This was the first time in two weeks that (Y/n) was going grocery shopping on her own, or without Tobias insisting on him coming with her that is. Whether it was because he had realized that he couldn't keep on missing work hours to be by her side, or because he felt slightly more reassured in her abilities to defend herself thanks to his knife and self defense lessons, (Y/n) had no idea.

Either way, she was glad for this opportunity to prove herself to him. She was convinced that as soon as Tobias saw that she was able to handle herself just fine, he'd be much less overprotective and give her much more room to explore by herself. Which was a good thing, as she couldn't possibly rely on him forever.

Now that Tobias had given her the tools to defend herself, it was time for her to show him that she wasn't as defenseless and weak as he thought she was. Not only this, but it was also time for her to prove to herself that just because she was Uninfected didn't mean she had to live in constant fear, that she wasn't just a prey.

Though she doubted Tobias would ever seize to see her this way. And from his perspective, she understood how this made sense. Both of them had been taught from their youngest age that Uninfected were nothing but helpless preys for Infected to pry on. But just because that is how society saw her didn't mean (Y/n) would accept this condition as hers.

She was determined not to fit this narrative. Much like Marcus, who in spite of being an Uninfected had blended in perfectly and survived up to this point.

(Y/n)'s determination did little to tame Tobias's apparent concern though.

He stood beside her, heart tight in his chest as he observed her putting on her shoes and taking the shopping trolley in her hands.

"Okay, anything we need that's not on the shopping list?" She asked with a smile.

"No, everything's on there." Tobias answered with a quiet sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. The idea of (Y/n) venturing in the city alone really didn't sit right with him. Of course she had something to defend herself with now, and he had taught her some basic self defense tricks. But still, part of him couldn't help but ponder over all the terrible things that could happen to her in his absence.

Relax. She's a grown woman who knows how to handle herself. The rational part of him tried to reassure him. She'll be fine, she's not defenseless anymore.

Yeah, (Y/n) didn't need him to protect her anymore. Plus, he had work to do and couldn't keep on skipping just to make sure nothing happened to her. He had to be pragmatic about this.

So in spite of the wild scream of his heart for him to accompany her and the anxiety brewing inside of him at the idea of something happening to her, Tobias decided to give (Y/n) the benefit of the doubt.

"Just be careful, alright?" He said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, to which (Y/n) answered with a reassuring grin.

"I will. Don't worry about me." She said, "You should be careful with Marcus though, I saw him trying to do the dishes yesterday morning. Again."

Tobias chuckled at that. This indeed sounded like Marcus, always one to push himself in spite of everyone around him telling him not to. Even when the instructions came from his own doctor.

"Yeah, I will." Tobias said, "He's way too stubborn for his own good."

"Good, I'll be on my way then! I should be back in an hour or so. Two at most. So don't worry if I'm not back before then."

This was something they had both agreed on, well, more like something Tobias had insisted on. But him having a vague idea of when (Y/n) would be home was reassuring in a way and also a way for him to know when it was necessary for him to intervene. If (Y/n) wasn't back in two hours, he'd start worrying and go look for her.

Still, Tobias knew that anything could happen within those two hours. This measure was really more of an artificial attempt at fooling his brain into not worrying about (Y/n) constantly. Something that didn't seem to work as the very moment (Y/n) left the house and disappeared from Tobias's sight a bitter taste filled his mouth and his heart pressed up against his throat.

He heaved a sigh, trying to diffuse the tension in his shoulders.

She'll be fine.























































































Penelope's insides churned in distaste and her pink eyes narrowed as she observed Jasper from afar, her Darling's eyes locked onto some other (h/c) haired woman.

She knew she should be at home working on her last law exam right this moment. But she needed to know what was going on with Jasper, what had him acting so strange lately and what had him so preoccupied. Not only was she worried about his growing dark circles and apparent fatigue, but she also ached to know what was taking up all of his time and attention.

She was used to Jasper being a workaholic and to him spending most of his time in his office or outside for more... sketchy affairs. But back then his free time had been dedicated to her, as his one and only best friend.

Now though, it seemed as if something- or rather someone- had taken up all of Jasper's brain space. Dethroning both his work and herself in his range of priorities. And Penelope wouldn't have that. She needed her best friend back. More than this, she needed her Darling back!

So she had followed him, all the way from his home to the city's covered food market. Only to find her lover looking at another woman.

