A/N: Hey loves! I'm back with another one-shot and this one's loooong. Annnnd I'm sorry for the angst.

Genre: Romance/Drama
Subgenre: Angst/Hurt & Comfort
Rated: K+ (and T for the last section)
Word count: 8433 (excluding the A/Ns)
Date: July 26, 2020

❤ Requested by geekqueen2010 on Fanfiction.Net ❤

*This story is an AU*

Preview: Gabriel is a self-made fashion tycoon and has given the entire control of the company over to his son, Adrien. Their father-son relationship is very strong and has strengthened after Emilie's death. He is very protective of his son. Marinette is Adrien's assistant and things began to complicate as the two fall in love and start dating. (And yes, Gabriel's a good father in this AU.)

»»°•*•°««

_______

Their relationship was just like a crystal, it was the most beautiful thing in the world until it lasted, but when it broke, everything was shattered.
_______

They were a perfect example of a cliché couple. Adrien Agreste was a world-renowned businessman-slash-supermodel whereas Marinette Dupain-Cheng was his assistant-slash-designer. They were from different worlds- polar opposites of each other, but opposites attract and the duo just clicked.

Neither realised when it happened, but it did. From not being able to stand each other and only putting up with each other for the sake of their jobs, their relationship blossomed into something wonderful. They grew on each other and ended up falling hard. Even they didn't know when they changed their minds. It just happened. Magically. Miraculously.

And it was unbelievable at the same time, Adrien was someone who believed in balance sheets while Marinette believed in fairy tales. The green-eyed blonde could see the colours, but couldn't feel them, he couldn't understand their importance (which was ironical, considering his profession) whereas the blue-eyed noirette wouldn't dream of living in a world without colours. Neither had been in love before. Where Adrien didn't believe in love stories, Marinette had such a huge amount of build-up emotions in her heart that she was waiting- waiting to love someone once in her lifetime, she was waiting for her Prince Charming.

One would wonder how did they end up falling for each other. But they did. And it was amazing. From always having a frown on his face, Marinette became the reason why Adrien smiled all the time, she was why he had started feeling the colours (and his favourite one was bluebell, just like his lady love's eyes into which he could continue to stare for hours and hours), she was why he had started humming songs. And Adrien was the reason why Marinette had been able to live her dreams of loving someone so irrevocably that she didn't even care about anything else.

"I promise you," Adrien looked into bright blue orbs of the person who had made him finally feel complete, "I will never leave your side. I've lived twenty-seven years without you and I don't think that I'll be able to survive if you left me even for a second." His husky tone sent pleasant shivers down the girl's spine.

Marinette, whose body had been caged between her boss'-slash-boyfriend's hands and had her back pressed against a door, gazed into green meadows as her heart swelled with affection. Those kind, green eyes were brimming with so much love that she almost felt that she was dreaming. She gasped as he took her hand in his and pressed a sweet kiss on the back of her hand while still staring into her very soul.

"I love you, Marinette."
"I love you too, Adrien."

Their relationship was forbidden, it was against the work ethics of Gabriel, a company that M Agreste had so happily passed on to Adrien. They didn't tell anyone, it was their sweet secret- hidden from the world. They wanted each other, but destiny didn't. When they approached Adrien's father for his blessings, everything went downhill. . . And their world came crashing down.

******

"I don't want you to date her, Adrien," Gabriel said without using one single emotion in his voice.

The younger Agreste couldn't believe his ears. His father couldn't be serious! He wasn't like this! Did he not understand what he felt for Marinette? "Bu- But, Why?" He spluttered.

"Because I said so."

What? "I'm afraid that you'd have to give me a more specific reason, Père," Adrien stated.

"She's not right for you, Adrien."

"Not right for me!?" The blonde shrieked, "Père, she's the only one for me!" Panic laced his voice, "I thought you liked her."

The older man nodded slowly, "Indeed," he agreed, "Mlle Dupain-Cheng is a good person and a talented designer. She's hard-working too, but she isn't right for you."

"What's wrong with her?" Tears blinded his vision and threatened to spill out of his eyes, "You had no problems when we first told you! Why are you telling me this now?" Didn't his father realise what he was asking from him?

"Because I wanted to understand your relationship," Gabriel answered without any hesitation, "And you two are like thigh-high boots and knee-long skirts— not meant to be together. You can't understand this now, but you will. Both of you."

"B-but I can't live without her!" Adrien pleaded. He could not end things with Marinette, he won't be able to take it.

"Either you break up with her or I'll ruin her career in the fashion industry!" Gabriel snapped angrily.

The young model paled. He felt as if someone had punched the air out of his lungs, "P- Par- Pardon?!"

"You heard me, son," the older Agreste said in a matter-of-factly voice, "You do as I say or I'll take the matters in my own hands."

Adrien's heart shattered into a million pieces, this wasn't the Père he once knew, "Wh -Why a-are you doi- doing this?" His voice cracked.

"It's for your own good, Adrien. Hopefully, you'll realise that." Gabriel dismissed his son and leaned back in his chair. I'm doing the right thing, he told himself over and over again.

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?" A female voice startled him. He craned his neck to the left to see the portrait of his late wife behind him with the corner of his eyes. It was his conscience, again.

