(Antagonist's P.O.V.)

All eyes on me.

Protagonist.

"the hell Protagonist?.." I said vaguely, unsure whether what I was experiencing was reality or not. I could feel the firm grip of his right hand, easily pinning both my delicate, lightly tanned wrists over my head. It felt real.

"Dont love Narrator anymore.." He said somewhat firmly, but he too seemed unsure. He was so impulsive. Narrator would never be this way. He'd plan it out and make sure everything happened precisely.

Wait.

Why was I comparing Narrator and Protagonist? I didn't even like Narrator. I thought of his white-eyelashed gray eyes meeting mine only moments ago. I bit my lip.

"Why should I?" I asked him stubbornly, but my heart was racing. You want this. You want this. I kept repeating in my head.

"Well, because....because he's not right for you."

I snorted. "thanks for your concern." I tugged at my wrists, trying to tell him that if thats all he had to say then I was done listening. He grabbed my wrists harder. My chest pounded, but not because I wanted this.

"and....and because I think.....i think that.....i could be right for you..." He stammered. He meant it. I couldn't believe it. But for some reason I wanted to gather up those words and make him swallow them.

This didn't feel like it should.

"Protagonist..." I whispered. His dark blue eyes flicked up to mine. He then shifted to my lips.

You want this. I said again, before I let him draw near. His breath mixing with my breath. I let my eyes half close. His waist suddenly pressed against mine and his hand traveled to my side. You want this. His lips brushed gently against mine. They were slightly rough and tugged at my own. Experimentally they pressed against mine and I did the same. I closed my eyes and he deepened the kiss. His chest was beating against mine and drew my body close. His tongue ran along my bottom lip and I slowly opened to him. You want this. He was exploring my mouth and I made a small sound somewhere between surprise and acceptance. The hand on my side traced the hem of my shorts before slipping strong fingertips up under my tank top. I gasped at his touch. He silenced my mouth with his own.

He let my hands go then and his hand left my shirt, slipping under my thighs and lifting me up around his waist. My heart lurched. You want this. He kissed my neck and I wrapped my arms around his. Suddenly I was falling and I held onto him tighter as my back collided with the soft surface of my bed. He chuckled into my ear, but the sound was unfamiliar. Hollow...like I had heard something similar and he was doing a poor imitation.

And thats when I realized my mistake.

I left my daydreaming and came back to the present. Protagonist holding my wrists over my head just barely confessing to me. I was naturally supposed to whisper his name in that breathy, disbelieving voice, but I didn't.

"youre not right for me Protagonist...what are you saying?" I questioned him instead, trying to get him to falter, to waver in his resolve until he was altogether unsure that this was what he wanted. His dark blue eyes found mine and held them, searching for something stable to grapple onto, but I was already too unsure of myself to offer any such support.

"But you like me..." He said, though his voice was lacking the firm tone of known fact.

"I never said I did." I whispered and looked away for a second before looking back.

It was true and he knew it. The grasp he had on my wrists loosened and he mentally withdrew, searching for some excuse, maybe some proof that would justify his actions. He stayed silent. His hands fell away and I brought my own back down to my sides. Why didn't this feel absolutely wonderful? The guy id liked since....since I remember....how long ago was that..... The farther I tried to think back, the foggier things got. Well since I could remember, now having finally confessed to me didn't make me want to throw myself into his arms and tell him how long id waited to hear those words. I had lost that spark...that flame for him that made my chest tighten and everything he did seem like a good idea. I was supposed to be overwhelmed by the Protagonist; follow him blindly as all others did. But suddenly I wondered if it was him I wanted to follow at all or if it was simply the idea of him.

"I don't know whats wrong with you Antagonist...I'm the Protagonist. Were supposed to never mix...i want you." He said in his husky voice and I realized he was right. The Antagonist. I so easily forgot. I smiled sweetly before reaching up and touching the side of his face gently with my pale fingertips. Like china against his tan skin. His nose looked like it hurt and I once again wondered if I was doing something id regret.

"I'm sorry you feel this way." I said simply and pressed my palm to his cheek. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"this..this isn't just me." He argued. He looked panicked as things turned. He should have waited before making his feelings known. He should have realized that I'm the Antagonist. And it is my job to make him feel pain.

"I never said I liked you. You make such great assumptions of me." I said coldly; my eyes turning darker as I easily slid into the role I was meant to play. His fists tightened and I saw his knuckles go white. His hurt feelings brought me satisfaction. Knowing it made me sick.

He pressed his strong hand over mine. Clutching it to his face as though the pressure could force me to feel. "But I've seen the way you look at me....don't tell me you don't feel something for me!" His voice rose in power and his eyes turned a brighter blue. The Protagonist filling his assertive nature. He was an unstable character though, as one could expect from such a twisted story. He was meant to feel rage and compassion as quickly and passionately as he could hit. It made a character unpredictable. Maybe thats what I liked about him.

I pulled my hand back and stood to my full and very short height. I was doing this for him I decided. The two of us together would be wrong. It would ruin his role and warp my own. I was doing this for him. "Your arrogance is unbelievable. You think that just because youre the Protagonist you can just have whatever you want. whoever you desire." I said with a smile that habitually came to my face in moments like these.

"Take that back Antagonist." He said firmly. His voice so serious I froze. Overcome by the power of his voice when in character. I froze, but i'd never been as controlled by it as everyone else. So yes, I froze, but it wasn't for long and not nearly enough.

"it should be expected from a poor excuse for a Protagonist like you." I knew id ended it  when I saw his face. Id protected him and destroyed any hopes of being with him at the same time. Id known he was insecure about his role. And id thrown it in his face.

The fist id been expecting came sooner than id anticipated. I saw his jaw twitch and his shoulder roll and knew that I should cover my face, but there wasnt time.

Crack!

I flinched, but nothing happened. No pain or stars. I opened my candy apple green eyes and was shocked to see Protagonist's fist encased in the thin white hand of Narrator. Somehow the door had opened and Narrator's tall, slender frame stood protectively behind me. His arm didn't even shake as he very effectively crushed Protagonists fist.

Narrator's skin was shifting, tan to pale and back again. I could feel power surging through his body against my back. I wanted to see his face, but I didn't dare turn.

"How dare you." Was all Narrator said, his voice familiar yet so different. Full of courage and strength. Protagonist looked up into Narrator's face and I saw something there that made shivers run down my spine. For the instant that he looked on Narrator's face, he was scared. Only a character more powerful or equal in power to the Protagonist can elicit such a look, but Narrators were not that powerful.

I wanted to see his face.

Suddenly Narrator's arm wrapped around my chest and I was shocked to feel like I was home. I suddenly had a glimpse of green fields full of sunlight laughter. The laughter was mine and Narrator's. I had never had this experience, never seen this place, yet I knew it.

"He isn't yours now." Protagonist's voice brought me back to reality. Narrator's grip tightened. I instinctively put my hands on Narrator's arm, like I was holding his arm across my chest, wanting him to hold me. Protagonist was right though. I didn't belong to anyone. Even if it were true that I liked Narrator, it wasn't like we were-

"We're dating." Narrator said, voicing my thoughts and shocking me completely. I tried to tilt my head back to look at him, but Narrator's fingers pressed into my skin. I kept perfectly still.

Protagonist's face was pale. Then pink with rage. "so this is why you can't accept me?" he asked, looking right at me. I looked at my bare feet. "You have a relationship already?" Narrator dug his fingers into me again.

"yes" I managed to whisper. Another of my many lies.