Warning chapter contains suicidal thoughts and actions.
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Adrien Agreste was smart, fashionable and popular student from Paris. His life was going nowhere until he meant Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a well known, stylish girl with a passion for designing.

Marinette took an instant disliking to Adrien. He was the dating her sworn enemy and he was incredibly mean to others. He would push anyone and anything away to get what he wanted. He was just like his girlfriend, Chloé Bourgeois.  Learning to avoid Adrien was something Marinette learned during her years in School.

However, when Chloé tried to bully Marinette, Adrien came to the rescue. Marinette began to notice that Adrien could be redeemed but it would take a lot of effort on his part to earn her forgiveness.

Adrien glared at his girlfriend, a subtle threat to back off from the porcelain like Marinette. Marinette was the type of girl that hid her true emotions through a smile. Something that Adrien had done so often with photoshoots and interviews. She refused to show her true emotions and that irritated him. He thought if he persisted enough she would eventually drop her guard.

She was the person that Adrien wished he was. She took everything so gracefullly. One time Chloe threw her items out a window and she just smiled and went to gather them. She even handled being drenched with a bucket of water with smile. This just rubbed him the wrong way. "How far do I have to go before she cracks?" He would ask himself every time he did something awful to her.

"Ouch!" Marinette said when she ran into Adrien accidentally. These types confrontations she tried to avoid.

"Sorry." She said trying to move out of the way but, the tall, blonde teen blocked her path.

He glanced down at the girl who oddly wore long sleeves during warm months as well as winter. "You should be careful, shortcake."

Those words surprised Marinette. They weren't mean, genuinely kind despite the demeaning nickname. But she didn't trust him not after the water incident.

"I will." She replied.

He patted the top of her head, a small jester of affection. She jolted not expecting him to lay a hand on her. She knew if she complained or moved it would just cause more problems.

Adrien thought if he play his cards carefully that they could be friends.
He knew that Marinette would never forgive Chloe. She was beyond repair but he had hope that Marinette would forgive him. She wasn't moving from his touch so although, small there was definitely hope.

Adrien had broken up with Chloe the day before and Marinette was scared that one or both would take it out on her. She decided the best action was to do nothing and just to take the bullying. When the bullying first started she had attempted once to report them to the school but thanks to Chloe’s status as the Mayor's daughter no one was punished.

"Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Yes?" She asked worried that he was going to hurt her.

"I'm sorry."

Marinette was confused. Adrien never apologized. Not to anyone. "What for?"

"I told Chloé that you are a thorn in my side. You're ditzy, clumsy, you smile for no God damn reason, you're a baker's daughter for Pete's sakes, I'm out of your-."

Marinette slapped him across the face.
He grabbed her wrist. Her cerulean grew wide as she realized that she signed her death sentence.

"I guess I deserve that but you didn't let me finish." Adrien smirked as that was the genuine reaction he had got from her. He rubbed his cheek with his other hand. He was impressed that she hit hard for someone so small.

"I'm sor-" Before she could finish her apology Adrien kissed her.

"I also told her I'm hopelessly in love with her."

He kissed her with more force as he had hope that she would accept his feelings. She wanted to push him away but if she did what would be the consequences? As soon as Adrien let up to catch his breath. She rolled up her sleeves showing him how his actions truly made her feel.

He looked at scars that decorated her arms. He realized this was why she wore long sleeves all year round to hide the pain. "Why didn't you tell me? I would off stopped her."

She looked up at him with teary eyes..
He could never forget the words that she said next. "I did this because of you."

He took a step back.  He couldn't believe that he caused her to harm herself. He wanted to apologize for being so persistent. He wanted her to crack and from the looks of the scars she had cracked long ago.

Tears dripped down her cheeks. "I'm.. afraid of you." He had forcibly taken her first kiss and was afraid of what else he would take from her.

He knew that he was the last person that she wanted to consule her but he couldn't help but to wrap his arms around her. She quietly sobbed into his chest. She thought her life was over until Adrien said the one thing that gave her hope for a normal life.

"I'll return to home schooling if that what it takes." He was also willing to make a deal with the she-devil. He would take her back in exchange she would have to leave Marinette alone.
He kissed the top of her head. "I know this isn't how I am supposed to treat someone I love. I'm a jerk. I know and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you and I'm sorry that I love you."