(This story contains hints of NSFW content and the mention of sex. You have been warned)

(Dedicated to MegaFangirl1, who recently contacted me again, giving me the drive and determination to write again; reminding me of old times)

Gwyneth slowly began to stir from her sleep, feeling someone breathe above her. As she gained consciousness, slowly waking up, she felt hands positioned beside her head, resting there. As her eyes fluttered open, she took in the sight before her, gasping as she suddenly became wide awake. A man towered over her, his rough hands resting close to her head, legs parted beside hers. Eyes she could not see in the dark stared down at her, hidden by the familiar mask that hid the face of their owner. After a second of shock and fear, she slowly began to calm down, her heartbeat going back to its slow rhythm as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Masky, you scared me!" Gwyneth scolded, slightly glaring up at the man before her.

He did not respond, continuing to stare down at her, the only movement he made being the rising and falling of his chest. Despite how close he was to her, Gwyneth could hardly hear him breath; did he always have to be so quiet? They sat there in silence for a few seconds, Gwyneth's expression softening as she gazed up at the towering figure.

"How long have you been awake?" Gwyneth asked, slowly beginning to sit up, Masky taking the hint and sitting up with her.

He didn't answer, simply continuing to stare, Gwyneth suddenly noticing a bloodstain on his jacket sleeve.

"You're hurt!" Gwyneth cried out, a bit louder than she intended to, immediately throwing the covers off of herself, nearly knocking the man off balance.

As she came closer to observe his wound, Masky adjusted himself accordingly, now sitting on the edge of the bed, continuing to observe her quietly. Despite the man's threatening appearance, Gwyneth wasn't scared in the slightest; while he had undoubtedly hurt people in the past, Gwyneth had every confidence that he wouldn't lay a hand on her. Gwyneth turned on the lamp on the nightstand to take a better look at his wound, which, thankfully, wasn't as bad as the previous ones he had had. She didn't know how long he had been awake, nor where he had been, but that didn't matter at the moment.

Gwyneth got up from the bed before turning to him, "I'm going to go get the first-aid kit and a cloth; don't move, I'll be right back."

She was already going down the hall halfway through her sentence, hurriedly flicking on the light and grabbing a washcloth. She wet it with some soap and water, making sure to rub the soap in well before ringing it out. Gwyneth then grabbed some antiseptic and a small first-aid kit before scurrying back to the bedroom, setting the items on the nightstand before getting to work.

"Take off your jacket and shirt." she ordered.

Masky did as he was told, thankfully not arguing with her this one time. While he didn't speak much, he was very stubborn, so much so that he would sometimes refuse treatment altogether. However, this time, he had come to her for assistance, though Gwyneth wondered why, considering it wasn't as bad as previous others. That was only a fleeting thought in her mind, however, watching as Masky undressed the upper half of his body, all except for the mask. No matter what happened, the mask stayed on; it was a rule that had been agreed upon between them long ago. As his naked torso came into view, and his shirt and jacket laid discarded on the floor, Gwyneth couldn't help the slight blush that dusted her cheeks. She cursed herself a little as she felt her cheeks flush; this wasn't the time to admire him. Shaking her head a little, and ignoring the small amused grunt that came from the man, Gwyneth got to work, tenderly cleaning the wound with the soapy rag.

The man hardly flinched as she worked, though a few quiet, pained grunts escaped from him once or twice. While the wound wasn't that big, it was deep, thankfully not deep enough to require stitches; Gwyneth considered that a blessing. Once she finished cleaning up most of the blood, she tossed the rag aside with Masky's clothes before grabbing the antiseptic. She squeezed a bit of the gel-like substance onto her hand before gently applying it, glancing up at the man every now and again as she did so. Gwyneth eventually heard his head bump the wall, leaning it back to rest against it. Gwyneth had found that the gentle feeling of her hand on his skin calmed Masky, which usually kept him from protesting against anything she tried to do. Gwyneth made sure she didn't put too much pressure on the wound as she rubbed the medicine in, not stopping until the substance blended into his skin.

