By All Means, Impose

by Sagelot9

Summary:

What Tom Dupain wants is for Adrien Agreste to know he's loved, that it's okay to have emotional needs, and it's okay to ask for those needs to be met.

Tom was working on washing the dishes when Adrien came in from upstairs.

"Ah, I thought I'd said I'd get those."

Tom smiled at him. "You've done the dishes some five days in a row now. I think we can spread the chores a little." And though Tom wouldn't say it, he'd rather Adrien not do anything at all for a while longer. "You could stand to rest a little," he said instead. "I know Marinette would appreciate it."

Adrien rubbed at his neck before picking up a spoon and a sponge. "I know, but I can't stand not helping. You've been too kind."

And you've had too little kindness. Tom frowned down into the sink. "I wonder if that's even possible."

"Hm?" Adrien paused in putting away his spoon.

"Being too kind."

Adrien chewed on that for a moment and they made their way through the silverware, then the plates, then the bowls. Tom was scrubbing lightly at their rice cooker bowl when Adrien turned back to him. "I really don't want to impose. I know this is temporary and, well, I'd like to pay back what I can, even if that's impossible."

Tom had to stop for a minute and close his eyes. This boy. This boy. What had that - that Hawkmoth done to him?

"I'm just happy to know you're safe and healing, that you're surrounded by friends who want to help and by our family, and that if you need anything from us, you'll ask."

Adrien kept his eyes on the soup bowl in his hands. "I don't want to impose."

Tom turned to him. By the light of the kitchen, he could see the dark circles under Adrien's eyes. There would be no scars, no physical ones. Marinette had seen to that. But there were mental scars, emotional scars. May Hawkmoth rot in that jail.

"I want you to know we care about you. No matter what you think you've done, no matter what you ask of us. We want to help in whatever way we can."

Adrien shook his head, still looking downward into the sink. "I want everything. All the love he could never give me. I can't ask that of you."

Adrien sighed. "And it feels manipulative to just ask for love, you know?"

Tom paused, carefully considering his next words. "I don't think it's manipulative to ask for your needs to be met. Everyone has needs, emotional and physical. One person's emotional needs may be too much for one person, but our whole family is here to support you. Especially Marinette, but definitely Sabine and I."

Tom tentatively put a hand on Adrien's back and Adrien almost jumped into the hug. Rubbing circles into his back, he said, "I can't give you your father's love. But whatever ways we can show you we love you, however you can communicate it to us. We'll do our best. It's easier when we know what you need."

Adrien sniffed into his apron, and they stayed that way for a while - standing in the kitchen, the sink full of soapy dishes, a boy getting much-needed affection, and a father feeling the tension ebb out of them both.

"Thank you."

Notes:

I wrote this at 4 am thinking about my now-deceased mother and the emotional needs I never had the courage to talk to her about (and that I'm still learning to communicate with the family that's still here). It's not emotional manipulation to have a discussion of what you want and need from the people who love you. As long as it goes both ways, and other caveats I can't think of because it's 5:30 am now.

Happy International Mother's Day!