Following in the Footsteps (Gabriel x Reader)

by SamTheMoose

You are just a model working for his company with your heart set on entering the world of music. Your father's death has left your family in shambles and continuing to live in Paris is a daily struggle. Just before all hope is lost, your employer manages to alleviate the situation you are in, but at what cost?

11. Chapter 11: Wrote in Blood

You looked over at Hawk Moth whom had his hands cupped around one of the poor butterflies, flooding it with his dark powers. "Fly away, my evil akuma, and overpower this young, misunderstood artist..." He reached forwards and let the little thing fly out and away from him. You sighed and readied yourself to follow. It had only been a couple of days since the dance. Your head still rang and throbbed slightly, though fortunately the bruises and cuts remained hidden under your mask. The villain stood absolutely still as you hesitated, just assuming that you would obey. Naturally you did, shakily making your way out of the dome and into the air after the akuma.

It flew straight towards the high school, making you grimace. Adrien, Alya, and Marinette were all there today working on some school film project. At least the two superheroes were sure to show. You glided in through the open courtyard ceiling and looked around carefully. There was no one around at the moment. Stealthily, you followed the winged creature as silently as it flew, watching it slither through an opening into the girl's bathroom. You waited outside, not sure if you would have been breaching someone's privacy.

Words began to ring through your head, now so familiar as you had worked with this man for so long. " Horrificator, I am Hawk Moth. Up until now, you have felt fear. From now on, you will cause fear. And after you show them how they make you feel, you will do something for me in return." There was a growling and a sickening splattering noise before he continued. "Be sure to let the peacock help you out. Two minds forming fear can be much better than one." Creating fear? You weren't even too good at watching horror movies.

The monstrous form slithered from the bathroom, no one that you were able to recognize from before. It growled slightly as it looked you up and down, mentally noting that you were a friend. You gave... it a nod and then it was off, crawling up and along the ceiling. Keeping to the shadows, you followed, trying not to be noticed by anyone you might come across.

A couple of boys were heard from around a corner complaining about some nurse uniform and you paused, glancing over just enough to gauge their distance. Smirking, you slid out behind them and flipped your fan, causing enough of a wind to knock them over onto their fronts and make them yell out in fright. The monster snickered evilly and dropped down, splattering them with a disgusting pink substance that froze them from any further movement.

It swiped them up in its tail with a satisfying fling and crawled down over a balcony, the panicked screaming fading away. Surely it wasn't going to kill them... right? Feeling uneasy, you followed it to the edge, immediately stopping in your tracks. The entire school filming group was now out in the court, looking around in confusion from hearing the yelling. You backed up into the corner, just managing to hear Adrien say, "Hey! Anybody here? Kim! Max! Where are you guys!"

There was a brief murmured conversation, and you continued to stay hidden, not sure as to what the new akuma victim was up to. Suddenly the voices faced and you heard the strangled grunts of the monster from above. The light was slowly getting blocked, and you peeked your head out to see Horrificator jumping back and forth across the school, covering it with that nasty pink. Great, now you were completely trapped as well.

Slinking around the side, you managed to catch up to it just as it slid down into an underground staircase. So that is where it had been going before? You decided to wait right here, not really wanting to see what the monster had been doing to the poor students. You couldn't interfere with that after all. Soon enough, it emerged, larger than before, and began to take off towards a classroom, utterly silent. Staying light on your feet, you followed suit.

It slid into the room, partially full with some of the class, Chat Noir, and Ladybug, so you paused, fairly confident that you wouldn't be so unnoticed. The monster roared from within, causing your head to pound once again. Grimacing in pain, you grabbed your temple to massage it. Horrificator continued to growl and soon ran from the classroom with a redheaded boy in its tail, petrified with fear. You barely managed to avoid the door thumping open, but you turned towards it swiftly, moving your fan to knock back the others and slam the door in font of them. Some of them screamed, but Ladybug kicked it open soon enough, although only when you had already managed to move away.

All, except for a goth looking girl, were screaming in fear as they attempted to run. Horrificator fought with Ladybug and Chat for a moment, but managed to get both of them trapped in goo before you could interfere. The monster grabbed a pink-haired girl from the panicked crowd and licked a heavy-set boy before disappearing to the stairs again. Hawk Moth's voice called out, "Their miraculouses are vulnerable! Get them!"

It paused in confusion, but you were pretty sure he was talking to you. Chat Noir was extending his stick in Ladybug's direction, so you leaped up and kicked it from his grasp. He cried out in shock and frustration, but you caught it with a laugh. "Trying to get away? Not that easily you don't. Now let me take those miraculouses!"

Ladybug screamed out, "Never, Le Plume! You don't know what you are really doing!"

Snickering, you flicked your fan and landed on the goo covering Chat, reaching for his ring. "I know what I am doing, and I choose to do so now."

