(Y/n) had always been a pretty heavy sleeper, not easily swayed from her dreams and able to enjoy full nights of sleep. But tonight she must have been too anxious, too stressed and riddled with fear for her mind to rest at peace.

She didn't know what time it was when she woke up in her bed, Lupita peacefully snoring beside her and the moon outside casting a silver hue in her bedroom. But judging by the darkness outside and the quiet hum of the house, it must have been the middle of the night.

The atmosphere felt oddly eerie around her as she softly crawled out of bed and padded over to the bedroom door, opening it slowly to step into the living room. Everything around her laid still and unmoving, the moonlight drawing unsettling shadows over the furniture in the house. The only thing anchoring her to reality being the steady murmur of the clock ticking in the living room.

It was strange seeing Lupita's home like this, so quiet and devoid of life, and with the pounding anxiety still slumbering in (Y/n)'s temples she half expected for Jasper to jump out of a darkened corner and snake his arms around her.

A cold chill licked its way up her spine at the thought and she exhaled a shaky sigh.

I'm fine. She thought in a poor attempt at reassuring herself.

Jasper was the mayor's son and an Infected dangerously obsessed with her, true, but he couldn't just will himself to suddenly appear in her living room. Infected people had many advantages, but transcending time and space wasn't one of them.

With this thought in mind, (Y/n) walked over to the sink and cupboard, taking out a glass and filling it with water, her eyes drifting over to the window.

In all her haste to run away from Jasper and Tobias, (Y/n) hadn't even been able to ask Grey for her address, to ask her about her life in the city and about her girlfriend. But Grey was okay, and that was all (Y/n) needed to know for her to finally be at peace when it came to her sister. Even if it would take time for (Y/n) to digest the bitter taste of all the family secrets that had been kept from her. Though maybe she should have known from the start, maybe she should have read the truth in their mother's lack of maternal affection for Grey or her refusal for (Y/n) to spend too much time with her sister.

As if Grey was a plague (Y/n) needed to be kept safe from.

I wonder if she tried searching for me. (Y/n) thought, guilt clawing at her chest as she thought about her mother and how heartbroken she must have been upon finding that (Y/n) had vanished just like Grey had.

In trying to protect her daughters, Amelia had lost both of them.

But even if (Y/n) felt bad for her mother, she couldn't bring herself to think about leaving the city and going back home. She only wished there was a way for her to contact her mother and let her know that everything was fine, that she was safe and building a life of her own. Or at least as fine as she could be knowing there was an Infected possibly out for her heart.

Up until now Jasper hadn't tried anything too alarming and had simply kept to approaching her for harmless conversations. But tonight he had gotten physical with her, way too close for comfort and way too invested in her well being for her liking. She didn't even know what had alarmed him, and under any other circumstances his concern would have been sweet, but he had crossed a line that (Y/n) couldn't overlook.

His embrace had been forceful, overwhelming and stifling, he hadn't cared about her cries and pleas for him to let her go, too caught up in his own obsessive desire to keep her close. And (Y/n) knew that this was only the very tip of the iceberg she had to look out for.

She needed to find a way out of this situation, and fast, before things escalated any further and someone got hurt. She could try and avoid him, but she knew this wouldn't work, if Jasper really wanted her, he'd just take her. With or without her consent.

That's how things worked in the Infected city.

No, (Y/n) had to find another solution. But what was she supposed to do? Avoiding him wouldn't work, her telling him she's not interested probably wouldn't either, and Jasper would probably become impatient at some point and decide to take matters into his own hands if she just played his obsession off as nothing and tried to keep on living her life as if nothing was wrong.

All in all, things weren't looking too good for (Y/n). She hadn't realised it before tonight, but now that she had she couldn't shake off the anxiety that balled at the back of her throat.

But she had come this far already, and she wasn't going to let anyone take her freedom away from her. Not her mother, not Grey, and certainly not Jasper.

(Y/n) swallowed the last sip of water in her glass and put it in the sink, eyes drifting towards the front door.

She could use some fresh air, the night air wasn't too cold yet and she had always liked stargazing with Grey back as a child. Maybe it could keep her mind off things for a bit and give her some peace of mind. That's what stargazing was for, right?

Unfortunately for (Y/n) the universe wasn't quite done with torturing her tonight.

She quietly walked over to the front door, twisted the key in the lock and sneaked out onto the porch. The night air tasted sweet on her tongue as she inhaled deeply, a cold shiver coursing through her as the cool wind brushed past her. She was so relieved to be getting some fresh air that she didn't notice the man a few feet away from her.