"And let him see me as weak as I am right now?" He challenged the figment of his imagination of Emilie, "No, thank you. If he gets involved in emotions like these, he'll be prone to pain- to vulnerability. I'm trying to save him."

"By making yourself look like a mean father?" The painting ridiculed him.

"Yes, if that's the only way." He turned to face the woman he had once loved and still did. "I am saving him from the negative emotions I felt after I lost you. I changed, Em, I was devastated and I don't want him to ever go through any of that."

"Why do you think that they're gonna end up like that?" Emilie questioned, "Marinette's not dying, but Adrien might if he loses her in the way you're making him."

"He's stronger than that," he denied. A part of him knew the truth, yet he didn't want to admit it. "It will hurt for a while but it'll get better eventually. He would no longer need her to breathe."

"You're being ridiculous," Emilie rebuked him, "Are you going to keep him away from loving everyone?" She was trying to talk him out of the idea.

"No," the man closed his eyes, "Just Marinette."

"Are you scared that you might lose him to her?"

Gabriel didn't know whether it was his fear or his denial because of which he didn't reply.

******

"I don't know kid," the voice on the other end of the line said, "That doesn't sound like your Dad."

"Why is he doing this to me, Plagg?" Adrien asked his Godfather. He could feel himself cracking beneath his facade, being separated from Marinette was his worst fear- and it was becoming a reality. The only person he could talk to was Plagg.

"Look, kid, you aren't the only one who knows how to pretend to be happy," Plagg tried to explain, "Normally when people start acting like this, that is, out of the normal, it usually means that they are hiding something. Try to find the real reason behind his decision... That's all I can tell you."

"The real reason?" Adrien sniffled.

"Mm-hmm."

After hanging up, Adrien looked out of his room's window. He pressed his forehead against the glass and stared at nothing. Things with his father had been a little tough ever since he moved out. He had guessed that it was probably because Gabriel was very over-protective of him. Their relationship was still strong and he still loved his father very dearly.

He remembered how much his Père had struggled after Mère succumbed to her long term diseases. Her health had deteriorated ever since she had been diagnosed with Lupus, it only became worse when she had developed Adrenal-cortex cancer. After months of treatment, she had left him and his father. He had been just seven years old when she had died.

Their economic conditions were never good, to begin with, Emilie's family had cut all their ties with her after she had left the prestigious Graham de Vanily tradition to marry Gabriel Agreste- a man who wasn't earning more than €100 per month at that time. They lost all of his mother's savings during her treatment. His father looked after him while still trying to establish a business. He used to work two extra jobs just so that his only child could live a better life. Père never told him, but Adrien knew that he had developed depression after Mère died.

"Here comes the aeroplane," Gabriel cooed and made whooshing sounds while trying to feed his son who strongly disliked eating anything healthy.

"Aeroplane!" Adrien clapped in glee as he opened his mouth and gobbled up the peas. His Père smiled widely (like a proud father) at him.

The sound of a cellphone's ringtone startled them both. Gabriel answered the phone as he cut the corners off the avocado toast he had prepared. "Here," he whispered to his son, "Eat up."

The kid accepted his breakfast happily as his father had remembered his favourite breakfast choice.

"No," Gabriel spoke into the microphone, "Schedule the meeting for later. I promised my son to take him to the zoo today." He winked at the green-eyed boy, "Yes, please." He hung up.

He had sacrificed so much, he had brought him up like a mother so that he would never miss Emilie. The dark circles under his eyes were evident. The company Gabriel was a fruit of his hard work and devotion.

Tears ran down his cheeks. It was as if his one eye was crying for leaving Marinette while the other one was shedding tears remembering his past. Something was up with his Père. Something really wrong.

******

"I'm not so sure about this, M Agreste."

"Why not?" The man asked Nathalie, the re-appointed assistant. After his retirement, he had offered her to do the same too. She had dedicated years of her life to this job and she deserved a good break. He couldn't let Marinette keep the job anymore, it would be way too distracting for his son. Re-hiring Mme Sancoeur was a great choice, not only because she knew the job but also because she knew him.

"Because she loves -" Natalie tried to reason.

"She can't work here anymore," he shut her up, "However, she needs the pay to fund her boutique business and she's an exceptional designer. Make sure that she accepts the other job offer."

"I wasn't talking about the job, Monsieur," she slid her glasses up her nose, "I was talking about her relationship with Adrien."

"They're not in a relationship," his facial features contorted.

"Don't you think that you're trying a little too hard to make her leave your son's life?" Nathalie inquired.

The older Agreste was rendered speechless once more.

******

The soul yearns for your embrace like never before, need to move on but can't forget you. It's hard to let you go— to not love you. Just need an excuse to see you one more time. You are a mistake that I don't regret committing.

What was her crime? How did she end up like this? She thought that he loved her, as much as she loved him.

"But I guess, it wasn't so," the girl whispered to herself softly as she wiped her tears. She had lost her love, her heart, her very soul and her job in just one day. How did she end up in this mess? He had promised that he would never leave her side. She should have realised that they were just lies, petty lies.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Tears cascaded down Marinette's cheeks, she could tell that he was fighting back his own tears.

"Père doesn't want us to be together," Adrien choked on his tongue, "We can't be together."

A sudden fury was ignited inside her, "What?!" She asked with an incredulous expression, "You're breaking up with me because your Daddy told you to!? Don't you have your own personality?!" She demanded. "Can't you act like an adult and take your own decisions?"

