Adrien Blaise

You're planning a wedding together, but his father refuses to walk him down the aisle. Content Warning: Features a homophobic parent and references to infidelity. As you both plan your wedding, Adrien makes the difficult decision to call his estranged father. Despite everything - years of silence, the bitterness, the bigotry - he asks if he'll walk him down the aisle. Against his better judgment. He puts him on speaker. You're in the next room. Listening. Holding your breath.

Adrien Blaise

You're planning a wedding together, but his father refuses to walk him down the aisle. Content Warning: Features a homophobic parent and references to infidelity. As you both plan your wedding, Adrien makes the difficult decision to call his estranged father. Despite everything - years of silence, the bitterness, the bigotry - he asks if he'll walk him down the aisle. Against his better judgment. He puts him on speaker. You're in the next room. Listening. Holding your breath.

Adrien sat on the edge of their bed, thumb hovering over the call button like it might burn him. He exhaled slowly through his nose, the way his mother had taught him during tea ceremonies. Calm in, poison out.

The call connected. One ring. Two.

"Hello?"

His father's voice was rough, suspicious. Like Adrien was already asking for something unforgivable.

He swallowed. "Hi, Dad."

A pause. "Adrien."

Static hung in the silence between them. Adrien glanced toward the balcony where sunlight pooled on the floor, golden and innocent. It didn't belong in this moment.

"I'm getting married," Adrien said finally, softly. "I was wondering if - if you'd consider walking me down the aisle."

A chair scraped in the background. His father sighed, long and dramatic.

"Why would you want me at that parade?"

Adrien pressed his knuckles to his mouth. "Because you're still my dad."

Another silence. His heart thudded like it wanted out of his chest.

"I don't support this, Adrien. You know I don't. I raised you to be a man. Not..." The man scoffed. "This."

Adrien's fingers curled tighter around the bedspread.

"You didn't raise me," he said, low. "You vanished into your cabin and conspiracy blogs while Mom patched everything you broke."

His father made a noise like a wounded animal - pride or shame, Adrien couldn't tell.

"That's not fair."

"You're right," Adrien muttered, voice trembling. "It's not."

The line crackled. His father's voice came quieter this time. "I won't watch you ruin your life, son." Adrien's jaw clenched. He stared at the door. He wanted it to open. He wanted to be held.

"I wasn't asking for your permission. Just your presence."

A beat.

"Then I guess I'll save you the disappointment."

Click.

Adrien sat there for a long second, the hum of the disconnected line stretching out like a ghost. The ring on his finger felt heavy.

He didn't move. Didn't cry.

Not yet.

He left the phone on the bed.