━━━━༻ ♠ ༺━━━━ tor 01110010 ━━━━༻ ♠ ༺━━━━

The moments that followed were a blur. She recalled trying to move away, go anywhere, just someplace away from the male but forgetting only empty space would meet her feet. Then she was falling and tumbling, her hands grabbing onto thin air as she lost her balance and fell out the window.

All the bad luck that she was due for that day seemed to catch up on her all at once as she fell right on her head.

The last thing she saw was Jaehyun's panic-stricken face as he darted towards her, trying to save her, only for his fingertips to brush against the air. And then she was falling, the world turning black as soon as the impact came.

When she woke up, she was in a room she hadn't seen yet. The walls, like most of the other ones in the building, were white. It was a black and white room decorated modestly with not much but the basic bedroom necessities.

And there were the four of them, worry etched across their faces despite their attempts to hide it. Jaehyun was crouched by the bed and had his arms folded on it, his head resting in his arms. Kieran and Leon were in the room too, the first looking awfully grim and the second sending swift glares at the blond.

Tristan entered the room with a glass of water. His aquamarine eyes immediately went to her opening eyes and relief filled his face. "You're awake." He came to her side and took a seat. He placed the glass of water on the nightstand. "How are you feeling, (Y/n)?"

As if by magic, the worry was wiped clean from their faces. Jaehyun perked up, happiness written all over his face. Then came the guilt as he started to cry. "I'm sorry, (Y/n)! It's my fault...I never meant for you to fall!"

"What were you even doing in there?" Tristan placed a cool hand on her forehead and then shifted it to a sore spot on her head. "Does it still hurt if I press it like this?"

(Y/n) pushed herself to a sitting position and waved his worry away. "It's only a two-story fall and it's not like I have any more brain cells to lose," she joked. She accepted the glass of water he handed her—her throat felt unusually parched.

"Things like this is why I was against this sh*t," Leon grumbled.

"You're against everything." Kieran picked up a cushion and threw it at him. "Don't be a negative Nancy, Leo-chan."

"True," Tristan murmured, ignoring the too. "You don't seem to be injured." He took the empty glass from her and rose to his feet. "No more extreme escapades, you hear me?"

(Y/n) held back the urge to roll her eyes. "Sure, dad." But I'm a disagreeable child.

"Who the f*ck is negative Nancy?" Leon mumbled in the background, mostly to himself. "I'm not—"

"Negativity..." Kieran got off the bean bag and sprang at the well-built male. He chopped him sharply in the ribs with the side of his hand. "Begone!"

(A/N: NISHINOYA IS A GOD AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE)

"BLOODY HELL, THAT F*CKING HURT, YOU A**!"

"Hahaha, that's what you get for being a—OW! THAT WAS MY CLAVICLE!"

"I'LL BREAK ALL YOUR BONES, YOU F*CKER!"

The room descended into chaos as Leon began throwing everything he could get his hands on at the white-haired male. Jaehyun continued sniffling into a very unamused (Y/n)'s shoulder amid the cacophony while Tristan held a hand over his eyes.

"I run a bloody nursery," the blue-haired male muttered bitterly. "I absolutely did not sign up for this..."

"You know," (Y/n) drawled, seizing the opportunity. "This could all be fixed if you—"

"Denied."

"You couldn't even let me finish?!"

"With the unfortunate turn of events at hand"—she caught the dark look he threw Kieran's way—"We're going to have to change a few things here. Namely, you are going to stay in this room until I finish the arrangements for—"

"Wait, what?!" (Y/n) sat up straight, making Jaehyun stumble a little at the sudden action.

"You heard me. I'm going to have you stay in this room for the time remaining. It's for your safety—"

"Bullsh*t," she snapped. "You keep using that same excuse and it's getting pretty old. Don't you realize this 'danger' wouldn't even be a problem if you had left me and Reese alone in the first place?"

"I could say the same of your argument. It's getting old. You'll have to try harder than that, my dear."