"I'm sorry, chér- Marinette," he turned around so that he didn't have to face her, "But I can't give you what want. You want a love story and I can only give you pain." His voice quivered, "G- Good- Goodbye."

She couldn't believe her ears, she needed to get away from him or else she would not be able to hold her emotions inside of her. She was afraid that she might collapse in front of him. "I didn't take you for a spineless person..." She ran away.

Marinette didn't even know why she was remembering him. He broke her heart, he gave her pain but he was still the centre of her thoughts. And she couldn't have this. She won't mop about a guy who couldn't even stay true to his words.

»Everybody hurts sometimes, Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy«

Besides, she had a date tonight. She needed to get her mind off a few things. Luka would be at her place in just two hours. He was a rising musical artist- a complete rockstar. She didn't know how exactly she ended up dating him. One moment she was eating ice-cream after her break-up and the next moment Alya and Rose had set her up on a blind date with Juleka's (Rose's girlfriend) brother Luka Couffaine. She had only heard about the siblings from Jagged Stone and Rose.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. The baby blue, cowl neck, spaghetti strap mini-dress probably didn't best suit the theme of her dinner date but, she couldn't bring herself to care. The bronze make-up look suited her well. People were right; a high-ponytail did compliment her face cut. Her embellished, blue, peep-toe high heels looked gorgeous. She was looking gorgeous. For Luka. She sucked in a breath.

"You know what a rebound relationship is, right?" A voice brought her out of her reverie. She whipped her head to her right to see her older sister, Tikki, standing at the doorway. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she leant against the door frame.

»But everything gon' be alright, Go and raise a glass and say, ayy«

The designer scoffed, "Of course I do," she turned to stare blankly at the mirror again, "Why do you ask?"

The older girl exhaled in exasperation, "No reason." Replacing her frown with a smile, she walked towards her sister and produced a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. "Wear this," the blue sapphires glittered under the light, "They'll make you look like a princess."

»Here's to the ones that we got, Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not«

The noirette inhaled sharply, fighting back her tears. ...You're my princess, Marinette. Mine and mine only... Why did everything remind her of him? "I," her usual cheerful voice was strained, "I do-don't want to wea -wear them."

»'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories Of everything we've been through«

"Okay," Tikki said, she then took out a pretty bracelet from her pocket, "Wear this instead. It's a good luck charm bracelet and it's pretty." She grinned excitedly.

»Toast to the ones here today, Toast to the ones that we lost on the way«

Marinette gulped painfully as she eyed the ladybug-charmed bracelet. ...Ladybugs are considered to be lucky- they are good omens. You're my ladybug. My Buginette... This wouldn't do. She can't let her thoughts wander off to her past. She needed to focus. On Luka, and not Adrien. "I said," she snapped on her unsuspecting sister, "That I don't want to wear it. I really don't want to overdo it!"

»'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories And the memories bring back, memories bring back you«

The red-headed, blue-eyed girl looked abashed. Her expression switched into something more serious again. "Alright~," she drew out the 'right', "Have you forgotten everything about him?" She searched her sister's eyes for any kind of emotion- something that had been missing in Marinette's eyes for quite a time now.

»And the memories bring back, memories bring back you«

"What will I do by keeping those memories alive?" She counter-questioned.

"It's just that," Tikki paused to choose her words very carefully, "You've been so distant ever since the two of you-," she cut herself off awkwardly, "And then when I showed you the earrings and the bracelet, you seemed kinda agitated. Is it related to Adrien?" She asked curiously. "Do-Don't you think that you're misleading Luka by rushing into a relationship with him?"

Marinette didn't answer. Instead, she focused on the nails she was busy painting into a pretty pastel pink. She couldn't meet her sister's eyes. And yet Tikki understood.

"I only want you to be happy, M."

The said girl blinked twice and cleared her throat before saying, "I like Luka."

And that was it.

.

.

.

"You look breathtakingly lovely tonight!" Luka complimented his girlfriend. He had brought her to an expensive restaurant for their date.

Marinette forced a smile on her face, "Thank you!" A part of her was surprised, they were the only ones at the restaurant, she had never taken Luka to be extravagant but maybe she was wrong. He had booked the entire restaurant for themselves.

"Welcome M Couffaine and Mlle Dupain-Cheng," the head-waiter greeted the couple. "Please come this way," he gestured them to follow behind him and led them to their table.

Things were not so bad. Luka was an absolute gentleman. He pulled out her armchair and made sure that she was seated comfortably first. As a waiter poured a bottle of expensive-looking champagne into their glasses, the head-waiter reappeared with a bouquet. "This is for you, Mademoiselle," he bent to offer her the beautiful red roses.

"Merci," she said accepting the bouquet. The roses smelled wonderful. Her smile wavered for a second. ...Our love is the rose that'll bloom forever... Shallow promises.

"-nette? Marinette?"

Marinette put down the flowers hastily as she realised that she might have spaced out. This really wasn't the time to dwell in the memories of the past. "Ye -Yes, L- Luk- Luka?" She stuttered nervously.

"Are you alright?" His concern would've melted her heart had she not met a certain blonde boy just a few months ago.

