Okay, this one got hella long, so I had to split it up into two parts. Still, it gets the point of the title across.
Thank you all for your support and I hope you're gonna enjoy the chapter! X3
Entry 19
The Lingering Loneliness
''To protect someone, it is fake if someone says he's willing to sacrifice. I am swaying between good and bad, slightly towards bad. From the time I get used to loneliness, a devil is lingering around me, even in my dreams. Only the moonlight guides me to the way. Put a lid on your empty heart, the wound that straddled the left eye hurts. I can disappear like this. I hope that a ray of light shines in this darkness, and I'll be surrounded by warmth, so that I can laugh again someday.''
– Time Factor by World Trigger
xXxXxXx
Félix had to admit that he wasn't completely sure whether he even made the right decision.
It was weekend and, as usual, his uncle was too busy with his projects to care, leaving Adeline in charge. She was currently looking at Félix's schedule, questioning him about his free time and how to fill it up.
''Your sensei had praised your karate skills,'' Adeline said, her tone lacking any emotion. ''I believe that it would do you well to add more hours to your karate lessons.''
''My schedule is fine as it is,'' Félix told Adeline, his back turned towards her as he stuffed a book into his backpack, with Plagg already being inside it. ''I'll be away for the day.''
Adeline pursed her lips. ''I don't think wasting your time with unimportant activities is acceptable in Monsieur Agreste's eyes,'' she told him, her perfectly manicured fingers gripping the tablet with the schedule of the Agreste household tightly.
Félix just slung the backpack over his shoulder and walked up to her. ''What Uncle Gabriel thinks about my activities shouldn't be any of your concern, Mme. Arsenault. If he wants to express his disappointment, he can talk to me directly instead.''
Félix then walked past her, going outside and ignoring the twin bodyguards, Nathan and Simon Fortin, who had been patrolling the property. Both were burly bald men dressed in a white suit, shoes and gloves, with two black dots on the suit and a black bowtie, and a purplish circular mark on their left and right eye respectively. Félix never questioned them about it, though, as neither of them were particularly talkative. Not that they had anything to talk about. Fortunately, neither stopped him from leaving the Agreste property.
Once he made his way down the street, Plagg popped his head out of the backpack. ''So, where are we going, Kid?''
''Honestly, I don't know,'' Félix muttered, with Plagg tilting his head, giving him a questioning look. ''All I know is that I need some time to clear my head.''
''You mean, after your failed attempt at getting a kiss from Ladybug,'' Plagg replied, grinning mischievously.
''I haven't failed… I just didn't take initiative,'' Félix added after a pause, trying to ignore the eye roll from Plagg. He was aware that the latter was right about having messing up the perfect opportunity to walk away without dealing with his bad luck anymore. However, something prevented him from going along with it. He shook his head and continued walking. He knew that he needed some time to clear his head and was wondering where he should go. He then realized that he might as well visit Dynastie du Lóng and have a cup of tea. That wouldn't be a bad idea…
Unfortunately for Félix, Plagg also noticed where he was going. ''So, are you going to visit Bridgette?''
''My actual intent was to just have a cup of tea, but if Bridgette is there, I guess that we could talk,'' Félix replied. Plagg gave him a knowing grin.
''Oh, really? How am I supposed to know that you're not visiting the tea shop because of Bridgette?'' Plagg asked. Félix shoot him a glare, looking a little flustered. Plagg just grinned, knowing he hit a nerve. ''I know that you like her more than you want to admit.''
''…So what?'' Félix replied, feeling a restraining sensation in his chest. ''I admit, I am a bit closer to her than to other people, but that's because she's the only person I interact with...'' He trailed off, feeling his cheeks turn hot and redden with each passing word he said. ''We're just classmates… That's all,'' he quickly added in a sharp tone, continuing walking towards Dynastie du Lóng.
''Do you really think that you two are just classmates?'' Plagg asked him, a knowing grin spreading on his face. ''Or perhaps, you're actually considering her your friend?''
