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“Just do not run around the apartment and scream, okay? It's late.”
Marinette was standing in front of the bathroom door. A clean towel was slung over her shoulder and a book was in her hand. It was one of those evenings of the week when Adrien looked after their two little kids while she was able to relax and take a longer bath.
Her husband stood in front of her and gave her a charming smile. He took a step closer to her and cupped her cheek in a warm hand. Marinette focused on his handsome face.
“Go and rest, Mari. Close the door and don't worry about anything,” he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
At the same time, she felt someone's hands touch her thigh. Marinette looked down and saw Hugo climbing up her calf. The boy was one and a half years old and although he had no problems with walking, his feet sometimes got tangled. Adrien and Marinette were a bit worried about this, but the doctor, after checking the child's test results, decided that this was Hugo's nature.
“Mama,” the boy was saying, trying to get her attention.
Emma – their eldest daughter – was a typical daddy's daughter, while Hugo loved his mother's company. It meant nothing though, because Agreste's entire family of four loved each other above all else.
“No, sonny. Now you will play with papa and Emma,” Adrien explained, taking Hugo in his arms.
“No running,” she repeated, pointing her finger at Adrien. The man felt as if the warning was directed only to him. He could not be surprised, sometimes he had the most fun playing with the children.
Adrien rolled his eyes and pushed his wife into the bathroom.
“Yes, yes. Your bath is getting cold, love,” he reminded her.
Adrien was the perfect husband and prepared a bath for his lady. He could not help but love to pamper her.
Making little, nice gestures to each other that said more than I love you was the norm in their marriage, and before that, in engagement and partnership. Marinette prepared him lunches for work by putting a piece of paper with a lovely message in a box of croissants. Adrien would buy her flowers and always bring her coffee to bed in the morning.
“You can take some photos while you're in the bathtub,” he muttered seductively before closing the bathroom door.
“Silly kitty,” she laughed and slammed the door in his face, but he knew she was going to take pictures anyway.
Adrien threw Hugo on his hip and ruffled his dark, thick hair he had inherited from his mother. The little boy held his fist in his mouth and happily shook his feet.
“You want to go to sleep?” Adrien asked him, then headed for Emma's room. “If not, I have an idea.”
Hugh looked at him with genuine interest. He took his fist out of his mouth and nodded.
Moments later, Adrien and Hugo found themselves in the room of five-year-old Emma, who was sitting at her table, fiercely coloring blank pages. The man approached his daughter and leaned over her to examine the picture she had colored.
He smiled proudly when he saw that the girl was coloring the picture of the cat. A few days ago, she got a coloring book with many animals from Alya and Nino without a chance. So far, Emma has only selected cats.
Adrien put Hugo on the carpet and crouched down in front of his daughter, who showed him her still unfinished drawing. The man kissed the top of her head. Emma's golden hair was coming out of the braid he had made her in the morning before taking her to kindergarten.
“It's beautiful, sweety,” he praised her sincerely. The girl had talent; for her age, she was able to color very accurately and professionally. Adrien made a mental note to buy her a sketchbook sometime. Who knows, maybe his daughter will be a good cartoonist one day?
“This is for mommy,” she said shyly. “Can I draw a ladybug here?” Holding a red crayon in her hand, she pointed to the corner of the sheet of paper.
“You know mommy loves ladybugs. Draw. She will be delighted,” he stroked her hair, then glanced at Hugo, who was diving into the box with blocks. Fortunately, they were those large wooden blocks with which he could easily play.
“Papa,” Hugo called to him as he sat down on the carpet. In his hands he was holding blocks with which he did not know what to do.
Emma stopped drawing and closed the coloring sheet, then walked over to her little brother. She knelt in front of him and held out her hand to him.
“Do you want to build something, Hugo?” she asked calmly. Emma was a good big sister who loved to play with her little brother.
Marinette and Adrien were surprised that their eldest daughter rarely showed jealousy of Hugo. The girl was understanding and very protective of him. She only rioted sometimes - but that could not be perfect, she was just a child after all.
“We can build a tower or a castle. What do you want?” she asked him, pulling out more blocks.
Adrien sat down in the armchair and watched his children. Hugo's green eyes flashed when he saw so many different colored blocks that Emma was slowly putting together into larger pieces. The girl showed him how to do it, and Adrien felt his heart melt.
“Or maybe you want to play hide and seek?” suddenly he offered.
Emma looked at her dad and smiled broadly.
“Would you like to?” she asked her brother.
The boy did not seem to understand her, so Emma whispered something in his ear. She had to explain to him what their dad meant.
Hugh jumped up, clapping his hands, and squeaking softly.
Adrien raised an eyebrow with interest. It was fun, touching, and a little disturbing that his children had their own secret language. He was afraid to think what would happen in a dozen or so years, when they would be teenagers.
“You count first, papa?” Emma asked, helping her brother stand on straight legs. She squeezed his hand tightly, not letting him fall.
