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It was one thing to be presented with the news of her best friend's death, true or not, and another to know that the friend was very much in real danger right this second. And the fact that the friend basically outright admitted their friendship meant nothing to him when compared to his relationship with his boyfriend. In the lake of gold and silver, why would anyone pick the glass apple that fell in when they could pick the golden one?

And the sensation of his hands gripping her neck, his fingers pressing into her throat...that was very much real. The feeling still lingered with the mottled blue and purple bruises against her skin like a poorly designed choker. A grotesque choker whose name proved too real for comfort.

The (h/c)-haired girl numbly touched her neck again. Her entire body was cold, she realized, but she wasn't trembling. Her fingertips were also made out of ice as they touched the finger-shaped bruises, which lit up with heat upon impact. They burned like scald marks or worse, brands. Brands that were proof of something irreversible. Something that could no longer be taken back. A symbol of a broken heart that drove someone to a broken friendship.

Bits and pieces. Everything was broken.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, gently but firmly pushing the blond away from her. "I...haven't exactly been feeling in it of sorts these days, so it kinda slipped my mind. So your...confession, I really appreciate it but I can't—"

"You can't?" He blinked in visible confusion, his bright smile faltering. "You don't mean that now, do you? You're not going to leave me all alone too, are you? That's too cruel of you, (Y/n)...especially when you're all that I have."

"I—" He was shaking his head, his beautiful scarlet eyes shining with unshed tears and emotions, not allowing her to speak. He took her hand in his and placed it on his chest right over his heart. He held her eyes in his with an imploring gaze, begging her, pleading with her to change her mind to one he was content with.

"Can you feel it? My heart's beating fast, (Y/n)...that only happens when I'm with you." He dropped his head, his bangs falling over his eyes as he gripped her hand tightly and held it to his face. "Without you, my world is dark. Without you, I can't breathe. You're the only thing that makes me happy. I don't want to be in that cage anymore—I...I can't stand it if you're not by my side."

Her skin crawled with goosebumps at his chilling words, so full of affection and longing that it frightened her. Their positions were too intimate, too emotional, and too much of all the things (Y/n) could not control. She didn't like not being in control.

And she never expected his childlike attachment to her to grow this much. She had initially brushed it off as an introvert's emotional attachment to the person who helped them come out of their shell. He was like a little brother to her almost. Or perhaps a stray puppy she couldn't turn a blind eye to. Anything but this. This was too much.

Emotions—feelings—love—

It was a cage that surrounded her, locked her up, and refused to let her go.

Please...no more!

Her mouth opened but it was dry. Words hung on the tip of her tongue, teetering on the verge of being spoken and being kept secret. Would she be blunt and tell him she had no interest in relationships? (Y/n) was never one for revealing her true feelings. That felt too invasive, even with her best friends. It was a habit she couldn't break out of. Or would she sugarcoat it, telling him in some roundabout way she wasn't ready to accept his confession?

She wanted to turn him down. She wanted to turn them all down. Humans and their complexities are not something she liked dealing with. Machines were simple. Machines were safe. She could understand machines and their inner workings, and she could manipulate them however she wished.

But she couldn't do that with humans.

Jaehyun didn't seem to think much of her silence as he held her hand to his cheek with such strength she couldn't free herself even if she wanted to. He closed his eyes, his long lashes feathering down and casting a faint shadow on his high cheekbones. "If you say no..." he murmured, leaning into the feeling of her warm skin against his. "Well, you won't say no. There's no reason for you to, is there? I need you, (Y/n). I want you. With me, I promise you'll always be happy and having fun. I'm not like the others—I like you just the way you are. All of you. You don't have to change a thing."

His soft, hypnotic voice somehow snapped her out of the growing anxiousness that rose up her throat and choked her. Her mind cleared up again and her panic fled away from the impending clarity. (Y/n) ripped her hand out of his as soon as she felt his grip slacken. Harsh words burned in her mouth, ready to be unleashed like projectiles on the blond but one look at his shining eyes that reminded her so much of red camellias made her change her mind.

They held no lies. His affection for her was real. And even (Y/n) couldn't trample on that or deny it. At least he was being truthful to her...or so she believed.

A battle of words and wit was no use against Jaehyun. He'd twist her words however he liked and interpret them into a way he was satisfied with. If she spoke a single negative about him, he'd claim she was being brainwashed. If she wasn't careful with her words and said something he didn't like, he'd threaten to maim her again.

Or perhaps he'd be true to his words this time.

This meant action was all that could sway the blond devil wearing an angel's smile. (Y/n) decided the best course of action was to say nothing, to neither confirm nor deny his speculations. She'd play along until the time was right, and then she'd be free of him.

