Anti-Agreste [ adrienette ]

chapter thirty-seven

"Hey, now," Nathaniel whispered, pulling himself back to cup my cheeks and wipe my tears, "Nobody's getting amnesia, all right? And most certainly, nobody's going to die."

We both knew that what he said were nothing else but hollow words of comfort; we didn't know what would happen in the future, but it was better to turn a blind eye on the bad possibilities for now.

"Felix," I spoke, completely pulling away from Nathaniel and sat back down, "he managed to escape. Did the police say anything?"

The look on Nathaniel's face scrunched up in disgust and worry. "No, not yet. That bastard had quite the help, alright. But they're actively on the search for him."

I looked down, worry etched on my face. What if he appears in the hospital and finish what he started? Now that Adrien's weaker than ever, there was no better opportunity to do what he desired the most.

"It's not likely that he will show up soon, that Felix," Nathaniel spoke as he sat down beside me. "Now that he basically exposed himself and his intentions in front of international television, the whole world has their eyes open for his presence. It's gonna be hard to step out of his hiding zone, wherever he is."

I looked at Nathaniel and couldn't help smiling despite the heavy heart. "You can definitely read my mind, can't you?"

Nathaniel looks back at me and we lock eyes, and I instantly felt safe. He gives a soft smile. "I guess so."

"Just so you know, you're one of the very few chosen ones I allow to read my brain," I whispered as I leaned closer to him. "Because if anyone can read my mind, they'd be very scared. I sometimes calculate plans to make my desire for world domination come true, you know."

He lets out a chuckle, his fluffy red hair bouncing along with him. "Well, I feel very honored. I solemnly swear that I will not expose your strong desire for world domination to any living creature."

I squinted my eyes and nodded, "As you should. Otherwise, you'd be off with your head."

We both looked at each other for a while, then bursted into quiet laughter. It was strange, to laugh in a situation like this, but we knew we needed to lift up our spirits. Nathaniel's presence was already more than enough to make me feel comforted, and I have never felt so grateful to have met this tomato haired boy.

"So, um, how are things with Chloe?" I blurted out after a moment of silence. After a while, my face warmed up when I realized I asked the wrong question. Nathaniel lets out a sigh and smiled.

"We're fine. She's ignoring me again," he replied, a hint of sadness evident in both his voice and his eyes. "I think she feels that she's the reason why we . . . you know."

I nodded in reply, staring at the blank, white wall.

A few minutes later, a frantic Alya appeared, running towards me.

"Oh my god, Marinette, don't just disappear like that!" Alya gasped, embracing me in a tight hug as soon as she saw me.

"Sorry," I whispered as she let go of me, her brown eyes wide.

"How about Adrien? How is he?" Alya asked as she sat down and held my hand. Nathaniel's head whipped to his side to look at us, listening to our conversation.

"They said . . . they said he would possibly have a severe concussion," I replied, my mouth as dry as a desert. Alya's eyebrows furrowed and she didn't reply back, which I was thankful for, and Nathaniel's jaw clenched as he leaned on his chair and crossed his arms.

The three of us stayed there in silence, waiting for any information about Adrien's state. I couldn't bring myself to think about Felix even more, and since Nathaniel assured me about him not showing up anytime soon, he wasn't a priority now.