A/N: Unedited. Sorry for any grammatical errors.
"I think you owe me an apology..."
Adrien's voice lingered in the air awkwardly, and it almost left a sour taste in his mouth.
All while growing up with Felix Adrien never had the nerve to stick up for himself, especially with how obdurate his cousin could be.
Adrien always felt so small in his presence, and despite the times Adrien tried to make friends with his cousin, it never turned out in his favour.
It was almost as if Felix never wanted Adrien around in the first place.
Both men sat awkwardly at the dining table, faintly hearing Marinette shuffle around in the kitchen.
Adrien was a little weary of inviting Felix back into their home especially after what had happened, but Marinette had insisted that they'd clear the air before they finally tied the knot.
He couldn't quite remember what Felix had done after he was akumatised, but from what Marinette had briefed him on, it tore at his heart relentlessly to realise that his cousin wanted him to die.
As far back as Adrien remembered since the time they first met, he hadn't recalled ever doing anything to Felix that made him hate so much.
"You want me to apologize? For what?" Felix questioned, crossing his arms taut against his chest as his blue eyes remained completely fixated on Adrien's pained features.
Adrien blinked, his fists clenching against his lap as he couldn't tell if Felix was serious.
"For the mess...for everything." Adrien prompted, lowering his eyes towards the table top.
"For what you said to me, for what you said about Marinette and Luka, for being mean to my kids, for what you said about my mom, for the horrible bullying you've done to me over the years while we were kids..." His voice trailed off, his heart racing in his chest painfully as he hadn't realised that he was going off the rails, saying anything that came to his mind and allowing it to simply roll off his tongue with ease.
Adrien pressed his lips together, trying to find comfort in the scent of the coffee Marinette had started to brew in the kitchen behind them.
He glanced down, his fingers tapping against the table top nervously as Adrien reflected on his entire relationship with his cousin.
"Growing up, you always treated me like shit. I don't recall ever doing anything wrong to you. Since the moment we met, you've made it a point that I was a nuisance, and that you didn't want me around..." Adrien's voice trailed off at the thought of Marinette's explanation that Felix had tried to kill him.
"Y-You never told me what I did to you...that you felt I deserved what you've been doing to me, my wife and my children..."
Adrien tensed, his heart pounding in his chest as the air between the two of them grew stiff and silent. There was an eerie feeling that began to fester between the two of them as Felix glared Adrien down with a firm expression.
Had it not been for Marinette being in the next room, Adrien would have made a run for it.
He exhaled softly as Felix uncrossed his arms. The male placed his hands on the table top, tapping his fingers in syncopation to Adrien's tune.
"You didn't do anything wrong..." Felix explained, his voice trailing off and for a brief moment, Adrien thought he saw something of vulnerability.
"Growing up, I guess you can say I felt a little jealous of you. You had both of your parents when you were younger, you were very popular among our family. I saw you everywhere, plastered on build boards, merchandise and on TV commercials." Felix sighed, reaching up to run his hand through his hair nervously.
"When I heard you started going to school, you easily attained all of these friends. I understand your father was strict with who you went out with and what you did, but you were able to go to birthday parties, you brought friends with you to your events, you even had a fling with Kagami before you met Marinette." Felix averted his eyes towards the kitchen where he knew Marinette was.
"I thought that once you lost your mom, you would understand the pain I felt when I lost my dad. I thought you would change and at least confide to me. I know I didn't treat you well when we first met because I thought you were spoiled and got everything you wanted." Felix glanced back at him, clearing his throat. "You never changed when your mom disappeared. It made me angry, because I wanted you to be bitter and angry and upset like I was when my father died." Felix leaned more so into the chair.
"But you weren't, and I guess that made me even more jealous of your ability to handle things." Felix sighed, his eyes lowering back down to the table top as he was too shameful to look Adrien in his eyes.
"Marinette was the only friend I made. Although I may have exaggerated the way I felt about her when I mentioned that I met her many years ago at her family's bakery. I grew jealous to learn that you were marrying her. I felt jealous that you were able to naturally create a family and be happy, even after everything you had gone through when you lost your mother, you didn't change. I guess I wanted to be like you so bad that I must've taken my anger out on you."
Adrien gawked at Felix, his lips parting as he tried to let his cousin's words sink in. He glanced away, his heart sinking as he was completely unaware that his cousin had been feeling this way.
"When I learned you had children and that you were getting married, especially to Marinette..." Felix explained, his voice trembling as he glanced down to compose himself once more.
"I felt angry, that even in the end you were able to steal my first friend. I remained cooped up in my room by my own depression, I never let myself out to enjoy and experience the world."
Adrien sunk into his seat, his hands folding against one another as he was at loss for words.
The blonde shook his head, a grimace permeating on his features as he kept his gaze down towards his hands, unsure if he could face Felix.
"I didn't know that you and Marinette had met previously." Adrien pressed his lips together, his heart racing at the thought of the dynamic he had with Ladybug. Unbeknownst to Felix, Adrien had met Marinette as Ladybug for the very first time. There was just an attraction and a mutual understanding the he had with Marinette that no one would understand.
