Against you

11

The assistant gasped but she didn't get mad, instead Nathalie just observed her boss's sad expression and began to comfort him.

"It's alright sir, I sort of always knew your intentions...but you've changed if I'm not mistaken."
"I-I-...well I tried to change but-...it's difficult! Emilie always keeps pulling me back and I doubt that I could ever do anything without her" He sighed "then again I have you but-...I'm sorry, I really wish I was better than this!"

Gabriel now gave his assistant a regretful look which seemed to greatly impact the young woman's sensitive heart, and so she hugged him without a warning causing the designer to gasp in shock.

He wasn't quite sure of what exactly was going on but Gabriel didn't even want to know why Nathalie hugged him, he simply laid his own arms around her back, pulled the woman closer and laid a kiss on top of her head.

"Nathalie?"
"Yes sir?"
"Will you give me a second chance?"
The designer asked almost sounding intimidated by what his assistant might say next, but there was no need for that since Nathalie just smiled and nodded:
"Of course sir."

Just by those few words Gabriel's heart immediately filled with joy.
He for a second even got too lost in this sudden happiness but thankfully Adrien's clapping brought both adults back into reality, making then realize that now the toddler had watched this whole 'show'.
Of course Nathalie immediately broke away from her boss's arms to hold the child and place him back to his side of the bed, but just as she was about to pull the blanket over Adrien she could feel Gabriel's hands pull hers away, causing the assistant to be unable to complete her task.

"What sir?" The young woman asked slightly worried for a second but as she saw a shy smirk of her superior's face those fears of hers immediately faded away.
"How about we place Adrien in his own room?"
"I-...but-...he-..."
"If he has the nightmare again we'll probably hear him yell or something, plus in the morning I promise to find a cure for that curse I placed upon him. But for now can we just-...get rid of my son."

Nathalie sighed a whilst feeling a little anxious but she still agreed to do whatever her boss wanted, so within a couple of minutes the child was placed in his own room and the adults were left alone.

Now the young woman was even more scared of what her superior wanted because the last time they were alone wasn't exactly a pleasant memory. So she feared of what might come next, maybe things would get better, maybe they wouldn't, it was all a mystery when it came to the designer's feelings.

He could sometimes be sweet but Gabriel was mostly just a mean grumpy man who seemed to have to no tenderness left in his broken heart.

But now as the designer approached Nathalie with a smile she suddenly didn't know what to think. He seemed to be in a good mood, but maybe the wouldn't bee so good for the assistant herself.

"Nathalie I-...well first of all I apologize for everything I did in the past...I was really...harsh. But now I'd like to-...uhm-...get closer with you? -NOT IN A WEIRD WAY!- I just thought that since were acting like the 'parents' of Adrien we should-....we should basically be more than friends, work partners or whatever you'd consider 'us' now. I'd like to know you better and-...and maybe develop a stronger relationship with you..."
"I-..."
"Oh yes I know I've already said this once before but-...well we ended up in the office and-...that wasn't quite nice, was it?"
Gabriel chuckled awkwardly as he looked up and stared straight into the confused eyes of Nathalie who could only mumble:
"Yeah-...the office wasn't nice."
"Exactly! So now I'll...I'll commit to being more than your boss and-...and we can...you know-...do what parents do-..." the designer smiled but as his assistant looked rather troubled he had to add "Only if you want to of course! I won't force you to do anything!!"
"Right-...thank you sir."
"Please, it's the bare minimum...anyways I think we should...sleep a couple more hours before we need to wake up for work-"
"-Yes! Great idea sir." The young woman awkwardly nodded as she still couldn't process any of this new information, plus she was just rather shocked by Gabriel's sweetness.

But anyway, Nathalie tried to collect herself or at least make it look like she was not completely dying on the inside and slowly feeling as if she could really love the man of her dreams. However even after putting on a straight face and blocking out most of her feelings the assistant still had a bit of a blush which simply ruined it all and obviously showed the designer that his employee was rather flustered.

Now Gabriel chuckled whilst turning back and facing Nathalie who didn't know what to do so she just froze and hid her face in her hands thinking that this would save her from any further embarrassment, but sadly it didn't, in fact it only made the situation worse since her boss quickly reached to grab her hand whilst teasingly whispering:

"Oh Nathalie, don't hide your pretty face"

But the young woman didn't react how Gabriel would've wanted for her to react, instead she became frustrated to the point where she snapped at him:
"No! I-I-...leave me!"
"B-but-"
"Sir! I said leave me!"
"Okay damn it! I was only trying to help!" He sighed, also feeling just as frustrated as his assistant. "I'm trying to change and be a better person but if you won't allow me to be more than a boss to you then my whole plan is pointless!"
"Well." She couldn't argue, that was a valid point and Nathalie herself was the one holding back this time "Well I'm sorry...I'm just not used to you behaving like this, sir."

To be continued-