Chapter Text
The knock that came to the large wooden doors seemed to hold much more tension in it, then the statuesque man remembered. The echo it left behind in the cold, empty house he had been freed of, seemed that much more ominous. Sure, all the other times that Adrien had knocked on his father's office doors had not exactly been pleasant, but this time it just felt that much heavier. He really hoped that his father hadn't noticed the change.
Adrien honestly couldn't tell if he had when the harsh voice called him in, or when the stony face continued to look at his work that lay across the huge, wooden desk. He moved out of habit, closing the door behind him and moving to the center of the room. It was so oddly familiar, in an almost bone chilling kind of way. If it wasn't for the comfort of the extra weight in his right hand, and the thought of how much Mari would be proud of him for overcoming his anxieties, then Adrian would have reconsidered his decision to come here entirely. This need to be done. No matter how nervous he felt or how much he felt like he was just a 15 year old again. This time was different. He wasn't at kid anymore and he had set up this appointment himself... but man did he wish Mari was able to come for moral support. And maybe protect his right side.
He was startled when his father's voice finally came. It's familiar icy tone cutting through his thoughts like a knife.
"You wished to speak to me? It's unusual for you to call for personal matters." Adrien took a deep breath before speaking, trying to make his voice sounds as adult as he possibly could.
"Yes. I knew you have been busy, with the new spring line and all, so I took my time making this appointment." He tried to refrain from fidgeting with his right hand, not wanting unnecessary attention to be brought to the important topic before he was ready.
"I know it hasn't exactly been your top priority to keep track of my personal life now that I've moved out, and I know it's partly my fault for not keeping you up to date. If it only involved me I would let you do what you felt was right, but..." Adrian gulped and gently set down his precious cargo onto the floor. "...it's not just about me anymore, Father."
For the first time since Adrian arrived Gabriel looked up. If Adrian hadn't known any better, he would have sworn he heard his father take a breath as he leaned down to pick up the bundle from the carrier he brought in, but that was way too out of character for a high class man like Gabriel Agreste.
"Father, I want you to meet Nabila Emma Agreste. She was born a week ago today. She weighs eight pounds, four ounces, and is nineteen inches tall." The proud father bounces the child gently when she started squirming, as if sensing that it was okay to make noise now. "Hello, my love. Are you awake? Look." He turned the child towards his father, who at some point had actually gotten up from his desk and was only a few paces away from them. "It's your grandfather."
Gabriel looked into familiar green eyes and before he could even begin to describe the feeling in his chest, the small child reached one tiny hand out of its soft cocoon and towards him, a man who suddenly felt much much older, though perhaps not worse for it.
Adrien watched in amazement as his father stepped slowly closer, watching the child's outstretched hand as if its small flailing fingers might actually be dangerous. It wasn't until he was directly in front of her that he moved to offer a finger to the child. She immediately took it with a sound of enjoyment. A look of awe fell over both men. One from recalling emotions he had once thought were lost to him until this very moment, the other from watching a cold exterior slowly melt from his father's eyes with each little noise. How long had it been since Adrian saw this man in such a... Dare he say, parental light? This man who for so long seemed so out of reach was suddenly becoming mortal before his eyes.
"D-do you like her?" Adrien wanted to smack himself. Not only had he stuttered, but what kind of question was that?! 'Do you like your new granddaughter, father? I worked really hard to make her.' As if she were an arts and crafts project. He ruined it! Now his father would never want to see him and his family unless absolutely necessary. Mari was going to hate him and want a divorce and take Nabila away-
He was in mid rant when Gabriel spoke up, seemingly having ignored how ridiculous his son's question was.
"She's quite charming. You said her name is Nabila? That’s very fitting." Adrien was glad when his father reached to take Nabila from him because the shock almost made him drop her.
He watched as Gabriel rocked the girl in his arms and swore he imagined a smile on the older man's face. Surely this wasn't his father. His father never had that look on his face. At least never while he was around. Maybe he was dreaming. However before he could pinch himself, Gabriel acknowledged him again.
