How the Bird Left its Cage

Ch 6: Gabriel

 Life was generally cold for the great fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste. He was all alone. Well, that's what he liked to think. The truth was that he had an adoring son who wanted to be with him every second of the day; a son who had spent his whole life trying meet his expectations to make him proud. Gabriel rolled his eyes at the thought. It was just never ending. "Father, may I do this? Please, Father, can I do that?" Adrien wouldn't leave him alone– even when Gabriel explained it was absolutely vital for his work.

Bringing Emilie back was the only thing that mattered. She had given him the ability to make sense of the world. A life without her was unjustifiable. Intolerable. Recovering her required his full attention. He wasn't going to pass up a life with her just so that his son would feel like he cared. No. No, children were never his dream anyway.

For Gabriel, the more the man saw of his son, the angrier he became. So, even on his good days, he would rather pretend that Adrien didn't exist. Still, as much as he liked to, Gabriel was never able to fully ignore him. He was a dead ringer for Emilie; they had the same hair, the same walk, the same creases when smiling. The most unbearable feature he shared was her eyes. It would always catch him off guard- how he could look at a child whom, yes, he might have loved once, and find himself lost in time and space. Looking at Adrien was like looking at Emilie and having no way to justify all he'd done. In those moments, he wondered what she would say if he managed to bring her back; if she would love what he'd become, or if she would hate him as much as he hated himself.

"Sir?" A knock to his office door straightened his back. It was past 9:00 p.m.-nobody should be bothering him.

Gabriel cleared his throat, grounding himself. "What is it, Natalie?"

"Adrien would like to see you."

The fashion designer sighed in exasperation. "Not now. I already told him."

"Before the end of the night, then. He says he has been in his room practicing piano for the past few hours like you asked. He hoped you would come listen."

"You know what to tell him, Natalie. I'm busy. I'll see him tomorrow."

"For modeling," she challenged.

"Yes." Gabriel grit, her tone having set him on edge. Backtracking, she bowed her head, excusing herself.

"I'll inform him now, sir."

"Uh, Nathalie? Is there a reason that you're still working?"

Her brows furrowed. "You asked me to stay overtime, sir. To pick up after the party ended. I'm almost finished."

"Ah, I see. I didn't expect it to take this long. You may go."

"Thank you, sir."

When a half hour quietly passed, a slow burn constricted Gabriel's chest at the thought that Emilie would be disappointed in him for not seeing Adrien. He'd rather akumatize himself, but he faced the ceiling with a melodramatic sigh and forced himself to go to his adolescent son's room. He most certainly did not feel another twinge of guilt in front of Adrien's door when he realized the kid was still playing the piano. He retreated down the hall before dragging himself back to knock.

He did it softly, trying to convince himself he'd tried his best until he grew tired of himself and turned the handle. Upon swinging it open, he wondered briefly if he was high, or if fairies had maybe granted his wishes. He blinked a few times to assure himself that he was, in fact, sober as Chat Noir climbed out of the window. With an excited yip, his son was gone, and Gabriel was left, dumfounded, with an empty room and a recording of music.