Date #115

Winter was coming, slowly, but perceivable. The first few snowflakes were fluttering from the sky, yet thawed at instant, which was making especially Agnes very upset. She had expected to have a huge pile of snow in which she could jump around and build snowmen and make snow-angels and snowball fights with her sisters and the neighbors.
Yet, it wasn't simply cold enough yet. But nevertheless, Gru decided to wear longer scarfs and thicker jacket. Especially here – in Paris. If just somebody would have told him how terribly cold Europe was compared to America in this kind of season. It was still late fall, yet it felt like he was at the North Pole. Wouldn't wonder him if he would see penguins or ice bears passing him.

He and Lucy were set to France to find the stolen portraits which belonged to the famous 'louvre', the same museum where he once stole the mona lisa from. It was not like a usual job they received, mostly before they had stopped upcoming villains before they even could make their first move, or helped partner-agencies and the FBI. Nevertheless, even after Silas was trying his best to make them both go separate ways on this mission, both quickly bought tickets for the next plain to Europe, made sure Nefario and Marlena took care of the girls and the minions, and flew over to France to be investigating who removed them and where they are now. The big park with the vast glassy pyramid in its center at night was both creepy and romantic. Well, it would be, if they wouldn't be stuck in the west-building, scanning, analyzing and checking for finger- and footprints around the paintings, while the director was pacing around, whining about how miserable his life was and how this could even happen to them and some other French words. While Gru didn't even bother to try and calm the poor man down, but rather did his job with a few angry grunts and snorts, Lucy tried to make everybody leave so they could finish their work. Ugh, she was always friendly and liked the company of people – but sometimes they just could be a huge pain in the butt.

"Mon dieu, please, promise me, that you'll find our lost preciousness as soon as possiblé! We 'ave not much time, Madame Wilde, the missing paintings must be back around this very week, before las Madame Hidalgo comes to visit us, compris?"
"Yeah, yeah compris, now, would you be so kind and let us work? Thank you…"
Gru ignored the upset chatter between the both and continued eyeing and scanning the now empty spaces where the paintings happened to be. He was just strangely surprised the guy only took three of them, and not the sort of absolutely famous and expensive paintings like the Mona Lisa – well, it wouldn't really bring him anything anyway - It was a surprise to see that they had found a replacement for the original and claimed firmly that this was the original. Both Lucy and Gru casting skeptical glances at each other, they simply shrugged and nodded. Oh, if they only knew… But however, according to the files, the portraits 'The Moneylenders', 'Baltasar de Castiglione' and 'Infanta Maria Margareta' were missing. Oh, what a tragedy, he thought while applying powder on the wall and around the marks of the frame – he knew these paintings and there was a reason he didn't stole certain things like those particular pictures. Granted, though – it was both strange and nice to be in a museum without the intention to steal anything, but to catch a potential thief and criminal.
He heard the door opening and Lucy came back, throwing her jacket to the backpacks and equipment and tied her hair new.

"Gosh – this guy would have driven me nuts!"
"No kiddin'…" Gru retorted, not taking his eyes off his working place.
"Good thing I threw him out?" she asked slightly insecurely, grabbing for her waterbottle.
"Yu're a lifesaver, Lucy."
Lucy chuckled. Also she went and grabbed her strange gadget stuff which she digs so much, and started working next to him. While she was always relying on her little spy-toys, Gru had a better and more old-school method, which he would keep for himself, though. Of course she was always giddy and eager to try out her new stuff, even if it's not necessary. Whenever they head to a mission, Lucy carries her extra bag with her fancy agent-stuff which was anything – but really helpful.
Yet, what should he do? He already told her a million times that this stuff won't get them any step closer, but rather annoys everybody, but well, it's practically impossible to change her mind.
So, she angled for a little gadget see herself called 'the cleaner', and it's supposed to make pictures of the surface of an object to identify if there are certain prints, and later, it would even send signals to the set up laptop that stood on the box next to them – well, it should. But it certainly had its flaws. If it was made by him and Nefario, this thing not only would scan fingerprints, but also instantly would send these pictures to the AVl, with Datas of name, age and even current location. But she insisted on sticking to her selfmade-equipment.

