The tension in the room was thick, everyone talking over each other, the air buzzing with annoyance and disbelief. Chloe stood there, arms crossed, looking a little too smug for someone who had just been the topic of a very heated discussion. Everyone had been arguing over the fact that Marinette had invited Chloe, a decision no one could seem to come to terms with.
Alya, Nino, Juleka, and Rose were all giving Marinette looks that ranged from disbelief to annoyance. Meanwhile, Chloe stood, confidently flipping her hair, not bothering to explain herself or defend her sudden invitation. It was all just another one of her chaotic moves.
But then, from behind Marinette, a voice broke through the tension, calm and collected, almost mocking the situation. "I can see I'm interrupting something interesting."
Marinette froze, recognizing the voice before she even turned around. The voice of someone she definitely didn’t expect to show up here. She slowly turned around, eyes narrowing as she saw none other than Felix standing behind her, arms casually resting at his sides, wearing that infuriating smirk of his.
Felix didn’t need to say much. He could feel all the eyes now on him. Chloe’s was a look of smugness mixed with a little too much satisfaction, and the others were all wearing expressions that ranged from confusion to irritation.
“Oh, look who decided to show up,” Marinette said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice but failing miserably. "Okay, the real question here now, guys, is who invited this guy here?"
The room fell silent for a moment, before Felix gave a nonchalant shrug, as if this whole scenario didn’t faze him at all.
“Adrien said I could come along if I wanted,” Felix said smoothly, his eyes glinting with a hint of mischief as he casually leaned against the doorway. “I didn’t think I’d get this much of a warm welcome, but here we are.”
The room seemed to freeze. Marinette’s mouth fell open, and she turned her gaze toward Adrien, who now looked entirely uncomfortable under the pressure of everyone’s eyes.
“Well, uh...” Adrien stammered, clearly regretting his decision to let Felix join them. “I... I didn’t think he would actually come. I just said it as a, you know, casual offer. It’s not like I—"
“Too late for that, bro,” Nino interrupted, shaking his head. “You know what happens when you invite Felix. It’s never just casual.”
Alya just crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously, Adrien? Felix, of all people?"
Felix, unfazed by the growing tension, continued smirking, clearly enjoying the spectacle he was creating. Marinette, on the other hand, had crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest, not amused by his sudden appearance.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Felix said, his gaze now meeting Marinette’s. “I didn’t ask to be here. But hey, you guys are all just so interesting. Wouldn’t want to miss this.”
Marinette could feel her annoyance rise, her face flushing with the heat of the argument and Felix’s smug presence.
“Fine, whatever,” Marinette muttered under her breath, walking over to one of the couches, trying to calm herself. "You’ve officially made this even more complicated, Felix."
Chloe, however, seemed unbothered by the whole situation. She flicked her hair again and sat down as if nothing had happened. "Honestly, I don't even care anymore. I'm here because Marinette invited me, and that’s that." She added the last part with a smile that clearly indicated how proud she was of the fact.
Felix leaned against the wall, watching the drama unfold before him, enjoying the chaos he’d just walked into. Marinette’s expression was still a little tight, but she tried to shake off the tension. After all, it wasn’t like she could control who Adrien invited to a hangout, even if it was Felix.
“Looks like this is going to be a very interesting evening,” Felix said with a grin, his voice calm but dripping with something darker. He liked this. Stirring the pot a little, keeping everyone on edge—this was his kind of fun.
Marinette just rolled her eyes. “Couldn’t agree more,” she muttered, trying to act like she didn’t care. The last thing she needed was Felix messing with her friends more than he already had.
Meanwhile, Adrien had disappeared into the kitchen, trying to avoid the growing tension in the room, clearly regretting ever saying yes to Felix tagging along.
As the evening continued, Felix leaned back, watching the group, absorbing every word, every glance. It was going exactly as he’d hoped—chaos, tension, and the beginning of a story that would only get more complicated. And he wouldn’t miss a moment of it.
Marinette could feel the weight of the tension in the room getting heavier as Felix continued to smirk at everyone, his casual attitude only adding more frustration to the situation. She tried to focus on the conversation happening around her. Alya and Nino were still arguing about Chloe’s unexpected invitation, and Chloe herself was lounging on the couch, enjoying the attention. Adrien, as usual, was doing his best to avoid conflict, but it was clear he was caught in the middle of all this.
Marinette had had enough. She stood up abruptly, excusing herself from the conversation with a muttered, “I need a break,” and made her way toward the quieter part of Juleka’s house. It was just too much- too much noise, too many mixed emotions, and too many people who just couldn’t seem to get along.
She needed space.
She found a quiet corner near the back of the house, away from the chaos of the main room. The peacefulness was a relief. Marinette took a deep breath, letting the stillness fill her for a moment before she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
She turned, and of course, it was Felix. He had been keeping his distance, but now he was following her, his eyes locked onto hers with that familiar, infuriating smirk.
“Trying to get away from all that noise?” Felix said, his voice smooth but with a hint of something more unsettling beneath it. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded casually.
Marinette’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t in the mood for his games. “What do you want, Felix?”
