our past (a Gabenath AU)

partners

Gabriel agreste was tapping his pencil against a sketchbook, going through some dreaded art block. He was drawing a design of butterflies, on a small purple dress. He was thinking about his hero side, his alter ego, la papillon. He's kwami in his bag, and little chattering students in the classroom. Class began, he puts away his sketchbook and takes out his notebook. Then whipped around, the young girl with blue hair was not  there, he sighs heavily as he payed attention to the board. "You will all be assigned in partners for this project, you will be making a design from peacock feathers." The teacher showed some demonstrations, then everybody got into partners, everybody but Gabriel. He didn't want to be partners with anybody, and there was no one left. At least that's what he thought. Then the door opened, the young girl holding on to her messenger bag and a sketchbook in her hand, nathalie sancour. But everybody called her nath, she excelled in math and Drawing.

"Oh, miss sancour." The teacher looked over to her.
"My apologies for being late, miss. Did anything important happen when I was gone?" She looked over, gabriel was staring at her. But not in a scary way, more of a friendly 'I thought you weren't here, I was worried' way.
"Your in partners for a project, everybody's already partnered up except Gabriel, I hope you don't mind being partners." She leads nathalie to his desk, to Gabriel she was sparkling. "I'll explain everything to you, Nath." He smiles slightly as they were left alone, nathalie sits next to him. "I know it's only been 2 months, but how are you liking school so far?" Gabriel asks her. "I should be asking you the same question, this year is your first year as well." She takes out her sketch book. He smiles slightly once again. "Still, I noticed how you got the good side of people. Even Audrey likes you." He took out his pencils, giving one to her. "She's not nice to everyone?" She asks curiously after looking at the project on the board. "If only, I also get her good side." He sighs. "Let's continue on the project first, we can talk during lunch." Gabriel looked at the time, just a few more periods. "Why not make a hair accessory with a peacock feather? Possibly tying together a bun or ponytail?"  Natalie suggested.
"I think that would really suit the dress, let's go with it." He wrote it down along with Drawing it on the sketch. Both worked on the design for a bit until the next period, gym, then science.

"Where's your lunch?" Gabriel asks sitting next to nathalie in the crowded lunch room.
"Well..." She sighs. "You know how I was late? I may or may not have forgot my money..."
"Oh Nath no..." He gave her half his food.
"Gabriel I cant-"
"Please, I can see your hungry." He insisted.
Nathalie pouts, looking adorable to him. "Fine then."
Gabriel feeds her with a grin, gently putting part of his sandwich in her mouth.
"Gabe-!"
"Be calm, little peahen."
She pouts more and ate it, getting rid of some of her hunger. "I take it you like it." He smiles. "I'm not going to lie, it wasn't bad." She smiles before looking at him, his eyes were just like paris's superhero. She didn't think much about it, but did really want to be his friend, well... A lot more than just a friend.

Nathalie sighs closing her locker, she didn't see the weather that day. It was cold, raining, and foggy. She didn't have her umbrella, not even a jacket. The only thing she was wearing was a small red turtle neck, and yoga pants. She lived far away from the school, and could possibly get a cold if she wasn't careful. She grabbed her messenger bag before walking out the doors, then there was a hand on her shoulder pulling her underneath the roof of the school. She panicked for a moment before hearing the voice she was so happy to hear.
"Nathalie you can't go out there!" Gabriel says looking at her, he was holding an umbrella above both of them.
"Gabriel I need to, I have to get home for piano and violin before 4:30." She sighs.
"You'll get a cold, or pneumonia." He says softly.
"My parents wouldn't care, have to practice even if I'm sick."
"Is that why you still came into school last week with a fever!?" He yelled, he wasn't mad at her but mad at her parents.
"Gabriel..." Her voice went quiet, she was used to yelling but it still got her scared.
"Oh no peahen I'm sorry..." He gave her a small hug, both blushing. Nathalie was shivering as of how cold it was outside, gabriel placed his jacket around her gently, then smiled. "I'll walk you home, I live alone right now so it shouldn't be that big of a deal."
"But what if my parents see you..."
"I'll go back in my direction a few feet away from your home, got it?"
"I do..." She smiles, gabriel held the umbrella over both of them when walking home, she didn't want to leave him, the next day was Saturday, every week she was allowed to leave the house once. She wanted to use that to go on a small walk with gabriel, she would ask him before he left her on her doorstep. Gabriel made it to her house, 4:25 on the dot. He gently let's go of her hand. "Promise you'll call me later on, okay?" He smiles, Nathalie started to look a little sad. She had no friends at home, and can't even talk to her parents without them lecturing her. "Peahen is something wrong?" He says worriedly then checks her temperature with his hand, it was warm on her cold forehead.
"I'm just fine, as long as you call me later..." She smiles.
"I'll be on my way then, if you don't-"
"Wait-!" She stopped him.
"Yes?" He smiles turning back to her.
"M-meet me at the beginning of the forest, I'd like to go on a walk with you..." She looked down, gabriel Pat's her head.
"I would love that, tomorrow at 11:35?" He smiles.
"Y-yes please!" She says happily.
"It's done then." He booped her nose then went back to his apartment, nathalie went into her house, blushing and with the excitement of tomorrow.