Marinette clutched the sketchbook tightly to her chest, taking deep breaths before knocking the door.

This was the moment she was most excited for and also equally dreading. Gabriel was not happy with Marinette wanting to use her own design for her own dress, even though she was allowing him to make it. Just because it would be linked to her designer label he was already throwing a tantrum. He couldn't even say the name of her company! Instead, he'd mumble his way through conversations about it and fake a belly ache every time they had meetings. Honestly, Marinette was beginning to think he was a 6-year-old who treated work like school.

She hadn't been alone with Gabriel since the cake incident. The mortification was still running strong, and the fact Adrien had the video clip as a gif on the Lock Screen of his phone just continued to add to said mortification. That, plus he told it at every dinner party they attended, she swore everyone in France knew the story of the epic Gabriel Agreste cake smash fail. It was one thing replaying it in her head multiple times before she went to sleep, however, it was entirely different seeing it every single time Adrien picked up his phone.

The door finally opened and revealed a frazzled looking Nathalie on the other side.

"Are you okay?" Marinette whispered, looking around just in case she needed to transform and save the woman.

"I'm fine, it's okay." Nathalie batted off, welcoming Marinette into the hallway. "Just wedding things, you know?"

Marinette couldn't help giggling. "Oh yes, I get that completely."

Nathalie smiled in return before closing the door gently behind her. Marinette looked around the hallway and noticed something wasn't quite right. She moved forward a couple of steps and turned around again, when suddenly it hit her like a truck. There were wedding dresses all around the foyer of the house; everything from Princess style dresses to Mermaid fishtails stood at either end of the foyer. This was crazy and also completely not her style. They were fussy and over the top, and just... nasty!

"Ah, I can see from your expression you are in awe of my creations."

Gabriel began to walk down the staircase like he'd been announced the next crowned King of France. He was coated head to toe in white, his hands securely behind his back as the light reflected from his glasses making him look like Willy Wonka in the TV room.

"Oh, um, this is all slightly overwhelming," she huffed out in exasperation. She clutched the sketchbook closer to her chest wishing Adrien had been here with her, how was she going to tell Gabriel Agreste she hated every single dress in here?

As Gabriel made his way down the stairs, Marinette ultimately realised there was a chance she wouldn't be getting her dream dress. If she wanted it, she was going to have to fight for it.

*****

Oh, how Gabriel wished he'd gotten a picture of Marinette's face as she examined his many, many wonderful creations.

He'd worked hard to cover every single possible design she might want, making sure he would be both the creator anddesigner of the wedding dress of the year. The media attention for Adrien's wedding day was increasing with every passing month; the tabloids speculated on whether the Agreste bride would be supporting her father-in-law to be, or if she would appear in an 'La Blanche' original. She didn't need to be stealing the limelight from him, not when she was already stealing the wedding day from his son.

The look on her face right now, told him he'd won the battle and he couldn't help feeling smug. Her face was mesmerised by the Miraculous creations surrounding the room. He knew he still had it in him. Gabriel Agreste — número uno.

"I can't believe you've done all this," Marinette said, spinning around in a circle as she took everything in. Her voice was breathless, and he couldn't help but hope his hard work had finally shut her up.

Slowly, she began to move over to one he created as a 'simple' version of a wedding dress. It only contained three ruffles, lace and gemstones, very downplayed for someone in their upstanding social circle.

"I know. Only the best for my daughter-in-law." His top lip twitched; his nose screwing up as he spoke. He would never get used to saying that. "Take a look at this one."

Gabriel walked to his personal favourite seated in the corner of the room. It was wonderful! Exactly what every young girl dreamed of — he knew this for a fact as he paid a 5-year-old a weighty amount in Ladybug and Chat Noir toys and treats to get a childhood fantasy design — he even boycotted the Hawkmoth action figure as asked, and it was spectacular— if he did say so himself.

The girl who'd helped him was so excited, so excited, in fact, she used all her crayons at the same time to make the perfect 'rainbow' colour, plus she cut out all her favourite pieces from magazines and stuck them perfectly to the pre-drawn mannequin. He didn't have to change anything. It had been a bit of a bitch to dye the right shade, but he'd got there in the end. They didn't call him wonderful for nothing.

The dress was layers upon layers of tulle, each ruffle falling at an angle on top of each other. The top had a perfect puffer shouldered design, one the girl described as like 'Rapunzel'. It was covered from top to bottom in gemstones and glitter, the back also containing netlike wings which linked down to the wrist.

"So, what do you think?" Gabriel turned to look at Marinette, almost celebrating as he saw the awestruck expression on her face.

Nailed it!!

Her mouth hung open, the width matching the size of her eyes.

"Outstanding isn't it!" He announced.

She whispered something, the words not making it quite to his ears. He guessed it was something to do with how stunning the dress was and let out a small chuckle.

"I know," he replied. "It's divine, isn't it? I have created the world's dream dress."

