Canon/Spoilers: Takes place a while after Félix

Ships: Gabriel/Nathalie, obviously, with some Love Square hints

Author's Notes: This is a series of drabbles/ficlets written for the Miraculous Valentines Prompts 2020. They're not in order and some of the chapters answer two prompts. Ideally I want to post one every day until completion, but they're not all written so I can't promise my concentration will allow that. However I will do my best!

First chapter prompts: Love/Crush

The Gabenath Shipper Project

By Alexannah

Chapter One: Recruitment

"I've seen how close you and Nathalie have become …"

Gabriel resisted the urge to groan as Adrien's words rang in his head for the thousandth time since that conversation.

He knew it was absolute nonsense. If Adrien knew about his secret project, he would understand how ridiculous it was. Gabriel had found himself wondering more about trying to tell him, now as much to get this absurd ideas about him and Nathalie out of his head as for the other reasons.

But every time he found a moment, Adrien would give him a knowing look and start babbling about Nathalie. Not outrightly addressing his ludicrous assessment of Gabriel and Nathalie's relationship, but clearly trying to steer his father in that direction. It was all Gabriel could do to stop himself blurting out his secret; that was no way to break it to him. Instead he was forced to remove himself from the conversation. Which only seemed to reaffirm Adrien's erroneous conclusion that the two of them were—were—

He couldn't even bring himself to think it.

Every time Gabriel looked at Adrien, and saw that grin on his face, he remembered how this whole thing had started. Even right now, when they were standing in Adrien's classroom surrounded by his peers.

He forcefully looked away from his son, and brought his mind back to the present. (Coming here in person had clearly been a mistake, despite his promise to Nathalie that he would make more of an effort to attend things for Adrien in person.)

Oh no, he thought as movement caught his eye. Adrien was raising his hand …

Nathalie finished her talk, and there was a slight pause before the applause. Did the students normally clap on Career Day?

Or maybe this was an expression of appreciation that, since Gabriel had missed the actual Career Day some months back, the two of them had come in to give a joint presentation on the fashion industry after Adrien, his teacher, at least two of his classmates and the school principal had between them made about a dozen requests.

"Does anyone have any questions for Mr Agreste or Ms Sancoeur?" Miss Bustier addressed the class.

Half of the class raised their hands, including Adrien, to Nathalie's surprise.

The first few questions weren't anything unexpected. Marinette Dupain-Cheng asked several, which Gabriel answered. A very quiet girl with purple hair mumbled a question so quietly her friend had to translate.

"Er … Adrien?" Gabriel finally relented when he was the only one with his hand still in the air.

"The question's for Nathalie," Adrien said, sounding suspiciously smug, and Nathalie suddenly had a very bad feeling. "What's it like working for my father?"

"Adrien!" she and Gabriel both spluttered.

He didn't look in the least bit cowed. "What?" he asked in far too innocent a voice. "What did I say?"

One of his classmates that Nathalie recognised from the Ladyblog also raised her hand. "I'd like to hear the answer as well," she said.

All eyes turned to Nathalie, who felt her face heat up with alarm. Gabriel turned to look at her expectantly, and that only made it ten times worse.

"Er …"

The full honest answer was far too complicated, far too personal, and far too secret to relate in front of all these people. Or even Gabriel alone.

If she tried listing the things she enjoyed about the job, she was sure that she would end up giving away her feelings for him. Allowing Gabriel to know she had fallen in love with him would be bad enough, without doing so publicly.

Well … the best defence was a good offence. She mentally apologised to her boss for what she was about to do.

"Oh, he's an absolute slave-driver," she said lightly. Gabriel's jaw dropped, and the class burst into giggles. "Toughest boss in the world. But I get to live in a mansion, and his son's a real sweetheart." She winked at Adrien, who blushed slightly, looking pleased.

Gabriel frowned at Nathalie. "Are you saying the only reasons you work for me are free board and Adrien?"

"Of course not. I was teasing. You have your qualities too."

He quirked an eyebrow. "And they would be?"

"Er …" Oops, how did I get here? "Well … there's … your passion, and dedication, and … er …"

His face was now as red as she was sure hers was. A very awkward silence fell.

"Any more questions?" Nathalie asked, turning away quickly.

She was greeted with a stunned silence.

"In that case, we should get going," Gabriel said.

Adrien jumped to his feet as soon as the door had closed behind them, grinning manically. "You all saw that, right?"

"Dude," Nino said, sounding impressed. "Your dad and his assistant are so totally crushing on each other."

"Aww, it's so beautiful," Miss Bustier said, wiping her eyes. "Adrien, are they …"

"Not yet," Adrien said.

"Why the heck not?" Alix demanded. "That romantic tension's so thick you'd need an axe to cut it!"

"Because my father is at the bottom of the diving end of the denial pool," Adrien said. "And he's too stubborn to learn to swim."

"Nice metaphor," Alya said. Kim gave Adrien an approving thumbs up.

"Thanks. And I think Nathalie's convinced he could never see her in that way, despite all the hints I've been dropping."

"Sounds like you need some help," Marinette suggested.

"Funny you should say that." Adrien pulled a letter out of his pocket. "Because someone gave me an idea."

"An idea?"

"Who?"

"Don't know." Adrien handed it to Nino, who read it before passing it around the class.

"Whoever it is, they really can't spell," Alya commented.

"It must be someone in your household, if it's printed on Gabriel stationary," Marinette pointed out.

"I asked my bodyguard if he had sent it, but he swears he didn't. He likes the idea, though. I have no idea who else could have had access."

"They wouldn't have necessarily needed access to your dad's printer," Chloé pointed out. "My parents, for example, have had letters and stuff from Mr Agreste many times. He could have simply sent a spare page by accident once."

"You're saying it was your parents?" Sabrina asked.

"Of course not. I already asked them."

Adrien nodded. "And I asked Kagami and her mother as well. It didn't come from them."

"But they're all on board," Chloé said.

"Wait a moment, Adrien," Miss Bustier said. "What exactly is this idea?"

Adrien grinned. "Well, you know how Valentine's Day is coming up …"

To Be Continued …