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It started with a simple demand from his father; Adrien was to play a few songs at an upcoming Charity Gala that was raising money for Awely - Des Animaux Et Des Hommes. While wildlife and the environment weren't something Gabriel the brand or the person cared about, he was a businessman at heart and knew he had to be seen doing something for charity. Either way, Adrien knew he wasn't going to enjoy being subject to everyone's scrutiny all night. With this in mind, he made a deal with his father, if he could take one friend, of his choice, not his father's. Adrien would play a maximum of seven songs depending on the Gala organisers’ preference. He also stipulated his father wouldn't be allowed to choose those songs. Gabriel hadn't been overly happy with Adrien's bargain, but decided that since he was still getting his way he wouldn't complain. It was only three hours later Gabriel realised he hadn't been told who his son wanted to take with him. What Gabriel didn't know was that Adrien wouldn't be on that stage alone.
The journey to the Gala began months earlier when Adrien uncovered a secret talent in his classmate." It began when Lila joined Mlle Bustier's class. She targeted Marinette pretty heavily because Marinette wouldn’t stay silent about Lila's lies. Eventually, Marinette told Lila to leave her alone and she would do the same. Unfortunately, the damage was already done and the class had chosen to stick with their new favourite girl, Lila. Marinette was rejected and found herself alone. So she filled her time with other pursuits and hobbies.
It was with the help of his music tutor Adrien discovered one of those hobbies was playing the violin. And Marinette was as good as playing as she was designing. His tutor arrived for the lesson as Adrien was face-timing Marinette.
“M Agreste, do you mind explaining why you haven’t had the courtesy to start your warm-up exercises?” M Chanson snapped as he marched to Adrien.
Adrien sighed and let his head drop slightly. Marinette smiled apologetically at him.
“Look, kid,” M Chanson continued in a softer tone “I get that you don’t enjoy these practice sessions but I am being paid to teach you. Playing the piano can be fun if you let it be.”
“Yeah right,” Adrien snarled. As far as he was concerned, these lessons were just another way for his father to stop him from spending time with his friends.
“Look, we both know my father only cares about the prestige that he gets from his peers knowing I can play. I’m going to get some water.”
Having said his piece Adrien stalked out the room leaving his phone propped up against a couple of books, video call still running.
“Sorry about that,” Marinette said softly to M Chanson. “He was looking forward to finally being able to spend some time with us in the park, then M Agreste decided he had to do four extra photo shoots back-to-back instead.” Marinette’s voice hardened slightly as she mentioned Adrien’s father but her worry for Adrien coloured the rest of her words.
“Not your fault Mlle…” M Chanson trailed off as he realised he didn’t know her name.
“Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Marinette supplied with a smile.
“Right Mlle Dupain-Cheng. As I was saying, you are not the one responsible for Adrien’s mood. I am grateful that you told me why he is in such a bad mood. By the way, what sheet music is on the chair behind you?”
Marinette looked at M Chanson in surprise. “It’s for a couple of Lindsey Stirling’s songs, Artemis and Mirage. I play the violin so I thought I’d give it a try.”
“Ah, you are playing for passion. In that case, do you think you could help me?” M Chanson whispered conspiratorially.
“Sure. If I can, that is,” Marinette replied, eyebrow-raising in confusion.
“I want to try and reignite Adrien’s passion for playing again. What songs do you think would work for that?”
Marinette closed her eyes for a moment to think, then a smile made its way over her lips.
“Do you know One Summer’s Day from the anime Spirited Away? Or Senbonzakura by Miku Hatsune? Adrien is a total otaku so if we play songs from anime he might be more willing to try.” Mischief shone in Marinette’s eyes as she spoke. M Chanson’s eyes mirrored hers as he smiled and he quickly moved to sit on the piano stool.
Adrien had been shocked to come back to see his tutor sitting on the piano seat.
Adrien took a step further, only to freeze as his tutor played the opening notes to Spirited Away - One Summer's Day. Adrien had watched the movie so many times he'd have recognised it anywhere. He was more surprised at the violin playing in perfect harmony. Where was it coming from?
After searching for a speaker, Adrien’s eyes fell on his phone where he saw Marinette with violin and bow in hand. The song ended but his tutor wasn't done schooling him. Soon the opening notes of Senbonzakura by Miku Hatsune were floating through the music room with Marinette effortlessly keeping up with the fast-paced song. It was at that moment that Adrien fell in love with playing again. Especially now he knew his tutor would be willing to let him learn the songs from anime and not just the classics his father insisted on shoving down his throat.
Ever since that moment, Adrien and his tutor made sure to schedule at least one combined practice a month with Marinette, so Adrien could cut loose from the boring, repetitive standard practice tracks.
The day Gabriel dropped the Gala performance bombshell, Adrien had walked to the music room with his head bowed. He knew he would be expected to play something that would appeal to any audience, no matter what their age or demographic. But which songs? If only… Suddenly Adrien’s head whipped up and he walked a little faster towards his destination, fishing his phone out of his pocket.
Arriving at the music room, Adrien shot a quick facetime request to Marinette while waiting for M Chanson to arrive. Adrien ran through his scales as quickly as he could. By the time M Chanson wandered in, Adrien had run through his scales twice and Marinette was laughing at his eagerness.
