It was a fair, calm day in Paris, a month or so since Monarch's downfall and Gabriel Agreste, according to the world, became a hero.
It was also a month since Nathalie Sancoeur stepped one further step up at being Adrien's mother/guardian.
Adrien had more freedom than he had before, with her taking care of him. He didn't need to be at fancy parties he didn't want to go to, or do photoshoots for his dad's fashion company, or do piano lessons. He used to do all those things because he believed it made his dad happy/proud of him.
The one thing from the past he did keep doing was fencing.
A new thing he started was baking lessons with Tom Dupain, Marinete's dad and local baker.
"Something bothering you, son?" Tom asked after Adrien failed to get him the flour - which was right beside him - for the fifth time.
"I… "I'm just thinking about Sunday," Adrien said, playing with his dough to distract him. "Mother's Day. I'm not sure… not sure if Nathalie would want something from me for it."
"Why wouldn't she want something?" Tom asked, placing his tray in the oven.
"Because… she might think it strange… me getting something for her." Adrien mumbled, looking at his parents' double rings he now wore on the opposite hand to his Miraculous. "What with her being my dad's assistant and everything and not being my mother."
"Kid," Tom said gently, placing a floury hand on the blonde boy's shoulder "A family is more than something you are born into. It's the friends and families of friends who are there for you when and if you need them."
"I know," Adrien said looking up. "And she's been taking care of me like a mum since my mum disappeared, but dad never let me do Mother's Day, so even if I do celebrate it, I don't know how to."
"How about you ask your friends?" Tom asked as a suggestion, knowing Adrien's friends would be happy to help.
"I have, well, Nino and Kakami anyway, but neither of their ideas felt right," Adrien said, finally dividing up the dough and shaping it. "Nino's was a promise to his mum to watch Chris for the day so his mum and dad can spend the day together. And Kakami… She says she doesn't do Mother's Day. But said if she did, she would just get her mum a card and a useful gift."
"Well, useful gifts are more appreciated than mini figurines that just sit on the shelf collecting dust," Tom said in an agreeing/having learnt this himself voice. "But gifts also need to be from the heart and mean something to both of you."
"Mean something?" Adrien asked, unsure about this.
"That's right, such as for my birthday, Marinette made me a jumper and got me and my own dad talking again." Tom said, giving suggestions. "For Sabine's birthday, she made her a new evening dress so we could go out to celebrate. And she makes all her friends presents for their birthdays. Mostly clothes related, mind you."
"Clothes related birthday gifts?" Adrien asked quietly, thinking to himself.
"Yes but that's all because that's something she's good at and shows off her love for us in the things she makes," Tom said, turning the rolls around. "What are you good at, that would make a great gift?"
"I don't know…" Adrien said sighing sitting down now his tray of bread rolls were done,
"Well another good gift is baked goods and I do have some ideas in here we can try," he said, giving a dopey smile pointing to his own head.
"Thanks Mr Dupain, and no offense, but baked-goods feel like a no gift/last minute back-up gift." Adrien said, hoping not to upset his girlfriend's dad.
"Hmmm, you're right, we don't want you baking them and then giving Nathalie sent to hospital do we?" Tom said, letting out a loud laugh at the look on Adrien's face.
"Tom, honey don't torment the poor boy," Sabine said as she came in from the shop part of the bakery. "He came here looking for advice, not to be laughed at." She said hugging the boy quickly and checking him over. "I can tell you what I would like for Sunday, if it can help you, dear."
"Um… it probably won't, but I would like some ideas Mrs Cheng," Adrien said calmly, giving her a smile.
"Well first, I would like to have a nice lie-in in the morning. Next I would like breakfast in bed so I can stay nice and warm while I enjoy the meal Tom and Marinette made for me." Sabine began, counting on her fingers. "Once breakfast is done, I would like to receive my small but useful gift, before we spend the day together with my family letting me pick which games we play *and let me win if I am loosing*" she whispered, making Adrien smile a little more.
"Finally, for dinner I would like to either be taken out somewhere fancy, or be served it here with me not needing to have to do anything."
"I guess I can try some of those things," Adrien said, giving a small smile of thanks. "But I still don't know what to get her."
"Well better hurry up and figure it out. Because as you say it's this Sunday." Tom said cheerfully, getting lightly hit by his wife.
"Oh and what have you got your mother then, Tom?" She asked, making him pause in his laughing and look nervous.
"Um, nothing yet, but I will get her something," he said, mumbling about checking on the bread.