Until she did.

(Y/n) turned her body around, eyes wide with shock as they fell on Tobias, idly leaning against the porch's railing seemingly scanning a nearby bush, the arms crossed over his chest and the tightness in his jaw betraying the tension brewing inside him. Honestly his presence was so unexpected and unwelcome that she didn't even know what to say.

And judging by the look on his face, he was just as surprised to see her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" (Y/n) asked in a whisper, irritation clouding her voice as she threw him a frustrated glare. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now, or to hear more about what he thought of her.

Tobias's eyes flickered in her direction, briefly meeting her gaze before he returned to his quiet assessment of their surroundings. He swallowed thickly, his Adam apple bobbing up in his throat. He really hadn't expected to get caught, and by (Y/n) nonetheless. What was she even doing up at this hour? That couldn't be healthy for her.

"Go back to sleep." Tobias simply said, features firm and tight with a mix of frustration and something else (Y/n) couldn't quite make out.

"You're not answering my question. What are you doing here?" (Y/n) repeated, irritation sipping in her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself from the chill. "And how do you even know where Lupita lives? You barely know her!"

Now these were questions Tobias really didn't want to answer. He couldn't really tell (Y/n) that he had followed her all the way from her workplace to Lupita's home once and that he had done it again tonight after the ball to make sure she was okay, or that he had been keeping guard in front of their door all night to keep an eye out for Jasper or the other threat Penelope had warned them about. That would freak her out.

He exhaled a heavy sigh, flashing (Y/n) a reprimanding look like she was a child that needed scolding for her behaviour.

"I said go back to sleep, what I'm doing here does not concern you." Tobias said again, like a parent berating their child for meddling in adult matters, "You're going to catch a cold if you stay out."

Gods, (Y/n) hated the way he kept on dodging her question, like nothing about the current situation was any of her business, like he wasn't just standing in front of Lupita's house looking more tense and on edge than she had ever seen him. It just didn't make any sense for him to be here, not after all the horrible things he had told her, not after telling her that they weren't friends and that he hated her.

"Like you care." (Y/n) retorted with a humorless chuckle, which had Tobias immediately turning his attention towards her, hurt and disbelief flashing through his gaze. (Y/n) didn't understand why he'd be so hurt by her statement though, he made it very clear the last time they spoke that he did not care about her.

Tobias lowered his head, his eyes dropping to the ground and his features somber with guilt. For seconds that felt like an eternity, he couldn't do anything but stay silent and let her words sink in, deep and sharp. He understood where she came from, his very objective back then had been to convince her that he hated her and that she should hate him too.

But Tobias had never wanted this. He had never wanted for (Y/n) to think that he hated her or that he didn't care about her, not when she was all he could think about day and night, not when her safety and wellbeing was his top priority, not when the simple thought of her catching a cold had his insides churning and twisting with concern. He didn't want for her to hate him either, hell, he ached for her to love him and to return his feelings. He ached for her.

And the former Tobias, pragmatic and rational, would have probably thought that it was better this way, that she was better off hating him, that this situation was more desirable than letting his Infection win. But now, Tobias couldn't even remember why he had even pushed her away in the first place, couldn't even remember how this could have ever been in (Y/n)'s best interest.

No one could ever protect her better than he could. No one could ever take care of her, look out for her and love her the way he did, either. It was evident to him now, his place was right at her side, it had always been.

He was done with pretending. He was done with lying to her and pushing her away. He was done with fighting against himself.

Protecting (Y/n) felt right, more right than anything Tobias had ever done in his entire life. It felt natural, like breathing, like he had been born for this very purpose.

Why should he keep on fighting this part of him that only wanted what was best for her? That only wanted to protect her from others and the world?

This was what love was all about. Care. Devotion. Protection.

Tobias was sure of it now.

He knew (Y/n) probably wouldn't understand his line of thinking, Marcus didn't understand either. Tobias didn't blame either of them, he knew Uninfected had a harder time coming to terms with these kinds of things, that they didn't love as passionately and as strongly. He knew (Y/n) would probably see him as a threat if she learned of his Infection for her, and that was the very last thing he wanted.

The mere thought of (Y/n) fearing him had his heart plummeting to the pit of his stomach. Which is why, as much as he wanted to mend their relationship, he needed to be careful. He didn't want her to run away from him.

