Chapter Text
Nathalie stared at her computer screen, the reports blurring together as her mind wandered. She'd had some strange weeks since beginning her employment with Gabriel Agreste—working for a fashion mogul turned supervillain had a way of making life unpredictable—but this past week had been particularly... uncomfortable.
Although her surname would suggest otherwise, Nathalie wasn't that heartless, though she was certain many of her former colleagues would disagree. She preferred to think of herself as professionally ruthless. Why would she let something as naive as emotions get in the way of her goals?
Of course, just because she wasn't interested in dating or romance didn't mean she hadn't had dalliances before. She had just never let it affect her life in another other way.
Now however…Chat Noir's constant remarks about her "romantic chemistry" with Hawkmoth and their "perfect partnership" were bad enough, but worse was how distracted she'd become during fights, and how his observations made her second-guess every move. And then Gabriel would be concerned about her performance when she returned from battles, making their normal professional interactions awkward and stilted.
She rubbed her temples, trying to focus on the expense reports. This was ridiculous. Chat Noir's teasing shouldn't affect their work dynamic, but somehow it was bleeding into everything.
Her tablet chimed with an akuma alert, and Nathalie felt a strange mix of relief and dread.
"Mayura!" Chat Noir called out cheerfully as she landed on a nearby rooftop. "Flying solo again today? Where's your worse half?"
Mayura bristled. "Not this again—" Releasing her feather, Mayura was determined to focus on her amok and finish this battle as quick as possible.
"Oh, but you two have such amazing synchronization when you're together! It's like you can read each other's minds!" Chat Noir dodged an attack from her sentimonster with a theatrical flourish. "Don't you miss having him right there beside you?"
"I can handle this myself," Mayura said stiffly, but she could feel her concentration wavering.
"I'm sure you can! You're incredibly capable! But there's something special about the way you two move together, isn't there? Like a dance! Very romantic!"
Mayura's sentimonster faltered as her focus slipped. "Chat Noir, if you don't stop talking—"
"I'm just saying, the partnership you have is beautiful! The trust, the connection... I bet Hawkmoth worries about you when you're out here alone."
"He doesn't—" Mayura started, then caught herself. But the damage was done; her sentimonster stood by confused while Ladybug took the moment to break it's amok.
"Maybe we should call for Hawkmoth?" Chat Noir suggested with false innocence. "I mean, if you’re not feeling well..."
"I said I'm fine!"
Ladybug threw her yo-yo up. "Lucky Charm!"
Chat Noir winked at her and kept distracting, speaking to Mayura "If you're not at full strength, Mayura, maybe it's time for Hawkmoth to come out of his cocoon and spread his wings!"
"That's not necessary—" Mayura began, but she was clearly struggling.
"Oh, I think it is," Chat Noir grinned. "After all, what kind of partner would he be if he didn't come running when you needed him?"
"Nathalie?" Gabriel's voice came from the doorway as she returned from the battle, and she could hear the tension in it. "Are you feeling alright? You seemed... unsteady during the battle."
"I'm fine," she said, not meeting his eyes. "Chat Noir was just being particularly distracting today."
Gabriel moved closer, his brow furrowed with concern. "Perhaps you should rest. I could handle things for the remainder of the day."
"That's not necessary," Nathalie replied, but when she stood up from her desk, she swayed slightly.
Gabriel's hand immediately moved to steady her elbow, just as Chat Noir had insinuated earlier, and they both froze at the contact.
"I should—" she started.
"Yes, you should—I mean, we should—" Gabriel stammered, his face growing red.
They sprang apart, both clearly rattled by how natural the gesture had felt, how it mirrored their interaction as their alter egos.
"I'll be at my desk," Nathalie said stiffly, fleeing before he could respond.
Adrien bounded into the office just as Gabriel and Nathalie were having another stilted moment over the next day's schedule, both of them standing farther apart than usual and speaking in overly formal tones.
"Father! Nathalie! Perfect timing!" He grinned at both of them. "I was wondering if Nathalie could join us for dinner tonight? I've been wanting to ask her about her thoughts on my latest piano pieces, and we never get to talk outside of work!"
Gabriel blinked, looking flustered. "I... suppose that would be fine. If Nathalie doesn't mind."
Nathalie found herself nodding before she could think better of it. "That sounds nice, Adrien."
"Great! I'll tell the chef to set an extra place!"
Dinner started pleasantly enough. Adrien chattered about school and his music, keeping the conversation light and easy. But halfway through the main course, he suddenly jumped up with an exaggerated gasp.
"Oh no! I completely forgot I have an essay due tomorrow for Ms. Bustier's class!" He grabbed his plate. "I'm so sorry, but I really need to work on this. You two should finish dinner though! Don't let me ruin the evening!"
Before either adult could protest, he was gone, leaving Gabriel and Nathalie alone at the large dining table.
