Adrinette Comfort Kisses - DISCONTINUED

Fatherly Advice

Marinette arrived home and was enveloped in hugs and kisses from her parents.

"How was your day, mon chou?" Sabine asked.

"A little odd actually. Nino took Alya home early. She looked so sad."

"Oh, the poor dear. I hope she's alright."

"I'm sure she'll tell me when she's ready." Marinette smiled softly.

"Actually, I was wondering if it would be okay for me to go to Adrien's photoshoot this afternoon?"

"I don't see the problem with that." Tom replied.

"Where is it?" He asked.

"Pont Alexandre III Bridge." Marinette replied, checking the text Adrien had sent her on the way home.

"At 5:30 pm. They are doing a sunset shoot." She explained.

"That's a long way for you to be traveling by yourself, mon chou." Sabine fussed.

"Tom, I can hold up the shop for a bit. Can you take her?"

Tom Dupain looked at his wife with a startled expression before his features softened.

"You sure you're going to be able to handle it?" He asked, taking his wife's hand in his.

"Of course. Now go get yourself cleaned up while your Père gets the car ready."

When Marinette and Tom arrived at the bridge, the sun was just starting to set, bathing all of Paris in warm oranges, yellows, and pinks.

Adrien, spotting them, ran up to them; much to the irritation of his makeup stylist, and greeted Marinette with a firm hug, pecking her cheek before turning to Tom and shaking his hand.

"Thank you so much to taking her, Monsieur."

"It wasn't a problem."

"Actually, Mari, the photographer needs you to go get changed and into hair and make-up." He admitted sheepishly.

"What? Why?" She squeaked, puzzled and terrified at the same time.

"Well, after that accident that scratched my back," he winked at her, making her blush heavily at the memory. "The photographer decided to incorporate a girl, and since it was so short notice, I said you could do it. I hope that's okay?"

Marinette took a moment to get over the shock of what she had just heard.

She was wanted to be in a photoshoot with Adrien.

Again.

It was like Deja Vu all over again.

"Uh... Yeah. Sure." She chuckled uncomfortably.

"Thank you so much! You're the greatest, Marinette!" He sighed in relief, grabbing her face in his hands, kissing her forehead firmly with a broad grin on his face.

Suddenly, an assistant appeared beside Marinette and whisked her away to get her ready.

Tom stood there awkwardly, fiddling with his fingers before he cleared his throat.

"I should probably get going. Sabine is waiting for me at the bakery." He said, turning to head back to his car, before Adrien called out, rushing to catch up with him.

Taking a steadying breath, Adrien tentatively reached out for Tom, lightly touching his forearm to get his attention.

"Wait! Um... If it's not too much trouble. I wanted to ask you for some advice."

"Hmm?" Tom hummed, turning around to face Adrien.

"What kind of advice?" Tom asked curiously.

"I-I wanted to ask you for some advice. O-on a personal matter." He explained uneasily.

"I'll do my best. But you really should be asking your Pére about these sorts of things." Tom replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Mon Pére is not that approachable about this kind of thing." Adrien explained awkwardly.

"Go ahead. I'm all ears." Tom smiled gently at him.

"W-well..." Adrien stammered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"U-um... W-what does it feel like to be in l-love and h-how do you know if you're in love?"

"O-oh..." Tom stuttered, taken aback by the question.

"W-well, I guess you know you're in love when you feel an intense feeling for another person. Seeing them makes you smile, holding them makes you calm and content. Thinking about them brings a smile to your face and your heart flutter." Tom explained, Adrien hanging off his every word.

"But isn't that like a friend?" Adrien asked, cocking his head to the side, furrowing his brow.

"No. It's much more than that. Being without that person makes you feel lonely or empty. When you are with them, you feel whole and content again. Love is the way Chat Noir protects Ladybug, and she protects him, without a care for their own well-being or the danger they put themselves in, only focused on their partner's safety."

Adrien thought on this for a moment, taking the information in.

Tom shifted from foot to foot self-consciously, a faint blush spreading over his face, scratching his chin as he tried his best to explain himself.

"It's putting their needs and safety before your own. Even if it means giving up what you want to make them happy." He continued, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"D-does that help?" He asked, meeting the eyes of the young blond.

"O-oui," Adrien replied, smiling softly up at him. "Merci beaucoup." He said, taking Tom's hand and shaking it firmly.

"De rien." Tom smiled, breathing a sigh of relief before pulling Adrien in for a firm embrace.

Adrien froze at first, unsure what to do before he relaxed into it and rested his cheek against Tom's chest, inhaling the smell of the bakery coming out of his pores, wishing beyond anything that he could be sharing this embrace with his father.

"I really should be going. Sabine's waiting for me." Tom said softly, releasing his embrace from Adrien, stepping back.

"Merci, monsieur Dupain."

"De rien, mon garçon." He replied before walking back to his car.

Notes:

Translations:

mon garçon - my boy