The more Adrien gushed about Marinette to his parents, the surlier his father acted and the more curious his mother became. Finally, Emilie decided it was past time to meet her parents officially. When she brought this up to Gabriel, she was greeted with silence. So this was how she found herself outside of the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie and Patisserie owned by Marinette's parents, Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng, one cold December evening. Since people could be rather put off by both her husbands demeanor and their cold mansion, she decided it would be better to approach them under more normal circumstances. She had sent a note with Adrien to school a few days before Christmas break, asking Marinette and her parents to allow her a chance to meet the amazing girl Adrien constantly raved about (earning her a glare and a deep blush from Adrien once he realized what the note said). To her intense surprise, it took Marinette's parents less than 6 hours to respond with an invitation to dinner at the Bakery for the following evening. She briefly considered forcing her husband to accompany them like an actual family, before she determined that would only serve to embarrass herself and Adrien, as well as make Marinette's parents uncomfortable. Besides, he had shown nothing but contempt towards them regarding Adrien's desire for friendship and socialization. All in all, it would've been a bad decision to include him in every regard.
Emilie walked into the bakery with Adrien's hand in hers. He smiled and hummed happily beside her, as she softly laughed. "You're silly."
Adrien giggled and gave her a bigger grin, before they walked inside of the bakery.
The bakery wasn't too busy, since it was getting close to closing time. Sabine was exchanging money with the last of the customers, before closing up.
"Bonsoir. My name is Emilie and this is my son." Emilie gently pushed Adrien forward.
He held his hands behind his back and wrung his fingers together, as he twisted the toe of his tennis shoe into the ground. "Adrien, Adrien Agreste." He peered up at her with the biggest and brightest green eyes Sabine had ever seen.
"Bonsoir, Emilie and Adrien." Sabine gently smiled at them.
Tom came walking from behind the baking counter, wiping flour from his hands on a white kitchen towel. "Bonsoir. My name is Tom, this is my wife, Sabine, and this…" He went to gesture to his daughter, when she suddenly burst in with excitement.
"Adrien's here!" Marinette came running from behind the baking area. She skidded to a stop, as Adrien's eyes lit up at the sight of her.
"Bonsoir, Marinette." Adrien rocked on his heels with a grin.
"Come on! I want to show you my toys!" Marinette took his hand and Adrien looked up at his mother.
"You can go." Emilie smiled at him and he looked at her like she was his whole world.
"Thank you, Mother." Adrien was suddenly yanked through the back of the bakery and up a long staircase.
Sabine covered her mouth with her hand and giggled at the two energetic kids. "They really like each other, don't they?"
"Guess so. Marinette is all I hear about these days." Emilie touched the strap of her purse with a smile.
"I'll close up the bakery. Why don't you two go up and have some tea, before we have dinner?" Tom walked past them and began to flip the sign to closed, as the last customers left.
"Sounds good. Would you like some tea?" Sabine warmly smiled at Emilie.
"I would love some tea. Thank you." Emilie smiled and followed Sabine through the back of the bakery and up the stairs.
"We've lived here for quite some time. We always wanted to open a bakery and when this space opened up… we couldn't refuse. We made an offer right away and here we are." Sabine opened their apartment door.
She could hear the two kids footsteps followed by giggles above them. "They must be in Marinette's room." Sabine softly laughed and Emilie joined in.
"Marinette seems like a very sweet girl. From what I've heard anyway. My son seems to think very highly of her." Emilie sat down at the kitchen table and set her purse beside her.
"She is. She's a very creative girl too. Marinette likes to pick out her own outfits and sometimes she pairs them with accessories that she makes from little trinkets she finds. She usually picks them up along the way from where ever we go." Sabine laughed at all of the times that Marinette had begged to bring random bits and pieces home from places they would walk. "She could never just leave stuff that she thought she could use for something. Tom's pockets would get full sometimes with rocks, bottle caps, beads, keys, really anything she could find on the sidewalk or at the park."
"She sounds wonderful. She reminds me of when I was a little girl. I always loved fashion. Something about it intrigued me." Emilie giggled, as Sabine set a warm cup of tea in front of her.
