I clung onto him, desperately and he did the same with me, I could feel the slight quirk of his lips as they turned ever so slightly upwards. The way his fingers danced on my skin made me shiver.

The bedroom door opened. Someone came in. I pulled away, almost choking on my gasp, it was Lily.

"Um...whoops, my bad guys" she smirked and turned back around walking out.

Fuck fuck fuck.

I looked at Vic and his eyes were wide and lost, his jaw was open as if he didn't quite know what to make of the situation, he had nothing left to lose, I had everything.

"Lily!" I called out running after her. I had to sort this out, Mike couldn't find out. She was walking along the landing heading towards the staircase when I caught up with her.

"Lily-" she was walking pretty fast but she didn't look pissed off or angry.

"It's okay I got you girl" Lily smirked still walking at a pace that couldn't really be called 'walking'

"You can't tell Mike, please!" My tone was desperate but I didn't even care.

"Oh no, like I said I got you!" There was some kind of promise in her words that I didn't yet understand, she began descending the stairs and I stayed at the top. I was sure she smirked, why would she smirk? I was going to thank her but she was already almost at the bottom and I didn't see the point. I stood there for a little longer, pondering, wondering whether to go back to Vic or just go to my room and stay out of trouble.

I've made so many wrong choices in my life: and I made the wrong one again. He looked up as I re-entered the room, his eyes round and focused on me only.

"It's okay" I said fingers knotted around each other awkwardly his shoulders sagged a little as if he was relaxing. Earliers charge still hung in the air between us, that wanting but can't have kind of charge, I could feel it and I knew he could too. I sat back down on the bed.

"You said you saw your mom in your little flashback thingys..." He looked alarmed as if he didn't want me to ask. I did anyway. "What do you see?" He looked down at his hands.

"No" he shook his head vigorously "I can't talk about it" he shook his head again trying to emphasize just how much he couldn't (or as I thought wouldn't talk about it)

"Can't or won't?" I raised an eyebrow. He didn't reply, he just got up from the bed and went up to the window, standing at an angle where he could see out and I could see him from the side. His face was sullen and intrigued like whatever he was looking at held great interest; like he could look at it all day.

"What is so special out there?" Curiosity got the better of me "You're constantly looking out there, what holds your attention?" I enquired, he smiled sadly, like he was remembering something slightly bittersweet.

"She's not dead," he said plainly not taking his eyes off of whatever it was he was looking at. "I know you probably assumed she is." he continued. He was right, I had assumed and it shocked me that he knew that.

"So, where is she?" He looked at me solemnly then dragged out the word:

"Prison" bitterly before turning his attention back to the outside world. I was taken aback: prison. Really? All sorts of scenarios ran through my head, what could she have possibly done to end up in prison? I was puzzled. I was about to ask Vic why she was in prison but he motioned me over to the window with a small smile on his ridiculously handsome face and I couldn't resist to obey. He moved over slightly so we could both see out of the small window, I looked at him with a question mark expression, waiting for him to explain why he called me over and what it was he wanted me to see.

"There look" he said finally pointing out the window, to me it looked like he was pointing everywhere, I tried to find where his finger was pointing but because we were so high up compared to the ground, it was hard. "That family in the yard over there" he elaborated. I looked and I saw a family in a front yard, the parents sat happily on fold up chairs, the mother drinking a cup of either tea or coffee and the father having a small whiskey, both with smiles on their faces. I looked at Vic through my peripherals and his smile was goofy, like the scene in front of him was the best thing he'd seen in years. And the most sad thing was I actually think it was.

I looked back at the family, a little boy around the age of six or seven ran the length of the yard, his mouth open, his two front teeth missing, arms flailing as a slightly older sibling chased after him. I had to admit, watching them did have a sort of positive affect on me, I felt a little happier just by seeing them all smile. By seeing Vic smile.

"This is what you've always wanted?" I asked referring to the picturesque family in the yard. "A mother, a father, siblings. Happiness."

"A family portrait." He added with a nod. "Like when you enter a Kodak store and all the sample pictures are of people, families smiling." I nodded in understanding. He wanted perfection, not an abusive father and an absent mother.

I realized this was the most he'd spoken voluntarily and I wanted to keep it going for as long as possible.

"Does it make you sad to see them?" I asked referring to the perfect family I was beginning to envy a lot myself. He shook his head and looked down. "Vic..." I put my hand on his shoulder and his eyes grazed over the contact a couple of times before they lowered again. "Don't do that, don't close up again." My voice sounded a little shaky but things were going so well and now he was beginning close up again and it made me realize just how much I loved the sound of his voice.

"Tell me about your mom...please..." I whispered, feeling like the tone and volume of my voice would emphasize my understanding that it was a touchy subject and maybe also that it was a secret. He shook his head again and I didn't want to push him.

"I'll leave you alone now but..." I trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence. I knew what I wanted to say but I couldn't bring myself to say it. So with a sigh and a heavy feeling I left him alone in his room, gazing out of that small window.

Things were tense, Mike walked into the house, coming back from wherever he decided to take a trip to, while I was walking down the stairs, I smiled awkwardly and avoided direct eye contact. For some reason I didn't feel guilty for kissing Vic, but I acted guilty, it was strange.

"Hi," he smiled widely

"You look happy" I pointed out obviously simply for lack of knowing what else to say.

"I am." he smiled wider, I waited for him to explain why but he didn't, he just headed into the kitchen. I followed him curiously, wondering what has put him in such a happy mood. I lingered in the doorway of the kitchen, Lily was making something on the hob and Mike was sat at the breakfast bar, looking more chilled than your average joe.