“You know Adrien, just because I sometimes get Mlle Marinette to join us doesn’t mean you should jump the gun like this,” M Chanson joked deliberately leaving Adrien to draw his own conclusion as to whether he meant the scales or the phone call.
“Sorry, M Chanson. It’s just my father decided I’m to play at an upcoming charity gala and at first, I hated the idea. Then as I tried to figure out what songs to play I realised, this is an opportunity. What better way than through music to show him how done I am with his attitude and treatment of me? I mean I could always cut or dye my hair or get piercings or whatever, but he’ll just see it as petulant, hide me away and ignore it.” Adrien babbled, his tongue struggling to keep up with the speed of his thoughts as he tried to explain everything.
“Deep breath, Adrien,” Marinette laughed. Adrien looked at them sheepishly.
“Right, anyway, since Marinette and I have practised together before would it be possible for us to play together that night?”
Turning to Marinette he hit her with the full blast of his puppy eyes. “Please Mari?”
“Alright, alright!” Marinette spluttered, flailing her hands in front of herself as if to wave away the sight of Adrien’s pleading with her. “Just stop with the eyes already!”
“If we do this, we do it properly though,” she said firmly. “A real duet with matching outfits. I’ll design your suit for the night as well as my gown. You’ll need to give me as many details as you can about the theme so that it doesn’t look gauche.”
The next hour was spent debating songs and talking about how they could pull the plan off. They knew M Agreste would search for any excuse to overrule Adrien’s idea and make Lila Adrien’s partner for the evening. If they wanted to avoid that, everything had to be perfect.
By the time Adrien’s lesson drew to a close, he was exhausted. Adrien was grateful M Chanson had been willing to help iron out his plan and offer his musical insight. But there was one thing Adrien was even more grateful for; Marinette’s friendship. Without her, Adrien would have given up when his father had first started to push Lila at him. Who knows how bad that could have been!
Not everything was smooth sailing in the weeks leading up to the Gala though. In an attempt to push his agenda, Gabriel had 'let slip' to Lila about the event and she had taken to pestering Adrien about it whenever possible. As had Chloe when she heard. Adrien chose to ignore their not-so-subtle hints to select one of them as his partner for the night. Instead, he shared a secret look and laughed with Marinette about it.
Ever the designer, Marinette took it on herself to put in maximum effort into more than just the violin performance. She quickly designed a matching costume set for her and Adrien, even if he wasn’t allowed to see it just yet. Jagged Stone had requested an outfit, as had Clara Nightingale, so walking into Marinette's room for his first fitting was akin to stepping into a different world.
The vast array of fabrics around the room looked like someone had made a colour bomb explode. Yet Marinette seemed to know exactly where everything was. Adrien loved hanging around in Marinette's room as everything was chaotic. Yet it still emanated a warmth that his father's studio lacked, even at the height of a fashion week designing fit. Adrien was yet to see Marinette's dress, but he had seen the gowns for Penny and Clara knew both women would love them.
Clara's dress was an off-the-shoulder mermaid-style gown made of Burgundy taffeta that shimmered gold when the light hit it at an angle. The neckline was embroidered with small rose quartz beads that formed a lattice of vines and dainty mock orange blossoms. The same pattern was repeated in the godets that helped form the flare at the bottom of the dress.
Penny's dress, on the other hand, adopted a simple navy blue satin halter-neck design. It was also embroidered, but with beads of labradorite and opalite that twisted and turned forming musical notes. It had a very low back so strings of the same beads hung down from the neck to the sides of the dress allowing it to stay form-fitting.
Due to the rockstar couple recently announcing their engagement, they requested Jagged's suit match Penny's dress. The challenge for Marinette was to make sure the suit was formal enough for the Gala, yet still rock and roll enough for Jagged. So Marinette used the same shade as Penny's gown. At a glance, the suit would leave the impression of a standard modern fit tux with its slightly narrowed lapel and waistlines. A closer look would tell a different story, however, as Marinette had used labradorite and opalite seed beads on the lapels and seams of the suit to embroider musical notes to match Penny's dress.
Initially, Adrien worried when he realised how much effort had gone into the outfits. He had seen how long it took his father’s team to embellish outfits with beads or even simple embroidery. Marinette had planned at least two, possibly three gowns and two suits on her own. To see her progress - and the quality - was absolutely mind-blowing.
A smile warmed Adrien’s face as he bent over to pick up an offcut from the scrap basket. Feeling the quality of its weave he froze. Adrien knew Marinette used taffeta for Clara’s dress, but he hadn’t known that it was silk taffeta instead of the more common polyester variety. He traced the frayed edges of the offcut and watched the colours dance in the light. Silk taffeta was very expensive considering it was woven from silk, which wasn’t cheap in the first place. Gabriel had been arguing with his manufacturer about that little titbit just the other day, Adrien remembered. But he didn’t recall why.
Judging by the quality of fabrics she had chosen for this commission, Marinette must have finally accepted a decent commission for this project and it made Adrien pleased. He knew she regularly undercharged others for her work.
