Miraculous One Shot Compilation

The Thought of His Singular Name

A/n - Well, I can't offer any real prize other than congratulations, but whoever is first to comment the source of this chapter's title wins.

It's not intended to be a sequel, but I'm starting to get the idea this one-shot could take place in the same universe as 'Attention from Adults'.

"Hey, Mari?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry. I want to apologize in advance for whatever he's going to say to you. He might not accept you as my girlfriend, and even if he does, he's probably going to pick you apart first. Whatever happens in there, please don't let it come in the way of our relationship. Will you promise me, Bugaboo?"

"Adrien." Marinette stepped around in front of her boyfriend, forcing him to stop walking and meet her eyes. "Why are you suddenly acting like you don't want this to happen? You've been pushing for months for me to meet him. What changed?"

"Of course I want you to meet him!" Adrien squeezed hard on Marinette's hand, which he'd already been holding. "Meeting the parents is an important step in any relationship, right? I'm just... nervous about what he's going to say."

"Oh, Kitty," Marinette smiled reassuringly, but her own heart was pounding. Gabriel Agreste had been her idol long before she had ever heard the name of his son. Of course she wanted his approval - in her aspiring trade, as she always had, as well as now a romantic partner for his son. "I'm not going anywhere. Whatever he says or does isn't going to change my opinion of you."

Adrien and Marinette had been dating for ten months now. On her side of the matter, the whole 'meet the parents' thing turned out to be pretty simple. Tom and Sabine had been involved in their daughter's relationship from the first, and often wanted her to invite Adrien over for a meal. Sadly, he probably sat down and talked with her family far more often than with his own.

On Adrien's end of the deal, it was a different matter. He'd waited two months into their relationship before even mentioning it to his father - who was rather dismissive. Teen dating, yeah, yeah, a dime a dozen. Now that Adrien had started, he'd probably be done with this one soon and on to the next. He should come back for his father's approval in ten years or so, when he was ready to get serious.

Adrien continued asking his father until, finally, Gabriel relented. His son insisted he'd been going steady for eight months now - an impressive feat for his age. Adrien apparently seemed to think he was falling in love. Gabriel could at least spare an hour to find out what kind of girl was attractive to his son. It took him another two months to find such an hour in his schedule.

--

The door of the Agreste mansion opened, and in walked the two teens. Adrien was repetitively squeezing and releasing Marinette's hand, though he never quite let go. Despite her promise, some nagging feelings scared him that his father would make her believe she wasn't good enough to hang around.

"You're here." Gabriel stated flatly in place of a welcome. His posture was ramrod straight and his eyes stared through and past the teenagers. "Adrien, take your girlfriend into the dining room. We'll speak in there."

--

The meeting progressed somewhat like an interview. Marinette felt like she was trying to get a job with Gabriel, which she might try for real at some point in the future, so... practice?

Gabriel even asked her if she had any plans for how she might support herself once she was done with school, a question that required Adrien to bite his tongue. He knew that question was meant to make sure that Marinette wasn't checking to see how deep the family's pockets were - a legitimate worry for a family such as the Agrestes.