"Wow, I must say – it's a lame job, but it's hella awesome!"
Gru cast a doubting glance at her. "Well, we gotta literally overnight in this creepy old museum, surrounded by paintings and stone figures. Oh, imagine like in this movie, they suddenly start moving and speaking and become alive andwe hae a huge party with the,!"
"Yes, yes, sure dhey will…" he muttered. "Tell dat yur leetle Sphinx-friend over dhere." He pointed at the stature of a female face upon a lion body, resting on the rock it was originally made of. "I guess she'll be dhe barmixer, and oh, look, dhe Venusof Millo –"
He nodded towards the high statue of the woman, clothed in nothing but a tunica, with her arms missing.
"She's like dhe party-skank?"
"Gru!" she nudged his arm. "That was just a joke."
A grin appeared on both their faces and they continued investigating. "So, how does it feel to stay in the very museum you once robbed out as well, huh?"
Gru looked over at her with a frown. "Uh, well, uhm…it's kinda strange, vhen yu keep in mind dat I probably culd have been dhe one stealin' dhese."
"Heh, so, what do you think? Who was it, and where is he off?"
"No idea, to be fully honest…" he muttered. "But certainly nobody from here…"
"How come?"
The man shrugged and dropped his brush to get a new tool. "French people aren't known to be dhe stealin' kind of country…"
"That's kinda racist…" she shook her head with a cocked eyebrow.
"I'm a stranger to dhese lands, I may be racist." He grinned smugly and chuckled at her expression, but soon enough she joined, knowing he was just joking – but what he said wasn't that untrue.

From the reports they had had before, it never had been a local resident. It always had been a tourist, or more like a certain thief who planned his heist for months until committing it.
She wondered if Gru had been one of those 'planer' when he was still into this business. She knew how much he hated spontaneity, most unlike her.
Anything that would come randomly was like her favorite drug. After a while of them continuing to work on finding their evidences and staying silent, Gru gave an exhausted sigh and turned around to grab his waterbottle.
"Hey now, no flagging, big guy – I still wanna have a certain session with you."
Gru nearly spat out the water in his mouth and turned around to stare at her.
"Vha—here?! Da-dat's…"
"Creepy? Haha, I know." She laughed. "I was joking, honey – unless you like to have a quite seductively Cleopatra, waiting for you in her sarcophagus." She snickered, leaning over the stony statue of the lying sphinx, her leg lifting up to push up her dress slightly.
She knew he liked this cheesy-kinky stuff. Yet she couldn't help but laugh at seeing him blushing deeply about that thought – and yes, it was quite weird to have their way in a museum.

"Lucy…" he rolled his eyes, but both broke out in laughter that dimmed into genuine grinning and smiling
"I think yu need some fresh air…"
Gru put their stuff into their backpacks and grabbed for his scarf.
"Hey, big guy, we can't just leave now."
"Jus' five minutes…I can't stay any longer in dis musty hovel."
"And what if that guy comes back to steal the rest while we're off?"
"He wun't! And even if he wuld, he wuld directl walk into my traps I set on – and actually, dun't yu think dat wuld spare us a whole lot of time of useless seekin', anyway?"
Lucy sighed, staring at him, before he grabbed her coat and threw it into her direction.
"Alright – but just five minutes!"

...