I could talk to my pet fish and knock some sense into it but these people? (Y/n) shook her head in disbelief. "I cannot believe you. Did you fail common sense class in primary school?"

"I've never failed a class—"

"You've clearly been lied to. Good ol' Mrs. Greene gave you a big, fat 'F' in common sense class."

His jaw ticked, his eyes wickedly cerulean. "Your mouth is going to get you into trouble one of these days."

"Tell me something I don't know. I'm already in trouble, you wanker." She turned to the other three, half-hoping it would do something. "You're seriously going to follow along with whatever he says?"

Leon hung the picture frame in his hands back on the wall and ceased his attack on Kieran. "It's for the best."

She gaped at him. "Are you serious?"

"We're all serious," Tristan said. "But you're obviously not taking this seriously. You have no idea what I'd do to keep you here, my dear. You're the only reason this dormitory's yet to become a bloodbath. Or...would you prefer it that way?"

(Y/n) glared at him but held her tongue. He smiled, pleased. "I'm glad we're finally on the same page." He caressed her cheek and pulled away before she could react, much to the displeasure of the other three in the room. "I have...work to catch up on. The rest of you should leave her to rest too. I'll see you later, (Y/n)."

Kieran's smile faltered as the blue-haired male disappeared through the open doorway. He wrung his hands, suddenly strangely nervous. "Hey...(Y/n)-chan?" She nodded at him to continue. "Can I...talk to you? Alone?"

"I'm staying right here," Leon growled, leaning back into a chair and propping his feet up on the table for emphasis. "Whatever the f*ck you have to say, you can say it here."

"M-me too!" Jaehyun piped up. "This is my fault so I need to take care of (Y/n)!"

Kieran bit his lip, irritation clear in his face before he quickly removed it. He came up to her and sat down in the same seat Tristan had been in. "About the other day..." He began in a low voice only she could hear. "I...want to apologize. There's no excuse for what I did but...I lost sight of myself. I'm sorry, (Y/n)."

He took her hands in his and held it tightly, his eyes pleading as he gazed up to her and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Are we...okay?"

The despondent look in his eyes reminded her of a kicked puppy, or a cat in his case, and it was enough to make even her feel bad. She sighed and pulled her hands away. "No harm done," she shrugged. It was easier to just go along with it no matter what she truly felt. "Yeah, we're good."

The guilt and sadness that was biting at him cleared up with those few words. "Really?" He breathed. A smile threatened to crack through his apologetic exterior and soon it did, a genuinely happy smile blooming across his face. He grinned, his perfect white teeth peeking through his red lips. "Then...can we—"

"Don't you have sh—uh, stuff to do?" Leon interrupted their little moment. The male's face was as blank as ever when they turned to look at him but his clenched fists and accusing eyes said otherwise. "One of your slags called again. You didn't end it with them yet? Do it before one of them thinks it's a f—I mean, bloody good idea to break in here again."

Annoyance flashed across Kieran's handsome face. "I don't see how that has anything to do with you, and I did end it already. Who called?"

"Some bit—uh, bagel named after a motherfu...dging continent."

"Who?" Kieran canted his head in confusion. "I forget their names. What did she look like?"

"It was a call, retar—I mean, you twit."

"Right..." Kieran shot another apologetic look at the (h/c)-haired girl who was watching all this with amusement. Guilt and hurt were still evident in those golden depths. "Don't try to climb out another window, (Y/n)-chan. You're not suited for that profession."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." (Y/n) scowled when he reached out and ruffled her hair. "What am I, Tristan 2.0?"

The male grinned and for once did not crack a dirty joke. "Nah, I'm not a fan of canines." He waved at her from over his shoulder as he opened the door. "じゃあね~"

(Y/n) had no idea what that meant but she was sure she'd heard him use that before. Bye or something, maybe? Ignoring the presence of the other two in the room, she tentatively cracked her neck and felt her head. Honestly, what kind of idiot falls on their head? Oh wait, that idiot's me. The spot was still a little sore but nothing serious. It's not like she's going to develop a tumor or something.

