Secret Kitten

Chapter 21

Gabriel walked in his son's room and marched straight to the window, ignoring the dumbfounded blond in the process. Adrien was baffled and was about to speak when his father ordered, "Sit." Nervously, he obeyed. He didn't understand if his father was mad about something or if he was just being his normal, controlling self. Either way, he was too scared to ask. "I came here to talk to you," Gabriel said, finally breaking the deafening silence between the two.

"Am I in some kind of trouble?" Adrien rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Choosing to ignore his son, he began, "You know you mean so much to me. You are my only child after all, and I want you to understand that everything I do is for you and for our family."

Slowly he turned to face Adrien directly and stared at his ring. "Father, what's going on?" The blond asked worriedly, not noticing his father looking at his miraculous.

Gabriel had come prepared to demand the miraculous. His plan was to force his son and Marinette to surrender. Natalie begged him to wait until morning so he would have time to calm down and prepare. There was no way to predict how his son would react to the truth of knowing what happened to his mother, or his father's identity. This could easily become a battle for the miraculous.

It all went down the drain when he looked at his son though. Adrien's eyes mirrored his mom's. It was as if Emilie herself was looking at him. In hopes of forgiveness, he visited her last night and apologized for what he would have to do to their son, and to their grandchild in order to save her. Memories of promising Emile to bring her back along with vowing to keep Adrien safe played over and over in the older Agreste's mind. With those green eyes staring at him, he knew he would have to find a way to honor his wife's wishes.

But now, finally seeing the worried expression on his son, Gabriel assured him, "Everything is fine. Don't worry son. I haven't been giving you the attention you need, but that will change. From now on, I promise to be here for you and to always do what's best for you. I want you to know I'm here for you son. From now on, I will be a better father to you." Awkwardly, he pulled his son into a hug.

"Thank you father," the blond replied with a smile. Adrien was truly happy. His father was making an effort to be better? His father hadn't come to make his usual demands or to remind him of his obligations. Instead, he was there to be a better father, and that was all the blond ever wanted. Could his father actually be changing for the better? He really hoped so.

Adrien was thrilled, but years of knowing his father made him suspicious. So he asked, "Where is this coming from?"

"Do I need a particular reason to care for you? I'm just doing what any good parent would do. It took me a while to recover after what happened to your mother, but that's no excuse for how I have been treating you." Gabriel seeming a little offended, but that quickly dissipated seeing his son's joyful expression.

Seeing that wide smile in Adrien was almost enough to make Gabriel forget the negative emotions he felt in his akumatized son. That anger and sadness and loneliness in Adrien made Gabriel think that maybe he truly didn't know how much he meant to him. He knew his son felt neglected because he had felt it first hand during the akumatization. Chat Blanc wasn't only about a broken heart, instead it was about a heart aching for love and affection. "Adrien, you are the most important thing in my life, but I haven't been treating you like that. I'm sorry." Gabriel gave Adrien a sincere smile.

The blond, seeing some good in his father, somehow smiled even more and pulled his dad into a short, yet warm, hug. This was the moment Adrien's driver showed up, indicating it was time to go. The blond happily grabbed his backpack and went to school with the happiest expression Gabriel had ever seen. "Have a nice day at school!" Gabriel shouted out after his son as the blond left.