Summary: There's only so much darkness a soul can take before it's need of light takes over everything else. [JulianxZach]

This book has a very special place in my heart. Now and forever. So, like anything I like, I'm going to twist it. :D

Was this what was really happening?

Zach had long since given up on trying to undo the knots that tied his hands and arms together to his body. Tom was still struggling, and kept struggling even though he was going to be an easier target. Zach had tried to explain it to him, but of course, the older boy wouldn't listen. Just kept muttering on about how Jenny needed him, and how Jenny was his light or some other nonsense. Like stated before, Zach had given up. It wasn't because he was a coward, but he just knew that it wouldn't make a difference. Not with what had them now.

"Seems like we're all alone now."

Zach watched as Julian seemingly walked through the wall, his odd blue eyes burning. It struck the artist odd that it wasn't fury or anger. No, instead it was a deep hunger...like being starved for months and finally realizing that what you wanted was right there. It was a scary look, Zach confessed to himself. And it was brimming with insanity.

"Bastard!" Tom shouted, practically foaming at the mouth. "I'll kill you when I get out of this!"

Snorting, Julian turned to Zach, looking over him. "You're her cousin."

Zach nodded, though it wasn't really a question. He was just stating fact, like the sky was blue, the sun rose in the east, and Julian was definitely the most gorgeous, unrealistic person he had ever laid eyes on. But Zach wasn't embarrassed. He was used to admiring beautiful things, but this was the first time he was admired back. He stilled when he felt fingertips graze on his hair.

"If Jenny is the Sun..." Julian whispered, staring down at him. "Then you are the Dusk."

"Z-Zach?" Tom had finally calmed down somewhat, seeing the odd situation his girlfriend's cousin was in.

Something clicked in those odd blue eyes, Zach saw. He knew he should probably be afraid, and he knew he was but not really feeling it. He was disconnected. Was this what Jenny felt whenever she left Tom touch her? This attention, this...this...he didn't think of a word for it. Love wasn't it. Love was something for the strong, those who could stand through it. Zach wasn't one of those people. So, what this was...was something else.

"I've decided." Julian said, turning away from both of them. "Tommy, you'll be the prize for my next game. If Jenny can make it to the Shadow World, through my game, and be alive...then you and her and your little friends can all go home."

"What..." Tom hesitated slightly. "What about Zach?"

'Nice to be thought about,' Zach's mind commented airily. He knew that really, Tom cared nothing for him. He was just Jenny's weird, freaky cousin. He was okay with that because he had never really liked Tom. The guy would never deserve Jenny because it was obvious he took her for granted. So, while he never said outright he disapproved, he hinted enough that Jenny knew and that was enough.

"He's mine."

Zach actually had to rethink that sentence. Wait, what?

"I...don't get it." Tom said, looking confused and weary at the same time.

'You can drop the act. No one here will buy it,'

"He's mine." Julian repeated slowly, the fires in his blue eyes flaring. "I'm going to keep him."

"You can't do that!" Tom argued, struggling again. Zach just blinked, still not really hearing the conversation. Were they really talking about him? "You promised Jenny a chance to win us both back! You can't keep him!"

Julian paused at this, thinking. Zach felt something akin to panic rise in him. What the hell was Tom doing by arguing? He was just going to piss the him off and then they would have to sit and bare it. But at the same time, the blond boy felt the hairs on his neck straighten. The insanity that had been in Julian's eyes...it was there. It returned in full force and he could only watch as the Shadow Man grinned menacingly at Tom.

"I can do whatever I want, Tommy. I can make up any rule, I can set up any advantage. Besides, it would be fair since Jenny promised something very precious and threw it back at my face."

Julian, with a fake casualness, walked over to where Tom was. Grinning still, he smacked the human with enough force that Zach heard something in the others jaw crack. 'They were really talking about me...he's going to keep me. For what? What could I possibly do that would be of interest to him?'

"I don't think I'll ever understand you humans." Julian said lightly, ignoring the fact that a part of Tom's face had swelled up and was beginning to turn purple. "You have some true beauty...but rules your ancestors made makes it so you never acknowledge them."

He gently reached over and stroked Zach's cheek. Both Zach and Tom froze.

