A/N: content warning. The word faggot comes up. There is also some violence and bullying in this chapter. Also, Invader Zim reference...

Lady Gaga's Monster comes to mind when I write this chapter. It suits NNY.

Jenny was on top of the world.

She had finally lost her virginity, and it was everything she had dreamed of and more. Sure, it hurt at first, but she soon got over the pain, loving every moment.

She was glad that NNY was her first in the end, and waiting for him had been worth it. She truly felt a soul connection with him, and she had never been surer of anything.

Jenny was falling hard for NNY, and she only hoped he felt the same.

They were on their third date as they just left the theatre. It was three am and way past Jenny's bedtime. She was normally in bed by ten pm like a good girl.

NNY certainly wasn't a good boy. He often stayed up way past his bedtime, and Jenny couldn't deny it anymore.

He was absolutely insane, and possibly a little delusional too.

Quite frankly, NNY was disturbed, and Jenny should stay far, far away from him. He was bad for her, and she should know better than to date a psychopath.

Yet that just made it all the more thrilling.

NNY could kill her at any moment, but she didn't care at all. She was through with being the textbook good girl.

From now on, Jenny was going to live life on a knife's edge.

She'd meant what she said to him back on the cliff; she wanted his demons.

So what if he was a maniac? He was her maniac, and that's all that mattered.

He was certainly a maniac in the sack (that was for sure). Jenny spied the crazed light of his eyes back on the hood of his car, and what more was he capable of?

Heat pooled between her legs as her imagination ran wild. She pinched her thighs together, hoping he wouldn't notice how wet her panties were.

"So... um... did you like the movie?" he asked, distracting her from her lewd thoughts.

Jenny blinked. "I did. It was very interesting. Did any of that happen to him in real life?"

It was a stupid question, but Jenny was curious.

NNY shrugged, dipping his hands into his coat pockets. His eyes darted around the street, scanning every person who walked past. Jenny got the impression that he didn't like people all that much, and at times she felt the same way.

People could be so rude, especially when they came into the shop. But Jenny always gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe they were just having a bad day.

"Who knows, but do I like to wonder..." he replied.

Jenny smiled, tugging her coat closer. It was pretty nippy out tonight. So she moved closer to NNY automatically, trying to absorb some of his warmth.

He tensed in that endearing fashion of his, and she couldn't believe he was still a little shy after what he did to her on the hood of his car...

There were many sides to NNY, and it intrigued her. It was like his mind travelled to alternate dimensions, and she wondered which dimension he was in right now.

Sometimes, Jenny's own mind worked that way too. Her personality changed like the wind, and she seemed to have a split persona.

But NNY seemed to have multiple personas.

NNY told her he heard voices too, and what did they whisper to him? Did they tell him to hurt people?

Her heart thumped at the prospect.

She giggled, and NNY looked her way. A small smile stretched the corners of his lips.

"What are you laughing about?"

"I was just thinking about how amazing it would be to wake up one day as an insect. If I had to choose what insect, then I'd be a bee. Because then I could collect all the pollen I want!"

NNY blinked, surprised. Then his smile grew to epic proportions. His eyes gave a flash. The look alone sent a shiver right down Jenny's spine.

"Way ahead of you there. I thought up that one long ago..."

Jenny leaned closer. "So, what insect would you like to be?"

"A cockroach," he replied, without preamble. "Not as cute as a bumblebee, but they're hard to kill, and they're cold and unfeeling."

She thought it through. "I get it. You want to be indestructible and cold to the point where you no longer feel a thing..."

That was a sentiment Jenny could understand all too well. She may put up the facade of a warm, sweet, friendly young woman, but in reality, she was dead inside.

Or she used to be.

It just made things easier at the time. It was just easier to switch off and pretend that she had no feelings at all.

That way, it hurt less when the doctors...

She shivered, her mind transporting her back to that dark place.

No, she wouldn't go there. She was no longer at the mercy of that awful place. Those doctors were dead, and they couldn't hurt her anymore...

Jenny was safe now.

Instead, she remembered being a happy-go-lucky little girl, back when life was beautiful and her grandmother was still alive.