"(Y/n)..." He started, regret and sadness tainting his voice as he looked at her. "I know that I acted like an-"

"An asshole?" (Y/n) completed, anger pulsing in her voice, "Yes, you did. And I don't want to see your face ever again. Which shouldn't be an issue for you, considering you made it very clear that you didn't want to see me again either."

Hurt sliced through his features again, pain viciously nagging at his chest at her words.

"Leave." (Y/n) continued, "Leave before I make you."

Tobias shook his head in refusal, eyes meeting hers with the ghost of an apologetic smile on his lips.

"No, nothing could make me leave. And certainly not you." He said, swallowing the apprehension balling at the back of his throat. He knew she probably wouldn't take kindly to that, but he didn't care. He wasn't leaving, not when someone was apparently after her and intent on hurting her. He still had no idea who this person was, Penelope hadn't mentioned a name, but the second Tobias saw them he would make sure to put an end to their life.

Any threat to (Y/n) had to be squashed, and if he had to kill to ensure her safety... Then he would.

A shudder ran through him at the thought, one that felt so foreign and so unlike him. His old self would have been disgusted by the idea of killing in the name of love, would have rather ended his own life than take someone else's. But now? Tobias didn't care, and if he had to turn into a monster to protect (Y/n), he would. No regret, no shame.

Poor Tobias was so caught up in the twisted webs of his Infection, that he couldn't even see that he had turned into his worst nightmare, into the very thing he had sworn to himself never to embrace.

But he had fought against himself for so long, had tried so hard to be good and to be someone his parents would have been proud to call their son, to be the child they would have deemed safe to keep and wouldn't have abandoned.

He couldn't keep on denying who he was to please others and make them love him. No matter how hard he tried, he'd always remain an Infected, a potential threat and predator in their eyes. No matter how hard he tried, it was never enough. So what did he have left other than to fully embrace his identity?

And (Y/n), she had to understand that in spite of all he had said, he was on her side. More so than anyone else.

"Why? You think I can't get you to leave? You think I can't kick your ass, Tobias?" (Y/n) asked with a disbelieving chuckle, anger simmering right beneath the surface of her composure.

"No, that's not what I meant." Tobias said calmly, though he doubted (Y/n) could overpower him and kick his ass anyway. He was significantly stronger and taller, she knew it too. Trying to overpower him wouldn't work.

(Y/n) paused, a frown etched between her brows as she leaned back against the wall, scrutinizing him as if trying to decipher what was going on in his head.

"Why then?" She continued with a sigh heavy with frustration, "Why are you here and why won't you just leave?"

Because I love you, was what Tobias wanted to answer. But he knew this wasn't the right thing to say. (Y/n) was kind and sweet, but she was still an Uninfected and would probably run from him if she learned about his feelings for her. So he opted for a softer version.

"Because in spite of everything I said, in spite of everything you think I feel when it comes to you, I care about you." He said, his gaze planted in hers, raw and honest, and dusted with a vulnerability (Y/n) had rarely seen on his features. "More than you know."

(Y/n)'s confrontational features melted with confusion. She didn't understand. The Tobias that currently stood in front of her was the one she had learnt to be friends with, the one she liked and the one she trusted, so different from the one who had spoken all these cruel words to her weeks ago. She wanted to believe that he was being honest and that he really did care, but why had he said all these things to her if he truly did?

She just couldn't wrap her head around his actions, make sense of them.

"You... care about me?" She repeated cautiously, as if testing the words on her lips.

"Unfortunately, yes. I do." Tobias continued, the edges of his lips softening with the ghost of a smile. "Now, please (Y/n), for the love of gods, go back inside and get some sleep." He insisted, more firmly this time.

(Y/n) stood still, silently pondering over his words. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the evening and the accumulated anxiety still wearing her down, or maybe it was the fact he looked so earnest in this moment, but for some reason (Y/n) couldn't find it in herself to ask Tobias to leave again. She knew trying to change his mind would be a loss of energy and time, Tobias had always been stubborn and unfortunately the sun would probably rise before she managed to convince him to leave.

His words didn't serve to explain why he had acted like an asshole towards her or why he was even standing in front of Lupita's house in the middle of the night though.

"It's okay if you're still mad at me." Tobias continued, voice soft and patient, a balm on her angered and frustrated mind, "I said things that I didn't think and that I shouldn't have said, I acted like a real piece of shit. But please, trust me when I say that I care about you. A lot."

(Y/n) remained silent, her eyes fixed on him as she processed his words. This was the first time Tobias had been so open about his emotions with her, the first time he had gone out of his way to show vulnerability that went beyond his past. She didn't know what to make of it.

