Gabriel and Nathalie have always been people to push aside their emotions. They were factual people who tried to act rationally and logically instead of rushing into a decision without much thinking.

This is why Nathalie ignored her unrequited crush on her boss instead of confessing her feelings. Though, of course, his happiness met the world to her and so she worked hard with him to get Emilie back.

This is why Gabriel had ignored anything he had ever felt towards his assistant because on paper, as he viewed most things, she was his assistant. It made sense because, on paper, he was married to his wife, Emilie Agreste.

The problem was their lives were much more complicated than issues that could be written on paper. Regardless if they wanted to admit it Emilie was in a coma from using the peacock miraculous and Nathalie was on a similar path as her. Not only did the two women's paths overlap there but they at one point had been in love with Gabriel Agreste. The biggest problem for Nathalie being that the one point in her life was now, but Gabriel's biggest problem was that he reciprocated feelings that he didn't even know about.

Gabriel gave up for a bit. He said Mayura would be more powerful if Nathalie is well-rested. He just wants Nathalie well, he can't lose her. His brain is already scattered and soon he becomes risky, not in his attempts to get Emilie, but in his attempts to show Nathalie just how much he cares.

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He is bored, Nathalie has told him nothing important is on his schedule. Her schedule is clear today and Adrien won't be home until late, he has his bodyguard with him though. It's just them, Gabriel and Nathalie, together, in the mansion. They're in the same room too, Nathalie tapping away, almost mindlessly on her keyboard, while Gabriel pretends to be analyzing his monitor. It's just a blank screen but pretending to look at his computer offers the best view of his assistant.

He takes some time to admire the way her traditional blazer and turtleneck hug her body. He tries not to imagine leaving marks on her neck that would force her to wear that sweater, that fails, and soon he sees her wearing next to nothing. Her body is covered with marks that he knows he made. The thought leaves him as Nathalie starts coughing violently.

Running over he rests a hand on her back and feels helpless as she continues to cough. Blood starts to come up and so Gabriel grabs a small trash can and she throws up her breakfast. He gives her a tissue and she wipes her mouth.

"It's getting worse," he notes, "you weren't throwing up before. Is this the first time?"

Nathalie shakes her head, "no, it's happened a few times before."

"And when did you plan to tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you," Nathalie said, her voice hoarse.

Gabriel hugs Nathalie the best he can from his standing position while she is still seated in her office chair.

"You're never a bother Nath, I need to take care of you, if your condition is getting worse I need to know," Gabriel tells her.

He leaves words unsaid because he can't tell her half of what he feels, he doesn't think he would be able to articulate it properly if he could tell her.

He offers a hand to her and she uses him as a support as he guides her to the bathroom. He leaves the room quickly and brings her back a glass of water. She brings the glass to her lips and swishes the water around her mouth before spitting it into the sink. She does this two more times before the taste of vomit is gone.

Gabriel hands her a mint from his pocket and she graciously takes it. She would have taken anything to get the smell of vomit off her breath. He picks her up and carries her, bridal style, towards his bedroom.

Anyone else who might have seen the image would have immediately assumed that they were married. If they looked at the paper, who Gabriel and Nathalie actually were, confusion would take over. Standard lines were blurred in their relationship, from boss and employee, maybe even friends, but whatever they were, pushed past the limits of most relationships they had on paper.

"I am capable of walking," Nathalie protests although Gabriel isn't bothering to listen to any of it.

"You need to rest," he tells her as he sets her down.

"I have to work, there are emails I have to answer!"

"No, you said yourself we were not busy today so you're taking the rest of the day off."

"Come on, bring me my tablet if you're going to force me to stay here," Nathalie begged.

"No," Gabriel simply said and kissed her forehead, "now get some rest."

Nathalie hardly remembers falling asleep but when she wakes up a pair of arms are wrapped around her. She feels a calm breath against her ear and assumes they must be sleeping. She looks down at the hands to try and identify whoever is holding her. Nathalie doesn't spot Gabriel's wedding band but she knows it has to be Gabriel, who else would be in his bedroom with her?

Another tricky situation on paper. A boss should not be in the same bed as his assistant. A friend should not cuddle another the same way Gabriel hugs Nathalie. Even in their lives, it's tricky because both don't want to leave but in a slightly compromising position, they know they really shouldn't be in but it's comfortable, and neither wants to move.

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"Gabriel, why don't you wear your wedding band anymore?" Nathalie asks when Gabriel shifts around signaling that he is now awake.

"If I don't love her anymore I don't see the need to wear it," Gabriel explains.

"You don't love her anymore?"

"No, someone else caught my eye and now I can't imagine anyone but her by my side," Gabriel tells her and Nathalie can't let herself believe that it can be her, it can't be.

