Back in the Uninfected Community, (Y/n) had never cared much for nights out or going out for drinks, not that her mother would have allowed her to go out past sunset anyways. Grey often went out to the Community's one and only bar though. Sometimes alone and sometimes with friends (Y/n) had never met. Grey was never one to share much information when it came to her private life.

On the other hand, (Y/n) didn't have anything to share, for Grey had always been her only friend.

One night Grey had come back home drunk. She had clumsily climbed in their shared bedroom through the window and had tipsily fallen on her bed, still wearing her boots and clothes. She had spilt red wine on her white dress, and (Y/n) had mistaken it for blood and proceeded to shake her awake in fear Grey would die from blood loss.

(Y/n) had been thirteen at the time, and for the first time she had been terrified of losing her sister.

"Peanut, it's just wine." Grey said drowsily, her breath smelling of alcohol and sweet grapes. "I'm fine, 'kay? Go back to bed."

"Wine?" Little (Y/n) tilted her head to the side, she had heard about wine before but had never had a taste. "Did you go out for drinks?"

"Yep." Grey said with a lazy smile, ruffling a hand through (Y/n)'s hair. "I'll take you with me one day so that you can try it. But you're too young for now."

Now looking back on it, Grey had never taken (Y/n) with her, not even when she had finally reached her eighteenth birthday. Not like their mother would have allowed it anyways. This kind of freedom had always been for Grey only.

"You're not missing out on much, (Y/n). A hangover is nothing to look forward to." Her mother said as young (Y/n) sat at the kitchen table with an angry pout on her lips.

"It's not like I want to drink myself to death. I just want to try." (Y/n) argued, knowing very well there was no point in defying her mother. "Why can Grey do it and I can't!"

Amelia had paused, staring at the sink to avoid looking at her young daughter, before answering with something that would stay in (Y/n)'s mind forever.

"It's not a matter of why you can't do it, (Y/n), but a matter of who you are allowed to do it with."

Amelia had said it with such authority that (Y/n) had never dared question her mother's words. She didn't know why Amelia was so adamant on putting distance between her and Grey, but she hated it. She hated how Amelia treated Grey like she was a bad influence. Yes, Grey tended to be reckless and she wore her spontaneity like one would wear perfume. But Grey would never put (Y/n)'s safety at risk or do anything that could cause her harm.

(Y/n) knew that much.

(Y/n) had never been good at making friends though, and Grey had been her only confidant all her life. That said, going out for drinks or anything else with someone that wasn't her sister was out of the question. So (Y/n) had just given up on the idea.

Until this day.

Now, there was nothing to keep her from having a taste of the sweet freedom she had so long ached for. And (Y/n) felt a bit guilty to think that maybe coming to the city had its highlights. It granted her the possibility to try things her mother hadn't let her, and gave her the opportunity to discover the world beyond the Uninfected Community. It was rather ironic, but (Y/n) realized that she had never been as free as she currently was, in the Infected city where she risked being thrown into captivity at the slightest mishap.

Maybe this is why she accepted Tobias's invitation in the first place. For in this moment, the evening air tasted oddly sweet on her tongue, like the freedom she never had back home. Even if the person who was with her was an Infected and the bar they were going to was in the middle of the Infected city.

(Y/n) that these kinds of freedoms would be taken from her once she came home with Grey.

So in spite of the prick of fear lingering at the pit of her stomach, (Y/n) followed Tobias along the lively streets of the Infected city, to a cozy looking bar with upbeat music and colorful cocktails.

(Y/n) stared in awe as they stopped in front of the opened doors. Some people were seated outside or standing in groups with drinks in their hands, some had ordered plates of food to share whilst playing card games. Inside, the bar was dimly lit with bulb lights hanging from the ceiling, people sat on bar stools exchanging friendly chatters and drinking from colorful glasses.

Tobias gazed at (Y/n) beside him, a smile curving his lips and warmth filling his chest at the sight of her amazed expression. This was probably her first time in a place like this.

"Let's order some drinks and then we can hang outside." He said, leading her to the counter. "What do you want?"

(Y/n) gaped at him cluelessly. Honestly she had no idea what she liked in terms of alcohol, or what this place even had on their drink menu. The only thing she knew was that red wine tasted good enough for Grey to like it. So surely she'd like it too, right?