Pain rung out through your head and you screamed, falling from your perch. The metal rod clanged to the floor next to your head, and suddenly you saw Chat reaching for it. Ladybug looked down at you in disgust and began to run off with the other hero for where the Horrificator had disappeared. "Fortunately for you, we are better than you!"

You sat up and just saw them leave with the remaining class, something appearing round in her hand. So she had just managed to get her yo-yo before being trapped. Stupid. You should have seen that. Sitting for just a moment, you whimpered. The pain was still too great from a couple a days ago, and Ladybug had just made it worse. After a moment, you stood, running down the stairs after everyone.

You paused at the corner, looking into the dark room that was now completely immersed in the pink slime and weird egg-looking things. Considering the voices coming from them, that had been where the monster had been taking and hiding everyone, apparently feeding off their fear. You sighed a bit in relief, so no one had been killed or eaten. Ladybug was running around in slight confusion, grabbing various things from around the room as the Horifficator was chasing Chat and spitting goo at him. He growled in frustration and called out, "Cataclysm!"

He ran through the room and many rusted metal bars began to fall down from the ceiling towards the monster. You sprinted out and swished your fan, not entirely thinking through what you were doing, "Wind storm!" The hurricane-force gusts blew forth and caught up the falling metal bars and several other loose objects in the room. They spun in a dangerous cyclone of sharp metal, and many people managed to duck out of the way of them. Gasping at what you had done, you attempted to fall to the floor, but the pain in your head made you move too slowly. Something hit your midsection from the back, and you crumpled, shock obscuring what had just happened to you.

The others were too busy dealing with the dying down storm that they didn't notice your plight. Groaning in pain, you tried to drag yourself back towards the stairs, seeing Chat running with the metal beams to throw down at the monster. They had won again... for now. But, you had bigger problems to deal with. You needed to get out of here asap.

Reaching down, you felt one of the rods in your chest. Crap. Your eyes rolled up and you could barely believe this had happened. The unbearable sharp stabbing sensation started to creep into your mind but you needed to ignore it. Within a matter of a few seconds, you forced yourself to grasp the metal and push back on it, dislodging it from your body. Coughing, you hauled yourself up the stairs while holding onto your wound and flicked the fan, willing the wind and powers to help propel you away from this place. The pink slime had begun to disintegrate, fortunately for you as your brooch began to beep its warnings.

Barely managing to keep your sight on track, you saw the Agreste manor looming before you and you spun your wrist one final time towards the open hole in the decorated window you now knew by heart. Careening through it, you let out your breath and collapsed to the concrete, your shoulder and hip getting severely scraped. There was a flash of light and you de-transformed, Duusuu appearing in front of your eyes and yelling something. You could not hear her though, there was a throbbing in your eardrums.

Surprisingly enough, you did not pass out despite the severe wound in your chest. The ground rumbled by you and you saw a purple knee hit the ground by your head. Hands were rolling you onto your back, and you grabbed at your injury, yelling out in pain. There was someone other than Duusu yelling down at you, and their words eventually began to make sense. "No! You were supposed to stay out there! Her powers don't reach in here..."

Opening your eyes slightly, you saw Hawk Moth looking around, slightly frightened as what to do. There was another bright flash and then Gabriel was next to you, scooping you up off the ground, causing more waves of pain to rake through your whole body. "Stupid girl, Ladybug's powers would have cured you... although they wouldn't be if my akuma didn't fail me... again."

You felt the two of you falling down into the ground and you couldn't help but cough, spraying red across the front of his silver vest and white jacket. He scowled at the unpleasantry, but didn't dare drop you. Before long he was walking briskly across the floor of the workroom, snapping something at another person. Oh no, who had seen you appear out of the floor?

He strolled right out into the entrance hall and laid you down at the bottom of the stairs, so far as you could decipher from the blurs and sounds. Grimacing, you sputtered again, feeling something gross and viscous roll down your chin. There was a clanging and something was being laid next to you on the floor. Gabriel didn't move from your side, his top and hands covered with your blood. Everything began to get cloudy, but you saw more purple and red moving around above you? Nathalie? What was she doing?

Your head was being hoisted up onto something warm and soft and Mr. Agreste's voice was in your ear. "Hold on, the ambulance is on its way..." That was when the torturous pain became too much and you blacked out on the tile for the second time in the past week, not sure exactly what was all going on.

The white lights were absolutely blinding. You let out a breath that you felt you had been holding in for quite a while and squinted your eyes, not sure if you would be able to completely open them. The room was painfully white, the little bit of light coming from overhead reflecting off of everything. The area smelled strongly of disinfectant, likely to cover up something less appealing. With a groan, you sat up, your palms almost sliding down off of the slick pillows underneath you.

A cold breeze flew through you, and you shivered, feeling a faint sharpness in your chest. You grabbed towards it momentarily, only realizing that you were wearing nothing but a loose nightgown tied at the back and bandages covering your whole midsection. Glancing around, the first thing to catch your eye was Gabriel Agreste sitting next to the bed, soundly asleep and slumped over. He no longer wore the blood soaked clothes, but a new set, more than likely brought to him by Nathalie.

