Chapter 7

Ben's Point of View

"Slender… do you think something is wrong with Jeff?"

My curiosity was honestly getting the best of me. Since when did Jeff ever just bring Jack food or simply visit the mansion? He just came every month or so when the police were hot on his trail. There seemed to be something very different about him too. He seemed more… in control? Nah, that psycho never was. But he seemed more human, I had to give him that.

"You know how Jeffrey is, Ben. His mood changes by the day. You might as well keep your nose out of it."

Slenderman never really enjoyed speaking of Jeff. Jeff was more like… a dog that Slender was training. A very stubborn, aggravating dog who most of the time thought he was the trainer.

"Yeah… you're right," I murmured.

"Go do your job, Ben," Slenderman sighed as Masky and Hoodie approached him. He had a job to do, too.

I pursed my lips, and started to walk to my room. Right as I got out of the room, Jane stopped me in the hall.

"Something's wrong with Jeff?" she asked. I couldn't tell what her expression was due to the mask.

I just shrugged. "In my eyes, yeah. Why do you care so much? I thought you hated him," I chuckled, an evil smirk stretching across my face.

She let out a sigh. "At first, yes. But… the more I was around him… I don't know. I love him, Ben."

My eyes bulged. The fuck? Okay then. "Well, sweetie, looks like the feelings ain't mutual," I chuckled.

"That doesn't mean I wont keep trying," she huffed, crossing her arms.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say. He prolly wont be back for a while, though."

"I can wait."

Psycho bitch the extreme. I held a little pity for Jeff. Perhaps this is why he didn't come to the mansion often. I laughed to myself at the thought.

"Okayyy," I replied, letting her know I felt awkward. "Good look with that, sweet cheeks. Imma go get to work," I mumbled.

I sighed, walking away and up to my room. Maybe a little bit of tormenting will get my mind off of things. I turned on my computer, beginning my work. Someone in the area would be nice for today… I searched through the data, preparing to find someone who used their computer often. I searched around, until I found one chick I could probably terrorize. Her laptop was on at the moment, allowing me to see everything in view. But she couldn't see me.

"Lets begin," I murmured, cracking my fingers.

Stephanie's Point of View

I woke in the morning to see Jeff laid out on the chair. He looked absolutely drained, yet he was sitting up, awake. Did he not even sleep last night?

"Jeff are you alright?" I asked, slightly afraid. He didn't look right.

"Not really," he mumbled, too low for me to hear.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Like he'd tell me.

"They wouldn't leave me alone."

His reply sent shivers down my spine. Who were they? "Who, Jeff?" I asked, worry glinting in my eyes.

He shook his head, his shaggy black hair falling into his face. "Don't worry about it… just… get my mind off of it."

It should be what I expected. He was a psychotic serial killer. Yet I did worry for him. I let out a sigh. I shouldn't get attached to him.

"Perhaps talking about it will help," I coaxed.

"I told you I wanted to get my mind off of it," he growled, causing me to jump. My eyes widened with fear, as he shook his head.

"I-I'm sorry, Stephanie," Jeff murmured, looking dejected. Something was very, very wrong.

"It's okay," I breathed, unsure of what exactly to do. There wasn't very much to do in a cooped up apartment.

Suddenly, he stood up. I gulped as he slowly walked over, sitting on the end of the couch. His eyes were intent on me, his expression solemn.

"You know that I care about you, and don't want to hurt you," he whispered out of unmoving lips. My heart stuttered. He cared about me? Well, he has been nicer lately. But he hasn't just said that. "It's just been… difficult for me lately," he murmured.

His eyes fell to the floor, and they looked like they were glassy. He wasn't about to cry was he?

"Difficult how?" I probed.

His eyes flickered back up at me. "I've gotten to know you. I've gotten close to you. I've let you in… I don't want to hurt you."

I stared at him, confused. "Then don't." It was that simple… at least to me it was. But obviously it wasn't to him.

"They keep telling me to. The voices… want me to… No!" he growled, grabbing a fist full of his hair in both of his hands. He was breaking down right in front of me. "No. I'm not. I'm not," he repeated to himself, as I sat there, frozen.

I should be horrified out of my mind. I should be running for the hills. I should be calling the police. I should be screaming. But all I felt was sorrow for the broken man in front of me. He peeked up, dropping his hands. A sudden determination flickered into his eyes. He reached forward, grabbing my chin. He forced me to look him in his eyes.

"You… you are mine. They wont take you from me like they did my family. I'm not going to let it happen."

His eyes smoldered as I sat, my mouth hanging open. How was I supposed to reply to that? Hey, Stephanie, there are voices in my head telling me to kill you. But, I care about you a lot and don't want to. So I'll try not to, m'kay? Oh god… but, as Jeff said before, I cared about him to. He was all I really had at the moment. And it would just be wrong for me to put him down at a moment like this. He needed me. And… as much as I don't want to admit it… I needed him too. He suddenly dropped his hand, his head hanging.

"I scared you again, didn't I. Fuck, I'm just a waste of space, huh?" he mumbled. "I can't do shit right… I can't even be close to someone without screwing it up," he continued, his voice cracking.

Without thinking, I launched myself forward, wrapping my arms around him. He let out a small gasp, before returning the embrace. His arms tightly wrapped around me as I buried my face into the crook of his neck. I should be running from the serial killer. Not holding him. But I was just… just doing what I wanted. What I felt was right. What actually made me happy. I should be scared shitless. But here I was, in his arms, feeling nothing more than happy and comfortable. As much as I shouldn't, I trusted him.

He pulled me over, until I was comfortably in his lap. His hair tickled my face, and I could smell the scent of my shampoo. He let out what I thought was a content sigh. His fingers began to trail up and down my spine, soothing me. I began to pull back after a little while, but his arms tightened.

"Don't go," he breathed into my ear.

He laid back, shifting me until my head was laying on his chest. What the hell was I doing? I heard the soft thump of his heart under my ear as I laid there, quite comfortable. My cheeks were slightly flushed, a new feeling coursing through me. One I had never truly felt before. I shut my eyes, gulping.

"You're not a waste of space, Jeff. I care about you, too…" I whispered.

He was still for a moment, then pulled me up so I could face him. His eyes were wide with shock, his mouth hanging open.

"You do?" he breathed.

I pursed my lips, dropping my eyes. My face went a couple shades darker as I nodded. I shyly looked back up at him, a small smile on his lips. Before I could realize what was happening, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine. My eyes snapped wide open with shock, not believing what was happening. But they slowly shut, as my lips began to move with his. His arms tightened around me, pulling me even closer to him. I was kissing Jeff the Killer. He cared about me, and I for him. Never in a million years did I think this would happen. But in an odd way, I was ecstatic.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Our kiss was cut shorter than I would have preferred by a new voice. I turned my head, seeing a face that I couldn't help but find familiar. He was sitting on the table beside my open laptop, a smirk dominant on his face. My mouth was dropped, and I had no idea what to do. I raked through my brain until it rung a bell.

Ben Drowned.

A relatively short update, I apologize :c But, there is some romance started! Yayyy :D Please review!