Emotional Support [Complete]

S1 E22: Always Need You

"What happened, chéri?"

Thunder arrived once again as Adrien jolted back, shaking violently.

"Oh," Marinette realized, joining him on the bed, "you're frightened by the storm, aren't you, Adrien?"

The blond boy nodded, his eyes shut tightly as thunder struck again. "Y-Yeah. I-I told you I d-didn't like thunder. And... And I had a nightmare about my mom."

The poor boy's lip wobbled uncontrollably as he forced back tears, covering his face with his hands. Marinette removed the blanket from over his head to which he gasped, pulling it back over him. Marinette shook her head at the emerald-eyed boy giving her an angry pout. She took him into her arms, holding his head securely.

"Tell me about your nightmare?"

Adrien sniffled. "It was more of a memory. Of the day I found out she was gone. We don't know the exact day something happened to her, but I was told she was on a long trip. It turns out, she'd been missing for months. I didn't know until I overheard officer Roger say she was nowhere to be found. I wasn't even thirteen yet. I-I ran into the storm, calling for her. I don't know what I expected, but she obviously didn't respond. My father took me back inside and stayed with me until the storm passed. But he became cold and distant after that."

Marinette sighed, holding back her own tears. She'd never really heard the story before. And it broke her heart to hear that Adrien had to go through that. She would be traumatized, too. Marinette rubbed his back as he continued to shake. Then, he let out a sob, causing him to freeze for a moment. He was holding back again.

"Do you want to cry?" Marinette asked him.

Adrien seemed petrified of the question. He furiously shook his head. "I-I'm not going to c-cry."

"You know," Marinette stroked his head, "crying is good for you sometimes. It'll make you feel better if you did."

Adrien whimpered. "I-I know."

"Adrien, stop holding it back. It's not healthy. Every time I've actually seen you cry, you're still trying not to. Just let it go."

Adrien frowned. "But father says..."

Marinette clicked her tongue. "Adrien, your father cries too."

Adrien seemed surprised. "Yeah? How would you know?"

Marinette's pupils shrank in regret. She didn't intend to expose Gabriel. "Because he's human. A human with feelings that carries sorrows just like you. You lost your mother; he lost the love of his life. You really believe he's never broken down before?"

Adrien felt a pang of guilt. He'd been so preoccupied, feeling neglected and yearning for his father's attention, he'd never stop to think how his father was feeling. He's been hurting too this whole time, and Adrien couldn't pay enough attention to notice. Adrien would be completely torn apart if he had lost his lady. Or Marinette. He may not be in love with her, but he still loved her deeply.