"I can see her in you." Julian whispered. "But at the same time, I see something entirely different. Something else...maybe even better. You're not the light, you don't have her innocence. But instead, there's an anguished light, flickering. It's...prettier."

It was the first time someone had paid attention to Zach. And, he realized with some indignation, someone had called him pretty. He tried to lean away from the white haired boy, but his bonds made it difficult. Suddenly, he was being kissed.

Julian was kissing him.

A boy was kidding him.

...In front of his cousin's boyfriend.

He tried to get away. Turn his head. But there was nowhere to go, and a part of him liked it. He liked being kissed by a guy in front of his cousin's boyfriend. Sure, Julian would never be anything close to human, and he was slightly insane, but there was something...something that Zach took notice of. So, he kissed back.

Julian pulled away a little. "Your light is harder to put out..."

What the hell did that mean?

Julian turned to Tom. "Time to go, Tommy."

But all the guy did was stare at Zach. "W...what was that?"

Zach looked at him, confused. That was a good question. He wasn't sure himself. What just happened? What did it mean? And while he was trying to figure it out, a part of his brain took notice of how Tom's face had turned back to normal. That was odd...what the hell was going on?

"Well, I can't give you back looking damaged." Julian said, smirking when he was glared at. "Don't worry, Tommy. I'll be taking good care of Zach."

This...was real. Zach watched as Julian walked through a wall again, leaving the two of them. But then, Tom started to disappear. The blond felt himself being to panic. He was really going to be left here while Jenny tried to win him back. What would she do when she found out that she had been deceived? Would she look for him? Or just leave him since she got back Tom? Zach wanted to think she'd come for him. No matter how attractive Julian was, he didn't want to be stuck with him. But why would she come for him? They were half-cousins...was he really that important to her?

"We'll get you, Zach." Tom said, struggling again. "We'll come back for you! I swear!"

"All lies." A voice whispered in Zach's head. He shuddered. "You mean nothing to them. I'll always care about you, Zach. I'll always be there. I'll never leave you."

Zach didn't want to believe it. He knew that Julian was merely trying to trick him and turn him against all his friends...against Jenny. But something dark had entered his heart. Anger. He might've been there with Jenny through a lot, but he had always been the one to be pushed aside. He wasn't normal. He was odd, even his parents thought so. Maybe this was his chance...this was a way to get what he wanted. He may not know what that was, but he knew that Julian had sparked something inside of him.

He glared at Tom. "Don't bother."

He heard someone laughing. It was high and dark and lonely and menacing all at the same time. He watched Tom as his completely disappeared, shocked at the coldness Zach had displayed. Softly, Tom whispered something and hoped that Zach could hear him.

"He will put you out."

Zach scuffed, not at all surprised when the bonds disappeared. Instead of stalking the room to look for a way out, he laid on the floor thinking. He felt different. Hazy. Almost like he was forgetting something important. But there was nothing; he just knew that somewhere in his heart, he wanted to be with Julian. Maybe something was wrong...why had Tom said something like that? His tried to think, but all of his memories seemed...clouded. It was like watching an old movie and the audio wasn't working.

Jenny had betrayed him by saving Tom once.

Audrey and Dee talked about him all the time behind his back.

Summer played with his heart.

Micheal would never have the balls to stand up to anyone for anyone else.

Julian had saved him.

Julian had protected him from all of that.

He loved Julian.

Zach smirked, seeing a door appear at the edge of the room. He knew it was a way back to his old world. But he decided that his world had nothing to offer him. So, he turned away and waited.

He was now apart of this game.

Checkmate.

-~~~Insert Line~~~-

This is a one shot. And whether I get reviews or flames, I like it. I kinda jumped around a lot with Zach's point of view, and forgive me if the ending is confusing. I guess I'll explain it.

Julian can do frigging anything. Why shouldn't be able to manipulate memories? So I made it so he could. Of course, a major flaw in this is that he could've just done that to Jenny and then he wouldn't need to capture Zach and Tom, but what fun would that be? For WHATEVER reason, upon reading the book, I always wanted Zach and Julian to have a moment. Kinda a bonding or something. Whatever, that never happened. So I've resorted to FanFiction. So there.

Sequel is possible if wanted. Thanks.

MRIMO