Accomplice《Lilix》

PART 1: Forced Reunion

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  As he walked through the hallway, the click-clack of his shoes on the marble floor was the only thing Felix paid attention to. Or at least, it's what
he was trying to do. He was actually focused on the silver ring on his finger.

His mom had asked to meet with him, and it was one of those days where he
couldn't care less. He opened the door to her office and stepped in, gently closing the door behind him. He
waited a few seconds, but the room was silent.

"Mom."

  His mom, Amelie, sat at the desk across from him, holding a half-empty
wine glass in one hand and scribbling something down with the other.

Felix raised an eyebrow.
Usually, once he was within a few feet of his mom, he'd be greeted with her overflowing enthusiasm. It was rare
to see her zoned out.

  "Mom," he tried again, louder this time. "What do you want?"

  Amelie jumped slightly and glanced up to see her son staring impatiently.
The corners of her lips turned up and she set the glass down.

  "Felix. I was starting to wonder if you were ignoring me." Amelie stood up, stepped around the desk, and pulled Felix into a hug.

Felix's breath caught in his throat as his mom hugged him tightly. "Mom. Can't breathe," he choked out.

"Oh don't be dramatic." Amelie let go of her son and ruffled his hair.

"Now, I have some news for you, dear," she said, dusting off her suit. "But before you say anything, you need to wait until I'm completely done. Good? Good."

  Felix sighed and smoothed his hair back. He wanted nothing more than to go back to the minimalism of his
room. But he knew once his mother got excited like this, she wouldn't calm down until she said what she wanted to.

"I've been talking to your uncle these past few days. It's been a while since
we visited. Almost up to a year I think?" Amelie started.

Felix narrowed his eyes, already suspicious about where this was going.

"Anyway, I've been thinking about it,
and I figured it'd be good for us to
head back to Paris for a bit--"

  "Well, you thought wrong," Felix interrupted. The agreement from just
a moment ago was already broken. "I am not going, whether you want me to or not."

Amelie groaned, running her hand through her creamy blond hair. "Oh, Felix. You've been spending so much time in your room these days," she said.

"Really, that's all? It's not like I live there or anything."

"I'm just making a suggestion!" Amelie smiled sadly. "Don't you think we should pay your cousin and your uncle a visit?"

  Felix's heart sunk a little, but he snapped out of it faster than he'd
snapped in. "Of course, because it would be completely worth it to spend time with my wonderful family members," he said sarcastically. "Besides, I get to be by myself, and I don't have to worry about the stupidity of other people. Let alone my cousin."

"Felix Graham de Vanily! You're not still bitter at Adrien, are you?"

Felix refused to answer the question, for the answer should've already been obvious. Adrien Agreste: the friendly, kind-hearted model he had for a cousin.

And Felix wasn't afraid to admit he despised him.

  His mother didn't know anything.
Why he cringed at the mention of his extended family, why he found a
reason to leave the room whenever his uncle was brought up. But if there
was one thing he was good at, it was putting on a facade when the time came.

A sigh from Amelie brought Felix back to the conversation. "Felix, you don't get it. This is the first time Gabriel's been willing to talk to me in months. Can you imagine how great it would be if things went well?"

"You mean how great it would be for you?" Felix muttered under his breath. Amelie raised an eyebrow, and Felix cleared his throat.
"Don't you hate him, Mom?"

Amelie laughed a short, fairy-like laugh. "Hate is a strong word, dear. We merely have our disagreements. And with our history and then some, things can be...well, complicated. I don't expect you to understand all of it."

"Seriously? I'm eighteen--"

"Exactly. Eighteen. You're still just a baby to me," Amelie interrupted, affectionately ruffling Felix's hair again. "Besides, a couple months of civil discussion will do us some good."

"I'm not going for a day. Let alone months," Felix said bluntly. This was the end of the conversation for him. "Now that's settled, can I go now?"

His mom sighed. "So, you want to be that stubborn? If you're not agreeing, then I have no choice but to force you!" she announced. "You will be spending the next few months with your cousin, or at least until you learn to watch that attitude of yours."

Felix was quickly jerked out of his temporary victory and glared at her. "You can't just---"

"Could, can, and did. So enough complaining," Amelie said sternly, walking past him and out of her office. "You can't change my mind. We're leaving next week."

With a harsh glare, Amelie slammed the door shut, leaving Felix to be angry by himself.
"Typical," he muttered.

"And don't try not packing! You already know how that turned out last time!" Amelie called from down the hall.

Felix could feel his nails digging into his palm. He wanted to tell himself that it wasn't a big deal. He wanted to believe his mom's overwhelming positivity. But the thought of stepping into his uncle's large mansion, even just for a day, made him sick. There was more to this trip and he hated that he didn't know what it was.

He eyed the ring on his finger, knowing there'd be no point in trying to get Amelie to reconsider. When her mind was made up, it was final. The exact opposite of her late sister, Emilie.

Exact opposites. Just like him and Adrien. This just made Felix resent his cousin even more. He wouldn't enjoy his stay, no matter what his mom said. And he definitely wouldn't drop his so-called "attitude."

But for now, all he could do was wait. Wait for the day of this forced reunion.