Work Text:
Marinette had worked in office settings before. She was no stranger to the awful fluorescent lights, mountain loads of menial tasks, or the soundtrack of watercooler talk coupled with the ringing of a phone and the printing of the photocopier. It was easy to make coffee for everyone when she made some for herself or to call the courier for a package Alan needed picked up when she already had the driver on speed dial. Even in past work experiences, in her internships, or random odd jobs, she dealt with the sometimes slow slog of long days or sitting restlessly at a stifling cubicle, and yet nothing on her resume had her as prepared for her position at Gabriel Brand as well as her alter-ego life.
Marinette had spent years mastering the skill of multitasking; growing up as a superhero and having to balance her social life, school life, and saving all of Paris was all in a day's work for her.
And yet even on her initial cold welcome to the office, her reunion with a past … acquaintance? (she couldn’t imagine Felix taking well to calling her his friend) Marinette was soon able to find her place among the sparse office plants, swaths of fabrics, and endless spreadsheets. She enjoyed her job. She was good at it. And she often found herself excited to head to work each day to take on the next challenge that would be posed to her.
It made things interesting when your job came with the unexpected, like the time someone tried to hack into Gabriel’s social media accounts and Marinette was able to unlock all the accounts before Allegra tore down the headquarters of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram; or the time Felix got ahold of Claude’s monthly expense report and nearly had an aneurysm over his pencil supply budget, to which Marinette was quickly able to conceive a pencil buddy system to ensure that not every pencil ended up lost in the vortex of Claude’s desk.
Even the distraction of another work email from Claude that ended up being another poorly disguised meme couldn’t distract her as Marinette poured over cost estimates for a new photocopier machine.
What did end up distracting her, however, was when moments later Felix walked through the office door, head down at his phone not even bothering to acknowledge Marinette with more than an absent nod in her direction.
But something was off … he was … smiling?
He was reading something on his phone. His usual mask of neutrality to borderline coldness was warmed by a brightness to his icy, blue eyes that was dazzlingly unfamiliar. His lips were turned up whereas they were usually held in a constant frown and Marinette’s eyes widened as a foreign sound reached her ears.
It was like all the air had left Felix’s lungs. Was he about to sneeze? cough? Was he dying? Marinette’s brain scrambled as she recalled every bit of first aid training she could muster, before it hit her.
He was laughing. Giggling? Chuckling? Was it possible? Was this something that the stoic Felix Agreste was capable of? He was making a sound and for whatever reason the oddly soft sound brought a warmth to Marinette’s cheeks. She blinked in surprise, glancing around the office to see Claude likewise staring at the scene before them in shock. Marinette turned to Alya behind the recording cameras as if to question if this was really happening.
She could remember a few instances of Felix cracking a small smile here and there in the past, but he was always quick to cover it up with a cough or hand and here he was full on laughing.
It was all weirdly endearing yet strangely familiar in a way Marinette just couldn't put her finger on. She racked her brain, trying to connect the vague dots in her mind and got nowhere. But something about the jovial emotion … on a usually emotionless Felix was refreshing and dare she even think … cute?
An eerie silence followed as the office looked in Felix’s direction. He didn’t seem to notice for a few beats, scrolling through his phone before finally pocketing the device and looking up.
He flinched slightly before clearing his throat, stepping towards his office with a subtle nod in their general direction. Just steps before his office door the stunned silence was shattered with all the grace of a bull in a china shop.
“WHAT’S SO FUNNY!?!”
Claude leapt across his desk, scattering papers in his wake and knocking over his mug of pens and pencils. Marinette sighed, already counting the extra pencils she had stashed away in one of her desk drawers. Claude, undeterred, continued on his warpath, 90% gangly limbs and 10% desperation, as Felix reached for his office’s doorknob.
Lunging in Felix’s direction, Claude reached out only for Felix to gracefully sidestep back towards Marinette’s front desk. Unfortunately the movement left Claude further flailing and off balance. His lanky arms waved in the air as he tried to right himself. He ungracefully tripped on air and narrowly missed slamming face first into the wall and instead found himself landing on the floor.
“Oof!”
Marinette stood up in concern, not for the first time that day recalling where the office’s first aid kit was stored. She shared a quick glance with Felix who raised his eyebrows at her briefly before they both turned back to Claude sprawled on the office carpet.
“Were you texting someone?!” Claude asked, voice somewhat muffled against the carpet. He seemed to be content to just lay there and Marinette stifled a laugh.
Was Claude jealous?
