How Gabriel Noticed

Waiting

Tears were streaming down the woman's face, as she watched the boy's pale skin and the lifeless body, when he slowly started to stir.

"He's breathing, my love, don't be scared any more!", Gabriel cooed and covered his son with a blanket, and tossed another to Nathalie, so she could do the same with Marinette. As soon as she gave him her okay, he walked towards them and carried the no longer exposed girl to Adrien's bed as well.

It was the boy, who woke up first.

"Marinette!", he cried out, before even opening his eyes.

"Shush, Adrien! Everything is alright! You did it, you helped Nathalie feel a lot better. How are you feeling? Are you hurting? Can you breathe?", Gabriel asked him with concern.

He opened his eyes and tried to lift his head, but groaned and let it fall back.

"Where's M-Marinette?Is she alright? What happened? I just remember, that we were transformed and then, I think she called out unify, but nothing else! I....I have to....", he tried to situp again, but Gabriel pushed him gently back into the cushion, then said very quietly:

"Marinette is lying right next to you, she hasn't woken up yet, but she is breathing and her vitals are okay too. Nathalie is taken care of her, because thanks to the both of you, she is feeling a lot better already!"

The young man carefully turned his head and held out his hand to the dark haired woman, who smiled at him tenderly.

"How are you, Adrien? Do you need anything?", she asked sweetly.

"Why", he croaked and cleared his throat, "why are you feeling so good already, when we took only half of everything? I mean, if this is only a quarter, how did you bear the pain at all?"

Nathalie squeezed his hand tenderly.

"I had time to get used to it. It hasn't been so bad from the beginning. We'll ask your girlfriend, as soon as she wakes up. She is your girlfriend now, right?"

"I really hope, she will still be able to love me and be with me! But even if I will loose her, because she can't handle the thought of me, being also ChatNoir, it was worth everything. In two ways. We got to do, well.....you know and you are getting better and will soon be healed. So, I don't regret anything!", he said, his voice still weak and hoarse.

"You really do love her a lot, right?", Gabriel asked and he wanted to nod, but his head hurt too much and so he just whispered:

"More than anything else!"

"I love you too, Adrien!", came the young woman's voice from his left. Turning his head a little further, he looked directly into her eyes and smiled blissfully.

"How are you feeling, Marinette?", he breathed and searched with his hand for hers.

She interlinked her fingers with his, as soon as their hands met and replied calmly:

"I've been better! You've suffered quite a bit, Nathalie!"

"But thanks to the two of you, it's already a lot better. You both get your rest now. We'll get you something to eat and to drink!"

But Gabriel interrupted her:

"You, my love, will take some more rest too, so you will eventually fully recover, while I will take care for getting food for all of us up here, so we can all have dinner together. Do you want me to inform your parents about you, being here with us, Marinette?"

The half chinese girl looked at Gabriel now, telling him:

"They don't even know, that I am not in my room. I transformed into Ladybug and left over my balcony! TIKKI! Where are Tikki and Plagg? Are they okay?"