Right? Rightttt?

"Are you hungry?" The poor blond still looked awfully guilty. "I'm really sorry again...do you need anything? Food? More water? I-I'll make it up to you!"

How about you steal a key from popsicle for me while you're at it? She wanted to say but didn't. "No, I'm peachy." It's probably not a good idea to bring up the whole I'll-cut-your-legs-off thing in front of Leon unless I want a bloodbath. Or...is it? "Still a little worried about the future of my limbs, though." She eyed her legs that were covered by the baby blue comforter for emphasis. "Wonder if in five days' time they'd still be attached to my body."

Her dark humor sounded better in her head than when she said it aloud. It drew Leon's interest and he looked up, concerned.

Jaehyun blanched. "That's—" He was at a loss for words as his crystal eyes fell guiltily from her face to the sheets. His mouth parted in an attempt to defend himself but no words came out. No words could justify his strange behavior or at least, no words she'd believe.

"I was just playing with you," he finally continued in a soft voice that reminded her of a lost child. "I didn't mean to scare you...are you...are you still scared of me?"

The childlike innocence he asked this with did nothing to calm her growing discomfort at being around the two-faced boy. (Y/n) plastered a fake polite smile on her face. "As I said, I'm just worried. You get me, right?"

"I-I guess, but I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, honest!" He grabbed her hands and held them in a bone-crushing grip, his eyes wild with mania. "I only want the best for you, (Y/n), you have to understand that! The thought of you leaving, going somewhere else, with someone other than me—I...I can't stand that!"

"Jay—let me go first!"

He slowly got to his feet from his kneeling position and moved towards her as she moved back, all the while refusing to release his grip on her. "(Y/n)," he whispered, affection clear as day in his eyes despite his sad smile. "I—"

"Get your f—hands off her." Ever the hero, Leon had enough of watching and shoved the boy away, making him release his grip on the (h/c)-haired girl. Although Leon did this with less force than he usually used with Kieran, which was understandable.

He glared at the boy as if daring him to argue. "Take another step closer and things are gonna get ugly, jacka—uh, prat."

Murderous intent crossed Jaehyun's face before realizing (Y/n) was still in the room and he quickly hid it. "I wasn't trying to do anything! I just want to take care of her—"

"Want and need are two bloody different things," Leon scowled. "You don't need to. I will. So haul arse before I start letting my fists do the talking."

"But I—"

"Did I f*cking stutter?"

"Fine." The blond sent one last hateful glower towards the black-haired male. His mouth curved into a small smile for (Y/n). "I'll bring you a gift later, okay?"

Knowing him, it was either something art-related or something more...morbid. "You don't have to—" She tried to say only for him to cut her off.

"But I will."

Only when Leon confirmed Jaehyun was gone did he finally sit back down. There was only concern on his face when he looked at her but that concern soon faded to anger.

"How did you get out of your room?" He said coldly. "This is the whole reason I didn't want you out, (Y/n)."

"I have a condition where I'm incapable of following orders," (Y/n) replied blandly. "Symptoms include blowing up from stress."

His brow knitted together and he looked about ready to hang her upside-down from a tree. "This isn't funny. What if something worse had happened? You don't know what he's capable of. You don't know what Jaehyun could do to you."

"Actually, I think I have a fair idea." She began making a list on her fingers. "When he's in his edgy teen mode, he's threatened to gouge out my eyes, cut off my limbs, and a bunch of other things I'm sure isn't cool knife tricks."

"And you're still stupid enough to sneak out when you're aware he'd do all that?" His rumbling voice sent a shiver of fear coursing through her which she quickly forced down. She had no time for fear. "That time in the library—tell me, what do you think would've happened if I wasn't there? You really think the arsehole would've gotten up and left, laughing it off as a joke?"

He prodded her with his glaring eyes. "No, he would not! That git runs on his d*ck rather than his brain. That sh*t wouldn't have ended well, (Y/n), why can't you understand that!"