''I am not going to dignify that with a response,'' Félix replied, feeling irritated. However, no matter how much he tried to control his emotions and actions, he knew that this was a losing battle. In the short time Plagg spent with him, he learned well how Félix reacted to certain situations and read him like an open book. Félix didn't really like the idea of being so easily readable, but he was aware that this was the consequence of spending so much time with Plagg.
He had closed himself off to the rest of the world because he knew there were people who would try to hurt him. If he showed no reaction, they wouldn't be able to hurt him. The reason why he allowed Plagg to talk to him like this was because he knew that the kwami was direct, if a little mischievous, but never intentionally malicious. He could trust Plagg and even relied on him pointing stuff out that he had missed. However, being someone who disliked the idea of interacting with people and never having any kind of friend, this was a bit too much.
''I wanted to take time off thinking about what to do concerning Ladybug, but I'm not in the mood to think about Bridgette either…'' he muttered under his breath.
''Yet, we're here,'' Plagg noted as he and Félix arrived at Dynastie du Lóng. Félix stared at the entrance for a moment, then took a deep breath and entered it. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that Bridgette wasn't there, but he wasn't sure whether this was because he was relieved or disappointed.
''Oh, hello?'' Mei Cheng, Bridgette's grandmother, looked up from the counter and greeted him. She appeared to be a little surprised to see him. ''You're that classmate of Bridgette's who gave her the umbrella.''
''Yes... Félix Agreste,'' Félix replied, wondering if the old woman had forgotten his name. She furrowed a brow, shaking her head and shrugging, with Félix realizing that she indeed did remember him.
''Are you here because of Bridgette?'' she asked.
''N-No,'' Félix replied quickly, feeling his heart beat rapidly. Stop acting like this! This is embarrassing! Taking a second to calm himself down, he added, ''I was actually thinking about getting a cup of tea.'' He paused, then added in a tentative tone, ''Is Bridgette even at home?''
''No, she left about an hour ago,'' Mei replied in a dry tone, preparing the water. For some reason, a wave of disappointment washed over Félix. ''She went to Sophie's place. I'm not sure when she's going to come back.''
''Oh,'' Félix muttered, walking over to the table in the corner and sitting down. He wasn't sure how to feel about this. Usually, he would be happy that Bridgette wasn't around and that he was alone, but now, he just felt numb. It was as if something was missing. Félix opened his backpack, noticing Plagg staring back at him with a wide grin on his expression, as if reading his mind. Félix stared back for a moment, then sighed. ''Fine, I relent.''
xXx
''Honestly, I don't know what to do,'' Bridgette said. She was lying on Sophie's bed, holding a heart-shaped pillow and staring at the ceiling, while Sophie was busy pinning down the black cloth on the mannequin, placing it over on the red dress that was already on it. ''I mean, Félix and I get along just fine, but… I feel confused.''
''You feel confused about the Ice Prince?'' Sophie hummed, sticking her tongue out as she reached for another pin. ''That's new.''
''Soph, I don't think Félix would really appreciate being called Ice Prince,'' Bridgette told her friend, her eyes narrowing. ''Also, I know that my feelings regarding Félix have been all over the place, but now, I'm adamant about us just being friends.''
''Okay, but what's the problem then?'' Sophie asked, glancing at Bridgette and giving her a questioning look. ''You guys are friends, you guys hang out like friends, unicorns vomit rainbows and the Rock is gonna be the next president of the USA. Everything is normal in La-La-Land.''
''Sophie!'' Bridgette threw the pillow at her friend, sitting up and laughing. Sophie was also laughing in amusement, picking up the pillow.
''Okay, but seriously, why are you so worried? You have reached your goal, right?'' Sophie asked. ''Or, do you still have a crush on him and that's why you're feeling like a mess?''
''Honestly, I'm not sure,'' Bridgette replied, shaking her head. ''I want to say that I indeed see him just as a friend, but I can't deny that I feel more for him. However, I don't want those feelings to ruin any kind of relationship I have with him, especially since I know that he's uncomfortable around people.''
''In other words, you're stressing over whether an impulsive decision might ruin any relationship you have,'' Sophie pointed out. Bridgette just nodded. ''That stuff is kind of difficult to process, especially, as you pointed out, Agreste doesn't like other people and is only fine being around you so far.'' She smiled. ''I think you should just treat him the way you see fit. It shouldn't be any different from the way you treat me, Claude, Allegra or Allan, right?''
