Kwami Struggle a miraculous ladybug fanfiction by @storiesunite

Chapter 12: Laying the Past to Rest

Gabriel opened the casket and nodded for Adrien to come close. The 17 year old crept closer, feeling many bottled up emotions come to the surface. He whispered as he embraced his slumbering mother. "Mom..." Adrien took a breath before continuing. "I love you and I miss you every day. It's hard living life without you, but I know that you will finally be at peace now."

Adrien hugged Emile for a second longer before stepping back to be hugged from behind by Marinette. Adrien subconsciously placed his hands atop Marinette's and relaxed into the embrace. He whispered softly. "Thank you for being here Marinette."

Marinette slightly squeezed him, to hide the fact that she was tearing up. Her watery voice betrayed her though. "And I always will be."

Adrien turned to embrace her for real. He held her supportively and replied. "And I for you."

Always.

Gabriel murmured his own farewell before kissing Emile.

Then Natalie whispered her goodbye as well. Her eyes were red and puffy, as though the secretary had been crying long and hard for a while. She wasn't exactly losing a family member- she was losing a dear friend. Natalie whispered. "I promise...I will take good care of your son Em."

***

It was a quiet morning. The four of them hadn't slept at all, for the night was filled with discussions, tears, sorrows, and farewells. The sun rose as Emile's coffin was eased into a grave. Gabriel had arranged a private funeral, to avoid the overbearing burden of the press and conspirators.

Gabriel and Adrien stayed close to one another, not saying a word.

The family of Emile silently bestowed a plethora of roses on the freshly covered grave. There were a variety of colors to the floral tokens. Pale pink, white, yellow, and red.

Gabriel's family also came forward and deposited additional flowers and bouquets on top of the mound. A few variences of orange, violet, and medium pink added to the pile.

Natalie bestowed a yellow rose and left to escort Gabriel's parents to thier vehicle.

Gabriel came forward after all the guests left. He came to his knees and pulled a lavender hued rose out of his inner suit pocket and fervently placed the flower atop Emile's gravestone. "I will never forget you."

After Gabriel left, Marinette and Adrien were left alone at the graveyard site. Marinette gently held Adrien's arm and together they knelt at Emile Agreste's grave.

Marinette laid her pale pink rose on the pile. She murmered. "Im so sorry Adrien."

Adrien weakly chuckled. "I always wondered why there wasn't any funeral for her 4 years ago-" He became somber again as he withdrew his rose from his inner suit pocket.

Marinette had been expecting a red rose to symbolize love but was surprised to see Adrien raise a white rose. "White?"

Adrien nodded as he reverently placed his rose next to his fathers. "I looked it up and white roses symbolize purity, but they also represent respect. It's a way that I am saying that I am thinking about her." Adrien fingered the lavender rose absent mindedly. "It turns out that I am not the only one that did reasearch. I wasn't expexting Father to chose this one."

Marinette came closer to see better. "What does a lavender rose mean?"

Adrien turned to her and smiled sadly. "Love at first sight."