One shots

After Deflagration

Gabriel sat down on the mattress beside his assistant, sobbing:

"I was so close, Nathalie, so close!"

His assistant sighed deeply.

"Well, what happened?", she asked impatiently, knowing very well, that he would blame Ladybug once again to be at fault. Yet this time, he didn't.

"It were those despicable Kwamis, Nathalie! I already had the ring and the earrings and I was just unifying them with Nooroo, when they resisted and came up with the most dangerous and insane plan, even I have yet heard of. Obviously, the Ladybug-Kwami send her 'Lucky Charm' to the original Ladybug, while that annoying Black-Cat-Kwami activated his power and cataclysmed his own miraculous!", he gushed out agitatedly.

"What?", Nathalie exclaimed, "are you telling me, that the miraculous has been destroyed for ever? That the last chance to save at least one of us, has been taken away for good?"

Her eyes were widened in shock and her breathing had become laboured. Gabriel could tell, that she was just getting herself worked up so much, that she was about to have another severe coughing fit. So he quickly shook his head, while taking both her hands into his own. 

"No! Ladybug and her friends tricked me once again, by handing me a false 'Lucky Charm'! And even though I despise them for that, at least, the miraculous of destruction has been repaired! But thanks to her little 'Resistance' armee, she managed to get back the earrings. Adrien took them from me and gave them back to her! And then she surprised me and took the ring it off of my finger!", he sighed, then added, "and, what's even worse, she saw the other rings on me and I think, she made the connection! Hopefully not completely!"

Nathalie had begun to tremble. 

"Gabriel, you must be more careful! What if one of those risky attacks goes wrong and people find out about you, being Monarch? Do you think about your son at all, while doing, what you do?", she shouted, making him let go of one of her hands and cover her mouth.

"Can you please not be so loud, Nathalie? I am fully aware, what's at risk here! I didn't know, that those little creatures were able to resist for so long! But now I do and will never be surprised by that again, as I will order each of them, to instantly obey me from now on. Same goes, if I ever get in possession of those miraculous again!", he whisper-yelled at her, while still holding her mouth shut.

He noticed, what he was doing only now and immediately let go, hearing her take a deep breath, which resulted in a prolonged coughing fit, making her gasp for air afterwards.

Gabriel had quickly pulled her into a more upright position, patting her back and mumbling apologies into the crook of her neck.

"I'm so sorry, love!  I didn't even notice, what I was doing!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine!", she replied coldly, "just try to  keep your anger under control, when you're with Adrien later. I will try to get some rest, while 'you' should apologize for ignoring his feelings and acting the way you did!"

But Gabriel shook his head.

"I would like to stay with you a little longer, if you'd let me. I....", he carefully approached the matter, "...I have to admit, I can't be alone anymore, Nathalie. And....well.....I know, I probably sound pathetic, but..... it's not only that! I don't want just anyone beside me, I want to be with you. I need you, love!"

The assistant stared at him, her mouth agape. Swallowing heavily, she eventually managed to speak out her thoughts:

"Seriously Gabriel, you come here, complain about everything, that goes wrong in your life, then you hold my mouth shut, to keep me from accidentally letting your son find out the truth, almost suffocating me, by doing so, to then tell me, that you need me and want to be with me? Just stop pretending, Gabe, and go into the basement to stare at your dead wife! At least to her, you speak the truth, I think!"

She tried to turn around, so he wouldn't see the tears, she couldn't hold back any longer, but her weakened body didn't obey her once more and so she desperately punched his upper arm, trying to make him get up and leave.

"J-Just g-go! I c-can't do this anymore! Stop c-c-coming here and k-k-kissing me and holding me, when all you t-truly c-c-care about, are those goddamn j-j-jewels and the wish you can m-make with them!", she sobbed, to then cover her face with her hands.

The tall man looked at her in shock. His face showed his honest concern and instead of doing, what she had asked him to do, he scooted closer and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, love. I really didn't mean to hurt you! I never did! And I wasn't lying! I want to be with you, I always wanted that. Even when Emilie was still with us, I at least had to know, that you were still here with us. And I am well aware, how egoistic that was and how much I hurt the both of you back then and probably many times in between!", he mumbled apologetically into her ear, while he kept rubbing her back in soothing circles.

"Oh really? The great Gabriel Agreste admitting something like that? What's next? Are you going to reveal your real name to the public, Gabi?", she spat sarcastically.

The designer took a deep breath, then responded to her snide answer:

"You have every right, to be mad at me, but I am really trying to make things up to you, so maybe...."

"Maybe what, Gabriel? As long as you can't have Emilie you want to play happy family with me and Adrien? Actually, that's what she asked you to do, not to pretend, but to do for your son. Give him a family and the love he deserved, not the life, you had him live since she 'disappeared'!", the young assistant now told him wearily.

"I know, Nath, I know! But as long as there is the slightest chance, to save us all.... please, dear, I need you by my side for this!"

"Fine!", Nathalie muttered and gave eventually in, letting him help her, make room for him, so he could lie down next to her and pull her into his arms, after making the short walk to his own room, to get his pyjama.