They ate in tense silence, both staring determinedly at their food. The Agreste family had always maintained the propriety of not talking during meals, but tonight the quiet felt suffocating.
Gabriel cleared his throat. "The akuma today was... challenging."
"Yes," Nathalie agreed carefully. "Chat Noir was particularly... observant."
"He and Ladybug seem to have developed some very strange theories about our... working relationship."
"Very strange," she echoed, both of them clearly trying not to think about about Chat Noir's pointed comments or how true they could be when they acted as Hawk Moth and Mayura.
Another long silence stretched between them.
The second akuma alert came three days later, just as Nathalie reached her own apartment. It barely felt like she saw the inside of it these days, with her illness causing her to spend more time than she already did at the Agreste mansion and then all the strange hours she moonlighted as a supervillain. Sometimes Nathalie wondered why she even bothered to pay the rent to maintain such an upscale place when even before the miraculous mess, she'd only ever slept here. Then again, the rumors about her and Gabriel didn't needed to be fueled any further. God knows how much liberty he already takes from her life, no, she would be maintaining her own place, it only to have some proof that Nathalie Sancoeur could exist separately from Gabriel Agreste. An ironic thought nonetheless, given where she had to head now. She took one last look at her untouched dinner, of a glass of wine and a baguette, and decided that it wasn't much to miss anyways before transforming quickly.
"Back for round two!" Chat Noir called out cheerfully. "You know, I've been thinking about what makes a good partnership, and you and Hawkmoth really have it all figured out!"
"Chat Noir," Ladybug warned, but she looked amused, "focus on the akuma."
"I am! But after seeing you two together once... Mayura, don't you feel stronger when Hawkmoth's right there beside you?"
Mayura's concentration wavered again, and she twisted her fan harshly, determined to ignore the cat tonight.
"Mayura!" Chat Noir called out with exaggerated concern. "You're looking a bit pale! Should we call your partner?"
"That's not—" Mayura started, but her head was already pounding. The general decline of her health coupled with the stress of ignoring the strained dynamic between her and Gabriel, and trying to keep up with all her actual work was catching up.
Mayura felt Hawkmoth contacting her, but the last thing she needed right now was to hear his voice asking after her, making her feel like he could truly care about her.
"I'm fine" she muttered, "just distracted"
"By thoughts of romance, perhaps?" Chat Noir suggested with a grin.
"Chat Noir," Ladybug said, but she was lookjng thoughtfully at Mayura, "you're terrible."
The rest of the battle passed in a blur of Chat Noir's commentary and meaningful looks between the superhero partners at Mayura's actions.
"I was reading the Ladyblog last night," Adrien announced over breakfast the week after, his tone carefully casual. "It seems like Hawkmoth and Mayura have been working very closely together lately, Father."
Gabriel nearly choked on his coffee, his face immediately flushing. "What?"
"The blogger noticed how Hawkmoth came to help Mayura personally during a battle. She wrote this whole analysis about their partnership and how devoted they are to each other."
Nathalie's fork clattered against her plate, and she could feel her own face heating up.
"Alya also mentioned how natural they look together," Adrien continued, seemingly oblivious to the adults' discomfort. "The way he immediately rush to help when she's in trouble, how she leans on him for support... It's actually really romantic!"
Gabriel was turning an alarming shade of red, clearly remembering how he'd held her, how natural it had felt, how Chat Noir and Ladybug had pointed out their obvious connection.
"True partnership, shared goals, unwavering loyalty..." Adrien sighed dreamily. "Mayura's lucky to have found someone who cares about her so much."
Nathalie couldn't bring herself to look at Gabriel for the rest of the meal. Every time she glanced in his direction, she found him staring at his plate with the same intensity she was applying to her coffee, both of them clearly replaying every moment from the previous battle. Her plate remained untouched.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of avoided eye contact and quick conversations, both of them hyperaware of every accidental touch, every shared glance, the heroes' observations flustering them both more than they'd ever admit.
"Adrien?" Ms. Bustier's voice cut through his daydreaming. "Can you tell us about the themes in today's reading?"
Adrien blinked, realizing he'd been staring out the window for the past ten minutes, mentally cataloging romantic gestures that might work for his father. "Oh! Um... love? And... misunderstanding?"
"Very good! And how do the characters overcome their obstacles?"
"Communication," Adrien said automatically, then went back to his planning. Maybe he could get Chat Noir to be even more direct during battles...
"Dude, what are you thinking so hard about?" Nino finally asked during lunch, looking exasperated. "You've been in your own world all morning."
"Just... how to make someone fall in love," Adrien blurted out without thinking. "Or see that they're already in love, I guess?"
The table went dead silent. Nino's sandwich fell out of his hands. Alya's eyes went wide. Marinette looked like she'd been punched in the stomach.
