What Happens In...

(Not) Sin-City

Gabriel could barely hide how very much feeling her this close aroused him. But he knew better than trying to seduce her right now and make her feel as if he was only trying to have sex with her. He really wanted to make this work.

When they had woken up, he had been shocked. But with every minute passing, he had liked the thought of being with Nathalie, for more than one drunken night, a lot. As he then noticed the ring on his finger and looked at her hands, which were lying on her lap at the moment, to see a smaller, yet identically looking, one on her hand, he didn't even get more worked up, then he already was, but just accepted this discovery as another certain sign of what he had been denying for so long.

He was madly in love with his assistant. He had thought about accepting those feelings a couple of times before, but as he always feared, she might accuse him of using her as his rebound, he had never dared to make a move.

This time it was different though. They apparently hadn't just gotten married the night before, but they obviously had also consummated this union. So maybe she still had feelings for him and he could show her what he felt. Before he would gather all his courage and tell Nathalie that he loved her. More than he had loved Emilie even.

Nathalie too had felt certain urges increase, when they were kissing so passionately, her naked body pressed firmly against his. And then he had stopped kissing her and the disappointment had shown on his face. And, she was sure about this, on hers too. But he had explained why he did and she had believed him and even felt happy about his decision.

But as they were at the airport right now and about to board their plane after three days in which Gabriel had outgrown himself to spoil her, Nathalie felt reluctant again.

The designer had just intertwined his fingers with hers, when she, for the first time since their kiss, was scared of the future. What would the tabloids write about her? What would Adrien say? Was she even capable of being what he wanted her to be?

"What's wrong, love?" Gabriel asked, when he felt her hand tremble and she tried to pull it away.

She breathed in and out deeply then told him,

"I don't think I can do this, Gabriel. I really want to but..."

Gabriel's worried smile faltered and he took in a shaky breath,

"Why, Nathalie? Was it something I did? Or something I didn't? Is there any chance to convince you to at least try? I won't force you, love. I'm just asking you to not make a rushed, impulsive decision. May I propose something to you? Let's just stay married until the end of the month. If you're still feeling the same then, I'll immediately take care of everything."

The nervous woman looked to the floor and nodded, her grip tightening again. Then she lifted her head and whispered barely audibly,

"Under one condition! We won't tell anyone until we're sure about this!"

"Not even Adrien?"

Gabriel looked at her in shock.

"Adrien's reaction is what I am most afraid of! What if he doesn't want us to be anything, let alone being married?"

"Oh darling, you must stop overthinking! He wanted us to be together when he was fourteen already. He told me, right before Amélie and Felix arrived on the day, Emilie had been gone for one year, that if you could make me happy again, as far as he was concerned, you already were part of the family... So please try to calm down a bit and let's find out about his feelings first, alright?"

Nathalie scoffed before she reminded him.

"This reality, you were talking about, doesn't exist anymore, Gabriel. You and I are the only ones, beside Ladybug and ChatNoir, who remember. He doesn't recall losing his mother."

"Au contraire, ma chérie! That's the one thing, you don't remember because you were already too weakened to see. Adrien is ChatNoir. And guess, who still is not only Ladybug but also the guardian of the miraculous. His former girlfriend and now fiancée, ..." Gabriel was interrupted by his wife blurting out,

"Marinette! Damn it, I should have seen that. They even look like them, now that I think about it. How didn't we notice back then? Not even when we had the suspicion?"

"It's all a part of the magic, Nathalie. Trust me, he will be happy for us. But if you're still scared, let's invite them for dinner on the weekend and ask him. Without telling him about everything. Please?" the desperate man begged.

"Okay! Just... just try to not hurt me, okay?"

"I already promised that, love. You'll see, everything will be fine. Now let's get into the jet and enjoy the last hours of alone time, before we are thrown back into reality. Wouldn't you like that too?" Gabriel suggested.

She smiled weakly then leaned her forehead against his chest, muttering,

"I'd love that! A lot!"

Nathalie's face was flushed when she looked up again and reluctantly placed a hand on the back of his neck to pull him down for a savage kiss.

"Woah, Mrs Agreste. How should I understand that? Are you thinking what I am thinking?" He teased her and she shook her head.

"No, Gabriel, we already did that. Way too soon I might add. But I wouldn't mind, taking it a little further than we did the last three days. Don't get me wrong, all you did was incredible and I loved every second. But I still feel petrified by the idea of the public finding out about us. So I am asking you to act all professional once we're back in Paris and don't call me by any of those pet names. Which I really like otherwise. Can you do that?" She was talking as if she was negotiating a contract, all assistant-like.

"Oh, now you want to be my 'assistant'? I wouldn't have thought you could be so naughty, Nathalie!" Gabriel hummed seductively against the skin of her neck, right below her left ear.