Marinette squirmed in her seat, this was really the last thing she wanted to do but at the same time, she was happy that Gabriel had wanted her here and that Nathalie hadn't been mad or mean to her. The only one acting like a Jerk right now was Adrien and she couldn't blame him for a second really… After he clearly figured out how his father and she had feelings for each other to some compacity and now here they were eating dinner like it was a normal occurrence.

Adrien huffed and practically threw his fork down on his plate.

"This is awkward as fuck!" Nathalie snorted and Gabriel cringed, Marinette wasn't sure how to take that so choked on the bite she'd just put in her mouth. Gabriel patted her back helping her out and she sucked in a breath before looking up at Adrien who was currently glaring daggers at his father.

"The only one making this awkward Adrien is you," Gabriel muttered, and Marinette had to stifle a laugh because yeah, he was making it really weird and yet she knew it had to be really weird to Adrien to realize that his father liked his best friend.

"Look I'm not…This isn't right. Okay? I mean why the hell would you want to date my best friend? She's nothing like you!" Gabriel frowned.

"Maybe that's why?" Adrien gave him a flat look like that was the stupidest thing he'd heard. Kind of was really because they couldn't share what had bound them together. Unless of course Adrien really was chat noir then that was a conversation that really needed to be had, and where Gabriel planned to go with the whole 'I'm hawkmoth' thing.

"What does that even fucking mean? Look, I don't understand why you two are-whatever you are, and it pisses me off that neither of you could have you know told me that something might happen?" They hadn't even known until prom that well that it wasn't so one-sided as both believed of the other. Her mind went to how she felt that Gabriel would never want someone like her, someone younger and less experienced with the world.

Imagine her surprise when she realized maybe he wasn't dating anyone because he was trying to figure out how to save his wife and then was Hawkmoth?

"It caught us off guard too Adrien, I wouldn't have ever expected Marinette to…She's known us long enough to know how much I failed you, failed Nathalie. But we had à coeur ouvert. Agreed that we had feelings for each other." Yes, and that they were Ladybug and Hawkmoth, and they weren't enemies anymore now that all the cards were laid out.

"This is fucking crazy, why would you even want my dad Marinette!" Uh, did he really want that answer? Something must have shown on her face because Adrien groaned and shook his head.

"Marinette!" She tilted her head and placed her pointer finger against her lips before talking.

"He's kind when he doesn't have his head up his ass, sensitive enough to know when he'd fucked up, and willing to improve rather than continue staying in his position. I enjoy his sense of humor and we talk about things we both like…He's handsome and while I do question some of his fashion choices." She smiled at Gabriel who looked utterly amused.

"I still like him." Gabriel looked pleased at that and pressed a large hand over her daintier hand. And really, she admired his determination to save someone who pretty much used him. Hawkmoth was a fierce opponent and driven, Gabriel was Driven too in a different way when he wasn't Hawkmoth, some would say intense and alluring.

More like Pig-headed. She snorted at her own thoughts and smiled at Adrien.

"Look I understand how strange this must seem to you and trust me we're finding it really odd too. But, I'm willing to try and figure out if we could be…Together. If not I still would want to be his friend and if that bothers you Adrien I'm sorry but that isn't going to change anything."

Adrien's jaw dropped and he threw his arms up in what kind of looked like shocked betrayal.

"What the hell Marinette? I don't agree with this at all!" She spluttered at the comment and slapped a hand on the table.

"Okay so don't agree that's fine! But I'm not going to let you bully me about my feelings!" Adrien scowled and crossed his arms.

"How about the fact that not that long ago you had feelings for someone else! I mean what if what you're feeling for-"She snarled cutting him off.

"You made it oh so clear that I should have no reason to pine over you anymore Adrien! You were the one who made it clear we were only ever going to be friends! If that changed for you, I'm sorry but I'm not using your father to get at you! I genuinely adore him for several reasons!"

Nathalie sighed. "Please you two don't fight." It sounded kind of hollow and Marinette smiled sheepishly at the woman.

"Sorry. I'm sorry Adrien I didn't mean to yell at you, but you've been a jerk to me for weeks now and then you were questioning my feelings I really do like Gabriel and it's not at some weird attempt to get at you. I understood we were only going to be friends and my crush on you faded. So no Gabriel is not a replacement for you, I still consider you my best friend even if we haven't been friendly for a while."

Adrien's hair dropped into his eyes, covering them and she was certain the pain that lingered there.

"So, it really is true you two do really care for each other." He sounded defeated in that moment, and she never wanted to hear him like that, it hadn't been to hurt him, but she'd known it would hurt him to have his father so invested in someone else. When he'd pretty much ignored Adrien for so long, only within the last year and a half trying to make up for lost time.

There was too much hurt here and it caused a sharp pain in her chest, she really hated how this had turned out…