"Uhm... Red wine, I guess?" She said, fidgeting under Tobias's gaze.

He chuckled, cocking a brow at her obvious uncertainty.

"You've never had alcohol, have you?" He said, leaning back against the bar counter with a playful grin. It was the first time (Y/n) actually saw him smile because of her. Now that she thought about it, it was also the first time he was being friendly with her.

Heat rose to her cheeks at his words. She felt like an inexperienced child.

"Shut up." She said, avoiding his gaze and crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not like that."

(Y/n) knew she wasn't being very convincing, and that she could deny it all she wanted, Tobias could see right through her. So she wasn't surprised when he nodded and called for the bartender. The man asked for their ID and after giving it a careful inspection, he finally asked for their order.

Tobias turned to (Y/n) with the hints of a smile.

"Do you trust me?" He asked. And (Y/n) was tempted to say no, because truly she hadn't known him for that long, but she doubted that was the answer he was waiting for. So she silently nodded.

Tobias grinned and turned back to the bartender.

"A negroni and a pink darling, please."

(Y/n) didn't bother asking what either of these drinks were, as whatever these were, she was excited to have a taste all the same. So she silently waited beside Tobias, no words needed between them. It was calming in a way, (Y/n) had never been good with blanks in conversation, but with Tobias it felt somewhat... natural. In spite of his grumpy exterior, he had a way of putting people around him at ease.

(Y/n) glanced his way.

Maybe if he hadn't been Infected, or if she had been Infected, or if circumstances had been any different, the two of them could have been friends. Maybe they could have engaged in playful banter like she did with Grey and maybe they could have gone out for drinks on a weekly basis. (Y/n) had always dreamed of making friends of her own that wouldn't be her sister.

But even so, the Infected city wasn't a place for her to befriend anyone, and (Y/n) would be damned before she forgot this fact. This rule applied to Tobias as well. For even if friendly and a calming presence, he still remained an Infected. And a potential threat.

Eventually, the bartender handed out their drinks and (Y/n) followed Tobias outside, skeptically eyeing the pink coloured drink in her hand. It was pretty, with glitters that seemed to twirl in her glass and catch the light.

"It's a blend of vodka, rose liquor, rose syrup and a few other things." Tobias clarified, casually leaning back against a wall. "It's good. I think you'll like it."

(Y/n) nodded, curiously gazing at the amber coloured drink in Tobias's glass. It was a pretty color, one that reminded her of caramel, and a lonely slice of orange bathed in it.

"Negroni. Gin, sweet vermouth and campari." Tobias said, taking a sip of his drink. A pleasant warmth spread in his chest, and he couldn't tell whether it was because of the alcohol or something else. Tobias couldn't remember the last time he had had a conversation over drinks with someone that wasn't Marcus or coworkers. It felt... good. Almost normal. Natural.

And for a moment, Tobias found himself wishing this moment would last forever. Found himself wishing that maybe there was a world in which he wouldn't have to isolate himself in order to keep others safe and himself sane.

Tobias couldn't remember the last time he had let someone close. Probably back when he was a kid and the Uninfected Community hadn't yet started seeing him as a monster. He used to have friends back then. Back then he didn't use to worry about whether or not he'd turn into a monster such as described in all the stories famous amongst the Uninfected Community.

It all changed when he learned that he was Infected. A wolf among the sheep. A threat to all those he had considered friends and family. The Community had understood this as well, and had lost no time in throwing him to the woods.

Maybe Tobias should have been angry, should have resented the Uninfected Community or wished for their demise. But he couldn't. Because he understood, and knew there was nothing personal in this. To them, this had just been a preventive act of preservation in a world that had turned against them. To them, Tobias had just been a ticking bomb waiting for the right moment to explode and destroy everything in its wake.

It was written in his genes and not something a good education or medications could fix. He was simply born like this, rotten and sick to his core. Knowing this, the least he could do was to keep himself at a distance from others in order to preserve both others and himself.

Even if this meant living an incredibly lonely life.

For only then, could Tobias avoid turning into his worst nightmare. Into the very persons he used to see as monsters back when he was just another kid among the Uninfected Community.

"Mmh." (Y/n)'s quiet hum of approval stirred him from his thoughts, a small smile on her lips as she twirled her glass around and watched the glitters dance in her pink drink. "It's good!"