Gwyneth quickly wiped her hands on her pajama shorts before grabbing the first-aid kit, opening up the box and taking out a large bandage. Thankfully, the wound wasn't that big either, so she wouldn't need to go out and get the gauze bandages; thankfully, they didn't have to use those too often. Gwyneth took off the paper of the bandage before gently placing it over the wound, making sure it was secured over the wound before closing the first aid kit.

"That should hold up for a while," she said. "Make sure you tell me if it starts to come loose."

Gwyneth glanced up at the man, who slightly nodded in response. Gwyneth gave him a soft smile before cleaning up the supplies, taking the antiseptic and first aid back to the bathroom before coming back to fetch the bloodied clothes and rag.

"I'll have to remember to wash these tomorrow."

Gwyneth then saw Masky motion to the small clock on the nightstand, Gwyneth looking to see it was actually a little past three in the morning.

"Well, later on today I guess."

She heard a quiet, deep chuckle come from the man as she took the clothes to the laundry room, throwing them into the hamper in front of it. She knew that, if she left them there, she would likely remember to wash later that day; or at least Tim would see them and throw them in the washer for her. Gwyneth sighed and stretched before going back to the bathroom, proceeding to wash the blood and dried antiseptic from her hands. She got lost in her thoughts for a few moments, watching the water run over her hands, wondering how in the world Masky hurt himself this time. God knows what he had been up to while she was asleep, and God knows how long he had been up since her and Tim fell asleep. It must have been shortly after she had fallen asleep as, for once, Tim had fallen asleep before her. It was a rare occurrence, giving Tim's insomnia and occasional paranoia, but it was also a good thing; at least he was finally getting some form of a healthy sleep schedule. However, with Masky having woken up sometime after that, Tim would likely be physically tired to some degree tomorrow; Gwyneth had to try and remember to make him some coffee in the morning too.

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts when familiar strong arms wrapped around her waist, Gwyneth's head shooting up to look in the mirror, seeing Masky looking down at her from the reflection it casted. His head was slightly tilted to the side, something he always did when he was thinking about something; that fact that it was likely about her made Gwyneth worry a little. She turned off the water and quickly dried her hands off with the hand towel, glancing up at him as she did so.

"Masky, is there something you need?" Gwyneth asked, putting the hand towel aside as she spoke.

Just as she turned to face him, she felt Masky's hands grab her waist, hoisting Gwyneth onto the sink before she could blink. The sudden position they were in, with Masky's hands now resting beside her waist, pinning her there, had Gwyneth more than flustered. However, before she could say another word, she saw his hand reach up towards his mask, beginning to lift it up as he spoke.

"You."

That simple reply sent a shiver down Gwyneth's spine, hardly able to react before firm lips were pressed against hers. In the many times Masky had done this in the past, he had only ever revealed his lips to her. That mask was his face, his identity, the thing that separated him from Tim; and even when he intended to ravish her, it didn't move an inch past his lips. Gwyneth gasped in surprise at the sudden action, Masky's hand moving to the small of her back, holding her in place. Out of instinct, Gwyneth's lips moved with his, her eyes eventually fluttering shut, sighing as she let her body relax. She felt Masky's hands roam around her waist and sides as they kissed, their lips only parting milliseconds at a time for short gasps of breath. If there was any sign of protest Gwyneth once had, it all faded from her mind as she gave into Masky's touch.

Gwyneth briefly remembered back when she had once thought this was cheating against Tim, doing such things with Masky. After the first time her and Masky had exchanged such gestures, she had confided in Tim about it, worried he might get angry with her. However, his reply was not what she expected; he apologized.

"I'm sorry if he made you uncomfortable." Tim had said, looking more embarrassed than angry.

In fact, that's exactly what he was: embarrassed. Tim explained to her that, whether he liked it or not, Masky was a part of him. Whether Masky was just a split personality, made of Tim's hidden desires and grudges, or something else entirely, he was a part of Tim. Masky would likely always be with Tim, no matter how much Tim tried to suppress him, and that meant he would be a part of Gwyneth's life as well, if she chose to stick around. Tim told Gwyneth that, as Tim had fallen in love with her, Masky likely had as well eventually, and he simply had a different way of going about his feelings. Tim was afraid that, one day, Masky would make advances on Gwyneth and drive her away; when that day came, Tim couldn't help the growing anxiety filling his gut.