''Well, it isn't… But it's a bit different with you guys,'' Bridgette said.
''You mean, none of us is are grumpy people who do everything to avoid social interactions,'' Sophie noted.
''Yeah, but…'' Bridgette sighed, then slapped her cheeks, psyching herself up. She got up, looking determined. ''Never mind, I will somehow figure this out.''
''I wish you a lot of luck with that,'' Sophie replied, turning back to the dress, which now had a black overskirt pinned to it. ''Anyways, what do you think of this? Is the black a bit too much?''
''Maybe you could do black mesh over the red skirt?'' Bridgette suggested. ''I mean, red and black usually look good together.''
''I had been thinking the same, but I wasn't completely sure whether I should mix it up or try keeping them separate,'' Sophie said, removing the black cloth from the mannequin and throwing it into Bridgette's arms. ''Hold this, I have the black mesh here somewhere.''
Bridgette just smiled in response, eagerly helping her fashion-lover friend out with her passion project. At some point, both heard their smartphones ringing, indicating a message had been sent to them. The messages were from Allegra, who was asking them to go to the group chat. Exchanging glances, Bridgette and Sophie turned to Sophie's computer and entered their friend group chat, with Claude, Allan and Allegra being already on it and talking.
''Hey, guys, Bridgette's with me,'' Sophie said, ending whatever conversation the group had in the chat room.
''What's up with the message?'' Bridgette asked. To their surprise, they heard Carmilla's voice coming from Allegra's profile.
''Allegra and I had been talking how the whole group could go do something together and I had found out that the Louvre is going to do a special Egyptian exhibition tomorrow,'' she told them. ''What do you say guys? Should we visit it?''
''I'm for it,'' Allegra quickly added. There was a moment of pause.
''Honestly, it actually sounds rather interesting,'' Allan said. ''I'm all for it.''
''Count me in,'' Claude said. Sophie and Bridgette exchanged brief glances and both nodded.
''We also want to visit the exhibition,'' Bridgette said.
''Awesome! I guess we'll all meet up tomorrow at the museum,'' Carmilla said.
''It's probably going to be even more crowded than usually if there is an exhibition,'' Sophie noted.
''We'll figure something out,'' Carmilla replied nonchalantly.
xXx
''I'm back!'' Bridgette announced her arrival as she entered the tea shop. Mei entered the shop from the back to greet her.
''Nice to see you,'' Mei replied. ''You had a visitor.''
''I did? Who?'' Bridgette asked curiously.
''Your classmate, Félix Agreste, had dropped by,'' Mei replied. Bridgette felt her cheeks reddening.
''H-He did?'' She quickly looked around, as if trying to spot him, but the tea shop was completely empty. ''Did he say anything?''
''Not really,'' Mei told her, with Bridgette looking visibly disappointed, her ahoge drooping. ''Admittedly, he did ask whether you were at home, but when I questioned him about it, he said that he was just here to get a cup of tea,'' Mei told her.
''I see,'' Bridgette muttered, sounding a bit thoughtful. She walked past her grandmother, who just smiled, well aware what was going through her granddaughter's head. After all, she had inherited her grandmother's perceptiveness.
xXx
This week's Sunday lunch felt incredibly odd. It wasn't the food Félix had an issue with, but the fact that he wasn't eating lunch alone like he'd usually do. To his surprise, Gabriel Agreste had decided to finally show up and eat lunch with him. Félix had to wonder whether the world was ending, because his uncle wouldn't be caught dead eating lunch at the same table as his nephew unless he had a specific reason for it. Therefore, Félix gave him a suspicious look, but didn't say anything. Gabriel also remained quiet, both of them eating their lunch in complete silence. There were no questions about school, work, hobbies, social life from either side.
Félix wasn't sure whether that kind of interaction was good or not. He felt a little conflicted, noting how he loved not having to talk to people, including Gabriel, but at the same time, he wouldn't mind if someone said something to break this awkward silence. Unfortunately, neither he nor Gabriel were good at that kind of small talk. Félix's mind then wandered over to Bridgette, wondering how she would treat this situation.