"Yes!" She squeaked, "I was just- I was just wondering how you managed to book this entire restaurant for us," she lied, "I've heard that it's really difficult."

"I wish I did," Luka said casually, taking a big sip of his drink.

Marinette's eyes furrowed in confusion but then her features relaxed, "You're trying to act all clueless again, aren't you?"

"Hold on," the black-haired boy put down his glass, "I thought you did all this." He pointed to their surrounding.

"Don't get me wrong," the girl chuckled in amusement, "These flowers, decorations, drinks, fairy lights and candles are pretty. But I can't afford it."

"I can't afford it either," Luka admitted.

"Wait," her eyes widened, "What if these arrangements are for someone else and they mistook us for them?"

"You might be right," he nodded solemnly, "Let me check about this with the manager before we get kicked out."

Marinette giggled for the first time in a while, but her mood didn't last long as she heard a familiar voice, the baritone made her stomach plummet.

"I did it," Adrien Agreste claimed as he appeared from the direction of the bar with a glass of wine in his hand. "I'm the one who did everything, " he said as he walked upto them and stood in front of their table.

Marinette's brain stopped. She felt herself standing up. It was a good thing she had already told Luka about her ex-boyfriend or else this would've been really awkward. He stood up as well. "You," she spoke as she squinted her eyes in disbelief, "You did all this? I can't believe you. You were following us? You've become a stalker."

"I was following you?!" Adrien scoffed, "You were the one who posted about your date on social media. But I get it, people like to share their happiness with everyone." He smiled and spoke through his gritted teeth, "And that's why I planned this special night for the special couple."

"Not everyone," she corrected him, "I share my happiness with my loved ones and not strangers. I didn't know that you would stoop so low," she tsked in disappointment and turned her attention towards boyfriend, "I think that we should leave Luka."

"Just a minute, Marinette," She had just started walking in the direction of the Exit when Luka stopped her, "No one introduced me," he turned to face the tall blonde in front of him, "I am Luka Couffaine," he extended his hand towards Adrien, "Marinette's boyfriend." He smiled politely, "Nice to meet you."

Adrien shook his hand with Luka's and managed to speak without choking on his saliva, "Nice to meet you too." He looked at Marinette again and felt his heart crack even more as he realised that she hadn't dolled up for him but for Luka. "Why are you leaving, Marinette? Did you not like the champagne? You can order something else. And Mr. Boyfriend," he addressed Luka while still looking into the bluebell eyes he loved, "A tip for you; the lady loves red roses."

"You're wrong," Marinette negated him in a furious tone, "I hate roses!" She threw the bouquet across the floor. The delicate flower petals disbanded and scattered all over the floor.

A beat passed. "I'm sorry, Marinette," the hurt in his eyes made her want to tear up, "I didn't know that you change your choices so fast." The dual meaning behind his words was crystal clear. "Anyway," he cleared his throat, "I've decided today's menu and I hope that you two enjoy yourselves."

"Neither do I want your menu nor any of your hospitality!" She yelled.

"Mon Dieu," he chuckled, "Another advice for you Mr. Boyfriend; she can get very angry at times, don't ever try to piss her off."

"Behave yourself, Adrien," she said, "You can't talk to him like this."

"Oh!" He exclaimed, "I am sorry, I didn't know that you were so protective of him. You are very lucky Mr. Couffaine, she seems to like you a lot." He paused to take a big sip of wine, "I'll leave you two here." He went back to the bar.

"Let's just get out of here, Luka."

"Why Marinette?" He asked, "I'm not scared of your 'big bad' ex. I booked this table for you, for us. I don't want anyone to ruin this date for either of us." He looked back in the direction of Adrien, "As for him, he's just lost the gravity of his world- his love, Marinette. He's trying to find a place to fit in." He smiled widely, "Can't you just ignore problems like these for us?"

Marinette seemed reluctant but she nodded anyway. She wasn't a fan of people who deliberately tried to make their ex jealous, but she found herself in the same position that night. The entire date was passed by her attempting to make Adrien jealous. She was clearly not subtle while dancing with Luka. She had made sure that Adrien got to see how much she enjoyed dancing with her boyfriend. She was taking satisfaction in the fact that Adrien was restless.

"Thank you, Luka," Marinette said after finishing a big bite of delicious Lasagna they both had ordered, "Had we left today then I would've given him a sort of power over me. I'm glad we stayed."

Luka smiled at her in return. "Wait," he suddenly said, taking a paper napkin in his hand, he leaned towers her and wiped the cheese off of the corner of her lips. She watched him with wide eyes until both of them heard a loud crash.

Turning their heads to the direction of the sound, they saw Adrien with clenched fists through the glass partition wall. Shattered glass laid on the floor. Thinking that he probably had dropped the glass because of her interaction with Luka made her mind go blank. It was true that she was hurting, but he wasn't doing any better either.

"Here's your bill, Monsieur," a waiter came up to them.

"I'll take care of this," a male hand swiped the bill out of Luka's hands, "The bill's on me tonight," Adrien said.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Agreste," Luka said, "But I can't accept this gift." He placed the money on the table.

"What's your problem, Adrien?" Marinette stood up abruptly, "What else do you want to ruin in my life?!" She demanded.

