Chapter Text
Marinette stood in the door of the room, staring at her husband, who was staring out the window. She had seen this thousand-mile stare all too often of late.
Seven years. It had been that long since she found a small box holding a pair of earrings and her future. Five years since she and Adrien had found out each other’s alter egos. Four since they started dating, and two since they were married.
And one year- one- since Hawkmoth and Mayura had been defeated, and their Miraculous returned to the Miracle Box. And Adrien’s life had shattered. Accusations of collusion, the near-disintegration of his father’s company, and then, more recently- finding a secret in the grotto underneath the house.
She could almost hate Gabriel for that alone. Keeping Adrien’s mother hidden away for so long- even after he had been tried and convicted, he had kept silent. But the odd energy use in the mansion was preventing serious buyers, and Adrien finally had an electrician investigate the ‘problem’.
Marinette tried to be there for him, but sometimes he would just- stop, as if he’d become a breathing statue. Therapy helped, and studies, work, and friends. Slowly, the bouts of sinking into his own head became fewer. But as the anniversary of the battle approached, and the news was filled with the city’s plans to celebrate Hawkmoth’s defeat a year before, the stare came back. Sometimes for only a minute…sometimes longer. Last week, he had been non-responsive for most of a day.
Outside of that, Adrien appeared fine. But Marinette knew better.
She hoped she could bring him back out. She had news for him. And a decision he had to make; she felt it wasn’t her place.
Marinette pulled up a chair beside her husband, settling into it with a wince. Second trimester of carrying twins was nothing like the pregnancy book said; she was already showing enough to make chairs difficult, and getting questioned about her due date. She picked up Adrien’s limp hand in her own, sliding her fingers into his palm and rubbing circles on the back with her thumb.
She’d wait all afternoon- all night- if she had to.
It felt like an hour, but the clock only showed twenty minutes before Adrien stirred and looked over at Marinette. She smiled softly.
“Back with us again?”
He blinked slowly. “Yeah, mostly.”
She nodded and kept rubbing his hand.
“If-“ Adrien paused, as if trying to find the right words. “If I only knew why -“ Clenching his jaw, he closed his eyes against tears. “I don’t want to be that kind of father. Not to our children.”
“And you won’t be.” Marinette spoke with a quiet fierceness. “Who would know better than you how not to be?”
He shook his head. “I still worry. All the time.”
She pulled him into a hug. “I know. That’s how I know you’d be fine, no matter what happens.” She lost her smile then, as she pulled away and changed the subject. “The coroner called- the one working on your mother. I went down to the hospital to see what he wanted.”
Adrien’s face twisted. “I can’t believe that Father kept Mom in that- ice box. Or that we only found out about it last week. He could have said something sooner.”
“Sooner wouldn’t have made a difference to her. She’s been gone a while.”
“I know. It just seems like- he kept her around for himself. I mean- I had no idea she was there. Even though I knew she was dead, Father always acted like she wasn’t- like she’d just walk through the door someday.”
Marinette considered how to phrase her next statement. Adrien already had so many burdens…”From what I learned today, that’s what he wanted our Miraculous for. To bring her back with the Wish.”
Adrien snorted. “Fat lot of good that would have done. A wish like that would have killed someone.” He huffed a mirthless laugh. “Probably me.”
She sniffed disdainfully. “If he could control the power at all. Obviously, he thought he could, but Tikki told me that very few people can. She says that only one in the dozen or so who’s tried actually succeeded in making their wish, and it cost him his life. The rest burned out before even getting that far.”
“Oh, thanks for the nightmare fuel,” Adrien’s voice was slightly sarcastic.
“You’re welcome.” Marinette said in the same tone, then sobered. “But back to the original subject. The coroner found a sealed envelope on your mother’s body. Addressed to Gabriel. He asked what we wanted to do with it.”
“Should we give it to him?” Adrien frowned.
“I tried. I went and saw him.” She shook her head. “He wouldn’t look at me, and when I mentioned the envelope- well. He had a bit of a rant.” Marinette shifted in her chair. “He believes it’s a love letter from your mother, and he didn’t want to read her ‘last words’.” She paused, deep in thought. “I think he thinks that, if he reads them, it’ll make your mother’s death- real.”
“As if it weren’t.” Adrien looked back out the window. “And I thought I needed therapy. Sorry you had to do that.”
“It’s okay, kitty.” She slipped the envelope out of her pocket. “Do you want to read it?”
His eyes flickered to the envelope. “You didn’t open it?”
“I thought you had the right to see what was in it first, since Gabriel doesn’t want to.”
Slowly, Adrien took the letter from her, turning it over and over in his hands. Then, as she wondered what he was thinking, he slit the envelope open in one swift motion. Pulling out the pages, he unfolded them.
Marinette watched his face go through a dozen emotions as he read the handwritten words. Finally, Adrien handed her the pages as tears slipped down his cheeks. “Here. Read this.”
Marienette read, baffled, as Adrien returned his gaze to the window. This was- she didn’t know what to think about this. Awful? Sad? Annoyed? At the end she sighed. “I’m sorry, Adrien.”
“I’m not.” He turned back to her. “Yeah, things would be different if Mom hadn’t listened to that old woman. Or if Father had read the letter. Or maybe not, in his case- he’s-“ Adrien tried to find the words. “Stubborn.” He grasped Marinette’s hand again. “But if they hadn’t done what they did- I’d never have met you. And that’s an ending I don’t want to think about too hard. You mean everything to me.”
Marinette smiled, blinking back tears. “Same.” She put an arm around her husband. “So, what now?”
“Now? Now, I think I’d better make another appointment with the therapist. I am not spacing out when the babies arrive.” Adrien stood up, and though his eyes were shadowed, his smile was real, with a hint of mischief. “And then I love you, and our kids, with all my heart. And if an old woman tries to tell us their future, we run like hell.”
She smiled, and stood- slowly, with a care for her belly. “That sounds like a plan.”
He gave her a hug, and a deep kiss that took her breath away. “There were some terrible things in my life, but because of them I met you, and you made my life better. I think- it’s worth it.”