Chapter Text
The rhythmic clip-clop of Gabriel Agreste's leather shoes contrasted the uneven tempo of his thoughts, the sound echoing dully in the large atrium. The thoughts were as heavy as his steps as he mentally debated the solution that came to mind. If only there was an easy way out of this, a button he could press or perhaps a paper he could sign. But nothing ever came so easily.
"Adrien will just have to marry Marinette," he concluded aloud.
Clip, click-clop, tap.
Bewildered by her boss's seemingly random conclusion to his problem, Nathalie wrinkled her brow. She stood there in front of him, tablet in hand, listening to his concerns about the future as he paced behind his desk with his hands tucked neatly behind his back.
He must be too exhausted from his two full-time jobs—being a famous fashion designer, and being an infamous super villain—to be thinking clearly. Maybe all the years spent scheming against Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally caught up to him and pushed him over the edge of sanity. Why else was he trying to arrange a marriage for his son here in the 21st century like he was some king trying to form a political alliance?
"You can't be serious, Sir. There are other ways to solve this."
Gabriel shook his head, his eyes unfocused as he thought through his own idea. "This is the perfect solution. It's the only way to ensure that my vision is carried out. The only way to guarantee my legacy."
Yes, a paper to sign away all his problems would be lovely. This was the next best thing.
Clip, click-clop, tap.
"But... but..." Nathalie mumbled, attempting to narrow down all of the reasons why this was a preposterous solution into just one main point. "But Adrien doesn't even like Marinette."
He paused, peering at her over his glasses, brows furrowed and jaw clenched.
"You know what I mean," she quickly clarified. "They might be friends, but he doesn't have any romantic feelings towards her."
Gabriel scowled. "It sure seems like Marinette has romantic feelings for him."
Who knew why the Baker Girl was interested in his son? It could have something to do with his last name. But Gabriel was aware that his son was quite the charmer, even if Adrien himself didn't know it. Seeing the caring nature of Marinette, he had the notion that she was genuine when it came to her, ahem, feelings about Adrien.
Pathetic.
Gabriel was never one for sappy teenage romance and drama. Yet here he was, proposing to get involved in his teenage son's love life. Oh, the irony.
Nathalie pursed her lips. "Be that as it may, it still only makes the affection one-sided. And honestly, I don't think that Adrien has ever paid enough attention to her to figure out that she has this huge crush on him. He certainly has never mentioned it."
It was true. Adrien never seemed to interpret Marinette's ramblings and bizarre behaviors around him as an expression of love. As obvious as it was to everyone else, Adrien was oblivious to it. He certainly didn't get that from his mother, who had been a hopeless romantic.
Straightening up, she kept going. "So I doubt he would have any interest in dating, let alone marrying her."
"Well, he doesn't seem to have his eye on any other girls. He only dated Kagami for... what? A week? And that was years ago. He hasn't dated anyone since." Gabriel paused for a moment, removing his spectacles and wiping them clean before continuing. "Marinette is a fine young lady. Her parents might not hold the same level of wealth and influence that we have, but the city of Paris holds her family in high regards. Yes," he murmured, nodding as a faint smile graced his lips, "she'll be more than adequate. She'll make a proper wife for Adrien."
With a sigh, Nathalie pivoted. "Why do you need Marinette anyway? I thought that Adrien agreed to take over the brand after you retire. He'll be there to ensure that your vision is carried out."
The reminder made Gabriel's smile fall into a frown.
Oh Nathalie, dear sweet Nathalie, Gabriel thought. How nice it must be to always have so much confidence in people.
"Despite his insistence, I know that Adrien isn't being honest with me," he growled. "Even if he graduates with a degree in business like he says he will, he'll never want to take over the brand. He'll go off chasing his own foolish dreams instead, leaving no one left to helm the ship. Besides, he might know how to pose for pictures, but that's where his knowledge of the industry begins and ends. He doesn't understand the nuances of fashion design. Marinette, on the other hand, does. And she would gladly take my place if given the opportunity." While this last thought used to make him uneasy, he knew it would now work in his favor.
"I don't understand why they would need to get married though. Why can't you just offer Marinette an internship once she starts university? Then as soon as she graduates you can hire her as a designer. She can be fast-tracked through the ranks straight up to the top."
"There's no guarantee that she would accept the job," Gabriel argued. "She's the future of fashion and light-years ahead of her peers." He stopped to scoff. "She's light-years ahead of some of my best. And if she ever figures that out, then there will be nothing stopping her from starting her own fashion line. But if Marinette Dupain-Cheng becomes Marinette Agreste, and therefore the direct beneficiary of the 'Gabriel' brand's continued success, she would have no choice but to stay loyal."
You know what they say: Keep your friends close, and your competition closer.
While she understood the logic behind his arguments, Nathalie wasn't going to relent her position. Gabriel was crossing a line. As Adrien's father he rightfully had some control over the direction of Adrien's life, but now that Adrien was getting closer to turning eighteen, Gabriel had to loosen the reins. This wasn't some trivial decision; this was Adrien's future.
Did Gabriel really believe he'll be able to micromanage every aspect of his son's life once he enters college and beyond? He must know deep down that he can't control him forever.
Feeling encouraged by her conviction, she spoke forcefully. "This is not your decision to make. This is Adrien's life and happiness we're talking about here. Shouldn't he have a say in who he marries?"
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, angry that she would dare question his authority. "He's going to get married eventually. It might as well be to someone useful!" Irritated, he looked down at the computer in front of him, effectively dismissing her.
Nathalie willingly obliged and went back to her desk. She wasn't going to let this go though. No matter how concerned Gabriel was about his legacy, he couldn't sentence Adrien to a life devoid of love.
She hoped that he would change his mind, and that he would see how preposterous this idea was. Hopefully he would figure out another solution.
Gabriel Agreste was a brilliant man; he would find another way.
But if he didn't, Nathalie would make sure that his plan would never achieve its desired goal. She loved Adrien and Emilie too much to allow it to happen.
Sitting there with the weight of Adrien's future planted squarely on her shoulders, Nathalie got an idea of her own.