And whoever this girl was, she was in for a tough ride. Because Penelope would sooner die than give up on her lover.

Jasper was hers. End of discussion. And she knew it was only a matter of time before Jasper came to the same realization as well. After all, who could ever concur with her? Penelope was smart, cunning, pretty, ambitious and had known him since what felt like forever. No one was a better fit for him than she was.

No one.

And certainly not this boring looking (h/c) haired girl Jasper seemed so fixated upon.

(Y/n) smiled at the fruit seller, thanking them as they handed her her purchase. Penelope swallowed thickly, averting her eyes to the side and crossing her arms over her chest.

Well, maybe she was being a tad bit unfair on this girl. She was pretty, had a sweet smile and kind deer-like features... But she certainly wasn't anything for Jasper to gawk at! Not when Penelope was so much prettier and knew so much more about him than that girl ever could!

It was insulting, really, to think that her darling Jasper had fallen for a total stranger when she had been standing right in front of him this whole time.

Then again Jasper's Infection had always worked in strange ways. Maybe this was just one of his Infection's defects? It had to be. Because why else would he be so obsessed with anyone else but her?

Penelope continued to observe Jasper from afar, brewing from the inside at the thought of Jasper's attention being on anyone else than herself.

On the other hand, Jasper was in heaven. Well as close to heaven as could be considering he still hadn't found a way to finally approach his sweet (Y/n). But somewhere deep inside of him, Jasper knew today would be the day. He had waited long enough and couldn't keep on waiting any longer. His worsening condition wouldn't let him.

He sighed dreamily, blue eyes glowing with adoration as he observed (Y/n) from afar. She was just so perfect in everything she did! How could he possibly tear his gaze away?

But as much as Jasper loved watching (Y/n), he knew he had to talk to her. To breathe the same air as her and have more of her. Simply watching her from afar wasn't enough for him anymore.

He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't think, his every waking hour consumed by thoughts of her and his heart longing for her.

If he didn't do anything, he would snap. And honestly, it was a wonder how he had held on for that long. Though, Jasper guessed he probably had his debilitating social awkwardness to thank for that. Because one thing that was even worse than not talking to his sweet (Y/n), was the thought of making a fool of himself in front of her and her hating him as a result.

But Jasper didn't have a choice anymore. He had to find a way to talk to (Y/n), before he lost his mind or died of longing.

And fortunately for him, luck was on his side this morning. For the very moment he thought about how to approach her best, sweet (Y/n) clumsily tripped on a small bump on the road, sending her toppling forward. In seconds, Jasper was at her side, strong arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling to the ground.

Jasper couldn't remember a time in his life when he had been this quick in doing anything. He probably had his Infection to thank for that. His amazement at his own abilities soon faded though, overpowered by something much more powerful.

Oh god.

Even during their first encounter, Jasper had never been this close to (Y/n), and right now the proximity might just as well kill him.

His heart thumped violently in his chest, so much so that he feared it might punch a hole right through it. His blood rushed through his veins and up his face to taint his pale cheeks in what he could only assume was an embarrassing shade of red. And god, her scent... Her sweet enthralling scent... Jasper was drunk on it.

Drunk on her, that is. Every nerve ending wide awake with a strange cocktail of longing and pure bliss.

Bliss because he had finally gotten a taste of her after so long. Longing because he knew this wouldn't last, and he already dreaded the moment he'd have to let her go. Now that he thought of it, Jasper kind of felt like an addict, caught between the euphoria of consumption and the cold hard crash that came after that. The more he got of (Y/n), the harsher the withdrawal hit him.

(Y/n) was his very own brand of heroin.

Part of him wondered if this was normal, if this was just a universal feeling for every Obsessive. He wondered if this was what his father had meant when he had told him that finding his mother had been like waking up from a very long and dull coma.

But Jasper's feelings were just so... intense, and the moments spent away from his darling so painful. Surely the peculiarities of his Infection had to be responsible for this.

Still, even if his feelings were stronger than most, Jasper didn't mind. It only made his love for (Y/n) that much more special! As ever since meeting (Y/n), the only times Jasper had ever felt alive was when he was with her or watching her from afar. He knew the same could be said for other Obsessives. His obsession just so happened to run a bit deeper than others'.

Nothing compared to directly interacting with (Y/n) or feeling her warmth though.

