I Don't Own Avatar or Miraculous.
Chapter Thirty-Six: A Father's Love.
Gabriel, fully transformed, opened his eyes. He could hear Zuko coming home. Zuko had no idea he was a Miraculous holder. What was worse, Gabriel sensed Adrien nearby, likely with Zuko. He knew transforming back would cause too much light and he would be caught in the kitchen in civilian form, which Adrien would definitely recognize. So, Gabriel opened the kitchen window shutters and climbed out. Jet would have to wait. This was a bit of an emergency. He closed the shutters behind him just as the duo entered the kitchen.
"I can't believe you are moving to the Upper Ring." Adrien's voice said. Gabriel froze. When was the last time he'd heard his son's voice. Already captured by the little conversation, Gabriel leaned close to the shutters to hear better. Gabriel had heard Iroh was getting to open a tea shop in the Upper Ring and Zuko had been frustratingly torn about the matter.
"Uncle is excited. He has been thinking up names for the tea shop we'll be opening all day." Zuko replied.
"Yeah, well, because of the Dai Li, I won't be able to visit the Upper Ring. You'll have to come down and visit me."
"And risk being made fun of?" Zuko scoffed, "No thank you. You are really annoying."
"I try." Gabriel could practically feel the grin on his son's face and wished he could see it for himself.
"...Lee… Is something wrong?" Adrien asked.
"It is nothing." Zuko grunted.
"Yeah right. I know that look. I got it a lot in Paris. What is wrong?" Adrien asked. Zuko moaned.
"You won't let this drop, will you?"
"I'll annoy you until you tell me." There was a moment of silence.
"Fine. I was just thinking about… well… I was thinking about the Fire Nation." Zuko admitted.
"What about it?"
"Well, it was my home, Adin. I grew up there. The rest of the world sees the Fire Nation differently than I do. I love my nation. I would never abandon it, but I feel like I've failed it. I had one job to do, and I failed. I'm sure you understand. You have told me repeatedly what you feel for Paris."
"I'd protect it without question… but… my people aren't at war. This could be something different." Adrien said carefully. Zuko sighed.
"Perhaps. It's complicated."
"I have time." Adrien said, "I'll listen if you need someone to."
"Well, I suppose I should start by telling you my real name. I am actually Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."
"They banished their own prince? Man, what did you do?" Adrien asked.
"...I wasn't strong enough." Zuko said softly, "When I was born, I was born weak. They thought I hadn't been born with the gift of fire. It was dishonorable to be a prince without fire. My father… well… he wanted to have me killed." Adrien was dead quiet. Gabriel could sense the boy's shock.
"But my mom convinced him not to. Convinced him to give me a chance to prove myself. And like she predicted, I was in fact a fire bender. I was just a really weak one. Father was so proud, but then… my sister… she was born." Zuko paused, shuttering, "She was perfect. Everything I wasn't. A strong bender. A prodigy at everything. Whatever she touched would shine with power. My father saw my sister, and immediately, the pride that I was a fire bender was forgotten. As a boy, I tried studying hard to be a perfect fire bender, like she was. But I could never keep up. As time went by, Father began to outwardly show he didn't approve of my failure, but he never acted upon it. Mom was alway there. Helping me up when I fell down. Pushing me to become better. Because of her, my world was that of light and happiness. I only wanted to help my people, as a good prince should do. When I realised I wouldn't match Azula's firebending, I took up swords and knives. I became the best dual blade wielder in any land. I was proud. I thought that surely it was enough to earn my father's affection but…"
"It wasn't."
"No. It wasn't." Zuko agreed, "Then, the day came were my mother vanished. With her, my cousin, my grandfather, and my light. Azula was delighted. She called mother weak and said she played favorites, but Azula's one to talk. She's always been father's daughter. Father, without mother to calm him, became verbally aggressive towards me. Calmed I was lucky to be born, to even be alive. He said Azula deserved the throne, not me. He said I was unworthy to be his son. And in a way, he was right. I was unprepared for a throne. So, I decided to try and go to a war council meeting to learn more about what a Fire Lord did. Only, I heard a plan I simply could not agree with. I spoke out, and this." He paused, likely pointing at the scar on his face, "Was the consequence."
"If your home life was that bad, why do you want to even go back?" Adrien asked.
"Because, I feel like I have something to prove. I feel like I must earn Father's love."
"Why would you think that?" Adrien asked, "No one should have to earn their father's love and-"
"Just shut up Adin!" Zuko growled, "Listen to me! Right now, I live in this terrible world torn apart by a war. And everyone in this nation hates my father. I don't hate him. I'm his son! Besides, who the heck in this world can honestly claim that one side is more evil than the other. What makes Long Feng, Hawkmoth, or the Firelord any different than the other!? I don't understand.
"This world is falling apart and people are dying and as the son of the Fire Lord, I at least felt like I had some control over it. It was my responsibility to insure my people were safe and I have fail my father and nation utterly. Then, the second I leave the Fire Nation, everyone is angry at me. They blame me for their struggles. They hate me and call me a monster because I am Ozai's son. Then… I get to this city. A city run by a madman who practically rules the entire Earth Kingdom and is no better than my father, but somehow my people are the bad guys? While people like Long Feng run around causing just as much hurt and pain as Ozai does? Honestly? Who the heck am I supposed to trust? Both sides are killing, deceiving, and terrifying people, and both sides say that they are the right side. The good side. Neither one wants to admit there is something sick and wrong with our world and I just don't know what to do or choose!" Zuko was yelling now. Ranting. Gabriel felt the anger, confusion, and frustration in the boy.
