Accomplice《Lilix》

PART 3: Faking the Peace

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"We should be there any minute."

Felix nodded, but he wasn't really listening. He was zoning in and out, only catching pieces of what his mom was saying. Buildings and civilians became a blur as he stared out the car window.

The sights and sounds of Paris was something he didn't miss, no matter how much he lied to himself.

"It's so nice to be back here," Amelie
sighed. "Paris has such a different
atmosphere from London."

"Mhm."

Felix was brought of his trance by his mom gently taking his hand into hers.
"I know you didn't want to come here," she started, "but we can make the best of it, right?"

About ten sarcastic remarks filled Felix's head, but he pushed them all to the back of his mind before they could spill out. He was overthinking. He could make this work.

He nodded, forcing a small smile. "I'll try," he said. Much to his relief, Amelie instantly perked up. He turned his eyes back to the road just in time to see the gates of his uncle's mansion opening. A wave of memories rushed over him, and Felix instantly regretted stepping into the car.

It was even worse when the car stopped and he stepped out. The sight of the four-story structure made him bite his lip in frustration.

"Honey, you're biting your lip again. You really need to break that habit," Amelie said lightly.

The tall door opened and Amelie walked in like she owned the place. She turned around when she realized Felix hadn't moved an inch. "Felix, c'mon. I promise that standing there won't make this trip go any quicker."

  As much as he hated to admit it, he knew his mom was right. He
reluctantly trailed behind her and the door closed behind him with a loud thud.

They stepped into the foyer, where a huge white staircase sat just ahead of the entrance. Red plants were placed on each side of the front door, and pictures hung on some of the gray marble sections. The white interior and the ceiling lights gave him an uncomfortable feeling of familiarity.

Gabriel Agreste waited in there, staring at them with cold, grey eyes.
"Adrien will be down momentarily," he said, his tone even.

Felix had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

Unfortunately, Adrien didn't seem to have changed much. Being maternal cousins, they had the same blonde hair and green eyes. The most notable differences were their personalities, and Adrien's black striped t-shirt and jeans. This time, he was without his usual white jacket.

"Father? What's going--"

"Adrien!"

Before Adrien could get another word out, Amelie quickly wrapped
her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Felix held back a
laugh as he watched his cousin struggle to form words.

"Aunt Amelie? What are you doing here?" Adrien breathed.

"You have a lovely sense of humor, dear. And you really need to run a brush through your hair." Amelie let go of her nephew and let him catch his breath before she continued. "Your father told you weeks ago we were coming."

Adrien looked between his father and his aunt, and shook his head in confusion.

When it dawned on Amelie that Adrien really didn't know anything, she frowned slightly. "Oh. Well, that's alright," she insisted. "Things slip our minds all the time, right? What matters is that we're here now!"

Amelie took a step to hug him, but Gabriel quickly put his hand up to stop her from coming closer. "I'm not in the mood for hugs," he said coldly.

Amelie went quiet for a moment and took a step back. "My bad!" she said sheepishly. Her optimism came back faster than it had disappeared. "I'm just so excited to be back here."

Felix said nothing. He didn't even glance at his uncle. Yet, he could feel his cold stare burning into him.

Amelie must have noticed the tension, because she casually stepped between them and gave both of them a stern look. "Now now, we're all family here. No need to make things so awkward, right?" She put her hands together and turned to Adrien. "Help your bodyguard with our bags, will you?"

"Oh--yeah, of course," he said with a small smile.

Amelie nodded approvingly, then turned to Felix, all smiles. "Go with him," she said, lightly pushing him towards his cousin. "You two can catch up while I handle all the grown-up stuff."

"I'm not going to enjoy this," he whispered.

"Well, better fake peace than actual discord, right?" Amelie whispered back. "Now go."

Felix groaned in annoyance, but he didn't protest. Instead, he dragged his feet out the door, all in an attempt to keep what little peace there was.

×××

"You know, when your mom said to help with your bags, I think she meant that we both carry them."

"Really? We must have different interpretations then. Happens all the time."

Adrien set the luggage down as carefully as he could, but it was obvious he was out of breath.

"Thanks. I knew I could count on you," Felix laughed. He patted his cousin on the back and sat down on one of the large suitcases. The mansion hasn't changed much, the guest rooms included.

Adrien rolled his eyes, but he smiled in spite of himself. "What are you guys here for exactly?" he asked.

"Really? So, you haven't been paying attention to your father's schedule for once."

"I pay attention to my schedule. My father's changes every ten minutes."

"You tell me. According to my mom, this is just another relaxing family visit."

Adrien's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! I heard Nathalie talking about the Lily Convention," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't know? It's this really exclusive fashion and art event. I dont know much, but--" 

"I know what it is," Felix interrupted.  "I just don't get why I'm here. Usually my mom goes alone to this kind of stuff."

Adrien shrugged lightly. "Maybe she just wanted you to get out more."

"Sounds like a knock-off of fashion week to me," Felix muttered under his breath. This trip was more time-wasting than he thought.

Adrien brushed off his comment and continued. "Your mom isn't a fashion designer though, is she?"

"No, but she was one of Emilie's favorite people. If your father didn't invite her, it'd make him look bad. Simple as that."

Adrien looked doubtful, and Felix smirked. "What, did you think he actually wanted to see us?" he laughed.

"You're still mad at my father for some reason?" Adrien asked. He didn't even bother to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Of course not. What made you think that?"

"Well, you didn't even say hi to him. You wouldn't even look him in the eye."

Felix sent a cold glare toward his cousin. "I was being sarcastic, Adrien."

"Oh. Sorry." There was a few moments of silence between them before Adrien said, "Well, I'll let you get settled. I'll see you later." And with that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Felix sighed with relief. He was alone in his room, but not in the way he wanted. The tiny flame of hope inside him was blown out as soon as he stepped into the house. Nothing had changed. Gabriel still pretended like nothing was wrong, and Adrien still believed every word his father said. It was so pathetic it made him angry.

He knew pacing around his room wouldn't help, but it helped him think. And right then, the only thing on his mind was something he could do to make this more bearable.