Emotional Support [Complete]

S2 E14: Choosing Nathalie

"So," Marinette spoke up over the rather loud machinery, "what are your feelings for Nathalie?"

Gabriel choked, nearly unraveling the first layer of the skirt. He turned off his sewing machine, believing he may have heard her incorrectly. "W-What?"

"What are your feelings for Nathalie?" Marinette repeated. "I mean, I know I tease you guys a lot, but I don't actually know your true feelings for her."

Gabriel hesitated, cautiously resuming the stitching. "That's... an excellent question, Marinette. I... don't know. I don't know what to call our relationship anymore. We've clearly grown out of the professionalism we'd established. Before I hired her, we were friends. I mean, she was always a bit distant, and was always closer to Emilie. And she was the youngest too, the baby of our group, or that's what I used to call her when she was a freshman in college. It was us three against the world."

Marinette giggled, listening to the sweet story of Gabriel and Nathalie's past together. "That's cute."

Gabriel chuckled. "I thought so too. But she hated it. She'd turn as red as your suit and protest that she may be a few years younger, but just as capable as any of us juniors. She was one of my best friends, despite the fact that she could be as awkward as you are with Adrien and was too shy to speak with me for a while. Nathalie was like my little sister."

Marinette was about to speak when Tikki beat her to it. She flew up to the man, harmlessly hitting his head with her tiny red stub of a hand. "Little sister? Why are you Agrestes so dense?"

Gabriel laughed and held his palms out, inviting the kwami to settle within them. "Calm down, Tikki. I bet you've been dying to say that, huh?"

Tikki folded her arms, giving a huff. "Yeah. Witnessing Adrien being such a dense cinnamon roll and not being able to say anything gets really frustrating!"

"I assure you both that I truly am not as dense as my son," Gabriel chuckled, patting Tikki's head. "I said Nathalie was like my little sister. I was so love-struck with Emilie I couldn't even imagine my relationship with her to change upon that. Now, it's more than twenty years later. We've grown, things have changed. Emilie's gone, we have you kids," He looked to Marinette before the kwami in his hand, rubbing her chin with the back of his index. "And an adorable spotted kwami."

Tikki giggled. "Thank you."

Gabriel smiled before becoming serious again. "I've always been at least vaguely aware of Nathalie's feelings for me. Especially, seeing the way you used to act around Adrien, or the way Adrien acts around you now. That used to be us, except, I just pretended her feelings didn't exist as I went off and married her best friend, as completely awful as it sounds."

Marinette nodded, her eyelids dropping halfway as she folded her arms. "Yup, that's pretty awful."

Tikki copied her chosen's actions. "Yeah, Gabriel. Why would you do that?"