"Rui- Ruin your life!?" The blonde looked aghast, "I wanted-," his tongue felt heavier with the weight of the emotions behind his words, "I wanted to give you all the happiness in the world. But who knows whether your Mr. Boyfriend would be able to do that or not."

"No," Marinette admitted, crossing her arms over her chest, "Luka will never give me what you did because I know that he'll never break my heart, that he'll never break his promise."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Luka made his presence felt, "But Mr. Agreste, love isn't a race. It isn't a competition."

"I know that love's not a race," the blonde finally snapped at the man he had come to hate with his every fibre of being, "And don't try to show me my place," he averted his gaze towards the girl he loved, "Because my place is in Marinette's heart, she can't replace me even if she wants to!"

"I don't know what kind of fantasy world you're living in," she said, shaking her head in mock pity, "I have moved on. And that's the only truth."

Adrien scoffed, "The biggest truth of tonight is that Luka can't expect any kind of romantic feelings from you because you still love me. You. Are. Mine!"

Marinette would be lying if those words didn't make her insides go crazy, they still had the power to make her knees go weak. His intense gaze sent shivers down her spine.

"You know, I find it funny," Luka chuckled in amusement, "You made so many arrangements, you tried to make me feel like a bad person and now you claim to love Marinette." He narrowed his eyes, "Why don't you just marry her?"

Adrien's blank stare was his answer.

"Listen, Mr. Agreste, a person who can't stand up for their own love is good for nothing. There's no room for confusion in love- either it happens or it doesn't." Luka spoke very carefully for he knew that he was treading on thin ice, "I promise, if you guys ever decide to be together then I will support you. No matter what." He promised. Taking Marinette's hand in his, he left- leaving behind a broken Adrien and a wondering Marinette.

She wasn't Adrien's, was she? She didn't want to be his, right? It wasn't true at all. At this point, she didn't even know who she was trying to convince.

The hardest thing I'll ever do is walk away, still loving you...

******

"The sales have dropped by 10% this month, M Agreste," Nathalie informed Gabriel, "The company is experiencing a huge loss and I'm afraid if this continues then we're going to have a decreased sale by 50% at the end of this year."

"What's wrong with Adrien?" Gabriel muttered. This wasn't like his son. Was he alright? "I'll talk to him once he wakes up tomorrow," he said to Nathalie.

"But sir," she said, "He isn't sleeping right now."

"What?" The man asked. He got up from the sofa he had been sitting on and hurried towards his son's room, with Nathalie following behind him. He was shocked. Adrien was not the one to pull off all-nighters. He was grateful that Adrien was staying at the mansion overnight.

"Adrien," he said as soon as he reached the doorway, "It's 2 AM. Why are you still awake?" His son's tired eyes made his stomach clench.

"Oh, um, I was just completing some work," Adrien lied smoothly, "I lost the track of time."

"Oh!" Was all Gabriel could say, "Why are your eyes so red?"

"Maybe because I haven't slept yet?" The blonde weakly offered, hiding the fact that he had been crying over Marinette and that he had trouble sleeping ever since she left. His state was pathetic.

"Okay... The chefs told me that you didn't have dinner. Do you want me to get you something?" He gently asked.

"No Père," the model declined the offer, "I am not hungry and I was just going to sleep."

"Alright, go to sleep," Gabriel patted his son's shoulder, "We'll have breakfast together tomorrow and I have something to discuss with you as well."

"Bonne nuit, Père."
"Bonne nuit, mon fils."

"Why aren't you able to see what I can, Gabriel? Adrien is suffering. When will you open your eyes?" Nathalie whispered to herself.

******

Marinette quickly swung opened the door and entered the familiar office that once used to be hers. The office that was just outside her ex-boss', Adrien's, office. She looked over to the familiar assistant's desk and inhaled deeply as she tried to keep the recollections of her painful love story buried deep inside.

"Marinette?" An unfamiliar voice caused her to jump. Whipping her head to the left, she found an older woman, probably Nathalie; Adrien's new assistant, at the office's door.

"Mme Sancoeur," she nodded, "I came as soon as possible. What happened?"

The dark-haired woman gulped and moved closer to her. "Before I show you," she put her hand on Marinette's shoulder, "I've known Adrien for a long time now and I've never seen him in such a bad condition. He's become really depressed after you two broke up." She paused as a stray tear rolled down the designer's cheek, "He doesn't eat properly and neither is he able to sleep. He stays in his office for long hours and doesn't even go to his house. I haven't even told M Gabriel about this."

"Ta- Take me to h- hi- him." The noirette choked on her tongue as Nathalie led her to a familiar office. She left her to deal with the situation.

Marinette looked around. It had been over two months since she had come to work at the office, two months since they had been apart. Everything was necessarily the same- except for the papers that were scattered all over the matted floor. All the papers were of different sizes. She tried to make out the words written in unintelligent writing.

Marinette... Marinette... Marinette...

Princess... Chérie... I love you Marinette

Adrien loves Marinette... Marinette loves Adrien

Adrien and Marinette... Adrien weds Marinette

It was an agony to swallow. The girl tried to keep her tears from spilling out of her eyes. She gripped a nearby chair for support as her she felt her knees buckling and her legs visibly wobbled. The chair was the only thing that kept her from collapsing to the floor and bawling her eyes out. Then she saw Adrien. He was lying on the couch- passed out from all the drinks he had. A few bottles of scotch were lying nearby. His condition was like a spear through her heart. How did we get here? What had they become?