"And now! I have dishonored my family, disappointed my father, I have been stripped of my right to my throne, and I am neglected of my father's love as I rightly deserve for being so weak and unable to make a simple choice. All I want is quiet! Peace! To get away from this stupid war and go back to the life I had before mom disappeared. How can I not want any of that? My father's love, as every son desires, and my mom's embrace? Is it so wrong just to want peace, quiet, and acceptance?" Adrien waited for Zuko to calm down.
"Zuko… you are right. There really is no way for two people like us to know which side is the right side. But we both do have to make the choice eventually. That choice could possibly put us on opposite sides. And you are right to want your father to love and care for you and to long for your mother. I get that. But you have to stop blaming your father's actions for your failures. And you have to stop calming that things you have no control over are signs that you are weak. Zuko. You are anything but weak. You just keep on letting your father dictate the kind of person you will be in life. Remember, you are in control. Not Ozai. I might not have been scarred or banished by my father, but I know that his constant refusal to love or care for me was wrong. Yeah, my mom vanished, but it was no excuse for him to treat me the way he did. For so long, I let my father control my life. Not to earn his love, like you do with Ozai, but because I was all he had left, whether he acknowledged that little detail or not. Because I let him make every choice in my life, I became someone I wasn't. Sure, I was the perfect son, but never truly myself. The Adin I wanted him to accept." Gabriel leaned in at those words. Did Adrien really feel that way about Gabriel? How much, other than Adrien's double life, had he missed about his son?
"Yeah, well. I could never be the perfect son." Zuko muttered, "...But recently… I found out something that could give me a second chance. It could help me go back and find everything I have ever searched for."
"I thought you weren't a spy." Adrien teased.
"I'm not. This is just something I accidentally stumbled upon as of recent. I've been so upset lately because I never intended to spend the rest of my life here like my Uncle seems to think. I want to go back home, Adin. I want that so badly. I used to be destined for greatness. I used to have it all. Now… I serve tea in a city of madmen." Zuko admitted.
"I was always destined to be great according to my father." Adrien said, "But I never wanted to be. I have always envied people who live the simple life. I wanted to be a professor in physics. Maybe get married. Settle down. Start a family. The problem with people like you and I is that we are too busy trying to please all the wrong people that we forget that we are just people to. You are Ozai's son, and expected to act that way. I am a rich man's son, and I am expected to act that way. Perhaps the problem isn't that you miss the Fire Nation or that you don't want a simple life. Perhaps the problem is you are too focused on pleasing your dad to see what you really want."
"Maybe. But who am I kidding? It doesn't matter. The reality is, even if I used what I've learned to try and get back home… would it ever be enough for him? For me?" Zuko said hopelessly. They went completely silent as the mulled over that question. Would it ever be enough. What seemed like ages passed when Adrien got the nerve to speak.
"Would you like some tea, Lee?' Adrien asked.
"Zuko." Zuko corrected, "And no. I work in a tea shop. You are as bad as uncle."
"You say that like it is bad thing."
"It is a bad thing. You, a teenager, have the same tastes as an old man." Zuko complained.
"So a teen can't like tea?"
"Ugh. You are impossible, Adin." There was another spell of silence, which Adrien promptly broke again.
"Adrien." He said.
"What-"
"That's my real name. Adrien Agreste." Adrien explained, "You told me yours. I thought I'd tell you mine." Gabriel stiffened. No. His son was an idiot! Gabriel had told Zuko multiple times about his son named Adrien Agreste.
"That's impossible. That would make Gabriel Agreste your father. He isn't rich." Zuko scoffed, not thinking before speaking yet again. Gabriel could felt Adrien's hear freeze in fear.
"H-how do you know my f-father's name?" Adrien stammered.
"He's the guy who made my passport. He's been staying in the city with my uncle and I."
"Are you sure he is Gabriel Agreste? Hair that's like mine, but much lighter in color? Blue eyes? Tall? Good posture? Stern?"
"Now that you mention it, Gabriel's hair could look like yours if it were a tad darker. I alway just assumed his hair was turning white from stress or something."
"...Oh gosh, I think I'm going to be sick… if he's here… that means… he is actually… no…"
"Adrien! What the heck is wrong with you!?"
"Hawkmoth." Adrien breathed, "My father is Hawkmoth. My father tried to… he tried to kill me." Gabriel sensed great pain and despair in his son. He wanted to go and comfort him in his time of distress. Sadly, Gabriel knew that was the last thing he should do. Adrien was distraught, panicked, and confused. Coming to him now, fully transformed was beyond unwise. He needed to wait until Adrien calmed down and gathered his senses.
"W-when does he get home?" Adrien asked.
"I'm not sure. He likes to work late. He works at the Tailor's shop."
"Shoot." Adrien muttered, "He's probably going to show up while I'm still here. That's just how my luck is. Zuko… um… there's something you probably should know about my father and I…Do you trust me?"
"Would you even give me a choice?" Gabriel's expression slackened as he realized what his son intended to do. No! He couldn't do that!
"Plagg! Claws out!"