I came up with this story after listening to Imagine Dragon Demons. I can see Gabriel being described by song. It fits him. As for the rest. I can't help but feel that Adrien did have a loving home life with his parents, with Gabriel before Emilie's accident. They may have been over protective, but they did love him, they adored him really. I feel like they were all close. Why else would Adrien be so hurt by his dad's dismissal in the show? He's sad and disappointed because his relationship with his father hadn't always been strained.

Disclaimer, I do not own Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, all rights belong to Thomas and his team of Miraculous creators.

Gabriel had never thought that he'd have the chance to hold Adrien like this ever again. His latest akuma was a distraught mother who got into an argument with her daughter. Her ability was to regress the ages of her victims, she wanted her daughter to be a child for just a little longer. The designer knew the pain of your child getting older, of your child not wanting to do as they were told. Though Adrien wasn't at the state of disobedience, in fact, Adrien submitted most of the time.

Unless, it was something he felt was important to him.

Now Gabriel was sitting on the couch in Adrien's room. His son had fallen victim to the attack, but thankfully had only been regressed to the age of a six year old. Gabriel hadn't realized how much he had missed this stage of Adrien's life. The finger painting, the silly games, the absolute admiration that his son had for him. The boy would hang off of his every word and tell him everything that came to mind.

And no secrets were kept.

Upon seeing his villain turn his son into a child, Gabriel couldn't help but recall her akuma to keep it in a safer place. He would have to return the woman's powers eventually and make an attempt to get the miraculouses, but Gabriel needed this. The man wouldn't be ashamed to say this is the happiest he'd been since Emilie's accident. Adrien was snuggled close to his chest, sleeping blissfully unaware of the troubles of the world. It seemed as if the spell had taken Adrien's memories. He only remembered his life up to six years old.

Gabriel was thankful for the small blessings.

He would feel bad telling Adrien a lie about where his mother was. But he's been lying about what has really happened to her for a year now, another merciful lie wasn't going to be any worse. If he asked he was to be told that she was away on business. While he was a bit disappointed, at least Adrien would be spared from the truth. Gabriel looked down at his son who curled into a tighter ball. Tiny little arms looped around Gabriel's waist possessively. It was almost as if Adrien subconsciously thought he'd disappear.

The designer let his hand run through the boy's hair and sighed. It really had been a long time.

"I know I'm going to have to let my akuma finish its work." Gabriel spoke aloud, Adrien had always been a heavy sleeper as a child, so his confession wouldn't be heard. "I need Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. Once I get them, everything will be better. I promise."

Gabriel didn't like having to keep secrets from his son, he didn't like creating villains that endangered his son. It was all for a greater purpose. Adrien would understand what he was doing. Though, with how much Adrien admires Ladybug, Gabriel doubted he'd want to help. The reflection of the computer monitor in the window reminded the man of that. A picture of the elusive heroin had managed to make it on the screen saver along with the boy's mother.

Regardless if Adrien wanted to help or not, Gabriel didn't want his son involved. It not only kept him innocent to the man's crimes should Gabriel be caught, it also kept the boy from suffering with a guilty heart. Adrien was too good, too perfect to be tainted like this. Gabriel knew the things he was doing was changing him. He was becoming a different person due to his actions.

He was cruel, he was angry, he was mean. Worst of all, he even acted that way to his own son.

"I'm sorry Adrien." he kissed the top of his son's head. "I know I haven't been there for you, things have changed so much. But I..."

Gabriel paused and looked out Adrien's windows. It wasn't the first time he had realized that they resembled jail bars. Was that why Adrien was always so desperate to escape his room? So desperate to be anywhere but home? The man tried to shove those thoughts from his mind and look at what had caught his attention. In spite of the inky darkness outside the window, Gabriel could see a feminine silhouette pacing on the rooftop across the street.

Ladybug?

Grey eyes squinted in confusion. He knew that Ladybug cared about those she had been charged with protecting by the guardian of the miraculous. But why was she hovering outside their home? Maybe she suspected he was Hawkmoth. Or maybe, Gabriel looked down at Adrien's peaceful face, she had feelings for his son? If that were true, he literally was holding leverage over Ladybug. But could he really go so far as to choose to put Adrien in direct danger once again?

Eventually his luck would run out.

Riposte was willing to kill the boy over a mistake, Gorizilla dropped him off a skyscraper, and Style Queen nearly tuned Adrien into gold dust. That wasn't even counting his classmates becoming villains or even Vulpina who had sought after the boy. Gabriel sighed and tightened his grip on his son. He really had become a terrible father.

Even if he couldn't see her face, Gabriel could feel her eyes on him. Could she feel his eyes on her too? Ladybug must have noticed him watching her because she swung off as quickly as she came. He'd get those earrings, Chat Noir's ring, he'd have them all. He promised Emilie he'd save her, bring her back to them.

He promised her so many things. And he aimed to make them a reality.

"Daddy?" Adrien had woken up. He tiredly rubbed his green eyes and eased himself out of Gabriel's lap. "What happened?"

A loving smile came to Gabriel's face as he noticed a stream of drool that had snuck from Adrien's mouth. With a chuckle Gabriel wiped it away with his thumb. "Well, Mr. Agreste. After consuming and obscene amount of cookies and juice, you proceeded to have a sugar rush and then, after an hour of tag, you fell asleep in the hallway."

"Oh." It seemed rubbing his eyes hadn't erased any of his drowsiness. Adrien lost his energy and promptly snuggled back into his father's chest. "I like playing tag with you, papa..."

It didn't take long for the exhausted boy to fall asleep once again. Gabriel cocooned his son in his arms and rested his chin on the top of Adrien's blond hair. Tomorrow, Gabriel decided as he looked at the night sky I'll send the akuma back out tomorrow. A painful feeling tugged at Gabriel's heart, he kind of didn't want to go back to his 'secret mission'. Would it be a crime if he had another day to enjoy spending time with his son?

Pushing Adrien away had been his punishment for what had happened to Emilie. He couldn't protect her, so he didn't deserve their son. Right? He was unworthy of spending time with Emilie's son. That was why he had been keeping Adrien at a distance. Gabriel knew it made Adrien feel disposed of, but Gabriel just couldn't be so selfish with his son. He barely deserved the time he allotted himself to have with Adrien.

He could tell, by the way Adrien's face lit up at the sight of him, the boy craved the attention.

"I love you, son." Gabriel sighed as he reclined back on the couch. It had been a long time since he last slept on a couch, not since his early days as a designer. When he thought about Adrien's current predicament. His son being half the age he was supposed to be, Gabriel did feel guilty. "It seems that I protect you from everything except myself."

Looking up at Adrien's ceiling, the shadows of the window frame stretched across his field of vision. They were just like prison bars the man remembered. Does Adrien think of this room as a prison? Gabriel could feel his eyes getting heavy, Adrien's soft breathing was making him sleepy. One night on the couch wouldn't hurt him. He didn't have the heart to leave Adrien alone. Gabriel also knew he didn't have the will to keep away tonight. Tonight he'd be selfish and just hold his son.

"I'm sorry, Emilie. I can't be strong right now." His eyes slipped shut and he let himself fall asleep.

It was the best night's sleep he had gotten in a year.