The dresses and suit on Marinette’s adjustable dressmaker's forms commanded an ethereal presence, glowing in the light filtering in the window. Anyone who saw those gowns would be blown away. It made Adrien eager to see what Marinette was planning for her own gown. But Marinette was adamant it was a surprise. He wasn't even allowed to see his suit until the day of the Gala either. Which made for complications when he had to have final fittings done. Marinette had made use of a blindfold, much to his amusement.
“I know you are eager to see your jacket and waistcoat but I can’t let that happen,” Marinette said as they walked up the stairs to check the fit of the suit.
“Aw, but Mari, how are you going to stop me seeing them? You know I’ll have to try everything on make sure it fits properly!” Adrien wheedled. He hoped the ongoing persuading would lead to a sneak peek.
“Your pants and shirt are generic enough that you can put those on first and we’ll check their fit. I can make any necessary adjustments to those while you are here. Then I’ll get you to put them back on and give you a blindfold…”
“A blindfold?” Adrien interrupted with a cheeky grin. “Oh, Mari, I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing.”He winked. a wink.
“What? N-No I I’m not! I thought just, I mean thust jought.” Marinette stumbled over her words. She hadn’t done that in over a year, since their friendship started to develop. Adrien watched a pink flush spread over her cheeks to the tips of her ears before he smiled gently.
“I know, Mari. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have teased you like that. It was a little mean,” Adrien said as he pulled her into a side hug. Marinette took a deep breath and hugged him back.
“Just for that, I don’t think I’ll be as careful with my pins as I normally would be. And no cookies for you, monsieur!” Marinette pouted, knowing it would distract him, before darting away.
“Wait, Mari, no! Please anything but my cookie privileges!” Adrien squawked, chasing after her. She wouldn’t stab him on purpose, but taking away his treats was a different story.
Adrien reflected over how close they had grown and was pleased when Marinette’s stuttering had eased. He wasn't willing to risk the newfound comfortability in their relationship over an immature joke.
Finally, the day of the Gala arrived. Adrien paid for Marinette to spend the day getting pampered with a massage, a facial along with a manicure. She protested, saying it wasn't needed, but he had wanted to spoil her and insisted. Adrien, on the other hand, had spoiled himself and relaxed by watching SAO and playing ARK with some online friends. Eventually, the time came to dress for the big event.
After a quick shower, he eagerly approached the garment bag from Marinette. His fingers gently wrapped around the metallic fastener and he felt the zip’s teeth tug apart one by one. But before he was halfway down the zip, he was interrupted by a knock on the door and his father’s entrance. Adrien sighed, grateful he had put on a bathrobe while he styled and dried his hair. With the way he and Nathalie usually barge in, that could have been awkward and embarrassing for us both ! Resisting the urge to grin, he turned to face Gabriel.
“Can I help you, father?” He asked calmly.
“I just came to make sure you were on schedule, which you clearly are not. The car will be here momentarily and you aren’t dressed! I expect more of you, Adrien. There are going to be several investors there tonight so you are to be at your best behaviour. Do not make a scene or disappoint me. ” Gabriel said strictly before walking over to Adrien's closet to choose a suit.
Adrien rolled his eyes and turned back to the garment bag. Moving with a swiftness ingrained from years of quick modelling changes, Adrien was dressed in Marinette’s suit by the time his father returned. Gabriel paused in the doorway, brand tuxedo in hand, and stared at his son.
Adrien looked at his reflection in the mirror with a gentle smile in his eyes. Adrien soaked in every detail of Marinette’s work. She must have spent hours on it. The lines were simple, yet the design had an old-fashioned debonair feel to it. The pants and main shirt were standard suit fair; black pants, fitted at the waist and a white shirt. But Marinette infused the first splash of personality into the waistcoat with a subtle vine and leaf pattern embroidered in hunter’s green. The black tailcoat, though, was where Marinette had truly let her talent show. It featured the same hunter's green vine and leaf design embroidered along the seams and lapels. A lapel pin embossed with Marinette's designing logo sat neatly in place with the chain, adding the final touch of elegance. When Adrien looked at his cufflinks, he noticed they were paw prints. No doubt a reference to the purpose of tonight’s charity, Adrien thought wryly. He doubted his father would notice that little detail.
“Where did that come from? It's not one of mine!” His father snapped, before bending forward to inspect the suit properly. Gabriel ran his fingers over the stitching before tugging at the sides of the jacket to take a closer look at the waistcoat. A slight frown slowly creased his brow when he couldn’t find anything in the workmanship or fit worth complaining about. “Though I will admit it is very well made and appropriate for tonight.” With the way Gabriel almost hissed it under his breath, Adrien doubted he was meant to hear that last part.
“Marinette designed it for me. As she is the one I asked to join me for the evening. Marinette was making a dress for herself and wanted our outfits to complement each other properly,” Adrien replied. His voice was soft but he couldn't hide the pride that crept in, nor the smile he was wearing as he studied himself. He liked the design and loved the fact she had done her best to keep it was a surprise for him.
Gabriel glared at Adrien before turning on his heel and storming out. Adrien had delayed getting ready until the last possible minute, so there would be no time to order him to change outfits, even if Gabriel wanted him to.