"I can understand if you would want to call it quits here; I can understand if you wouldn't want to be around him."

Gwyneth had been taken aback by Tim's words, surprised he wasn't angry with her. Just as she thought this, Gwyneth had an epiphany: when she was loving Masky, she was also loving Tim. Masky would always be a part of Tim, and Masky loved her as much as Tim did; he just showed it differently. If she was going to love Tim and continue their relationship, she would have to love Masky too. Once Gwyneth had reassured Tim she wasn't leaving, she told Tim that, if Masky was a part of Tim, she would love him too.

"I love you Tim, for everything you are. If that means I have to love another living part of you as well, I'll be more than happy to."

While Tim didn't exactly like the thought of Masky touching and seeing Gwyneth in that way, Tim also believed it wasn't something he could argue or prevent. He would just have to be happy that Masky loved Gwyneth as he did, instead of trying to kill her. Eventually, they had both grown comfortable with the situation, and while Tim would reassure Gwyneth that he wasn't mad at her for loving Masky, Gwyneth would reassure Tim that Masky would never hinder their relationship.

"In a way, Masky is you, Tim; and I love you both more than anything."

Those words still rang true now, that being apparent as Masky and Gwyneth parted for air, lips slightly bruised from the exchange of heated kisses. Almost as soon as his lips detached from her lips, they quickly latched onto her neck, a quiet whimper escaping from Gwyneth as he suckled on his favorite spot. This only encouraged him further, Gwyneth not being able to help it as she leaned her head back, taking in the pleasure that coursed through her veins. However, she suddenly pulled away as one of his hands trailed in-between her legs, gently grasping his wrist and letting out a sound in protest. Masky immediately reeled back and looked up at her, lowering his mask along the way, his face once again fully covered. Behind it, Gwyneth could sense his confusion, frozen in place as he waited for Gwyneth to catch her breath and answer him.

"I-I can't, I...I-I started my period just yesterday."

Masky stared at her for a few moments, letting out a quiet "oh," before gently drawing his hand back, though still let his other rest on her waist. While the blush was still apparent on her face, Gwyneth shrunk back a little, her eyes shyly gazing up at him.

"You're not angry, are you?" she asked, wondering if Masky wouldn't be too happy with her sudden rejection.

Masky responded by shaking his head, gently picking her up and taking her out of the bathroom, saying the first sentence Gwyneth had heard him say in a while.

"Why would I be mad?"

Gwyneth shrugged in response, "I don't know, I just thought you wouldn't be too happy, since you hadn't been awake in three weeks."

Masky gently placed Gwyneth on the bed once they got back to their shared bedroom, laying on the other side before pulling her towards him.

"Silly girl."

Gwyneth smiled, relief claiming her senses, glad that Masky wasn't mad. Because he didn't speak much, Gwyneth didn't know him as well as Tim, always having to read him by his actions and body language; sometimes that was hard enough in itself. As she laid there with his arm wrapped around her back, Gwyneth's eyes once again fell on his bandaged wound, glancing back up at Masky as she spoke.

"Are you going to tell me what happened, or do you not want to talk about it?"

Masky shook his head in response, Gwyneth nodding in response; that was the best answer she was going to get. She then sat up a little and reached over him to turn off the lamp, enveloping them in total darkness, Gwyneth laying back down and letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Just as her eyes adjusted, she heard Masky's gruff voice from beside her, his face aimed up at the ceiling.

"Lay on me."

Gwyneth smiled and complied, moving to lay on his chest, resting against him and sighing in content. That was one of the things he and Tim both loved to do with her, they both seemed to always love the feeling of her body flush against theirs. Whether that be just to cuddle and talk or rest after sex, it was always something they both seemed to enjoy. Gwyneth heard Masky sighed as she rested her head on his chest, his hand coming up to lightly brush her long black hair. Gwyneth smiled and closed her eyes, feeling herself grow tired once more, falling asleep to the sound of Masky's breathing and heartbeat, as well as the feeling of his fingers playing with the strands of her hair.

