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Marinette jolted up in bed. Images of her frightening dream flashed through her mind. Paris in flames, someone desperately yelling "Ladybug!", and then nothing. It made her uneasy. Was this a premonition?
The nightmare loomed over her head for the rest of the day. She kept her head down and tried to push through her classes. Her thoughts felt murky. She was miles away from reality.
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Félix sent Marinette a text message. She had been distracted that day and barely acknowledged him. This project was a big part of their grade. He didn't understand why she wasn't she concerned.
Félix
We need to work on our project soon.
Marinette
You are right. Sorry, I wasn't trying to ignore you earlier, I've just got a lot on my mind. How about later today?
Félix
I work best in the comfort of my home. I will send you the address.
6pm
Don't be late.
He wondered if she would be punctual. Probably not.
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Marinette frantically got all her things in order. "How could I forget about the project? I must have completely ignored him today." She had already drawn up a rough presentation outline for their chosen topic; the Fertile Crescent. Hopefully, it would impress Félix, since she was mostly a spacey fool around him, and make up for ignoring him off today.
Tikki snuggled into her forehead. "Don't beat yourself up. The nightmare you had last night has shaken you up. It's only normal."
Marinette sighed and then smiled. "You are right. Let's go."
She stood outside the large gate for ten minutes until the clock hands ticked to 6:00 sharp.
The security camera eyed her. "Young lady I know you've been standing there for ten minutes. What do you want?" a voice crackled through the speaker.
Busted. She smoothed her shirt. "I'm-I'm sorry! My name is Marinette. I'm here to do a project with Félix!"
"Come in." The camera retracted, and the gate clicked, opening slowly.
As she entered the mansion a chill rushed up her spine. What was that?
A slender lady with her hair pulled into a bun looked at her through the glasses sitting on her nose. She wore a slick black pantsuit with a red turtleneck sweater. Marinette noticed a small patch of dyed red hair on the right side of her neatly tucked bangs.
"Félix is up the stairs to the left. Please do not wander without assistance," Nathalie warned.
Marinette nodded and hurried away. Félix's door was cracked. She heard a loud crash and pushed the door open.
"Félix? Is everything okay?" she asked. He was on the floor with books surrounding him and an opened one on his head.
Félix took the book off his head. "Usually people knock before they enter."
"S-sorry." Marinette knocked on the already open door. "Can I come in?" She smiled at him. She noticed he wasn't wearing his black gloves today, but he had a bandage wrapped around the middle finger on his right hand.
He rolled his eyes.
I'll take that as a yes. She approached his desk and took out her outline.
He approached her from behind and glanced over her shoulder, eyeing her work. "So you have been thinking about the project."
Her heart jumped in her chest.
She tried to ignore how close they were. "W-why wouldn't I?"
He eyed the back of her head, then studied the outline. "I tried to talk to you about it today but you ignored me."
Marinette fumbled with her hair. "Sorry, I was distracted today." It wasn't a total lie.
"This outline doesn't look too bad," he said. "Let's use it."
"Behind this clam- I mean clueless demeanor is some intelligence." She laughed awkwardly and didn't dare to look him in the eyes.
He arched one of his eyebrows.
She could feel the heat rising in her face. "A-any chance I could get some water? You know what I'll look for it myself!" She lunged out of his room, tripping over the books he left scattered on the floor as she scurried out.
He called after her but she was already gone. For a small girl, she was quick.
As she rounded the corner, the slender lady's warning echoed in her mind. Crap! She had forgotten that she wasn't supposed to walk around alone. Oh well, she was only getting water and she didn't want to return to Félix that quickly. On her way in, she had mentally noted where she thought she had seen a door to the kitchen.
She crept through the house. It was enormous, but it felt empty. The chill rushed back down her spine. She felt an urgency begging her to run. Her skin crawled.
CRASH.
She whipped her head towards the noise. It sounded like pottery shattering. Her heart pounded in her chest.
"Who are you?" a deep voice reverberated through the room.
She spun around and met cold, judgmental eyes. "I-I'm sorry! I am working on a prong- I mean a project with Félix, and I got lost looking for a glass of water." Her throat felt dry as she tried to swallow. She could use that water right about now.