Of … Felix texting someone? Of having a social life outside of work? Marinette thought about Felix back when they were young and in school together and how even then he was all business and professionalism. Did Felix even have friends?
She thought about the past few months she had been working with the company and how close their group had gotten over that time. The idea of Felix further branching out and opening up outside of the office seemed like a huge positive step and something she should feel happy about.
Right?
She didn’t understand the subtle sting that accompanied the thought, thinking about who could have garnered such a genuine reaction from a man so unwilling to share his heart on his sleeve. Some unconscious part of her was being silly! This was a good thing! It was great!
So great.
“I was merely catching up on work emails,” said Felix with a sigh, cutting off Marinette’s train of thought. He looked like he was contemplating the propriety of stepping over Claude’s body to get to his office and instead merely stood his ground. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“We work together! Your business is our business!” Claude wailed from the floor. “YOUR BUSINESS IS LITERALLY OUR BUSINESS! WE ALL ARE APART OF THE GABRIEL EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION!”
Marinette watched as Claude mopily pulled himself off the floor. “That’s … not really how the program works Claude,” she said, though her words seemed to fall on deaf ears.
“Who made you laugh!?” Claude yelled like some rabid, gremlin creature. His eyes narrowed in on Felix’s suit jacket, where his phone was currently stored. “I’m trying to figure out whether I want to shake their hand or strangle them! Was it a joke? A funny story? A silly anecdote? What was it? Who was it?”
“That’s none of your concern, Mr. LeMuet.” Felix replied coolly, adjusting his tie. He cleared his throat as if hoping to sidestep both Claude and this conversation.
“Was it that new hire in the IT department?! Or that new photographer?” Claude continued. And then very suddenly he gasped, as if he had solved a very betraying puzzle. “HAVE YOU BEEN CHEATING ON US?!”
Marinette had to cover her mouth to smother her giggles. Having been on the receiving end of Claude’s many outbursts that ranged from hilarious to mildly bothersome, she figured she could stand back and enjoy the show before getting back to her paperwork. Suddenly, she felt as if she were watching some cheesy soap opera.
Plus she was a little bit more than curious to know what made Felix laugh.
Across the office Allegra reached into her desk for a pair of wireless earbuds, while Alan continued typing away at his computer, completely unperturbed.
Felix rolled his eyes. “No, I have not been chea—Wait what?—Cla—Mr. LeMuet, what are you—?! I—??” he sputtered in response before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can we please just act like adults and get back to work?
“This office is like a family,” Claude continued. “And I am trying to keep this family together!” Claude continued on, waving his arms dramatically. “And you’re always absent or locked up in your office. Come on, Dad!”
“Dad!?!” Felix gasped, face going pale in disbelief, before running a hand down his face in annoyance. “I’m not your father!”
Claude shook his head. “You are though! You're the dad of the office! And I’m the favourite son! Allegra is the supercool-awesome aunt, Alan is the older brother! And Marinette is the mom!”
“Uh… I’m the what!?” Marinette asked.
“Mr. LeMuet,” Felix sighed. “Do not call me Da—”
“And now you’re laughing at someone else’s jokes? Going to meetings on different floors? What’s next!? Having lunch with the design team? ARE YOU GOING TO TRANSFER TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT!? The signs are all there!”
“Enough!” Felix shouted. His usually monotone voice took a much more harsh edge and the resounding silence that followed just showed that even Claude had enough sense to pause his rambling. Felix stood up just a little straighter, his stiff posture making him seem taller. “Please refrain from sending out unnecessary emails to the entire office,” he said firmly. “No more spam emails.”
“That wasn’t spam! Those are top quality, 100% organic, high-grade memes, man!”
“Nevertheless, they are not work appropriate and unprofessional …” Felix continued, grabbing his phone back from his pocket. “And you cc’ed Nathalie,” he glanced down at his phone one more before paling slightly, “and my father?”
“Oh come on! I thought they would enjoy it! Everyone needs to have a laugh every once and awhile!”
“My father doesn’t laugh, Mr. LeMuet.”
“Well he should! And so should you bud!” Claude wrapped a casual arm around Felix’s shoulder, causing the blonde to stiffen. “Relax, dude!”
Looking ever as relaxed as a wooden board, Felix crossed his arms indignantly, “I am relaxed.”
“Cool, cool, cool. Then call me Claude.”
“And I’ll be even more relaxed,” Felix continued, shrugging out of Claude’s reach, “if we actually did our work in this office instead of wasting time.”
“Alright man, fine,” Claude said. “But just tell me one thing.”
“What?” Felix stared at Claude skeptically.