This night was particularly chilly. Lucy grabbed the large collars of her coat and pulled them over her face to shield it from the ice-cold wind. Paris was truly beautiful. The long streets along the Seine, the bright lights of the lanterns, the huge, tall trees and the mild breeze of the water – and it was so wonderful sharing this sight, this moment, with her hand clasped in his, as they walked alone through the streets of the city she always hoped to visit one day. The Eiffel Tower was glowing far back in the distance in yellow, red, blue and green. With a quick glance over to her lover, she could figure by the glint in his eyes that this, as well, had been a very, very big dream for him to seal as well – but how should he archive this in the first place? This thing was huge! Well, sure, he still had the shrink-ray, but before he had his little gadget – well, no way she would doubt his former evil genius; he would have found a way.
She leaned in closer and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
"Remembering…?" she asked.
"Wishful Thinkin', radher…" he corrected her, but then shook his head to draw his attention back to her, squeezing her hand.
"Well, I am sure you would have grabbed it with ease."
But he bitterly shook his head. "Oh, nono – I was a villain, yeah, and a thief too – but dis thing? Nah."
"Gru, you grabbed the moon! That's way cooler than just some building that glows fancily in the evening."
It was a true miracle how she always prevented him from self-pity. Gru chuckled, leaning closer to her to give her forehead a loving kiss.
"Yu must be right – also, I dun't need dhe Eiffel Tower – for I have somethin' odher here, close to me, dat stole my heart as well."
Lucy chuckled and placed her hands on his cheeks to pull him down into a kiss with her.
"You big lug…"

They continued walking, down the street, until they found themselves on a bridge. It was long, and quite shallow. It wasn't lighted, but the occasionally passing yachts passing beneath the bridge, music played and people danced and laughed. It was kind of killing the chilly, silent mood, but on the other hand, it was just so magical, seeing it rolling with the waves and the stream. They involuntarily had to stop to soak in that atmosphere. The wind still blew, but the coldness was gone for a second as the pair stood there, hands holding each other's. It was so romantic, it was almost a touching sight, even for Gru. Hearing Lucy breath trembling slightly, he instinctively pulled her closer to his side to keep her warm.
First surprised, Lucy looked up at him. And then a content smile spread across her face. This man was just perfect. She loved him too much for words, loved his flaws and perfections, his daughters, his past, his present, and – she hoped she would like his future as well – if he was ready for that step, that is. She was sure she shouldn't push that topic, but…they were together now for such a long time…
Imagining living without him was impossible.
And so felt Gru.

"This is…wonderful…" she sighed at the sight of the Seine, running through the famous city.
"Yes…" he nodded and somewhat, the grip around her became tighter.
Naturally, not going unnoticed, as Lucy wrapped her own arm around his waist and snuggled into him.
Suddenly, Lucy gave a surprised gasp.
"Oh, Gru! Look!" she pointed at the railing of the bidge, which was quite small and fragile-looking.
"Uh – vhat's dhere?"
"Don't you see them?" she quickly dragged him further, and once they reached said spot, Lucy couldn't contain her giggles.
"People actually put lovelocks on here!" she blurted giddily, holding up a red one with two names carved in. Fred and Marie.
"Aww, this is so cute!" she looked back at Gru, yet all he could was looking back at her with a slightly confused glance. He once heard of those lovelocks, yet he never really understood the purpose of those things.
"Who's hookin' up vith a guy called Fred?"

"Oh, Gru…" she gently nudged her elbow in his side.
"The entire railing is filled with them, look! There are more…and more!" she went over all these names and couples. Martin and Helen. Jack and Molly. Amy and Brendon. By now, Lucy realized – they were standing on Pont Neuf, one of the probably most famous lovelock-bridges of Paris.
She wouldn't have ever guessed fate would send them here, but…
Gru quickly followed Lucy as she went on scanning through all the names like a little, blissful girl.
"Oh Gru, of course – we are on the lovelock-bridge! Couples from all over the world come here to put their names on the locks and hook them up here." She swirled around, before sopping to look back at him. And then her happy face kind of – faded.
"Ahh man – we should have brought our own lock here and hang it up…so people can see we were here – and imagine one day the girls come to visit Paris and find our names hanging here!"

Gru looked back at her and pondered. Hm…no, he hadn't had a lock with him. But maybe…
Letting go of Lucy for a minute, he headed back to the beginning, where they had found the very first lock.
"Hey – Gru, what are you doing? Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna get us a lock!" he informed her.
"Oh, big guy, it's in the middle of the night, and it's Sunday! Nobody will give us a lock now."
But Gru didn't listen. He quickly picked out a paperclip he always wore with him and bent it into the hole, turned and switched it a few times, and crack, it opened. He just had to make sure Lucy wasn't looking, but of course, she was suspicious.
"Gru, you're not gonna take one of the locks and crack it open, do you?"
"U-uhm…no, sweetpea, trust me, jus' – one moment!"
Taking out his pocketsized-blowtorch, he held it on top of its surface, the names slowly blurring and melting and eventually, he had a perfectly straight and smooth surface again to carve in their names.