She loved everything about the world back then, from the way the trees blew in the wind, to the feel of the grass beneath her feet.

Life was meant to be cherished. Now Jenny embraced the world in all its beauty.

Best of all, she embraced what she and NNY had.

He was just like her after all. He understood what it was like to be alone in your crazy thoughts, and it's a miracle he managed to escape the radar of any doctor.

How did he do it? He must have some super ninja powers or something.

NNY's grin widened. "Precisely! To be able to operate at the level of a creature so cold would be a wondrous thing. Free from desire, free from need... Can you imagine all the things you could do if you weren't so distracted by feeling?"

Jenny hung her head. "I don't have to imagine. I lived it and I never want to go back to that awful time again. I missed enjoying the simple things, like the feel of the sun on your face, or the smell of flowers..."

NNY stopped in the middle of the street. Several people huffed in frustration.

"Hey, watch it!" one man snapped, but NNY didn't pay him any heed.

He just stared at Jenny with newfound wonder.

"You... achieved coldness? H-how...?"

She kept her gaze on the ground, and she knew this would be the part where she had to tell him about her tragic past. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and there she goes with the waterworks again.

Yet there was a time in her life when Jenny couldn't cry at all.

Jenny swore to never be that terrifying husk of a girl ever again. The one with the drab, mousy hair and soulless eyes...

NNY let the matter drop, starting on his way down the street again. "Never mind. You don't have to tell me. Your past is your business, Jenny. So don't sweat it."

She looked up and smiled, wiping away a tear. "Thank you for understanding."

Silence passed between them. NNY watched her for a while, and it was almost as if he was using her as some kind of study tool. He even cocked his head sideways, and he did look adorable.

Jenny took a deep breath, peering right into his round eyes.

"It's okay if you want to be cold, NNY. Don't let my experience stop you from achieving your goals. No matter what path you choose, you will always have me. I wholly support your desire to be as cold as a cockroach. The world can be a scary place after all, yet it doesn't have to be. Not always. I never had anyone by my side back when I was cold, but... you have me. I just wanted you to know that."

NNY's mouth popped loose once she finished her speech, and his eyes couldn't have shone any brighter. Then he jerked suddenly, covering his face.

"Th-thank you..." he whispered, thickly. "This world truly doesn't deserve you, Jenny. You really do make it more special."

Jenny grinned, leading the rest of the way back to her shop. She hoped he would want to stay the night.

They rounded a corner next, bumping into a group of ragtag-looking men. Jenny's heart plummeted when they descended on her like a pack of wolves.

Instinctively, she moved behind NNY, staying out of their line of sight.

Meanwhile, NNY tensed, his fingers flexing as he stared ahead with vacant eyes.

The men looked dangerous. They even had tattoos and shaved heads, and Jenny peeped.

One of them blocked their path, folding his arms across his massive chest. "Where d'ya think you're going, skinny?"

NNY trembled. Then he said through a set of clenched teeth. "Excuse me, sir, but you are in our way. Please move."

The man sniggered, readying his fists. "No. Fight me first."

NNY growled, and he almost sounded inhuman. "No. I don't pick fights with vile trolls on street corners."

"The fuck did you just call me? You freak!"

The man threw a punch at NNY's face. He flew backward, landing in Jenny's hands. She could just about hold him upright, yet she managed.

"NNY!" she cried.

The men laughed. Jenny huffed, stomping her foot. "Hey, you leave him alone, you big bully!"

They guffawed even louder, and something strange came over Jenny next. It grew in the pits of her stomach, and now all she wanted to do was reach inside her bag for her shears...

They were just as bad as the doctors, and they needed to be punished.

A shadow moved in the corner of her eye, and she looked across at NNY. Ice spread through her veins.

He looked as if he was possessed by some kind of demon. His eyes were glowing, and she swore shadows danced around him.

She had never seen anything more terrifying.

NNY no longer looked like himself, and she wasn't sure whether to be afraid of him.

Blood dripped from his nose, staining his teeth, yet he hardly seemed to notice. He just kept his ominous, glowing eyes on the group of bullies.

