Gabenath/Adrienette AU

Part 6

"Can I please give you a hug? A friendly one? I can't see you like that. I feel guilty, if you are still suffering, while I feel so incredibly happy just for seeing you, knowing you never did the worst to me and giving me one of the most precious gifts you ever could have." With a loving smile he turned his head to look at Emma. "Can I hug her? I mean, do you think she would like to hug me? I don't want to scare her on our first day."

That made Marinette laugh.

"She can talk, Adrien. Just ask her. Emma? Can you swim over here for a moment? Your dad wants to ask you something important."

"Really?" The girl had looked annoyed at her mother's request, but hearing about her daddy wanting to ask 'her' some 'important' thing, got her feet moving in an instant.

Marinette sighed. If only she was doing what I tell her all of the time.

"Yes, daddy?" Emma stood in front of him, looking up with her shining blue eyes, and smiled widely.

Adrien gulped.

"Did you know that you have the very same eyes as your mum?" Seeing her nod and already turn to leave again, he called after her. "That wasn't the important question, Emma. What I really want to know is, if you were okay with a hug from me."

The young child looked at her mother as if she was asking for her permission.

"It's okay!" Marinette mouthed and with a deafening scream Emma half climbed, half jumped onto Adrien and wrapped her little arms tightly around his neck.

Holding her tightly but carefully to not hurt her in his arms, the young man blinked several times, tears blurring his sight as he looked at his ex fiancee. She too had glistening eyes and was smiling at them.

Swallowing heavily he held out one arm, croaking huskily.

"Please?"

Only seconds later she was in his arms, their daughter between them, and for a moment the time stood still and everything was alright. This was where she belonged, where they all belonged.

While still trying to hold back her crying, she could feel Adrien's suffocated sob on the side of her neck. Looking up, she instantly knew that he felt the very same as herself. And then they were kissing. Desperately, savagely, as if it was the last time and maybe it even was. It wasn't important what happened later. All that mattered was this moment.

Emma had noticed something going on and when she saw her parents kissing each other she very quietly slipped out of their hug and sneaked into the hallway and down the stairs into the kitchen.

Walking directly into her grandfather kissing his wife passionately, after the couple had just managed to get dressed properly again, she exclaimed.

"Why is everybody kissing right now?"

The adults flinched as they heard the high, clear voice of the five year old and stared at her. Only then Nathalie suddenly really understood what Emma had said and what that supposedly meant.

"Sorry, we thought you were busy with getting to know your dad. What did you just say about kissing?"

The girl replied moodily.

"Well, I was hugging my dad and then mum came to us and we were all hugging and all of a sudden, I noticed them kissing. I've been told that if I see two grown ups doing stuff like kissing, to not look at them or even stare and make fun, but be quiet and go play somewhere else. Mum told me to do that after I scared Alya and Nino in the middle of the night, when we were all on a camping trip and I had come out of our tent because I couldn't sleep and mummy was so tired that I didn't want to wake her. Their tent was still open and they were awake and kissing and I thought they certainly had a little time for me. But Alya just started to scream and Nino, who usually is the nicest guy I know, started to yell at me. Mum then told me what to do in case of adults getting all snuggly!"

Barely able to hold back the grin, Nathalie knelt down and opened her arms for the girl.

"Come here, sweetheart. I promise you, whenever you need your grandpa or me, you can interrupt everything we're doing at that moment and call for us. Maybe just knock, before you enter the room. That would be great. And it's not because you aren't welcome but because we don't want to scare you, if one of us is just changing their clothes and our old, shrivelled bodies are completely naked. Okay?"

Giggling over the 'shrivelled bodies', Emma instantly agreed.

"Grandma? Can you tell me, what mummy meant when she told daddy, you and grandpa started making out?"

Nathalie heard her husband snort while she herself blushed deeply, but then cleared her throat and explained to the girl.

"Well, Emma, you know that your grandpa and I have been married for just a short time, right?"

"Uh-huh!" The child replied expectantly.

"You see, if people are in love, especially when it's a new and strong love, then they want to show that to each other. Like you just told me about Alya and Nino."

"Oh, you mean kissing and snuggling!" Emma blurted out. "That's all?"

Gabriel chuckled and picked her up to place her on his shoulders. He had seen his wife struggle and had the idea to distract her while giving her a rather vague response.

"There is more to that, Emma. But that's something you don't need to think about just now. Let's just say, for grown ups it's a little like the feeling on a rollercoaster or very fast sleighride. Do you understand that?"

The girl shook her head.

"I've never been on a rollercoaster or a sleigh. At least not very fast. But I love it if mum holds my arm and leg and whirls me around."

Gabriel grinned.

"Yeah, that's a similar feeling. But I've got an idea. How about we pack a few things and your grandma and take the limousine to any park where they have a rollercoaster so you can make that experience? Maybe someplace with a smaller one, because they don't allow too small children on the large and very fast ones due to the risk of them falling off or getting hurt. Would you like that, if your mum agreed? Maybe your parents need a little more time on their own to work things out between them!"

Emma beamed at him.

"You think they will be in love again?"

Nathalie sighed and took her hand.

"Whether they will be or not isn't important right now, sweetie. What matters is them finding a kind and peaceful way to both be there for you. But what about the park? Maybe we could go to Disneyland even? I am very certain they have rides for people of all ages, right, grandpa?"

The man nodded and bent down to peck her lips, making Emma who was still on his shoulders giggle.

Nathalie grinned then said.

"I'll go and ask your mum for permission, you two can already go pack some snacks and something to drink for the time in the car."

Gabriel lifted Emma back to the ground then told her.

"Just go and get your backpack from the wardrobe so we can fill it, okay?"

The little girl beamed and kissed his cheek, then ran off, squealing.

The designer grabbed his wife around the waist and pulled her taut, whispering into her ear.

"How about getting a room while we're there and spending the night? Or rather two connected rooms, so Emma can have her own yet still call for us and come over if she needs something? Wouldn't that be very romantic?"

He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I like the idea, darling," Nathalie hummed and kissed him passionately. "I'll go and ask Marinette. You stay here with Emma so none of you will just barge in on them!"