TWO YEARS LATER

70869758647564263869870867554657898798

"Thanks for coming here to do this with me." Lila said softly as they hopped out of the car. Adrien and Marinette followed. "I know how hard this must be for you, to come here with me."

"You're our friend, Lila." Marinette smiled, intertwining her hand together with her fiance's. "Of course we'll come here to support you."

"But surely the two of you must be busy, preparing to take over Agreste Industries."

"Father said that we could have the day off for this reason." Adrien admitted as they walked into the building. "The whole day, not just part of it. Really, we should be thanking you." Lila gave him a weak, nervous smile before going up to the desk.

"What can I help you with today, Mme.?" The security guard there asked.

"I have an appointment to talk with my mother, Vivian Rossi." The security guard didn't even blink at the name.

"Ah, I see. Go ahead and take a seat, we'll be out to bring you to her when we're ready." Lila nodded and let out a small breath, moving to sit down on one of the benches. Adrien and Marinette followed her.

"It's okay." Marinette counseled, placing a hand over Lila's, which was shaking. "We're going to be right here with you, every second of the way."

"Thanks." Lila's reply was short and nervous, but she gave the two of them a thankful smile before falling silent. Adrien and Marinette did as well, and it reminded her about how things used to be, before Adrien started to use his voice.

Even though it was only about three years ago now, it still felt like it was just yesterday that Adrien had started to laugh. Some people, once they met him, had a hard time believing that he had been silent for most of his years as a teen. Nowadays he laughed, ranted, talked business, punned/joked, sang, etc.

And she loved it.

She adored how verbal he had become- his words accenting his actions and never failing to make her weak in the knees. She knew that Gabriel couldn't be prouder of Adrien, although her fiance believed otherwise.

She leaned into him, placing her head in just the right spot so that it was comfortable for both of them, but she could still hear his heartbeat. Adrien silently chuckled and moved his arm so that he could wrap it around her, making her feel safe.

Marinette knew that he still had nightmares. Heck, she still had trouble sleeping after that confrontation with Vivian! They always comforted each other when one awoke from one though.

Sometimes, after Adrien's more vivid dreams, he wouldn't say anything at all and just cry. He described it as his vocal cords being squeezed by his throat and preventing him from making noise, but he always spoke to her in the end and it made her all the more grateful. She never wanted Adrien to go silent ever again, and neither did anyone else.

"Lila Rossi and visitors, we're ready for you." A security guard said, coming out of a room. Adrien and Marinette smiled supportively at Lila, and Lila smiled back at them. Together, they followed the guard past the room and into a different one. There were about ten stalls, but only one of them had someone in it. They had glass separating the two, and there were phones on the walls.

In the only one that was occupied was the one and only Vivian Rossi, wearing the orange female prison suit and older than ever. Lila sat down across from her, with Adrien and Marinette standing behind her. Lila closed her eyes and took a deep breath before reaching for the phone. Vivian did as well.

"Hello, mother."

"Hello, my sweet Lila." Tears came to the other woman's eyes. "Oh, Lila, I- you've grown so much."

"I know." The emotion in both of their voices made Marinette want to cry, but she wouldn't. Not right now. She tightened her hold on Adrien's hand, and he squeezed it back.

"I wish I could've been there for you." A tear was starting to fall down Vivian's cheek. "Oh, my sweet Lila, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, mother." Lila smiled. "You don't have to apologize. Not to me, anyway. I know why you did what you did, and I have to admit it was sweet of you, but…"

"I got what I deserved." Vivian nodded. "I know."

97086954736357980865436587097968543657809654

After they got home, Marinette collapsed onto the couch in Adrien's room. Adrien chuckled when she spluttered at Tikki, who had decided to jump on Marinette and make her her bed.

"Tikki~!" Marinette groaned, glaring at the calico cat. Plagg soon joined his fellow feline on top of Marinette's stomach, and Adrien outright laughed. "It's not funny."

"Oh, but it is." Adrien said, leaning down to give his fiance a kiss on her forehead. "You know that they never do that to me."

"That's because you tease them." Marinette huffed. "Are we still going for the D&D triple date at 5?"

"Yup." Adrien nodded and stretched, letting out a loud yawn. Before he could go and do something however, Marinette grabbed his hand. He looked down at her, and for not the last time he was swallowed up in their impossibly blue depths.

"I love you." She said so sincerely that his heart would never stop skipping.

"I love you too." He said in a soft, breathless voice. The two of them shared a soft smile before leaning in for a kiss.