Chapter 16: Last Minute Doubts pt 1

The city glittered beyond the tall windows of the suite, its lights reflecting in Marinette's untouched cup of tea. She sat on the edge of the couch, her hands gripping the delicate porcelain as if it could keep her grounded.

But nothing could quiet her racing thoughts.

Had she done the right thing?

She'd told herself over and over that keeping her relationship with Felix professional was the best decision. That it was necessary. That it was the right thing to do.

But now, alone in the quiet of the night, the conviction she'd clung to felt more fragile than ever.

Marinette sighed, setting the cup down with a clink. Her gaze drifted to the neatly folded mission plans on the coffee table, but her focus wasn't on them. Instead, her mind wandered back to the plane ride that had brought them here, to the moment she'd let herself believe, just for a little while, that things could be different.

Flashback: On the Plane

The hum of the plane engines was a steady background noise as Marinette leaned back in her seat, a sleek tablet balanced on her lap. She scrolled through the mission dossier, her bluebell eyes scanning the details with practiced precision.

Felix sat across the aisle, his long legs stretched out in front of him, a dossier of his own in hand. He wasn't reading it, though. His green eyes flicked toward her every so often, a quiet amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You're frowning again," he remarked after a moment, his voice cutting through the cabin's quiet.

Marinette looked up, startled. "What?"

"You're frowning," he repeated, setting the dossier aside. "It's very distracting."

She narrowed her eyes, but a hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "Well, maybe if you focused on the mission instead of staring at me, you wouldn't notice."

Felix smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "Hard not to stare when you're making that adorable face."

Heat rose to her cheeks, and she quickly turned back to the tablet. "Focus, Felix. We have a lot to prepare for."

He chuckled softly but didn't push further. Instead, he shifted in his seat, his gaze turning thoughtful. "Do you ever stop and wonder why we're the ones they chose for this mission?"

Marinette glanced at him, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, out of all the agents they could have picked, they chose us. Together." His tone was light, but there was a hint of something deeper beneath the surface.

She tilted her head, considering his words. "We're the best," she said simply. "That's why they chose us."

Felix arched a brow, his smirk returning. "And here I thought modesty was one of your virtues."

"Don't start," she muttered, but the corner of her mouth twitched in amusement.

For a while, they sat in companionable silence, the tension that usually crackled between them replaced by something quieter, something unspoken. Marinette found herself stealing glances at Felix, studying the sharp lines of his face, the way the dim cabin light softened his usually piercing gaze.

And for the first time, she allowed herself to wonder what it might be like if things were different. If they weren't spies, constantly surrounded by danger and deception. If they weren't rivals, always trying to outdo each other.

But that was a dangerous line of thought, one she quickly shoved aside.

Still, as she returned to her tablet, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that maybe, just maybe, Felix wasn't just her rival.

Back in the Present

The memory lingered as Marinette stared out at the city lights, her thoughts swirling.

Felix infuriated her more than anyone else she'd ever known. But he also understood her in ways few others could. They were opposites in so many ways, yet somehow, they worked.

They balanced each other, challenged each other, pushed each other to be better.

Marinette sighed, rubbing her temples. She hated how complicated it all was. She hated that she couldn't just shut off the part of her heart that had started to care about him.

But most of all, she hated the doubt that crept in now, whispering that maybe she'd made the wrong choice.

Maybe they were a good team, even if she refused to admit it out loud.

Sooo, Marinette is coming to her senses, there was a flashback, and there is only a month left to finish the mission and stop Hawkmoth!

ILY!-Nattie