Marinette scurried to his side. She sat on the couch and gently lifted Adrien's head and placed it on her lap. More tears cascaded down her eyes. . . and landed on the blonde's forehead and eyes. He stirred in his drunken state and opened his eyes to get a hazy view of the girl he loved.

"Mmm Marinette," his breath reeked of alcohol, "I knew you would, hic, come." He sat up with the help of the two soothing arms supporting him. "I've been waitiinng for yoOouuu~" he slurred heavily.

"Adrien," Marinette hissed, "Why did you drink so much?"

The poor man giggled painfully. "You knowww, you're NOT mine, hic, buuut you still caaarre."

"Why are you doing this? You're not making this easier for either of us. I can't see you like this and your father won't be happy to learn that I'm here." She scolded him as she cried to see her loved one in grief.

"Shush," Adrien silenced her by pressing his index finger against her lips, "You arre goin' to liistten." He was tipsy from all the alcohol he had drunk earlier, "I hearrd that you got engaged to- to L-Luka yesterday. You are very brave. I'm proud of you!" He gave her thumbs up and smiled at her with a broken smile. "The alcohol helps meeee to, hic, gather the courage to speak to you," he hiccuped again, "I love you, " he grabbed her hands, "But, I get it," he laughed, probably at himself or maybe at his fate. He sniffled, "I gave you pain, hic, and you don't deserve dat," he shook his head furiously, "You desss- desse- deserVe someone who can give you happeeness." His voice was thick with the effect of the scotch and emotions.

Marinette grimaced. Why was he doing this? Did he not realise the magnitude of his actions?

"But, ya know," he continued, "Whenever you go way for me, I feel assss iff I'll die. I ca-can't, hic, bear the thouuGhT of you not being wiTh me." He wiped his tears sloppily, "There isssn't a minute when I don- don't thiNK about yOou. You were riGHT, I've become a cr- creepy ssstalker." Adrien's wrecked tone made all the blood squeeze out if her heart. "You are the reasson why I, hic, why I wake up every day, hic, you are the- the reason why I breathe- you are the reason why I, hic, live." He continued, "I can't foOrrgeT you and I can- can't letT you forget 'boUt meeee." He sniffed.

Marinette tried to free her hands from Adrien's grip. She tried to leave but, he didn't let her. She couldn't hear anymore because if she would then she wouldn't be able to control the dam of emotions buried deep inside her heart. She wasn't even trying to control the tears that were flowing freely. "Adrien," she whispered softly, "I am engaged."

The words caused the blonde to burst into a fresh bout of tears as large hiccuping sobs stole his breath. He felt helpless. He felt pitiful. He didn't know whether he had lost more or Luka had procured more. "T- den won't you inViTe me to de wedDinG?" He asked sorrowfully, "Maybe den I would realisse, hic, what I've, hic, lost."

The crying girl looked at her lover in disbelief. The very thought of him attending her wedding- of her becoming someone else's in front of his eyes left her wondering her next move.

******

Gabriel gaped as a horrific scene played in front of him. He had just decided to visit his son in his office. Nathalie had tried to stop him, but he had opened the door anyway. He was shocked to see Adrien's state. He stood rooted at the spot- shocked, not able to interpret anything. He didn't interrupt the two youngsters, instead, he just closed the door silently.

Walking away from the door, he dropped down onto his knees. What have I done? He remembered Adrien's torn expression when he had forbidden him to date Marinette and further threatened to ruin her career. What kind of a pathetic father he was? He couldn't even see that his son was falling apart- his sanity was dangling on the weakened seams of his duty as a son. He had wronged his own son! Adrien's heart had been cracking all this time and he wasn't even able to hear it. He was just doing what his father told him to, but what had he done in return? He couldn't recognize his son's happiness. His son was a mess because of him. He had suffocated his own son!

Nathalie was saying something to him but he couldn't hear her. Instead, he was hearing a cacophony of voices in his head.

"You've failed as a father, Gabriel." It was Emilie talking to him.

"Just look at him, Em," a voice that he hadn't heard in a long time spoke, "He's a pathetic loser." Emilie's father mocked him.

"You're no good!" Amilie said to him.

"You've failed our son, Gabriel," it was Emilie again, "Adrien's depressed because of you."

"What were you thinking?" The golden-haired woman derided him, "He's no longer the Adrien we knew, whose smile made our day and made us thank the Almighty for gracing us with him. He no longer has a soul, he's just a puppet- a puppet who does whatever YOU tell him to."

"P- ple- please make this stop," he muttered weakly.

"Why do you want to escape the truth now?" Emilie taunted him, "Our son is suffering because of you, because of YOUR selfishness!"

The harshness of her tone didn't hit him as hard as the truthfulness behind her words. His conscience had admonished him several times but he had just ignored the signs, all because he was in denial. A sharp shooting pain crossed his heart and he clutched his chest as he wheezed. His eyes had trouble focusing as dark spots danced in his vision. His brain had trouble functioning and understanding the surroundings. He collapsed to the ground and everything went black. Black; such a peaceful colour.

.

.

.

