Accidentally locked up together

Nathalie had been avoiding him since the very moment she returned to the mansion. She had been doing her work, as good as her health let her, but after that, she had only left the bed or even the house, when she spent time with Adrien.

And Gabriel had noticed, that she had been doing that a lot!

But now he needed to go on a business trip for a couple of days and he really needed his assistant to accompany him there.

They were still sharing the bed in his room, as he still insisted on watching over her in the nights, due to her respiration issues. But while they had had rather pleasant conversation before he had managed to disappoint her by losing the bunny miraculous, whenever he went to bed, wearing almost the same black silk pyjama as she did, Nathalie turned to her right side and ignored him.

He sighed, as he entered the already dark bedroom past eleven o'clock in the night and tried to get through the room to the bathroom as fast as he could, when he tripped over one of Nathalie's suitcases and fell flat on his stomach.

Immediately the small lamp on her nightstand enlightened the room dimly and a sleepy sounding voice asked:

"Are you alright?"

This was the most personal question she had asked him since that dreadful night weeks ago. He didn't even know, what she thought about his efforts and his 'alliance' with the Tsurugi company.

He had noticed her, giving Tomoe the one or the other loathing glance but he was certain, those came just from the habit of having romantic feelings for him.

Gabriel was sure, that those were long gone. She had been right. In his arrogance he had not only forfeit the chance to save his wife, but her too. Her question if he was alright was most likely out of habit too, yet he looked up and tried to smile at her, when he said:

"I'm fine, thank you, Nat..."

Before he could finish speaking out her name, she had switched the light off again and he could hear her lie back down and roll onto her side, her back facing towards his part of the bed.

He sighed and went into the bathroom, not even trying to not wake her, when he returned. He could tell from her breathing that she wasn't asleep.

He lifted up the duvet and placed himself under it, laying onto his back and took a deep breath, then spoke to her:

"I know, that you're not sleeping, Nathalie. I need you to pack your things for a two or three day trip. I am not certain, how long it will take, but I need you to come with me and do take notes while I am doing the bargaining with a couple of potential business partners! I know, you are still angry, but can you at least confirm, that you heard me?"

"I did hear you Sir. When do I have to be ready?", she replied coldly, still keeping her back towards him.

"We are leaving for the airport at 15.00 and the flight will be over around midnight, and we then get into a smaller plane and head to our final destination, I don't know the exact place either. I don't think you need to pack many things, as we will be busy most of the time anyway!", he explained, trying desperately to at least hear some kind of friendly reaction.

But none came, she answered professionally:

"Very well, Sir. Anything else? Do you need me to pack your things too or will Mrs Tsurugi take care of that?", she wondered and he could suddenly hear the pain in her voice.

Turning towards her and placing his hand on her shoulder, he tried again:

"Nathalie, I..."

But she just shook him off, quietly saying:

"Don't!"

He took another deep breath, then said calmly:

"It would be very kind, if you helped me to pack my things too. Otherwise I will forget half of it, as you know!"

"Just tell me, what the meeting is about and what kind of clothes I should pack for you!", she said, with a little happiness, she tried to hide, but which he could still hear.

Smiling, he turned to his side too, just as she with a groan turned to her back.

His face instantly showed concern, though the room was too dark to see it.

"What's wrong?", he asked and she shrugged and said:

"It's nothing, just one of the every day aches, that could have been healed already!"

He knew, he deserved the guilt, she made him feel and he swallowed any possible, snide answer and simply said:

"I know and I am sorry, that I did what I did, but sadly I can't change that, except I get my hands on that miraculous in any way. But right now, I have to focus on this meeting. And I swear, that nothing on that trip has to do with those jewels, okay?"

"Very well, Sir!", she repeated and was about to turn over again, when he grabbed her arm and held her in place.

"How much longer are you going to punish me for what I did, Nathalie?", he asked and for the first time she couldn't hold back her emotions completely and spat angrily:

"Well, I guess for as long as I have to suffer under the consequences to that, right?"

He turned to his back again, so they both were now staring into the darkness above them, not saying a word, but both aware, that the other was still awake.

"I promise to find a way to fix this!", Gabriel uttered after what seemed like hours, "to fix, what the miraculous and I did to you!"

He heard her swallow, then she inhaled long and deep, to say a short, but soft:

"Okay!"

"Good night Nathalie!"

"Good night.....Sir!"

He sighed, there was the Sir again. But at least she had hesitated before saying it this time.