“What were you laughing about when you came in?”
Marinette found herself unconsciously leaning in with curiosity, as if to lessen the chance of missing Felix’s answer.
“None of your business,” he finally said coldly.
Claude narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, unexpectedly meeting Felix’s cool demeanour with his own. “Fine,” he said.
“Fine.” Felix repeated.
A beat of silence passed between the two men before Marinette. A sudden animosity seemed to fill the air of the office as the two stared each other down.
Claude was the first to break.
“I SHARED MY BABY BACK RIBS WITH YOU!” Claude yelled before storming out the office.
Felix sighed as the office door slammed shut, loudly announcing Claude’s dramatic departure. He rubbed his face as he took in another deep breath.
Today was going to be a long day.
He ran a hand down his hair, an action he hoped would help pull himself together as he approached Marinette’s desk.
“Good morning, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”
“Oh! Um …” She glanced up at him as she sat back in her seat, taking her eyes off the door to stare up at him. “Good morning, Felix!”
“Do you happen to know if my father has any meetings this afternoon?” he asked as he adjusted his tie.
“I don’t believe so!” Marinette typed at her keyboard for a moment before pausing. “Um … did you, or, um … should I?”
Felix tilted his head at her in confusion. “Should you what?” he asked.
“Oh, well,” Marinette tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, “should one of us maybe go talk to Claude?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” Felix frowned.
“Maybe you should go talk to him …”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You are his dad after all,” Marinette smiled, only causing Felix’s frown to deepen.
“Don't start,” Felix said. “This fam—I mean!—this office is already dysfunctional enough!”
Marinette laughed, the sound was light and airy and reminded Felix of windchimes in a soft springtime breeze. “Maybe we are like a family then,” she smiled.
Felix blinked at her, not sure what to say or how to account for the warmth on his cheeks.
“Plus,” she continued, unaware of Felix’s loss for words. “What kind of parents would we be to let our son stomp off like that?”
Now he really was blushing.
“Stop that,” he chided her, looking away and keeping his back to the cameras across the room.
Marinette giggled some more before her blue eyes softened. “Seriously though,” she said. “I think someone really should go check on him.”
“And let me guess,” Felix sighed. “That ‘someone’ is me?”
“Well …”
“Fine,” Felix drummed his fingers along the top of Marinette’s desk. “I’ll go.”
Marinette’s answering smile seemed to brighten his morning more than his coffee and Felix suddenly felt like she could get him to do anything she wanted.
“I knew I married you for a reason!” she cheered.
“I—You!?” Felix sputtered. “What!?”
“Wow, Felix! I’m joking!” Marinette patted his hand. “You know, since we’re the office Mom and Dad?”
“I …” Felix coughed. “Right.”
“Not that we’d have to be married to have kids!” Marinette blushed, waving her hands as she stood up. “I mean … not that we ARE married. It’s an analogy! I mean—!”
They shared a look as Marinette’s hands came up to cover her mouth as if to stop herself from further digging herself into a hole. Both their faces were stained red and suddenly it was like they couldn’t look each other in the eye. Felix quickly became endlessly curious about the clock on the wall, while Marinette became incredibly fascinated with the bowl of candies on her desk.
“It’s okay, Marinette,” Felix eventually said, with a shrug. “It’s just a silly joke. Let’s not get HR involved shall we?”
And surprisingly enough he chuckled.
Marinette looked up at him as if peeking at the sun bursting from behind a clouded sky. The warmth on her cheeks heated and in the blink of an eye Felix shook his head and just like that his mask of professionalism was re-adorned and he nodded her way.
She nodded back in a daze and for a brief moment the mask faded as he offered her a kind smile. It was small and barely noticeable probably to the untrained eye, but Marinette saw it and returned it with one of her own.
“I’ll just … go check on Claude now,” he said awkwardly before turning away and going out the door.
And just like that he was gone, taking the sunshine with him.
Marinette looked up at the camera, meeting Alya’s arched eyebrow and judgemental look as the crew set up for her talking head interview.
“Please, tell me you didn't record that,” Marinette pleaded.
“Girl, it was like filming a car wreck.” Alya said, shaking her head. “I think I’m going to win an Oscar for ‘Greatest Tragedy’.”
Marinette’s face fell to her hands in embarrassment. “Oh God.”
Alya held back her laughter for her friend’s sake before thinking better of herself and crossing her arms, cocking her hip to the side. “I’m just pissed I wasn’t invited to the wedding,” she snorted.
“Alya!”
