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The scent of coffee lingered in the air, with the tension low around them. Nathalie brought her lips upon the rim of the star white mug, taking in slow sips before speaking in a hushed tone of voice.
“Gabriel-” Both Adrien and Luka perked up at the name, as if it were a deathly curse. She paused at the looks that obviously shown panic, then reassured. “Oh no, he doesn’t know where you are, that’s not what I was gonna say.” They sat back in their cushioned chairs properly, but sat upright as if waiting for a cat to pounce. “He isn’t looking at all, in fact, he honestly put in his idiotic mind that you’d have died already, whether by murder of hate or accidental with little knowledge.” Adrien scowled and Luka had shown the same expression.
Nathalie nodded at the hate silence in understanding. “So how did you find us exactly?” She paused to find the right words, her lips shut into a thin line, then spoke Quickly. “I erm, actually followed you.” Adrien’s heart rate picked up, and Luka pulled him to his lap to soothe. “Were we that obvious?? Anyone could have told the police! And that makes me doubt if Gabriel isn’t looking!” She waited a few moments, for Luka’s strokes to Adrien’s hair to make the thumping of worry die to a steady pace. “I didn’t mean to worry you, but no, it wasn’t obvious, remember the zoo?” He tilted his head. “You remembered?” She chuckled and nodded. “How could I not, it was the first time you had left the house without your father, the smile on your face..” Adrien’s eyes lit up. “The tracker!” Nathalie nodded.
Adrien had been allowed to go out for a zoo trip to himself a while back, ‘I trust you completely, nothing is going to be added’, yeah right, Adrien knew his father had put a tracker in his right shoe. He wasn’t surprised, obviously, but back then, it hurt to know his father would never give freedom, until they were literally running away. “Does he have access.” She shook her head. “Heavens no, he can’t deal with the extra work.” They booth chuckled and rolled their eyes. Luka finally spoke up. “So why come here? Just to reassure, or to-” Nathalie sipped her coffee slowly, dramatically. “I’m here to help..”