Hey everyone! Here is another one shot based on the prompt submitted by the amazing Khano from Miraculous Fanworks!
You know the drill, I don't own the characters, just the plot! Sending all my love and melty camembert hearts!
Enjoy!
Hugo let his head fall hard against the kitchen table, ignoring the way Louis was laughing at his suffering.
His brain felt like it was on fire. What if it melted? What if his brains started seeping out of his ears and maman fell because of it? Would maman and père kick him out of the house, causing him to live on the streets with a melted brain and…
"HUGO!" Louis yelled, barely able to contain his laughter.
"Ugh, shut up Louis." Hugo groaned, glaring at his older brother.
"Nuh uh, I don't like that word." Their mother scolded as she walked into the kitchen, seeing her eldest with green eyes that were far too bright and her youngest son with blue eyes almost as solid as sapphires.
"Sorry maman." Hugo muttered, lifting himself up and motioned dramatically to the notebook and study guides in front of him, "But it's not fair! Why do I have to learn this? I'm already taking ESL in school, WHY do I need to learn Chinese?"
Marinette sighed heavily, shaking her head as she started pulling things out of the fridge for dinner, "Because you are part Chinese, it's a piece of your heritage Hugo."
Louis moved automatically, taking things from his mother's hands and setting them on the counter. Hugo couldn't help but be jealous of his brother sometimes. Louis was good at everything, even something mundane like this, simply getting up to help their pregnant mother without being prompted.
He was already pulling down pots and pans and certain spices, as Hugo watched the smile on their mother's face brighten. "I've got it Lou."
"I don't mind maman. Spicy beef and pepper stir-fry?" Louis asked knowingly.
"You got me." Marinette said, ruffling his midnight hair, "Are you sure you don't mind Lou?"
"Nah, that's easy. Will you just cut up the peppers for me?" Louis asked, already prepping the beef.
"Sure." Marinette said, turning to grab a knife and getting to work on the peppers, standing opposite of Hugo.
She asked him curiously, "Are you struggling with something?"
Hugo sighed, "Not really…" it wasn't something, it seemed like everything. Between the characters and particles, he felt like he wasn't making any major headway in grasping the language at all. Sure he could identify most of the characters that were in front of him, but they were just a turrent of strokes and lines that refused to reveal their secrets.
His mother spouted something off in chinese and he looked up, rapidly blinking at her, "Uhh…"
She said it again a little slower and he once again let the table meet his head, "Nothing. I've got nothing."
"None of it?" Marinette asked, finishing up the veggies and placing them in a bowl next to Louis where he worked diligently on the stove making dinner.
"Maman this is impossible." Hugo groaned, not bothering to lift his head.
"Why don't you take a break, go play your violin for a bit to help you calm down." She ruffled his golden hair fondly before kissing the side of his head, "Come back to it when you feel ready."
"Okay…" he whispered, closing all his books and getting up from the table. Louis looked back, teasing him with a wink, "At least with the violin you don't worry about your brain melting."
"Shut up Lou!" He yelled blushing. Had he said that out loud earlier?
"Hugo." Marinette scolded, making him frown, "Sorry maman."
Louis barked out a laugh and Hugo smiled to himself as maman smacked his brother on the back of the head.
Hugo pulled his lead legs up the stairs, hearing his father's voice on the phone as he grabbed his violin from his room. He approached the office door slowly, "I understand that things happen, but the problem is that the interview was re-scheduled for Tuesday. My wife has a doctors appointment on Monday, that we are not, I repeat, ARE NOT, missing. So unfortunately we either keep the Tuesday date and time, or we cancel the interview."
He peered inside, his father beaming what seemed like pure unfiltered sunshine in his direction before waving him inside. He walked in, his father still smiling despite his harsh tone, "Then cancel the interview. I don't like being threatened and trust me, ADC has the resources to make things extremely hard for you."
Hugo snickered, his father winking at him, "You can bet I am serious. Have a good afternoon."
Adrien hung up the phone and Hugo commented when his father sighed, "They rescheduled the fall brand interview again?"
"Yes, and that's the sixth time. I'm done going in circles." His father muttered something in Chinese and Hugo groaned.
Adrien peered up at his son, glad that Marinette's eyes hadn't been lost. "What? What did I say?"
"I don't know." Hugo shrugged, pulling out his violin as a distraction, "I couldn't understand maman downstairs either so…" he shrugged, walking over to the large screen where still shots of his mother's designs for the fall line played on loop.
Adrien smiled at him, "You'll get there Hugo, learning a language doesn't come overnight. Even I still struggle to find words sometimes."
Hugo rolled his eyes as he turned to the side, placing his violin under his chin, "I know pere, it's just frustrating." He closed his eyes and started playing quietly, letting the simple lullaby soothe his frazzled nerves.
Adrien watched in absolute awe as his son played the violin as though it was a natural part of him. Plagg peeked out from the collar of his shirt, whispering it softly, "Gotta hand it to you kid, you're kitten is amazing."
He chuckled, whispering a soft shh to the little kwami god of destruction.
When the last note hung in the air, Hugo let out a deep breath, lowering the violin.
"I'm never going to get over watching you play." Adrien said truthfully, eyes fully trained on his son.
Hugo stared at the violin, "It's nothing special. Playing the violin is easy. I don't have to think about it, it just.. happens."
Adrien raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "Son, that kind of talent doesn't just happen."
Hugo smiled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck in a way Adrien knew far too well, "I think you are just biased because you're my dad."
Adrien chuckled, "Oh that's definitely true, but what I said is too. People don't just pick up an instrument one day and start playing. That is something that takes time and effort," he walked over, tapping his son on the tip of his nose and making the smile reach his eyes, "and a little patience when things don't go your way."