''Has Adeline told you about the dinner next week?'' Gabriel suddenly asked Félix, causing the latter to snap out of his thoughts.
''Dinner?'' Félix gave his uncle a curious look.
''Charles Guillebeau and his wife are going to visit us for dinner next week. It will be mostly work-related, but you are expected to be there as well,'' Gabriel told him in a soft, yet cold tone. It was as if he was whispering, but there was weight behind his words, as if they were stone. Félix knew that, the moment Gabriel used that kind of tone, he needed to take everything the former said seriously. Still, the rebellious and petty side of Félix wasn't going to let this go so easily.
''May I know why I'm obligated to attend this dinner?'' Félix asked him. After seeing a spark of rage in Gabriel's eyes for not complying silently, he quickly added, ''After all, I don't know M. and Mme. Guillebeau as well as you do, and you said this would be work-related, so what am I supposed to contribute?''
''You are here to keep up appearances,'' Gabriel replied in the same tone, although Félix could sense an edge in his voice, feeling chills flowing down his spine. ''Charles and Rosalie are going to ask you questions about school and private life and you will answer them. Once the dinner is over, you will be free to leave, but not sooner. Do you understand?''
''I do,'' Félix muttered.
Frankly, he wasn't surprised that this was Gabriel's response. When it came to his uncle, it was all about appearances, social status and high-society etiquette. Félix knew that his role in this was to play the grateful nephew who had been taken in by his gracious uncle after the tragical death of his mother, his uncle's younger sister. He was supposed to show that Gabriel treated him adequately and be the perfect obedient nephew his uncle wanted him to be. However, all of that just made Félix feel sick. He hated pretentious and snobby people, but he needed to be the perfect nephew unless he wanted to endure punishment.
Not feeling hungry anymore, Félix placed the fork down and got up, ''Please, excuse me. I'm going out and I won't be returning until late evening.''
Gabriel stared back at him, furrowing a brow. ''If you are going out, then tell Simon or Nathan to drive you to your destination.''
''Uncle, I know how to use public transport. There is no reason-''
''Simon or Nathan will drive you to your destination,'' Gabriel cut him off, his tone as cold as ice. Félix felt chills building up at the bottom of his spine as he sensed the thinly-veiled threat underneath it. ''We are done with this discussion. Have you understood?''
''Yes, I did,'' Félix replied, remaining stone-faced. Turning on his heel, he left the dining room and walked back to his room to pick up his backpack. He only allowed himself to breath once he left his Gabriel's line of sight, aware that he came close to being grounded for the rest of the year. Even if Gabriel showed no emotion, Félix knew his uncle well enough to be aware what triggered the latter, and not acting like an Agreste was one of those things. In a way, predicting Gabriel's mood and intentions was the only way to survive in this household.
As he entered his room, Plagg immediately floated up to him, noticing the grim look on Félix's expression. ''Hey, Kid, what happened?''
''It turns out that I will be stuck at a pointless dinner instead of going out and helping Ladybug next week,'' Félix responded. Plagg hummed.
''Sounds like a nightmare. Is there anything I can do for you?''
Félix shook his head. ''Unfortunately, not.''
''Okay, then… Where are we going today?'' Plagg asked as he sat on Félix's shoulder and smirked. ''Don't tell me that you are going to visit Bridgette again.''
Félix just sighed, giving the kwami an annoyed look. ''Honestly, I just want to leave this place. It doesn't matter where I go.''
''That's fine too,'' Plagg replied as Félix walked out.
After he missed out meeting Bridgette the previous day, Félix didn't really talk about her except mentioning that this was probably his bad luck acting up again and accepting that this was how things were. Plagg, however, was aware that behind this resignation was a feeling of frustration, as Félix attempted to do something that would make him happy for once, only to run into issues that were out of his control. Still, that didn't mean that he was going to give up so easily.
