Worth It

Chapter 28

The school Library became a sanctuary for Marinette. The hushed whispers of students, the rustling of pages, and the scent of old books combined to create an atmosphere where she felt most at ease. It was in this haven that she found herself one late afternoon, deeply engrossed in a maths book.

"Stupid simultaneous equations," she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing at a particularly challenging problem.

Just as she was about to crack the problem that had been vexing her for the past half-hour, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. "Struggling, are we, Marinette?"

Marinette sighed, knowing that voice all too well. She looked up to see Felix leaning against the nearby bookshelf, a smug look on his face. He seemed to always find her whenever she was facing a difficult problem as if he had a sixth sense for her academic struggles.

"Felix, can't you see I'm busy?" Marinette retorted, trying to sound annoyed, but her lips betrayed a hint of a smile.

Felix pushed himself away from the bookshelf and strolled over to Marinette's table, leaning over her shoulder to get a better look at her work. "You're overthinking it, you know."

Marinette bristled at his audacity but tried to keep her composure. "And what would you suggest, Mr. Genius?"

He pointed at her paper. "You're making it more complicated than it needs to be. Just use the elimination method. It's easier than what you're currently trying to do."

Marinette blinked, her frustration giving way to realization. He was right. How had she not seen that before? She began to make the adjustments, her annoyance shifting to admiration.

Felix watched her with a self-satisfied grin as she corrected her work. "See? Not so hard when you have a little guidance."

Marinette rolled her eyes but couldn't deny that he'd been a great help. "Thanks, Felix."

"Anytime, Marinette." He straightened up and began to walk away. "But remember, I won't always be around to bail you out."

As Felix left, Marinette couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. It was moments like these that made her appreciate and admire him more and more.

Later that evening, after Marinette had left the library, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unspoken between her and Felix.

She sat at her desk. She didn't feel tired yet so she put on her headphones and decided to clear up her room a bit since it got a little messy due to the outfits she was making two days prior.

The thought of Felix lingered in her mind as she listened to her music. She was so lost in her thoughts and the beats that she didn't hear the knocking at her door followed by her door opening until it was too late.

Marinette gasped as she found herself pinned against the wall, a hand covering her mouth. Her lights were dimmed so she didn't immediately make out the intruder's face, but a familiar scent reached her nose, and she knew instantly who it was. She removed the headphones from her head.

"Felix?" she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.

He removed his hand from her mouth but kept her pinned with his body. "Shh," he cautioned, his voice low and urgent. "I needed to talk to you. I didn't want to knock any louder in case I woke the others up,"

Marinette's eyes met his in the dim light. She could see the intensity in his gaze, the conflict within him. "What's so important that you had to break into my room?"

Felix hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. "I can't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about you, Marinette."

"W-what do you mean?" Marinette stammered.