Hugo admitted it defeatedly, "Lou is good at everything though père. He fences, plays piano, and speaks fluent Chinese. He tested out of his ESL class last year because he's fluent in English too! He cooks like it's nothing, and is able to help you with work. Everyone loves him, like he's some sort of miniature sun that everyone just gravitates to."
He felt like gravity increased over his entire body, and Adrien's hands found his son's shoulders, "You listen to me Hugo," sad blue eyes met forest green, and Adrien's voice softened, "You're brother is four years older than you, and you just turned ten. When he was your age, he was still struggling with piano, and fencing." Adrien scrunched his face, "I'm not going to lie, your brother has a weird affiliation for languages that scares even me,"
Hugo laughed, making Adrien smile, "but his accomplishments are in no way any more or less important than yours. You'll get there, as long as you never give up." He ran his hand over the golden hair he and his son shared, "If you're brother is like the sun, then you are the moon. Just as captivating, just as important, and just as loved by everyone you meet."
"It doesn't feel that way." Hugo whispered.
Adrien pulled his son into a tight hug, "How can I help?"
"Switch brains with me so that I can already know Chinese." He muttered sarcastically.
Adrien waved him off, "Trust me, you don't want my brain. It's an absolute mess in there."
"Père, you're a dork." Hugo said, shaking his head fondly as his father laughed.
Adrien studied Hugo for a minute, telling him as a glint entered his eyes, "How long have you been studying Chinese for, a few months now right?"
Hugo nodded, "Seven months… I've had conversations with grandmere, with uncle Cheng, and even with Fei a few times. They helped me get through a few things, but it seems like no matter what, I can't get the words to actually form. It's like I'm standing at the bottom of a twenty foot tall wall with no way over."
Adrien's phone vibrated and he moved to grab it, humming to himself, "Hmm… what did your uncle have to say?"
Hugo watched a frown form on his father's face as he texted quickly, "That it would come in time, once I got comfortable understanding it."
"And Fei, I know she had an opinion." Adrien said fondly.
Hugo smiled, "Yeah, she said that I was overthinking it, and the more I tried to understand, the more trouble I was probably going to have."
"Do you have trouble understanding?" Adrien asked in Chinese, slow enough that Hugo was able to pick out the gist of his sentence.
"Sort of? I mean, there are some words I understand, like trouble and understand just now but, sometimes it's like everything just jumbles together like white noise." He put his violin back under his chin, "Music is easier."
He started playing and Adrien listened to the sad song play for a second, asking him in Chinese to put his idea into motion, "Why is music easier?"
Hugo didn't skip a beat, "It just is. It makes sense and things flow. Each note follows a progression into another. Simple."
Adrien smiled, continuing to speak in Chinese, "Yeah, you're right. You can't advance without starting somewhere."
"I have started père, that's what's so frustrating." His playing changed slightly, increasing in tempo. The music increased in speed as Hugo's frustration at his own lack of understanding.
"Slow down, use your words." Adrien said, having no intention of breaking his son's stride by switching back to French. "Words are like music, if you fight it, all you'll hear is noise."
Hugo responded exactly the way Adrien hoped, in Chinese, "I'm not fighting it, I can't get the words together correctly."
"That comes with time." Adrien commented, "You can't rush things Hue."
"I should at least be able to say some things." Hugo replied annoyed at himself, never once stopping his beautiful playing.
"Like carrying on small conversations." Adrien said in understanding, seeing Marinette wandering near the office, no doubt in search for their son. Adrien pointed at Hugo and put a finger to his lips. Marinette nodded in understanding, so he pointed at his ears as Hugo played and responded once again.
"Exactly, and I can't even do that. I feel useless."
Marinette's eyes widened, questioning her husband silently. Adrien mimicked the motion of playing the violin, and Marinette smiled as he responded to Hugo, "You are not useless. I think you are doing amazing."
Adrien only waited a beat, "Considering we've had this entire conversation in Chinese I mean, that's a stride if I've ever seen one."
The bow stilled in Hugo's hand, turning slowly to look at his father and seeing his mother standing near the desk with a proud smile on her face.
"Wait, we did what?" Hugo asked in French.
Adrien chuckled, "You know it Hugo, but I think Fei was right. You were trying so hard to piece it all together, all you ended up with was,"
"White noise." Hugo said in understanding, lifting his violin, "I wasn't even thinking, like when I play. It was so natural…"
Marinette went over and hugged Hugo tightly, telling him happily, "I never had any doubt that you could do it."
He hugged her back carefully, her baby bump already starting to show, "Thanks maman."
"PÈRE!" Louis screamed from downstairs, Adrien disappeared from the room in the blink of an eye, Marinette moving quickly but Hugo stopped her, "Don't move too fast maman, you already almost fell twice this week."
She sighed heavily, "You're right. Thanks kitten." She kissed the top of his head and he told her in Chinese, "I love you mom."
She beamed, "I love you too." He kept her hand as they walked out of the office, "I hope your brother is okay."
They entered the kitchen to find Adrien with a plate and cup in his hand, a smile fighting to come out.
"Adrien?"
"Mouse." Adrien responded simply with a chuckle.
Louis's face was pale, "Maman it touched me!"
Marinette went over to hug Louis, and Hugo asked his father in Chinese, "Need any help?"
"Grab the door?" Adrien asked proudly.
Hugo smiled, going to open the door for his father to let the mouse outside. He whispered it in Chinese, Adrien's hand going to his shoulder. "Bye little mouse."
They walked back inside, Hugo listening to the familiar voices of his family as he shut the door behind him.
Thanks for reading! More is coming soon so don't fret!
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Au Revoir for now!