Understand love

Chapter 10

Gabriel, still slightly drowsy, sat up and dangled his feet off the bed. Sunlight filtered through the dark curtain, illuminating his feet on the floor. He stretched lightly, letting out a yawn. Rubbing his eyes for the last time, he finally got up. Although his body had been tense for the past few days, sensing danger that kept him from sleeping peacefully, he felt happy. With a positive attitude, still in his pajamas, he headed downstairs and made his way to the kitchen.

Laughter echoed from the kitchen. Gabriel opened the door to find Nathalie cooking and laughing, while Adrien was laughing so hard that he clutched his stomach. Gabriel's heart swelled with love as he observed the scene, wanting to keep this moment in his memories. Remaining unnoticed, he approached Nathalie from behind and snatched the spatula from her hands. Confused, Nathalie turned around and bumped directly into Gabriel's chest, which he caught her waist, preventing her from escaping. For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes, enchanted, before ending in a passionate kiss initiated by Gabriel, who said after the kiss, "Good morning, my love."

Though Gabriel promised to remind Nathalie how much he loved her every time, he found an alternative after their last conversation.

Retrospection

Every day, as they passed each other in the hallways of the mansion, Gabriel had repeatedly caught Nathalie around the waist and kissed various parts of her face, each time declaring how much he loved her. While Nathalie cherished every moment, the frequent repetition of those words began to lose their power. Not wanting to repeat her mistake, she decided to go to Gabriel to talk. She found him in his bedroom, sitting on the bed, browsing something on his tablet. As soon as Gabriel saw Nathalie, he tossed the tablet onto the far side of the bed and quickly jumped up. Though Gabriel's initial behavior confused Nathalie slightly, she quickly brushed off any thoughts, knowing that since his akumatization, he had been neglecting his tasks to continue their routine. Just inches away from a kiss, Nathalie stopped Gabriel by placing her hand over his mouth. Confused, Gabriel looked at Nathalie with wide eyes, trying to understand why she had stopped him.

N: I truly appreciate your efforts, but I think it's time to pause.

Gabriel tried to remove her hand from his mouth to speak, but he was unsuccessful. Seeing Gabriel's struggles, Nathalie moved her hand to his cheek, gently stroking it.

N: Please let me finish.

Gabriel said nothing in response, merely nodding his head slightly. Concern painted his features.

N: While I know you meant well, the repetition of "I love you" has made those words feel empty, losing their meaning. I'm not saying your love is insincere; I just believe that everything should be done thoughtfully. I know you love me, and I don't need reminders every ten minutes. I understand you wanted to help—to make all the dark thoughts fly away, to end the uncertainty. However, this is a battle I must face alone.

G: I understand, but I have a request. Promise me you'll come to me right away when you feel you can't fight anymore. You supported me for two years since Emilie's death. I want to be that same support for you, to help you through the worst. So please, promise you won't keep your emotions buried deep inside.

Nathalie smiled tenderly, then grabbed Gabriel by the tie and kissed him deeply. Gabriel, taken aback, didn't have time to reciprocate the kiss.