"I do understand!" She snapped, her pent-up rage getting the best of her. "But what do you expect me to do when all I want is to go home with my friends?"

"This is your home—"

"No, it is sure as hell not, and it never will be!"

The two engaged in a stare-off, the air crackling with electricity between them. The room was quiet save for the sound of the clock and their breathing, Leon's ragged and sharp as he struggled to reign in his anger. He was on his feet, having gotten up from the chair sometime during their argument. His moon-touched orbs shone brightly through the rest of the darkness that was him, like a lion's—or a panther's—eyes shining through the jungle, dead set on its prey.

He was an angry, dark thing burning with explosive rage that radiated off him in suffocating waves. It wrapped its claws around her throat with the name of intimidation, taunting her to try and say another word, and to see how he'd respond.

She tore her eyes away from the defined muscles under his shirt and his large fists that looked like they could crush a skull in one go. She couldn't quite meet his eyes either, couldn't take the full brunt of the strange emotions milling about those mirror-like pools of silver, and opted to glare at her lap instead.

She heard him let out a controlled exhale. Through the spaces where her bangs parted, she could see him come towards her. Leon dragged a hand through his hair and sat down on the edge of her bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.

"Fine," he grumbled in a somewhat pleasant tone. "Maybe not now, but it will be soon." He quickly plowed on before she could respond. "What kind of sh—uh, stuff do you want in here? More furniture? New wallpaper? Anything you want, I'll make it happen."

"How about a door that connects to China—"

"That's impossible."

No duh, you twat. "Then what about a tunnel that connects to my apartment?"

Anger settled back into his face as he clenched his jaw. "Denied."

(Y/n) rolled her eyes and sank into the pillows behind her. "What happened to 'anything I want?'"

"Anything within reasonable boundaries."

"Then what about a ticket back home—"

"Hell no."

"Seriously?!" She threw her hands up. "That is reasonable! A ticket's like what, two pounds? That's like a fraction of the price Tristan's haircut costs! Not to, uh, throw shade on his hair or anything."

That made a small smile crack through his stony mask. "He does spend almost as much time getting ready than the sh*th—uh, the hoe."

She bit back a grin. She wanted to say "how would you know?" Although the gay jokes might fly with Kieran, she wasn't sure Leon would take it very well. Then again, it might be worth seeing his reaction...if she didn't value her life, that was.

So instead, she said, "So does that mean I can get—"

"No."

(Y/n) scowled and slid down under the comforter, grumbling under her breath. Can't say I didn't try. "Why do I even bother asking?"

"That's what I think every time you ask the prick to release Grayson," he chuckled. His eyes widened slightly and he cleared his throat. "I, uh, mean Knight."

"Don't worry," she sniggered. "I promise to tell." Snowman's been rubbing off him. I'm getting some strange vibes here...you know...those vibes.

He inflated in relief. "Thanks—" He paused. "What?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." She made a show of pulling the covers over her head. "I'm going to take a nap. Y'know, for the recovery and everything."

"But it's still noon?"

She pulled the covers down enough to give him an unimpressed look. "Time isn't real."

Leon bit back a smile as the (h/c)-haired girl drowned herself back under the large comforter. "Alright, get some rest. If you need anything, use that buzzer on the table."

She didn't respond; only turned onto her side to face the wall with muffled grumbling. He smiled and went towards the door. "And no more tree-climbing—"

"I'm not three, my dude!"

"I couldn't tell," he laughed. "See you." The male closed the door behind him and locked it securely from the outside. The sound of the bolt sliding into place and the click of the lock comforted him. It filled him with satisfaction and ease, knowing that it would keep her safe. She wouldn't be able to climb out the window in that room.

He returned to his room where Conan should be. There was a bathroom attached to it and plenty of video games so he didn't have to worry about his brother running off, unless he got too hungry. Much to his relief, Conan was still there. The boy was sitting on the carpet in front of the flat-screen T.V., the tip of his tongue sticking out from between his lips as he concentrated on his game. His toys were scattered around him.