Adrien tapped his hands on his thighs and slowly rose from his chair.
“Just do not run, okay? We don't want mommy to be angry,” he explained, and Emma nodded her understanding.
“You count to a hundred?” Emma pulled her brother out of her room.
“Up to fifty,” Adrien said, turning his back to the his kittens.
“Not enough!” she protested, and Hugo gurgled, clearly showing that he agreed with his sister.
“If you don't hide now, you're really going to run out of time.” Adrien laughed and put his face in his hands.
Emma did not argue anymore. He just heard Emma say where to hide. Adrien played hide and seek with his children more than once – it was one of their favorite games. The amount of laughter and joy of all three was indisputable. Marinette always laughed that he was having the most fun of the three. Even when Emma found him after a few seconds.
Adrien loved to jump out of the corner and take his little daughter in his arms while telling her he had won, when in fact she had found him.
“...ten, eleven, twelve...” he counted loudly, aware that Emma was listening. The girl slowly mastered the count to one hundred, which made Adrien's chest swell with pride. His talented daughter was good not only with coloring, but also with numbers.
The muffled chuckle and the soft patter of bare baby feet was something that made Adrien want to cry with happiness. Such emotions tugged at him every day, whenever he saw his children, he heard them laugh and watched them play. The gratitude he felt was immense, and at times he felt as if he was still drifting in his dreams.
For some, Adrien's life was a curse – he worked from home, taking care of children, and spending more time with them than with his friends. He was only thirty-one years old, and he did not think about parties, travels, and a career. All Adrien wanted was his family - his beloved wife and children who were all his happiness.
Even in difficult times, when he doubted whether he was a good enough father, Adrien found in the eyes of his children a light of hope and love.
He listened carefully, and when he heard no rustling, Adrien sped up his counting.
“I'm looking for!” he said loudly and left the room.
Emma and Hugo had a few permanent places where they liked to hide the most. Adrien always left them for the end so as not to take away the fun from the kids. First, he went into the kitchen, searching every nook and cranny. He even opened a pantry where he found only the breakfast cereals and corn crisps that Hugo was addicted to.
“Where are my kittens?” he asked without expecting an answer. He smiled as he heard a faint chuckle coming from behind the yellow couch in the living room. “I don't think they're in the kitchen. Unless… check in the fridge?”
The sentence made the chuckle grow. Adrien knew Emma loved his funny jokes. After all, no one would hide in the fridge!
“But no one is here...” Trying to make as little noise as possible, Adrien entered the living room, avoiding the kitchen island on the way. “Ha!” he squeaked as he peered behind the chair they sometimes hid behind. “It's also empty in here.”
Adrien walked past the countertops and chairs to the couch in front of the TV and the game console. There were pillows on the sofa, blankets spread out, and children's books that Marinette and Hugo read until noon. One blanket looked suspicious. Adrien frowned and took a step forward, leaning over the place. Even without his glasses, he could see Emma's tiny hand emerging from under the blanket.
“My cat's nose tells me a toddler is hiding under the blanket,” he said softly, then sat down on the end of the couch.
The material Emma was hiding under moved as she tried to stifle a giggle.
“I'm sure someone is here!” he said aloud, then began to tickle his daughter, tucked under the blanket.
Emma's laughter was so loud that probably Marinette, who was in the other room, could easily hear her. Not wanting to upset his wife, Adrien took the blanket off Emma and took his daughter in his arms, placing her on his lap.
“Daddy!” she squealed, laughing aloud as Adrien tickled her belly.
Emma curled up inside herself, squirming in his lap so he would not tickle her anymore.
“I won, little kitty,” he bragged, teasing his daughter at the same time.
Emma shook her head.
“Not at all! You'll win when you find Hugo,” she explained to him, folding her arms over her chest. She looked very much like Marinette, with an expression of one hundred percent confidence.
“You doubt my tracking skills?” Adrien raised an eyebrow.
“Yes!” she replied with full determination, and he looked offended. “I helped him hide and for nothing in the world I will not tell you where Hugo is.”
“Then I can handle it on my own,” he got up from the couch, holding Emma in his arms, who squealed in surprise.
“I can walk, papa.”
“I know, but now I want to hug my little princess,” he explained. “Besides, you will not help me anyway, so... I don't want you to go over to your brother and reveal to me his secret hiding place,” he teased.
“You are so funny,” Emma laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
They could tease each other for hours, but nothing compared to the hugs and jokes they exchanged.
“Mommy, daddy lost Hugo!” Emma shouted as they passed the bathroom. She laughed aloud at the sight of her father's frown.
“Not at all!” he protested, his daughter's chuckle drowning out his translations.
“Better find him before I leave, Agresta,” replied Marinette, who had clearly heard the conversation between him and their daughter.
However, Adrien had trouble finding his son – every typical hideout was empty, and he began to wonder if Hugo was escaping from him, constantly changing his whereabouts. He was not in the wardrobe, behind the curtains, under the bed, and in the mascot chests. After a few minutes, Adrien panicked because Hugh did not answer when he called out.