"She's a week old. I'm assuming you've had a baby shower then." Adrien paused, a little taken aback by the question but answered as best he could.
"Not exactly. We had a small get together when Mari- Marinette got out of the hospital. Some of our friends have been asking if we'll have a shower but neither of us have had time to plan one. With Marinette balancing her business and now the baby. And you know how my schedule gets. We just don't think-"
"I'll have Nathalie find an event planner. If you can provide a proper guest list, dates that you are available and any other details you might like to inform the planner of, that will likely suffice. Is the baby's room completed?"
It was a surreal experience talking to his father that evening. Before he knew it, the two of them had made plans for either Gabriel or their family to visit each other at least three times before the month's end. It felt like more than he had seen his father in a month since he was a child. The experience was made even more bizarre by the seemingly ridiculous reasons that had been given for each visit.
Going to their house to see the baby's room. Coming by the mansion to talk about Mari's business and 'catch up'. And of course, having the baby come by the photoshoot that Adrien was scheduled for at the end of the month so that Mari could take a break. Now to anyone else this would seem normal but to Adrien it was like getting his birthday, Christmas, and Hanukkah everyday for the rest of his life! It just didn't make sense. His father never did anything in person unless he absolutely had to, and nothing that Gabriel suggested required him to be present for.
Normally when he wanted to catch up it was through Nathalie and normally consisted of Adrien explaining his schedule. However Gabriel seemed oddly willing to be there for all of these personal visits. Adrien wanted to cry tears of joy, but he held out until he had to leave, with the excuse that Nabila needed be fed. Thus, each visit was topped off with Gabriel giving the baby back in a way that made Adrien label it as 'begrudging'. He was starting to question himself about if he actually did know better than to think that way. When he arrived home, he nearly leaped into Mari's arms, still feeling the high of having just received nearly an hour of positive attention from his father.
"Mari! I think he loves her! I mean of course he does, she's his grandchild! But I never thought- I mean this is MY- is it possible that- Mari our daughter literally has to be an angel sent to us through your womb for the sole purpose of melting my father's icy heart!" Mari just nodded while taking the baby to protect her from her husband's spastic flailing.
"You should have seen him! Once she was in his arms he never set her down once! Even when she drooled all over his suit! Do you know how much those things cost Mari?! Of course you do! He brought up ideas for a baby line, Mari! I'm telling you-" Adrien continued to rant a rave about the holiness of their daughter and how she was indeed the second coming of Christ, all as Marinette proceeded to feed their holy being and settle her down for the night.
"Adrien I understand your excitement." Marinette began quietly as she tried to get Nabila to sleep. Rocking back and forth in a chair that her parents had gifted them. "We all know how harsh your father can be, but don't you think your overreacting? Your father is just falling prey to the same overwhelming need as many other grandparents do. The need to spoil someone."
Adrien frowned and was about to speak when Marinette continued.
"And despite the poor choices he made with your childhood, that doesn't mean that you weren't spoiled rotten. When you moved out of the mansion it wasn't a choice as to whether or not I would move in with you. It was 'how long can Adrien survive before Marinette comes to teach him how to live?' I still can't believe you had never seen a washing machine in real life."
This caused a much more flustered frown to appear on Adrien's face.
"Despite what you might think Adrien, your father is still human. And he's a human that cares deeply for his family, even if he doesn't always know how to show it. Now, if your done having an aneurism about finding proof that your father has a heart, come say goodnight to your daughter so we can eat dinner and have a little bit of down time." A bright smile suddenly appeared on her husband's face as he smoothly crossed the space between them.
"Do I hear 'date night'?" His voice was low and sultry as he leaned down to kiss their child. Trying to make it look sexy without seeming weird.
"If leftovers and Netflix count as dinner and a movie, sure, kitty cat." Marinette scoffed. Adrien just laughed, though much quieter than normal.
"As long as that means I get 'pets' we could be eating pudding cups and watching YouTube on dialup, Princess."