Chapter 18: Accepting

"The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance."

-Brian Tracy

Adrien was tired of sneaking around his father and the big pink, purple, and blue elephant in the room.

It had been a month since he'd come out and Gabriel had hardly spoken to him: always busy with work and other commitments. Always making excuses of why he didn't have the time to talk, even for a minute. It truly enraged and frustrated the blond. Adrien just wanted him to see that he could be his own person with his own life. Adrien just wanted acceptance. If his father couldn't do anything else for him, his acceptance was all he wanted.

He said as much to Marinette as they cuddled in her bed during their lunch break.

Marinette squeezed him around the waist. "So you want to talk to him again?"

"Mhm."

"Okay. Once you got him, what would you say?"

Adrien looked to her ceiling and shrugged. "I don't know yet."

"Oh! You can try it out on me." Adrien's eyebrows furrowed as she sat up and smiled down at him encouragingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Pretend I'm Gabriel and practice what you would say."

Adrien shook his head but sat up. He appreciated her willingness to help but he wasn't sure how much this would help. As he thought of what to say, his eyes traveled to a pair of matching hickeys he and Luka had made the day before on her shoulder. They had been hidden under the sweater she'd worn that day that now laid discarded at the foot of her bed. He smiled, memories of that day flooding his mind and giving him an idea. "Okay. First off, Father, I would like to say thank you for meeting with me today."

Marinette harrumphed in a low voice trying to imitate his father. "What do you want, son?"

"Well, I just wanted to say that you look extremely beautiful today. I can't wait to kiss you."

"Of course. Of cou- Wait. What?" Marinette squeaked before finding herself on her back with Adrien leaning over her, grinning. "Adrien-" She was silenced by the tongue that slipped into her mouth as Adrien kissed her. Her train of thought was derailed even further when he covered her body with his own. He could see the wheels trying to turn and spark back up the conversation but he saw them give up as he deepened the kiss.

When Adrien was sure he'd successfully changed the topic, he dragged his lips down her neck and started giving her neck lavish attention in hopes of leaving another mark like the ones on her shoulder.

"Not where anyone can see!" She squeaked as he lightly bit her. She was very adamant about no one seeing any hickeys on her despite her love of littering their necks with them, not that he was complaining. Getting an idea, he smirked.

"Okay." He moved up to kiss her lips as his hands slowly slid her shirt up, feeling her warm, soft skin. He then moved down her body and placed a light kiss above her belly button. Her body tensed and she gasped and he worried she didn't like it, but when her hand weaved through his hair, he took it as encouragement. Moving up slowly, he lavished her skin with his lips, tongue, and teeth, noting where he was when she sighed, moaned, and giggled. By the time he made it to her bra line, she was panting and her legs had wrapped around his torso. Her eyes closed at some point during his exploration and he wanted her eyes on him.

"Marinette." He whispered. When she looked at him with half lidded eyes, he kissed between the valley of her breasts before moving to the right. Instead of going for his normal target, he licked and sucked on the plumpness that showed above her bra. Her fingers curled in his hair and he felt her legs tightened around him. When he was satisfied with the sizable hickey he was leaving, he moved away. "See? Where no one can see." He moved but she pulled his hair, earning her a moan from him.

"Please Adrien. Please." She whispered and directed his head back down to her chest. Smiling, he lowered his head along with his hips. Her moan turned into a gasp as he pulled her nipple into his mouth and rolled his hips into her. The sounds she made were so addictive that his head moved to her other side by itself, but she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him up until he was kneeling between her legs.

"Marinette?" She sat up and continued to push him back until he was flat on his back and she was crawling over his body to straddle his lap. Just the sight of her moving over him like that made him so hot.

"It's my turn." His breath shallowed out as he gazed up at her: astride him, shirt up, hickeys visible, hair askew, flushed and completely in charge. His body zinged with heat at the thought of her taking control of him and his body. He would literally let her do anything to him in that moment. Gripping her waist, he groaned as she leaned forward and attacked his neck.