It was a game of patience. And it was one she intended to win.

The (h/c)-haired girl closed her mouth and offered him a tense smile with as much pleasantry forced into it she could muster. "That's...nice of you." She had to make this as believable as possible, but she was no actress. Though Jaehyun's strange mental image of her as some kind of saint did help her cause. "Really, I mean it. Thank...you."

She bit the inside of her mouth and held her breath. Well, here goes nothing. (Y/n) tentatively reached forward and gathered the lean boy into a one-armed hug. She patted him awkwardly on the back for added emphasis. He didn't seem to react at first and she was too scared to look up at his expression. Did he see through her ploy? Was he angry now?

"(Y/n)..." the boy finally said. He said her name so quietly she almost missed up.

"Yes—?!"

(Y/n) didn't have any time to brace herself as the boy hugged her back, knocking her over onto her back. His arms tightened around her waist as he let out a contented sigh, his warm breath fanning over her neck and sending unpleasant shivered down her spine. Jaehyun rolled them over so his weight wasn't crushing her but made no move to let her go. Rather than loving, his embrace felt stifling. Uncomfortable. Constricting. And almost...possessive.

She didn't know what to do or say as his long artist's fingers ran through her unkempt hair, weaving easily through the knots. His eyes were hooded and his smile lopsided and almost silly, his excitement almost too much to handle as it took his all to not just pepper his love with kisses.

She didn't push him away. That meant she accepted him, he decided. That meant she wouldn't leave. She was his and he was hers. It was as simple as that. Everything was going the way he wanted with the best possible outcome. Sure, there had been a few blips in the road. She had too many annoying bugs near her that took her attention away from him. Those bugs were selfish, robbing him of what should've been his even when he patiently waited for her to look at him and only him.

That didn't happen. His patience ran out. And he knew exactly who to blame.

That didn't matter anymore. She was his now. He'd show her that he could be the perfect boyfriend. He would show her how wonderful she really was, both as a person and his muse. He'd finally be able to complete his true masterpiece—not Mirror Lake, but another one. One that he has been trying to complete his whole life with no success. One that could only be finished if both he and the right person were in the picture together. And that person was her.

He had found her, and he had no intention of letting go.

"Okay, um...you can let go now." (Y/n) tried to free herself but he didn't look like he was about to let go anytime soon. She knew he'd definitely misunderstood her and as much as that caused a guilty twinge in her conscience, it was for the best. It was easier to trick Jaehyun than, say, Tristan. Or even more difficult, Kieran. She'd stick to her plan of getting them to trust her and when she escaped with Reese, they may be a little down for a while but she was sure they'd cut their losses and move on.

They had to. Was love really all that great for them to do otherwise? There was no way.

"I think I rather stay like this," Jaehyun hummed. All the tension in his body seeped away with the feeling of the (h/c)-haired girl finally in his arms. He tightened his hold around her waist and satisfied, he let his eyes drift shut.

Serenity, peace, complacency. He's found his safe haven within her embrace.

Long minutes passed and the blond showed no sign of letting go. Soon, (Y/n) became increasingly convinced of one thing as she continued to lie there with a few futile attempts to break free here and there.

This boy can't have fallen asleep, right? She craned her head to the side to peek up at his face. It only confirmed her suspicions. Hell, he went along and did. Lucky bastard.

Jaehyun's sleeping form made him seem so innocent and angelic, nothing like his easily angered nature and demonic temperament. His violent rages only felt like a bad dream. How could someone like him be neither completely angel or demon? He was in the gray zone and one of the very people (Y/n) was reluctant to associate herself with. Uncontrollable people. Unpredictable people. People who listened to their hearts rather than their minds and let themselves be enslaved by it.

It felt weirdly intimate to be looking at his sleeping face so she hurriedly tore her gaze away. At least in his slumber, his hold had weakened and she, with some difficulty, was able to escape. A sigh escaped his lips at the movement, causing her to freeze and peer back fearfully.

A small smile danced on his lips as if he was having a pleasant dream. He mumbled something and turned his head to the side, his eyes remaining blissfully shut the whole time.

"(Y/n)..." he moaned, his lips parting. "Silly...you can't do that..." He trailed off, sleep mercifully dragging him back into its depths.

Well, totally not creepy at all. The said girl began backing away. She didn't know if he was a light or heavy sleeper and she didn't want to stay to find out. Stay asleep, okay? I'm just gonna go poof for a long second...

She hightailed it out of there without a second glance back. It almost felt surreal—she's been trying to get a moment of peace to herself without any of...them bothering her for the last few days with no success. Yet here she was able to shake Jaehyun off with barely any effort at all. She was half-expecting the boy to pop his eyes open mere seconds after she leaves and make things take a turn for the worse.

