As the footsteps started growing closer and Bridgette's hold of the gun grew tighter, the remaining three teens all tensed and tried their best to control their breathing. Marinette looked at her cousin in question.
Bridgette looked tensely back at her and signaled to find a way to get out of this alley other than the only normal exit.
Marinette nodded and both her and Adrien started looking for an exit.
Felix? Well, Felix was left with no other choice than to follow Bridgette's lead much like last time.
Bridgette carefully looked towards the exit of the alley to see three burly figures gather at the entryway of the alley.
"Where did they go?" Asked one of the men.
"I could have sworn I saw those brats go into this alley!" The ringleader growled in annoyance.
"Why are we even going after two brats when we could be putting our skills to use catching us some big timers?" The third man asked boredly.
Bridgette silently signaled Marinette and Adrien to silently lead the way out.
"Because, you dumbass, one of those brats is this big shot musician that one of our current employers wants back and the other is the only living bloodline owner to this huge fortune that our other current employer wants out of the picture. They're willing to pay great money to us to get those two brats sorted out." The ringleader explained annoyedly.
Once Felix was up with Marinette and Adrien on a shadowed out rooftop and hidden behind an air conditioning unit, Bridgette shot each of the men in the knees and and took off out of the alley skillfully avoiding capture. Once she was far from their reach she stopped recording on her cousin's phone that she had pocketed and she quickly lost the men and went to gather up with her cousin and the boys.
When she reached them she breathed heavily as she put her gun safely away.
She then handed Marinette her phone back with a grateful smile.
"Send that recording to me?" Bridgette asked.
Marinette beamed and agreed. When the teens finally made it near the bakery, Felix pulled Bridgette aside awkwardly.
"How are you so..." He began before trailing off and turning to leave.
Bridgette smiled, "Unbothered by that kiss during school hours?"
Felix stopped in his tracks and Bridgette answered his unasked question.
"It wasn't my first or my last, so probably I just am desensitized to stuff like kissing and all that other romantic stuff. It's never been my thing either. But to be honest with you, it's not like I didn't like kissing you." Bridgette answered.
Felix was shocked but soon schooled himself as she led the way into the bakery. The two boys soon leaving with the Gorilla and Nathalie to go back home.
Late that night, Tikki finally went to approach Bridgette only to find the teenage girl wide awake playing her guitar with her headphones keeping the sound from waking anyone and occasionally writing words into a large notebook. Bridgette was smiling happily even as her eyes held a bit of pain in them.
Bridgette then smiled brightly at her, pausing her work.
"Watching me from afar won't really answer any questions or suspicions you might be having, little Sweet Tooth." Bridgette greeted kindly but quietly.
Tikki smiled wisely as she approached the teenager happily and sat down on the girl's bed in front of said girl.
"So you did see me?" Tikki asked sweetly.
Bridgette smiled and nodded, "Yeah... Sorry about that, I know her identity is supposed to remain secret and all. But I already knew it before I came back to Paris. I just figured the moment I saw you that you likely had to do with how she got her identity." Bridgette answered quietly and kindly.
Tikki smiled, "How did you know?"
Bridgette smiled awkwardly but happily, "Well...it was partially because of my vocal and observational skills. The other part of it was the fact that Marinette and I are near replicas of each other and as such it was easier for me to pick apart her appearance under the mask and of course my distance from the likely magic involved in keeping her identity secret."
Tikki smiled understandingly, "It's alright, it's not like you intended to find out or any harm to her."
Bridgette smiled gratefully at Tikki who quickly and kindly introduced herself to the human girl. After introductions were out of the way, Tikki noticed the title of the song that Bridgette had been making.
"Learn To Let Go?" Tikki quietly read aloud.
Bridgette smiled awkwardly as she gently closed the notebook and put away her headphone, guitar, and other materials.
"What is it about?" Tikki asked softly in curiosity.
Bridgette smiled awkwardly, "Can you promise not to tell Marinette anything Tikki?"
Tikki hesitated for a second but promised and Bridgette smiled bittersweetly.
"My last relationship, it wasn't pretty. It was pretty toxic emotionally. It was great at first but we drifted apart as he pulled away for whatever reason. He at some point started cheating on me. Things ended some time later when things pretty much blew up in my face. I ended things to be specific, and the guy was less than happy about that. He tried nicely at first to convince me to take him back but eventually..." Bridgette said trailing off.
Tikki nuzzled her affectionately.
Bridgette continued with a soft smile, "Eventually he went as far as getting his band in with him and they all stole music from my song book for TFA's last album and quickly getting it out before ours came out. It forced me and my bandmates to go into hiding for the final week before our album release. Sleepless nights for me full of guilt and frustration where I spent all of my time writing and perfecting all new songs. After that, our breakup took center stage and he started a scandal or two as though to punish me for not staying with him. I just kept forgiving but never forgetting. But at first I just couldn't do that, so I started writing this song for myself about learning to let go of that bitterness. Tonight I was just working on perfecting it, seeing as now the record company wants me to undergo a soloist contract basing myself here in Paris in order to have revealed my identity to the public."
Tikki nodded in understanding and nuzzled her affectionately.
The two soon going to sleep in their own separate areas.
Meanwhile with Felix...
The moment that Adrien was fast asleep, Plagg went to Felix's room to find the boy calmly listening to music quietly while working on some sort of financial work.
"I have no intention to expose you or Adrien, so ask what you will." Felix said calmly as he stopped his music to listen to him while he continued to work.
Plagg smirked in amusement, "So you do know? Why haven't you said anything or exposed us?"
Felix looked at Plagg with a look that clearly asked if the kwami thought the boy an idiot.
"I may not be particularly on the best of terms with my Uncle or Adrien at any given time, but they are still my family. Adrien more closely so than Uncle Gabriel. I know a lot of things, much like Bridgette knows a lot of things, however we are both keenly aware that at times silence is the wisest course of action. Adrien and I are identical to each other physically, so I am quite capable to recognize him no matter what. The others I could identify fairly easily after brief thoughts connected."
Plagg smirked in amusement.
"You sure were quick to mention Pigtails' cousin, do you have a crush on her?"
Felix rolled his eyes, "Even if I do, unlike my cousin I can recognize a hopeless situation and social cues easily. She has no romantic intentions towards me, and has even made it clear to me. So I have no intention to stressing myself over such things when my life is in danger."
Plagg was pleasantly surprised, "So you're not going to secretly moon over Starry-Eyes?"
Felix raised an amused brow at the nickname but nodded in confirmation.
"That would be fruitless, I would only be setting myself up for either disappointment, trouble, or both." Felix clarified.
Plagg simply shook his head, "Are you sure about that? Because she was quick to assure you that she didn't dislike kissing you. Which implies clearly that she liked kissing you, even if she is unfazed by that kind of stuff."
Felix tensed before shaking the thought physically out of his head.
"I'm not sure about that, but I have lost everyone except Adrien and Gabriel Agreste up until now, I don't want to set myself up into a situation with such a huge gamble. She could have just been attempting to assure me that my first kiss wasn't completely meaningless." Felix answered truthfully.
Plagg soon went back to Adrien's side only to sigh in disbelief.
Because, seriously?
These two boys are hopeless idiots.
TBC