When Gabriel heard Émilie was expecting, he was excited but also scared shitless about being a dad. The thought of having to keep another human being alive almost had him running from the hills, but thanks to his wonderful wife, he calmed enough to buy everything in the childcare store.

He'd just had his first big fashion line and a steady income was rolling in. Even if his wife was the heiress to a small fortune, he wanted to do this for himself. Gabriel had wanted to take care of them. He wanted to provide for them. He wanted to be the caregiver he'd missed in his own childhood.

So, he made the cutest baby clothes. Émilie told him not to worry about how they looked as their little bundle of joy would throw up and poop all over them, but he read white was the most ideal way to help children sleep so he made one hundred white baby grows with everything from cats to peacocks on them.

He'd read white noise was a way to soothe a child at night, so he purchased every possible plushy and monitor that admitted white noise. Émilie telling him they would be the best soother for their child.

Finally, he'd loaded the nursery with teddy bears. He smiled as he remembered Émilie's face and then her laugh. She sounded like an angel. She looked amazing and full of life as she told him he was an idiot and insisted their baby wouldn't need plushies to cuddle because they were never going to let go of him. They'd found out that day that Adrien was cooking nicely, and all was going well.

Gabriel reached out and brushed a hand over the lapels of his wedding suit, the smile slowly leaving his face as he began to drown in the memories. It only felt like yesterday they had said goodbye to her. The woman who was meant to be the most important in both their lives. But a cruel twist of fate took her, leaving them both fragile and confused. Émilie was the link he had with Adrien, without her he didn't even know his own son.

And after tomorrow, Émilie would firmly be replaced in Adrien's life.

Grabbing the lint roller from the table, Gabriel ran it down the arms of the suit, collecting dust and stray hairs. They'd travelled this morning to Kittila, Finland, before heading to Levi.

The hotel was grand and the grounds, though incredibly slippery, were beautiful. He wasn't exactly the greatest fan of the cold, opting for warm vacations rather than freezing his balls off in the Arctic, but he had to admit, this was something special.

They'd headed out to the venue simply named 'The Northern Lights Snow Chapel' about fifteen minutes from the resort they were staying in. Thank goodness Nathalie was there, and the maximum amount a taxi could hold was six people. After his son and leech got in the first one with her parents, Keith and Rosy, Gabriel had valiantly claimed a separate one for himself and Nathalie.

He had been behaving exceptionally well so far, keeping his opinions to himself and trying to smile as they showed them the venue (a glorified igloo) and the shack where they would hold the small reception (no Harry Clown invited) before returning to the venue for a 'family meal', which unfortunately included Félix and Kagami as well.

But now he was back in his room, reminiscing about when Adrien was simpler. When he didn't have his own opinions and when he couldn't choose his own options. And most of all, he was missing Émilie.

She should be here, she should be the one with the fancy wedding clothing and a speech to give. She should be the one alive, not him. He'd missed so much of Adrien's life, not being there for him when he should have, and turning him away in times of need.

He's ashamed to think that maybe Marinette was the best thing that ever happened to his son, even more ashamed he didn't know anything about her.

With a sigh, he made his way to the bathroom, starting his pre bedtime routine, all set on getting his pyjamas on and hitting the hotel's special extra channels.

He settled onto the bed — teeth brushed and face washed—he grabbed the remote, searching for those special channels he was going to watch when a tentative rap came on the door.

Powering down the TV, Gabriel stood and made his way to the door, preparing to give whoever it was a piece of his mind, when the sound of a small voice drifted through the wood.

"Father?"

Eyebrows frowning, he opened the door to a suspicious Adrien. With his eyebrows frowning, he opened the door to a suspicious Adrien, pulling in his shoulders and looking just as he did when he was a teenager—anxious and confused.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said, looking sheepish and a little worried about being there.

"No, it's fine. Why are you here?"

Adrien sighed and rubbed a hand to the back of his neck. "I - um - it's about...Marinette."

The gospel choir at the back of Gabriel's head began singing praise as Whoopi Goldberg danced around in front of them. Oh, happy days!

Five years, four months and ten days later, and finally she was gone! See ya later Marinette, adios, farewell! He supposed the day before the wedding wasn't ideal, but he didn't really care. It was exhausting trying to bond with her.

"Come in, come in."

Ushering Adrien in, Gabriel slammed the door closed behind him, doing a little dance on the spot. He placed his hands together and looked up at the ceiling. Thank you, he mouthed.

"So," he said, making his way in and sitting in the chair opposite where Adrien had settled on the bed. "What brings you here? You said it was about Marinette? Has she been cheating with the emo kid, because I told you before he's always slithering around her like a snake—"

"No," Adrien interrupted. "Nothing to do with Luka or anyone else. I am one hundred percent positive she has been faithful to me. There's no reason she'd need to go anywhere else."

That was something he most certainly didn't need to hear. "Is it just a..." Gabriel moved in his seat, shuffling uncomfortably. He hadn't felt this out of his depths since talking to Adrien about protection. Maybe abstinence would have been the better idea?

Gabriel took a deep breath and started again. He was the father. He needed to be here for his son if Adrien wanted to call it off. "Have you realised it's just a sexual connection? Because if so, it won't last in the long run."

Adrien shook his head. "God no, the woman knows me better than I know myself, which might be one reason I'm getting cold feet."

Gabriel tried to piece it together. What was Adrien getting out? Was he the one that had cheated? Is that why it's such a problem?

"Adrien, have you been...finding pleasure elsewhere?" Gabriel shuffled around in his seat, the uncomfortable feeling overwhelming him and making him feel like a Penguin in the North Pole. Was there not someone else he could have this conversation with?

"What?"

