...
Gabriel Agreste glared at the small velvet box in his way. The soft material was falling off at the sides, and he turned his nose up at the way it left behind its dark base. He looked up and down the halls, and was just about to ask for Nathalie to get rid of it- but the golden letter 'B' caught his eyes.
Gabriel stooped down, and adjusted his legs so that he wouldn't fall off balance. He reached out, and brushed the top of the box. Most of the letters were missing, but he squinted to see the remains. His fingers traced the dents, and one by one he read the letters out loud.
"B, E, C, A, U, S, E… O, F… B, A, B, Y." he frowned as he found no recollection of ordering any baby things, but he read the next letters, "B? U? M? P?"
And at those two words, Gabriel gasped and jumped back. Baby Bump? Not a second later, he pried open the box- ignoring how the rusty hinges at the back fell onto the ground. And in that velvet box, was something folded.
Gabriel's face melted, and it donned a soft expression. He gingerly reached out, and fingered a light blue piece, and he saw his familiar logo at the bottom, stitched with his personal signature. He saw how it was sloppy compared to his current work, but it was never terrible. He just improved a lot.
Gabriel allowed himself to give a soft smile. And he moved so that he was fully kneeling on the ground- who even cared about expensive pants? The man brought up the blue cloth, and it revealed itself to be a flowing dress. And with the full dress on display, so did that memory of the ones he created it for…
Emilie Agreste spun in a perfect twirl, and the too pink sash that she wore around her neck trailed behind her. She tiptoed, and threw her husband a brilliant smile. He sighed, and shook his head. But his eyes never left his muse. Especially when she looked so lovely in that homely blue dress he designed just for her and their baby bump.
Emilie stopped, and she threw the sash off her shoulder and she watched as it landed on the floor. She stopped spinning just to catch her breath- but she was not out of balance, not even after her dance.
Gabriel tilted his head, and saw when she puffed her cheeks. She then stuck out her tongue and completely ignored how he rolled his eyes at her. She giggled, and twirled again, making her dress circle her in a way that made Gabriel beam at how picture perfect she looked.
She stopped again, and held her stomach. Her head was bowed, and her eyes closed. Her mouth was opened slightly, and small breaths escaped her. But she never stopped smiling. The dress came to float above her knees, and she patted it down again.
Gabriel was by her side in a second, and he put a hand on her hand- and over her belly, "Emilie? I think it's best you rest now."
She nodded slowly, and when she looked at him through fluttering eyes, he found his own breath coming quicker. She blushed, and looked at his hand on hers, then she put her other hand on his.
She giggled, and he felt it rumble through her body, "I made a hand-wich. With my hands and your hand in the middle."
Gabriel chuckled slightly, but took his other hand to place it on her shoulder, "Come alone Emilie, no more dancing until you and our baby are rested."
Emilie pouted, but she walked beside her husband, "Baby Bump and I are purr-fectly feline great."
Gabriel sighed, but never because of annoyance- it was more of a contented one, "Then you can stop modeling my dress and let me finish it. I have a few more adjustments for the shoulders…"
Emilie's eyes widened, and her top hand dropped from Gabriel's to cover her mouth, "But if I don't wear it now, I won't ever get a chance!"
Gabriel smiled at that thought, but leaned closer to plant a swift kiss on her cheek, "I will make a new one for you."
She was the one to roll her eyes, "That's exactly what I mean,"
Then she sighed again, and looked him straight in the eyes. Pale blue met bright green, and they reflected each other. There could never be a more satisfying moment that what Gabriel felt with his wife and child.
Emilie gave him one of her soft smiles that she would never use on the runaway, "You made this because of Baby Bump. It's Baby Bump's Dress, and you need to thank me for it."
Gabriel pulled back with wide eyes, but then he rolled his eyes once again, "Fine. We get macaroons."
Emilie's eyes lit up, and she allowed Gabriel to put his hand at the small of her back to guide her, "Can we get cookies too?"
"Only one,"
"I'll let you design another dress for me,"
"I would design clothes for you either way,"
"Pur-ty please Gabriel?" and she used the pun when she looked at him in the eyes again, "Baby Bump has cravings,"
And they both knew that when she used that word, Gabriel would never refuse her. Even when she troubled him in the middle of the night to ask him if he had any cookies on him. And when he said he didn't, she was the one to drag him onto the streets of Paris to her favorite bakery. And the kind people prepared a special batch just for them.
It were these moments that made Gabriel adore having a loving family, and even years later, there wasn't anything in the world that he wouldn't do for them…
"Father?"
Gabriel jumped about a foot in the air, and whipped around to face the one person who called him father. And there stood Adrien Agreste- the Baby Bump in person.
Gabriel bit back his smile, allowing his eyes to linger on the mop of golden hair that neither expected their son to inherit. And those eyes- Gabriel couldn't help his smile- how those eyes resembled Emilie…
"Is everything alright Father?" Adrien was frowning, and his arms hung at his side- one hand over his schoolbag.
Gabriel nodded, and replied, "All is well Adrien…"
With that, the boy nodded slowly. But before he had the opportunity to turn around- Gabriel often wondered why he was always so eager to stay in his room all day- Adrien's eyes fell on the velvet box before his father. And one perfectly arched brow shot up.
Gabriel turned to face the box, and he gestured to it, "It was your mother's…"
Adrien stepped forward, "Baby Bump's Dress."
Gabriel's jaw fell slack, but he quickly recovered in time to see Adrien kneel before the dress. The boy reached out a hand, and caressed the fabric. And a soft smile so familiar came upon his face- and it caused Gabriel to sigh.
Gabriel took a position right next to his son- and the boy stiffened. Gabriel ignored that, and instead went for the dress. Adrien's grip tightened, but the man had no intent of taking the dress away from it- it was made for him after all (complications aside).
Gabriel told his son, "Emilie never let me finish this dress- she liked it just the way it was."
Adrien chuckled softly- but Gabriel heard a hitch in his voice. A hitch he recognized as something he never wanted to ever hear. He had heard it many times, many nights- and with only two people- but it always meant the same thing.
Gabriel reached out, and put a hand on his son's hand. Adrien froze.
The father gently gripped Adrien's hand, and pulled it so that it would rest between his larger palms, "A hand-wich."
Adrien made a very strange sound- somewhere strangled between a squawk and gasp. And Gabriel recognized that sound. And it caused him to chuckle.
Adrien breathed out, "You made a hand-wich. My hand in the middle of yours."
Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Your mother and her sense of humor."
"She's always so punny," Adrien got that fond smile on his face- he inherited right from his mother.
"And she loves to give people nicknames,"
Adrien couldn't help his grin, "That's how Gorilla got his name…"
Gabriel sighed, "Your mother… she always made things seem…"
Adrien finished the sentence, "Miraculous?"
"…"
Pale blue met bright green, and they reflected each other… Secrets a little more similar than they should be. In truth, they never would stop reflecting the other, would they?