If I Can't Love Her

Marinette nervously gripped the wrapped present in her hand as she made her way to the Agreste Mansion. She had learned from Nino that today was the anniversary of when Adrien's mother disappeared and he was so miserable that he stayed home. So she decided to give him a gift, hoping to make him feel better. She worked really hard to make it and she remembered to sign her name on it.

"Can I help you?" Nathalie asked when she rang the intercom.

"Hi my name is Marinette and I brought Adrien a gift."

"What for?" She asked. "It's not Christmas or his birthday. Wait! Are you another one of those crazed fans trying to sneak in?"

"No! I made it for him because I heard today was the anniversary of when his mother vanished and I...I just wanted to make him feel better."

"I see." She sighed. "He's not here right now and I have to run some errands. I suppose I could let you in and you could leave it in his room but leave after that."

"I will. I promise, thank you."

The door opened and she went inside the huge mansion. She then went up to his room, the lights were off and it was night time so she could hardly see anything. She tried to find a light switch but it was too dark to see. She felt for something she could place the gift on.

"This feels like his desk."

She put the present down and felt the surface for a good spot to put. Then when she thought she found a good spot she felt for the gift. But she accidentally grabbed something else. She held it up to the moonlight hoping to see if it was her present. It was a small picture frame of Adrien's mother.

"Don't touch it!" A voice shouted startling Marinette so much that she dropped it. She turned to see Cat Noir across from her having entered from the window. He bolted for the picture frame, when he felt the broken shards of glass he glared at her. "You ruined it!"

"I...I...I didn't mean to...It was an accident." She stuttered "I'm so sorry."

"Why are you here?" He growled. "You don't live here!"

"I'm...I'm Adrien's friend I wanted to give him-"

"Adrien has no friends! No one cares about him! You're just some selfish girl who wants him for his looks and money! Get out!"

"But I-"

"I SAID GET OUT!" He roared. Marinette tried to run but she wasn't fast enough for Cat Noir's judgement. In blind rage, he scratched her arm with her claws missing her skin but tearing her sleeve. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! NO RIGHT AT ALL!"

Marinette stumbled back in fear and landed in the moonlight. Allowing him to see her face and he was horrified by who it was.

"Ma...Marinette?" He looked at the scrap of sleeve on his clawed hand and then up to see her shivering face and tear filled eyes. "No...Oh no...I-"

"Don't touch me!" She cried standing up and backing away when he tried help her up. She ran out of the room and downstairs toward the doors.

"No! Wait! Come back! I'm sorry!" He called chasing after her.

"Leave me alone! Stay away from me!"

She ran outside and slammed the door. Cat Noir stopped and sighed in regret.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I didn't mean to hurt you."

All day he had been hurt and angry. His father had had ignored him all day even he said hello and an hour ago he lashed out at him. He turned into Cat Noir to get out his frustration but it didn't help. When he came back to see someone in his room. It had been so dark in his room that he didn't know who he was. When he saw her with the picture of his mother he was just so angry, he thought it was Chloe or some selfish fan trying to get to him for their own benefit. He never imagined it would be sweet Marinette.

He went back to his room and turned on the lights. He picked up the broken picture frame of his mother and put it back on his desk where he saw the present she had left. He read the note on it.

Dear Adrien

I'm heard how important today

was to you. You called in sick

for school but Nino told me

the truth so I made you something

to make you feel better.

I hope you like it

Love Marinette.

Adrien dropped the note in horrified sadness. She came here to give him a gift? She just wanted to make him happy. She cared, she loved, and he...

"Why do I always want someone to love me?" He asked himself. "I don't even know what love is."

He remembered the way she looked at him. It was the same way his mother looked at his father when he lost his temper one night. He was a monster, just like his father.

"And in my twisted face
There's not the slightest trace
Of anything that even hints of kindness
And from my tortured shape
No comfort, no escape
I see, but deep within is utter blindness
Hopeless
As my dream dies
As the time flies
Love a lost illusion
Helpless
Unforgiven
Cold and driven
To this sad conclusion
No beauty could move me
No goodness improve me
No power on earth, if I can't love her
No passion could reach me
No lesson could teach me
How I could have loved her and made her love me too
If I can't love her, then who?"

He fell to his knees and fought the urge to cry.

"Long ago I should have seen
All the things I could have been
Careless and unthinking, I moved onward
No pain could be deeper
No life could be cheaper
No point anymore, if I can't love her
No spirit could win me
No hope left within me
Hope I could have loved her and that she'd set me free
But it's not to be
If I can't love her
Let the world be done with me!"

He de transformed back into his civilian form and unwrapped his gift. It was a new jacket, Marinette had said she had been working on a jacket for a contest. If she won then she would get a recommendation to a designer college. This jacket was perfectly sewed and stitched and the color was a lovely shade of black. She would've surely won with it but she gave it to him instead.

"You okay kid?" Plagg asked.

"I have to make it up to her. I've got to."

"How?"

He thought for a moment and he went online shopping. He looked up the most expensive jewelry at the jewelers.

"Father will kill me if I buy this but for once I don't give a damn."

Three days later Marinette received a package in the mail from an unknown analysis. She opened it, inside was a gold chain with a ruby rose pendent. She asked the mailman where it came from but he didn't know. There was no address or anything but there was a note.

Dear Princess

I'm so sorry

I didn't mean to hurt you.

It was just a misunderstanding

I thought you were someone who

wanted to hurt Adrien.

I hope you can forgive me.

Love your kitty.

"Oh kitty." She said putting the necklace on. "I forgive you."

Song: If I can't love her from Beauty and the Beast the Musical