13In a stunning display of paternal affection, Gabriel finally does come in for some parent day activity. Adrien is beside himself and drags his father around to meet his friends. Rose, Kim, Nathanael... Adrien introduces them all with enthusiasm. Gabriel really doesn't care about meeting them, but he doesn't outright say that to his son.
What he does care about is Miss Dupain-Cheng's earrings. He catches sight of them as she's turning to say something to her friend. They sparkle in the light just as he looks across the room at her. They're plain, a deep red, but he's poured over that miraculous book enough to know that they're very similar. Very, very similar.
Adrien sees his father staring at Marinette and tows him over to her. Of course he would want his father to get to know Marinette better. They both like fashion. She's polite and cheerful and helpful. She's probably one of the only friends his father would allow to visit house. And Adrien would love it if he could spend more time with her.
Gabriel allows himself to be led, though he still pretends to be disinterested. Just to keep up appearances. Adrien makes some hasty introductions, though his father is barely listening. Instead, he's staring at the girl's ears. They're hard to see now that she's looking at him directly. It's all he can do from reaching forward and turning her head with his hand for a better look.
But Marinette is fidgety and nervous, and Gabriel feels disappointment set in. There's no way this timid, stuttering girl could be the Ladybug that reacts so coolly under pressure.
The conversation tapers off awkwardly, and she turns to scoot away, face pink in embarrassment. But those earrings. They do look so much like the ladybug miraculous.
"Excuse me, Miss Marinette."
"Y-yes?!" The girl turns back to him so fast that she almost loses her balance. Adrien perks up in excitement that his father wants to continue speaking with one of his friends.
"Those are very nice earrings. Would you allow me to see them for a moment?"
One of Marinette's hands wanders up to her ear, covering the jewel. At first, she only appears surprised, but her expression quickly becomes guarded, all traces of social anxiety gone. The change is startling. "I'd rather not, sir," she says clearly.
"Just for a moment," he emphasizes. "I'll give them right back. They're beautiful."
A second hand follows the first, protecting her earrings, and Gabriel's face pinches in suspicion. Just as quickly as her hand had gone up, she puts them both back down and clutches them together in front of her, clearly not trying to draw attention to her odd protectiveness.
Adrien is looking back and forth between them, trying to figure out what is happening. The rest of the class is mingling and oblivious to the conversation they're having.
"They're very old," she says, "so it's sometimes hard to get them to stay put again if I take them out."
It's a reasonable explanation, but it sounds too practiced to him. "So you keep them in at all times?" he asks.
Her stare bores into him. "Not always, but they are my favorite pair."
So far he's learned that the earrings are very old, that she wears them almost constantly, and that she's more protective of them than simple earrings should warrant. He's also learned that Marinette's persona as an awkward, anxious teenager drops away the instant that she's threatened. Unfortunately, he's also learned that Marinette's suspicions are easily aroused.
"May I ask why you are so interested in them?" Very subtly, she drops into a defensive stance, one foot behind her, body angled, eyes on him. He's given away too much.
Adrien stops looking back and forth between them and stares at Marinette, a large frown on his face. It's more than a look of concentration. He seems deeply unhappy about something. How much of this conversation does he understand? Gabriel doesn't have time to worry about it at the moment.
"I understand your frustration," Gabriel finally says, thinking of a cover for his continued interest. If this girl truly is Ladybug – as is suddenly seeming likely – he needs to throw off her questions more than he needs those earrings right now. "That often happens with old jewelry. Have you considered having them professionally cleaned? I could make a few recommendations for reputable jewelers."
A miraculous is so close. If he can just get the one, the other will fall quickly enough without its partner. Forgetting himself, he takes a step forward, reaching for the earrings.
Marinette jumps backward, fists raised. "Don't touch them," she spits.
Before he can react, and to the astonishment of them both, Adrien jumps in between them, back to Marinette, shielding her from him. What on earth is he doing?
"If you want to get to my partner, you have to go through me first." The frown he was wearing earlier grows into a snarl.
The rest of the room falls silent. Gabriel's and Marinette's gazes both go to Adrien's right hand at the same time, where a silver ring sits sparkling on his finger. Shock is evident on both of their faces.
Marinette recovers first, reaching forward and grabbing Adrien's hand, covering the ring from Gabriel's view, and she pulls him away through the crowd of curious onlookers. They both keep their eyes on him as they retreat to the back of the room, whispering, no doubt planning his downfall.
So Marinette is Ladybug, and Cat Noir has really been his son this whole time. They must both know by now that he is Hawk Moth.
No matter, Gabriel thinks, straightening his jacket. This doesn't change his resolve. And they have no proof to present to the authorities. All in all, this is a win for him. He now knows the location of both miraculous. His plan will go forward.
At the back of the room, Adrien stares at the ground, feeling betrayed. Marinette, sweet, confident, caring Marinette, doesn't let go of his hand, all the while letting him know that she is there for him, they will get through this together, that he can count on her for anything.
"On the bright side," he says, voice empty, "at least we know who Hawk Moth is."
"A tactical advantage," she says quietly. "I don't know if I can call it a bright side." She squeezes his fingers again, and he tries to reassure her, let her know that he's here with her, that he'll be okay, but she only frowns pityingly when he flashes her a pained smile.
"I have a real bright side to this," she says, drawing even closer to him. It's all he can do not to lean down, rest his head on her shoulder, and cry.
"I'd love to hear it," he says.
Instead of speaking right away, she reaches up and cups his face in her hands, holding him tenderly. "I just found out two of the best people I know are actually one amazing person."
Adrien closes his eyes, holding that sentence, the adoration in her voice, the look in her eyes, as tightly as he can. Yes, his father is Hawk Moth. Yes, the situation is terrible, but Marinette, his Lady, is here with him, too.
"What a coincidence," he says. "So did I."
Author's note: So I update this random one-shot instead of working on my two other ongoing stories ("Miraculously Fluffy" and "A Cat of Their Own") and my drabble giveaway on my Tumblr. I'm sorry. XD Requests are still open for the giveaway. Check it out here: sariahsue. tumblr /post/182783527567/im-taking-requests