Marinette came running down the stairs with a sword and Adrien came running down after her.
"You'll never catch me!" Marinette swung her sword around.
"That's where you're wrong! I am clawesome and will defeat you!" Adrien swung his sword against hers and they giggled, as they sword fought across the family room.
"Be careful you two!" Sabine called out and laughed quietly behind her hand.
"Yeah, I don't want to have to take you to the hospital today. Your father wouldn't have it." Emilie smiled at the two giggling kids.
"I have you now!" Adrien had her cornered near a bookshelf.
Marinette giggled and poked him in the side, causing him to giggle and bring his arms in. She slipped past him and stuck her tongue out at him. "I win! Who's clawesome now?!"
"Hey…" Adrien laughed and chased after her.
Tom walked in, as the kids ran past him. "Woah!" He jumped out of the way and watched them run up the stairs. "They seem to be having fun."
"They really do seem to get along well together." Emilie giggled at the loud thumps coming from above them.
"So, what is Adrien into?" Sabine brought the warm cup of tea to her lips.
"He's really into learning about anything really. He asks a lot of questions about anything from the sky to how a car works. He also really loves video games, specifically, Ultimate Mecha Strike." Emilie took a sip of her tea.
"You have that game?!" Adrien's voice carried down the stairs.
"Yeah, come on! It's downstairs. I play with my papa all the time!" Marinette yanked him down the stairs by his hand. All of the adults watched as Marinette pulled him to the couch before turning the television on. She set up the console and put the Ultimate Mecha Strike game into the machine. Tom smiled at them, before he sat down on the couch to watch them play.
"I see she plays too?" Emilie giggled at the two kids, as they picked their characters.
"Every night with Tom." Sabine hummed and smiled with her eyes closed, as she brought her lips to the edge of her cup.
"I try to play, but I can never figure out the controls." Emilie laughed at the memory of all of the nights Adrien had begged her to play with him before deciding he liked her better watching.
"Neither can I." Sabine giggled along with her before returning her attention to the kids.
Adrien stuck his tongue out of his mouth and picked the black cat. "I always pick the black cat robot. He's awesome!"
"I always pick the ladybug one." Marinette smiled over at him. Tom chuckled at the two kids, as Marinette pressed start.
'Round One, Fight!' spilled from the screen and Marinette calmly began to push different combinations on the video game controller. Adrien focused on trying to win against her. He furrowed his brow and pressed the buttons hard, as he tried to get up from a six streak combo from Marinette.
"You're so good at this." Adrien looked at the screen in shock, as Marinette won in under thirty seconds flat.
She peered over at him with a giant smile. "Thanks, Adrien."
Adrien blushed and smiled at her in return. "You're welcome. But I'll win next time."
Marinette giggled, as 'Round Two, Fight!' poured from the speakers of the television.
Tom watched the two fight. He watched Adrien struggle slightly against his daughter and noticed what he was doing wrong. He warmly smiled towards the boy and got up off of the couch. He sat down next to Adrien and showed him how to sufficiently hold the controller to gain more control. "Now, you want to push top and circle." Tom talked him through his combo. Adrien smiled and peered over at Tom with sparkling eyes. He wished that his father would play games with him and show him how to perfect combos too. But all he had was his stuffed animals and toy cars to play with and talk to at home, besides his mother.
Adrien pushed up and left, knocking Marinette's character onto her back.
"Good, now right and triangle." Tom instructed him and Adrien knocked Marinette's character out, winning the round.
"Not fair… Papa helped you…" Marinette pouted and crossed her arms.
Tom moved to sit beside his daughter and ruffled her hair with his hand. He kissed her on the head. "And now I'll help you this round, sweetheart."
Marinette giggled and Tom guided her through it as promised. Adrien focused on the game and used what Tom had taught him. Both of the character's health bars were equal with one hit to spare.
"Wow, they're really close now." Sabine covered her mouth in shock and Emilie turned to watch the two children. Tom got up off of the floor and stood behind the two kids to watch. Marinette watched her power bar build up as Adrien's did too. She glanced over at him with a sweet smile, before pushing the button to set off her secret power move. But Adrien beat her to it. The screen burst out into flashing lights, as the screen changed and his black cat leapt and scratch-attacked her bug.