While inside the car, with Simon being the twin driving him aimlessly around Paris, Félix placed his finger across the ring, wishing that, for once, his bad luck would work to his advantage. He wasn't sure where he would go, but he wanted to get out of the car, not having to deal with one of Gabriel's bodyguards watching over him. It seemed that the Ring of the Black Cat answered his call, as it started to glow faintly, with there being a strange sound heard from the car, like a firecracker popping. Groaning, Simon parked the car at the side of the street, irritated that it may have broken down. He went outside to check on it, while Félix was left inside.
Okay, this wasn't what I had expected, but I can work with it.
It seemed that his selfish use of bad luck didn't end, as Félix had realized that not only was he close to the Louvre Museum, but he also saw Bridgette and his friends crossing the street and going towards it. He was a bit stunned, but at the same time relieved, deciding to follow them.
''If Uncle Gabriel asks, I'm at the Louvre,'' he quickly told Simon, then walked away, leaving the latter puzzling over the car.
xXx
''I knew that there would be a crowd,'' Sophie said as she, Bridgette, Allegra, Claude, Allan and Carmilla walked over where the Egyptian exhibition was supposed to be. Carmilla had been holding a brochure showing the image of a golden, black and red scarab beetle amulet that was the crown of the exhibition and the main reason she wanted them to visit the museum.
''Maybe we could wander around and just return later,'' Allan suggested. Carmilla frowned, glaring at the crowd.
''I could try to get through the crowd and at least take a photo,'' she said, visibly irritated that the people were blocking her view of the scarab beetle amulet. ''I should've brought that selfie stick with me.''
''I don't think you're allowed to use those. Besides, there isn't just that scarab beetle amulet,'' Allegra chimed in, pointing at the glass covers. ''What about the jewelry? I mean, look at the necklace.''
Carmilla, Allan and Sophie turned to her, taking a look at the jewelry Allegra was pointing at. Claude, however, was looking at Bridgette, who seemed to be quite alert, observing her surroundings as if searching for someone. ''Hey, Bri, are you okay?''
''Yeah, I am,'' Bridgette replied nonchalantly, but her gaze still remained on her surroundings. She wasn't sure why, but she had the uncanny feeling of being watched by someone. Trying to shake it off, she turned to her friends, who were currently discussing what the various hieroglyphs on the piece of papyrus meant, with Allan joking that it may have been a music sheet and Allegra arguing that it were probably important documents. ''Guys, how about going to the café and sitting down until this section clears? Like Allan had suggested, we could visit this part later.''
''Sounds like a good idea to me,'' Allegra replied. Sophie shrugged, while Carmilla was a bit reluctant.
''Honestly, I had thought of waiting a bit longer,'' she said, pausing for a moment as she thought about it, then smiled. ''You know what, why not? I could go for a coffee.''
''Then it's decided,'' Claude chimed in, with the group walking away.
Bridgette remained at the back of it, still battling with that nagging feeling of being watched. Admittedly, one of the reasons she suggested they go along with Allan's idea was because she wanted to see whether she'd be able to figure out who was following her. However, she first had to deal with being separated from her friends as a group of tourists walked right between them, shoving her back. The Ladybug Earrings started to glow faintly and another push from a random stranger caused Bridgette to trip and almost fall over the person behind her. Fortunately, the person who was standing behind her had managed to catch her, placing their arm around her waist.
''Ah, I'm so sorry, I-'' Bridgette started to apologize to the stranger as she regained her balance, only to stop when she saw just who had caught her.
Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red and her ahoge was frazzled when her bluebell eyes met Félix's desaturated green-grey eyes. Félix, in-turn, appeared to be just as stunned as she was, his cheeks too taking a faint shade of pink.
''F-Félix, what are you-?''
Bridgette stuttered, freaking out at the realization that not only was Félix the one who had probably observed her, but that he still had his arm around her waist. To Félix's credit, he managed to remain calm, despite being internally just as freaked out as Bridgette was. He had indeed followed her and her friends from a distance, not wanting to interact with them, but when saw her being pushed away by the crowd, he just ran over to help her without even thinking things through. Now, he was stuck in this incredibly awkward situation, with millions of thoughts racing through his mind.
''Are you okay?'' Félix asked, unsure what else to say. He knew that Bridgette and her friends would probably demand some answers and while he did have a good excuse for why he was in the museum, he still had no explanation for being so close to them.
