The Truth and What Remains: An Adrienette story

Chapter 18 (Louis): A Son's Final Recital

Author's note: HOLY MOTHER OF CRAP, this took so long to write, I wasn't sure how to go about writing this chapter since I had several ideas. However, it finally came together and just took a really long time to write. So I hope you guys enjoy and have a great Mother's Day! This chapter made me cry cause Marinette had THE worst Mother's day, not saying that is mother's day in the chapter but this is released on Mother's day.... so yeah....

Louis could feel himself panicking as he felt his fingers shake over the keys. He didn't know why, but he couldn't play, was he afraid? Taking a shuddering breath, he looked at the song he was playing, it was one of his favorites, he asked his teacher to write an arrangement for him. It was "Don't Speak Her Name" a song from one of his favorite games, Fire Emblem Awakening. It was a beautiful song, but the arrangement that he's playing is hard, and he can barely play it perfectly. Louis then felt two presences next to him as he turned around to find Elena and Gavin looking at the song.

"Geez man, you must be a masochist, this looks so difficult!" Gavin exclaimed as Elena nodded her head.

"It's true, you've always chosen the hardest songs for the longest time I've known you," Elena added as Louis scoffed and smirked a little.

"You guys are just jealous that I like to challenge myself, this song is special, I want to be able to play it with all my heart," Louis sighed as he took his hands off the piano and leaned back slightly. Gavin smirked and gave Louis a friendly shove, brushing his own curly hair to the side.

"That's not what I meant dude, I just don't want you to stress out over it," Gavin started but Elena cut him off and agreed with him.

"Gavin's right, all of your recitals we've been to, you've been perfect, I don't think you should stress out over it," Elena gave Louis a sweet smile as he reasserted himself and laughed.

"You're right, you're right!" Louis tried to tell himself, trying to ignore the fact that his dad was also coming to see the recital. He tried so ridiculously hard to not let that bother him at all since he picked out the song for his mom, but it still gave his stomach a reason to leap and squirm, "other than the fact that this is the first time my dad will see me perform." Louis laughed nervously as Elena and Gavin shot wary looks at each other.

"Ok dude, I think you just need to unwind, you're extremely tense, and since your mom's out right now with your siblings, why don't we have some ice cream and talk it all out?" Gavin suggested as Louis perked up slightly at the suggestion, it did seem like a good idea actually.

"You know what? Why not?" Louis stood up and the three of them made their way over to the fridge to get out the strawberry, lemon, white chocolate triple-layered ice cream vat and served themselves.

"So tell me, why in the world are you so nervous?" Gavin asked as Elena joined them with her own cup, nodding in agreement. Louis sighed as he lifted the spoon to his lips, his tongue tentatively licking the ice cream off. It tasted really good actually.

"I just wonder if Mr. Agreste will even like my piano playing, it's so nerve wracking to even think about to be honest," Louis sighed even harder as Elena gave him a stern look.

"Oh course he's gonna love it, he adores your family, why wouldn't he?" Elena asked as Louis leaned forward on his elbows and twirled the spoon in his mouth. Louis eventually dropped the spoon from his lips and smiled a little.

"Yeah, you're right, it's just those nervous jitters," Louis sighed for the umpteenth time and smiled to himself:

"It'll be fine."

Meanwhile...

"We're gonna see our big brother perform! Isn't this great!?" Emma sang in the car as Hugo softly smiled to himself. He and his sister have always enjoyed Louis' performances; he would always play melodious songs for them when they were younger and Louis could now play amazing songs for the public to hear.