That was when he stepped in front of her, and it seemed his shadows were protecting her now.

A lump lodged in her throat.

No one had ever protected her before...

The man cracked his knuckles. "So yer gonna fight me or what? Go on, hit me, yer faggot! I dare ya..."

His friends sniggered behind him, and the sound of their harsh laughter made Jenny's blood boil.

They didn't seem all that bright. More brawn than brains, but that didn't mean they had to be so brutish.

A slow smirk stretched across NNY's face, and he resembled a Jack-o'-lantern now. His hands disappeared behind his coat next, and Jenny's heart trembled.

"My name is not faggot," he whispered, his voice dark. "It is Johnny, and I want you to move out of my way so I can take my friend home."

The man chuckled again, and that's when his gaze landed on Jenny. The blood drained from her face when she saw the expression in his eyes.

She knew that look. That's how some of the doctors used to look at her.

Some even acted on those intentions...

Another painful memory returned to the fore of her mind, yet she pushed it back, looking the man straight in his small piggy eyes.

She wasn't afraid of him.

Unfortunately, he took her direct eye contact to mean something else. So he stepped closer, licking his vile lips.

"Hey, beautiful. What's a girl like you doing with a skinny fag like this? Why don't yer come on over and stand by me instead..."

Jenny reached for her shears, her go-to defense when men got a little frisky with her. After all, not all of her past dates had been so innocent.

Some of them deserved her special love and devotion.

"No. I'm... I'm with Johnny. St-stay away from me..."

The man snickered, and he looked like a filthy pig. "Aw, don't be like that, babe. Come on, I'll show yer a real good—"

"Don't you fucking touch her!"

Jenny flinched when NNY screamed, yanking out his knife to cut off the man's hand.

The lump of flesh dropped on the floor by her feet. Blood sprayed her face, yet all she could do was stare.

The man howled, dropping to his knees as he grabbed his severed arm. "My hand! He cut off my mother fucking hand! Someone help!"

Yet nobody helped him. His friends had already bailed by that point, and some friends they turned out to be.

Jenny still couldn't believe it: NNY had just cut off a man's hand in the middle of the street. People stopped and stared, yet they hardly looked at him.

All they saw was the crying, bleeding man.

Still, Jenny had to get him away to safety. She would not let anyone take him to a hospital.

She grabbed NNY's shoulder, urging him along. "NNY, let's go..."

He didn't seem to hear her. He only had eyes for his victim now as a strangled sound escaped his throat, and it sounded like a laugh.

"You fucking bastard!" the man cried. "You... you cut off my hand! My squeezing hand!"

NNY cackled, and the sound made Jenny jump. Now he was the thing of nightmares. His eyes shone as they looked as if they were about to pop off his face.

He was more beast than man now.

Jenny knew that beast. It visited her in her dreams. It called to her, beckoning her to embrace its shadows.

But it would vanish every time she reached her hands out.

Yet not this time.

NNY was the living embodiment of that beast. And he was everything she had ever dreamed of.

He was inhuman, and she wanted to wrap herself up in his darkness...

NNY scraped his knives together, and the grating sound cut straight through her heart.

He was unstoppable.

"Now... are you finally going to let us pass? Or do I have to cut off your other hand?"

The man blubbered, holding onto his bleeding stump of a hand. In the end, he had to take off his shirt and wrap it around his wrist.

His dismembered hand lay several feet away, and a squeak left Jenny's lips when one of its fingers twitched.

NNY loomed above the weeping man, his eyes shining brighter than the moon. "Or maybe I should chop off something else...? How about your dick? You know because you like to think with it so much? Your poor brain must be so starved..."

The man cried. "No, no! Please! I won't look at her again, I promise. Let me keep my dick!"

NNY's eyes flashed. "You're damn right you won't. She is not yours to play with..."

The man howled, agreeing with anything NNY said just so his genitals would be spared, and it was obvious who the king of the street was now.

Maybe the man should pick his battles better next time.

A woman screamed next. Jenny grabbed onto NNY. "NNY, we have to go."

He wouldn't look at her. Instead, he kept his gaze on the crying man. "Not just yet. There's still so much I need to teach this pig..."