Adrien rolled his eyes at his father’s petulant behaviour as he followed on Gabriel’s heels - after making sure Plagg was in his pocket with a snack. The car trip to fetch Marinette was uneventful except for the bitterness rolling off Gabriel that Adrien could practically taste. He was furious Adrien chose a Marinette original, rather than a Gabriel brand design. And Adrien didn't care. He couldn't wait to see Marinette's dress! Considering his father’s response to Marinette’s suit design, Adrien was grateful Marinette's violin was already at their destination. He didn't want to explain that surprise to his father just yet!
When they arrived at the bakery Adrien was surprised to see his father move to come into the building too. Adrien must have given away his curiosity with an inquisitorial sound or a quizzical look as Gabriel sighed.
“I want to see her outfit first to ensure it's appropriate,” he said, with a dismissive wave of the hand.
Adrien waited until his father turned away to again roll his eyes. Yeah right, his father just wanted an excuse to not let Marinette join them, so Gabriel could foist Lila on him.
Adrien led his father to the side door leading into the Dupain-Cheng home. After a quick knock, he bounded up the stairs to the lounge, taking two steps at a time in his excitement. Gabriel was stunned by how comfortable and informal his son seemed in his friends home. Before he could rebuke the behaviour, Sabine rushed in.
“Welcome, Marinette will be down in just a second, she's grabbing her purse. Adrien that looks amazing on you. Marinette will be happy that she doesn't have to do any last-second touch-ups.”
Adrien laughed. “She shouldn't have to, I didn't grow in the last two days! Did she tell you she blindfolded me during fittings so I couldn't see the finer details of her work?.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened and shot a surprised look at his son. Adrien didn’t know what his suit for tonight looked like? How had he been able to practice a dress rehearsal with his piano work? ? How else could Adrien be confident Marinette’s suit would allow the necessary range of movements needed for playing? If the suit could prevent Adrien from showing his full potential, that was something Gabriel wouldn’t tolerate.
It was at that moment Marinette floated into the room and all Gabriel could do was stare.
Marinette's dress was a black one-shoulder sheath, detailed to match Adrien's suit. Where his details were hunter's green and subtle, her malachite and verdite details were made to stand out. She had added garnet flower clusters to the shoulder strap trailing over her right shoulder. A knee-high slit down the left skirt allowed her to move a little more easily. Gabriel could see the embroidered vines trailed up those seams as well, ending in a small flower cluster at the top of the slit. Marinette opted for sensible kitten heels in a green that matched the stones on her dress. She had forgone any jewellery and allowed the dress to speak for itself - aside from black studs in her earlobes that perfected her look.
Even Marinette's hair was pinned in a deceptively simple bun with a couple of strands of fringe framing her face. The fact that she had gone for a more natural look with her make-up rather than the caked-on look that he saw most girls his age use, made her look all the more beautiful in Adrien’s opinion. Elegance in simplicity.
Marinette shifted her weight, her hands fiddling with the clasp of the small green clutch she was carrying. Although Marinette was confident in her design she couldn’t help but feel nervous as she waited for any sort of response from the man she saw as her idol. Well in the fashion world at least; she would be the first to admit he was unfit to be a father, given his treatment of Adrien. Despite her nerves, Marinette kept her head held high and her shoulders back. It wouldn’t do to show any weakness to M. Agreste after all.
Adrien smirked at his father. It was a good sign all Gabriel could do was stare - not that Adrien’s initial response was much better. It had taken a moment for Adrien to remember to breathe when Marinette had first walked into the room! The dress seemed to highlight just how beautiful his friend (and possibly even, crush) looked.
Crush? Wait, what! Where had that thought come from? Marinette was a friend! Adrien mentally shook his head and refocused on the present.
“You look amazing, Mari,” Adrien said softly.
“Thanks, Adrien. What did you think of your suit?” Marinette chirped in reply even as a blush stained her cheek.
“I love it!”
“Yes, both Adrien’s suit and your dress are very nice Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” Gabriel said as he came back to himself.
Sabine fussed with her phone, insisting on photographs of the gorgeous pair. Adrien made the process simple with his model smile while Marinette blushed and grinned sheepishly. A few photos later they were on their way to the Gala.
The trip itself was silent. Gabriel fuming again, this time over his inability to prevent Marinette joining them. The young designer had surprised even him with the quality of her appearance.
When they arrived Gabriel stepped out first into the frenzy of red-carpet paparazzi, quickly followed by Adrien. The photographers took a burst of pictures and their interest faded. Until Adrien offered his hand to someone unseen in the car. Camera flashes went mad taking picture after picture as a young female appeared, clambering to be the first to glimpse Adrien’s companion for the evening.
The media frenzy multiplied when Adrien smiled a genuine smile at his companion, and offered his arm, as they walked down the red carpet into the venue. Neither Adrien, Marinette or Gabriel stopped to give interviews to hovering reporters, but those same reporters were quick to notice Adrien's suit matched the young lady’s dress perfectly. Just as the teens were about to enter the venue a voice yelled out, catching their attention and they turned around.
“Marinette! Adrien! Slow down a sec would ya?” Jagged Stone called over the shouts of reporters. “I want to show off my rockin' niece's designs properly!”
Marinette burst out laughing as they faced Jagged and Penny. As the younger two prepared to greet their rock star friends, Gabriel briskly walked ahead and into the venue, escaping from the public eye.