He felt weak, helplessly weak. Gabriel blinked open his eyes to see white. He was in a hospital room. As soon as the world around him started making sense, he heard beeping. Turning his head to the left he saw the heart rate monitor that was producing the beeping sounds, the graphs on the screen made no sense to him, but he could tell that everything was normal. He tried to sit up but winced half-way and fell back on the bed again.

"You're awake!" Nathalie exclaimed. She rushed to his side and helped him to sit up as she reclined the bed suitably and pressed his back against a small mound of pillows to provide him adequate support.

"What... happened?" The older man asked as he struggled to recollect the previous events.

Nathalie looked subdued for a few minutes but then spoke, "You had a heart attack after you saw Adrien and Marinette in the office." Her voice was trembling, "There were some blockages in your arteries and the doctors had to perform a surgery."

A heart attack? He had a heart attack? "Where's Adrien?" He instinctively asked.

"He's okay," the woman said quietly, "Moments before your heart attack, he threw up in the dustbin and passed out. Doctors say that he has alcohol poisoning. He has been admitted into the hospital too."

Gabriel's heart sank. His son had always hated alcohol. Did he make him to this to himself too? "Wh- Who brought me here?"

"Marinette did," Nathalie answered, "I was too panicked to do anything. She came rushing to your side as soon as she heard my screams. She was the one who followed the accurate first-aid. After giving you compressions, she crushed an Aspirin and put it in your mouth. It seriously helped a lot."

Gabriel's chest contracted. He had made her life miserable and the girl had saved his life. His guilt increased by ten folds. "Whe- Where's she?"

As if on cue, the door to the hospital room opened and a young woman walked in with a paper bag in her hands. She paused as she saw Gabriel. "You're okay," she smiled politely. "I've got your medicines," she referred to the bag in her hands, "You need to take beta-blockers first." She walked towards him and put the package on the table right next to him.

"Nathalie, please give us a moment," The bespectacled man said. The said woman nodded and left the two alone.

"Why?" He asked without any reference.

"Huh?"

"Why did you save my life?" Tears rolled down his cheeks, "You didn't need to save me. With me gone, no one would've held back Adrien from marrying you. You both are better off without me anyway! I messed up, I wronged you both."

Reassuring hands on his made him look up to see kind blue eyes. "I saved you because I know that," Marinette started, "Designation a relationship holds is less pertinent when compared to the person." She smiled, "I also saved you because I know how much Adrien loves you. He has already lost his mother and he would be devastated if he lost you too."

Looking at Marinette, Gabriel could see why his son cherished her so much. Remorse weighted his heart, "I'm sorry," he said abruptly, "I am so sorry, Marinette. I ruined your life. Had I not threatened to ruin your career in fashion then you and my son would've been still together." He averted his gaze, he could not meet her eyes.

"What?" Marinette asked.

The older Agreste snapped his eyes back to hers, "You don't know?"

"N-no, I didn't," she stammered, "I thou- thought that Adrien bro- broke up with me because you tol- told him to. I didn't know that you threatened him."

"Maybe he didn't want you to hate me, though it might be too late for that..." He trailed off.

"Why did you do it?" She blatantly asked.

Why did he do it? It was a question that had been revolving inside his head since the very beginning. He had always been fond of the young designer, she was a good human being. She had always been like a daughter to him until... Until he learnt that his son was in love with her. Was it all because of their relationship? "It's so hard to sustain a relationship," he began truthfully, "When we burden others with so many expectations. I had assumed from the very beginning that you won't be able to become a good daughter-in-law because you were so different."

He inhaled deeply and continued, "As an individual, I used to like you a lot but when I interacted with you as Adrien's parent, I developed a strange kind of fear." His voice quivered a little and he had trouble speaking coherently for he was letting his emotions out for the first time in a while, "After Emilie's death, Adrien was all I was left with. He took after his mother in probably everything but gender. I loved him so dearly and after his mother died, I became over-protective. Almost possessive of him and his affection. The relation we shared was unlike others. I was his mother too." He chuckled slightly, "He is everything I have."

"When he was little, I used to do everything for him. And when he grew up, he didn't need me that much," his eyebrows furrowed as his eyes became sad, "When you came along, I became scared. I thought that how could he depend on you when he had always depended on me. I was scared that you might take my place in his heart. I was so insecure."

Gabriel lamented, "I am sorry, Marinette," he joined his hands in front of him, "I was so afraid to lose my son that I couldn't accept you as my daughter." Sobs shook his frame, "Why couldn't I realise that your relationship with my son was not to compete with my own's? Why couldn't I realise that we didn't have to fight for Adrien's love?"

"You know what," he wiped his tears, "It's never too late to mend. Marinette, I know that Adrien loves you a lot and you love him too. I am begging you to return to his life, I am begging you to return his happiness by accepting him again." He pleaded.

Marinette, who had been silent the entire time, lowered her eyes and said, "I'm engaged."

"Wh-what?"

"I- I am eng- engaged." She shut her eyes tightly. What had she done? She was so angry with Adrien that she couldn't even see his pain. He had been just trying to protect her. Why had she jumped into a relationship to forget him?

"Marinette," Gabriel said quietly, "Would you be happy with your fiancé when you don't even love him? You're in love with Adrien. Look into my eyes and tell me that you don't love my son." When she didn't he said, "Please don't punish my son for my sins, don't let yourself suffer because of my incompetence either," he prayed, "If you get married to someone else then Adrien will die inside. He'll become hollow. And I won't be able to live myself if he never smiles again."

