When Bunnyx Brings a baby : A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

Chapter 4 : Étretat

When Adrien arrived at the bakery on Friday evening, Marinette and Hugo's suitcase was already packed for the weekend trip. After spending the night in Paris, the plan was to leave for the beach first thing in the morning. Well, almost first thing. Marinette's parents insisted on providing a picnic lunch for their holiday. After a quick stop at the bakery, and after grabbing the largest picnic basket Adrien had ever seen, they started their journey to the seaside. The drive to Étretat was over 200km and should have taken about two and a half hours.

It ended up taking over four.

Despite traveling in a top of the line car seat, Hugo was not a fan of the car ride. Adrien had purchased over a dozen new toys to help keep the wiggly baby entertained, but it still wasn't enough to distract Hugo from the confines of the car seat. They were barely out of Paris before they had to stop the first time.

And so began their slow journey to the coast. If they were lucky, Hugo could be persuaded to sit in his seat for about 30 minutes between breaks. Adrien and Marinette took turns singing to him, or telling stories in silly voices. Even at his young age, Hugo seemed to have favorite songs. As Adrien and Marinette rotated through their shared repertoire of children's songs, Hugo would squeal and kick when a favorite was started.

At first, Marinette sang quietly and shying. But by the fourth or fifth song, she was singing just as loud as Adrien. Even his driver started keeping time by tapping his hand on the steering wheel. Hugo squealed and cooed loudly to the songs.

They finally made it to Étretat around lunchtime. Adrien was practically vibrating with excitement. Once he started to recognize businesses and landmarks, it was hard to keep still. He bounced around the back of the car, pointing out his mother's favorite restaurant and the candy shop Félix and he secretly visited.

As they turned up the road toward the Graham de Vanily villa, Adrien rolled down the window and stuck his head out. Even the air smelled the same! He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the cool salty air. Adrien could hear Marinette laughing at his enthusiasm, but he didn't care.

When they finally arrived at the villa, Adrien quickly removed Hugo from his car seat and jumped out of the car with the little boy in his arms. Hugo needed a tour after all; they could start with the garden. Adrien walked around, telling Hugo about all the small changes. It had been over three years since he last visited, but the caretaker had maintained the landscape beautifully. A few of the shrubs were gone, and everything was a little taller than he remembered. But his mother's roses were still there. Adrien closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, immersing himself in the fragrance. Hugo eagerly tried to grab a bud with his hand, but Adrien turned away just in time. Those thorns would have hurt!

After a quick walk around the garden, it was time to show Hugo the inside. Walking through the doorway, it seemed significantly smaller than Adrien remembered. The villa was at least a hundred years old, with lots of exposed beams and bare wood for the floor. He quickly showed Hugo the main floor, including the two large seating areas, dining room, and kitchen.

With Hugo still in his arms, Adrien climbed the narrow wooden staircase up to the bedrooms. First, he stopped at the room he and Félix used to share. There were two single beds with a shared nightstand. It was so small compared to Adrien's bedroom in Paris, but still full of memories. Next, he briefly showed Hugo the other two bedrooms.

But as Adrien turned to walk toward his mother's old room, a dull ache started to form in his chest. He had to pause and take a deep breath as he reached for the doorknob. He closed his eyes, hoping the ache would pass. Hugo wiggled and slapped his tiny palms on Adrien's shoulders. Adrien opened his eyes again and gently patted Hugo's back.