Breathing out, you saw that you were lying down in a hospital bed, the curtains to the windows of the room drawn shut. A monitor beeped steadily behind you, and a bag dripped a liquid slowly down tubing towards your wrist which was punctured with a couple of needles. Swallowing at the unpleasant sight, a click made you look up to see a nervous male nurse walking into the room holding a clipboard to his chest. His eyes were on the sleeping fashion designer until the door had closed, but his mood perked up the moment he saw you there.

"Ah, I was hoping that you would be getting up soon." He spoke softly and glanced nervously at Mr. Agreste once again, making sure he didn't wake him up. "Typically it is past visiting time right now, but... we had to make an exception. I hope that this is okay with you."

So Gabriel had tormented the poor staff, typical, but somewhat hilarious. You gave the man a nod and tried not to fiddle with the bed sheets. He cleared his throat and looked down at the chart he held. "Your vitals are doing very well, fortunately that metal just barely managed to get your lung. We were able to stitch you up nicely, but you are going to have to take it easy for a while." His eyes flicked to you and he gave you a somber smile. "You need to be more careful going down the stairs next time. That nasty fall onto the rack nearly cost you more than your well-being."

So that must have been what Nathalie was moving around when you were barely conscious. She was setting up a story as to what had happened instead of the truth. Ultimately, it was to protect the identity of Hawk Moth more so than your own. Your eyes went to Gabriel, and you nodded, seeing the man begin to stir. The nurse continued anyways, "Your mother was here just a while ago, but she left when we told her visiting hours were over. She should be back in the morning for you. We will keep tracking your vitals overnight, but you should be good to go then."

There was a creak and the sound of heavy feet on tile and Gabriel was awake, stalking over to the nurse whom burst out into a nervous sweat. "So... how is she?"

"Sh-she's doing well Mr. Agreste. She will be good to go in the morning."

The intimidating man gave a nod of dismissal and the nurse left. He immediately turned towards you and walked over, hovering above the bed and leaning over you. Startled, you grabbed the blankets and pulled them up to your chin, pressing yourself as far as you could into the pillows under you. He spoke, "Did they see you?"

Who? Ah, he must have meant the people back at the school where you got injured in the first place. Your eyes flicked around the room, spotting no one else there. "Uhm, I'm pretty sure that they did not."

"Good. You better be right." He reached out a finger and pressed it against your temple where a bruise was, causing you to whimper. "You were not ready to go back out there. I need to be more careful or I might loose..." he hesitated, "...a very difficult to replace pawn."

Your eyes narrowed but you said nothing to upset him, fairly sure that the only reason why you were here was because of his company's health insurance. He started to head towards the door and you sat up, having just one thing to ask of him. "So Nathalie knows."

Gabriel stopped and turned to look at you, hands clasped behind his back. "Yes. She has always known. It's the only way that I manage to keep the secrets in the household, through a little bit of well-placed trust. It helps to have a second pair of eyes loyally working for you."

He looked extraordinarily smug and you clutched the blankets uncomfortably, not sure if you really wanted all the details behind this. But you had one final question. "W-where is Duusu?"

"Back at the house with the brooch healing herself. When you become injured in that suit, it is not only you who suffers for it."

Well... shit. You would never truly be able to make up for that, you knew. That rod that had slammed through you had also hurt your poor Kwami. Desperately, you hoped that she would really be okay.

Turning away, you heard his footsteps resume and the door open and close. He was reassured his secret remained safe, so why would he need to stay? The room was finally dimming down for the night, though you honestly had no idea how long you had been in the hospital. It could have been the following day for all you knew.

There was a bustling sound from outside the room and raised voices yelling. You looked up at them in confusion, wondering what was going on. A woman's voice rose up, just by the door to your room. "I know her very well mind you and I will go see her!" The door was flung open, banging into the wall, and there stood Sadie, looking as if she was about to start crying when she saw you. "Ah! Little bean! I was wondering why you hadn't come in today and then we all heard the news!"

Appointment? Well it apparently had been a day since you were initially injured. She came across the room to you and was about to wrap you in her arms but thought better of it, noticing your bandages. She sat heavily in the chair where Gabriel had been and crossed her legs before continuing on her rant. From the doorway you saw a few nervous faces peek in but then silently close the door to leave the two of you alone. "Francis wasn't able to make it, he had plans but he sends you all of his healing wishes. I saw Gabe on the way in here, so sweet of that man to take his precious time and check up on you."

You flushed, wishing she hadn't gotten that idea, but responded. "It's really nice to hear from everyone. I'm really sorry this has put me behind on my schedule."