Gwyneth woke up around nine that morning, the morning light streaming in between the blinds of the windows. She squinted a little as she opened her eyes, letting them slowly adjust to the light, finding herself laying on her side of the bed. Either Masky had placed her there sometime after she fell asleep, or she had just rolled over there during the night. As her eyes began to adjust, she felt movement from the other side of the bed, the blankets draped over her moving ever so slightly. Gwyneth rolled over to see Tim sitting up in bed, the mask Masky had worn now on the bedside table. He was examining the wound on his side, his fingers slightly brushing over the bandage that covered it, looking down at Gwyneth with a confused expression once he noticed she was awake.

"I don't know either." she replied.

Tim nodded and sighed, laying back down on the bed, his eyes landing on Gwyneth as he spoke.

"What time did he come out?" he asked, obviously referring to Masky.

"I don't know," she replied. "He woke me up around three last night, and I saw the wound he had. I don't know how long he had been awake, or if he had gone anywhere."

Tim sighed and nodded, then gestured towards the window closest to the door.

"I found the window slightly opened this morning. I looked over the house, and since we haven't been robbed, I guess he went out at some point."

Gwyneth nodded in response, timidly looking up at Tim, subconsciously pulling the covers over her mouth.

"I'm sorry I didn't wake up when he did."

Tim softly smiled down at her, his frustrated expression turning into a loving one, his hand reaching up to brush her messy hair.

"It's okay, Gwyn, we both know you're a heavy sleeper."

Gwyneth let out a giggle at that, letting herself lean into Tim's touch, scooting her body over to nuzzle into his chest. Tim let out a small hum as she did so, his arm coming to wrap around her waist, pulling her against him. They laid there silently for a few moments, waking up and just enjoying each other's company. Tim's hand would brush her hair every now and again, Gwyneth having to fight the urge to fall back asleep. While she had grown to love Masky, she knew she loved Tim even more; while Masky was a part of Tim, he wasn't exactly the man himself; the man she had fallen in love with. Tim was the one to break the silence after a few moments of quiet bliss, glancing down at Gwyneth, finding her already looking up at him.

"Lay on me?"

Gwyneth smiled and chuckled before nodding, rolling on top of him and resting her head on his chest. She had fallen asleep like that on Masky, and now she was waking up to the same request from Tim. While the similarities between them were far in between, Tim and Masky were obviously part of the same whole; one Gwyneth had grown to love in its entirety. Just as Gwyneth had closed her eyes, drifting off into thoughts of romance and what the future held for her and Tim, Tim suddenly spoke up.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to a spot on Gwyneth's neck.

Gwyneth hummed in question, wondering what Tim was talking about, looking up to look into the mirror, which was attached to the dresser in their room. There, on the crook of Gwyneth's neck, was a small, dark purple hickey. A bright red blush suddenly claimed Gwyneth's features, nearly jumping off of Tim as she sat up, stuttering and explaining to Tim what had happened the previous night. While Tim couldn't help the pang of jealousy he felt against Masky, Tim gave Gwyneth a reassuring smile, telling her it was alright.

"I'll just have to give you a matching one later, so he knows you're mine too."

That comment made Gwyneth blush even more, smacking Tim with a pillow as she timidly scolded him, causing Tim to laugh playfully. Just as Gwyneth had stopped her assault on him, Tim pulled her down for a gentle kiss, one that made Gwyneth puddy in his hands. She could easily do the same to him with the same gesture, but he always loved it when she would melt against him.

"I love you, Gwyneth." Tim breathed, the words falling from his lips as he broke the kiss.

"I love you too, Tim." Gwyneth gently replied, her words filled with love, making it Tim's turn to melt as she gently kissed his nose; one of her favorite places to kiss him.

Just as they began to get comfortable again, another thought came to Tim's mind, looking down at Gwyneth as he spoke.

"I noticed that I still had pants on when I got up. Did he not make any other advances on you last night?"

"Well, he tried to, but he stopped when I told him I was on my-."

Gwyneth stopped mid sentence when she remembered her current predicament, slightly panicking as she pulled the covers away from her side of the bed. Sure enough, there was a small, dark red stain on the sheets. Gwyneth blushed once more as she covered her face with her hands, apologizing to Tim, the two now having to wash another pair of sheets. Tim only smiled and reassured his loving girlfriend, settling her down with a kiss before getting up to get another set of sheets.