Just a bit of someone else's warmth

It was near midnight. In the waiting room of the railway station, people were carrying bags and suitcases. Quiet conversations didn't stop, filling a huge space and a high ceiling. And outside the window was a black sky, and snow flakes fell, creating a sharp contrast with the bright and warm room. Periodically trains were announced, and people in a hurry left the hall, trying not to be late. Apparently, they had somewhere to be late.

Gabriel Agreste was sitting at the very end of the hall, where he attracted as little attention as possible. He was wearing a simple gray coat with a raised collar and old jeans. In his hands he held a small travel bag. The man took only the essentials: a laptop, a couple of shirts and interchangeable sets of underwear, a bunch of chargers, toothbrush and other small items. He has been going in a hurry, and only now realized that he didn't even take with him a photo of his son.

Some people looked askance, and Gabriel tried to raise the coat collar even higher. He did not resemble his former self: old clothes, untidy hair, and a very tired look. All elegance seemed to disappear from him, but he still thought that people would recognize him. Recognize from thousands of reports and articles. Just two months ago, his face was everywhere.

Two months ago, Paris finally found out who was hiding under the mask of Hawk Moth. Then there was quite a big battle in which he lost to superheroes, and the miraculous was removed from him. And then their transformation time has expired as well... Gabriel will never forget Adrien's face. It was expressing fear, hate, disgust, and pain. Inside, then something broke off and disappeared, leaving only remorse and cold. Agreste tried to explain everything to his son, but he simply did not listen.

The world finally collapsed after a single sentence of Adrien. "I hate you!" he shouted with tears in his eyes when the police took Gabriel to the car. Next were the courts, prison cells, long exhausting processes. It seemed to Agreste that he had aged for ten years, having spent several weeks in prison. The lawyer argued: they would never win this case, they shouldn't even try.

However, help came unexpectedly. When the whole world was against Gabriel, this girl suddenly appeared. Ladybug, in everyday life - Marinette Dupain-Cheng. At the next trial, she very long and confidently proved to everyone that Agreste without the miraculous couldn't harm anyone, and it is possible to release him under her personal responsibility. Gabriel didn't believe to the last. He didn't believe and didn't understand. For five years they have been the worst enemies. So why did Ladybug save him?..

However, he was released, confining himself to a rather large fine. But sometimes Gabriel thought: it would be better for him to be in prison and not know. Not know that his son moved to live with a friend, not wanting to be at home next to him. Not see all the reports and articles in newspapers, where he was showed almost a maniac. He could no longer go out even with the guard. His house was periodically attacked: some people demanded "justice", and Agreste couldn't say that he didn't understand them.

And so he was waiting for the night train to Brittany, to sail from there to Ireland and try to start a new life. Gabriel had little idea what he would do, but life in Paris became quite unbearable. The last close person turned away from him. If he initially knew that everything would be like that... He wanted only to return Emily, not so much for himself, but for his son. But now he understood that he had to do differently. He was intoxicated with opportunity, a sudden chance. And he succumbed like an ordinary weak man.

Gabriel glanced down the hall, which was full of people. He looked at the scoreboard under the ceiling. It was still an hour before his train. He arrived so early to leave the house quickly. The only pity was not to say goodbye to Adrien. Agreste hasn't seen his son since that moment, and it turned out that this "I hate you" was the last phrase said. Perhaps Adrian hasn't changed his mind yet. But Gabriel didn't deserve his love anyway.