She rose her hand to stop you and shook her head. "No no. We got Ada to do some of the work for you. You are on paid leave right now for recovery. I insisted! It wasn't fair for you to be worked so hard and then punished for a little accident. Mon deur, right after that dance too." Sadie gave you a wink. "Very sexy pictures from that night too. Magazines just came out. Merde! I was going to bring one and spaced it. You and Gabe made a very very nice cover. Was interesting seeing him in that mask and not those dreary glasses."

You chuckled at her remarks. "Trust me when I say that the night was a lot weirder and uncomfortable than those pictures may make it seem. But... admittedly... he was a gentleman. He helped me out of a bad situation with an unruly guest."

Sadie looked incredibly shocked and leaned in. "Ooo cherie, tell me more!"

Smiling, you reached down and poked her nose. "I know how fast rumors go in our business. That's all I'm going to say about it." Your grin faded and you looked back to the sheets, trying to suppress the memory. "At least I will be out of here tomorrow morning."

She nodded and got comfortable again. "Yes, and then you can start thinking about Christmas! I wonder what it is going to be like at that house you are in. I haven't seen any form of decoration there in a long long time."

Christmas?! Oh man, it was nearing the end of November wasn't it? You laid down on the pillow and groaned out loud. "Oh man, planning for gifts for everyone is the hardest part."

Sadie laughed. "Ah oui, and you are going to have to figure something out for the new ones in your life as well. Living at the Agreste place, you should probably get something for them... or something different for each of them. Definitely the latter, haha."

You glanced over at her, a deep frown on your face. "You go back with them a bit, Sadie. Do you have any idea what you would get for Mr. Agreste? Adrien will be fairly simple but..." your expression deepened, "...his father is going to be a whole other story."

"Hmmm, you are definitely going to need to find something special to impress that sort of a man that's for sure. I was thinking about this for a while actually... and is somewhat the reason why I brought up the holiday." Sitting up again, you tilted your head in confusion. What on earth was she talking about? Sadie stood up again and ruffled around in her bag, bringing out a palm-sized black box and handed it to you.

Taking it gingerly, you turned it over and saw written in silver text on the bottom, 'Emilie.' Who was that? Sadie spoke up again, "Emilie Agreste... Gabriel's missing wife. We were friends you know; really really close friends. Sadly we didn't talk too much in the years leading up to her disappearance. However before we broke contact, she wanted me to hold onto that little detail for her. I wasn't too sure why exactly, but I was willing to do just about anything for her."

Placing the box upright in your palm, you gave the top a solid pull up on the hinges to reveal a silver bracelet. Around the edges were many different charms, no two the same. Picking it up, the cluttered arrangement made a pleasant jingling sound. Sadie's voice almost made you jump. "Her charm bracelet. She managed quite a collection of the little things on there and she loved it to death, wearing it almost every day. I guess she lost her connection to it and wanted me to have a way of being reminded of her. I'm not sure why considering I worked for her husband." She laughed. "Ah well, I know Gabriel would have a much better reason to hang onto that now than me... and I never give the man anything so I figured that you would have a easier time than me."

You put the bracelet back in the box and closed it, sitting it in your lap and turning to Sadie to give her a big hug. "Thank you. This makes my life so much simpler." She gingerly hugged you back and turned to leave.

"Sleep well and heal up now! We don't need you falling behind on more of our projects."

The door shut a lot more quietly than it had been opened and you moved the bracelet to the bedside stand, intent on going to bed. Yawning in exhaustion, you became painfully aware of how alone you were without Duusu beside you. It was a more difficult time in going to sleep, but you managed, wondering what the next day would bring.

Snow? It shouldn't have come as a surprise but, it still just seemed to be too early. The entire morning had been spent checking you out of the hospital; making sure the insurance covered everything, which it did, and signing all the paperwork required. All of the windows had been covered with blinds and drapes, so you had no idea of the weather conditions until you had stepped outside with your mother whom had come to help you.

The moment she had seen you walk out of the room, she had glomped you close to her and wouldn't let go for a full five minutes, her cheeks stained with tears. She had ranted at you for so long about needing to be more careful, that you were all she had left in the world. You hugged her back and reassured that you would do that for her, even though you unspokenly knew that you were risking your own life for her every day.

Adrien greeted you outside with a similar hug, happily proclaiming his delight in seeing you well. The Gorilla stood by the black limousine at the ready, clearly the method through which your mother made it to the hospital. You gave him a friendly nod and stepped into the warmth of the back seating area. The snow was surely exciting, but heat was always more comfortable than the ice.

Your mother and Adrien followed you inside, starting up a chipper conversation on what you had missed back at the house. It wasn't much but was still fun to hear about the various exchanges, especially those involving Marinette and Alya at school. Checking your phone, you saw that you had a few missed messages from each of them, worried about your well-being. Finally you were able to send something back to them saying, 'I'm alright guys. Out of there and back home today 3.'