Laughing a little at how the grown man was behaving and seeing he didn't have anything planned either, made Adrien feel a little better, but he was still determined on getting Nathalie something special.
"AAAGH! Why can't I think of anything?!" Adrien cried out to the room after going through his third mini notebook for ideas, throwing the most recent paper ball into the bin where the rest were.
"You can always get her some of that special cheese you promised to get me," Plagg, his Kwami, said from his cheese safe.
"Nathalie is a human, Plagg, not you," Adrien mumbled into his pillow.
"Well how's about you ask Pigtails for an idea?" the mini black cat asked, her dad said she had a thing for gifts.
"I can't just ask Marinette to make me something just for me to give to Nathalie," Adrien said, rolling over.
"Sure you can! People do stuff like that all the time!" Plagg said going to the computer and jumping on the keyboard to get to Marinette's clothes and accessories website "Remember these?"
"Well, yeah, but Nathalie won't want any of that," Adrien said looking at the items anyway.
"Kid, just pick something," Plagg said, sounding tired about this. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of other Mothers Day's with Nathalie after this one."
"But that's the thing Plagg! This is the FIRST ONE!" Adrien said, trying to get his point across.
"If it's such a big deal, how's about going and ASKING her what she wants then?! HUH!" Plagg said flying into his cheese safe now - a sign he was annoyed but didn't want to leave.
"Uggh…" Adrien said returning to his bed, deciding to ask Marinette for advice tomorrow.
The next day, Adrien went onto social media and typed an unnamed question to his friends and fellow group members.
'What should I get my new mum for Mother's Day?'
Putting his phone on standby, Adrien went for a shower and got ready for school.
Downstairs as he was having breakfast he looked at the comments, but there weren't that many, and they all seemed the same.
'Flowers, Cakes, Cards, Signs you appreciate them, etc'
"Adrien, no phones at the table," a voice said, making him look up to see Nathalie coming to sit down and join him.
"Um, yes, sorry Nathalie," he said, putting his phone away, avoiding her eyes.
"Is there something the matter?" she asked as she buttered her toast.
"Just… thinking about Sunday," Adrien said, trying to keep the fact he didn't have anything to himself.
"I see," she said, leaving it at that.
On the way to school Adrien checked his phone again.
Now there was a comment saying: 'Just spend the day with her. Not all gifts need to come from money.'
There were some negative points to this comment, but Adrien thought it was a good back up if needed.
Everywhen he could that day, Adrien asked his friends what they would suggest, but either they said the same gifts as the comments, or the gift was either too expensive or would take too long to make/get here.
Sighing, the blonde former-model sat down at a table in the cafeteria and started playing with his food.
"Adrien?" a voice said quietly, making him look up to see Marinette. "You are going to eat that right?" she asked joining him.
"Marinette, what should I get Nathalie for Sunday?" he asked straight away.
"Oh, um… I don't know, maybe something to help her at work, or a new book she's interested in. Or maybe just some flowers and a card for now, and do the big gifts next year so you can get to know each other a bit more."
"Flowers and a card, and wait till next year?" Adrien asked not having thought of that.
All this time he had been fussing over making a big deal about this and… he can just wait?
"Yeah, but I passed the flower shop yesterday and they were running out of bouquets, and they don't last that long, but it's something, right?" Marinette asked, rambling due to being nervous.
Smiling Adrien leaned forward, kissed her and left for the flower shop.
Marinette was right, there weren't a lot here, but after looking at each one, Adrien picked one with red, black, green, and blue flowers.
Once that was done he went to the card shop to pick out a card finding a simple nice one.
Taking the gifts home, he wrote a message in the card saying he would do better next year, but hoped Nathalie liked the gifts either way.
Finding an old flower vase, Adrien placed the flowers into them with water hoping they would still be fine for Sunday.
Early Sunday morning, Adrien got up and went to the kitchen where he started making breakfast in bed for Nathalie.
Remembering the card and the flowers, Adrien went to wee her knocking on the door.
"Come in," Nathalie's voice said sleepily.
The boy came in and slowly came over to the bed setting the tray down beside his new mum.
"What's this?" she asked putting her glasses on.
"Hap-happy mothers day," he said shyly, waving at the card and flowers and food and backing away a little.
Slowly Nathalie opened the card and read it, smiling and then hugged him.
"Thank you Adrien." she said, inviting him to help her with the pancakes he made.
The rest of the day was spent just spending time together and getting to know each other a little more.
As the day drew to an end Adrien kept promising that next year would be better, but Nathalie didn't mind, saying this day was just fine just the way it is.