"Marinette and I have a connection that runs deep. I guess you can say that I'm irrevocably in love with her. I only met her after my father allowed me to attend high school, and during the times you and I spent time together, you never once mentioned that Marinette was the girl you felt close to when you met her at the bakery. I had no way of knowing that you felt some sort of attachment to her, and with it being such a long time ago, I didn't think it would matter. As far as I was concerned you both never spoke to each other again after that."
Adrien watched Felix as he nodded subtly, acknowledging Adrien's words and allowed him to speak his truth.
"I want you to be at my wedding. This moment is huge for both me and Marinette. I know we didn't have the best relationship growing up, but we're still family, you're still my cousin...you're probably the only close connection I have with my mom. Your mother and my mother were really close, I really wanted that for us." Adrien explained, his voice quivering at the mention of his mother. It only felt like yesterday since the last time he had saw his mother and he missed her terribly.
"But I can't have you being bitter around my children and Marinette. I can't have you making my family uncomfortable because of a hatred you hid from me that I couldn't help." Adrien felt sick at his own words, it wasnt like him to eject his family, but there were some priorities that he had to put in order, and his top ones were Marinette, Louis and Emma.
"Please don't force me to make that choice. I want you as a part of my life. I want my children to look up to you..."
Felix remained silent, his eyes trailing down to his lap as he sunk himself into deep contemplation. He repeated Adrien's words in his head over and over again.
All his life, Felix wanted to feel like he was apart of a family, and now that he had the opportunity to, the moment he was offered it, he felt as if he would somehow ruin it.
He simply couldn't ruin that again. He wasnt sure when he'd have that again. Unbeknownst to Adrien, Felix wanted to be like him. He was the half of him, that Felix wish he could be.
Adrien was outgoing, he was positive, charismatic and most of all, just genuinely kind to people. It didn't matter who they were.
Despite the times Felix pressed his buttons, Adrien grit his teeth and went through with it. It wasnt until the very last moment that Adrien lost his composure.
"I'm sorry..." Felix murmured, his blue eyes moving towards Adrien who looked completely puzzled at Felix's apology.
Adrien knew he had asked for it, but he didn't expect to actually get it.
The words were genuine, and from the many instances he's had with Felix, he could confirm that his cousin actually meant it.
"I understand that I was acting irrational, it still didn't give me the right to bully you for so long. I want to apologize to Marinette for prying her with uncomfortable questions and making her feel uneasy in her own home. I'm sorry for lying to you both so that I can be invited over without your knowledge, and I'm sorry to Louis for making him uncomfortable that day we were setting up tables. I don't know if I like the idea of my young cousin disliking me." Felix murmured, offering Adrien a weary smile.
"If I'm still invited to your wedding, I'd love to accept the invitation..." Felix continued, casually folding his hands and resting them across his chest as he leaned into his seat.
"But I believe when this is over, I plan to leave...far away for quite awhile. There are things that I need to work on, to better myself and resonate with the throws of life so that I can become something better than this. I want to learn to be happy." Felix explained.
"I hope that when I do return, I can be something that I'm proud of and I hope to be someone that Louis and Emma can look up to."
Adrien relaxed, almost sad that his cousin planned to leave for a long time. He wasnt sure when the next time he would see him will be, but at least Adrien would see him as a healthier and better person when he returned.
"The offer regarding the invitation to our wedding is still on the table. As I said before, I want you to be apart of the ceremony. This is a huge moment, and the last thing I want to do is leave you out of it." Adrien offered his cousin a warm smile, his heart feeling warm at the thought of finally reconnecting with his cousin.
"I'm sad you're planning to leave for awhile, but I look forward to seeing you become the best you can be and with that I wish you the best of luck. Just don't forget to keep in touch."
Felix chuckled, reciprocating the smile that Adrien offered him. He knew that what he did to Adrien was unforgivable, especially when he had attempted to end his life the night before on the roof right as Ladybug had knocked him out cold, but Felix hoped that in time that Adrien would somehow forgive him in due time, and Felix hoped he would learn to forgive himself.
"Of course, I look forward to the wedding." Felix murmured, his blue eyes glancing up just as Marinette walked out of the kitchen.
The young woman smiled at both men, her hands gripping on tightly to the mugs she held by the handles. She placed the mugs of hot tea on to the table with meticulous motion as to not create a bad spill.
"Are you both okay?" She mused, her blue eyes bouncing between the both of them with a subtle blush. "Did you guys settle everything?"
Adrien chuckled, his hand sliding across the table and taking hers.
"Everything is okay now, my lady..." he whispered, his hand drawing hers to his lips where he pressed a gentle kiss to her soft skin.
Marinette bit her lip, watching as Felix offered her a warm smile and reached for one of the mugs that she had placed on the table top for them.
She glanced back at Adrien, her heart squeezing in her chest as Adrien held her hand and whispered to her.
Her hand lightly squeezed around his, assuring him that she had heard the cute nickname he had given her when they had patrolled their city as their alter egos.
"I'm proud of you..." she whispered back, her thumb gliding against his digits.
"So so proud..."
Marinette knew, that it was times like these that she'd never take for granted again.