Claude paced the mezzanine of the stairwell for a few more moments before slumping to the floor in defeat. He leaned against the wall, resting his elbows against his knees and just let the silence wash over him.
Maybe he wasn’t as funny as he thought he was. Everyone was right, it was time he ‘grew up’.
The sound of steps coming down the stairs fell on deaf ears as Claude was stuck in his thoughts, barely noticing until someone came up beside him.
He didn’t bother to glance up, but the fancy business shoes on the floor beside him confirmed who it was.
“Remember my first week here?” he whispered, finally breaking the silence.
Felix cleared his throat. “I fired you everyday and yet you still kept coming to the office every morning.”
“Yeah …” Claude smiled, staring off into space as if recalling many happy memories. “The good ol’ days.”
A soft shuffling sound caught Claude’s attention and he was shocked to see Felix joining him on the floor.
“Fe! Your suit!”
“It’s fine.” Felix shook his head, before clearing his throat once more. “I wanted to say …”
The sound of a door opening below them filled the stairwell and the two men froze. After a moment the sound of steps heading down the flight of stairs echoed, followed by another door closing.
“It’s cool, man.” Claude spoke once they were sure they were alone together once more. “We work together, I get it. I crossed the line.”
“Yes,” Felix said. “We do work together. But … we’re still friends, right?”
The bright shine that was missing from Claude’s eyes returned at the word.
“Yeah,” he smiled. “Friends.”
He held out a fist to which Felix awkwardly met with his own—not quite the secret handshake of his dreams, but they could work on it.
“And Claude?”
“Yeah, bro?”
“Stop sending memes to the whole office.”
“Ahhh,” he frowned, “okay.”
Felix elbowed his side and the sides of his mouth curled ever so slightly upwards. “You can send them straight to me,” he winked.
Claude gasped, a large smile eclipsing his previous frown.
“Really?”
“You really want to know what made me laugh this morning?” Felix asked as he scrolled through his phone and opening up his email app.
“Yeah!!”
“I would hate to have to get the HR department involved.”
“The HR department?”
“Yeah, you know.” Felix paused for a moment. “The НЯ department.” He clicked on the link from Claude's earlier email, bringing up a long thread of cat memes that went into detail on the improper use of Cyrillic script and how it could potentially lead to peak levels of meme-ry. Felix tilted his phone in Claude’s direction to allow him a view as he scrolled through a thread reposted and reshared with various additions and art, along with Claude’s own running commentary.
“Whaaaaaa…” Claude’s eyes widened, speechless for the first time ever. Felix almost laughed before reaching for the last nail in the coffin.
“You know like … nya?”
Claude stared at the phone.
“You mean … this whole time. It was one of my memes?!”
Felix nodded, this time actually smiling.
“All of them,” he chuckled, leaning in closer as if to share a secret. “The cat ones especially. My favourite is the Chat Noir one where he’s surrounded by all those knives. Or the one where Ladybug is yelling at him sitting in front of a salad. Ha!” Felix reached up to wipe a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye. “That was a good one.”
Claude gasped in confusion. “Why are you telling me this.” His usual loud voice dropped to a mere whisper.
Felix smirked before locking his phone. He stood up tall back to his perfect posture, before reaching a hand down to Claude. “Because no one will ever believe you.”
Claude was once again left speechless, going pale as the reality dawned on him.
“You sick son of a b—”
Allegra pulled out her earbuds. Something felt off. There was a distinct, high pitched ringing coming from somewhere outside, followed by what she could only describe as a mixture between weeping and screaming … and a lot of banging. She looked around the office. Marinette was in the breakroom with the camera crew. Alan was busy sorting through his recent shipment. Felix and Claude were still gone.
“Did you hear that,” she turned to Alan.
“Hear what?”
Suddenly Felix came into the office, looking somewhat disheveled. His once wrinkle-less suit looked uncharacteristically creased and his usually coiffed hair was all askew. Allegra raised an eyebrow in his direction. Though Felix didn’t pay either of them any mind and all but ran into his office. The sound of the door locking followed along with the blinds being quickly closed.
“Where’s Claude?” Alan asked.
“I think …” Allegra paused, tilting her head to try to catch the sound that she had heard earlier. “I think he’s in the stairwell screaming?”
Alan and Allegra shared a look before returning to their work.
Not even five-minutes later a defeated Claude slumped through the office. He fell into his chair and stared off into space—he looked like a changed man.
“Hey, Claude.” Alan called out. “Everything okay?”
Claude nodded, pursing his lips as he logged back into his computer.
“My entire life is a lie.”