Gabriel Gets Used To... Planning a Wedding

The Day Before The Wedding

When Gabriel heard Émilie was expecting, he was excited but also scared shitless about being a dad. The thought of having to keep another human being alive almost had him running from the hills, but thanks to his wonderful wife, he calmed enough to buy everything in the childcare store.

He'd just had his first big fashion line and a steady income was rolling in. Even if his wife was the heiress to a small fortune, he wanted to do this for himself. Gabriel had wanted to take care of them. He wanted to provide for them. He wanted to be the caregiver he'd missed in his own childhood.

So, he made the cutest baby clothes. Émilie told him not to worry about how they looked as their little bundle of joy would throw up and poop all over them, but he read white was the most ideal way to help children sleep so he made one hundred white baby grows with everything from cats to peacocks on them.

He'd read white noise was a way to soothe a child at night, so he purchased every possible plushy and monitor that admitted white noise. Émilie telling him they would be the best soother for their child.

Finally, he'd loaded the nursery with teddy bears. He smiled as he remembered Émilie's face and then her laugh. She sounded like an angel. She looked amazing and full of life as she told him he was an idiot and insisted their baby wouldn't need plushies to cuddle because they were never going to let go of him. They'd found out that day that Adrien was cooking nicely, and all was going well.

Gabriel reached out and brushed a hand over the lapels of his wedding suit, the smile slowly leaving his face as he began to drown in the memories. It only felt like yesterday they had said goodbye to her. The woman who was meant to be the most important in both their lives. But a cruel twist of fate took her, leaving them both fragile and confused. Émilie was the link he had with Adrien, without her he didn't even know his own son.

And after tomorrow, Émilie would firmly be replaced in Adrien's life.

Grabbing the lint roller from the table, Gabriel ran it down the arms of the suit, collecting dust and stray hairs. They'd travelled this morning to Kittila, Finland, before heading to Levi.

The hotel was grand and the grounds, though incredibly slippery, were beautiful. He wasn't exactly the greatest fan of the cold, opting for warm vacations rather than freezing his balls off in the Arctic, but he had to admit, this was something special.

They'd headed out to the venue simply named 'The Northern Lights Snow Chapel' about fifteen minutes from the resort they were staying in. Thank goodness Nathalie was there, and the maximum amount a taxi could hold was six people. After his son and leech got in the first one with her parents, Keith and Rosy, Gabriel had valiantly claimed a separate one for himself and Nathalie.

He had been behaving exceptionally well so far, keeping his opinions to himself and trying to smile as they showed them the venue (a glorified igloo) and the shack where they would hold the small reception (no Harry Clown invited) before returning to the venue for a 'family meal', which unfortunately included Félix and Kagami as well.

But now he was back in his room, reminiscing about when Adrien was simpler. When he didn't have his own opinions and when he couldn't choose his own options. And most of all, he was missing Émilie.

She should be here, she should be the one with the fancy wedding clothing and a speech to give. She should be the one alive, not him. He'd missed so much of Adrien's life, not being there for him when he should have, and turning him away in times of need.

He's ashamed to think that maybe Marinette was the best thing that ever happened to his son, even more ashamed he didn't know anything about her.

With a sigh, he made his way to the bathroom, starting his pre bedtime routine, all set on getting his pyjamas on and hitting the hotel's special extra channels.