Work Text:
If just to get away from people, Gabriel loved the holidays. Unironically, he loved the moments where he could say, “No, no, I am spending my holidays alone with my family, we will just have to reschedule.”
Of course this meant actually spending time with his family, but that was fine. He loved Emilie. He lived and breathed his wife. When Adrien was born, he loved Adrien, too. Spending time with them over Christmas was easy.
Who could’ve guessed that that would all go away, and leave Gabriel behind, along with his son? Along with a son that still managed to love holidays without his mother, no less?
This was perhaps the first year where the thought of the holidays coming up at the end of December filled Gabriel with dread. Adrien had had a wonderful holiday last year with his friends, and would likely look to repeat it. He hadn’t brought it up yet, but his father knew it was coming. Adrien was getting excited, nearly antsy to speak with him.
He knew Adrien liked Christmas, but didn’t expect to raise such an extrovert. It was all his wife’s fault.
He let out a small sigh, and entered his office, stopping at Nathalie’s desk. “Nathalie, I have a small favor to ask.”
She looked up at him from her computer screen. “Sure, what is it, sir?”
Gabriel’s fingers curled behind his back. “I know that Adrien is going to ask to host another Christmas party. I would like you to assist him. ”
Nathalile nodded. “To be honest, sir, I had already begun planning it.”
“Ah,” he let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
He had almost turned all the way back to his desk, to be free of her and their conversation, when she spoke again.
“Um, sir,” she added, “Is there anyone you’d like me to invite, or food you’d like to be served? I assume you’re coming.”
“Oh,” Gabriel looked back at her awkwardly. “I’m sure I’ll need assistance chaperoning the children. Perhaps you’d like to attend the party as a guest?”
Nathalie smiled. “Adrien had already invited me, sir, but thank you.”
“Of course,” he replied, turning away. Good.
XXX
There was a small commotion outside of his office. Nooroo was at the door, watching through the crack.
“You should help them!” his kwami exclaimed. “It looks fun.”
Gabriel stood, and met his kwami at the door, he watching Nathalie and Adrien decorating the huge tree in the foyer. He rolled his eyes, but entered the room. “Don’t you both have something you should be doing right now? Perhaps studying or working.”
“This was on my schedule, Father!” Adrien said, as he hung another ornament.
“And Adrien is terrible at decorating, so of course I had to assist, sir,” Nathalie told him, as she delicately put tinsel around the tree.
Adrien glared at Nathalie for a moment before it clicked in his mind what exactly she was saying. Then, he smiled sweetly, and turned to his father. “I’m really bad at it. Maybe you could help us, I mean, since you are a designer.”
“I’m not going to be tricked into decorating the tree,” he replied, closing the office door behind him and joining his son at the base. “And for the record, you are bad at decorating trees. Why do you have four gold ornaments together?” Gabriel asked him. “You need to space these out.”
Adrien snorted, but did what he was told. The three of them worked in silence decorating the tree. Gabriel kept out of Nathalie’s way whenever possible.
When they were finished, Adrien asked him, “Can you put up the star on the top? I think you’re the only one who’s tall enough.”
Gabriel looked at the top of the tree with a distinct level of disdain. “I suppose I am the tallest person here.”
“You’re the tallest person I’ve ever met.” Adrien replied. “I mean it.”
He sighed, took the star and passed Nathalie as he headed up the stairs. He did not like the vague amusement written across her face, though he only noticed it because he knew her.
Gabriel hopped onto the platform of the bannister, on the landing between the ground floor and the first floor. He easily reached, placing the star on top.
The three of them appreciated the work. The tree looked nice, but it looked stunning to Gabriel, knowing Nathalie and Adrien had put effort into it.
After taking an obligatory picture with his son (and one selfie with the three of them), Gabriel and Nathalie returned to his office to resume their work.
XXX
The party was in full swing some four days later, and to be honest, Gabriel didn’t need Nathalie to assist with chaperoning. To Adrien’s credit, his friends were a relatively well-mannered bunch, or were at least cowed into good behavior at the Agreste mansion.
Still, he was glad she arrived a half hour before Adrien’s party was set to begin. She was still the same woman he knew, but she wore an arguably nice red sweater over a skirt and stockings, and heeled boots. She didn’t wear skirts to work, which made Gabriel wonder why.
Adrien’s friends had migrated to his bedroom, which was largely more entertaining than the foyer, leaving Gabriel and Nathalie alone with their thoughts.