"Mike, you look so hot today, seriously, you're the only guy I know that can pull off skinny jeans" Lily said in a high pitched girly voice that didn't belong to her. I raised my eyebrows at her, but she didn't even see me there. Or did she? Mike smiled lazily and I was starting to think he was high.

"No seriously have you been working out?" She asked in the same unfamiliar teenage girlish voice, I cocked my head to the side, what was she up to.

"Thanks" Mike laughed stupidly and that confirmed my suspicion. Since when did Mike do drugs? "Woah Lily stop spinning" he giggled and she giggled too, falsely may I add. She reached over and put her hand on the breakfast bar on top of Mike's, he was so wasted he didn't even notice. She stroked her thumb across the back of his hand smiling seductively at him. I cleared my throat just to make her aware I was there even though I had a feeling she already knew it. She slowly turned her gaze towards me, raising an eyebrow in a what-do-you-want kind of me (failing to remove her hand from Mike's)

"Lil, a word?" I asked coldly, expecting her to come towards me so I can either yell at her or bitch slap her.

"Oh you want a word? How about slut" she smirked and my jaw dropped. Before I had time to reply with something intelligent or sarcastic she leaned over and planted a big kiss on his lips. I gasped. She smiled at me evilly and then headed out of the kitchen towards me, tears pricked in my eyes from the betrayal but I begged myself to stay strong and get a grip. She walked over to me and crossed her arms, Mike was slowly falling asleep at the breakfast bar. I squared my shoulders, trying to look less intimidated by her.

"What are you doing?" I snapped impressed that my voice didn't break or crack.

"What ever do you mean?" She canted her head to the side and asked innocently as if she genuinely had no clue what I was talking about. I didn't know if I could trust my voice to stay even a second time so I just folded my arms over my chest and stared her down.

"Oh you mean the kiss?" She giggled tapping her head as if to say: silly me how could I forget. I didn't reply, just kept staring her down, hoping my hate for her at that moment was visible to her. She giggled again and then her smile turned into a snarl.

"Listen, I know your secret, I mean, I never thought you were a 'both brothers' kind of girl but its good to see you're not that sissy bitch I knew a month ago." I was about to say something, defend myself somehow but she held up her hand "Mike's cute okay, like reaaaally cute! So if I want to maybe kiss him or compliment or maybe even a little more, I will okay?" She snapped.

Fire burned in the back of my throat, I had to keep calm or it'd only end badly for me. "But he's-" I began but once again she cut me off.

"Yours? Ha, you can't claim them both, hon." She shrugged "And if you're so bothered, ditch one of them? If you are going to do that I'd advice you to ditch Mike because you know how I get when things don't get my way" the most sinister smile painted her face and I shivered.

"So you just go around with your stupid paws all over my boyfriend and I'm supposed to be okay with that?" I said outraged. Wait, boyfriend? Was Mike my boyfriend? Had we labelled it?

"Pretty much," she shrugged as if its the most normal scenario ever "I mean, unless you want him to find out about you and precious Vic?" She smirks and I drop my angry gaze to the floor, she'd won and she knew it. I sighed and she came close, kissing my cheek and then winking at me.

"Don't look so sad, sugar, there's enough of me to go around" she smirked again and brushed her hand down my body before heading back into the kitchen. I waited until she was too far away to hear and then I exhaled loudly, tears pricking in my eyes once again.

Breathe Leda, just breathe.

The tears started falling, hot and fierce and refusing to cease, I raced up the stairs, still seeing her smirking face in my head. I wanted to head into my room, curl up and cry my eyes out but by instinct the door I barged through was Vic's. He stopped motionless as I burst into the room, confused, his eyes wide, mid way through putting his belonging into drawers. I ran over to him, the tears falling even faster, the cardigan I was wearing falling off of my shoulders and sliding down my arms to the crease of my elbows. I sniffed once and when I reached him I grabbed his face and kissed him, fiercely, the tears still refusing to stop. At first he froze, confused and shocked and then his lips began to move and he kissed me back for a little while before pulling away.

"Wha-" he began to say but I cut him off by pushing his body against the wall, hard.

"Love me godammit!" I choked out and he glanced at my lips before reconnected his to mine, his arms came about my waist and pulled me closer to him strongly, my arms were weak but I cupped his cheek with one hand and left the other resting on his chest just over his heart. I began to sob hysterically, too much to carry on the kiss, I pulled away and learned my head against his shoulder, his grip around me tightened further, holding my securely in place, I felt his heart speed up, as if he was scared, worried about me. My knees felt so weak and I was both mentally and physically exhausted, I began to slide down, not being able hold myself up anymore, Vic held me tightly, sliding to the floor with me. He wrapped me up in his arms and I sobbed harder than ever, he didn't really say anything but then again I didn't need him to, his presence was perfect, he stroked my hair rhythmically, soothing me. I began to hiccup as I gained control of my cries, soon it was just my shoulders jerking up every once in a while and the sound of me sniffing every ten seconds.

He put his finger under my chin and lifted it so I was looking up at him. I thought he was going to ask me about it but he didn't, he just kissed my nose and gave my body a gentle squeeze and let me sit there in self pity. I was very grateful he didn't ask, I couldn't tell him.

My shoulders shook the more I tried to breathe normally, my body felt achy and broken and his arms felt like the only thing really holding me together.

Notes

Here's a nice long chapter to thank you all for being so patient! Thank you! You're all awesome and I'm really sorry this story is moving at a really slow pace! Put in your comment what you want to see happen in this story (not who you want Leda to end up with, what you want to happen with all of the characters)

Thanks again! I love you guys <3