Thank you for reading this far . You're awesome ! Hope you like this chapter
There is nothing more peaceful than the quiet of the night with the moon serving as company and solace to all of those that need peace themselves. One particular restless soul remained awake, hunted by his thoughts. His only company was the moon light reflected by Emilie's glass case.
"What should I do?" Hawkmoth asked, staring at his wife. Was it strange that, even after this long, part of him still hoped for an answer? He sighed as he called off his transformation. Unable to look at her as he admitted his flaws, he turned his back to her. "I can't find the strength to bring you back. I failed you, didn't I?"
He closed his eyes, only to imagine her looking at him, disappointed and angry. Her eyes were exactly like Adrien's, so it didn't take long for Gabriel to remember the last time his son looked at him that way. "Emilie, if you had seen Adrien's expression when he saw I was Hawkmoth during the truthteller akuma, if you had seen the way he looked at me... his disappointment, his anger... if I had not turned back time to save his life and make him forget, then... I... I don't think he would ever have been able to forgive me."
At the time, he considered the moment he turned back time to save his son, and his identity, as a blessing. Now he saw it equally a curse, because every night he relived that moment... over and over. Adrien took his broach, then began walking backwards in shock, then he fell.
Gabriel sighed. If only he had his wife's comfort. If only she could tell him what was the right thing to do. He sat with his back against the glass and closed his eyes, prepared for whatever nightmare he knew surely awaited him when he fell asleep.
Suddenly, he was running. He never ran, but he had no choice. This was just that important. Why did he take so long to get to the hospital? Why did the meeting run late? Why did this have to happen when he was having his most important meeting?
He stopped at the door, nervous. His son's crying was enough to make him reach for the handle. With shaking hands, he opened the door only to see Emilie holding him. The newborn looked so tiny and small in her arms. He was crying and she was trying to sooth him. For a new mom, she already had those maternal eyes, full of love.
"It's okay Adrien. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you, my little baby."
Her eyes turned to the door and Gabriel quickly began apologizing. "Honey I'm so sorry I missed it. I was at a meeting and I tried to come..."
He expected her to be angry, but instead she just kept smiling as Adrien calmed more and more. "It's okay Gabe. I know how hard you are working to create your brand and how much it means to you." Her expression then changed to a more serious one. Gabriel became nervous as he expected the scolding of a life, instead Emilie just said, "I just don't want you to forget that he is our most precious gift, and from now on, you have to put him and his happiness first. It's not just about you, or me, or even your work. Now, it's about taking care of Adrien and making sure he is happy."
He got closer, and as he looked more clearly at his son for the first time, he had Emilie's blond hair and, although it was too early to tell, he had a feeling Adrien had her eyes too. He honestly looked like an angel being held by another angel. Looking at his son, Gabriel had no trouble promising. "I promise from now on that I'll always put him first and keep him safe."
"I know you will," Emilie answered as she slowly passed Adrien to Gabriel so that he could hold him for the very first time. He became nervous and it didn't help that the newborn started to cry again. His first instinct was to try to hand him back over to Emilie, but she insisted, "Keep holding him, and don't be scared."
Her advice worked and both calmed down pretty quickly. He continued to hold baby Adrien in his arms. Emilie watched, happy and proud, as her husband after just a few minutes already managed to get Adrien to fall asleep in his arms. "I love you, ma papillon." Her eyes sparkled as she said those words.
"I love you too." Gabriel whispered, afraid of waking up their son. With tears in his eyes, Gabriel woke up. It was strange. That was the only dream he had recently that hadn't turned into a nightmare. Well he didn't know if it counted as a dream, when it was actually a memory. One he hadn't thought off in a while. Still it was best not overthink it.
He checked the clock. Was it only still 6 in the morning? After that dream, the idea of returning to his nightmares seemed terrible, so he went to do what he did best, work. It had to be working hours somewhere. Work was good because it distracted him.
Slowly, the man let himself be engulfed by the escapism derived from his designs. It didn't matter that he had finished his designs for the new line a long time ago. The new line was ready, but he still needed to keep designing and working.
For a minute, he stopped and stared at the piece he created. It surprised even him how such a dark tormented soul like his could produce something so pure. It did help to look at his grandchild for inspiration.
"Nice designs," Natalie commented, noticing that apparently Gabriel was expanding his market to newborns. He looked surprised at her. How long had she been staring there? How long had he been working? Ignoring the puzzled look on her boss, she continued, "I think expanding the line for younger ages is a great idea."
Natalie had been so worried about him lately. Something changed after truthteller. She had no idea what because he never told her, but ever since that day, he hadn't akumatized anyone. All he did was work and talk to Emilie, not that she was jealous. Emilie was and would always be his wife while she was just an assistant. It still hurt to watch him so down. He was always the man with a plan, so it was strange to watch him being adrift for so long. She was honestly scared how far Lila could push him without him breaking. However, after seeing those designs, she began to regain hope.