All emotion had left his voice, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

He sounded like a robot.

Maybe she shouldn't rush him. He must have disappeared into one of his realities, and it may disorient him if she dragged him away too quickly.

That was when she heard the police sirens, and they had no time to dwell.

They had to leave.

"But it's not safe for you here. Everyone just saw what you did..."

NNY rolled his eyes in her direction, and she may as well be made of glass.

All she saw was bloodlust now. Yet Jenny wasn't afraid.

She placed a hand on his cheek, bringing him back from the shadows. "Please, NNY. I'm sure he has learned his lesson..."

The mewling man answered with another cry, and that was when NNY crashed back to earth.

He reached up a shaking hand next, wiping away the sweat from his brow. "Fuucck... I overdid it again... didn't I?"

Jenny smiled, shaking her head. "No. Not really. You could have done so much worse..."

NNY gave a nervous laugh. "Y-yeah... you're right. Of course you're right. I mean, I could have completely gone to town on this guy, yet I just cut off his hand instead. That's good for me. Sometimes, I get a little carried away..."

Jenny giggled. "Yeah. Thank goodness you held back in the end."

A sheepish smile played across his face Then he scratched his head. "So... um... about the hand cutting... I'm kind of criminally insane, Jenny..."

She nodded. "I figured."

NNY stopped scratching his head. "And you're not shocked or disgusted by me?"

Jenny pondered for a moment. "No. I'm not. You were only looking out for me. Your heart was in the right place."

His shoulders sagged in relief. Then he gave a gushy smile. "It really was. Thank you for being so understanding, Jenny. All those men before me really were pricks. As far as I'm concerned, you're wife material..."

Her heart skipped a beat at his compliment, yet she maintained her cool. Those police sirens were getting louder.

"Now come on, let's get you home so we can clean you up."

NNY turned all dopey, and now it looked as if he'd finally lost his sense of the world. "H-home..."

He must have used up all his energy. Poor thing.

She clasped his head, leading him through the crowd, and no one paid them any heed. Everyone just kept staring and pointing at the bleeding man, and it was as if NNY had never even been there.

How did he evade notice?

One day, Jenny would learn his secret.

It wasn't until they got back to her stoop that she finally realised...

NNY would be stepping into her apartment for the first time. He would see how she lived, and it terrified her.

She hoped he liked how she decorated the place. It had been so drab and boring when she first moved in, but she'd brightened it up.

She withdrew her key from her purse, and her hand wouldn't stop shaking as she tried to slot it through the keyhole.

After all, NNY was about to enter her home.

Despite the drama with the man on the street, Jenny had a wonderful night, and she hoped NNY felt the same.

"I'm so glad to be home," she said. "I didn't think we would make it after what happened back there, but we're here now. Now we can relax over tea."

NNY snickered, folding his arms. He hunched his shoulders, and she wondered if he was just as nervous as she was about going into her apartment.

He drummed his fingers against his arm.

"I do like tea, I suppose..."

Jenny beamed, finally getting the key through the keyhole. "Me too! But first things first, we must clean up that adorable face."

She gripped his cheeks like he was five years old. He shied from her touch, turning as red as a beetroot.

"Heh. You're too good to me, Jenny. What would I have done without you...?"

Finally, she opened the door, leading NNY up the stairs to her apartment. His jaw hit the floor when they entered her living room.

Jenny's apartment was like something out of a fairy tale. Flowers decorated every surface. There were even paintings on the walls that she'd painted herself, and several throw rugs and pillows that she'd knitted too.

NNY really stood out in his stark black coat.

"Holy... are we even still in the city? Or did we wind up at Snow White's cottage?"

She giggled. "No, silly. We're still in the city where awful men like that big bully live..."

NNY wrung his fingers, too afraid to touch anything. Jenny patted a cushion on her couch. "Go on. Make yourself comfortable. You don't have to be so nervous."

His gaze landed on the couch. Then his eyes moved back up to her. A toothy grin spread across his face.

"No. I'm good—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as a big drop of blood dripped from his nose. His eyes bugged. Then he muttered "shit," covering his nose.

