Adrien Agreste didn't give himself time to mourn for his missing wife.
Adrien Agreste didn't need time to mourn for his missing wife.
Adrien had three demanding, but beautiful children, that needed his constant attention. A very loving nine year old boy, a mischievous four year old boy, and a sweet eight month old baby girl. They kept Adrien busy every second of every day, from waking up in the middle of the night to feed his daughter, to dragging away his sons from climbing walls and tearing them down. With them around, Adrien didn't have much time to do anything else.
Adrien Agreste stood in an empty room, the walls pale pink and large. He had his hands deep in his jean's pockets, and head hanging low. His breaths came heavy and loud in the room, resounding off the walls but fading into nothing.
Raising his head slightly, his eyes dry as he stared at the wall. He allowed his shoulders to slump, and his head lowered again, followed by a deep sigh.
Adrien opened his mouth, and his breaths came heavier as his chest rose higher. The man swallowed the lump in his throat, and he ducked his head just a bit more.
His voice was just as ragged as his breath, "I miss you…" His eyes squeezed shut just as his hands did, "I miss you Marinette…"
Adrien took a deep breath, his voice breaking again, "I… I…"
Adrien turned his head away, teeth clamping shut and he ground out, "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry."
A sudden cry pierced the air, and Adrien's head shot towards the door. He wiped his eyes while he strode out of the room. The wails increased in pitch, and Adrien exited the room at double pace.
The man dabbed at his eyes, and the yawn escaped him while he covered his mouth. He made his way into the next bedroom, where a large crib stood at the very center. Adrien's eyes ignored the thousands of toys scattered about the blue room, his eyes were intent on the crib. But the cries weren't coming from the crib.
Adrien arched a brow, and went to peer into the crib. A sleeping baby lay there, her golden hair bouncing around her face without a single care about gravity. Adrien sighed, and rest his elbows on the bars to put his chin in his hands.
The man chuckled, and he shook his head, "Hugo…"
A tiny squeak was heard from under the crib, and Adrien knelt to the ground, "I know you're hiding here."
A loud voice protested, "No I'm not!"
Adrien peered under the crib, and found a pair of sparkling blue eyes staring at him, "Daddy! I'm not here."
Adrien laughed lightly, and rested his cheek on the floor, "Hugo, I can see you."
The little blue headed boy giggled, and closed his eyes, "No you can't!"
Adrien answered his middle child with a playful tone, "I know you've been playing records of your crying sister,"
Hugo gasped, and his eyes shot open, "Uhoh!"
And the tablet in Hugo's hands was turned on, but thrown behind the boy's head, "You didn't see anything!"
Adrien tried to be stern- he honestly did. But with Hugo looking up at him through those bluebell eyes and innocent smile, Adrien's sense of discipline flew straight out the window. The man smiled, and gestured for his son to come closer.
Hugo grinned, and crept from under the crib and into his father's lap. Adrien wrapped his arms around his son, savoring another moment of cuddling his little boy blue. The man rested his head on the child's chin, and Hugo leaned into his father with a content sigh.
Hugo tilted his head so that he could meet his father's eyes, "I love you Daddy,"
Adrien nodded, and pulled his son closer, "I love you more Hugo,"
Hugo shook his head roughly, his hair stinging Adrien's face, "Nu-uh Daddy! I love you morer,"
Adrien laughed, and turned his boy around so he could face the child. Adrien shook his head, and corrected him, "Most, not morer."
Hugo's face lit up, and he clapped his hands together, "I love you most!"
A new voice interrupted the scene with a boyish whisper, "What about my love Dad?"
Adrien turned to the door, and Hugo cried out in glee, "Louis!"
Adrien beamed, and beckoned his eldest closer, "Come on in Buga-baby,"
The silhouette in the door winced, and complained as playfully as he could, "Father!"
Adrien snickered, and asked innocently, "What's wrong?"
Louis stepped into the room, the light falling onto his face to reveal a pair of emerald eyes, "I'm not a baby anymore,"
Adrien tilted his head, and arched a brow, "You're not even ten yet,"
Louis took another step, and this time, his hair was illuminated to show a deep green. Adrien smiled at that- neither he nor Marinette how on Earth their firstborn managed to get green hair. Tom had teased that Adrien's blonde and Marinette's blue made the green hair. But it made him all the more unique, and they all adored the wavy mop of hair that Louis kept in his father's childhood hairstyle.