''Uh, huh, yeah, I am…'' Bridgette replied, trying to snap out of La-La-Land and focus on the matter at hand, as well as pushing away that feeling of disappointment when Félix let go of her waist. ''A-Are you okay? Uh, I-I mean, thank you for helping me.''
Félix just nodded in response, wondering how he was supposed to continue this conversation. He was certain that she knew that he visited the tea shop the previous day and that she probably wanted to question him about it. However, before Bridgette could get a word out, both were approached by Claude, who had noticed that she went missing from their group. He opened his mouth to call out for her, but the worried look on his expression turned into a glare when he saw Félix. He could still hear Carmilla's voice in his head, remembering their previous conversation, but quickly pushed all of that away.
''What are you doing here Agreste?'' Claude asked Félix.
''I just came here to visit the exhibition, Savard, nothing else,'' Félix said, although his voice wavered a little by the end of the sentence. Bridgette noted that he sounded a bit uneasy. ''I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?''
It seemed that Claude, too, had realized just how stupid his question sounded, as he quickly added, ''I just wasn't expecting to meet you here.'' He then turned to Bridgette. ''Bri, are you coming?''
''Sure, but…'' Bridgette wasn't really keen on leaving Félix. After what had happened the previous day, she wanted to talk to Félix and help him feel more comfortable around her. However, at the same time, she felt that it would be just rude to abandon her friends for someone they didn't really like, especially since this was the first time they hung out together after the fiasco with the ticket she had lost. She glanced at Félix, then at Claude, who saw the uncertainty in her eyes, realizing that she indeed wanted to hang out with Félix.
''Well, I don't want to suddenly get to the worst-case scenario, but considering how Bridgette adores Office Boy, even though I can't see why, she might replace her close friends with the snobby rich blond guy.'' Carmilla's words came back to haunt him with full force. However, Claude once again pushed them out of his mind, only to be surprised by Bridgette's next move.
''I will join you guys later. I still have something to discuss with Félix,'' she said. Claude felt his heart skip a beat, but then smiled.
''Okay, I'll tell the others,'' he said, leaving. Bridgette turned to Félix, who gave her a blank look.
''You know, you didn't have to stay with me,'' he told her.
''Maybe, but I have a few questions for you. That is, if you don't mind answering them,'' Bridgette told him. Félix held his breath for a moment, feeling his heart racing. Sure, he may have thought about hanging out with Bridgette, but he still didn't feel prepared for engaging in a discussion with her. Sure, he may have had conversation with her as Chat Noir, but that was because he had a mask on. He knew that talking to her as a civilian would be completely different.
''I… I don't mind,'' Félix relented. If he really wanted to consider Bridgette his friend, then he had to go through the uncomfortable parts first. ''Although, could we sit down somewhere first?''
Bridgette nodded, with the two walking out of the room and finding a bunch of benches at the art gallery, which was thankfully less crowded. Bridgette then turned to Félix, who was just staring at the floor blankly, his fist clenched and placed on his knees, feeling tense and waiting for Bridgette to make the first move.
''I wanted to know whether you really wanted to meet up with me yesterday,'' Bridgette told him. ''I mean, Gran Mei told me you asked about me, but…''
''I was just curious whether you were at home,'' Félix muttered, forcing himself to relax despite the tension and anxiety he felt. However, he slowly started having doubts, wondering whether this was a good idea. While he knew that he had to accept the fact that he saw Bridgette as more than just an acquaintance, he still wasn't sure whether he could fully commit to treating her as his friend. What if he said or did something that hurt her? He was quite sure that her compassion and patience wasn't infinite. He looked up at her. ''Was there a problem?''
''No, absolutely not,'' Bridgette replied, smiling back warmly. After what her grandmother had told her, she was in a daze, worrying Tikki, only to explode in joy when she realized that Félix actually wanted to see her, even if he didn't want to admit it. ''I was at Sophie's at the time, though.'' Her eyes sparked up. ''You know, if you want to talk to me, I could give you my phone number and you could just call me whenever you want to set up a meeting.''