Jenny gasped. "You're bleeding. I thought most of it would have dried by now."

NNY rolled his eyes. "Yeah, me too. It seems that fucker on the street hit me harder than I realised. I think he ruptured a blood vessel... fuck! It's guzzling out like tap water. S-sorry, Jenny. I won't get any of it on your nice, clean couch... just... hand me some tissues, and I'll be on my way."

She gasped. "Don't be so ridiculous. I'm not letting you leave like that. I don't care about my couch. You're more important."

Jenny patted the cushion again. He widened his eyes, backing away. "But... it's so soft. So pretty..."

She shrugged. "So? I can always get a new one. Now go on. Take a seat. I will fetch us some warm water."

She vanished into her kitchenette, reappearing a few minutes later with a bowl of warm water and soup.

To her dismay, NNY was still standing when she returned, covering his nose. Blood stained his fingers. He even got a little on his shirt.

Jenny placed her hand on her hip. "What did I tell you? Make yourself comfortable..."

He gave a nervous titter. "You... you did. But it's as I said. I don't want to get blood on your pretty things..."

She placed the bowl onto a small table, urging him to sit. He caved in the end, taking a seat on her pretty soft couch.

Jenny sat beside him, dunking a cloth into the bowl. NNY drummed his fingers against his knees as he darted his eyes around.

That's when his gaze settled on her coo-coo clock.

"Hey, nice coo-coo clock..."

She beamed. "Why, thank you. It belonged to my grandmother."

NNY raised his brows. "Oh... really?"

"Hm-hm. Now shush. We have to clean up that cute face."

NNY eyed the bowl and cloth warily, shuffling away. "No... I can clean it myself."

"But it's the least I can do. You did protect me from that mean brute after all."

He cocked a brow. "But... I always clean the blood off myself. I have for years! No one's ever volunteered before..."

NNY turned solemn next as he seemed to be lost in his sad memories, and they must have been some lonely years.

Jenny's heart broke for him. She couldn't stand the thought of him having to clean the blood off his own face.

Well, all that was about to change...

"Well, you have me now, NNY. I would love nothing more than to take good care of you..."

Something shined in NNY's eyes as he truly looked at her now. Then he sighed, giving in. "All right. I will let you clean the blood off my face..."

Jenny squeed. Then she dunked the cloth back into the bowl, budging closer.

Their knees grazed ever so slightly, yet NNY still tensed up. That's when she pressed a hand to his cheek, and he relaxed in her touch.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, NNY. I promise."

He closed his eyes, melting beneath her palm. "I know... you could never hurt me, Jenny..."

She wasn't so sure about that. She did once dream about killing him, but that had only been out of some misplaced affection.

Jenny honestly believed that she would never see him again after their first date. She had been so close to stabbing him too.

Thank goodness she couldn't get her bag to open in the end.

NNY could be dead right now.

Jenny moved the cloth away from his face, and he watched her curiously. "What's wrong?"

Her fingers shook. Could she really trust herself not to hurt him? NNY may not exactly be so innocent himself, but the last thing she wanted to do was make him believe that he could trust her...

He obviously trusted himself enough around her. He could have easily squeezed her throat back on the cliff, yet he didn't.

NNY had won against his baser instincts.

Would Jenny be able to maintain the same level of control? All she knew was that she didn't want to hurt NNY at this very moment.

Maybe she should tell NNY what he had really signed up for. He seemed to believe that she was truly innocent.

He had once placed a knife in her hand and told her to stab him, and he had looked so sure of his beliefs.

NNY wholly trusted her, yet Jenny didn't trust herself around him.

Not completely.

One day, Jenny would slip.

The temptation was always there after all...

"I-I'm fine, NNY. Now... let's finish cleaning you up.."

NNY sat perfectly still while she wiped the blood from his nose. He even shut his eyes, and she thought he fell asleep at one point.

She got the blood off in no time, dropping the cloth back into the bowl. "All done."

He opened his eyes, reaching up to pat his dry, clean nose. A smile crept across his face. "Thank you, Jenny..."

"You're welcome."

