Fuck.

(Y/n) stood in the middle of the living room, wide eyed as she stared at the old man in front of her. He didn't look threatening, with his pale blue eyes and fine grey hair, with the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes and the smile lines around his lips. His gaze was every bit as surprised as hers and he didn't seem angry with her presence, rather confused. But (Y/n) knew better than to trust his harmless appearance.

Infected people were stronger than her, whether young or old it didn't matter. If this man wanted to hold her back or kill her, he could.

And what's more, the law probably wouldn't even bat an eyelash.

On the other side of the room, Tobias casually leaned back against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed over his chest. Seemingly disinterested in the whole ordeal.

His next words dumped an ice cold bucket of dread over (Y/n)'s head though.

"(Y/n). She's uninfected." Tobias said, and (Y/n)'s blood drained from her face, her heart on the edge of collapsing as silence stretched across the room.

What the hell?

(Y/n) couldn't believe the guts of that guy. Minutes ago he was warning her about the dangers of the Infected city, and now he was throwing her under the bus and revealing her identity to someone that was a total stranger to her. Had she irritated him by talking back and not listening to him? Gosh was he going to just let her be taken to the Uninfected camps?

"Just like you." Tobias added, and all the air came flooding back into (Y/n)'s lungs.

The old man chuckled at her apparent relief, his lips crinkling up in a grin as he looked at her with eyes filled with mirth. He took a step forward and (Y/n) noticed the cane on his left side. He gestured for her to sit back down at the kitchen table.

(Y/n) silently complied and he followed suit, sitting beside her.

(Y/n) fiddled nervously under the stare of the old man, unable to wrap her head around what an Uninfected old man had to do with an Infected young asshole such as Tobias. From the looks of it, Tobias and him seemed quite close though. Maybe Tobias was his grandson. It wasn't rare for Infected and Uninfected couples to have an Infected child.

Thankfully though, (Y/n) didn't have to bathe in uncomfortable silence for much longer.

"My, my... What are you doing here?" The old man said, still smiling at her with gentle eyes. "I'm Marcus, it's very nice to meet you, young lady."

Tobias heaved a sigh and set a plate of food down in front of his grandfather, throwing (Y/n) a disapproving glance.

"She was leaving, grandpa. We should let her-"

"Tobias, don't be ridiculous!" Marcus chuckled and dismissed his grandson with a wave of his hand, "The girl's obviously lost! Where would you want her to go? Now," Marcus turned back towards (Y/n) with a kind smile. "Who are you and what are you doing here? Don't pay attention to Tobias over here, he's cranky in the morning but I swear he's a good fella."

Tobias didn't bother arguing against his grandfather, instead he grumbled something under his breath with a pout and went back to wiping the dishes dry. (Y/n) would have thought him cute if it wasn't for how much of an asshole he had been towards her just minutes ago.

Part of (Y/n) knew Tobias hadn't been all wrong in what he had said, though. Which only made him all the more annoying in her eyes.

"See?" Marcus said, "He's just grumpy."

(Y/n) let out a hesitant chuckle, the tension slowly ebbing away from her shoulders. Surely if Marcus, an Uninfected, trusted Tobias, there wasn't anything for her to be afraid of, right? If anything, the idea of not being the only Uninfected around was reassuring, even more so considering that Marcus had yet to end up in the camps in spite of his old age.

This meant that it was possible to make it out as an Uninfected in the city. This meant that there was hope for Grey, and for (Y/n) herself.

"Anyways, you still haven't answered my questions."

(Y/n) nodded, faintly aware of Tobias's eyes on her as she told Marcus about what had brought her here and her resolve in finding her sister. (Y/n) didn't know how many times she'd have to share this story but she hoped this would be the last. It left a bitter taste in her mouth and a tight knot in the back of her throat.

"And Tobias saved you from the guards at the Gates, am I right?" Marcus asked and (Y/n) could only nod. An amused chuckle escaped Marcus and he tilted his head back. "Well, if that's not familiar!"

(Y/n) didn't know what Marcus was referring to, but judging by the dark blush dusting Tobias's cheeks it was probably some kind of inside joke between the two of them.

"I couldn't just let her be taken to the US." Tobias said with a sigh. "She has to go back to the Uninfected community. She doesn't belong here. Tell her, she won't listen to me."

Marcus fell silent, pondering over his grandson's words for a while before finally meeting (Y/n)'s eyes. Unlike his previously lighthearted demeanour, Marcus now looked dead serious.

"My grandson's not wrong, (Y/n). This place isn't safe for people like us. But I'm sure you know that already." Marcus said, "I'm going to be honest with you, you'd better go home while you still can. Trying to find your sister might bring more harm than good."

A salty bundle of tears tightened at the back of (Y/n)'s throat. She swallowed thickly.

She knew going after Grey had been a crazy decision. She knew that the city wasn't safe for her, that she had everything to lose in this self-given quest. She knew that the chances of finding Grey were slim.

Still, she had hoped that someone would understand and encourage her to keep going. Because in spite of there being almost no chances of her finding Grey, (Y/n) couldn't give up just yet. Not until she had given her everything in trying to find her sister.

She knew this wasn't rational nor safe, but Grey would have done the same for her. And this, was all she had. For as long as (Y/n) hoped, as long as she searched for her sister, it meant that there was a chance of finding Grey. That all wasn't lost and that she wouldn't have to think of a life without Grey by her side.

It meant that (Y/n) didn't have to mourn the disappearance of her sister and best friend. It meant that at some point, Grey would come home.

