Author's Note: I saw the dark picture, and a funny scene came into mind. I had to write it! Hope you enjoy it, and leave a review if you'd like!


Nathalie cleared her throat in a desperate attempt to smother her laughter. Her hands went to her mouth to calmly hide the upturned lips.

Think professional…

Under no circumstance would she disrupt this precious scene before her. It was one in a million, a rarity, a gem, a perfect Kodak moment-

"Father- you look like a vampire…"

Gabriel Agreste broke into chuckles and this only made thirteen year old his son erupt into his own laughter. Bubbly, carefree sounds that were far too contagious for their own good.

Nathalie's self-control fell when a black-clad Adrien fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. The boy was adorable!

Yet, one occupant in the room remained impassive.

Mrs. Agreste was not laughing. Nathalie's smile snapped back into a fake frown when she caught the woman's absolutely sparking eyes. The blonde lady stood before her dark clothed husband, hands on her hips and lips pouting.

"Gabriel!" Emilie's voice softened so that her husband was forced to stop chuckling to hear her and answer somewhat guiltily, "Yes dear?"

Emilie gave a deep sigh, her hands gripping a camera before her, "How can I take a dark picture if you two won't stop smiling?"

Adrien's laughter subsided, but his beautiful smile remained. The boy flushed a decent level, and stood to his full height once again, "I'm sorry Mother,"

He straightened his jacket, "I'll try not to take this so light…"

Nathalie shouldn't have made eye contact with the child when she knew the following effects. Adrien caught an immediate case of the giggles, holding onto his stomach and leaning forward as though he had caught the greatest joke in the world.

Emilie couldn't help her own smile- her child… her beautiful little boy, too pure for this world. But while she usually encouraged his laughter, this was definitely not the time for him to have such a genuine smile.

Emilie turned to her husband, and gestured to their son, "Gabriel…"

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, and lifted a hand to point at their teenager, "Look at him Emilie, he's not made for depressing photos."

Emilie's head shot up, eyes wide for drama's sake, "What makes you think this is a depressing photo?"

Nathalie cleared her throat, therefore drawing all adult attention, "Miss Emilie? You clothed your family in black and grey."

They all glanced to a gasping Adrien, and Nathalie continued to speak, "Putting them before a grey background, all for the sake of the dark theme?"

Emilie turned back to her friend with an eyebrow arched, "Yeah… so?"

The blonde mother pointed to the males ahead of her, "That's the point of a dark photo." And she made a circle with her hands, "Dark- get it?"

Adrien shook his head at his mother- but he couldn't rid his smile, "Mom, I don't do dark."

Gabriel nodded in utmost agreement, and placed a hand on Adrien's shoulder, "He's right Emilie- this boy is all sunshine."

Emilie sighed, "Then pretend it's an eclipse!"

Why was it, that even the simplest of jokes, could make Adrien smile? Gabriel rolled his eyes when he noticed his son trying to smother his giggles- and failing miserably. Gabriel commented that it was easy to make Adrien laugh- which only worsened the situation.

Emilie stuck out her tongue at him, "He takes after me."

Gabriel threw his hands up into the air, "What doesn't this boy take from you?"

The man playful gestured to the boy, and sighed, "He must be a clone of yours, the boy get virtually nothing from me!"

Emilie inspected her nails to feign disinterest, "Well… I did birth him,"

Gabriel shook his head, "And you won't let me forget it,"

Emilie narrowed her eyes at her husband in all playfulness, "If I did, you probably won't remember his birthday,"

And Emilie tossed a grin over to Nathalie, "Back me up Nath, wouldn't he just tell you to buy him a gift?"

Gabriel's brows met, and pointed to his assistant, "All Nathalie would buy is a pen!"

Adrien piped up, directing the attention to him, "I don't mind pens!"

The boy flashed them a grin, "They're better than nothing,"

Emilie sighed, and shook her head. She stepped forward to put a hand on her son's shoulder, "Adrien, be honest."

Emilie met his eyes, "Aren't Nathalie's pens lame?"

"They most certainly are not!" was the woman's albeit sudden response.

Adrien's eyes widened, and his gaze flickered to his equally wide-eyed father. The man shook his head slowly, giving his son the universal look of 'don't get between the women.'

Too bad Adrien didn't understand universal looks.

The boy nodded, "I guess so…"

Gabriel did all he could have done, but the boy planned his own death. And all Gabriel did, was to give him a sad farewell wave. Adrien arched a brow, and slipped from his grinning mother's gaze, and stepped to his father.

"Father?" the boy's voice betrayed his nerves, "The pens are lame… aren't they?"

Gabriel sighed, and put a hand on his son's shoulder, "Son… even if a woman's gift is the most useless-"

"I beg to differ," scoffed an ebony.

Gabriel continued with all seriousness, as if he were sending his son off to war, "Never… tell them such,"

"Especially not when that woman is Nathalie…" Gabriel ended with a stiff nod.

Adrien's eyes fell, and he looked to Nathalie with such a heartbreaking expressions, the very sorry pout, that it transformed his face from the beautiful glow it usually radiated, to match the dark scenery behind him. Gabriel stiffened, and gripped his son's shoulder tighter to glare off into the distance as though he had just just taught his son the most valuable lesson of all times.

And Emilie snapped her photo.