The halls were thankfully empty. There were no blood splatters on the walls or any corpses lying in the corners. (Y/n) half-expected it to, especially with the way Jasper's face looked. She saw firsthand how far the navy blue-haired male was willing to go. But the question was, how far were Leon and Tristan capable of going?

She passed by the windows she'd tried countless times to break through to no avail. Past the beautifully decorated rooms that now felt more chilling and empty than aesthetically pleasing. Past a modern-looking fireplace in the living room and hanging crystal chandeliers. She ducked into every room on her way and craned her ears for sounds of either of the three.

But there was only silence as if she was alone in this house, just her and the ghosts. The couch where Kieran had once draped himself over, the armchair where Tristan perched regally with his tea, the corner where Leon camped out at, and the easel by the windows Jaehyun found solstice in—it all felt empty. Hollow. Lifeless. The furniture was neat and clean, and now that she's gotten a good look at it, they didn't look lived in. The manor didn't feel like a home, a stark contrast with her small but homey apartment with her father.

She missed her father.

I probably walked around the whole building already, (Y/n) mused as her search came to a stop in front of her door. But I can't find them anywhere, and I even checked zebra, snowman, and sunflower's floors. Maybe I should go to popsicle's? He never said I couldn't. The other three didn't look like they cared but popsicle always gave me the impression he did, so maybe it's not a good idea.

She thought for a little while longer.

To hell with it. No one's going to report me for trespassing anyway.

The elevator ride up to the topmost floor felt dreadfully long and tedious. She tugged on the sleeves of her sweater to push away the impending nervousness that came over her—which was absurd because come on, she was just taking an innocent elevator trip up under the pretense of visiting the blue-haired male. Nothing suspicious. Why would he get mad?

The elevator dinged and the doors slowly slid open. Tristan's floor wasn't too different from Kieran's, she realized. Both were neat and modern with white walls. Marble and glass—that basically summed up the entire floor. There was some decoration that looked like it was placed there because someone had to rather than for decorative reasons.

She saw a few porcelain vases sporting tall plants, a few paintings, and some scatterings of stone sculptures here and there. So sunflower's hand even reaches up here, huh? She thought dryly.

The entire floor was well lit given the large windows that spanned from floor to ceiling. (Y/n) turned to the nearest door and out of instinct, she reached out and knocked softly on it. "Uh, Tristan? Is...Jas there?"

Again, silence. When it became clear no one was going to answer, she reached out again and gingerly pushed open the door. The interior looked like some kind of study with a single-window accompanying a desk and chair. Nothing about it looked like a room for a high school student but then again, she supposed Tristan was no normal high school student.

The rest of the search was like playing hide-and-seek with herself. She'd knock and then open the door before she gave up on the knocking part entirely. She saw the same wall she and Jaehyun had vandalized the day before, making her bite back a small smile. Wish I had seen his reaction.

She let out an annoyed sigh. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Why would they bring Jas up here anyway? Her hand hovered over the last door at the end of the hallway. Whatever. I'll check this room and leave.

She knocked sharply, one-two. "Anyone there? No? Great, I'm coming in."

Her hand curled around the silver doorknob and she pushed the door open. At first, nothing seemed strange. Just another room with the lights turned off, darkness melted over everything like dark chocolate, obscuring them from her eyes. (Y/n) stood in the light from the hallway with her hand still on the doorknob, not really wanting to go in. It was like she was right on the boundaries of white and black, lie and truth, and she had no idea which to pick.

She didn't have to pick. Someone else made the decision for her. (Y/n) felt herself moving as something—or someone—from the shadows reached out and yanked her into the room with one fluid motion, closing the door behind them.

There was only one adequate response to this situation.

"I'm sorry your great tallness!" (Y/n) spluttered, her eyes scanning the perpetrator for a sign of a certain creature's signature black suit and tentacles. "I'm very sorry to have disturbed you!"

The figure inclined its head at her, clearly confused. "Excuse me?" A very familiar voice with a smooth businesslike undertone laced into it said.

She pressed her back closer to the door, suddenly very conscious of his close proximity to her and the burning warmth that seemed to radiate from his hand that was pressed right next to her face. "Oh, uh, didn't realize you were here. Did I interrupt something?"

"Was that your intention?"

(Y/n) made a helpless gesture while looking at everything but the male in front of her. "I was looking for something. Thought no one was here."

A low chuckle rumbled through his chest and he shifted, the action making her tense up and hold her breath. What is he doing?