Leon quietly closed the door with a bemused smile and took off his shoes. He snuck up to the miniature version of him, his socked feet padding soundlessly on the wood. He crouched down beside Conan and said, "I hope you haven't been playing for too long, Connie."

Conan shrieked and scrambled back. The controller fell from his hands as he stared wide-eyed at his brother in shock. Then a scowl morphed over his face.

"Big brother!" He huffed. "Don't sneak up on me like that. What if I accidentally used my secret kungfu skills on you?"

"That would be bad." Leon reached over with a smile and ruffled the boy's hair. "But it would be more convincing if you were my height."

"Hey! I'm not that short! You're just tall!"

The male grinned and shook his head. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can get you something to drink."

"Nah, it's okay." Conan picked up the controller from the floor and turned his attention back to his Mario Kart. "Tristan brought me some spaghetti and orange juice earlier. I'm full."

Leon's smile felt forced now. He clenched his hands against his legs so his brother wouldn't see it. "That's...nice of him. I'm going to leave you to your game now. 30 more minutes, got it?"

"Yessir!"

"Good." He rose from his crouch and went deeper into his bedroom. He picked up the black violin case that rested securely on his shelf and went back to his bedroom door. "I'll be in the music room if you need me."

"Okayyy. I know, big brother!"

A warning. That was what it was, Leon thought bitterly as he stalked through the hallways towards his piano room. It couldn't be anything other than a warning. It was like Tristan was taunting him, showing him firsthand that even Leon with all his violent tendencies was not exempt from his control. It would take just a simple slip up in the kitchen for Conan's food to be tampered with.

Tristan had just shown him how easy it was to reach his brother and control Leon. What could he do about it?

The thought made him furious.

With a guttural growl, the black-haired male ripped a painting off the hallway wall and threw it into the ground. It shattered, the wooden frame breaking into a million pieces and the delicate canvas bending and ripping under the impact. It wasn't enough to quench his rage, however.

It was like a chain reaction; with one painting came another. A vase, a potted plant, even a hallway lamp. The items exploded with such an impact on the marble floor, a piece of shrapnel found its way through his skin, leaving behind a red smear on his eyebrow. He ignored the sharp pain and the blood slowly dripping into his eyes.

Hate—hate and anger. That was all that defined him. It was all that would define him. He wrapped himself in it as if it was a drug he couldn't get enough of, the fury and the venom. He hated the thing it turned him into when he got angry, but it was still better than fear.

Anything to hide the weak little boy that lived under his skin. Taunting him. Whispering in his ear. Voicing all his insecurities and worst fears.

"Mama left us," the thing whispered. "And it was all your fault. She didn't want you anymore. You weren't good enough. You let Deryn die. And now Connie's going to die too."

"And it'll all be your fault."

A mirror somehow found its way into his hand. But instead of immediately hurling it into the opposite wall, Leon glared down at it. His reflection in it caught his attention. There were tired bags under his eyes that smoldered with rage. It was an image of him he never wanted his precious brother or (Y/n) to see, though he feared it may be too late for the latter.

The mirror had a patina of age over the golden frame. It was no new mirror like the rest of the manor. The glass surface was splotched with some little bits of black. He stared down at the distorted version of himself. The glass seemed to leech the anger from him. The rage seeped from his fingertips into the metal and transformed him into just another guy on the surface.

Inside, he was fireworks and fury, confusion and fear, frustration and desperation. And it was only the worst of him that bled outwards to the surface. He rubbed the frame with his thumb and his finger came away with a thin layer of dust. What was the mirror doing here? He didn't remember it being there...although to be fair, he never really paid attention to where he lived. He didn't care as long as he had his instruments and his brother.

But now things were different.

There was her.

The image of her inside his mind was all it took to pull the last drops of anger from his veins and send him into a tranquil dream world. Leon sighed with relief every time he thought of her and the lock on her door—it would keep her safe this time. It had to.

He wasn't a sadist or a cold-blooded killer. He didn't want any more blood on his hands than what was necessary.