Lucy watched from the distance, an amused grin on her face. Oh my goodness – what just happened with him? During just two years of dating, he had become so…gentle. Caring. So overly romantic, almost. In his own, special way.
And she loved this side of him, even if he tended to grow back into the old patterns she bothered to fix, but eventually she should let him do his thing – he just meant it for a good reason and in the end she was overly flattered by his gestures.
A few minutes later, Gru indeed returned to her, with a small, red lock in the shape of a heart, on which stood: Gru and Lucy – together forever.
Lucy gasped again and she almost started crying. Was this…a sign? Would he want her to marry him? He didn't pop the question yet, but as he saw her face, the way she glanced at his words…
She made him want to see her that way every day. He wanted to be with her together, truly. Forever.
"Oh Gru, this is…beautiful! It's -"
"Small, huh?" Gru chuckled. "Well, I vasn't intendin' to leave it in dis vay –"
Gru drew out a little gun-like tool and darted it on the lock, and with a simple shoot, it suddenly grew thrice the size. It became terribly heavy suddenly for Gru to hold it.

"Ugh, didn't see dis comin'…"
"Me neither…" she breathed. But with some help, both managed to lock it in the gate as well, next to all the other million lovelocks – of which theirs was the biggest one.
Lucy beamed at him and back at the Lock.
"Oh Gru, I just…" she jumped into his arms. "I love you so much, honey. So much."
"I love yu too, Sweetheart…"
Kisses and hugs were shared and Gru was sure. Yes – he would do anything to keep her by his side. He woul do anything to hold her like this, kiss her like this, together, forever…
He wanted to marry her. He wanted to be the only one in her life and the only one in his life. He wanted her to become his wife.
It was all so rushed and heated and Gru couldn't help but fall down on one knee, looking up at her, grabbing her hand.
"Honey…?" Lucy suddenly gasped.
"L-Lucy, I-I'm…"
"O-Oh, Gru – don't tell me you're going to –"
"L-Lu-Lucy, Wilde…" he cleared his throat, looking back up in her saucer, amazed eyes. Gosh, his hands trembled. His shoulders trembled. Everything in his body was trembling with nervousness and excitement. "Y-yu're dhe most…p-precious person in my life, and I love yu, s-s much, d-da—"
"Gru, wait!" she suddenly blurted. Gru hushed. Oh no. Was that a no?
She pulled him back up on his feet, looking back at him.
"Hun...I…I know this probably sounds stupid, but – I, I really would like you to…to do this back home. Okay?"
Gru was surprised to hear her asking him for this. He honestly was already fearing she was going to say no, say no to his proposal…but no, she wanted him to delay it!

Somewhat relieved, he forced himself to smile – and she smiled back.
"I'm still bad at timin', ain't I?"
"Yes, you are…" she chuckled.
"Bu-But even if I wuld ask – vhat wuld yu have said…?"
Lucy silenced for a second, looking up at him and back at the big heart-shaped lock and then back at him. "You'll see that soon enough, my big, biiig lug." She teased and pulled him down to kiss him, with Gru responding eagerly. His heart pounded with love, although he was sure she would have said no. Yes, definitely – but at least she gave him a chance for a second time! Well…it would probably be better anyway – he didn't even had a ring or anything, but this lock.
"Hey…" she whispered between their kisses. "Hmm…?"
"Where did you get that lock from anyway, hm?"
"Heh…" he chuckled softly. "Remember Fred and Marie?"
"Oh, No, no, you didn't…?" she half asked, half laughed.
"Nobody likes dhe name Fred." He defended himself. "Nobody likes thieves…" He made a face at her. "Well, everybody except yu, I guess?"
"Yep…everybody except me…" she chuckled.