"Please." He breathed. "Please mark me." He felt her smile against his neck before biting him hard enough to leave a mark. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sensations but they flew back open when he felt cool air brush his torso. The sight of her shoving his shirt up and off in order to attached her lips to his nipple was almost too much. He did not expect it to feel so good to have her lips there and his hips bucked against her. "Mari."

"You like that, huh?" He nodded as she lifted her head and gave him a shy smile. Taking a deep breath, she shifted herself off his lap. "I wanna try this then." His breath hitched as her lips made their way down his chest, giving the same attention to him as he'd given to her. As she moved, his mind wondered where she was headed, but it seemed his body had already figured it out as the muscles in his stomach tensed and his heart beat faster.

She had just gotten to his belly button and was toying with his belt when the timer telling them they had to get back to school sounded.

Adrien's head fell back against her body sized cat pillow (the one he loved) and he groaned as she lifted herself off of him to silence it. Pecking him on the lips, she handed him back his shirt and slipped back on her sweater.

"We never have enough time." He complained and she laughed.

"One day." She shook her head and gave him a gentle smile. "And I didn't forget about your dad. You'll find the words. I know you will." She gave him a reassuring kiss. "And don't forget: whether he accepts you or not, we do. We always will."

Adrien felt his heart glow just a little bit. "Thank you, Marinette."

She kissed him one more time. "Now let's go before we're late."

Adrien felt a little more confident after her comments and got even more of a boost when he called Luka later that night.

"What would you say?"

"I'm not sure. Just speak from your heart. Whether he listens will be up to him."

Adrien reclined back on his couch and fidgeted with his fingers. "And if it goes badly?"

"We'll be there for you." Came the immediate answer.

"And if it goes well?"

"We'll still be here for you." Adrien felt his heart slow. This had grown to be his favorite form of reassurance.

"Thanks babe."

"And if you need some cheering up later, I know a superhero who can sneak me into your room."

Adrien smiled. "And how would you cheer me up?"

"Well, let's just say I have my ways. Good luck."

They said their goodbyes and Adrien took a deep breath. He knew his father was down in his studio alone and this was the perfect time before he was off to another meeting. At the door, Adrien prepared himself and moved forward. Gabriel was sketching at his table and barely spared him a glance.

"Adrien, I am very busy tonight. Please-"

"No."

Gabriel's hand froze. "No?"

"No. You're not brushing me off again. We're gonna talk about this now."

Gabriel sighed before he set his pen down and looked at him. "The floor is yours, son."

Forcing himself not to start pacing, Adrien took a deep breath to ground himself.

"I hate how we left things after I came out to you. All I wanted was to be who I am and you told me I couldn't. Treated me like I was just a robot that can only do what you want when you want, feel how you want when you want. But that's not me, Father. I'm not... No, I've never been the perfect little son you could parade around at galas or fashion shows or interviews. This right here? This is me. This is who I am- who I've always been- but I pretended it wasn't because I thought I had to. Thought I needed to in order to keep your love and affection. But I'm done pretending for you, the brand, the world. I'm done. From now on, I'm going to be Adrien: the not perfect teenage boy who is in love with the guy and girl of his dreams and doesn't have to hide it. The Adrien who gets to make his own mistakes and decisions about his life. That's what I'm choosing and you can either accept it and love me for who I am or don't and accept the fact we'll never have a relationship and when I turn 18, I'm gone."

His dad's face was the most expressive he'd seen it in a long while: eyes wide, mouth agape as his fingers worried the silver ring he always wore. He wondered what was going through Gabriel's mind as the minutes ticked by in silence. Despite his bold face, Adrien was really worried about his father's reactions. Another rejection would hurt so bad.

Finally, Gabriel's mouth shut and he looked away to the portrait of Emelie.

"Maybe I have been... too rough on you. I'm... sorry, Adrien." His father looked up into his eyes. "I'll... try to do better by you and let you live. It's just been so hard without your mother and the fear of something happening to you since you're all I have left." Adrien felt tears stinging his eyes and, no longer afraid, let them fall as his father moved towards him. When they were within hugging distance, Gabriel put his hands on his shoulders. "I accept you, Adrien. I accept all of you."