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Title:
Author: Amm
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug
Characters: Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel Agreste
Word Count:
Summary:
She always wondered.
Not that it was any of her business, mind you, but Nathalie Sancoeur always wondered, if only faintly in the back of her mind, how long it would take for Gabriel to break down under the weight of his own actions. With his most ambitious plan coming to fruition, combined with the pressure of pulling off his latest fashion show, she could tell things were piling up and taking their toll.
Yet even so—even knowing that she shouldered some of that burden, too, it was difficult to watch him give up. She was conflicted in a way she never had been before, and in a moment of weakness, she hugged him. He didn't resist.
Was it really over? And if so, wasn't that, well, a good thing?
Her rational brain scrambled to figure out how best to continue supporting him—how best to continue doing her job. The clock struck some ungodly hour, and she straightened her back. She couldn't remember when she started to hunch over her desk, nor could she remember taking off her glasses, yet both had happened.
Why was she still here?
Nathalie frowned, eyes glazing over various reports and the designs that accompanied them, scattered beneath her. Go home, she told herself, in a tone that was suspiciously like Gabriel's. She resisted, since throwing herself into her work was her favorite thing to do when she wasn't sure about anything. Letters started to dance, however. Words kept blurring, or she'd forget them all together as soon as she read them, and it occured to her that maybe the command wasn't such a bad idea after all.
(Not to mention, there was a faint feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach that maybe she was overstepping her boundaries by being here still... Was she?)
Just then, she felt a touch on her shoulder than should have been reassuring. Instead she gasped, but caught herself and covered her mouth as she instinctively jerked away.
Well, if she was groggy before, she was awake now. She put her glasses back on. Thank you, Gabriel.
"Sir," she said, notably startled. Anything else she might have said to address his sudden company died at her lips.
"I thought you would have gone home by now." Gabriel, even at his lowest, respected her enough not to call unnecessary attention to the fact that he caught his assistant off-guard. It gave her a chance to regain her composure, which she did promptly, as always.
"I apologize. I was actually just leaving," Nathalie replied. To support this sudden decision (which she only just now made), she stood. She then turned to face Gabriel, as if to check and see if this was okay. "That is, unless..."
Gabriel shook his head. The rest of the sentence was unnecessary; he knew what she wanted to hear, and so he obliged.
"I'm fine."
Nathalie sighed. That wasn't the word she would have used to describe the man she saw previously, slumped helplessly and without hope, unreactive to her touch. Several hours and a cooler head could make all the difference, though, she supposed; plus, it was her job to believe him.
"I see. Then..." Her hand tensed into a weak fist and she left her work desk behind as it was. He watched her. She watched him, as if searching for a reason to stay.
She didn't get one until she was almost out of the room.
"Wait. Nathalie," Gabriel said, in a frustrated sigh. It was like he didn't want to stop her, but knew he might regret it if he didn't. Nathalie froze long enough to hear something surprisingly sincere and straightforward. "Thank you."
She turned slowly to meet his eyes. A warm feeling bubbled at the pit of her stomach and she could only stare, on the offchance that he wasn't finished. Thank you, for what? For doing her job? For... supporting him? For the...
(...No.)
"Sir?"
"Not many can claim to have seen me at my lowest," he continued. She noticed that he averted his gaze, which was fine by her. "Now you have. Thank you for not..." His voice didn't shake, but he did pause, as if searching for words. It was a look she knew well, that look he got whenever he was mulling over a choice. Finally, he finished: "Thank you for your loyalty."
Nathalie bit her lip to curb a growing smile of pride. She nodded, maintaining her professionalism. "Of course, sir."
"Do you think I made the right decision?" Gabriel asked, when he saw that she was turning away again. Predictably, she stopped.
"You mean...?"
Giving up? Nathalie dare not clarify.
"I've always trusted your judgement," Gabriel continued when she didn't answer. "I just wanted to know if you think I made the right decision... for Adrien's sake."
How was she supposed to answer that? On the one hand, Paris would be a lot safer from here on out. On the other, the boy would never see his mother ever again (if there was even hope otherwise to begin with...). None of this was her emotional baggage to bear. It wasn't her place.
Nathalie shook her head.
"I think... if you're worried about Adrien, you should see him."
"See him?" Gabriel repeated. He didn't sound quite offended as he did confused, being that he naturally saw his son every day.
"Yes," Nathalie answered. "At your fashion show, sir. I've already rescheduled it. Watch him walk, and support him..." She hesitated, but in a low voice, continued: "Don't you think it's about time?"
Oh.
She could practically see her words pierce him. Had he really never considered it? Did he really think it was enough for Adrien, to just watch him on video from afar, hiding away as if he was too good to be there?
A public appearance. His first, since Emilie...
Nathalie bit her lip for a different reason when Gabriel didn't respond. "Sorry," she muttered. The question was a little harsh, she realized, and probably unnecessary. "Good night... sir."
"Nathalie..." Gabriel's voice was gentle. Nathalie was on her heels, but paused when she heard him. Silence hung in the air, and she could tell he wanted to fill it with something, but in the end, he only sighed: "Good night."
Her grip tightened on the door knob. When he didn't stop her a second (third?) time, she left the mansion without looking back.
It was late. Tomorrow was another day, and she would be busy. In the meantime, if she was able to give him something to think about, something real to consider amidst all this... that would have to be enough.
When the time comes, she trusts he'll do the right thing.