''Uh, sure,'' Félix replied.
It was a bit surprising. Even though he knew that Bridgette had a crush on him and even though she wanted to be friends with him, she never bothered to get his number. He assumed that she probably thought that he would be too uncomfortable to share his number; and while he was at it, did she even know where he lived? Well, probably, if she knew where Gabriel Agreste lived. The two then exchanged numbers, then remained quiet for a bit. Looking at Bridgette, Félix had the feeling that she wanted to continue the conversation, seeing the gears in her head turn as she tried to come up with the next question.
''Say, Bridgette…'' he started, pausing for a moment to formulate his next sentence, but his mind flashed back to the look of disappointment and sadness he saw on Bridgette's expression when he rejected her offer to go to a concert with her. Feeling a sting of guilt, he suddenly said, ''I'm sorry.''
''What are you sorry for?'' Bridgette asked, genuinely confused.
''For everything,'' Félix muttered, feeling the guilt inside him rising. He pushed it back, only for a voice in the back in his mind to tell him just how pointless this conversation was. There was no way for him to be friends with Bridgette. After all, he was the aloof and reclusive Ice Prince and he wore that title like a damn Medal of Honor. What did Bridgette even see in him?!
''Félix…'' Bridgette muttered, surprised when Félix suddenly got up, feeling restless.
''Maybe, this conversation was a bad idea…'' he said, turning to her. ''I apologize for wasting your time.''
''Félix, wait,'' Bridgette got up, extending her hand, but then deciding against. Félix turned to her, surprised by the determined look on her expression. ''I understand that you're really uncomfortable and that you don't want to talk. If you want, we can have our conversation at any other time. Hell, you can call me whenever you want if there is something that bothers you, I won't mind. All I want is for you to feel comfortable in my presence, so if there is anything that bothers you, you can tell me.''
Félix fell silent for a moment, staring at the ground, then looked up, deciding to ask her the one questioning that was burning in the back of his mind.
''Why do you insist so much on treating me as if I'm your friend?'' he asked. ''And I'm not talking about your crush on me. We've already talked about that.''
Bridgette seemed to be, for a moment, caught off-guard by his question, a soft reddish hue covering her cheeks, but then she smiled, giving him a confident look. ''Because I like you.''
Félix's eyes widened and before he could even think through his next question, he blurted out, ''Why?''
''It's kinda hard to explain, as I have a lot of reasons why I like you… Or rather, what I like about you,'' Bridgette replied, her ahoge taking the shape of a heart. She giggled, rubbing the back of her head. ''Although, I'd probably spend hours explaining those reasons.'' She then looked at him fondly. ''For now, I really like hanging out with you and just talking to you about whatever comes to my mind.''
''Even if it's not the same as it is when you're with your friends?'' Félix asked. ''After all, you seem to be the kind of person who likes to talk a lot, but you never do when I'm around.''
''Uh, that… Well, I don't mind it,'' Bridgette responded.
''I see…'' Félix replied, grabbing his backpack from the bench and slinging it over his shoulder. ''I guess I'll see you around, then. I don't want to keep your friends waiting.''
''Okay,'' Bridgette said, feeling a bit sad that Félix cut the conversation short. She watched him leaving, wondering whether she should've asked him to join her and her friends, but then she realized that this would be a bad idea on the account of both sides being against it.
Still, she had hope. As Bridgette left to join her friends, she felt that Félix might slowly, but surely, start opening up to her.
xXx
''…right, but- Oh!'' Carmilla suddenly stood up, giving Allegra, Allan, Sophie and Claude a sheepish look. ''I lost my pendant. I'll be back soon.''
''Wait, your pendant?'' Sophie rose an eyebrow.
''Yeah, I wanted to show all of you what my mother had sent over from Italy, but it seems that I had lost it when I took out my smartphone to take a picture at the exhibition. I'll go and check whether it's there,'' Carmilla told them.
''You know, we could help you,'' Allegra pointed out, getting up, but Carmilla shook her head.
''You don't have to. Losing this pendant was my fault, so I should deal with the consequences,'' she said. ''I'll be back soon.''