The limo came to a stop and the door was opened to allow the small cluster of people out at the front of the house. Your mother gave you a kiss and immediately split off from you two in order to start getting things ready in the kitchen. Adrien waved a goodbye to her and started talking to you about the new magazine, "Whoever took that photo for the cover much have gotten a bonus. It was incredibly well-timed."

You began walking up the stairs and looked back at him. "Oh? I actually haven't had a chance to see it yet. Sadie was going to bring it for me, but she spaced on it, haha."

He grinned and pulled on your sleeve, "Then you've gotta come with me. I've got a copy in my room! I'm surprised that you haven't received one, considering you're the star."

Blushing, you shook your head but relented and followed. "I was only doing my job..."

Adrien frowned at you. "While that is true, you really went beyond for this one. The dancing; it was truly a unique method of modeling. I'm sure you made my father proud."

You bit back any words you had, not wanting to ruin the moment. Surely what he did for his father also made him proud? Gabriel just wasn't the one to show it. Entering the large bedroom, you plopped yourself down on the couch with familiarity, having been here several times to play video games already. He rushed over with the volume in hand, throwing it down on the table in front of you.

Your eyes widened as you took in the cover of the magazine. It truly was gorgeous and taken with such skill. It was the moment just at the ending of the second song, when you were in the green and blue dress. Gabriel also took up much of the photo, his mask obscuring his identity. His hand was in the center of your back, leaning you gracefully towards the floor over his knee, the intensity of his blue eyes glaring down over the front of your body. One of your hands delicately touched his shoulder and the other extended above your head and under the falling tresses of your hair that brushed the floor. The title to the right of the image read, 'Agreste, getting back into the swing of things.'

It took you a second to realize you weren't breathing and you shook your head rapidly, reaching out and picking up the thing to flip through. "You really weren't kidding about that photographer. As much as your dad terrifies me, they really got a good side of him for this."

Adrien sat next to you and gave your shoulder a nudge. "Don't be so modest! You really make the picture too. The articles rave about how great you looked in the dresses." He laughed, covering his mouth. "Anyways, I still can't believe my dad danced... at all!"

You chuckled in return and handed him the magazine back. "Likewise. I really didn't think he was going to take my suggestion to heart. It really seems to have gotten the company a much needed popularity-boost though."

He nodded and stood to put the article away. "Yeah. If I had anything to say about it, I would think my dad really owes you one."

Shaking your head, you stood and headed for the door. "I wouldn't want to go that far." Pausing, your hand on the handle, you gave Adrien a smile. "Thanks for showing that to me... I have some errands I need to run though."

He was turning on the TV as you left, but he gave you a slight nod. "Yeah no problem! Just be sure to be careful."

You shut it behind you and let out a deep breath. The picture was flattering, but you hoped everyone would realize that it was just business. Why did you need to keep repeating this to yourself? Well, Christmas time neared, and you wanted to get everything out of the way as soon as you could. However, the clothes your Maman had brought to the hospital were not warm enough for this weather.

Pushing yourself off of the door, you headed over to your room and stepped inside. There was a brief flash of movement from the table and suddenly something small was digging into your cheek and making cooing noises. Crying out, you cupped the small figure to you in a gesture of comfort. "Oh Duusu! I was so worried about you! I'm so sorry..."

She looked up at you with her big eyes and laughed. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault. Gabriel made you go on that mission when your health wasn't ready for it. None of us could have known the severity of what ended up happening. Besides, I'm fine now! Nathalie brought me lots of berries while you were gone."

Sure enough, there was a large bowl of raspberries on the table next to the brooch which lay there, dull with Duusu still outside of it. Smiling, you picked it up and placed it back into your hair where it sat so comfortably. "I'm glad to see you okay. I really do need to be more careful though." You slipped the small black bracelet box from your pocket and placed it into the nightstand drawer. That would be wrapped later on once you had all the gifts purchased.

"We are going out for tonight though. I'm not really that hungry and I want to get Christmas shopping done before the rushes really start." You threw off the drab T-shirt and jeans and began to ruffle through your closet for something warm but attractive.

Duusu hovered by the doorway, concern on her little face. "Are you sure? You just got out of the hospital today. You should be resting and healing."

A slim black turtleneck sweater dress with a pair of wool-lined dark blue leggings and some nice waterproof high-heeled boots to match would do. Slipping into each of these, you flashed a smile at the little Kwami. "I will be alright. It's not like shopping is a high-stress activity. Besides, there will be plenty of people around in case something does go wrong, but they told me that I was doing great."

She shook her head and giggled. "If you say so. I trust you. But you really should relax for at least a little bit. The evening is still to come." She pointed towards the windows where light still streamed in.

Sighing you relented and sat down on the couch, turning on the TV to kill a few hours. You still decided to skip lunch and went through a few of your music sheets for the play. The evening came soon enough and you grinned, excited to get going.