And a smile would have probably graced his lips, if it wasn't for the fact (Y/n) had already downed half her glass down. Hell, he couldn't take his eyes off her for a split second, could he?

"Hey, slow down." He warned, trying to take the glass from her, only for (Y/n) to turn around with a tipsy giggle and take another sip.

"I feel sooo good." (Y/n) drawled out with a lazy grin typical of someone who had had one too many. And that's when it hit Tobias that maybe he should have ordered food for her to snack on whilst drinking, to prevent the alcohol from hitting too hard. But alas it was too late for that now, and Tobias would have to deal with the consequences of his forgetfulness.

"Yeah, bet you do." He groaned, once again reaching for (Y/n)'s glass. Still, an amused smile played at the corners of his lips. "But there's something called moderation. You should try it-"

"Wanna try your drink too." (Y/n) turned to him and now it was her turn to try and take his glass from his hand. Tobias was fairly taller than (Y/n) and most people, so holding it up and far from her reach wasn't a problem. If anything, it was cute how (Y/n) thought she had a chance at getting her hands on his glass in spite of her much smaller height.

"Absolutely not." Tobias said with a smile as he looked down at her, "You've had enough for tonight. We should-"

Tobias's words died in his throat and cold dread crashed over him as a man bumped shoulders with his, the glint of a silvery blade sticking out of the man's sleeve.

Whatever this man was planning, it wasn't good. And Tobias didn't want (Y/n) anywhere near the bloodbath that was about to take place in this bar.

Fuck. He thought just as he wrapped his hand around (Y/n)'s wrist and started pulling her away from the soon to be crime scene.

"Let's go home." He said, gently tugging on her wrist as to not overpower her and make her fall. But unfortunately for him, (Y/n) wasn't too keen on leaving and by the time he had gotten her to listen to him, it was already too late.

A curdling scream, the sickening sound of a blade piercing through tender flesh, again and again and again. Gasps and muffled steps of people trying to get away from the scene of a man violently stabbing a speechless woman who was growing paler and paler by the seconds.

Blood splattering everywhere. So much blood. Too much for (Y/n) to make sense of anything that was happening around her.

"You stole him away from me!" The man growled in a frenzy, eyes wide with an unsettling insanity. He didn't seem to care about the crimson painting his features. "I won't let you come between us. You won't take him from me!"

The pink hazy cloud that had been keeping (Y/n) on a comfortable high had left place to icy terror as her eyes remained locked on the scene, both aching to run and frozen to the spot.

What?

"(Y/n)?" Tobias called out for her, but his voice sounded so far away, distorted by the thrum of her own blood rushing in her ears.

Tobias cursed under his breath and took off his jacket, draping it over (Y/n)'s head to block the scene from her vision before snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her away from the scene. His heart twisted uncomfortably in his chest at the trembling in her shoulders.

A few streets away from the bar, (Y/n) finally took the jacket off and glanced at him with panicked eyes infused with confusion.

"What-what was that?" She stammered, shoulders shaking with fear, "Did-did he just kill her?"

Tobias tightened his hold on her, guiding her farther away from the traumatizing scene and back home. He couldn't bear looking at her right now, couldn't bear to see the unbridled fear in her gaze. Couldn't bear to think that this was all his fault and that if only he hadn't taken her out, maybe she wouldn't have had to witness a literal murder right in front of her eyes. He had been a fool to think that this could have ever been a good idea.

(Y/n) wasn't used to this. She wasn't used to the violence he had grown so used to whilst living in the city. And because of him, she had just been traumatized beyond belief.

So instead of meeting her gaze, Tobias kept his head leveled and eyes right to the front, his jaw and muscles tight with built up tension.

"He did." Tobias finally answered, "That's what people do here. Murder innocents in the name of whatever twisted feeling they mistake for love."

A cold shiver licked its way up (Y/n)'s spine and tight knots formed in her stomach. She felt like throwing up, the wet squelch of blood still fresh in her mind.

"See what I mean when I say that you don't belong here?"

(Y/n) wished she could have answered, but any words died on her tongue as she keeled over and threw up on the sidewalk. Bile rising up her throat anew as the iron sweet scent of blood clung to her senses.

And unfortunately for (Y/n), this was just the beginning.