She managed to keep her gleeful expression to herself and continued to look at him in her typical professional way. Unfortunately, to him she was as good as an open book. He knew what she was thinking. She was assuming that the new baby line meant he had stopped. "This won't be part of the new line. I'm just working on some new concepts. Don't read too much into it. I told you I've been busy and need to finish my new line," he lied, not wanting to admit that the line was finished weeks ago.
He hated lying to Natalie, but he wasn't going to be weak in front of her and admit how much it meant to see the new ultrasound of the baby that reminded him so much of Adrien. He also wouldn't say he almost lost his son during truthteller. As an Agreste, he was forced to stay strong and not let emotions get the best of him. Even after losing his wife, planning to sacrifice his grandchild to save her, only to almost lose his son, and being forced to house an unwanted guest, it was his obligation to act normal and pretend that it wasn't all slowly killing him inside.
The truth was, that the moment he stopped working was the moment he would have to make a choice to either go back to his old ways and try to save Emilie in exchange for his grandchild, or try to move on knowing he wouldn't have to risk hurting Adrien or killing his grandchild anymore. The last choice also meant finding a way to deal with the worst house guest in the world. More to himself than anything else, he repeated, "Like I said, don't read too much into this."
Natalie almost lost her composure. Was Gabriel returning to his old ways of being Hawkmoth? She supposed that was okay too. That didn't change her love... affection... for him. It was better to watch him with a plan than with nothing... she supposed. Even if that plan aligned with Lila's plans.
Fighting the urge to run out of the office, she informed him as quickly as she could, "Well, I came to tell you that Adrien is awake. The chef is almost done with his breakfast, and then he'll move on to yours. Your first meeting won't be until 10, so you have plenty of time to keep designing, or rest."
She got ready to sprint out of there after he gave the usual nod that ended their morning meeting. However, before she could leave, he surprised her with one last request. "Please tell the chef to hurry up with my breakfast. Today I need to do something different, so I'm going to eat with my son. Also inform Adrien to wait for me."
She wasn't ready for that. He rarely took the time to see Adrien before school. She left his office with a confused expression on her. It was really a complex puzzle. It was a good thing that working on puzzles was one of her favorite hobbies.
After she left, Gabriel decided to take the opportunity to freshen up. He took off his glasses and washed his face for an excessive amount of time. Just as he was about to understand that water doesn't clean a person's conscience, the door to his bathroom opened.
"Natalie?" He asked as he picked up his glasses.
"Nope. Just your future daughter in law."
"Lila," he hissed. Her presence alone was already giving him a migraine. He didn't have time for whatever game she came to play this time. "I'm busy going to go see my son. Now, if you''' excuse me." He made his way to the door, but Lila unpleasantly and quickly blocked his path.
"If you are so busy, then maybe the media will have more time... especially after I tell them that Hawkmoth's gone so soft... that he prefers to be called Grandpa Gabriel Agreste." And these threats were exactly why hiding her in his house had been a bad idea. He regretted it almost immediately, but she refused going anywhere else and he couldn't let the police or the media question her.
"What do you want?" He asked, knowing full well it wasn't money because he already gave her plenty. It couldn't be another place to live because she apparently loved being close to Adrien. It couldn't be more information about the miraculous because he already told her everything... well, almost everything. He wasn't a complete fool.
"Gabriel, this isn't about what I want. It's about what we both want." Her hands touched his red and white tie, the movement not so subtly revealing his brooch hidden beneath. "We want you to make your wish... and if a certain bug is hurt in the process, I wouldn't complain."
He sighed, and maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the weight of his conscience, but he finally broke. "We want you to pack your bags and leave! Your personal vendettas with either Marinette or Ladybug are none of my business, and I can't stand this anymore. It's over! I'm done with wishes and miraculous. From now on, I'll just live my normal life and focus on my family... especially Adrien."
Although it was freeing to finally hit the realization, the feeling didn't last long. "If you kick me out now, he will be the first person to learn your secrets. First, I'll tell him about what really happened to his mom. Then, I'll tell him how you wanted to revert time by years, and then... just when he sees the monster his father really is... I'll finish with the explanation of your plan to use his unborn child as sacrifice for the wish."
"You know I don't decide who gets sacrificed."
She laughed at his poor defense. "Just because you don't decide personally, doesn't change anything. You know that if you make that wish, your grandchild is gone. That also doesn't change all the terrible things you've already done. You can't seriously expect him to forgive you, can you?"
Angrily, Gabriel grabbed her wrist. "Don't play with me! You have no idea what I'm capable of."
Swashing his hand from her wrist, she warned him, "No! You are the one that has no idea what I'm capable of. You have so much more to lose than me, so I suggest you get working on getting the miraculous... because I'm losing my patience being trapped in this house."
"This isn't over," he hissed.
"Not until I get the miraculous, no," she warned. She smiled knowing she had won this round. Gabriel was furious, because he couldn't do anything more. With a grin, she added a few last words just as he was about to walk out of the room, "One last thing, in case you change your mind about getting the miraculous... remember that babies aren't allowed to visit grandparents in prison."