“I bought you a gift,” he told her, after mustering up the courage to tell her so. “For organizing this entire event.” For everything , Gabriel wanted to say.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, sir,” she said meekly, watching him as he grabbed the parcel he had stashed behind the Christmas tree.
Gabriel smiled slightly, “I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas,” they both knew that wasn’t true, “but I didn’t feel it appropriate, to have you here on Christmas Eve and not get you anything at all.”
“I think you like giving gifts, sir.” Nathalie informed him, taking the parcel and examining the packaging. Gabriel had wrapped it himself, as he was a good gift wrapper. Nathalie must’ve assumed that someone else had wrapped her gift and trimmed it with ribbon.
“I like giving gifts, despite my ability to pick out gifts,” he replied, remembering that time he gave his son a pen for his birthday. Who does that? “You should open it, though.”
She shot him an awkward smile, but obliged, sitting down at a nearby couch and opening the packaging. Nathalie pulled away at the ribbon, and carefully peeled away the wrapping paper, gently so as not to tear. He wondered if that was just what she did, or if she didn’t want to seem foolish in front of her boss. Gabriel would not have minded.
Nathalei pulled away at the tissue and examined the fabric in the box. It was a deep, purple gown, she realized, as she pulled it out of its box. She looked at him, stunned. “How did you know?”
“I caught you eyeing the photographs in Vogue last month,” he replied. “I contacted the dress’s designer and it turns out her wife wanted one of my dresses from our winter collection. It was a simple trade.” Gabriel cleared his throat, trying to remain composed, “I figured you’d like to wear it at the New Year’s Eve party that Jagged Stone is throwing.”
Nathalie blinked. “I wasn’t invited to that party, sir,” she stated, a bit breathless.
“I’ll get you in,” he assured her. “I figured I’d go, if just to network.”
She softened. “This is really thoughtful. Thank you, Gabriel.” Nathalie said. “It makes me feel a bit bad for not getting you a good gift.”
“I do not--wait, you got me a gift ?” Gabriel asked her, a bit bewildered. “Why?”
She laughed again, but gently put the dress away in its box, and stood. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
He followed her out of the foyer and into the kitchen. Nathalie stopped, spun to face him, and gestured to a box on the kitchen counter with a red bow on top. It was not wrapped. “Ta-da.” She said.
Gabriel leaned in. “A coffee maker? We already have a coffee maker, Nathalie.”
“I know, but I hate it. It’s very old and it’s a clunky product. You needed a new one,” she told him judiciously.
He was about to make a comment that Emilie had picked out the last coffee maker, but he had not made a cup of coffee for himself in a long, long time. “Alright, thank you.” he said, with an eye roll. “What do I owe you, Nathalie?”
“I charged your credit card, sir.” she replied. “It’s so easy to use, even a multi-millionaire can do it, sir.”
Gabriel stared at her, “How long were you waiting to tell that joke, Ms. Sancoeur.”
“A few days,” she admitted, looking at the box on the counter. “Though, it isn’t as funny now, seeing as you got me a lovely gift.”
“This is a fine gift,” he said to her.
Nathalie shrugged, “I’m not good at picking out or giving gifts, sir.”
“I gave a pen to my son for his birthday,” he said to her. “I’m not great at it, but if it’s any consolation, I have nearly everything I could ever possibly want. I’m sure I’m a difficult person to shop for.”
She looked back at him, “‘Nearly everything’, sir?”
He nodded. Gabriel frowned. “I suppose it’s a cliche, to be lonely during the holidays, when I’m the one that loves the holidays just to get away from people.”
“Most people, at least,” she corrected him, inching a bit nearer. “I know you like being around Adrien and I, at least.”
Gabriel smiled. “I can’t deny that.”
Nathalie smiled back at him. “You know I hung a mistletoe over the doorway between this room and the dining room, for this exact moment.”
His brow furrowed, and he looked at the door frame, and saw the mistletoe, and turned back to her. He looked at her, a bit shocked. “Why?”
“I know you love Christmas, Gabriel,” she replied. “Why wouldn’t I decorate the house?”
“I don’t love Christmas,” he protested, “And I don’t love what you’re implying about the two of us, Nathalie.”
Her smile grew into a smirk. “I know you want me for Christmas,” she teased, pulling closer to him, rubbing his lapel between her fingers. “Did it occur to you that I might be feeling the same way?”
He huffed indignantly, and glared at her. “Nathalie, we have a party to chaperone, this is hardly--”
She suddenly kissed him, to shut him up and to prove her point. Gabriel kissed her back. She was right. Of course she was right. Gabriel Agreste loved Christmas.