“You know Jagged, you're meant to be making Penny the centre of attention, not me!” Marinette called back teasingly with a big smile on her face. Jagged returned the laugh. Penny shared a look with Adrien as if to say 'here we go. Now what?'
“Well why bother explaining who my main designer is when I can simply show her off? You did a rock-n-roll job with my suit and a jaw-dropping dress for Penny. So who else's outfits did you have time to do?” Jagged said, still talking at the top of his voice.
Adrien was shaking as he tried to hold in his laughter at Marinette's exasperated expression. The young designer just shook her head slowly as she wondered how Penny put up with the purple-haired man-child standing in front of her. This was just how Jagged was, and Marinette was growing used to it.
The group of four slowly made their way back to the door, chatting the whole way and paying very little attention to the gathered press. Soon they had made it to the door and were able to slip inside to find their seats. Marinette was feeling extremely grateful that Adrien had coached her in what to expect when attending a Gala as this was her first one and she had been extremely nervous.
A glance at the seating plan showed Adrien they would be at the same table as his father. He wasn't too thrilled they were also sharing with Lila and her mother, as well as Chloe and her parents.
Soon they were seated and once again, Lila and Chloe were vying for his attention. At least neither tried to grab onto him like they normally did. That made it much easier for Adrien to ignore them and concentrate on what he deemed to be more important; Marinette.
A quick look at Signora Rossi showed Adrien she was enamoured with Marinette's dress. Marinette was looking at all the decorations so she hadn't noticed the attention on her yet. Adrien doubted she would notice, she was just that sort of girl.
He wondered for a moment how Marinette might take Signora Rossi’s attention if she did notice. Marinette would most likely suspect Lila had said something nasty and distrust Signora Rossi’s comments. He could almost hear Marinette’s voice: “Like mother, like daughter!”. He didn’t want that sort of negativity bringing down their evening together. So Adrien was content to leave Marinette be in her adorable state of ignorance.
All too soon their meals arrived leaving Adrien thanking every deity he could for the controlling presence of parents. Their keen oversight meant neither Lila or Chloe had an opportunity to sabotage Marinette's night by spilling food on her. The meal itself was pleasant, though unremarkable when compared to the meals his father’s chefs generally prepared. The accompanying conversation danced through lighter subjects until the inevitable happened and Marinette was drawn into conversation with the Rossi family.
“So Mlle Marinette, I couldn't help but noticing your stunning dress, is it one of M Agreste's creations?” Signora Rossi asked. Adrien wiped his mouth to hide the smug smile that danced across his lips as Marinette blushed.
“Nothing as fancy as a Gabriel original I fear,” Marinette replied modestly, “This dress is one of my own creations.”
“I thought as much,” Audry exclaimed. “I'm guessing Adrien's suit is too?” Adrien nodded happily in reply.
“Yes, Marinette has worked hard over the last two months to bring the five outfits to life that are here tonight. It was fun getting the fittings done though.” Adrien's smile turned teasing even as his tone showed how proud he was of her.
“Fun? In what way?” Signora Rossi asked, intrigued.
“Mari didn't want to spoil the surprise of what my suit looked like so she had me wear a blindfold during the fittings for the final suit. She also made a toile for me so that I could practice for tonight and get used to the feel of how the suit would move as I did.” Gabriel's eyebrows rose as he heard his son's explanation.
“Do you mean to say you made every outfit twice, Mlle Dupain-Cheng?” Gabriel asked in astonishment.
“Oh, no Monsieur! Just Adrien's suit. The cut of Jagged's tux is similar enough to other things I've made for him before so he knew how each piece would move. Clara and Penny have both been active in the design process for their gowns. Also, their outfits weren't a surprise while Adrien's was, as such while I did make a basic toile for their gowns it was more to make sure that I had the pattern right and they weren’t as detailed.” Marinette paused to a small sip of water before she continued.
“I wanted to keep the details of my dress a surprise for Adrien but if he saw certain aspects of his suit he would guess some details about my gown. The easiest way to keep him in the dark was to make the toile for his suit to be as functional as possible then, once I had the final version of his suit ready for fittings, a blindfold was the easiest way to keep him from peeking. Well, for the waistcoat and jacket anyway. Since his shirt and pants are pretty standard, I didn't bother hiding those from him.”
Adrien listened with a soft smile as Marinette babbled on about her designs. He loved listening to her, lost in her own little world as she spoke about her designs. She was always so passionate one couldn't help but be drawn in, even if you didn't really understand what she was saying. He looked at Chloe and Lila's faces and was amused to note their reactions. Lila was darkening with simmering resentment while one of grudging respect formed on Chloe's face.
Adrien let himself relax as he watched Marinette charm the adults at the table. If the recitals went well, he could possibly end up with more freedom than he knew what to do with at best. At worst, well he didn’t want to think about it if he was honest. This was probably the calm before the storm. It usually ended that way when Marinette was exposed to Lila and Chloe. And he was yet to expose the biggest surprise of all to this father. He calmed himself with a deep breath.
Adrien was brought out of his musings when the MC walked onto the raised platform stage. There would be a couple of speeches, then it was showtime.
