One shots

After Perfection

"I must find a way to get rid of Mrs Tsurugi or at least find a way out of this contract, Nathalie!", Gabriel sighed desperately. "Either that, or I will have to make sure, that his main focus will be on Kagami from now on and not on any other girls or wasting his time, by being with his so called friends or playing any stupid games. I....", he inhaled deeply, "...I don't like doing that to him, but, he and Kagami are promised to each other since the moment, they came to be!"

"What happened, Gabriel? Did she threaten you? Again?", his assistant asked carefully.

The miserable man simply nodded, then sighed again.

"She was upbraiding me for sending a megakuma into her daughter's ring and endangering her by doing so. Then she reminded me, that I owed her everything and if I didn't honor my contract, she would make my dream disappear, like I tried to do with hers. How does that woman think, I will accomplish my goal, if I can't take chances?"

He sat down on the mattress beside the younger woman, who was still working on her computer, as she had been most of the time lately. Leaning his head against her shoulder, he croaked:

"It's all so fucked up right now! If only I had listened to you and had let Emilie rest in peace, like she asked me to. I was just so.... Adrien and the rest of her family don't even know, what really happened still. And I can't tell him now, it's too late for that! I can't save any of us. Neither Emilie, nor you, nor myself! If I just could get my hands on the miraculous of time again! This time, I wouldn't disappoint you or any of us!"

Nathalie looked up from her screen and directly into his face.

"Oh Gabriel! There is nothing you can do about that particular jewel anymore. Only if you would try to make the wish, you might be able, to cause its holder to return to a certain place in time, before you did and try to stop you!"

He jumped to his feet.

"That's a brilliant idea, love! If I would make the wish, without having to even consider any consequences, because Bunnix would already know, what I was about to do and try to get into my way, I could take the miraculous back from her and..."

"Gabriel, stop!", the assistant now yelled, "that's the same thing, you tried before, just with another piece of jewelry. Why not talking to Ladybug and ChatNoir, explain the situation and ask for their help? They're supposed to be the good guys, right? So if you asked for that one little thing, that would stop all the bad things from happening, by teaching your younger self, how to repair the peacock miraculous, neither Emilie, nor anyone else would get hurt!"

"You're saying that, as if it was easy! Even if I did try, they wouldn't talk to me, without thinking it to be a trap! I can't reveal myself, before I've at least tried anything possible! Please, Nath, will you be at my side and help me, so I can take the last couple of opportunities, I've left before whatever will happen to me?", the old and worn looking man now pleaded.

Nathalie took a very deep breath, then took his hand into her own.

"Just try to keep Adrien out of it! I know, that you don't approve of the girl he loves, but please, Gabriel, think back to when you were young and in love with someone from a different world yourself and how that turned out! Don't give me that look! You know very well, that Emilie and I have always been friends. She left not only recordings for you, but for me as well. And she asked me, to care for Adrien like a mother. And after I failed her other request, to keep you from continuing to chase the miraculous, I at least want to fulfil this one. Imagine, what will happen, if we eventually fail completely and he's left all alone, don't you think, having somebody he loves and who loves him back, will ease his pain a lot or at least will help him cope? Don't take this away from him, just because you made a 'contract' with another wealthy and influential, yet not truly in her right mind, person!"

It took Gabriel Agreste quite some time, to swallow his anger down, but eventually he managed and said calmly:

"I can't promise you that, but I will try! But no matter what, he has to attempt the dance with Kagami. I will order him not tell the girl about it at all! Maybe he will see, how perfect the young Miss Tsurugi is for him and they will make up and start dating again! I must take this one chance, Nathalie! It will keep Tomoe off of my back for a little longer, if I can at least implement this part of the arrangement. It's just one night!"

Sighing the tired woman gave in and told him softly:

"Just keep in mind, that he's your son! No matter the circumstances in which he came to life! He doesn't know that and he wouldn't care! Quite honestly, Gabriel, he should never find out, how he was created! The fact, that he and Felix, were born by their mothers after growing inside their womb, while Kagami was just 'delivered' to Mrs Tsurugi because she didn't want to take on all the unpleasantries that come with a pregnancy, makes a huge difference. The boys both were wanted, precious, longed for. Kagami was just made to be a puppet, a robot, only doing what she had been told. Tomoe wanted her 'designed' that way. She may have supported you back then, so Emilie's family accepted you, after you had made a name and a bank account to speak of, but that does not give her the right, to control your or those children's lives. Emilie gave her own life, creating a fully grown pre-teenager for that despicable woman! We will figure out something, to get her off your back! But please, don't use Adrien as a pawn in this game! And now just come to bed and try to get some sleep! You look....well..... very, very sick! Try to not think or worry for now and get some rest instead!"

Giving her a puzzled look, not expecting to be invited into her bed for another night, he hurriedly did, as he was told, scared, that he once again would have to sleep alone in his own bedroom.

He took a quick detour into Nathalie's bathroom, slipping in his Pyjama, which was hanging on the back of the door, as if it belonged there, then went back and slipped under the duvet with the woman, he loved almost as much as he loved his dead wife. Almost.

Thinking back to the time, when he had been willing to be with her, to raise their child together, after he had been so irresponsible, to get the very young woman pregnant in a spartan camp at the very end of the world, he couldn't help but give her an intense look.

"What?", Nathalie just asked, but Gabriel only shook his head and smiled at her lovingly.

"Just memories, dear! Of me, of you, of Emilie! How much fun we had all together. How very much I was in love with the both of you! Em and her optimism, her enthusiasm, the way she just enjoyed every single second of her life! And you, your knowledge, your courage, your determination, once you had a goal before your eyes. And on top of that, both of you being beautiful and attractive in your own way.

Emilie's aristocratic cheekbones, her emerald green eyes, her tiny figure, while on the other hand there was you, those full, soft lips, the most unearthly turquoise eyes, I had ever seen, and all the right curves in the right places.

I didn't admit it back then, but I do it now, Nath. You were always the more female, the more rousing one of the two of you! I would have given one of my legs, to have you in my bed one more time back then and I am certain, if we weren't both as sick as we are, I still would!"

He had his eyes locked with hers now, seeing the blue and turquoise start to sparkle mischievously, as she playfully replied:

"Actually, we are in one bed, though it's not me, being in yours, Mr Agreste!"

He chuckled quietly, then pushed the mobile device, she had been using, to the side and laid his arms around her, to pull her close. Stroking a few of her pink hairs out of her face, before cupping her cheek, he cockily asked:

"So, was that some kind of invitation, Miss Sancoeur?"

They both laughed, being fully aware, that their health wouldn't let them do 'that'.

"Well, I feel at least strong enough to do this!"

Letting his hand slide along her jaw to the back of her neck, he pulled her in for a kiss, both soon deepening it, their tongues after all those years carefully touching and beginning to play, bringing back many memories and desires, they both thought they had already forgotten.