"Are you alright?" Jasper said, trying to keep his voice steady and calm, a poor attempt at concealing the raw euphoria bubbling through his system. If from afar she was stunning, from up close she was absolutely breathtaking.

"Yeah, thank you." (Y/n) answered with an embarrassed chuckle, "I really need to watch where I'm going."

"It's fine, really." Jasper reassured with a clumsy smile, his heart wilting in his chest as (Y/n) pulled away from his arms to stand up straight in front of him. He cleared his throat, trying to gloss over it. "Do you maybe need help with those?" He gestured to the bags in her hands and the shopping trolley.

(Y/n) followed his gaze, putting on a polite smile before shaking her head.

"That's sweet of you, but I should be alright. Thanks for offering though." She said, trying to ignore the way Jasper visibly deflated at her refusal.

Under other circumstances, maybe she would have accepted his help, that is to say if he hadn't been an Infected. But during her time in the city, (Y/n) had learnt not to get fooled by a kind smile as there was no telling what could possibly hide behind it. And unfortunately for Jasper, something about him rubbed (Y/n) in the wrong way.

Maybe it was the fact he looked familiar or the fact he was so willing to help her any way he could... Either way, she didn't trust him. Not one bit. Which is why she was dead set on cutting this interaction short.

Of course, she should have known that things wouldn't go her way, though.

"You look familiar." The blond haired man pointed out, voicing out (Y/n)'s own thoughts. "We briefly met a the US, right?"

Fuck me. (Y/n) internally cursed.

That's when she finally remembered why this guy looked so familiar. They had indeed met at the Uninfected Shelter when she had been searching there for Grey. Well, if one could even call this a meeting, considering she had merely bumped into him and apologized. A very banal interaction, one that shouldn't have mattered to either of them.

Somehow though, (Y/n) had a prickling feeling that this interaction had left a bigger impact on her interlocutor than it had on her.

She swallowed thickly.

"Yeah, I think we did." She said, mustering up a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Might as well tell him the truth and get things over with as soon as possible.

She couldn't get out of this conversation soon enough.

Jasper wasn't a fool though, not when it came to (Y/n), and the slight shift in her features didn't go unnoticed. His mind fumbling around for ways to try and appease her apparent discomfort in his presence.

"I-I mean, I've got a very good facial memory." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound weird or creepy or anything. I promise I'm not a creep."

Of course, Jasper had no idea that no matter what he said, he'd always be a creep in (Y/n)'s mind. If not because he remembered her face from a brief encounter, then because he was an Infected.

"No worries, it's fine." (Y/n) said with a polite smile, taking a step back to distance herself from the man. She needed to go home, not only because she wanted to run away from this guy, but also because she had told Tobias that she'd be back in two hours at most. If she didn't make it back soon, (Y/n) had a nagging feeling Tobias would come get her himself.

And she didn't want to have a repeat of the last time he had done that.

Unfortunately for her though, Jasper was kind of the clingy type. And apparently terrible at taking a hint.

"My name's Jasper, by the way." He introduced himself, holding out his hand for her to shake, which (Y/n) reluctantly accepted.

And (Y/n) might have been a fool for plenty of reasons, but she wasn't just about to give her name to a total stranger who had all the red alarms in her mind blaring.

"Good. Thanks again for your help. I should really get going though." She said, giving his hand a firm and final shake before going on her way. Giving Jasper no time to utter another word. "Goodbye."

Unbeknown to (Y/n), her efforts in not giving Jasper her name had been useless. For he already knew who she was.

He stared down at his palm, trying to hold onto the warmth of her own softer hand. But it was all gone too quickly, leaving Jasper with nothing but the memory of her touch and a longing for more.

And if only he hadn't been so lost in his thoughts of (Y/n), maybe Jasper would have noticed the holes Penelope was burning in the back of his neck. Soon her attention wasn't on Jasper anymore, he wasn't the one at fault after all, her sweet Jasper didn't have a choice in who triggered his obsession.

No, the problem was (Y/n). A problem Penelope was all too eager to get rid of.







A/N:

Hey guys! Thank you again so much for your patience, I really appreciate it! Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait! Things are starting to slow down now so I should be able to resume my regular updates. Hope you're all doing well, and take care of yourselves!

I also wanted to let you know that I'll probably be starting a new story alongside Darling, shorter and more on the sci-fi/thriller side, and still with the yandere trope. I don't know when I'll publish the first chapter but I'll let you know!