Maternal Instincts

She's always with you

A few months had passed since Nathalie and Gabriel had confessed their relationship to Adrien. Yet, to the rest of the world, it was kept a secret. They had decided to wait until Emilie was properly buried and mourned, and for that, they had a plan. 

It was strange for Adrien that Nathalie didn't pick him up from school that day, he only saw Gorilla holding the door for him to enter. 

As he got in, thoughts started to run through his mind. 

"What if they broke up?" "What if Nathalie left and it's never coming back?" "What if she left just like mom?"

These questions struck his heart. They weren't new, he had this constant fear of losing, his now mother, Nathalie. She and his father meant the world for him now. 

His worries were immediately wiped by the image of the woman standing in the door, Nathalie.

-Nat, you didn't pick me up today, is something wrong? - he ran throwing his arms around her.

Nathalie stood silent holding the boy in her arms. She looked into his eyes and laying a kiss in his forehead she spoke. 

-Adrien, your father needs to talk to you. 

-Is something wrong? Why don't you come?

-I can't, this is between you two. 

Adrien could see the importance of this matter in her eyes. His heart immediately ran faster. 

"What if he knows I am Chat Noir?" "Damn, I am doomed".

He slowly walked towards his father's office and knocked on the door three times.

-Come in- his father's voice sounded deep and concerned. 

-Father? Is everything alright? - he asked now noticing the atmosphere of tension that permeated the office.

He found his father with his hands behind his back staring out the window. 

Adrien closed the door behind him and stood in silence, waiting for his old man to take the first step. 

-Adrien... - he said still looking out the window- Your mother... your mother's body was found in the Alps. Apparently she had an accident while skiing. 

Gabriel turned around to face his son. Adrien was silent, staring at the floor; deep within him, he always hoped for his mother to cross through the doors and come back into his life. But on the other hand, he had grown used to her absence; grown used to that lack of maternal love, until Nathalie became his maternal figure, of course. Nevertheless, there was one small light of hope that his mother was alive and well, the same light that was now being destroyed by his father's words. Adrien felt a sudden rush of pain struck through his chest. He dropped his school bag and ran into his father's arms, and there he cried. 

Little by little Adrien cried his heart out, the pain was unbearable, he felt his knees weaker and weaker, and so, Gabriel and Adrien sat on the floor, holding each other. Gabriel felt his heart torn apart, he couldn't stand his son crying like this, but he knew it was necessary. He needed to have a closure towards his mother. He knew this is what he should have done some years ago, he had been so selfish, so stubborn, so stupid. His son was going through this pain right now because of him, but he couldn't hide it from him anymore. Emilie wasn't coming back. 

Before Gabriel could realize, tears were falling down his cheeks too. He let himself cry for Emilie, he let himself blend his pain with that from his son and move on together. None of both knew how long they sat on that floor crying in the arms of the other. Gabriel realized Adrien had fallen asleep while crying, it was natural, he was exhausted. So he carried his son in his arms and took him to his room.