She mumbled again, her design books falling from her arms and scattering around on the ground. Gabriel's laughter increased. He'd done it! He'd finally beaten Paris' newest up and coming designer. He knew he was better; she was young and naïve and hadn't got a clue about what the world wanted. Or what she wanted. They'd finally stop talking about her on the tv channels and have him there instead. Gabriel was back on the map.

"Nathalie, come over with the measuring tape. I might need to make a slight adjustment around the waist." He turned to look over Marinette's body, sizing her up.

He made a mental note to speak to Adrien about the chocolates and sweets she was eating. If she continued at this rate, she wouldn't fit into her wedding dress by the big day. Although, if there was no dress perhaps there's be no wedding, or even better Adrien told her she wasn't the right body type to match him therefore he wanted out.

Gabriel could just imagine it now, the wedding called off due to the bride's addiction to her parent's boulangerie... Tom would be so mortified he'd close down the bakery, then Gabriel could be the kind and caring person he was and offer Tom a contract to work at the mansion.

Oh yes! Life would be sweet!

"Gabriel," Nathalie's voice sounded from beside him. "I don't think Marinette wants this dress."

"What are you talking about Nathalie?"

"Just look at her! She's crying!"

It was at that moment Gabriel realised that indeed, his future daughter-in-law was hysterical.

"I know! It's more than you ever imagined. But seriously you need to wear the best, you're going to be an Agreste after all."

"It's brown!" Marinette stated through sobs. "I can't wear brown to my wedding!"

Nathalie appeared with a box of tissues and handed them to Marinette. Gabriel scoffed. How ungrateful! He knew she was only doing it because he'd designed it! Making an excuse to not want it, when he knew — for a fact — it was every girl's childhood dream. He knew! He'd done his research!

"It's hideous!"

Gabriel gasped. A hand came to his heart, all the breath taken from his lungs as her words-soaked in.

HOW DARE SHE!?!

"What?!" he shrieked.

"It's revolting! It looks like you've cut different pieces out of a magazine and stuck them together before mixing all the colours of the rainbow and creating this brown — it looks like... like... poo. What? Did you get a child to design this?"

She turned to look at him, her face determined — just like the time she'd told him his pancakes were shit! (For want of a better word).

"The child was the most advanced in her class and I'll have you know this is the newest fashion trend, you'd be lucky to wear something like this."

"You just told me it was designed by a 6-year-old —"

"5-year-old," he grumbled back, before Marinette continued with her verbal beating.

"I can't be seen in that, it's not what I want!" She bent down and began picking up her belongings.

"It's what Adrien would want. A design by me made especially for you, a combination of our two families joining."

"And you think that monstrosity would do it? It sends a signal of shit!"

Gabriel gasped. "How dare you! I'll have you know it's the finest fabric this side of the Equator."

"It's not about money and finery! It's about representation. We don't need hand offs; we're doing well enough on our own."

"How are you meant to represent me when you're wearing something simple? Simple is not what it's about."

"Too much fuss takes away from what's underneath, the true heart of the dress."

"That's why the chest sparkles with diamonds."

Marinette shook her head, Gabriel suddenly noticing her knuckles were growing whiter. "It's fake! Everything's not always shining and bright! Sometimes you have to see the darkness to appreciate the light."

"Well, what about the corset? Don't tell me the tight fit isn't to your taste."

He crossed his arms over his chest waiting for her next answer. He'd like to see her try and say something negative about this. The corset's design was perfect for pulling in that chocolate blubber and making her look more like a model.

"Constraints are not healthy," she said, "people need room to breathe!"

"And people need to understand that sometimes it's not a constraint, it's a support."

"It's only a support if there's something there in the first place to support. It's like the shoulder puffs. It's all there for no reason. It doesn't add anything to the aesthetic and it's not going to do anything for me." Marinette pulled a shoulder off, a gasp ripping violently from Gabriel's throat, and he thought he could taste blood.

"I'll have you know; the slight vision of freedom is perfectly placed where it should be. Just off the main dress yet still attached and controlled by the corset."

"Exactly! Pointless!"

Marinette turned to Natalie and stepped forward to give her a hug. "Thank you for having me around, but I think I'm going to stick to a La Blanche original. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Making a swift exit to the doorway, Marinette stopped and looked back into Gabriel's eye. "Sometimes, M. Agreste, you have to let it go." And with that she was gone.

Gabriel wasn't entirely sure those last few comments were actually about the dress, but maybe something else.

"Well, that was an epic failure!" Nathalie announced, still looking at the door where Marinette had just escaped.

A white rectangle caught his eye from where it lay face down on the floor. Bending down to grab it, Gabriel was surprised when he saw the plain style of the design. A style which he, unfortunately, had to admit was perfect for her.

Slamming the paper into Nathalie's chest, Gabriel turned to walk away and back to his room. "Tell the dressmakers to start on the patterns, and contact Adrien to tell him I've got Marinette's design. I'll get on the phone with the suppliers, hopefully they still have the pure silk satin in champagne."

Three hours later, it was being delivered from Italy.