"Still," Marcus's voice interrupted (Y/n)'s field of thoughts, "If you really want to continue searching for your sister, there's nothing we can do to stop you. I just want you to be aware of the dangers and risks of being an Uninfected in the middle of an Infected city."

"I am. I know it's dangerous and I know I shouldn't have come here. But she's my sister. And I'm not leaving without her." (Y/n) said, determination clear in her gaze.

Marcus nodded and relented, folding his hands on the kitchen table.

"Well then, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to. In exchange, I only ask that you help with a few things around the house. Tobias is good at cleaning but he's got work, and I'm too old for most tasks."

"What?! But-"

Marcus halted Tobias by raising his hand. "So? Does that work for you, young lady?"

(Y/n) bit down on the inside of her cheek, pondering over Marcus's offer. She wasn't too keen on trusting strangers, even if Marcus was an Uninfected just like herself. But considering her current position, it's not like she had another option. She didn't know how long it would take her to find Grey, she didn't even have an Infected ID and she had nowhere to go. Not to mention that her objective was to blend in with the Infected crowd as much as possible. And having a place to stay as well as a sense of normalcy might be for the best.

So in spite of her reluctance, (Y/n) nodded her head and offered Marcus an appreciative smile.

"Thank you, Marcus. I would appreciate it."

"Wonderful! Tobias will provide you with a fake ID so that you can go out and about as you please. It shouldn't take more than a day, so in the meantime I suggest you make yourself at home in the spare bedroom and rest some. You've walked a fair share, right?"

"Thanks." (Y/n) said and stood up from her chair, giving a small smile to Marcus. As much as she would have wanted to start her search for Grey right this instant, she knew there wasn't much she could do without an Infected ID. She'd probably be taken to the Uninfected camps the moment she set foot outside and people discovered she didn't have one.

She turned to Tobias who was apparently in charge of making her a fake ID. Hell, to think that he could have done it from the start and had still tried to use her lack of ID as an argument for her to go back home. He really didn't want her around, did he?

Well, he would have to deal with it. Because (Y/n) wasn't leaving any time soon. Not until she had found Grey.

Tobias met her gaze, an indescribable emotion reflected in his eyes. He pointed in a direction behind her. "The spare room is at the far end of the corridor. On the left."

(Y/n) nodded and mumbled a quiet 'thank you' before booking it out of the living room and towards her new bedroom.

As soon as she had left the room and closed her door, Tobias heaved a heavy sigh and brushed his hand back through his hair.

"You should have convinced her to go back home. It's not safe here." He said, leaning back against the kitchen counter and throwing Marcus an accusatory glance. "She doesn't know what she's dealing with yet, but when she realizes it might be too late for her-"

"Tobias, we can't prevent (Y/n) from doing what she wants, it's her decision." Marcus cut him off, meeting his grandson's eyes. "You heard her, she's determined to stay here whether we like it or not. The best we can do at this point is to help her and ensure she's as safe as can be by granting her a place to stay and some pointers."

Tobias quietly assessed his grandfather's words, crossing his arms over his chest.

He knew Marcus was right, that there was nothing he could do to prevent (Y/n) from staying in the city or to force her back home. Much like him, she had free will, even if it seemed to play against her sense of self preservation. Tobias didn't have a say in what choice (Y/n) made at the end of the day.

Still, call it his Protective instincts kicking in or whatever, but Tobias couldn't see himself helping her in actively pursuing her demise. That just didn't feel right and was against everything he stood for.

"You know the chances of her actually finding her sister are close to zero, right?" He asked Marcus.

"I do. But so were the chances of you making it to the city." Marcus answered with a sad smile. "And yet here you are."

Tobias remained silent, green eyes following Marcus as the old man stood up from his chair and stretched his back with a groan.

"You can't control people in order to keep them safe, Tobias." Marcus said, "When you first came here you told me you wanted to help Uninfected people. Sometimes helping us means accompanying us in our dumb decisions, even if they put us in harm's way."

Tobias listened intently, a thoughtful frown etched between his brows. He knew Marcus was right. Still, another thought couldn't help but form itself in his mind.

A much more worrying thought than (Y/n) being taken to the US or her ending in the grasp of some twisted Infected lover.

"What if-" He swallowed thickly, shame and guilt pricking at his chest. "What if I become dangerous to her?"

The very thought made him sick to his stomach and had bile rising up his throat.

Tobias had never succumbed to his Infection. Well, much like other infected he had every day side effects, such as his overprotectiveness of Marcus and those around him. But he had never had to face the full blown effects of his Infection.

And that was partly because Tobias made sure to stay as far away from other people as possible, even more so when it came to Uninfected people. Marcus being the only exception. But if he lived with (Y/n) and got too close to her... Tobias feared this might change.

He feared that he might have to deal with a whole new version of himself. One he both dreaded and hated. Tobias never wanted to become the monster Uninfected people saw in him, and the one he saw in himself.

Marcus didn't look too worried though, as he offered an affectionate smile to Tobias and patted him on the shoulder.

"This won't happen, Toby." Marcus said, "Just do what you usually do, and don't get too close."

Tobias silently nodded, he didn't want to disappoint Marcus by telling him that maybe he shouldn't trust him so much. Tobias was still Infected after all, even if his Infection was often seen as one of the tamer ones.

But yes, Tobias would just continue on doing what he usually did: keeping his distances. Surely if he didn't get too close to (Y/n), everything would be fine, right?