Gabriel leaned forward, placing his arms on his legs, his fingers threading together and eyes staring straight at his son. "If you have been paying for additional attention, that's absolutely understandable."

"I don't think you're understanding me, father."

A sorrowful look took over Gabriel's face. "It's okay, son. Just admit what you've done to her and walk away. She'll be fine in the long run."

Adrien looked around the room, giving prolonged looks to the corners. "Is this being recorded? Did Nino put you up to this?"

"Nino?"

"Keith."

"Ah, Keith. No. No one put me up to anything. I'm just helping my son out."

"By calling me an adulterer?" Adrien gasped.

Gabriel shrugged. "Technically, you're not, because you're not married yet."

Adrien huffed, standing up and heading towards the door. "I knew I should have gone to Tom."

"Wait," Gabriel said, standing too. "Come back."

They stood in a silent face off, and he could tell Adrien was debating on whether he should come back. After what felt like a decade, Adrien crossed his arms over his chest and made it back to the bed, settling down.

Gabriel sunk back into his chair and looked at Adrien. "Go ahead."

"For the record," Adrien began, "neither of us has ever cheated or done so much as look at anyone else. She doesn't even admit she has a soft spot for Tom Holland."

"Everyone has a soft spot for Tom Holland," Gabriel murmured, completely regretting it as Adrien glared at him. "I mean, if I was ever going to adopt a child, why not adopt Spider-Man?"

Hello, world's worst save.

He scrunched up his nose and tried to ignore the muttered response from Adrien. It would probably be best to not to know what his son had just said.

"What's making you get frosty toes, then?"

Adrien looked at him the same way he looked at the lost kitten they found outside the mansion when he was ten. "Cold feet," he said.

Gabriel nodded. "That's what I said."

Adrien shook his head and let out a breath through his nose. "Anyway, the reason I'm here. When you met my mother, you two were from different classes. How did you make it work?"

Ah, finally, Gabriel thought, he realises she's beneath him.

"It posed a challenge." He wondered how honest he should be with Adrien. This was something he'd really spoken about with anyone, and thinking about it now, it was almost rewarding.

"How?" Adrien crossed his legs on the bed, looking like he was ready for a story, and for once in his life, Gabriel was ready to give him one.

"Your mother's father hated me. He tried to break us up, often, telling her I wasn't good enough, and I was going to ruin her life...and I suppose I did."

"I'm sure mother would disagree," Adrien said, a small, sad smile creasing his lips. Gabriel couldn't help lace his own with guilt.

"I feel like if she'd chosen someone else, maybe one of the many suitors her father had chosen for her, she wouldn't have..." He swallowed down the thickness in his throat, unable to complete the sentence. He felt a sting in his nose, and emotions he'd tried his hardest to push past. It seemed since he'd gotten closer with Marinette's family, he couldn't control himself.

"You didn't kill her. She died from disease. It's taken such a long time for me to get over it, and I know it hasn't been easy for you too, but Marinette has been there for me, showing me that the darkness isn't the way to go."

"But you're always happy," Gabriel responded.

Adrien snorted. "Before meeting Marinette, I hadn't been happy for years, not since mother started falling ill. I still have dark days, but I have someone there now for me and she is the most amazing person I have ever met. She never pushes me, lets me go through my downtimes holding my hand in case I need to be pulled out. There's been so many times I thought I was going to drown in my grief, but she was there and...I think you've warmed my feet up because I understand. It doesn't matter what I'm thinking, whether I believe I'm good enough for her or not, she's chosen me and I want her."

"You don't think you're good enough? Why would you think that? You are a kind and caring boy. You've put up with so much over the years, yet still put everyone's needs in front of your own. I know I don't tell you this enough, my son, but I love you and I'm proud of you." Then, for the first time in years, he moved forward and embraced his son.

As he felt Adrien's arms wrap around him, Gabriel closed his eyes and shed a silent tear down his face.

"Thanks, dad," Adrien whispered, the words going straight to his frozen heart and melting through the pain.

Pulling away, Gabriel looked at his son. He was so strong. Since being with Marinette, his strength had only intensified and grown, every day a new unseen piece of Adrien Agreste made its way out into the world. Maybe it was time for him to follow his son's lead and start letting go.

"I better get some sleep. See you in the morning?"

"There's nothing in the world I would miss it for."

Adrien unfolded his legs and pushed himself to a standing position, his hand coming down on the remote.

"Out of curiosity, what made you choose Marinette?"

Adrien smiled. "Her stubbornness, her clumsiness, the hero inside her. She's everything that compliments me. We just work. I wouldn't get through my days without her partnership."

Something about his words lingered in Gabriel's mind, something he would have to uncover and think about later, but right now, Gabriel had a plan for what he needed to do. First port of call, handing the Butterfly Miraculous back to Ladybug. "I'm glad she makes you happy."

"She's smoking hot too," Adrien chuckled, standing up and finally removing his hand from where it had lay on top of the remote.

As unfortunate things go, the tv turned on, revealing exactly what Gabriel's bedtime routine was going to include. Unsure what to do, Adrien turned a shade of beetroot before heading to the door with a quick good night.

Gabriel locked the door behind his son and contemplated his choices. He could turn the tv off and go to sleep, or he could just carry on with his plan. Grabbing the remote, he pressed play on the first one that piqued his interest. He'd walked in on his son enough, at least now he'd had a little payback.

*****

The next day, as Adrien and Marinette were announced as husband and wife, Gabriel's balls had shrivelled to the size of grapes in the cold. He couldn't deny the pride he felt or the willingness to follow in his son's lead.

He caught Nathalie's eye over the bride and groom. She looked so happy as she dabbed a tissue under her eyes. She'd been there through it all with him, just as Marinette had been there for Adrien, and tonight he was going to make his move.