"Bu- but I can't betray Luka, he doesn't deserve this!" The noirette argued.

"If you don't say anything and hide the truth," the older man said gently, "Then that would be considered as betraying him. He deserves your honesty, Marinette. And Adrien deserves a chance. Give him a chance to prove himself, give me a chance to become your Père as well."

Marinette seemed lost in thought. Gabriel was right. She didn't love Luka and they would never be a happily married couple. It was late, yes, but it wasn't that late. The first time had been a mistake, but if she stayed quiet and hid her true feelings the second time then it would be an injustice to both her and Luka. "You're right," she sighed, "I'll come clean and talk to Luka."

Gabriel's face lit up. "Thank you, Marinette. I will talk to Adrien and tell him everything. I'll apologize to him too," his smile wavered, "Hopefully, you'll be able to forgive me too."

"My Mère taught me," Marinette wiped her own tears, "That we should accept only blessings from our elders, and not apologies."

The older man chuckled as his heart swelled with fatherly affection. "Take care, ma chère fille."

After Marinette left, Nathalie came back to his room with his lunch. She smiled at him as she arranged berries of various kinds.

"Do you still miss me?" Emilie's voice rang in his ears and he looked around. He didn't see an apparition this time. After all these years, he had finally moved on. He returned his focus to what was in front of him the whole time- Nathalie was going through his prescription to make sure that he didn't need to take any medicine before lunch.

******

"I now understand why you love your père so much," Marinette said as she and Adrien walked back from their date to her home, hand in hand, their fingers were interwoven tightly.

"He's the most awesome parent I could've asked for," Adrien replied.

Marinette hummed and rested her head against his arm, "I love you, Adrien."

The blonde went rigid at the words but then relaxed, "I love you too, chèrie." He smiled unconsciously. Having Marinette back again in his life was like a dream. He jolted as he remembered something important. "Oh crap, I forgot!"

With a concerned expression on her face, Marinette asked, "What happened?"

Adrien let go of her hand and immediately missed the warmth and the pressure of comfort her skin bestowed him with. But instead of whining, he searched for something in his pocket with panic while the love of his life looked at him with bafflement. His actions stilled as he felt something solid in the pocket of his jacket. Smiling, he took out the object as he looked at Marinette's face for a reaction.

The girl gasped as he revealed a beautiful brooch from his pocket. The peacock-like jewel was adorned with sapphires and emeralds. It was perfectly carved to resemble the bird it symbolised. "It belonged to my mother," Adrien told her as the brooch glistened under the moonlight, "This was her favourite piece of jewellery that her great-grandmother gave her for being kind and respectful to everyone. She used to wear it all the time." He looked at the tiny yet priceless object, "Père always kept it with him because of Mère's memories," he looked up at Marinette, "But he gave me this yesterday- to give it to you. He says that you deserve this."

The noirette wrapped him in a tight hug and grinned when she felt the pressure of his arms wrap around her frame protectively. Pulling back, she leaned up to peck Adrien's lips chastely. "I'll take care of your mother's brooch and responsibilities." Looking down at her jacket, she found the piece of jewellery already pinned above her breast pocket. Hooking her arm with his, she sauntered carelessly, "You are one sneaky kitty."

"Your sneaky kitty," Adrien corrected her as he nuzzled her hair.

They climbed up the stairs to Marinette's apartment. A comfortable silence wrapped around them. They didn't say anything. Instead, they just savoured each other's presence. They had gone through a lot in the past few weeks that their happy ending nearly felt surreal.

Marinette unlocked the door and they both went inside. Dropping the keys in the bowl on the kitchen counter, she took off her jacket when suddenly she felt Adrien snake his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. His hot breath fanned her neck as he bent down to whisper in her ears, "You are a beautiful woman, chèrie," her breath hitched as he licked the shell of her ear, "And I've always wanted to try this with you." Her pace quickened as she felt his hands wander to the places they were both yet to explore.

It happened in a flash- she was turned around by her lover as his mouth crashed on hers and all the pent up desire was thrown into the kiss. He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his torso whilst he made his way to her bedroom. The sound of the zipper of her dress going down echoed the house and the rest of the night was carried out like a dream.

_______

Even if there wasn't any gravity on earth, I would still fall for you!
_______

[Merci: Thank you]
[Mon Dieu: My God]
[Bonne nuit: Good Night]
[Mon fils: My son]
[Ma chère fille: My dear daughter]

»»°•*•°««
A/N: If you've read the preceding note then you'd know that this was a request. Initially, it was just about making a song-fic using Memories in Mari's POV, but it soon escalated to this.

Kinda hard to imagine Gabriel as a good father (especially after Chat Blanc), isn't it? But here, he's a good dad.

Gabriel-Marinette relationship is that of a father-daughter and shouldn't be mistaken for anything else.

This could have been way better had I used a little more intricate wordings to describe emotions but I realised that there was no way *I* could've done it without increasing the length. A lot of writers may have been able to do that but, I'm still learning... Please pardon me for any mistakes in this chapter, they're unintentional.

Any suggestions? ➡
Any requests? ➡

Anyway, that's all for today,

⬇⬇⬇⬇ Press this star button to vote! :)