Chapter Text
Nathalie and Gabriel were sat in the hospital room, waiting patiently for someone to see her. She looked over to Gabriel who was sat on a chair next to her, as she lay on the bed. "Did you just come with me because you didn't want to go to Audrey's fashion gala?" Nathalie asked, but Gabriel looked confused.
"Why would you think that?" Gabriel asked, but Nathalie stared up at the ceiling.
"Because you already didn't want to go to her gala, and this would have been an excuse to get you out of it!" Nathalie replied, being more careful how she spoke, to stop her chest from hurting.
"No Nathalie," Gabriel began to explain, his voice softened as he said her name causing her to feel as if her heart to skip a beat. "I came here with you, because I was worried about you. And I could never feel comfortable going to that gala while you were suffering."
"Ohh," She replied, her eyes locking on to his. She felt Gabriel gently place his hand on top of hers causing her to feel her cheeks to feel warmer. She looked away from Gabriel hoping that he did not see that she was blushing. The sound of Gabriel's phone ringing echoed throughout the room. "You should probably answer that."
"Yes…" He agreed before answering the phone. "Audrey… No I can no longer attend the gala, i am absolutely gutted about it." Gabriel made eyecontact with Nathalie, and they both almost burst out laughing, with how Nathalie knew that it was a lie. "Something has come up." Nathalie reached for his phone and he gently handed her the phone.
"Audrey. I am in the hospital with a suspected broken rib. We cannot attend the gala today." Nathalie snapped down the phone, causing Gabriel's eyes to widen out of shock.
"You are fired."
"You actually cannot fire me. I work for Mr Agreste. And even if you could that is illegal as I had to go to the hospital." Nathalie's voice sounded annoyed. But before Audrey could have the chance to reply to her, Nathalie hung up the phone and handed it back to Gabriel. But as she looked at his face, she noticed his shocked expression and couldn't help but smile. "It's not the first time I have told her that she cannot fire me. Gets less scary the more i do it."
"Wait, when did that happen?"
"Your Paris fashion week fashion show last year…" Nathalie replied laughing, and lowered her voice. "Where Audrey got akumatized. She tried to fire me because she was sitting on the second row."
"I never knew that." Gabriel said, but Nathalie looked away.
"I don't really mention when Audrey tries to fire me." Nathalie replied, looking back into Gabriel's eyes and smiled.
The sound of the door opening quickly caught both of their attentions. "Nathalie Sancouer?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes." She replied. Gabriel removed his hand from hers. While Nathalie had completely forgotten that Gabriel's hand was holding onto her's, she found herself feeling disappointed. But she didn't know why.
"I can go." Gabriel stated.
"No, please Stay. I want you to stay–" Nathalie pleaded. She didn't know why she a wanted him to stay with her. Part of her cringed over the idea that she had just asked Gabriel Agreste her boss stay with her. "if that is okay with you of course."
"Of course!" He replied, while smiling at her.
Nathalie started to feel as if something had changed in her relationship with Gabriel. He was her boss… And she was just his assistant.
But now something had changed. All of the handholding, the way they stared into eachother's eyes, and the fact that he had asked her to call him Gabriel.
Nathalie and Gabriel walked back through the carpark towards where Gabriel had parked her car. She had cracked her rib.
She felt relieved that it was not a complete break, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed that she was injured. There was so much she had to do for Gabriel as his assistant, and with what felt like not enough time to actually do it.
And she now had a cracked rib, that made her ache whenever she moved her arm.
She pressed her left arm against her chest hoping that it would help her pain while she walked. Scrunching her nose out of pain.
"Are you okay?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes. I am just very sore." Nathalie replied, glancing over to his face. "The walking is making the pain worse."
"Oh, i am sorry."
"M– Gabriel, It really is not your fault." She said, looking away from him. "If anything it is my fault. I fell on the stairs."
Gabriel unlocked the car, and quickly opened the door to the passanger side of the car. Nathalie held onto his arm as she got into the car, and once she was sat in the passenger seat in the car her eyes locked with Gabriel's eyes.
She broke the eye contact and glanced down to the floor of the car. Wondering why she felt something in her heart when she stared into Gabriel's eyes.
As Gabriel got into his side of the car, he turned the car on. They were finally on the way home.
The car ride back was quiet, with Nathalie staring out of the front video.
Hours had passed since they left the mansion to go to the hospital, and the car finally pulled up outside of the Agreste mansion. Once they both left the car, they both walked in the direction of hte mansion. As they entered the mansion, they saw Adrien stood at the top of the stairs. "Oh, You're already home from the gala!" Adrien exclaimed out of excitement.