Duusu went to go eat a few more berries before you wanted to leave just as you began to bundle up for the cold weather. On top of the dress, you threw on a long black coat that brushed the backs of your knees, silver fur lining the brim of the hood and the bottom edge. Crossing one side over the other, you secured it to yourself by tying a large ribbon.

You threw a few essentials in a small bag that complimented your whole outfit and drew the hood up by your face. Duusu flew into the coat to hide and snuggled up within the comfy fur. Giggling, you left your room, strolling down the entry hall stairs and towards the double doors. Grabbing the handle, you gave it a pull, only to find it securely locked. You backed away confused, and the doors to Nathalies' office area opened, revealing said woman to you.

She looked you over and frowned, clearly about to deliver some bad news. "I'm so sorry. I've been instructed to not allow you to leave until you have had adequate time to heal."

Fuming, you looked down. Trapped. It just figured. It wasn't this woman's fault though; Gabriel wanted to make sure that his asset remained workable. Heavy footsteps from behind made you turn towards the stairs, right as a voice spoke up. "It is okay, Nathalie. I will be heading out with her this evening."

She blinked at Gabriel a couple times in confusion, but then gave him a nod and went to her office. "Of course, Mr. Agreste. Let me get your coat."

Gabriel walked up next to you and waited, a hand in his pocket. He wasn't in his normal outfit. The man was sporting more solid black shoes, dark slacks, and an obsidian sweater. You were staring again. Blushing, you turned away, hoping that he would not come to realize that you were also wearing such a sweater underneath your coat. Nathalie reemerged, holding up a dark-as-night trench coat made of leather or vinyl and a long bright-red scarf. He slid both of them on quickly with ease, and wrapped the scarf around his neck at least three times.

There was a loud clack and you reached for the door, just wanting out of here. Gabriel reached the handle first though, smirking down at you and opening it. How 'gentlemanly'. You rolled your eyes and stepped through into the snow, coming to realize that it was still falling. A few inches were already on the ground creating a winter wonderland. The door thudded shut behind the two of you and Mr. Agreste came to stand beside you.

You beat him to speaking first. "Why are you coming with me?"

He looked you up and down, his eyes icy as the snow. "Shouldn't that be obvious? You are still not completely healed. I cannot have my star wandering around on her own in such a state."

Sighing, you crossed your arms but refused to turn to him. "You know exactly what I mean. You rarely leave the house."

He fiddled a bit with the tie on his coat and reached into his pocket to grab his cell-phone. "Hmm. Suppose I said I was actually going Christmas shopping myself?"

A laugh broke from your lips before you could even stop it. That warranted you to finally look at him to gauge his sincerity. "You never do that! It's always Nathalie or some poor other secretary. Besides, how did you know that was what I was doing?"

His eyes met yours, flicking away from the screen of the device. "I never said I knew, and besides I did not know. Anyways, my employees are rather busy right now, preparing for something important. I should probably put in the effort for my son... he hasn't been too pleased with the pens I've... Nathalie's been giving him." His frown deepened and he began to type something. "It just so happens that we were hoping to leave at the same time."

You didn't dare believe a word he had to say, but you didn't have any choice in the matter. It was either go with him or remain stuck in the house for several days. "Oh fine. Perhaps I can help you with that. I've been spending more time with your son now than you have been apparently."

Gabriel's look showed that he didn't appreciate your comment, but he chose to ignore it. "The driver should be here shortly."

"Driver? I was really hoping to walk a bit today." You pouted slightly.

He pocketed his phone and crossed his own arms. "You are not in the condition to walk that far..." His eyes glanced towards you and looked away hesitatingly. "Though... I suppose that the driver can take us there and we can access how well you are doing..."

He relented to you? Without even any threats? That was surely a first. It made you worry slightly, but at the same time you could not help but smile. He couldn't do anything to you as you were still too valuable. The limo soon pulled up, a man you did not recognize coming out and opening the back door for you. Giving him a friendly nod, you stepped inside, Mr. Agreste following you without a word.

The ride over to the shopping area wasn't long, as it really wasn't as far as Gabriel made it sound. It was, however, incredibly quiet as the man sat messing with his phone nearly the entire time. For the rest of it, he merely ignored your existence and stared out the window at the passing streetlights. Honestly, you preferred it that way.

The car came to a stop and the door was opened, Mr. Agreste sliding out first. You followed suit, adjusting your coat, and noticed your boss pulling his scarf to cover the lower half of his face. Clearly he did not wish to be recognized. He waved the driver off, and the man nodded, taking the vehicle away. It would be back if so needed.

You headed towards the main entrance, pulling up your hood while the snow tickled your ears and cheeks. Heavy footsteps followed, and Gabriel caught up, both of his hands now gloved and shoved into his coat pockets. Just from his eyes you could tell he was miserable. You almost felt bad.