The MC kept his speech short, introducing some of the key people involved in Awely - Des Animaux Et Des Hommes. He introduced the next speaker but by then Adrien was lost in his mind, preparing himself to go on stage. He could see Marinette was doing something similar and shot her a quick smile, which neither Lila nor Chloe seemed to miss - if the narrowing of their eyes was any indication. All too soon it was time. Adrien found himself walking towards the stage.
“Thank you for your introduction, Monsieur. Now while the kind people finish getting everything ready behind me I would like to call my friend up to join me. When my father told me I would be playing for everyone tonight I made it a condition that I would be allowed to bring one person with me. As such would Mlle Marinette Dupain-Cheng please join me?” Adrien said with a flourish, worthy of a theatre production.
Marinette laughed softly as she joined Adrien on stage.
“You're babbling Agreste,” she teased as the audience laughed.
“Right, Anyway, shall we?” Adrien said, pretending he'd lost his train of thought and playing up to the crowd. He saw his father standing, ready to interfere. So with a shared smile, Marinette moved to stand behind the mic and Adrien sat behind the black baby grand that was on the stage. Soon the opening bars of a well-known song were floating through the room. A breath later and Marinette's clear voice joined the piano's tune with the opening words of La Vie en Rose.
Although the pair on stage didn't notice, three jaws dropped. Gabriel stared at the scene in front of him as he tried to process what had just happened. This was meant to be a solo recital that would show the world his son's superior talent. But whatever this was, it was not the plan. This was a rebellion.
Lila seethed. The whole evening had gone wrong as far as she was concerned. First, that goody-two-shoes showed up in a dress that outshone the burnt-orange Gabriel original gown that she was wearing. Then her mother fawned over the bint and now said bint was on stage with her ticket to a life of ease. Why hadn't Hawkmoth put a stop to this farce yet?
Chloe was contemplative as she watched the pair on stage. Growing up, Chloe had everything she'd demanded, but not the one thing she truly wanted; an intimate connection with someone. When Chloe had met Marinette, Chloe recognised the tiny girl had the one thing she coveted more than anything in the world and she burned with jealousy.
Chloe had taken her bitter rage out on Marinette and watched in spiteful glee as a once bright, bubbly spirit was crushed under her heel. But looking at that same girl up on stage with a boy she had thought was her best friend, Chloe knew she hadn't crushed Marinette. She'd tempered her much like a skilled swordsmith tempered tamahagane into a katana.
At that moment, Chloe came to the blinding realisation that Adrien and Marinette were both alike in that respect. Only Adrien’s smith was Gabriel. Chloe had watched that evening as her mother praised Marinette in a way that she had always yearned for from her mother. She had watched as Adrien gave a smile to Marinette that glowed with pride. Now as she watched the pair, Chloe realised she didn’t get all the things she really wanted in life, but she had the chance to turn it around. Tonight would be a turning point for her. She knew it would be a lot of work ahead of her if she ever wanted to win Adrien to her side. His friendship was one thing she wasn't willing to lose.
As the note's of La Vie en Rose faded, Marinette smiled then retreated to the side of the stage. Gabriel was about to stand up and demand that she rejoin them at the table when Adrien walked over to the mic again.
“As you can hear Mari has an amazing voice but honestly that song was performed as a request. We are going to do five more songs for you this evening so please, sit back and relax. I then will be doing a final song for everyone while the stage crew set up for Jagged to take over. Some of the songs you might recognise, some you might not, either way, I hope you enjoy them.” Adrien's confident voice was soft as he spoke to everyone before returning to his seat where he started playing a soft tune that no one recognised.
It was as the first notes of a violin sounded everyone realised what Marinette had not left the stage. She had been fetching her instrument! Soon the notes of Lindsey Stirling's Les Misérables Medley echoed around the room. Those that knew each of the songs sang along happily, enjoying the unexpected tune as they had all been expecting a purely classical recital. All too soon the song ended and after a brief pause, a slightly sombre refrain took its place, the piano and violin blending together seamlessly.
It didn't take too long for one of the younger members of the crowd to recognise the tune as the main theme song from a fairly popular anime Fairy Tail, and for the news to spread. Gabriel frowned at his son but as much as he wanted to, even he couldn't deny the song was a great display of his son's piano-playing prowess. As the last notes faded a strange sound reverberated off the walls, as one of the staff hit play on what was clearly a backtrack.
Several of the younger people in the audience smiled as Adrien and Marinette launched themselves into what sounded like a battle of notes that rose and fell. Even those who didn't know what the song was couldn't help but be swept away by it as the notes of the Halo theme reached their crescendo. Once the song ended both Adrien and Marinette were breathing a little harder but they were both smiling.
Slowly Adrien started to play again but this time Gabriel couldn't help but sit in his chair, dumbstruck. He had been furious by the past few songs but the song they were now playing had been one of Emilie's favourites. He hadn't known that Adrien remembered it. Nor had Gabriel realised it could be played on a violin and piano. He could hear the track playing through the speakers to give them the bass that was needed to complete the song, but it didn't take away from the fact that Adrien had chosen to play My Immortal.
There was a small pause as the song ended as a microphone was moved to be within reach of Adrien. Gabriel listened in amazement as Adrien not only played but sang John Legend's All Of Me. Who knew his son had such a powerful voice. While Marinette’s violin never stopped, Gabriel had ceased to notice it. Who was the young man on the stage and who had raised him?