His gaze drifted to her lips, and then his pupils bloomed like flowers.

Jenny's heart pounded.

Was he going to kiss her again?

That's when another drop of blood dripped from his nose, and NNY cursed. "For the love of fuck! It just won't stop!"

Jenny went to grab the wet cloth again, but it was still stained with the last nosebleed.

"It's okay... we will clean you up again..."

He groaned, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Ugh, that fucker really done a number on my nose. I should have just killed him..."

She placed a cushion on her lap, patting the top. "Come, lay your head down. It will stop the flow."

His gaze fell on the rose-patterned cushion on her knees. "Are you sure...?"

"I really don't mind. You have that nosebleed because of me after all. So I want to help."

He blinked, biting his lip. Then he relented, nestling his head on her lap. Now he lay directly below her, gazing up at her face.

Jenny tipped his head back, pinching the bridge of his nose. He winced in pain.

"S-sorry..." she muttered.

He grimaced. "Don't be. Just took me by surprise..."

She assessed his nose. "It looks a little broken. You poor thing."

NNY rolled his eyes. "Just my luck. It's probably an improvement anyway. I never had the best nose..."

"That's not true. You have a lovely nose, NNY..."

His brows knitted together when she complimented his nose, and it appeared he didn't quite agree.

Silence passed. The clock ticked away the seconds as Jenny tended to his bleeding nose. NNY laid ramrod straight, his hands clasped against his chest. He twiddled his thumbs.

He was still nervous, and she didn't like making him uncomfortable. But she had to help in any way she could.

NNY had come to her rescue earlier. If he hadn't stepped in to stop that awful man, then Jenny would have had no choice but to defend herself.

That's all any girl wanted really. A knight who protects her...

"NNY?"

"Yes?"

Jenny bit her lip. "Thank you for rescuing me. No one has ever done anything like that for me before..."

He gazed up at her now, and a sad sheen took over his eyes. "Well, people should... No one disrespects you like that ever, Jenny..."

His voice took on a dangerous edge, and she thought back to that monster he'd turned into. No one had ever looked so terrifying.

"Do... do you often stab people when they aggravate you?"

She already knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to hear it from his lips.

Suppose she was just asking out of some morbid fascination.

Jenny had never met another killer before...

He stammered, and his reaction said it all.

NNY did like to stab people. A lot. Especially when he was mad.

She didn't question him any further. Instead, she continued to pinch his nose, waiting for the blood to stop.

"It's okay, NNY. You don't have to explain to me. That's just who you are..."

He narrowed his eyes. "Yet you're not afraid... Why?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? Honestly, I don't think I could ever be scared of you, NNY. I know you wouldn't really want to hurt me... and even if you did try... well, you would do so with the best of intentions. Depending on whatever reality you accepted at that moment as truth."

His eyes almost popped from his skull. Then he sat up, staring at her in shock. "Reality? How did you...?" His skin turned five shades lighter, and now he looked as if he was seeing a ghost.

"Jenny, have... have you killed before...? I... I kind of already figured, but..."

She didn't answer. Instead, she dropped her head as images rushed through her mind. The dead, bloodied faces of all the doctors as they lay on the floor, the cold knife in her hand...

Jenny froze, trapped in her own memories as they played like an old movie reel in her head.

NNY gasped. "Shit! Hey, it's all right. It's fine! You don't have to tell me... F-fuck! I'm sorry."

His cursing brought her back from the darkness, and then she crashed back to earth, meeting his horrified eyes.

She didn't know what came over her next. Just seeing his face brought it all out of her, and now she threw her arms around him, crying against his shoulder.

NNY froze like a statue as she held him tightly, drenching his coat with tears. Then when some time passed, he started to loosen a little, reaching a hand up to pat her head.

"Hey... it's all in the past... it can't hurt you anymore..."

If only that were true...

She hiccoughed next, holding him closer, and that's how they stayed until dawn.

For the first time in years, Jenny truly felt safe. So long as she remained in NNY's arms, then no one could hurt her...

Sooner or later, her dark past would catch up with her.

But until then, she would stick with NNY.

He would keep her safe.