Back to Back 2

Contention

They both stood there.

After a few strained seconds, Marinette finally spoke. "What?" she whispered, hoping that she had misheard him.

"I'm in love with you, Marinette," Felix repeated, bolder that time.

Not fully believing him, she forced a small smile. "You're joking, right?"

He stepped closer. "No, I'm not joking. I'm in love with you. I have been for a while."

Her lips moved slightly, trying to get an actual word or two out, but her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't think of what to say. So she stayed there, just looking up at him.

"I'm sorry for telling you," Felix said. "I wasn't planning on it. But, I think it's good that it happened. Great, in fact. Now I don't have to pretend that I'm not in love with you. Because the truth is, I love you more than anything else, and I want you to go out with me."

Marinette's lips tried again, to no avail.

"You're obviously dating Adrien right now. You know that, and I know that. But I want you to break up with him and date me instead." He moved closer, but when he reached out for her, she was suddenly able to speak again.

"I can't," she whispered.

At her response, Felix lowered his arm down. "Yes, you can Marinette. You're way too good for Adrien, and I think that maybe you're already feeling something for me. Alya told me how it was your idea to invite me along to the movies, and to lunch, and to the museum tomorrow."

Standing there, a horrible feeling started creeping up inside her. Felix had somehow misinterpreted the reason behind all of those invitations. How in the world had things gone so seriously wrong so fast?

"I think you want me around because you're falling in love with me," he said. "Maybe you don't even realize it. But every time you smile at me, I can feel a connection between us. And I think you feel it too."

"Felix," Marinette forced out, her voice strained and uncharacteristic. "That wasn't..."

"Don't be embarrassed, Marinette. It's okay that you developed feelings for someone else even when you were in a relationship. I don't fault you for that. What we have is meant to be, so don't be upset about your feelings."

"No, this isn't..."

"You'll be better off without Adrien," Felix interrupted. "I mean, we both know the only reason he's dating you."

That made her pause. Then she spoke with faltering confidence. "He's dating me because he loves me."

"No," he replied softly. "That's not the reason."

Marinette continued looking up at him as she started feeling tears well up behind her eyes. "Then what's the reason?" she asked, so quietly that the words were almost inaudible.

There was a moment when he didn't respond. Then Felix tilted his head. "Come on Marinette, you're smart. You're one of the smartest people I know. You must have already figured out why he's dating you."

The tears were beginning to sting. "No, I haven't."

This wasn't what he wanted; he didn't want to explain it to her. But she needed to hear it. "The reason Adrien is dating you, the only reason... is because you're Ladybug."

Silence.

After giving it a moment to sink in, Felix kept going. "If some other girl turned out to be Ladybug, Adrien would be dating her right now. If Lila turned out to be... no, okay, maybe not Lila, but any other girl, any girl walking down the street, if she were Ladybug, Adrien would be dating her. Not you. Adrien would be in love with her. Not you."