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The red streak in her hair was the second thing he noticed. The first was how well coordinated her outfit was.
She'd been different from the rest. She was intelligent, neat, and thoughtful. There was an aura of competence wafting around her and intermingling with the scent of her raspberry perfume.
They kept the conversation light, but she still managed to make him laugh, something he rarely did.
She was one of dozens who had applied for this job and there were a few interviews after her, but he knew his mind was made up as he watched her leave.
When he finally finished his work, he noted the time.
Noon.
Emilie should've been back by now, but a quick look outside at the empty driveway told him otherwise.
He jolted out of his desk when he remembered something else. If Emilie hadn't come home then who was watching Adrien? He stumbled downstairs and made a beeline for the playroom.
If he had remembered to knock before he'd entered, he would've missed out on what he saw next. There they were, his son and assistant asleep inside an intricate blanket fort. His heart beat a little faster in that moment.
A delayed flight and heavy traffic in Milan had left them exhausted. Things got worse when the hotel messed up their reservation. They looked at the scene before them. There was only one bed.
"Sir…" she started.
"Not now Nathalie," he groaned. "I'll take the floor."
"No you won't. We're two adults who are more than capable of being professional. It's a king size anyway. There's plenty of room."
He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly found his need for sleep overpowering it. They fell asleep with their backs to each other. They woke up in a tight embrace.
There came a knock at the door and a hesitant voice.
“Sir?”
When there was no reply, Nathalie let herself into the bedroom. There he sat where she always found him. His hair was unstyled and fell over his face, obscuring his eyes as he stared off in space. She set the breakfast tray and a ridiculous stack of mail on his table then turned to leave.
She had barely grabbed the doorknob when she heard a sigh behind her. She turned to see him looking back at her.
“Nat…I miss her,” he whispered.
She blinked away tears.
“Me too.”
Nathalie gasped. “This is insane even for you.”
She took a step back, but realized she didn’t even know how to get out of this strange attic. A butterfly floated past her eyes, obscuring the masked figure standing before her if only for a second.
“This is the only way to get her back.”
He stepped forward and gently grabbed her hand, running a gloved thumb softly over her knuckles.
“I can’t-”
“Please! I need you, Nathalie.”
I need you too, she thought.
“...of course I’ll help you.”
He smiled and hugged her, completely missing the pain in her tone.
“Listen to me and snap out of it. It was one loss!”
Nathalie’s grip was firm as she shook him. The whiskey had clouded his senses and given his eyes a dazed look.
“Queen Wasp was the one, the end all. I have nothing left.”
“That’s not true. You have-”
She was silenced by his lips on her own, the alcohol burning her skin. She pulled away quickly, her own voice stolen by shock. There they were, sitting on the floor of the lair and utterly confused as to what just happened.
“Never speak of this again,” he whispered bitterly.
“Adrien…my son…he’s Chat Noir. I can’t put his life in danger any longer.”
He grabbed her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. “Nor can I do that to you.”
She covered his hands with hers. “Sir, I don’t understand.”
“I’m giving up, Nat. It’s over.”
“But-”
“No. This needs to end. All of it.”
“Is this what you truly want?”
“More than anything. I hate to admit that watching you…-Your condition weighed heavily on my conscience.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling her into a tight hug. She hugged him back and finally relaxed.
The gathering was small, but the decorations were still extravagant. She eyed the bunches of white roses and gold that lined the walkway, a smirk playing on her lips. Gabriel left his touch on everything.
That included the white chiffon gown she was wearing. She never showed off her shoulders or back, but he was obsessed with them and it showed in the design.
From the moment the doors opened, she could see emotion clear as day on his face. He was happy and so was she. They’d saved each other in more ways than one. Now they had forever.
Nathalie looked down at the test in her hand. Positive. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was what they'd wanted for so long.
The door opened as Gabriel walked in. He kicked off his shoes before joining her in bed.
"Hello, darling," he said, kissing her cheek.
"…there's something I need to say."
"What is it?"
"I'm pregnant."
He stared for what felt like hours before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, his eyes were brimming with happy tears.
"...thank you."
He said nothing more for fear of bursting into tears.
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if life had turned out differently?"
Nathalie's question lingered in the air. It had been a very long time since Gabriel had thought about anything relating to that.
"I try not to," he started.
He thought of his three year old daughter sleeping in her room. His son who was off studying photography in Italy. His beautiful wife who lay beside him.
"I don't even know what I did to deserve the one I have now."
He looked at her soft gaze, his heart pounding. This life was priceless to him.