This evening had proved to Gabriel that he didn’t know his son. He closed his eyes as disappointment washed over him. What would Emilie think of him now? She had always said he was too wrapped up in his work to start a family, but he insisted his business legacy would need an heir. Now, looking at him, Gabriel knew his son was an adult and he knew nothing about him.
Unaware of his father’s turmoil, Adrien gave Marinette a quick hug and started to play his final song of the evening. Running his fingers across the ivory keys in a move that brought even the most dazed person's attention to the piano, Adrien kicked off Elton John’s I’m Still Standing. Despite the fact the lyrics were well known, the song resonated with the emotions Adrien was releasing with each word. His voice was so powerful almost the entire audience couldn't help but join in. By the time Adrien played the last note, Gabriel knew what his son had been trying to say to him.
Adrien was done playing to Grabriel’s tune. It was up to Gabriel if he wanted to fix their relationship. As far as Adrien was concerned, he had done all he could to be the son Gabriel wanted. And now Adrien was going to concentrate on being the man he had grown into.
Marinette smiled as she watched Adrien play his last song. She was proud of Adrien For going through with playing the song, considering how nervous he had been about it. Marinette also wished she could do something more to help him but she knew Adrien needed to win this fight for himself. If she interfered Gabriel might never let Adrien pursue a life of his own. A voice to her side caught her attention.
“He really does sing well, doesn’t he?” Gabriel’s melancholy tone surprised her. “I thought by staying away and keeping his life regimented I was protecting him. It looks like all I was doing was pushing him away. I don’t know anything about my son, do I? “
“It’s not too late, you know?” Marinette smiled slightly at Gabriel’s startled expression. “Adrien loves you. But he’s tired, of trying to get your attention, by doing everything you want him to do.”
“I’ve been a fool, how could he ever forgive me?” Gabriel said.
Marinette placed a hand over his own.
“I know it will be hard for you to both connect and heal. But it would be worth it in the end though - for both of you.” Marinette turned her gaze back to the stage before deciding to risk giving Gabriel a last piece of advice.
“He feels like he didn’t just lose his Mother the day she vanished; he lost his father too. Adrien still wants you in his life M Agreste, he just wants you to be a father, not his employer.”
As the last note’s of the song echoed through the hall, Marinette joined the applause. She smiled as she watched Jagged bound up onto the stage and give Adrien a vigorous handshake and laughed when Clara joined the two men. She laughed even harderClara gave him a kiss on the cheek and Adrien blushed brightly. Soon enough Adrien was half jogging back to his seat. Marinette made sure he could flop into his chair, by pulling it away from the table.
“Thanks, Mari,” Adrien murmured, shooting her a grateful smile. “Oh before I forget, Jagged is grumpy. He didn’t know you could sing!” Exasperation was clear in Adrien’s tone as he passed on Jagged’s message. Marinette just rolled her eyes and they both burst out laughing. Their mirth was soon interrupted by a rather nasally voice that they had both hoped would stay silent.
“Adrien, honey, why didn’t you ask me to sing with you? You know I’d have said yes in a heartbeat,” Lila simpered, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
Adrien sighed before looking at Lila.
“Simple. Mari and I have been doing duets like the ones we performed tonight since she and M Chanson showed me there was more to playing the piano than classics and scales. Her singing voice was a hidden talent until we were talking to the organisers about song choices and they asked for La Vie en Rose.” Adrien explained calmly, fully conscious of the adults at the table taking notice of the interaction between the teens.
“But Adrien as your girlfriend…”
“Yeah, no. I’m going to stop you there, Lila. You are not my girlfriend. You never have been and you never will be,” Adrien spoke calmly but firmly even as ice-cold fury flashed in his eyes.
“Adrien?” Gabriel asked quietly almost cautiously.
“Sorry, father. I know you would have liked a relationship to develop between Lila and I, and that’s why you keep getting us to model together but honestly, I try and avoid her wherever possible. I normally wouldn’t speak so candidly about this type of thing, especially not in public, but I feel it’s something that needed to be said in front of witnesses.” Adrien said with a resigned sigh, the fury still in his voice but more restrained this time. He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair only opening them again when he felt a feather-light touch on his arm.
“I’m alright Mari,” Adrien said in a calmer voice, placing his hand over hers. Marinette nodded and went to withdraw her hand. But Adrien stopped her movement and laced her fingers between his own. He drew strength from her.
“Seriously?” Lila’s voice rose half an octave before her mother intervened.
“Lila Nekane Rossi, you will be silent. You have been claiming for several months that you are dating this young man, however that is clearly untrue. This is neither the time nor place to cause a scene. But we will talk about this when we get home. You will not leave my side for the rest of the evening as I clearly need to keep an eye on you.” Signora Rossi spoke firmly as she reeled from her daughters actions. Lila went to but as she drew in a breath, a warning look from her mother as had her crumbling in submission.