Thankfully, he was moving away. The lights flickered on a second later and swathed the two in its gentle glow. Tristan was clad in a white collared shirt and a pair of black slacks. He indifferently crossed deeper into the room while fixing his collar, completely unfazed by the sight of the (h/c)-haired girl pressed against his door like a jailbreaker caught under the spotlight.

Her messy hair and wrinkled shirt did match the part.

Her nerves slipped away and she was finally able to relax, not without keeping a watchful eye on the male as he adeptly unbuttoned his collar with one hand. His back was to her as he picked something off the floor. They were in some kind of training room, she realized. There were dumbbells laid neatly on a rack against the wall. Some mats and punching bags. A track mill. It was like one of those expensive membership gyms Lucinda loved, only better and for personal use.

Tristan downed the last of the water in the plastic water bottle—Woah, she thought with a start. They aren't too basic to not use plastic bottles—and only then did she realize he was sweating. He shook his bangs out of his eyes and turned towards her. She straightened up immediately as if called to attention.

"You were looking for something?" He repeated her words, a ghost of a smile tracing his lips as he inspected her, from her wide eyes to her hands at her side. "All the way up here, on the fifth floor?"

"Well, I mean," she floundered around for an excuse, clearly caught off guard. "You never know where things can turn up. You never got me the scrunchie I lost in Brazil anyway."

"I thought we agreed that was fake."

"You see with that attitude you'll never get anywhere." At this point, she was just making up things to get him off her back. "You gotta believe, you know? The alien lunchbox I lost in third grade might be in Australia. And if you're capable of, uh, checking, then it doesn't hurt to make sure, right? You never know."

"I could point out a thousand things wrong about that logic," he chuckled, leaning against some exercise contraption she couldn't name for support. He threw the bottle towards the trash bin and annoyingly enough, he didn't miss. "But we don't have all the time in the world to do so. Come clean to me, (Y/n). What brings you here?"

Is he going to gloss over the fact my friend was literally attacking snowman just a moment ago? She chose to keep her threeway...scuffle, shall she say, with Jaehyun and Jasper to herself. Jaehyun had taken it better than she thought—well, better than one of his rages—but that didn't mean Tristan would too. Jasper was already walking a thin line for coming in and attempting to kill Kieran. Her telling the male what had happened would only make things worse.

She didn't want revenge for her near-death encounter. She just wanted her friend back. Was that too much to ask for?

Cutting corners and being periphrastic wouldn't fly with him. She had to be direct. "Okay, fine," (Y/n) heaved a sigh. "I'm looking for Jas. Did you see where he went?"

Surprise flickered across his face as he held his chin in his hand. "Do you mean Reynolds? I was aware he was with you, was he not?"

"Um, kinda, yeah. But stuff happened and we got separated so now I'm looking for him."

He frowned and turned away, not before she caught a glimpse of a conflicted expression on his face. "As I thought," he murmured so quietly she couldn't hear him. "He really is an eyesore..."

"Did you see him anywhere?" (Y/n) continued, not noticing the change in the atmosphere. The way he turned his back to her did make her feel a little scared, to be honest. Did something bad happen? "A-and, I did talk to him! He didn't exactly listen, I guess, but I swear I'll get him out of here so please don't do anything to him. He's a little—well more than a little angry, but that's not his fault! He's just not thinking clearly—"

Ah...Tristan thought, his hands curling into fists against his leg, his knuckles turning white. She keeps talking about him. It's always him. Him and Grayson.

How infuriating.

But when he turned back, all signs of his initial anger were gone. His face was as chillingly emotionless and placid as always. Composed, robotic, a perfect mask. Betraying nothing.

"I understand, (Y/n)." He fought to keep the anger out of his voice as he clenched his hands behind his back. "It's not unusual for people to lose sight of themselves under the influence of love."

Her face lit up, only making his mood dampen more. "Then—!"

He held up a finger, silencing her. "It doesn't mean he'll be let go unscathed. The necessary precautions will be implemented to retrain him, of course, given the fact he seems to be out for blood. I suppose I can grant your...request, but keep in mind I am not the only one making the decisions around here. I doubt Matthews will do anything but Fujikawa looks far from done with Reynolds. And if he intrudes upon Kim's personal space, I will take no responsibility for anything that happens."

The thought of the two crossing paths again struck fear into her heart. Even though Jasper was able to ultimately win against Jaehyun in their brief struggle, the blond had the upper hand most of the time. Jasper was only able to win by catching him off guard. Such a thing wouldn't happen again.

No one was that lucky.

Her eyes dropped to her feet and she wrung her hands anxiously. "I guess that's...fair. Thank you, Tristan."