''But, what if someone picked it up?'' Allan asked.
''I'll ask security if someone handed it over,'' Carmilla replied.
''Okay, but I sure hope that you're not ditching us so we have to pay for your coffee,'' Claude said in a playful tone.
''Oh, I wouldn't even dream about leaving you with the bill,'' Carmilla replied, then left, half-walking, half-running. She passed by Bridgette, who just arrived to join her friends, greeting her and then going back to the exhibition.
Once she was out of their line of sight, she took a deep breath and started to stroll towards the exhibition while keeping a close attention to the cameras and security. She knew that it would be difficult for her to execute her plan, but there was a reason why she had the title of the Phantom Thief. Besides, she loved a challenge.
Returning to the Egyptian exhibition, she was relieved that there was less of a crowd in front of the scarab beetle amulet. Observing it carefully, she took out her smartphone and started recording the room, pretending that she was just taking a video of the artifacts. In truth, she was making sure that she took a detailed video of all the security measures that were in the room, including the entrances and skylight above. Once done, she made a few quick snapshots of the scarab beetle amulet and the glass that covered it, making mental notes on how she would proceed with her plan.
Once she was satisfied with what she had, she turned on her heel, about to leave the room, when she almost ran into Félix Agreste, or Office Boy, as she liked to call him. He didn't appear to notice her, being lost in his own thoughts as he observed a collection of rings in the display case. Carmilla knew that she could easily leave without being noticed, but where was the fun in that?
''Who would've thought that our Office Boy has an interest in ancient history.'' Félix's eyes widened and he turned his head towards Carmilla, who had her arms crossed, grinning back smugly. He frowned, but didn't respond. Carmilla huffed. ''You know, it is really rude to not reply.''
''Why should I? You are a stranger to me,'' Félix noted. While had met Carmilla before, his most memorable encounter was her fawning over him while he was Chat Noir.
''Unfortunately, you aren't a stranger to me,'' Carmilla replied, giving him a malicious smile, despite her relaxed posture. She knew that she could easily verbally corner Félix and she really wanted to mess with his head. ''I had heard what poor Bridgette went through and it is incredible that she's willing to put up with your attitude.''
''What are you talking about?'' Félix furrowed a brow, glaring at Carmilla. Normally, he would've left, but for some reason, she had grabbed his attention and wouldn't let go.
''Oh, please, don't act as if you don't know,'' Carmilla said, adding in a dramatic tone, ''It is so tragic that Bri is putting so much time and energy into being your friend, yet you treat her so coldly, acting like a complete jerkass.''
''What happens between me and Bridgette is none of your business,'' Félix told her coldly.
''Oh, really?''
Félix was about to walk away, but something in Carmilla's tone caused him to freeze. Her voice was so confident and calm, yet sent chills down his spine. It was as if she knew something he didn't or as if she was reading his mind. Félix couldn't help, but force himself to look back at her.
''What do you want to say?''
Carmilla snorted in amusement, her smile now quite sinister.
''Bridgette is a person who is willing to be friends with anyone,'' Carmilla said, her voice dropping, ''What makes you think you are so special?''
Félix felt as if an icicle pierced his heart, with the coldness spreading through his body. He wanted to respond, to tell her to shut up and mind her own business, but he couldn't. As much as he hated it, he knew that Carmilla was literally saying what was on his mind. He could feel a sense of emptiness in his chest, clenching his fist, shaking as he tried to prevent it from spreading. However, it was slowly overwhelming him.
Carmilla just flipped her hair, walking past him, then stopped when she was right next to him, adding, ''This 'friendship' means absolutely nothing. The moment you make a mistake, it is over. Trust me, nobody cares about you.''
Carmilla then walked away, leaving Félix with his thoughts. Félix tried to push away the emptiness, but failed. He knew that Carmilla was right and that it was in Bridgette's nature to be kind and friendly towards others, despite the cold shoulder she would receive. He knew that he wasn't really special in regards to being Bridgette's friend. He accepted that he would have to deal with the feeling of loneliness if he failed at being Bridgette's friend, a feeling he resigned himself to a long time ago.
Then, why did this revelation hurt so much?
