She snatches her arm back from my grip. "Don't touch me," she snarls.

"Six," I say calmly, trying to reason with her.

"This is not right," she says, mimicking me. She starts to turn away.

"Why does it even bother you?" I snap. She spins back to look at me, her gray eyes stormy. "It's not like it was of any importance. What happened to your careless, heartless attitude?"

A part of me knows that I shouldn't have said that. "What are you implying?" Six demands, stomping her foot. The others will hear us, won't they? "You actually think I like you?"

"You kissed me first."

"Because that's what you said you wanted!" Six exclaims. Touché. "You are one screwed up mess, Nine."

"At least I don't live a lie, pretending not to care," I say. "Because I actually do not care."

She laughs, a loud laugh that echoes through the corridor. "Oh, you do, Nine," she says. "You care more than I ever will." And Six grabs me by the face and kisses me, full on the lips, and almost as soon as I begin to respond, she pulls away. "Tell me you didn't care about that. Look me in the eye and tell me that did not just matter to you."

She doesn't give me time to answer. She just walks away, something I've gotten used to these past couple of days.

Oh, I am so massively screwed.

*SIX'S POV*

I'm sitting in my room, and he gently knocks on my door. "Hey, John," I say.

"He sits down on the edge of my bed. "I told Sarah about the kiss," he says. At first, I think he means one of my kisses with Nine, and I'm puzzled, but then I understand. "She took it pretty well. She said she understands our fascination with each other because it was the first time we've seen another Garde member."

I smile at him, despite my terrible mood. "You've got a decent girlfriend, John," I say.

He laughs. "She also said that she doesn't bother being jealous of you because you have feelings for Nine."

"Way to ruin it, John," I say. "But honestly, no. I don't care about him. He doesn't care about me."

"But you guys fit," John says. "I don't know how I never saw it before, but you guys are alike."

"Too alike," I say. "Alike to a certain extent where we can strangle each other at any given time."

"Look," John begins. "I know you don't like him, and I know how conceited and presumptuous he may seem, but he's really kindhearted. He has a different side, and you know it because you're just the same as him."

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I don't think so, John," I say.

"Suit yourself," he says. "But FYI, Sarah says she "ships" you and him. I'm not really sure what boats have to do with it, but I guess it means something like she wants you to end up with him or something. I don't know."

I shrug. "I don't get humans sometimes," I say.

"Yeah, me neither."

*NINE's POV*

I walk in as soon as John leaves Six's room. "What?" she asks immediately, her tone hard.

"You're scary," I say, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Can we talk?" I ask.

She narrows her eyes. "'I'm so sorry I acted like a complete idiot.' 'I apologize.' 'I didn't mean to hurt you.' Yeahhh… NO," she snaps. "Now get out."

"Fine," I huff. "Whatever. You're just scared I'll end up challenging you. What's the matter? Do you only beat robots?" She scowls.

"Nine, I swear, you are one sentence away from getting a good beating to the head," Six says threateningly, standing up. I cross my arms defiantly, and she glares at me. We stare at each other for a while, and then Six breaks the silence by saying, "It's your fault things are so messed up, you know."

I sigh. "I know. I'm sorry."

Even though she mocked at the possibility of an apology just a few minutes ago, Six's face softens. "I guess I overreacted too. I mean there's obviously no way for us to actually date," she says. "We kissed because it was impulsive, not because we love each other. You and me, we're both into this war so much we have no time for relationships. We're both impulsive and flirtatious, and I guess it sort of ended up happening, so let's just move on. At least this was for the better. Maybe it will make us bear to be in the same room with each other. Truce?"

I stare at Six's outstretched hand. I feel kind of rejected. I have no idea why, since I have no feelings for Six.

Or do I?

Shit shit shit shit shit shit.

I guess I do. Oh crap. This is bad.

I hesitate, and then I shake her hand. "Truce," I answer.

"By the way, Nine, you're not a bad warrior," she says, grinning. "I'd say you're almost half as good as me." She winks.

I give a short, forced laugh. "Yeah," I say. "Keep telling yourself that."

.

I bang on the door of John and Sarah's room. "Open up!" I yell. John opens the door, giving me a baffled look. "I need your help," I say, looking between him and Sarah.

"Yes…" Sarah trails off.

"I realized I like Six! Now help me unlike her! Now!" I exclaim.

"Whoa, whoa, back up," John says. "You like Six? We knew it!"

"Why do you need to unlike her?" Sarah says.

"Because she thinks our kisses were impulsive and meaningless. Plus the whole thing is wrong and –

"Kisses?" Sarah asks. "How many times did you kiss?"

"Three times and I sorta said 'This isn't right' which is why she was mad at me…" I mumble.

It feels so weird. The great almighty Nine realizing he actually has feelings for someone, his biggest rival, someone who would laugh in his face if he told her.

She was right.

I am such a mess.

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