C'est la Vie; C'est le Ballet

Fanfiction
Title:	C'est la Vie; C'est le Ballet
Author(s):	MaybeMayura
Date(s):	December 27, 2020
Length:	9994 words
Genre(s):	het
Fandom(s):	Miraculous Ladybug
Relationship(s):
External Links:	Fanfic archived Art archived
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C'est la Vie; C'est le Ballet is a GabeNath fanfiction written for the GabeNath Reverse Bang by MaybeMayura. It is rated T for Teen (rating). The fic was beta-read by lorraine_b_writing.

The premise for the fic is based on artwork created by miraculousthoughtswithoutafilter.

Fic Info

This art piece by miraculousthoughtswithoutafilter served as the inspiration for C'est la Vie; C'est le Ballet.

Summary

After the death of his wife, upstart choreographer Gabriel Agreste is looking for a new star for his ballet, Miraculous. Hard to please and willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of the show, none of the auditionees fit his artistic vision…

…except Nathalie, a former prima ballerina turned ballet instructor. She’s stoic and very dedicated to her craft, but there’s a reason she stopped performing four years ago and it has dangerous potential.

Through the trials and triumphs and betrayals that run hand in hand with the world of ballet, Gabriel and Nathalie begin to find something more in each other’s company, and perhaps the seeds of new beginnings.

Additional Tags

Alternate Universe, AU, gabenath, gabriel x nathalie - Freeform, GabeNath Reverse Bang (Miraculous Ladybug), GabeNath Reverse Bang 2020, fuck Audrey juice, Mild Language, dance au, miraculous dance au, Ballet AU, miraculous ballet au, Nathalie Sancoeur - Freeform, Gabriel Agreste - Freeform, audrey bourgeois - Freeform, fuck her, caline bustier - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, miraculous villains au, miraculous villain square, eat my villain square, injury warning but it's not graphic, gabriel can do the splits

Reception

OUCH THE ACHILLES NO

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF well this was really good and it made me feel a lot of things, mostly a lot of anxiety and sadness on behalf of Nathalie. I'm so glad that she and Gabriel got together and that she is okay and happy in spite of everything. It still hurts my soul so badly though! This poor woman had her career cruelly ripped away from her twice.

AND FUCK AUDREY. Seriously, let me at her.

ShadowMayura, Dec 27, 2020

It is such a bittersweet, beautiful and hopeful ending.

I love how you eased the tension of Audrey’s scheme and Nathalie’s injury with Gabriel and Nathalie bickering. And with Nooroo, a future dog whose name is as dumb as Duusu. Amazing sense of humour.

And an amazing story. :) The amount of time and research you did to make it happen really shows.

Ketenn, Dec 28, 2020

I would love to you more than just one Kudos. My heart was PUMPING! The number of blank stares I gave my ceiling when it was too much, immaculate. I kept screaming Asdghhgsdfgsd. The combination of detailed descriptions and fitting background music had me sucked in.

Natalie's injuries were like a shot to the heart. It wounds me to see my queen in pain like that :’). How they affected her though out the story hngk, I bow to you. I love Gabe, his himbo is activated when he wears his glasses.

Audrey... I will smack that face so hard what she will look like a bobblehead figure. ALWAYS ON NATHALIE’S CASE! Mmm, shameful.

I WILL NEVER BE OVER THOSE STRANGE DOGS! I LOVE THEM!

Starry_sky12, Dec 28, 2020

As I mentioned in my comment on the server, I love the ways this references back the original universe. I know Nathalie's injury representing her magical illness wasn't intentional, but sometimes text just starts to speak on its own and it's beautiful. And I especially adore the ending in the light of this interpretation... Well, first of all, it's certainly very subversive for a ballet story to end on a career-ending injury and paint it in a hopeful way. But then you remember this is also a GabeNath story, so of course the return to quiet normal life would be a happy ending. Like, if Nathalie's injury is her magical illness, then we can go further and assume ballet is their villainous activity in the original show. (If you think about it too much, Hawkmoth is also a choreographer in a way, as he's the one to set everything into motion... but I won't think about it too much.)

Anyway, this fundamental structure (cruel reality brings Nathalie and Gabriel together - cruel reality hurts Nathalie - Gabriel realizes this and decides leave cruel reality behind - hopeful ending) is what grounds this AU in spite of how many circumstances are now changed.

Thank you very much for this fanfic! Have a happy New Year!

MulliganFlowers, Dec 31, 2020