He towered over her. The dim hallway made his red pants less cheery. His white dress shirt looked disheveled, and his eyes bulged.
He stepped closer to her. "Did Nathalie not tell you not to wonder."
"No- I- she did! I just had kind of - had a moment- a craving! For water." She wanted to disappear. The man's eyes studied her in a way that made her feel vulnerable and exposed. She felt more flustered and unnerved than she did around Félix. His eyes lingered on her ears and the red circular earrings.
He took another step closer. She backed up, feeling the wall behind her.
"Those ear-" he started.
"Marinette! There you are," Félix interrupted. He had approached without either of them noticing. "Sorry Father, she ran out before I could stop her. She means no harm." Félix turned his eyes to the man.
Father. This man was Gabriel Agreste.
Gabriel stared down Marinette one more time. "Very well. Don't let it happen again."
She just wanted his eyes off of her. What is this feeling?
He finally turned away and walked down the hall.
Félix put his hands on his hips. "Marinette, what was that? My father does not allow strangers to waltz around the house. You're lucky he didn't forbid you from ever stepping foot in here again."
She could hardly hear him over the beating of her heart. "Sorry," she whispered.
He sighed. "Come on." He awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder and guided her back to his room. She barely registered his touch. Her mind was still stuck on those piercing eyes.
She finally snapped out of it and turned to Félix. His eyes are much softer than his father's.
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Of course, as a token of his bad luck, the first person Félix brought from his class would get caught wandering around the mansion. He wondered what his father thought.
Marinette seemed shaken up. She didn't freak out when he touched her. Usually, she would have insisted she could walk by herself or trip over herself trying to get away from him. He didn't understand why she acted that way around him.
When she finally acknowledged him, and their eyes met, she broke away quickly and hurried through his door after bumping into it. Who would have thought there was someone else who could attract as much bad luck as he did?
It's probably because she's around me.
They sat down at his desk to begin some actual work. A stillness settled in after they got into a rhythm.
Marinette cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "I hope your father isn't upset with you."
Félix shrugged. "I'm not sure if he is or not." He didn't know what his father would say about it after she left or if he would say anything at all.
"I won't do it again," she said.
"I would sure hope not."
Marinette eyed the bandage on his finger. "Is your finger okay?"
"Yes, it's just a scratch," he said. She's annoyingly observant.
The rest of the night strolled on without a hitch. It was getting closer to the time for patrol. Marinette glanced at her watch and stood up abruptly.
"O-oh look at the time! Almost bedtime that's what it is!" She spoke nonsense and collected her belongings.
Félix stood up. "I will walk you out."
Marinette scratched her cheek. "Right, right. Probably a good idea."
He allowed a smirk to flash across his face.
They stood facing each other at the front door. The clouds were gathering. Something in the air felt ominous.
"Goodbye," Félix said plainly and turned to shut the door.
She grabbed his sleeve. "Félix."
He turned to her and tilted his head.
Marinette looked up at him. "Thank you." Her eyes sparkled from the streetlights, and then she was gone before he could ask why she thanked him.
He could feign ignorance, but he knew why she was thanking him. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't interjected in her conversation with his father when he did? His father looked disheveled. He was staring at Marinette with such intensity that Félix called out to her without thinking.
Why did she always run away before he could respond? She was indeed strange. Things always happened when she was around.
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"So who was the girl?" Plagg asked him before he could even get settled back into his room.
"I'm working on a project with her," Félix said.
"She seemed freaked out. I don't blame her. This house gives me the creeps." Plagg, the supernatural, god-like being with the power of destruction, shivered as he settled onto a plate of cheese Félix had laid out for him.
Félix rolled his eyes at the little glutton. "How's the cheese?"
"Delicious! It's good to have a little variety now and then," Plagg licked his lips after scarfing down a few pieces.
"That's good. Plagg, claws out!" Plagg was sucked into the ring, screaming, as usual, as he went.
He met up with Ladybug and they completed their routine patrol. Another quiet night. He could feel the tension rising. Even Ladybug seemed on edge.
The clouds continued to build.