No one quite knows what happened.
Marinette definitely doesn't know what happened. Just one morning Ariel revealed that she was departing, a rare business trip for her, a connection that didn't quite like Gabriel so she usually handled it instead. "A business trip to Tibet!" she had revealed as she showered Marinette in kisses. All the while, she listed off, "Be good, remember to sleep and eat, and if there is anyone giving you slack for not being skinny enough for modeling—"
"Maman I'll be fine," the fourteen year old whined, torn between exaggeration and amusement from Ariel's attention.
The blonde just gave her daughter a warm smile, moving some of Marinette's hair behind her ear. "I know," she murmured. "You just can be so forgetful sometimes."
Marinette gave Ariel a flat stare.
"I wonder if we should get you a third schedule to use."
"It's not that bad!" Marinette whined, blushing at her mother's teasing, making Ariel laugh. She was a little scatterbrained, Marinette can confess, which is why she did have two schedules to use. A big one for the whole year that she can pull down, set over her drawing desk. The other a week schedule set right by her bedroom door, a schedule she can look at as she's leaving just to make sure she had everything.
Marinette thinks she was relatively on top of everything.
A third wasn't needed.
Ariel smiled in amusement, then it warmed, her eyes shining in excitement. "I'm looking forward to this trip being over," she told Marinette, confusing her daughter.
"Oh?" Marinette asked, going back to her drawing while she leaned back on her chaise.
Dancing in place, Ariel pushed, "Gabriel and I have a surprise when I get back! You're going to love it!"
Marinette spared her a glance, raising a brow. "Do I get another rockwall?" she asked.
Ariel laughed. "No. We stressed Gabriel out enough getting the one. And the zip line. But no, it's something else and you're going to love it. I just know it."
Brow furrowed, Marinette bid with a smile, "Then return home soon, Maman."
"Soon," Ariel echoed, pressing another kiss to her daughter's crown.
Ariel Agreste didn't return soon.
A few days went by with Marinette and Gabriel not having any issues. Only a small miss for Ariel's absence but they were able to focus on their work and get by just fine.
But when a week went by and there was no contact from Ariel at all, there was a shift in the Agreste manor.
An uncomfortable, unnerved feeling.
Marinette asked where her Maman was, if her Papa heard from her at all.
Gabriel usually set her away with no answer, though Marinette can see the clear worry in his features as he pulled out his cell to try reaching Ariel once more.
When Marinette reached out to Chloe and Ali, sharing her concerns, she got mutual reassurances from them.
"She's probably trying to find some cell service. Is there even cell service in Tibet?"
"I'm sure she's fine Marinette, probably just got held up. I know sometimes meetings like this can take longer than they should."
She waited.
And waited.
And by the end of the second week, she just knew and she felt sick, she felt scared, and she just didn't know what to do with herself.
Maman wasn't coming back.
He sat at his desk, alone; a burning ache going through him as he clutched his head, trying to block out the furious pound ring in his head, the tremble in his form.
"Gabriel," Duusu called out, pressing against his head. "Gabriel, it's ok."
It's not.
Duusu nuzzled his forehead, her own form quivering. "It's ok."
Shut up.
He doesn't want to listen.
He doesn't want to think about this.
He, he doesn't...
Duusu gave a start when Gabriel rose up, pulling a sheet close, starting to draw out, his gaze going blurry, making it hard for him to draw, to focus. Watching him for a moment, fretful, Duusu drew near and gently pushed.
"You should go see her Gabriel. Marinette, she needs you!"
He just drew on, not responding to Duusu.
"Gabriel. You should be grieving with Marinette."
"I don't want to hear it Duusu," he ordered.
"But Gabriel you need to—"
He didn't want to hear it.
He didn't want to think about it.
His hands moved before he could think and he unclipped the peacock pin from his shirt.
Silence rang through the air, countered only by his heavy, tense, and shaky breathing. He looked down, staring that the green and blue miraculous, lovely in his palm, the edges firm against his skin.
There was no more Duusu.
No more push for him to grief.
To face this.
No more Duusu...
No... Ariel...
Gabriel collapsed in his seat, a hand coming to his hair and gripping the strands tightly, sending a slight pain through his scalp.
As he struggled to breath and cope, he shakily stood up and went back to drawing, drowning himself in what was familiar.
Get work done.
Be productive.
There's no thinking painful thoughts when focused.
But so focused was he, so set on not thinking about his loss, he didn't hear the knock at his office door, the plea for him to answer, to respond.
He certainly wasn't aware of the hurt daughter that stopped away, that slipped into a familiar room and wound up stopping before a golden painting.
Certainly unaware that when she leaned on the painting, she gave a start to find it move, and when she had pulled it open, she found a certain, hidden safe.
A safe she couldn't open.
Yet.
There will be a continuation in my fic, You Should Smile, which LBB was a prequel for. When YSS will come, I don't know. For sure it will be sometime after I get Ruffled and MM are done. Possibly TWoL too.
Thanks for reading!