"DUDE!" Nino shouted. "You're in love with someone?!"
"Who is it?" Alya demanded, her journalist instincts kicking in. "Do we know her? Is it someone from school?"
Adrien's brain went into panic mode. That was not what he meant to say. Technically, he was trying to help Hawkmoth romance Mayura, but he couldn't exact say he was playing matchmaker for Paris's supervillains using his superhero alter ego.
"It's... it's not me!" he said quickly. "I mean, I'm not the one in love! I just... I see this amazing chemistry between my father and Nathalie, and I think they'd be perfect together, but they're both too stubborn to see it!"
Just like Hawkmoth and Mayura, he thought. The way they move together, trust each other completely, how Hawkmoth immediately comes running when she needs help...
Marinette's expression shifted from heartbreak to confusion. "Your father and Nathalie?"
"They work so well together," Adrien said, warming to the topic because it wasn't technically a lie. "They understand each other completely, they're always in sync, and I can tell they care about each other."
The way Mayura doesn't hesitate to accept Hawkmoth's support, how he immediately rushes to help when she's in trouble, how they seem to communicate without words...
"My father... he needs to move on and be happy, and I think Nathalie could be that happiness for him. I just want them to see their feelings for each other."
And if I can get Hawkmoth to realize he's really in love with Mayura, my father won’t have a chance AND maybe Hawkmoth will stop chasing after LB and my miraculous. Two birds, one stone. Or well two stones technically, but...
"That's actually really sweet," Alya said, her expression softening. "You want your dad to find love again."
"Exactly!" Adrien nodded vigorously. "But I have no idea about romance, so..."
Well, I know enough to recognize it when I see it. The way Hawkmoth's whole demeanor changes when Mayura's around, how protective he gets...
"We'll help!" Marinette said immediately, her earlier sadness replaced by determination. "This is so romantic! A cold CEO finding love with his devoted assistant!"
Unfortunately, before Adrien could implement "Operation Get Father a Girlfriend!" the universe was clearly against him. That's the only reason why his father, notorious recluse, would be caught in the crossfire of an akuma battle, in the one event he decided to attend this month, for Audrey Bourgeois's latest fashion showcase.
Adrien had been so excited when Gabriel announced he'd be attending the outdoor exhibition. Finally, he'd thought, a chance for Father to get out and maybe meet someone! He'd even suggested Nathalie accompany them, but she'd insisted on staying back to handle some "urgent business."
Now, crouched behind an overturned café table as Chat Noir, Adrien was beginning to understand why the universe had a sense of humor—and why it was apparently very, very twisted.
"Citizens of Paris!" the akuma—some heartbroken wedding planner calling himself Cupid's Arrow—declared from atop the Grand Palais. "Love is the only path to happiness! I will ensure everyone finds their perfect match, whether they want to or not!"
Pink arrows began raining down on the crowd, and anyone struck immediately became obsessed with the first person they saw. Chaos erupted as people began professing their undying love to complete strangers.
"We need to get everyone to safety," Ladybug said, dodging a particularly large arrow. "Chat Noir, can you—"
She stopped mid-sentence, staring at something behind him with an expression of complete bewilderment.
Chat Noir turned to see what had caught her attention and immediately wished he hadn't.
Gabriel Agreste stood in the middle of the chaos, completely ignoring the pink arrows whizzing past his head, gazing up at the sky with the most ridiculous lovesick expression Adrien had ever seen on his father's face.
"My goddess," Gabriel sighed dramatically, his hand pressed to his heart. "How you soar through the sky like poetry in motion, draped in the most exquisite royal blue..."
Chat Noir followed his father's gaze and felt his stomach drop. Mayura was descending from above, clearly having just arrived to assist with the akuma.
Oh no. Oh no no no no no.
"The way the light catches the feathers of your costume," Gabriel continued, apparently having lost all sense of self-preservation, "like sapphires dancing in moonlight! And those legs! The way you balance so effortlessly on rooftops, the elegant line from hip to ankle... you are a vision of elegance and power!"
Mayura landed on a nearby rooftop, stumbling in a way that made it clear she had heard every word.
"Did Gabr-did a civilian just start flirting with Mayura?" Ladybug whispered, sounding equal parts confused and disturbed.
Chat Noir wanted to disappear into the ground. Or transform back and drag his father to safety. Or possibly both.
Gabriel had somehow procured a rose from a nearby flower stand and was now holding it aloft. "A flower for a goddess! Though no bloom could ever match your beauty!"
Mayura tried to focus, pulling out a feather to create a sentimonster, but Gabriel's voice carried across the square again.
"Your grace, your poise! You move like a dancer, fight like a warrior! That Hawkmoth doesn't appreciate you like I can!"