"OHHHH!" Tom called out with his arms in the air, as the cat robot took out the ladybug one.
"I'll win next time." Marinette giggled and held out her hand into a fist. Adrien blankly looked at her fist, before she smiled at him. "Hold out your fist like this." Marinette sweetly spoke and Adrien awkwardly held his out.
"Pound it!" Marinette giggled and knocked her fist against his. His confused expression became excited and he laughed with all of his heart.
"Awww…" Sabine, Tom, and Emilie sighed in unison at the two kids.
"I should probably start dinner." Sabine suddenly remembered that she had yet to even make it. "It shouldn't take me too long."
"Can I help with anything?" Emilie smiled at her and went to get up.
"Sure, if you would like." Sabine took ingredients out of her fridge.
"Where would you like me to start?" Emilie watched Sabine pull out a cutting board and place it on the island counter.
"How about if you go into that cabinet over there and grab a pot big enough to boil noodles, please." Sabine smiled at her, as she washed all of the vegetables in a colander at the sink.
Emilie made her way into the kitchen and opened the cabinet that Sabine had pointed to. She pulled out a big pot and carried it over to the sink, as Sabine moved around her to slice up the vegetables.
"Can I help? Please Mama, can I?" Marinette suddenly ran up to the two mothers with a wide smile and her hands clasped in front of her.
"Can I help too?" Adrien rushed up behind her with an equally cute smile.
"Please…." Adrien and Marinette begged in unison.
Sabine looked over at Emilie with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Should we let them?"
Adrien and Marinette looked at them pleadingly with giant baby doll eyes.
"I don't see why not." Emilie softly laughed and both of the kids jumped with excitement.
"Wash your hands first." Sabine smiled and pointed at the sink, as the two kids ran over in that direction. Adrien and Marinette nudged each other and giggled, as they both fought at the sink to wash their hands.
Emilie passed them a kitchen towel and they dried their hands on it, before she caught it, as they ran around the island and climbed onto the stools.
Sabine passed them each something to do. Adrien happily went about his task beside Marinette. They giggled and Adrien snuck glances over at her. The light of the kitchen seemed to make her glow and her smile entranced him. He had never seen someone so beautiful.
Emilie watched her son blush and quietly giggled to herself, as she stirred the noodles for the Chicken Lo Mein. With all of the help in the kitchen, dinner took less time than Sabine had expected. The kids ran around the kitchen table, setting it, before running off to play some more.
"Alright, it's ready!" Emilie called out. "Time to sit down you two."
"Yay…!" Marinette and Adrien stopped playing with the toys on the family room floor and made their way to their seats.
Adrien made sure to sit next to Marinette. He didn't want to leave her side. He smiled at her, as Sabine set portions of the Lo Mein in front of everyone. The food smelled delicious and the fact that Adrien had helped make it, made it seem even more special. He was never allowed to help their personal cook in the kitchen. The only times he got to help was when his mother would sneak them in on late nights to make cookies.
His eyes shook and his mouth fell open in pure happiness at what they had created as a real family. He had never felt like a real family with his own father. He had never had a true friend before Marinette, except maybe Chloe. But she was more like what he thought a sister would be like to him.
"So, would you like to play with Marinette again, Adrien?" Sabine smiled warmly at him.
"Can I?" Adrien looked from his mother to Marinette's mother and father.
"I don't see why not," Emilie leaned towards him and stage whispered, "Between you and me, she seems like a wonderful girl." Emilie smiled at Adrien.
"Thank you, Mother!" Adrien leapt from his chair and hugged his mother with closed eyes and a warm smile.
"Really?" Marinette burst out with excitement.
"Yes, really. You two seem to really get along well together and you could always use more friends." Sabine smiled at the two excited kids.
"Pound it!" Adrien held his fist out towards Marinette and she hit hers against his.
"Pound it!" Marinette giggled in return.
The adults talked for a long time, while Adrien and Marinette finished their dinner fast, in order to go off and play longer. Emilie helped clean up the dishes with Sabine, as Tom sat on the couch and watched the kids play more Ultimate Mecha Strike.