He followed the action, his irritation rising at her obvious worry for the other male. He hated this feeling. It was like she was in her own little world with her so-called "friends." A world he so desperately wanted to be a part of but despite all his efforts, she remained blind to his endeavors. She saw Reese. She saw Jasper. She even saw Jaehyun.

But she refused to look at him.

Tristan forced a polished smile onto his face. "I've said it before, haven't I? I am willing to grant any of your requests, (Y/n), if you choose me." His annoyance disappeared at the sound of her name dripping from his lips coupled with the way she said his. Tristan Knight. A name bestowed upon him by a family that did not love him. A name he did not care for which strangely sounded so sweet when coming from her.

Love. Happiness. It was worth all this pain he felt in his chest. Because the pain he could make go away. He could get rid of the annoying weeds causing the heartache. But the feelings...

That would never disappear. And the most peculiar thing was, he was okay with that.

The relief on her face wavered and he caught it. His heart clenched painfully. As expected, she isn't—

Part of him desperately wanted to do everything he could to please her. To make her smile. (Y/n) didn't smile often but when she did, it was rarely for him. It was always these half-smiles that were more like a grimace or a scowl. Frustration, incredulity, fury, hopelessness.

But the other part curled its iron first around the feeling, quashing it. He was Tristan Knight, not some wishy-washy grade school boy in love. If he wanted something, he took it.

The lies flowed easily out of his mouth like honey. "I won't force you to choose now." Lies. "I'll keep my word in doing my best to ensure Reynolds isn't harmed with the exception of Kim's floor." Even more half-truths. "But do try not to get into any more trouble, hmm?"

(Y/n) shrugged off his unusually curt tone as him being in a bad mood. She couldn't blame him; with the recent incidents, her mood hasn't been especially great either. "O-okay, I'll try...but in all honesty, Tristan, I'm...flattered you think that way of me but, uh"—Shut up, (Y/n)! She scolded herself in her head. Did you forget your plan already? Do the same thing you did with sunflower! And popsicle even gave you an opening by saying you didn't have to answer!

She had to finish with something that didn't trigger him, and his expression was already looking pretty pissed off. Well, crap. Um, what should I say? Uh—

"—I'm super sleepy!" She finished awkwardly, biting her tongue in the process. "Ow! Uh, I mean, yeah! Thanks for helping me but I'll be going now—"

"Hold on for a second." His sharp voice interrupted her. "Don't move."

Oh no, she flinched as he came closer to her. Did I mess up already? I really suck at this. Please let me live to see another day—

Instead of catching her slip up and lashing out at her, he took her chin and tipped it up with such gentleness that shocked her. "Did you bite your tongue?" He murmured, his eyes roaming her face and lingering on her lips. "Let me check if it's bleeding."

"Uh, no, I'm fine!" She broke away with an awkward smile. She made vague gestures with her hands towards the door. "I'm just going to...go catch some Z's! Yeah, that's a great idea. Thanks again, p—er, Tristan!"

She ran out of there like her behind was on fire.

Tristan blinked slowly at the swinging door where the (h/c)-haired girl had been just moments before until a small smirk spread across his lips. He closed his hand, wrapping his fingers around nothing at all as they tingled with the warmth of her skin. He reopened it and kissed the tips of his fingers, feeling an odd sort of giddiness as he did so.

She was flustered around him. That had to mean something, didn't it?

He hummed a quiet tune as he took a seat on one of the mats and leaned back against the wall, a wide smile spreading involuntarily across his face. It's adorable how she tries to run, he chuckled, playing with a chain he wore around his neck. At the end of it was a key. A key to a certain room in the basement. The key rotated in the air as he held it up, winking with the light that glimmered off it. He let it fall, the key stopping and jerking up before it hit the ground as the end of the chain caught on his finger.

Run as she might, it'll be me she'd be running to in the end. He fisted the key, slipping the chain back over his neck and hiding it out of view under his shirt. It is in human nature to run from what they fear most.

Even if she had been afraid of him initially, that didn't matter anymore. The seed of doubt he's planted in her mind would take root, crawling deeper into her heart and dragging all her traumas back out, forcing her to turn to the closest person for comfort. And he'd be that person, waiting right there with opened arms.

Perhaps Jaehyun would hate him now but that wouldn't matter in the future when it was just the two of them.

Sharing? Tristan Knight never shared.

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A/N: I'm sort of back! My wifi's not fixed yet but I found out that I can get free wifi in a certain corner of my room. So now I can mean it when I say I'm retreating to my corner now 😢 Also, this is kinda late but thank you guys so much for sticking with me despite my kinda irregular update schedule and the 100K reads! 🥰

You should turn that white star orange too ;))