Mayura's eyes went wide. "Sir?!" Her shock didn't let her register her slip of the tongue. The feather in her hand fluttered weakly as her concentration shattered completely.
"Where is Hawkmoth anyway?" Ladybug muttered, ducking behind a chimney and pulling Chat Noir with her. "Shouldn't he be stopping this? This guy is hitting on his girlfriend and he's just... letting it happen?"
"I mean, think about it," Ladybug continued. "Hawkmoth always sends her out to fight alone, barely shows up to help her, and now some random civilian is treating her like a queen and he's nowhere to be found? Maybe we should just... leave it alone?"
"WHAT?!" Chat Noir yelped. This was SO not how his plan was supposed to go! And on top of that, he still hadn't understood how Mayura was the one his father saw first, wasn't there some other poor unsuspecting stranger that could have borne the brunt of his persistent...admirations?!
"I'm just saying! This Gabriel guy seems to actually appreciate her! When's the last time we saw Hawkmoth treat her with any respect?"
"We can't let this happen!" Chat Noir said desperately.
"Why not? It's not like we're rooting for Hawkmoth! If Mayura wants to ditch him for someone who actually treats her well—"
"Because!" Chat Noir flailed. "Because... because Adrien couldn't handle Mayura as a stepmother!"
Ladybug blinked. "You know Adrien?"
Chat Noir's brain went into full panic mode. "I... uh... I know people who work with... around... near Adrien! Loosely! Very loosely! Like, acquaintances of acquaintances!"
"Okay..." Ladybug said slowly, clearly not buying it but letting it slide. "But wait... it's that serious? You think this random flirtation could lead to marriage?"
"Isn't it?" Chat Noir asked, looking genuinely confused. "Romance equals marriage, right? That's how it works?"
"Chat Noir, they literally met twice—"
"But he's flirting with her! And complimenting her legs! That's basically a proposal!" Though dear god, he did not need to be thinking about his father flirting OR about Mayura's legs OR that his father apparently notices it enough to point it out in a way that seems beyond appreciation of her aesthetics. NOnono, his father is a fashion designer, all bodies are basically just lumps of meat to him, it doesn't mean anything.
Ladybug stared at him. "Have you ever actually dated anyone?"
Before Chat Noir could answer, they watched as barrage of pink arrows went above their heads, suddenly raining down on Mayura's position. She twisted and turned, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, but one particularly large arrow forced her to dive sideways.
She catapulted elegantly in the air and landed on the street below, waving her fan to avoid any more stray arrows.
And of course—because the universe continued its twisted sense of humor—Gabriel was right there.
"Mayura!" he exclaimed, immediately rushing to her side. "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine, si-Monsieur" Mayura said breathlessly, but she was clearly stunned.
"Your dedication to your craft is inspiring!" Gabriel declared, "The way you move with such grace..."
"Uh... I have to... the akuma..." Mayura managed weakly, trying to pull out another feather, while slowly walking backwards.
"Of course! But that Hawkmoth should be here protecting you, not leaving you to handle everything alone!" Gabriel said, his voice full of concern.
"A token of my admiration," he said, coming closer to offer her the flower he had somehow kept in perfect condition with a flourish. "Your hands are so elegant—like a pianist's, or an artist's. Do you paint, by any chance?"
Before Mayura could react, Gabriel gently took her hand in both of his, examining it with the reverence of someone studying a masterpiece.
"Such graceful fingers, such strength... truly the hands of a goddess."
Mayura went completely rigid, frozen in place as Gabriel lifted her hand toward his lips. She could feel his breath through the gloves of her suit. A small, traitorous part of her wished she'd cut off the design of her dress at her wrists, leaving her hands free to feel his skin to skin. That part was very quickly stomped out.
Choosing that moment to chase after the akuma, meant that Chat Noir found himself with a front row view, losing his grip on his baton and crashing into a nearby chimney.
Gabriel pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles, his eyes never leaving her face. "Until we meet again, my blue goddess!"
And with that, he released her hand and somehow managed to leap away with inexplicable agility, apparently heading for safety.
Mayura remained frozen in place, staring at her hand where he'd kissed it, her cheeks glowing a dark magenta.
"Did that just happen?" Ladybug asked faintly.
Chat Noir was lying in a pile of broken chimney bricks, staring at the sky and questioning every life choice that had led him to this moment.
"Chat?" Ladybug called out. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Worse," he croaked. "I've seen my father's game."
"What game?"
"Nothing!" Chat Noir scrambled to his feet, trying to shake off the existential horror. "We need to talk about this later, but right now we have an akuma to deal with!"
"Later," Ladybug agreed, still looking confused. "Definitely later."
His father had just serenaded, flirted with, and kissed the hand of Paris’s supervillainess while she was trying to help akumatize someone.
And the worst part?
It had actually been kind of romantic.
Adrien was never going to recover from this.