"Well, it's getting late. We should head home soon. I'm sure your father is wondering what is keeping us so long." Emilie smiled warmly at Tom and Sabine as she laid a hand on Adrien's shoulder.
"Awww… do we have to…?" Adrien whined, as he looked up at his mother.
"I'm sure you'll have many more play dates, kitten." Emilie smiled at him and ruffled his blonde hair with her fingers.
He giggled. "Okay…"
"Say goodnight and thank you for the wonderful dinner." Emilie hinted at Adrien with a wink.
Adrien stood with his hands behind his back. "Thank you for dinner. Goodnight."
Adrien walked to the door, before Marinette came running up to him. "Wait! I want to give you something."
Adrien looked at her with wonder filled green eyes and parted lips. She smiled and reached into her pocket, before she held out her closed fist. She opened her hand slowly to show him a beaded bracelet. "I made it with all of my favorite beads that I found in the park the other day. You keep it."
Adrien looked at her in shock, before he slowly reached over to take it from her. Electricity sparked between their hands and he quickly grabbed it from her outstretched palm. "Thank you, Marinette."
"It's good luck." Marinette smiled with her eyes closed and she blushed. "That way, you always have good luck too. Since you like being the black cat." She giggled and he slipped it into his pocket.
"Alright, time to go home." Emilie walked to the door and Adrien waved at Marinette, as they left.
"Did you have fun?" Emilie looked down at Adrien, who was too distracted by the bracelet in his palm to hear. She smiled warmly at him, as she understood what he was feeling.
When they returned home, the mansion was dark. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen, which was probably for the best. After Emilie put Adrien to bed, she sought out her husband in his office, where she knew he would be.
"I see you have returned from the girl's house." Gabriel said without preamble.
"Yes, she is a very interesting little girl. Her parents were perfect hosts and seem like good hardworking people. Adrien seems to be quite smitten with her…" Emilie said with a quiet chuckle. She doubted even Adrien realized he was developing a crush on Marinette.
"Smitten? He doesn't have time for such nonsense. If you would like, I can make sure their business is blacklisted from all magazines to ensure they aren't trying to gain popularity at his expense." Gabriel started to pick up his phone to dial his assistant, Nathalie, to get the ball rolling before too much damage could be done to the Agreste name.
"Are you serious right now? That is what you got out of what I said? They are perfectly respectable people that just want our children to be friends! Maybe if you had come with us, you could've seen that for yourself!" Emilie sighed exasperatedly. For as business savvy as her husband was, he could be really dense when it came to interactions with other humans. Maybe he just didn't remember what it was like to make friends that weren't mutually beneficial to his business. "That came out harsher than I meant for it to. I just meant that not everything has to be about the Gabriel brand. Your son had a great time tonight with a very good friend of his from school. Shouldn't that be enough for them to remain friends?" She came around the side of Gabriel's desk and placed her hand on his arm gently.
"Since when has it become a priority for him to have friends? His priorities should be focused on his future through the Gabriel brand. Not playing around with a baker's daughter! I will tolerate this as long as his grades remain steady in school and he still fulfills his responsibilities at home. If you'll excuse me, I need to finish approving these designs before I end my work day. Good night, Emilie."
Growing more annoyed with his reclusion from the family by the day, she decided to give him the space he was trying to create and leave him be. Permanently. From the next day on, she dedicated her life to making sure Adrien had everything he ever asked for or wanted. She became a pillar of strength to Adrien, a beacon of love to his father's distance and darkness. Adrien all but forgot the loneliness that started his school adventure and grew to be a content, if mischievous, young man.
When Adrien was ten years old and had graduated to becoming a nearly full time resident at Marinette's house, Gabriel had finally had enough. While he respected Emilie greatly, he believed her constant coddling of Adrien was causing him to become lazy and worthless. He didn't trust these people Adrien was continually spending time with were actually that interested in his son. More than likely, they just wanted to use the Agreste name for their own benefit or to further their own business' profits. He decided to take matters into his own hands. Since his wife took it upon herself to allow the changes in Adrien's modelling schedule to make room for his "friends", he figured that he was allowed the same type of executive judgements as well. And that was how, come dinner that night, he was faced with a very angry son and disappointed wife.
