Cataclysm

Mixed feelings

It was monday again, and Adrien still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that just a week ago his life was so different. He now knew who his lady was, he no longer had to deal with Lila's constant presence and his father was an ex-villain. Hawkmoth was no more, replaced by a new responsibility of making sure Paris was the safest city in the world, and a present father.

They both sat that morning on their awkwardly long table, having breakfast together for the first time in years. Adrien was still not sure how to feel about, well, everything. But he was sure that he loved his new diet. Apparently someone (Either his father or Nathalie) decided that the skinny model calorie intake he had before was not ideal for a superhero. Finally.

The blond boy was eating in silence, not picking at his scarce food but enjoying the omelet the chef prepared for him instead. He knew that his past self would hate him for not being happy about his father's presence, Adrien one year-heck one week ago would have been elated by the chance to talk to Gabriel about anything. But now he knew why the man was avoiding him in the first place, and he was having a hard time forgetting it long enough to converse with him.

Gabriel on the other hand, was too ashamed about his own actions now that what-who drove him to villany was gone. It was like a fog lifting, he still remembered everything but he no longer felt the rage, the sadness and the desperation to see Emily again. He was conscious of what Chat Noir did to him, yet he couldn't feel mad about it because, well, he just didn't feel anything regarding the woman anymore. Excepting one thing: Guilt for the fact that he neglected their son for so long while planning to leave him forever. Hitting the boy with a new loss was not going to be completely erased by the fact that he would have had his mother back, he knew that now.

Without the grief clouding his thoughts, Gabriel now was starting to feel the weight of what he was doing as Hawkmoth. The fact that he now could feel everyone's emotions was just an added bonus, if he could call it that. The headache finally started to recede, since he lost the miraculous and the connection was weaker, but he could still tell what Adrien was feeling across the table from him. The boy was a mash of emotions, but whenever they locked gazes, even for a second, anger dominated the rest. And Gabriel knew he deserved it, so he didn't talk either.

Nathalie got tired of the awkwardness and stubbornness, however.

''How are you doing, Adrien?'' She asked, her voice impassive as always. Gabriel was not fooled by this anymore, he knew she was nervous about the boys answer. Among other things.

And she was right to be nervous, for Adrien got a spike in his anger before he controlled it and answered her question with a bit more spite than what was usual for the boy. ''I'm fine, finally slept''. So he was going to use every chance to remind them of their mistakes, Gabriel noted. Well, he would just have to embrace this, too.

''Your schedule doesn't have to be as... full, anymore, Adrien'' Said the man, cautious. The slight joy Adrien felt at hearing that made Gabriel feel even more guilty than when he got angry.

''How full are we talking about here?'' He asked, still suspicious. The boy was not going to allow himself to hope for anything from the man. His father was not sure how to respond, but before he could muster any answer Nathalie saved him.

''I suggest you both organize the new schedule together, I can help too if you need it'' She said, still calm and collected, but Gabriel could tell how happy she really was for this to happen. Nathalie was always the same on the exterior, rarely smiling and showing what was going on in her head, and this control made every emotion that the man could now feel coming out of her clear, as if it was filtered somehow before getting out. It was one of the few people that didn't make his head hurt as much, which he was grateful for.