She was still angry at him, and still had no idea why he had been such an asshole towards her, but she couldn't just brush off what he had just said like it was nothing. Tobias was trying to make amends, she could see it in the regret and guilt wearing his features down. Maybe that was why he had come here in the first place, to apologize for his words and actions. There were better times to do it than in the middle of the night, though.

(Y/n) exhaled a shakily, expelling the tendrils of frustration from her system.

"I'm still mad." She said, and a flicker of sadness flashed through Tobias's gaze but he nodded his head in understanding.

Silence stretched thin between the two of them, (Y/n) tightening her arms around her chest as the wind picked up and blew past her.

"But I don't resent you." She finally said, and Tobias could finally breathe again, the weight on his chest lifting at her words. And (Y/n) continued, a conflicted twisting her features as an uncomfortable truth settled in. "What you said hurt me... But you weren't entirely wrong. I was dependent on Grey, because she was all I had for a very long time. She was my only friend, the only one I could turn to and the only one who looked after me... Without her, I felt like I had nothing left, like my world had crumbled."

Tobias stared at her, listening silently and intently.

"And I have to thank you for something, Tobias." She continued, a soft chuckle falling from her lips, and gods, how Tobias had missed this sound. "Because you, Marcus and Lupita showed me that I could just be myself and people would like me. You showed me that I didn't have to rely on my sister to exist and to live, that I wasn't.... Alone."

She offered him a sad smile, biting on the inside of her cheek. It felt good sharing all of this with someone, telling him about how she felt and finally facing a truth she had had struggles coming to terms with.

Tobias turned his head away from her with a small and silent nod, acknowledging her words and keeping them warm in his chest. He hadn't meant any of the words he had thrown her way back then, not even his jab about Grey. But he was content with (Y/n)'s confession, if this was how she felt then his duty was to embrace it. If anything he was delighted to know he had had such a positive impact on her life just by letting her in.

To him this was just another sign that they were made to be together, to stick together like two puzzle pieces. (Y/n) had healed things inside of him, had helped him accept who he truly was, had given him a purpose that extended beyond fighting against himself. And he had helped her out of her emotional cage by showing her that she didn't have to rely on her sister, that she wasn't alone.

And now that he was here, she would never feel alone ever again. He would make sure of it.

Tobias cleared his throat, breaking the silence between the two of them. Much like him, (Y/n) was stubborn, and it was clear that she wouldn't go back inside without answers. And as Tobias wasn't willing to give them to her yet, the two of them would just have to settle for a standstill.

"Why are you up at this hour?" He asked casually, eyes still surveying their surroundings, alert to any shift in nearby bushes.

(Y/n) sat down on the stairs or the porch with a resigned sigh.

"I couldn't sleep." She confessed, the words thick on her tongue, as if speaking them aloud would give them a new weight. Would give them a tangible ground to sprout into reality.

"With what happened at the ball... I guess I was too anxious." She finished, fidgeting with her fingers and looking down at the tip of her feet.

Tobias's gaze slid towards her, a mix of quiet understanding and protectiveness radiating from him.

"Because of what happened with the mayor's son?" Tobias asked, even though he knew the answer already. What had happened must have been terrifying for her. Any Uninfected in her place would have been scared to death.

(Y/n) quietly nodded.

"Yes, that." She said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "But not only. You both seemed so concerned and out of your minds when you saw me, like you were aware of some danger that I had no knowledge of. Like I wasn't... Safe, already." Her voice grew quiet, the slight tremble in her tone betraying the fear still lingering in her system.

Tobias straightened his posture, redirecting his eyes to the streets and gardens stretching in front of them. The air shifted around them, nature holding its breath, making space for him as if scared it'll get in the way of his murderous intent.

"Go back to sleep." Tobias said, and something about the way he said it, so impassively and devoid of emotion, so... controlling, sent cold shivers rolling up her spine. "Nothing will happen to you, I'll make sure of it."

Tobias's words should have been reassuring, should have eased her worries and anxiety. But for some reason they didn't. And (Y/n) couldn't pinpoint why, but for the first time, Tobias's quiet and steady presence unsettled her. The way he had said it, so naturally and with such cold determination... it didn't sit well with her.

(Y/n)'s stomach churned uneasily as she stared up at him, and she stood up, silently going back inside and climbing back into bed. Still unable to get a wink of sleep, but for a very different reason this time.

She no longer felt like Tobias had come here simply to apologize. No, his intentions had been far more sinister, and (Y/n) wasn't sure she wanted to know the truth anymore.