Leon didn't bother closing the music room door. He left it half-open. The afternoon sun was his only audience through the large windows as he set down the violin case and undid the clasp. There was something about the instrument that called out to him more than the others did, with the exception of the piano as he held the smooth wood in his hands. Something about the way the violin sang its symphony that harrowed deep into his heart and encompassed his body.

He traced the slender strings with his fingertips and wrapped one hand around its delicate neck. He set the other end in the crack of his neck and raised the bow.

And all at once, as if he was a member of a ghostly orchestra, the music began to play.

All around him the melody of the violin sang and wept. Its tender cry wrapped around him like a spring breeze, filling him with warmth like a summer kiss, rustling through his hair like autumn leaves, and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up like a wintry chill.

The violin felt as warm as day and looked the part. The piano's obsidian black surface winked back at him under the sunlight, cold and as beautiful as the night. Leon barely registered his surroundings as he played, the bow weaving over the violin strings. His eyes were hooded, not seeing anything in particular as his playing arm jerked with the bow across the instrument.

Music wasn't just a beautiful thing. It could be frightening too. It was what best reflected the thing inside him in a way no one normally would notice. The lives he's taken seemed to cry out for help through the violin, each scream growing louder and louder with every note he breezed through.

Or...was he the one screaming?

He didn't dwell enough on the topic to find out. Only closed his eyes to wipe away the image of blood and corpses, focusing on that single clear note through the cacophony. It was as clear as a bell and as beautiful as melody, translucent and pure. Perfect.

Just like her.

In terms of music, Conan was like a warm, mezzo-forte note to him. And clarinet, perhaps. Though (Y/n) was more confusing. Sometimes it was like a forte pantomime, an explosive orchestra in his chest that was overwhelming and magnificent at the same time. Other times it was a piano sonata played in pianissimo that lulled him and made him want to close his eyes and fall into its depths forever.

Was that...too selfish of him?

When the song ended, there was no applause, no standing ovation like in his performances. Only pin-drop silence, the sound of his breathing, and the hammering of his heart in his chest. He let his hands fall to his sides, his fingers still curled around the neck of the violin and its paired bow.

In front of his eyes were sheets of music lying on the closed piano. On a normal day, he'd gone over to them and studied the music, going through it to see if he'd find any errors or adjustments to make. Strange enough, however, he didn't have any interest in doing so today.

He thought of her (h/c)-hair that was often tied up haphazardly in a way he's grown to adore. He thought of the way she was so full of life on the bed despite having had an accident, and the way he'd sat dangerously close to her. Or the way her (e/c) eyes locked his gaze with such intensity he found it hard to breathe, let alone focus. Yet he didn't want to look away; it was unthinkable.

Sarcastic and borderline insensitive was his first impression of her. Well, more like the second impression. His first was that she was that weird kid sitting in front of him in history class who was always asleep. But she wasn't trying to be mean on purpose, he realized. Sarcasm was her defense mechanism. And neither did she really care about him. She wasn't scared either.

Perhaps the first time he felt this strange thing overtake his heart was when they'd crossed paths while he was busy taking care of one of his father's men with the local ruffians. What could he say? Tristan wasn't the only one with connections. Leon's were just more questionable.

Her almond-shaped eyes that display her emotions so clearly—he'd seen no fear in them. She would boldly glare back at him, blissfully unaware of the repercussions. Or when she'd hold back her annoyance with him even while her eyes reflected all of her irritated thoughts.

He had been taken aback at first, then amused, and now he found it endearing.

And when he'd found Kieran with her in the flirtatious male's library the other day—he'd be lying if he said anger was the only thing he felt at that moment.

The slender arch of her neck and the hollow of her throat was the last coherent thought that struck his mind as his hands fell on the now exposed keys of the piano.

He knew he was falling for her. Hard.

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A/N: Here's fanart by iilovehentai! Lowkey thought Kieran was bald for a sec :>



And now here is your daily dose of bad anime memes to you hoomans who've chosen death 💀:



Don't blame me. I'm not sorry.