“Will you help me, Emma?” he directed this question to his daughter, who, as if nothing had happened, was playing with a hand-made Ladybug doll.
The girl tore her blue eyes from the toy and looked at her panicked father. His fear was really funny. She smiled.
“You know where your brother is, and I am asking you for help in finding him. This hideout might not be safe for him…” Adrien explained. He tried to control his voice.
However, his nerves hung in a thread - he could not find his son who was hiding somewhere in their apartment.
“He'll be fine, daddy. I cannot tell you where he is hiding. I'd be a bad sister,” she said with a shrug.
Under other circumstances, Adrien would have been proud that Emma had been loyal to Hugo, but now he only felt increased pressure on his chest.
“You don't have to show it to me directly,” he walked over to Emma and took her in his arms. He looked at her seriously, but she looked amused. “Where's Hugo?”
“Were you in mommy's studio?” she took pity on him and hugged Adrien.
The man quickly got up, picked up his daughter and went to the only room in this apartment where a boy under two should not be present. God, there were needles, a sewing machine, scissors, pens, and strands of fabric in which he could get caught and even choke. Adrien felt his heart leap into his throat and the blood drained from his face as soon as the vision of his motionless son flashed before his eyes.
“Emma, why did you let him hide there? I've told you so many times that you can't go there without us!” he scolded her a bit too harshly, because the girl cringed into herself.
“I’m sorry, papa,” she said softly.
Adrien mentally scolded himself. It was not his daughter who was responsible for Hugo's safety, but he and Marinette. He should not have offered them this game. He could also check that the door to Marinette's studio was closed.
Stressed, he burst into a dark room. There was a bit of a mess inside, but thankfully no sharp or dangerous objects were on the ground or within reach of the eighteen-month-old baby.
“Hugo?” he said, laying Emma on the floor. The girl leaned over and went to the cardboard boxes in the corner of the studio. Adrien turned on the light and followed his daughter.
The girl pointed to the largest carton in which Marinette kept spare yarns and fabrics. Adrien opened the lid immediately, and the sight he found both shocked and scared him.
Hugh curled up and hugged his legs. He held one hand behind his head, and his chest rose and fell as he slowly breathed. The boy was asleep, exhaling a calm breath through his slightly gaping mouth.
After making sure Hugo was breathing and warm, Adrien was relieved to fall to his knees and pulled Emma to his chest. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her back with a reassuring gesture. All the nerves and fear evaporated, and his body relaxed with overwhelming relief.
“Emma, promise me you'll never come here alone, okay?” This is not a place to play, sweety,” he said gently. The girl cried softly against his shoulder, terrified that her dad was angry with her. “I’m sorry for I shouted at you. I was worried about your brother,” he explained.
Emma sniffed and pulled away from Adrien, who wiped the tears from her cheeks. He smiled gently at her and kissed her forehead.
“Daddy loves you very much and wouldn't want anything to happen to you,” he explained to her.
The girl hugged him again. Adrien glanced at the cardboard in which his son was sleeping. Hugh looked like he had the best dream ever.
“What is going on here?”
Adrien looked at his wife, who was standing in the entrance to the studio. Marinette had wet hair and was wearing a pink bathrobe. She quickly walked over to her husband and daughter kneeling in front of one cardboard box.
“What's going on, Adrien?” She asked, reaching out to Emma, who hugged her immediately.
“I'm sorry, mommy.”
Marinette looked surprised.
“What are you apologizing to me for, sweety? Where is Hugo?” she asked Adrien, who was watching them with a gentle look.
The man pointed to the cardboard in front of them.
“Our son is a master of hide and seek.”
Marinette and Emma looked inside the box. The woman smiled at her sleeping child. He looked sweet and healthy, although it was not a good nap place for such a toddler.
“He's definitely your son, Adrien. It looks the same as you. She even has her cat's habits,” she joked.
“He even sleeps in a cardboard box. Cats love cardboard boxes,” he added and embraced his wife.
“Hugo wanted to hide their himself, I just helped him,” Emma explained quietly.
The parents looked at their daughter, who still looked a little scared.
“Yes, Hugo is definitely like a cat,” laughed Marinette and kissed her daughter on the top of the head. “I think it's over for today, huh?”
Emma nodded and hugged her mother.
“Babe, can you put our kitten to crib?” she looked at Hugo sleeping in a cardboard box. “But take a picture of him first.”
Adrien got up and complied with her request, then carefully lifted the boy from the carton. He smiled as Hugo pressed against his chest.
“Come, Em, your mom will tell you a bedtime story. Have you ever heard that when I was little, smaller than Hugo, I fell asleep in the closet? Your grandparents couldn't find me, and I slept the best,” she told her, wanting to show her that nothing bad happened.
Adrien closed the studio door behind them, then went into the bedroom to put the sleeping Hugo in the crib.