The rest of the evening went fairly quickly in Adrien’s opinion. Lila was under close watch and Chloe was oddly quiet but Adrien decided he didn’t care. He mingled with the crowd, Marinette on his arm where he could protect her from those he considered to be vultures. Perhaps it was due to their mingling without his father or maybe it was the company he was in, but Adrien was enjoying himself for once. By the time his father signalled it was time to leave, not only was Adrien relaxed but both he and Marinette had various business cards tucked away for people wanting commissions or for Adrien to model for them. Sometimes it was for their musical talents people were seeking, but who was counting?
By the time Adrien and his father dropped Marinette off and reached the mansion, all Adrien wanted to do was sleep. His father had other ideas though.
“Adrien,” Gabriel called his eyes uncharacteristically lowered.
“Father?”
“Can we talk?”
Adrien stared at his father in surprise. Why did his father look so defeated?
“Um, sure I guess.”
“Look, this isn’t easy for me to say but I’m sorry. I thought by distancing myself from you I was making things easier for both of us. I see now I was wrong.”
Tonight you showed good judgement, you showed remarkable talent. But you also showed me what I’ve been missing out on. The amazing man my son is growing into, on his own.
Gabriel’s strong countenance crumbled as he placed the power into Adrien’s hands.
“I hope we can heal. I want to try. Will you forgive me and allow me another chance to be the father you deserve?”
Adrien sighed as he listened to his father. For the longest time, all he had wanted was to hear him say ‘I’m proud of you.’ Now, hearing his father’s confession, he didn’t know how to react. One part of him screamed out for him to accept the apology and try to make things work. Another part said it was too late. He stood silently, as the conflicting voices warred within Eventually Adrien sighed.
“Look, Father, I’m not sure how to respond at the moment. I get you were hurting and I understand wanting to make amends. However, I would like some time to think before I react.”
Adrien looked at his father. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, then Gabriel nodded and turned on his heel.
Adrien wasn't sure what the future held for him. Already so much had changed. Stumbling upon his crush for Marinette. Finally having expressed his pent up frustrations through his music. An apology from his father. A lot had happened over the past few hours and all Adrien knew for sure was he needed some sleep before he even tried to deal with them.
Uncertain of what to think of his father’s actions Adrien grabbed his phone as he flopped onto the couch in his room and dialled the one person he knew he could trust.
“‘Lo” Marinette’s voice was thick with drowsiness.
“Mari, sorry, did I wake you?”
“No, I was still awake. What’s up?” Marinette’s voice cleared up and Adrien could almost see her shaking herself awake. He smiled slightly despite his inner turmoil.
“I’m confused and I didn’t know who else to call.” He admitted softly before taking a deep breath and relaying his conversation with his father to her.
“I don’t know what to think. On one hand, I really want to accept that he’ll change but what if he doesn’t? What if he goes back to being demanding and cold again? I don’t think I could handle it.” He concluded.
Marinette was quiet for a moment as she processed what Adrien had told her.
“I wish I could tell you how you should react, but I can’t,” she began pensively. “I do think he was sincere. But I have been wrong about him in the past too. All I can do is recommend you follow your instincts. Cheesy, I know. No matter what you choose, I think the two of you should sit down and talk to each other properly. Not tonight, possibly not tomorrow either but soon. He needs to see how much damage he’s done and the two of you need to see where things can be improved. And take time to rebuild that trust.”
There was the sound of her taking a quick mouthful of something followed by the clink of a glass against a surface before her voice returned.
“When you talk you should lay all of your cards on the table. You gave him a glimpse of how you feel tonight, you just need to expand on that. You should also give him the chance to speak without letting your anger colour your judgement. I know that won’t be easy for either of you but it needs to be done. Sorry. I just said I can’t tell you what to do and then I go and do exactly that.”
Adrien laughed softly.
“No, no, I get it.” Adrien swiftly reassured her before he sighed. “This isn’t going to be easy, is it?”
“Probably not.”
“Bother,” Adrien sighed again.
“Adrien?” Marinette called softly.
“Yeah?”
“Whatever happens, I’ll be here for you. You know that right? And I’m not the only one, Nino will be there for you too as will Kagami and the others.”
“I know.”
He stayed quiet for a while staring out his windows at the stars before shaking himself as he remembered he hadn’t hung up.
“Mari?”
“Mmmmph,” came the sleepy reply which made him chuckle.
“Sleep well, Mari. And thank you.”
Adrien didn’t receive a reply and he hadn’t expected one as he hung up. He knew she had fallen asleep again. Adrien stayed where he was for a while before he roused himself enough to shower and change into pyjamas.
Finally, Adrienflopped into bed. His world completely changed and the power in his hands to choose the next step. His last thought as he pulled his covers over himself was while he had no idea what the future held, he would meet it head-on.
Glossary:
Awely - Des Animaux Et Des Hommes: This is a real charity! If you would like to know more please go to their website! https://www.awely.org/en/
Godet: a triangular piece of material inserted in a dress, shirt, or glove to make it flared or for ornamentation
Toile: an early version of a finished garment made up in cheap material so that the design can be tested and perfected. Also called a mockup or muslin.
Tamahagane: a type of steel made in the Japanese tradition. The word tama means "round and precious", like a gem. The word hagane means "steel". Tamahagane is used to make Japanese swords, knives, and other kinds of tools.
Nekane: Means "sorrows" or "suffering" in Basque. It is a Basque equivalent of Dolores.