10 Days Before the Masquerade || Miraculous Ladybug

-D-

D is for "We--uhh--we co--we could d--dance."

***

Masquerade day...

[Marinette's POV]

"You're going home? It's too early." Felix tilted his head confusingly. "We--uhh--we co--we could d--dance. If you want."

"I uhh--s--sure!" I accepted his hand, not breaking eye contact as he took me to the dance floor. He puts one hand on my waist, as I put one hand on his shoulder, as our fingers intertwined, I suddenly felt sparks, it's strange, it almost felt like this isn't Felix who I was dancing with. "Your brother." I started. "Adrien. He confuses me."

"Why?" He asked.

Then I looked at where Sir Adrien was dancing with Miss Chloe. "Look at him, when we're at work, he's totally--"

"Coldhearted?" He grinned.

"Yeah, but look at him now, he's acting like you." I replied, looking at the two of them confusingly.

"Yeah, well, my brother has his secret crazy side, but work is work, you already know how high dad's expectation is." He shrugged. Though, he never mentioned this to me before.

"You never mentioned that before?" I asked.

"Oh." Then we went silent, still dancing into the slow beat.

"You know, I actually talked to him once." I said, breaking the silence. "But he did not confronted me or something, not the usual. He was actually...soft and...he was just broken." The memory of him crying on the rain that day flashed back at my mind, and that deja vu moment when I gave my umbrella to him. "You thought that he doesn't care about you, Felix, but he does, he's just not that expressive."

"Well, maybe me and F--Adrien need to talk." He replied, though I thought he was about to say Felix but...I decided to shrug it off and smile at him instead. This is Felix I am talking to, right?

"You should." I said and patted his shoulders, another flow of electricity flowing through me.

"Hey, Marinette...can you, can you not tell my brother about this?" He suddenly asked.

"Why?" I asked confusingly.

"Just, don't. I just don't want him to know, you know we...we're sort of complicated right now."

I blinked. "Okay, I won't."

"Hey, um, why don't we have a private talk for a while? You know, there are many people here."

I nodded. "Okay." Although the walk to the balcony was full of question. It seems like I this wasn't Felix at all, he was calm and collected, and was wearing a black cat costume the fact that I know that it was Sir Adrien who was more into black cats. Somehow, suddenly I wished it was him who I was with instead.

We went to the balcony, seeing the evening view, I couldn't help but sigh at the beauty of the Eiffel Tower, even if I live here and I basically get to see this everyday, it never cease to amaze me. "It's beautiful." I exhaled, deciding tk concentrate of the view instead of Felix...or his twin.

"Just like you." He mumbled and my eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

"Nothing."

I furrowed my eyebrows but decided to ignore the matter. It's strange, totally strange. But then, my mind drifted into something--someone else. I didn't wanna hurt Felix, he was still my friend after all. But somehow, all of a sudden, I didn't even know how it started, like I was just normally walking but then the clumsy me fell down a pit, a deep, deep pit of feelings I'm not suppose to feel for...my boss.

When I saw how broken he was that day, the only feeling I felt was sympathy. Nothing else.

But him telling the whole story that teared my heart out?

All of a sudden, all I wanted to do was fix him.

But actually falling in love with him?

It wasn't part of the plan.

"Marinette, I want to tell you something." He suddenly said, and my conscience suddenly punched me in the face, I'm with Felix right now, not Adrien. I looked at him expectantly, waiting for whatever he wanted to say. "I love you."

My eyes widened in shock, and so did his, like he didn't mean saying it right now. I blinked, although I wanted to say I felt the same way...

I no longer do. "I," I started, opening my mouth, but ending up closing it, I couldn't say it back. I couldn't. "I don't know what to say." I shook my head. I don't wanna hurt him, but why didn't he told me sooner? Now he's too late, I have fallen for...his twin. It's better if I say to him the truth right now, because after that I'll just hope that he'll have time to move on from me. "I'm sorry, Felix..." I said, rejecting him and deciding to risk for someone I might never have a chance with. "But...I don't know, I just, suddenly have this feeling," I sighed. "I didn't want to hurt you but, but, I'm...I fell in love with your brother." Though it's strange that I saw no hurt nor betrayal or sadness on his eyes, all I saw was shock, confusion, and before I decided to embarass myself more in front of him, I ran, opened the door and entered back at the hotel. But what I saw next surprised me.

Him, on a wolf costume. "Marinette." He said seriously, looking at me...teary eyed.

And then realization hit me.

"F--Felix?" I squeaked and he slowly nodded.

"I...actually heard everything." He chuckled sadly. "Sorry, I wasn't suppose to but, I was just acompanying Chloe into her room when I spotted you two here." I heard the door behind me open, and then I slowly looked back...the Black Cat, he was still looking at me in shock, and then back at his twin, and then on me again. "So...it's him." The real Felix nodded. "I guess...I'll just follow your advice then." He turned his heels, and started walking away.

"Felix-" I whispered, though I was sure he didn't hear me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and slowly I turned around.

"We need to talk." Adrien said seriously and I gulped. "Now."

And there was no saying that twice.

***

"I'm sorry." I started while he was looking at me expectantly, waiting for an explanation. "It was suppose to be Felix but...ever since that day in the rain I just...I don't know. Ever since then, I worry when you're not around, and secretly happy when you are. I know you might be questionning me because of how you treated me in the past but none of them mattered now, I understood you, and I know you might be looking for an explanation but I apologize if I couldn't give it to you because I can't understand it either. All I know is that my heart beats for you, and it overwhelms me, it scares me, but it also makes me happy no one would understand."

"Marinette--"

I chuckled nervously, wiping a single tear away from my eyes, ready to be yelled at, ready to lose my job, my heart, my life. "I said too much I'm sorry, you...will receive my resignation letter tomorrow."

To my sudden surprise, he puts a hand on my cheek, and wiped the tear away. He looked calm, and it even scared me more, if he was going to laugh at me I swear, I'm going to jump off this balcony, it's better than dying from embarrassment. "Why would you leave?" He leaned closer and my eyes widened, I could feel his warm breath against my face, until he was only an inch closer, he looked at my slightly parted lips before his green eyes pierced against mine. "Let me ask you, Miss Dupain-Cheng, is that the way of you returning my feelings? By leaving? Why I love you, too." And then he softly pressed his lips on mine.