Reaching the first large-scale industrial store, you headed inside, glad that in the late hours there weren't too many people around. You started to head towards the electronics, still pondering exactly what you wanted to get your friends. The footfalls still followed you, and you turned, seeing Mr. Agreste trailing behind. You sighed and lowered your hood back down, crossing your arms. "Look, what if I was getting you something hm? It would ruin the surprise. I can't have you hovering around me like that the entire time." You pressed a finger to your temple. "I will be fine, alright? And if I'm not then you can lock me away for a few days as recompense. Sound good?"

The ice blue glanced over you for a moment, and he growled, walking up close to you. "Alright, it's a deal. And I assure you I'm taking it very seriously." With that he left, walking down the aisle and turning right, out of sight.

You sighed and turned to Duusu still hidden away. "I felt like I was never going to have a moment of privacy. Now... let's get this over with." Going around the store, you came up with a few ideas and then started to gather them into your hand basket. The newest console for Adrien, some connectors for Nino's set up, the latest designed whisk your mom had been hinting at, a clothing design manual and guide written by some of Marinette's favorite designers, and some ladybug headphones for Alya. Looking through everything one last time, you nodded and began to head up towards the front counter to check out. That was when you spotted Gabriel again, looking lost in the clothing section.

Groaning, you went over to him. He didn't seem to notice you and you came up behind him hearing him muttering to himself, "None of these are suitable... such distasteful garbage..."

"What are you doing?"

He didn't seem startled, but he whipped around to face you, eyes wide. They narrowed immediately and he crossed his arms, remaining silent. You smiled slightly. "Do you... even know what you were going to get Adrien?"

The man refused to look at you, but his arms slackened, his face dropping towards the floor. "I... I'm not sure yet."

You took a step back, appalled. You were not used to him looking... defeated. His voice also lacked that authority it usually had, and it made you feel uncomfortable. This was not the Gabriel Agreste you knew and feared. Swallowing nervously, you walked forwards again. You made sure not to bump into him on accident, but you stood close, feeling compelled to help him out.

"Here, you should take this. This is the new gaming console that Adrien has been wanting but hasn't gotten around to getting." You lifted it from your basket and shoved it at his arms.

He blinked at it for a moment and then looked at you. Hesitatingly, he took it. "How can you be so sure one of his other friends hasn't gotten it for him already?"

You smiled. "Most of his friends aren't wealthy, and that thing costs quite a chunk. It's not something a casual friend would get one another. As for Chloe, she always seems to forget gifts. So it should be fine." You glanced away, feeling your cheeks burn momentarily. "You know if you ever do need help, it's not abhorrent to ask others now and then."

Mr. Agreste cleared his throat. "What will you get him now?"

Shrugging casually, you turned to head back towards the electronics. "I'll get him a few games for that thing. I remember a few of the ones he has mentioned." Gabriel remained staring after you as you walked away.

Duusuu pulled on your ear. "You didn't have to do that you know."

You shushed her. "It's okay. I couldn't just leave him floundering like that. He probably would have killed me later. Besides... I'd rather fight evil with kindness than with more hate if I can help it."

She shook her head. "You would make a great hero if you weren't so trapped you know."

You sighed sadly and continued with your shopping, making your purchases and heading out the door. Gabriel already waited for you there, a heavy-looking bag in hand that obviously contained much more than just the game console. Giving him a smile, you walked past, making your way towards the Seine. He followed, his footfalls even sounding agitated. "This is not the way back. Where are you going?"

Pulling your hood back up to protect yourself from the snowflakes, you glanced over at him. "I have an urge for some coffee. There is only one place open this late, and besides, its snowing. We should enjoy it while it lasts."

Mr. Agreste grumbled. "Yes, for the next several months." Ignoring him, you were just happy he didn't insist on dragging you back. He continued along next to you, his breath creating clouds in the chilled air though his scarf. Maybe this toleration was his way of thanking you for helping him. You were always so unsure now how human his mannerisms really were. One moment for him was never the same as another.

It only took you about five minutes to walk to the coffee shop, passing a small area that was being formed into an ice rink. A few brazen skaters had already come out. You watched on longingly as you walked by, having not been able to take part in this activity for a long while. However, a warm drink sounded so much better right now. There were only a few people scattered around the room, and no line at the front counter.

Pulling out your wallet, you smiled cheerily at the barista. "Hello. I'll take one of the medium peppermint mochas please."

She rung you up, but then you were suddenly being gently pushed to the side, Gabriel walking up to the counter with his own small black wallet out. He muttered, "And I'll have an espresso, nothing else."

The barista looked nervously between you two but then nodded, adding his to the order. You felt confused. "What are you doing now?"

He didn't look at you. "Paying. Your money comes from my company anyways, just go find somewhere to sit."

Blinking a couple times, you merely strode away, putting your wallet back in your purse. You strode onto the open deck and took one of the small tables covered by an umbrella. It was incredibly cold out but you enjoyed it, watching the snow fall down all around the river and city.

You heard someone clearing their throat and you turned to see Gabriel sit opposite you, placing your drinks on the table and pushing yours toward you. Taking it, you still felt like this whole moment was unreal. "Th...thanks."