Author: Amm
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug
Characters: Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel Agreste
Word Count:
Summary:
She always wondered.
Not that it was any of her business, mind you, but Nathalie Sancoeur always wondered, if only faintly in the back of her mind, how long it would take for Gabriel to break down under the weight of his own actions. With his most ambitious plan coming to fruition, combined with the pressure of pulling off his latest fashion show, she could tell things were piling up and taking their toll.
Yet even so—even knowing that she shouldered some of that burden, too, it was difficult to watch him give up. She was conflicted in a way she never had been before, and in a moment of weakness, she hugged him. He didn't resist.
Was it really over? And if so, wasn't that, well, a good thing?
Her rational brain scrambled to figure out how best to continue supporting him—how best to continue doing her job. The clock struck some ungodly hour, and she straightened her back. She couldn't remember when she started to hunch over her desk, nor could she remember taking off her glasses, yet both had happened.
Why was she still here?
Nathalie frowned, eyes glazing over various reports and the designs that accompanied them, scattered beneath her. Go home, she told herself, in a tone that was suspiciously like Gabriel's. She resisted, since throwing herself into her work was her favorite thing to do when she wasn't sure about anything. Letters started to dance, however. Words kept blurring, or she'd forget them all together as soon as she read them, and it occured to her that maybe the command wasn't such a bad idea after all.
(Not to mention, there was a faint feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach that maybe she was overstepping her boundaries by being here still... Was she?)
Just then, she felt a touch on her shoulder than should have been reassuring. Instead she gasped, but caught herself and covered her mouth as she instinctively jerked away.
Well, if she was groggy before, she was awake now. She put her glasses back on. Thank you, Gabriel.
"Sir," she said, notably startled. Anything else she might have said to address his sudden company died at her lips.
"I thought you would have gone home by now." Gabriel, even at his lowest, respected her enough not to call unnecessary attention to the fact that he caught his assistant off-guard. It gave her a chance to regain her composure, which she did promptly, as always.
"I apologize. I was actually just leaving," Nathalie replied. To support this sudden decision (which she only just now made), she stood. She then turned to face Gabriel, as if to check and see if this was okay. "That is, unless..."
Gabriel shook his head. The rest of the sentence was unnecessary; he knew what she wanted to hear, and so he obliged.
"I'm fine."
Nathalie sighed. That wasn't the word she would have used to describe the man she saw previously, slumped helplessly and without hope, unreactive to her touch. Several hours and a cooler head could make all the difference, though, she supposed; plus, it was her job to believe him.
"I see. Then..." Her hand tensed into a weak fist and she left her work desk behind as it was. He watched her. She watched him, as if searching for a reason to stay.
She didn't get one until she was almost out of the room.
"Wait. Nathalie," Gabriel said, in a frustrated sigh. It was like he didn't want to stop her, but knew he might regret it if he didn't. Nathalie froze long enough to hear something surprisingly sincere and straightforward. "Thank you."
She turned slowly to meet his eyes. A warm feeling bubbled at the pit of her stomach and she could only stare, on the offchance that he wasn't finished. Thank you, for what? For doing her job? For... supporting him? For the...
(...No.)
"Sir?"
"Not many can claim to have seen me at my lowest," he continued. She noticed that he averted his gaze, which was fine by her. "Now you have. Thank you for not..." His voice didn't shake, but he did pause, as if searching for words. It was a look she knew well, that look he got whenever he was mulling over a choice. Finally, he finished: "Thank you for your loyalty."
Nathalie bit her lip to curb a growing smile of pride. She nodded, maintaining her professionalism. "Of course, sir."
"Do you think I made the right decision?" Gabriel asked, when he saw that she was turning away again. Predictably, she stopped.
"You mean...?"
Giving up? Nathalie dare not clarify.
"I've always trusted your judgement," Gabriel continued when she didn't answer. "I just wanted to know if you think I made the right decision... for Adrien's sake."
How was she supposed to answer that? On the one hand, Paris would be a lot safer from here on out. On the other, the boy would never see his mother ever again (if there was even hope otherwise to begin with...). None of this was her emotional baggage to bear. It wasn't her place.
Nathalie shook her head.
"I think... if you're worried about Adrien, you should see him."
"See him?" Gabriel repeated. He didn't sound quite offended as he did confused, being that he naturally saw his son every day.
"Yes," Nathalie answered. "At your fashion show, sir. I've already rescheduled it. Watch him walk, and support him..." She hesitated, but in a low voice, continued: "Don't you think it's about time?"
Oh.
She could practically see her words pierce him. Had he really never considered it? Did he really think it was enough for Adrien, to just watch him on video from afar, hiding away as if he was too good to be there?
A public appearance. His first, since Emilie...
Nathalie bit her lip for a different reason when Gabriel didn't respond. "Sorry," she muttered. The question was a little harsh, she realized, and probably unnecessary. "Good night... sir."
"Nathalie..." Gabriel's voice was gentle. Nathalie was on her heels, but paused when she heard him. Silence hung in the air, and she could tell he wanted to fill it with something, but in the end, he only sighed: "Good night."
Her grip tightened on the door knob. When he didn't stop her a second (third?) time, she left the mansion without looking back.
It was late. Tomorrow was another day, and she would be busy. In the meantime, if she was able to give him something to think about, something real to consider amidst all this... that would have to be enough.
When the time comes, she trusts he'll do the right thing.