Nathalie remembered how Adrien would not have known about her falling up the stairs and having to go to the hospital. "We didn't go. I fell up the stairs and cracked my rib." Nathalie stated, before walking towards the door to the kitchen. "We were at the hospital."
Nathalie entered the kitchen, ignoring Adrien's reaction to her getting injured. But she couldn't help but worry why it looked like Plagg was inside of the mansion. 'Was Adrien Chat Noir?' She wondered. But she could not bring herself to tell Gabriel that was why she fell.
As she poured herself a glass of water, Gabriel entered the kitchen. "I was thirsty." Nathalie explained looking over to him stood infront of the kitchen door.
"Of course." He replied, leaning against the kitchen island. "Are you okay– I don't mean about your ribs. I mean you have looked stressed since we left the hospital."
"I am right handed and I can barely move my right arm without being in a lot of pain." She began. "And there is so much we both have to do to prepare for Paris Fashion Week next month! But a cracked rib takes over a month to heal."
Gabriel looked into her eyes. "Nathalie, of course we can lower your work load as you are recovering." He replied. Nathalie's eyes locked back onto Gabriel's.
Once they walked into Nathalie's room , Nathalie sat down on her bed. Flinching from the pain inside of her chest. "Gabriel," She said, causing him to look over to her. "Thank you for coming with me."
"Of course Nathalie." He replied, sitting down to the left of her and placed his hand on top of this.
She stared into his eyes, the feeling of her heart beating was all she could focus on.
Nathalie opened her eyes, feeling the ache in her ribs. Glancing around she noticed Gabriel asleep in the bed next to her, with her arm resting on top of of his chest.
As she removed her hand and sat up on her bed, she realised she was still in the dress she was supposed to wear to the gala and Gabriel was still in his suit.
"I suppose we were exhausted after the hospital." She murmered to herself, reaching over for her phone. As she attempted to turn it on, she was greeted with a black screen. "Oh."
She reached over for her wire, but the pain in her ribs stopped her. "Agh." She cried out, worried that she woke up Gabriel. As she glanced back towards him, she felt relieved. He was still asleep.
She carefully grabbed her wire and plugged her phone in watching as the charging symbol appeared on her phone screen.
"Nathalie?" A voice quietly asked, catching Nathalie's attention. causing her to look over towards him. "What time is it?"
"I don't know, My phone ran out of charge." She replied, she did not understand how she forgot to charge her phone.
"How do you feel?"
"I am still in alot of pain and I cannot move my arm without my ribs hurting. But apart from that I am okay." She answered, with a slight smile across her face.
Gabriel nodded his head, but Nathalie stared into his eyes. "Thank you, Gabriel." She said,
"What for?" He asked,
"All of this, taking me to the hospital, staying with me..." She explained, as her smile softened.
"Of course, I was worried about you." Gabriel answered, "Nathalie, you are very important to me"
"Oh thank you?" Nathalie replied, it made her heart feel warm over the idea that Gabriel really believed that the work she does was important to him. "It means alot to me that yoy think of my work as important."
"No I don't mean that." Gabriel replied, but Nathalie's heart dropped. 'What?!'
"You don't think my work is important?" She asked, placing her hand on top of her knee hoping that she was hiding how hurt she was in her voice
"NO!" Gabriel exclaimed, his voice was in an almost shout. "Your work IS important to me Nathalie!"
"Oh… Okay." Nathalie felt confused over what Gabriel was trying to say to her.
"It's just that I– I could not do any of this without you…" Gabriel stated, but Nathalie could hear the strong uncertainty in his voice. Like he wasn't sure if he should tell her what he wanted to say.
"Of course," Nathalie replied but she did not understand why Gabriel was even telling her any of this. She looked at his facial expression's and saw how serious he looked. Maybe it was something more important than she thought. 'Oh yes, His goal to bring back Emilie. Of course that is what it is.' "I understand how important your work as Hawkmoth is for you–"
"I mean that I am in love with you." Gabriel stated blankly. Nathalie's mouth dropped open out of shock. 'What?! What. What! He is in love with me?!'
She stared at him in shock. "You– what?" Nathalie was unsure what she should say. Outside of her shock, she felt happy to hear that Gabriel was in love with her. "You are in love with me?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes I am."
"Oh," Nathalie’s voice was quiet, as she tried to figure out the best thing to say to him. "Gabriel." She watched as his eyes locked onto hers, 'Oh we have made a lot eyecontact since I injured my rib.' "I love you too."