One shots

The Past Is Catching Up - Part 3

Gabriel flinched hearing her words. He then realised how very much he had hurt her after Emilie had died, just by dwelling in the past, pining for her, trying to bring her back to life, instead of moving on and eventually notice his first love still being right in front of him. 

As he now looked at Nathalie, he finally became aware that he still loved her just as much as he had back then, only had he felt hurt so very much after the breakup, that he had subconsciously been holding a grudge over all the time. But after hearing her tell 'their daughter' how she had been forced to end their relationship, he not only felt guilty, but regretted a lot to not have waited for a little longer before he had started to date again. 

"I am such a moron!" he exclaimed out of the blue, making the woman jump. 

"Sorry, Nath! I didn't mean to scare you. I just... damn it, I... I just..." He sighed. "Now, in this very moment, I really wished, I hadn't forsaken the chance to use the bunny miraculous. Right now I want nothing more, than going back to the moment, before your parents made you break up with me and stop them from doing so. I... please, love, don't cry again! I won't even try to get a hand onto any of them again. Though you don't know about that, but I gave them all back to Ladybug, in exchange for you to be cured."

"What?" Nathalie sat up immediately and held her breath, which caused her to start coughing again.

The concerned man quickly patted her back and held her steady.

"Shush, don't get yourself worked up again, dear. Though Ladybug accepted the deal, she couldn't make the wish as well. Instead her kwami did something to let you heal. But she only started the process and your body will need time to convalesce. Just as if it had been able to do on its own. So please, Nathalie, you must rest! I am still scared that you won't recover, if you don't rest." Gabriel begged her.

Shaking and with a trembling voice, the pale woman interrogated him anxiously.

"You did what? You gave them back? To cure 'me'?"

He nodded.

"I couldn't bear to see you hurting so much for quite some time, when I lost the bunny miraculous. Hearing your voice back then, when I told you... I was already forming a new plan, but then..."

"Then?" Nathalie's voice was merely a whisper.

"Then I saw the surveillance camera footage from the train, from the moment I told you and you broke down, on Mrs Tsurugi's computer, and made my decision. Emilie was right. It was our own fault that she got sick and... died. But you, my Nathalie, only tried to save me by doing what you did. You were willing to sacrifice your own life to make me happy. I... I just... I just couldn't lose you too. Maybe you didn't notice, but I haven't akumatised anyone for a long time. It wasn't to make them experience a false safety. I don't have the butterfly miraculous any longer. Instead I have the woman I've been in love with, since we were teenagers. At least, that's what I hope!"

He was looking deep into her eyes as he spoke, his cheeks blushed, his breathing laboured. 

Nathalie was speechless. She slowly laid back onto the pillow, her eyes shut and took very long and slow breaths. 

"Nath? Are you alright? Please, my love, talk to me!"

"This feels wrong, Gabriel. Very wrong. Why haven't you told me anything about that before? Why now, after you found out about Valerie? Why not right then, when you returned the jewels?" the woman asked him agitatedly.

"Because I wanted to see, if they were keeping their promise before I gave you false hope! I wanted to see some improvement. And, well, though today was some kind of a throwback, overall your health has improved a lot. Your lung function is still poor, but your legs have begun to carry you without support already. Short time only, but they do. And to be fully and completely honest with you, until I heard you say, tomorrow I would sulk in my loss again and try to get those jewels, I wasn't even aware that it was love that caused me to make this decision. I love you, Nathalie. I just figured out, that I always did. I just felt rejected. Though I told you, there were no hard feelings in between us, when you started to work for us, I also just now realised, that I was still angry on you for breaking up without telling me why. Then I heard the truth and suddenly I felt like the worst, despicable arse on the entire planet. All those years, I subconsciously punished you for leaving me! I know, it's a lot to ask, but would you at least consider to forgive me?" Gabriel finished his long speech with a desperate plea.

Nathalie had watched him with her mouth open, not able to speak, barely even breathing. 

"Nath? Are you alright? If you need any help, give me a sign please. You're scaring me, dear!" Gabriel asked frantically. 

She slowly shook her head. 

"N-No. No help. I-I'm fine! All those y-years, whenever I saw you with Adrien, when he was slowly growing up. Every time I pictured you with our child. It wasn't even jealousy. I just wished, you would have known and would have enjoyed having a daughter just as much. There is nothing, I need to forgive you. It's me who is to blame for all the pain. I could have told you years ago. So let's just not talk about that any more, okay?" Nathalie quietly told him.

Scooting a little closer again, the tall man reluctantly laid an arm around her waist. 

"What about the other things, I just said? Is there the slightest chance for us? Maybe after some time has passed? I wouldn't  mind to kiss you right now either, but I would totally understand, if you needed some time. But please, consider to be with me in the future. Don't give the thought up completely." he wondered then.

Smiling quaintly she placed a hand on his cheek. Gabriel sighed disappointedly. Surely this could only mean, she was about to reject him. 

But Nathalie didn't. She slowly leaned in, her eyes fluttering closed, and brushed her lips along his, very softly and only for  a short moment. Then she pulled back, whispering hoarsely,

"I think we've waisted by far enough time already, don't you?"