Meanwhile, not everything was dark and gloomy inside the Agreste Mansion. In fact, for the sunshine boy, although it was still early, the day was already wonderful. For Adrien, the sun began to shine the moment Natalie told him his father was joining him for breakfast, then it only got better as Marinette called him for their usual good mornings.
"Yeah, I'm waiting for him. Can you believe it? I don't even remember the last time we ate breakfast together."
Marinette smiled at how happy Adrien sounded over the phone. "That's great. I knew he couldn't be as cold as he seems."
Adrien smiled from ear to ear, maybe his father wasn't that bad after all. "You have no idea how glad this makes me. My father is always strict about... well... everything. Every meal together is always scheduled ahead of time. Him doing this, actually means a lot. Honestly, the only thing that could make this day better was if Hawkmoth was finally defeated."
Gabriel gulped in his spot. He picked the wrong time to arrive. Lucky for him, his son was too busy on the phone to notice his presence. Over the phone, Adrien heard Marinette's parents talking to her. Before he could ask what they were saying, she explained, "Listen mom and daddy are waiting for me, so I should really go."
"Hey, Marinette, do you think you could..." Although they were begging to say their goodbyes there was still something Marinette could do that would make his day a little sweeter.
Before he finished, she took a guess." Do you want me to bring you some of my parents' famous pain au chocolat?"
"How did you know?" Was he really that predictable?
She laughed at his surprise. Of course she knew her kitty. Adrien liking food was as surprising as her liking new fabric. Teasingly, she said, "I'm beginning to wonder if your love for me isn't just because of the food."
He laughed. "It's your fault. You should have known better than to feed a stray cat."
Even though she couldn't see him, she could feel the smugness in his voice. "Maybe I just wanted to see my stray cat happy."
His heart was full of love as he admitted, "As long as I have you, I already am. You are the sweetest of treats and I love you for it."
"I love you more, silly," the bluenette replied and sent kisses through the phone.
Gabriel observed, marveling at the scene before his eyes. He had never seen this side of his son. It was different. His son seemed free and... relaxed? No, relaxed wasn't the right word. He struggled to find the right word.
It reminded him of when Adrien was little and, as Gabriel played the piano, the blond would drag Emilie, Natalie, and even his bodyguard to dance. It was silly, but the joy and laughs from the blond were enough to light up the room. Gabriel hadn't seen his son this happy ever since. Happy. That was the word he was looking for. Was Marinette the one making him so happy? As Gabriel delighted in watching his son, a plan became to form in his mind. That plan could solve all his problems once and for all.
Adrien's voice chirmed in between the kisses they exchanged. It was hard to believe they were still exchanging kisses. After two or three more kisses, the call ended and the blond froze, noticing his father was at the door. How long had his father been there and how much did he hear?
"Who's the girl?" Gabriel asked as he casually sat and grabbed a croissant. Whatever leftover blush Adrien had from talking to his girlfriend left the moment his father asked him about her. His whole face turned pale, white as a ghost.
"Her name is Ma... Ma-Marinette. You remember her, right?'' Adrien had to stay calm, he didn't know how much his father knew. "You helped me with the gift for her birthday."
"Yes, the baker's daughter. I have a vague idea," Gabriel lied through his teeth. At this point he even knew who her first "boyfriend" had been in second grade. It wasn't his fault his researchers were meticulous.
"She is so much more than that. She wants to be a designer, like you. Fashion is her passion. Her talent is out of this world. She is basically super amazing at everything... She is super dedicated and cute."
"I see," Gabriel replied, not surprised by anything his son was saying.
Nevertheless, the blond continued, "Her eyes are deep blue and it's impossible not to lose yourself in them. Her smile is enough to brighten the darkest of days. She has small freckles on her cheeks that really stand out when she blushes."
Gabriel grinned as his son endlessly continued complementing Marinette. The list of qualities Adrien was saying gave Gabriel enough time to almost finish his breakfast. Feeling enough time had passed he intervened, stopping whatever his son was saying, "She is your girlfriend, I assume?"
Adrien gulped. It was a good thing he wasn't eating otherwise he would have choked. It was embarrassing to realize he had been caught by his father in one of his daydreams about her. In his defense, if you asked him about her, he was going to daydream.
"Yes?" Adrien replied, but it came out more like a question than an answer. Calling her his girlfriend seemed so vulgar... soulmate seemed more appropriate. Future wife also had a good ring to it. Speaking of rings. The one he used to propose was burning from his pocket straight to his skin, almost as if it was demanding to be worn. Soon, Adrien couldn't help to tell himself.
"You should invite her here to have dinner with us," Gabriel said, proud to finally begin his plan.
Something didn't feel right about his father's offer. Adrien's first instinct was to say no, but he knew it was just his imagination mixed with the nerves of introducing his pregnant girlfriend to his very strict father.
As he tried to relax and not worry about everything that could go wrong, Adrien swallowed what was almost a full croissant and answered, "Absolutely."
Don't miss next chapter where we'll have a very special dinner in the Agreste mansion
Also I decided to make Gabriel a more decent human than cannon because I think Adrien deserves better