Nathalie had proved herself to be loyal and devoted but lovable, attractive, that wasn't her. She had been by Gabriel for so long she couldn't imagine a different scenario but of course, he had fallen for a different girl, it would be absurd to think he would never fall in love again.

The silence was comfortable as neither tried to move away from the embrace. Both had so much to say but neither could bring themselves to say any of it. Feelings remained repressed as they both laid together almost trapped within themselves as neither can speak up. Nathalie was shocked to feel Gabriel's lips against the top of her neck that wasn't covered by her turtleneck.

"Gabriel," she gasps with the contact, "what are you doing?"

"Well, I was hoping to make a pretty girl feel special," he says and his lips brush against her ear.

Nathalie blushes and is glad she is facing away from him, "this is completely inappropriate!" she pulls away from his grasp, irritated by the action.

Nathalie almost loses her balance standing up but storms away anyway. She can barely see straight, her vision is cloudy and spotty at best, her world is spinning weird with how fast she stood up. Nathalie doesn't even make it to the door before she faints.

Gabriel immediately runs to her body and immediately notices how cold she is.

"Oh, Nathalie," Gabriel signs, picking her up. He doesn't understand how she pushes herself so hard, she needs a break and she still goes until she physically collapses. He places her back on the bed and covers her with his blanket. He runs a hand along her face which is paler than usual.

Gabriel knows he should be working but he can't leave the woman in such a vulnerable state. He lays down back beside her. It shouldn't be hard to leave your assistant but Gabriel knows she has become so much more than that. He needs to tell her, he is losing his mind over the fact that he can't but he can't have her walk away. If he tells the truth, he is almost certain she will leave and he can't watch as she would and so he stays as they are because at least he can see her.

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Gabriel scolds Nathalie when she is up out of bed the next day though it doesn't come as a surprise. Nothing ever comes between Nathalie and her work, as much as Gabriel may try to get and take a break. She still looks sickly, pale, with slight bags under her eyes. She must have noticed this morning because she is wearing glasses with a thick frame that help to hide them a bit.

"It wouldn't kill you to rest when you're unwell, you know?" Gabriel points out.

"Except that I would have been out for a few months now. I'm fine to work, sir."

"You're allowed whatever time you need off, I don't care what your contract says."

"I think we violated that contract a while ago," Nathalie points out, clearly referring to how many lines their relationship blurs.

Gabriel knows this, their relationship was far from professional at this point. It had been anything but professional since Emilie slipped into her coma. He ends up staring at Nathalie's light peach-colored lips, he wonders if they taste like peach too or if they would just have a similar sweetness.

"Are you alright, sir? Maybe you are the one that needs some time off," Nathalie suggests.

"I can assure you I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure? You seemed zoned out."

"Just thinking of a plan," he assured her. A plan to ask her out, but a plan nonetheless.

Nathalie quietly groans, she should have known better than to think Gabriel would actually give up. Looking at it now, she is surprised to see his wedding band still isn't on. Maybe it's all a part of his plan, maybe he's trying to manipulate another person to help him bring back his wife. Of course, she isn't good enough, he wants someone more powerful, who can do their job right unlike her.

"Even pale you're really pretty," Gabriel says rather bluntly.

Nathalie blushes adding some color to her face, "that isn't an appropriate comment to make in the workplace."

Gabriel stands up and walks towards her. He puts a hand under her chin and forces her to keep eye contact.

On paper, there would be no way to explain this. They could say that Gabriel was checking her pupils but that would never be believable. On paper, it could be considered harassment. Both were slowly learning that paper could be far from factual and that it could never tell the full story.

"I thought you established that we don't follow that contract anyway," Gabriel points out.

"I-" Nathalie stutters and pushes her chair back to put some distance in between them, "I'm taking a break, I think you need some time alone."

Nathalie tries to control her breathing. Gabriel never should have been that close to her. She only had to lean forwards what felt like 5 inches to kiss him. She doesn't know if that's a fact or her own illness that is making her dizzy now. In and out, slowly, she has to remind herself how to breathe. Don't think about him, heartless, it's inappropriate, he's still technically married, over his wife maybe only a day ago.

Gabriel watches as he leaves and he knows it's his fault. He shouldn't try and push her so much. He hates how easily he can lose control around her. Everything else isn't important when she is around, he only cares about her, wants to make sure she is okay. He wants to go after her but he doesn't know if that would make it worse.

Nathalie knows she has to return to work. Actually, she knows she doesn't have to and Gabriel would still pay her the same but she can't just avoid him for the rest of her life. Heartless, cold, she reminds herself, emotionless, just as she always has been.

"I'm sorry," Gabriel says as she walks back in and Nathalie knows she has messed up.