"Father how could you?! I already had plans this week, and Mother and I had already agreed on them!" He angrily shook in his chair at the dinner table. He couldn't believe that out of all the times his Father would start caring about his existence, it just had to be during an Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament. While he doubted the ridiculous piano or fencing classes his Father was forcing him to start attending would be in session on the weekend, when the tournament itself was, they would be going on during the practice times he had set up with Marinette during the week prior to the tournament. A part of Adrien wondered if his father was getting some enjoyment out of taking away the things that made him happy. He had already started to gradually increase his modelling "practice" photoshoots to where it was nearly impossible to be over at Marinette's two consecutive days now, and he's had to cut back on his guy time with Nino so much that he has to keep assuring Nino that they are still "best bros" and he isn't just avoiding him. But surely his father wouldn't do this to him on purpose, right?
"Adrien, I am well aware of the 'plans' you are referring to and a ridiculous video game tournament does not qualify as such. Your time should be filled with things that will further your education and stature in life, not mindless drivel that will never contribute anything to the world! As for your mother, I have already discussed this with her. Now, either eat your dinner or go to your room. I will not tolerate your outbursts ruining a perfectly good meal."
Adrien turned an incredulous eye to his mother, betrayal thick on his features. Up until that point, he believed that his mother could do no wrong in his eyes. But if she had agreed to this... He needed to escape. Fast. "I'm not hungry anymore." He didn't look at either of his parents again as he rushed out of the room.
"Was it really necessary to make it seem like we both plotted this behind his back? You couldn't tell him how opposed to this I was? Or that you are doing this to merely get back at me for allowing our child to have fun?" Emilie was unamused at the lengths her husband would go to for petty revenge. Especially since they didn't discuss this. He simply demanded that this was the way it was going to be and that if she wanted Adrien to have any free time at all for his friends, she would agree quietly. "I've suddenly lost my appetite as well. Enjoy the rest of your meal, Gabriel." With that, she placed her napkin upon her plate and rose to leave the room.
"Emilie, just remember that you caused this by indulging his frivolities and neglecting to be a parent to him. He should've been at the top of his class by now, but he isn't because he has no drive, no work ethic. I'm simply aiming to correct that." Gabriel said with a slight smirk.
"Actually, he is at the top of his class. If you ever bothered to leave your office and attend a school function, you'd know that. Hell, if you were half the parent you should be, he wouldn't despise you as much as he already does." Emilie turned and walked out of the room. She hated arguing, hated speaking like that to the man she loved, but she didn't recognize that man in there anymore. And she couldn't help it, her Mama Bear instincts got the best of her. Perhaps it was uncalled for, but probably not. She turned her focus up the stairs in the direction of Adrien's bedroom. She wanted to go to him and explain, and apologize for what his father had done. But she wasn't sure if Adrien would be ready to hear it just yet. Maybe she would go take a shower and give him some time to cool off before attempting damage control. She sighed and turned towards her own bedroom.
Meanwhile, Adrien was quietly fuming in his room. He couldn't believe his mother would agree to this! Why? She had always been there for him with a smile or to share a laugh. Why would she suddenly decide to ignore his wishes?! Adrien brushed angry tears from his eyes as he moved his computer mouse, causing his screen to light up. He opened up his ongoing chat screen with Mari and began typing.
Adrien: You busy, Mari?
Mari: Just got done cleaning up our dinner mess. About to jump in the shower. What's up?
Adrien: I'm so mad I can't see straight.
Mari: What?! What happened?
Adrien: I'd rather explain in person.
Mari: I don't know, Adrien…. I don't think Mama and Papa would appreciate you coming over so close to bedtime. Or are you talking about tomorrow during practice?
Adrien: That is actually part of what I wanted to talk to you about. And I can't wait until then.
Mari: You're starting to scare me…. Is everything okay?
Adrien: Can you meet me in the park in 30 minutes? I know you don't want to risk getting in trouble, but I need you to help calm me down. I'll be there underneath the tree by the playground. Please, Mari.
Mari: I'll be there.
Adrien: I knew there was a reason you're my best friend. See you soon.