Giving in?

Drained Couples

"Why is that, love? Have you never even thought about children of your own? Or are you afraid, that your body would still be affected from back when you were wearing the broken peacock miraculous? You can tell me, you know!"

She all of a sudden started to sob vigorously, before she told him the complete story of how he had sent her back in time and ordered her, to at least safe herself. How she had only partly obeyed and waited, until she had been able to safe both their lives, though she had even offered to save Emilie's too. When she had finished, she watched him closely, scared, that he would get angry on her, would even tell her to leave his premises right away, but to her astonishment, he didn't.

Not even when she informed him, that she had been able to fix the peacock miraculous. He simply took her into his arms and held her tightly to his chest, then, without a word, he scooted to the edge of the bed and pulled her with him, then lifted her up bridal style and carried her into the bathroom.

"Shower or bath?", Gabriel questioned softly, gazing at her lovingly.

"Bath please! I am too exhausted to stay on my feet longer than necessary!"

He narrowed his eyes and gave her a concerned look. But again the man kept quiet and simply tilted his head to show his consent. Then he sat her down on the toilet lid and went over to the bath tub, to turn on the water at a pleasant temperature.

Nathalie was a nervous wreck by now. His silence scared her, as she wasn't even able to read anything from his face. While they both watched the water fill up the oversized bassin, she only began to feel worse and eventually almost yelled at him:

"Can you just talk to me? I told you something like that and you just take me to have a bath with you? Why? Are you going to drown me?"

He broke into a guffaw. It took him several minutes until he could get it together and by then their bath was already finished.

"Oh my dear Nathalie! You are really something! Even if I sent you there and you still disobeyed me, you did it to safe my life and Adrien's future. I don't care about the peacock miraculous anymore! It killed my wife and it almost killed you! It's about time, that I stop wishing for a magical solution and face reality. Though I never wanted to admit it, I've made my peace with Emilie's death quite some time ago. And that's all thanks to you, my love! So please, just come into that nice and cozy, warm water with me, so we both can relax for some time, okay? I am very certain, once our son and his girlfriend come to their senses too, they will be very much drained themselves and probably come here to rest, before the girl's parents notice, what they did over the last two days. They were already lucky, that they weren't home! I'm not mad at you, if I am feeling anything about the things you told me, then it's happiness and I love you even more for trying to protect us all. And now come!", he soothingly spoke to then hold out both hands and pull her to her feet.

Sliding his hands around her from behind, the very moment they had sat down in the huge tub, Gabriel sitting at her back, he gently stroked along her flat and well toned stomach.

"I can't wait, to see your belly grow, darling!", he rasped into her ear, making her shudder.

"Please don't! I still need some time to get used to the thought, Gabriel!", she begged, making him smile.

"Well, my love, let me ask you again: what is it, you're so very much scared of?"

"I am thirty seven years old, Gabriel. I have never even tried to get pregnant before and as far as I know, from the age of thirty, it's getting more complicated with every year that passes by. So what if something was about to happen? What if the baby would have any deficits? What if I wasn't healthy enough to make it until the very end and the child would have to be delivered early, because of me being a failure?", she sobbed.

The designer tightened his grip around her, pulled her stronger to his chest, then whispered:

"First of all, stop thinking of the worst! Second, we're in Paris, there are thousands of specialists, hospitals, private practices and whatever you might need! Why don't you just try to relax and just imagine a healthy, beautiful baby, growing inside the womb of the most beautiful, young woman, I have ever laid eyes on? Try to think positive, my dear! And now, why don't you just lean back and relax?"

Nathalie took a deep breath, then nodded.

"I'll try!"

It was later in the afternoon, when Adrien and Marinette arrived at the mansion, both visibly exhausted and both walking as if they were sore.

"I hope, it's okay, if we spend a couple of days here? We don't want Marinette's parents to get angry and as you know anyway.... I mean, we certainly won't even try to, you know for quite some time! Marinette already went up into my room, I just wanted to ask for your permission. Where's father?", Adrien rambled, after he had knocked at the door to Nathalie's room and after her consent, entered.

"He just went into his own bedroom, to get dressed properly. Are you both alright? I almost dread, to ask, what happened. But I have to, because if you and the girl did, well....you know and she got..."

The boy interrupted her quickly:

"We did, though I still feel a little bad for taking advantage, though I couldn't help it, but I at least managed to use the condoms, you gave me back then! Thank you for those, by the way, Nath. They really came in handy!"

She nodded with reddened cheeks.

"Yeah, good thing, you had them!", came Gabriel's voice from behind them, "and I am very proud of you for being able to use them. I....well, that's nothing to discuss with you right now! You look as if you needed quite some sleep too, so go and get your rest. Tell Marinette, she's always welcome! And Adrien?"

"Yes father?", he replied with a beaming smile, after hearing the man talk to him as if he was an adult.

"I am sure, I don't have to ask, but her parents know, that she's spending the night here, right?"

"Yeah, they do! Her father didn't agree, but her mum gave her permission and told Mr Dupain, if he kept acting as old fashioned as he did right now, he would turn into his dad! That made him give in immediately. Luckily we were just talking over the phone, if he had seen us, when we called them..."

He blushed even more and giggled sheepishly.

Gabriel laid an arm around his son's shoulders and grinned.

"I get it, now go and take care of your woman!"