I will love again

Part 42 - Don't die, my love

The weekend was short, as Gabriel had still some work left to do, which had been left behind after he had spent more time with his wife after they had gotten married than in his office. Though he had managed to attend all of the important video conferences and conversations, he had been behind on his latest clothes line before and was even more under time pressure now. So after taking a bath with Nathalie and having another hot make out session on their bed afterwards, he had apologized to her like a thousand times and gone to his office to try and make a little progress at the very least.

Though not really able to focus on what he wanted to do, he was scribbling on his tablet, hoping in the end something would come out.

A knock on his office door startled him.

"Yes, who is it?", he asked, not used to anybody disturbing him on a Saturday morning.

Carefully Marinette stuck her head through the door, asking hesitantly:

"Do you need some help? Nathalie thought you did, that's why she sent me here. She said, you had never been so far behind on your work and that you probably were just staring at your screen, doing nothing. But I see, she was wrong with that!"

He smiled lovingly at the young woman, thinking how right his beloved wife was with her assumption. He inhaled deeply.

"Just come inside, she was right, I am just drawing useless things, that don't even look like something one could wear!", the designer admitted.

With a giggle the half Chinese teenager entered the office and tried to get a glimpse on what he had drawn. As she eventually got a glance on his tablet, she was overwhelmed.

"Oh my Gosh, this is so cute. You did.....you have decorated the whole nursery.....and it's so pretty. The light colours and the scenes on the walls....How did you do that so fast?" she enthused.

Gabriel looked puzzled.

"What do you..."

And then he looked at the screen as well and his mouth fell open.

"I didn't even realize, that I did that." He shook his head cackling. "Well, even if you are right and it really looks beautiful, I still haven't gotten any further with my new line. I mean, our collaboration on the maternity clothes line has already gone into production, but I need something to show on the next fashion shows. Would you mind to let me have a look at your sketchbook? I would of course give you full credit for everything, that we 'both' may find suitable!", he suggested, looking at Marinette expectantly.

The teenage girl paled instantly.

"Wh-what? A-a-are you suggesting t-to t-take my....creations....into c-c-consideration? That's....wow....I don't know what to say.....I am not sure, that I still know....how to breathe.....oooohh dizzy...."

"Marinette!", he bellowed, making her take a sharp breath in shock. She turned her head and saw him look at her with concern. "Better?", Gabriel asked calmly now.

The girl nodded.

"Thank you, I think I got a little too worked up on this!", she said sheepishly. "Literally forgot to breathe!"

Her, as she was still hoping, future father in law shook his head.

"Am I really still that intimidating to you? I thought while working on the designs for Nathalie, we left that behind us!"

"That's not it, I feel totally normal, when you are around, well as normal as a girl can feel in the presence of her boyfriend's father,who has already seen her without any clothes on top of his son......and I am drifting away from the actual matter.....uhm, I.... would have just never thought..... you would even think about looking at the sketches of someone like me.