Adrien AUGreste (AdrienAugust) - A miraculous ladybug fanfic

Piano

A/N: This is mostly sad memories and happy memories Adrien remembers of his parents together with him(and without) revolving around the piano. I know nothing about pianos, so if it doesn't make sense, that's why lmao.

Even though this is just over 1k words, I wanted to say that I really loved writing this, mostly because I loved writing the past and what I 'd like to believe what happened. And even though I know pretty much nothing about piano, I know stuff about family, and that's what I think is really important here; a mother/son relationship. Adrien didn't get to have a relationship with his mother for very long, and we all know about his awful relationship with his father, but I wanted to write something that Adrien can cherish in my fics, even if it never actually happened in the fandom. Adrien, just like all of you, deserve a loving family, whether that's your friends or parent(s).

So please enjoy this and take a moment to appreciate your family and be thankful that they are there for you❤️💛

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Summary: Adrien remembers when his mother used to play piano with him. He remembers many things....

Adrien remembered the music. 

Her hands delicately roaming over the keys, her fingers making music. Sometimes she would play from her memory, maybe forgetting a key or something. Sometimes she would play from the sheet music his father would buy for her, and sometimes she would play with reckless abandon, being loud then suddenly quiet. Playing with feeling.

Adrien remembers his heart pounding with the keys. He remembers his breath matching the tempo and beat.

Sometimes, Adrien would sit on the bench with his mother and watch her play. He would sit still with his hands in his lap and his feet swaying with the music. When it was a soft melody, sometimes he would fall asleep on his mother's lap and she would pet his hair with one hand and continue to play with the other. When she played something upbeat and fun, like on his birthday or Christmas, he would dance. He remembers one time his father danced with him, his mother laughing.

Adrien doesn't remember the last time his father danced, but he was different before.

When he was 7, he would play with his mother, sitting by her side, hip to hip. She taught him. She would work the pedals and background music while Adrien would play solos, moving his fingers up and down, trying to play with intention and mood, though the keys were flat and never rang out fully. Adrien liked playing with his mother. He missed it, mostly. They would sit together on the very piano he has in his room currently, and his father would sit in a chair or stand beside them and listen to the two of them play. Sometimes, Gabriel would play a duet with Emilie, and they would laugh when one of them missed a note or played the wrong key, making the song sound off and wrong.

One time when he was little, Adrien watched them play together. He was hiding behind a door in the hallway, peeking through the crack because he didn't want to be seen by his parents. His mother and father sat beside each other playing a duet on the piano in a big room full of chairs and coffee tables, his mother leaning against his father. He remembered how his heart felt while watching them; warm and fuzzy. Full of love for both his parents. He thought he knew the song then, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it before. Later, he found out that it was their wedding song and he'd hummed the tune for two weeks straight afterward. When his parents were finished, they looked at each other for a long time. Adrien grew impatient and almost left, but then they embraced and his father kissed Emilie's head and she started to cry. Adrien started to cry too, but he fled from the door and ran down the hallway and hid in a closet, far away from the room his mother and father were in so they wouldn't hear him. He never heard them play a duet after that.

His mother only played three times after that.

The first of the three, her hands would stall over the keys, but only for a brief second before she would pick back up with the song. But Adrien remembered sitting beside her and leaning against her shoulder as she played. She sang quietly along with the song, sometimes her voice would break and she would stop singing, so Adrien would pick up where she left off and sang instead. He noticed that she wasn't using the pedals but he never asked her why. When she was done with the song and was getting off the bench, she tripped and Adrien had to help her to the door.

"What's wrong, mother?"

She shook her head and smiled at him. "Just a little tired, baby." She patted his head and he grabbed her hand, walking with her to her room. When they got there, his mother kissed him on his head and crawled into her bed. She fell asleep almost instantly. Or at least that was what it seemed, but that couldn't be right because no one falls asleep that quick, right?

The second last time, her hands were stiff and the keys were flat when she played them. Adrien never knew why. He was 9 then, and he felt awful that his mother was losing her forte. She always played so cheerfully, so elegantly, so carefree. She always knew what she was doing, but the second last time, she would pause and her brow would cease(or something. Crease? Idk) and she would grunt and afterwards, she was frustrated. Adrien asked what was wrong but his father pushed him away and made him go to his room. The next day they went out to have lunch together. He tried not to acknowledge his mother's cough.

The last time his mother played, she played him a lullaby. It was almost perfect. Adrien wondered if she was practicing, since the other times she was lacking the ring to the keys and the soft sounds of the notes. But near the end of the song, she sighed and her fingers gave up, too tired to keep playing. His heart broke for her. He was little, and he didn't really know what was going on. He didn't know if he should ask. So he did what he always did and sat beside his mother to play his favourite solo. He didn't notice his father in the doorway watching them play, leaning up against each other.

After that, his mother only got more tired. Adrien just thought it was because of work, but his mother never left the house. His father said she was sick, that she had a bad flu. Adrien hugged Gabriel then and he hugged him back, holding him close like if he let go, he'd lose his son forever....

Emilie Agreste died the week after that and his father closed all doors to the public, hiding Adrien away from everyone, even his friends and other family members.

Gabriel never played the piano again after that, but one day, Adrien wishes that he will get his father to play once more, though that hasn't happened yet.