truly liked her, you wouldn't push your will on her," he spat. "You're a narcissist," he added, and let the door slam behind him.
So what if he was? He could always just go back home once he's had his share of fun. Could always be sent back home if they had enough of him. It wasn't that big a deal anyway, he never want to be here in here in the first- "Ouch???" He said, his train of thoughts cut off as Alya bumped into him. And it looks like she did on purpose too.
She glared at him from her side and shook her head. "You hurt Marinette and I will personally end you myself. No running home to mommy either," she hissed, walking off swiftly before he had a chance to say anything.
He blinked confusedly, looking around the classroom and noticed that just about everyone had the same glare directed to him. He sure was making enemies left and right. Did Marinette matter that much to them? With a light chuckle and a shake of his head, he left the classroom to return for lunch.