The eldest boy stood over his father, and he glanced into the crib. A fond smile etched on his face, before looking down at his father and little brother, "So? I'm not a baby anymore,"
Adrien shrugged, and turned to look at a smiling Hugo. He leaned forward, and asked, "You don't mind that I call you Catbug, don't you Catbug?"
Hugo shook his head, and grinned like the little dork he was, "I like Catbug!"
Louis jabbed a finger at the crib's direction, "Emma is the only one with a normal nickname,"
Hugo giggled, and replied, "She's Purincess Kitten KitKat Snick-Snack Take-That Paddy-Whack Turtle-Back Snack-Attack Back-Pack Lumber-Jack Tic-Tac!"
Adrien's eyes widened, and he shared a look with his eldest. Louis shrugged while Hugo continued to list off as many rhyming names as he could find. Adrien shrugged in return, rolling his eyes at his second youngest.
Louis took a seat next to his father on the floor, and leaned against his shoulders, and giggled out of the blue. Louis threw his hands up into the air, and rolled onto his father's lap, sticking his tongue out in a comical attempt at playing dead.
Hugo's eyes widened, and he repeated the same action, his own pink tongue hanging from the side of his mouth while going as still as he could. This left Adrien with two opossum boys on his lap.
The now-single father rolled his eyes, and scooped both boys into a hug, "Are you guys gonna move or…"
Louis spoke as best as he could with his tongue outside his mouth, "Mno,"
Hugo lifted his head, and noticed that Louis had not moved. The child dropped back into his father's lap, and said, "Mno!"
Louis's eyes darted to his brother, and he narrowed his gaze, "Hugo!" he hissed, "You're being copycat again!"
Adrien laughed, and allowed Hugo to squirm further into the hug, "Am not! You're a stinky copycat!"
Adrien winced, and took that moment to try to quit the name-calling. He took Hugo's hands in his, making the boy look at him, "Hugo- remember what we talked about. No mean names."
Hugo put his hands over his nose, "But Louis is stinky!"
Louis shot up and out of his father's arm, and to a quick stand, "Am not!"
Hugo shook his head roughly, and climbed up to his own feet. Although he barely reached Louis's shoulders, the boy did not back down into the staring content. Fiery blue met electric green, and the brothers held their stance.
Adrien watched the two of them for a moment- all was well, as long as there was no shouting, the boys could play all they want. The man smiled, and his eyes drifted back up to the crib. He caught a glimpse of flashing golden hair, and Adrien picked himself up.
He peeped into the crib, and there, sitting in perfect behavior, sat his youngest. Emma Agreste, the most peaceful baby he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. The girl sat quietly, her thumb in her mouth and eyes half lidded. Her little body leaned forward, and fell face down into the mattress.
Adrien quickly picked her up, and she was jostled out of her sleep. Adrien cradled the baby in his arms, and he watched her awake from her slumber. Adrien gently pulled her thumb away from her mouth with a loud pop, and she took a second or two to respond.
Emma smiled a toothless grin, and her eyes met her father's. Adrien smiled back at her, and he watched as her light sky eyes glimmered up at him. Adrien fondly recalled how Louis had been born with such light eyes as well, but as he matured, his eyes became that honest green he had become used to. Adrien would wonder if that was the same case with Emma.
Emma reached up at her father, and her mouth opened to release a series of baby coos that didn't make much sense. Adrien grinned, and spoke soft nonsense words to her. It didn't matter that he couldn't understand her, and maybe she couldn't understand him, but all that was important was that they could be smiling together.
Adrien felt a sudden tug at his arm, and he glanced down to meet bright blue eyes, "Daddy? Can I hold her?"
Louis interrupted his brother, "No you can't Hugo- you're too young,"
Hugo folded his arms, and turned his nose into the air, "Am not! I get to feed Lonely! And I'm old enough to stand tall- look at this!"
The child proceeded to tiptoe, but couldn't manage to stand over his brother like he had hoped. Adrien promised Hugo that if the boy would sit down, he could hold his sister for a little while. Louis didn't like that idea, and he greatly protested. Emma didn't mind- the baby was just happy everyone was around her.
Adrien exited the nursery room, with a pair of boys trailing behind him and an active baby in his arms. He glanced back, and felt a surge of pride wash over him when Louis corrected Hugo on a style of walking. Hugo accepted, and marched near to his brother. Emma gurgled her own additions.
Adrien grinned.
This was his family now.
This was his life.
Even without his wife, he was going to keep it miraculous… and most importantly, safe from all things kwami.
I love this idea! Marinette's missing, I guess it's another Mrs. Agreste going MIA. Guess who's Lonely... anyone?
I really wanted to share this idea, tell me your thoughts!