He raised an eyebrow, lowering his scarf. "Maybe sitting outside was unwise. The chill has made you stutter."

You narrowed your eyes and looked back towards the water, sipping on your coffee. Mr. Agreste unfolded a newspaper, casually reading it to pass the time. Things remained that way for a while, so peaceful, but it had to come to an end.

Finally finishing your drink, you stood, going back inside to put your mug away. Gabriel returned the paper, having finished his coffee long before. Leaving the shop, you headed in the direction of home, feeling sad that your time out and about would stop so abruptly. Your boss trudged through the snow next to you, not saying a word.

Through the air you heard someone yelling. "Oh my god is that... the fashion designer Gabriel Agreste?!" His head whipped around, mouth agape in shock, and you realized he had not drawn his scarf back up.

You turned as well and your hood fell to the side, just your luck. "Ahhh and it's his star with him!"

Everything was a blur and you felt Mr. Agreste's vice grip on your upper arm, dragging you down the street at an incredible speed that you struggled to keep up with. Shouts and screams echoed from behind as well as a general rumble of people advancing. The sight would have been funny if it wasn't so terrifying. Right before you thought you might lose your grip on your bag, Gabriel quickly turned down a side street and immediately darted into an alley. He ran the two of you behind a trash container and pushed you back against the brick wall. Pulling up his scarf, he also drew your hood forward as far as it could manage. His gloved hands went to rest on either side of your head as he pressed you against the bricks, eyes trained towards the street. You panted heavily from the run, but tried to keep quiet, grabbing onto his coat to resist falling to your knees in exhaustion. Maybe you weren't completely back to being yourself yet.

The tremors approached and the crowd ran on, still shouting your names and looking around for where the two of you had vanished. Fortunately none of them spotted your hiding place. They passed and the sounds faded into the distance, but Gabriel kept you pinned to the shadows for a few moments more, just to be certain. In that amount of time you became all too aware of how close he was to you, his face hovering inches above yours. You blushed and let go of his coat, making sure everything was still in your possession.

He finally backed off and checked his things too, white puffs of steam coming from the scarf. His face was red as well, but it was more than likely from the surprise exercise and the cold. You crossed your arms and began to head out of the alley. "I take it this is more a reason than any to head back home then?"

Fingers grasped your arm and you stopped, turning to face him. He shook his head. "No, actually. Most of Paris knows where I... where we live now. They will have headed that way. It would be best to let them... get bored."

You tilted your head. "What do you have in mind then?"

He pulled you along, much more gently this time, and led you out the other side of the small passageway. "You seemed interested in the ice skating. We can do that as long as we don't give ourselves away. I think you've proven yourself mostly healed after that moment of excitement."

Nodding at him, you struggled against a smile. Seeing him dance was one thing, but now you were going to see him ice skate? It was almost too much. Keeping your hood up, you trailed along after your boss as he made sure his scarf covered half of his face once again. You reached the small rink shortly, and rented some skates from a very boisterous man whom was happy to keep your bags safe in the meantime.

You went out onto the ice, struggling against the slippery surface. Gabriel slid past you with ease, turning around and pausing with an eyebrow raised. "I think this is the first time I have ever seen you really struggle with something."

Pouting, your knees buckled and you fell, smacking them against the solid ground, hard. You cried out and gritted your teeth, starting to make your way back up. Gloved hands grabbed your elbows and helped you effortlessly. Mr. Agreste merely shook his head at you, but you knew under your scarf he was smirking, and you hated it.

Finally finding your sense of balance, you began to skate forward, some memories coming back to your mind. The movements began to take hold and you moved on, picking up speed and momentum. Laughing you went around and around while Gabriel preferred to stick to going at a slower pace in the middle of the rink.

It was on your fifth pass that he moved faster and caught your shoulder, making you pause. He leaned towards you, "I think that is enough. We should head back without any disturbances now."

You nodded, crossing your arms with a shiver. It was starting to really get cold now, and a bit of a breeze had picked up. Many of the other skaters were heading out, and you felt drowsy from your exciting day. You returned the skates and retrieved your things, heading back towards the house, Gabriel beside you. Cautiously you glanced over at him, and he merely seemed lost in thought, his eyes on the road ahead. This was a weird feeling, going along like this. The evening had... almost felt like a date.

Shaking your head vigorously, you turned to look at the sidewalk with beet-red cheeks. How could you even begin to think something like that? Fortunately there was no one at the house when you reached it, and Nathalie had the doors wide open after the two of you had entered the gate.

You started to dash upstairs, feeling quite embarrassed from the whole ordeal, but you paused, remembering what you had said to Duusuu earlier. Looking back, knowing your face was definitely still blushing, you called out to Gabriel whom was taking off his coat, "Thank you... th-thank you for everything," and you practically sprinted to your room, slamming the door.