Gabriel Agreste doesn't apologize.

"Are you sure you're in the right head? I don't think I've ever heard you apologize, sir."

"To have you leave like that, I'm pretty sure you deserve an apology."

"Forget about it," Nathalie quickly says because she can't relive it all again.

Gabriel opens his mouth to speak but all the words die on his tongue. She hates him, he knows it. He has messed everything up, it's all he ever seems to do now. That's why Nathalie plans everything because she is perfect, even if she can't see it, Gabriel knows it's true.

Nathalie had moved back to her desk and was scrolling through her tablet while remaining calm with the idiot on the other end of the phone that was pressed to her ear. Gabriel moves back to his area too. He flips through his sketchbook and notices how all his muses look like his assistant who huffs as she hangs the phone up.

"It never gets easier," he notes.

"It has, a bit, in the seventeen years I've been here," she says, knowing she was hired just before Adrien was born as if her contract came with the nanny policy they had adapted to.

"Can you come here and look at these?" he requests.

Nathalie nods and stands up, her vision doesn't go too far out of focus and she's thankful for that.

"They're all incredible," Nathalie gives a small smile, "but they always are."

"I guess I've felt more inspired recently."

"She's beautiful," Nathalie notes, running a hand over one of the pages.

"Indeed you are," Gabriel agrees.

Nathalie blushes, "there is no way that is me."

"Stop doubting yourself, you're beautiful."

"Sir, we have been over this-"

Gabriel gives up control because all he wants to do is kiss her. He just wants her to understand how beautiful and loved she is. It might be impossible to express it all in one kiss but he tries as he presses his lips to hers.

They are both breathless as their kiss comes to an end, a longed-for desire finally satisfied. Gabriel can't regret it, he wants nothing more than to do it again. Nathalie is on an entirely different page because in no world should an assistant kiss her boss, this shouldn't be happening, yet she can't bring herself to regret it.

"Sir, I-"

Gabriel knows he has messed up so he goes with the urge to kiss her again. She tastes sweet and it's addicting, he knows he can't become used to it but he would love to kiss her every single day. Remind her every single day that he loves her that he can't even express it.

Would it be considered cheating? Maybe on the paper when he is still married to Emilie. Perhaps it would be considered moving on though because if someone kept reading the paper Emilie was gone and so the marriage was meaningless to most.

Nathalie knows she shouldn't be doing this. Nathalie knows Gabriel doesn't love her. The feel of his soft lips against hers, and his scent that is intoxicating, makes the whole thing incredibly addicting. She was going to apologize but she's not sure she can after this, because no part of her is the slightest bit sorry.

On paper, Nathalie was certain she looked more like a mistress because the paper would tell everyone that Gabriel was married and Nathalie was in love with that married man. If someone looked closer, perhaps Nathalie was good for him. Emilie had been 'missing' for over two years now.

"I gave her up for you," Gabriel tells Nathalie.

Nathalie feels her heart stop, "no, you can't, you-" now her breathing has gone rapid, she doesn't know what she's saying.

Nathalie does the only thing she can possibly rationalize in her head now, she leaves. She pulls away from Gabriel's grasp that he had around her waist. It's not a surprise that her bun comes undone when she turns around. Gabriel had played with her hair and she had felt it was loose. Her hair cascades past her shoulders and the ends settle around her mid-back.

"Your hair looks beautiful down, you should wear it like that more often," Gabriel smirks, stopping Nathalie a few feet from the door.

"No!" Nathalie exclaims, turning around, "we aren't doing this! You don't love me, you love her, I will never be her, and I will certainly not be her replacement!"

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I love you? I didn't want to tell you, alright? This is exactly how I knew you would react but when you push yourself every day and I'm stuck here feeling helpless, I couldn't just watch as you fall sicker each day!" his voice raises though he isn't shouting yet.

"Nobody has ever loved me, that's just how it is. I fall in love with people who will never feel the same until I push them away. I didn't expect you to stay this long but that doesn't mean you love me."

"But it means you love me?" Gabriel realizes.

"Wasn't it obvious? Yes, admiration changed quickly to affection," she starts to simmer down because she really can't handle the yelling and is surprised she hasn't coughed yet.

"Nathalie," he speaks slowly trying to calm her down, "every part of me loves you, I promise. You're scared, that's okay, but I love you."

"I love you," she repeats, because she does love him, and she wants to believe it's reciprocated.

It would have been simple on paper. When two people love each other, it's 'easy'. They date, get married, live their life the way they decide. It's beautiful and simplistic as many people think love is. This is not factual for Gabriel and Nathalie because they are not simple people who can live a simple life that everyone reads about in a fairy tale. They love each other though, and so no matter what, they know that's factual.