/ I'm hurting, baby, I'm broken down \
/ I need your loving, loving I need it now \
/ When I'm without you,
I'm something weak \
/ You got me begging, begging,
I'm on my knees \

In order to keep track of the students of Hudson High School and make sure they were well taken care of, it was mandatory for all of them to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. For half an hour, they ate together, and for the second half hour, they listened to the Human Geography teachers try to teach them things from their lesson at school so that they didn't forget why they were on this trip.

Meanwhile, all Zoe could do was look around the mess hall in search of Teddy.

Earlier, Teddy told Zoe not to go anywhere, which she figured meant that he would come back, but it had been hours and he was still nowhere to be seen. When everyone gathered in the mess hall, even the teachers asked around to see if anybody knew where he was and nobody had an answer. They let everyone eat, however, and even gave their lessons as they hoped he was simply late or forgot about lunch.

Luckily, towards the end of the lesson, Howl got a call from Teddy and got up to leave and find him. Zoe stood up to follow but a teacher gently pushed her back into her seat and followed Howl to make sure everything was alright. Zoe anxiously tapped her foot, her eyebrows cinched between her eyes and a deep frown on her face. Teddy was prone to getting into trouble and danger so Zoe was worried. Where had he taken off to so suddenly and why was he gone for so long?

While Zoe worried and worried and worried, Teddy was busy trying to bullshit his way through his conversation was Mr. Stevens. Teddy had no problem explaining what happened to Howl but Mr. Stevens was another story, literally. Teddy made up a story about him being mugged when he went out to find some fast food, since the resort didn't have fast food. Mr. Stevens scolded Teddy for leaving the resort without permission and all by himself but he couldn't really punish him in any way.

The resort had a small hospital-like section for those that got injured while they were here but it wasn't anything fancy. Luckily, all Teddy needed was a few bandages, a wrap around his shoulder, and some ice packs for his ankle, face, and fingers. The doctor lady at the resort let Teddy relax for awhile as Mr. Stevens hurried to talk to the other teachers about the incident. When they were done, Teddy explained the situation to Howl with a quiet, hoarse voice.

"He's dead?" Howl's eyes widened but he kept his voice low. "It was that easy? You just had to take his pin and he was shot dead?"

"That easy? Does it look like I had an easy experience?" Teddy joked as he raised a swollen hand to gesture at his dirty clothes and injured body. He could still feel all his bruised, aching muscles throb. He felt like his body was one big heart beat.

"I just mean... It doesn't feel like it would be that simple. I mean, what if they just send another guy up here? Isn't there some kind of catch?" Howl asked.

"I already asked Abe to make sure the test was over and he said it was. The test was suppose to be harder, and it would've been, but Abe says I came up with a solution that they didn't expect."

"A solution? To have him killed?"

"Killing him was not my intention." Teddy said and let a strangled sigh fall off his chest. "My original plan was to plea for the test to be over and then Abe said there was no way out so then I decided to go after Brian. I figured, maybe I could beat him in a fight and warn him not to touch her. Then I realized I wasn't going to win and figured I could at least stall him and waste some time getting thrown around. But then, I saw his pin... and I just went for it."

Howl was silent as he tried to wrap his head around everything Teddy was saying. This world was just as strange to him as it was to Teddy. It was unreal, unbelievable, but it was all true. Teddy was apart of something far more dangerous than either of them expected.

"This guy is dead, Teddy.." Howl said as he nervously fidgeted, his eyes staring absently at the floor. "I mean, he wasn't a good guy so I guess I don't feel that bad but... how long until you're in his position, Teddy?"

"I won't be." Teddy confidently reassured, playing Abe's advise in his head over and over again. "I'm going to get stronger, fight harder, and protect Zoe no matter what. I'm going to complete these tests with flying colors, climb the ladder, and make sure we're untouchable. That was my dream when I had to worry about Ezra but it's not just a dream anymore. I'm gonna do it.. because I know I can."

"That sounds really great and all, Teddy, but Zoe's going to kick your ass when she figures all of this out. What are you going to do then?" Howl retorted.

"Zoe has nothing to worry about." Teddy said as his eyes fluttered closed. He was incredibly exhausted. "I'm smart. I know how to use my head. All I have to do is learn how to use my fists a little better and then I'll be untouchable. She'll be untouchable because I'm going to protect her. Neither of us will ever be pushed around, talked down to, threatened, or hurt ever again."

Howl shook his head and dropped it into his hands as he tried to think. Teddy sounded delusional but Howl figured he was probably delirious from getting the shit beat out of him. At least, that's what Howl hoped was true. The alternative was that Teddy truly believed he had to keep enduring shit like this over and over again until he had somehow climbed the social ladder of that fucked up Yang society. Howl didn't like that idea at all. Teddy was going to get himself killed like this.

"Don't you think this is a little dangerous, Teddy?" Howl asked when he raised his head to examine Teddy's horrible condition. "I thought you stopped getting into fights because you didn't believe it as worth it. You know, all the pain, all the judgement, always getting in trouble for it."

"This is different." Teddy argued. "The pain is temporary and, if I win, it's definitely worth it. Zoe's safe, isn't she?"

Howl was baffled. Teddy was sounding more and more delusional the more he spoke. He was going to rip himself to shreds trying to protect Zoe and that's probably exactly what Rin wanted. Howl figured Teddy would've realized that by now. Although, Teddy was only going through with all of this because he was in love with Zoe and he hadn't even realized that yet either. Everything about this was a disaster.

"I want to see her." Teddy quietly muttered in the long silence, his eyes still closed and chest gently rising and falling with his breathing.

Howl snorted a laugh and shook his head. Teddy really had gone insane.

Since Teddy was injured and needed to get back to their dorm for the night, after the doctor lady cleared him and Mr. Stevens returned, they both helped Teddy back to the boys dorms. Fisher was already there, waiting for Howl to get back so they could snowboard, and stared wide eyed at Teddy as Howl helped him to his bed. Teddy was so tired that he was asleep almost the instant that he hit the bed.

"What the hell happened to him?" Fisher asked as Howl threw a blanket over Teddy.

"It's a long story." Howl sighed and turned toward Fisher. "I'll tell you on the ski lift, yeah?"

"Are you sure you want to go when Teddy looks like that? You don't even want to snowboard." Fisher asked, his expression contorted with worry and confusion as he stared at Teddy's lifeless body.

"He'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off. He'll probably be out until morning. And besides, you want to snowboard and I want to do things with you." Howl stepped towards Fisher and cupped his face in his hand before he quickly kissed him. "Lots of things.."

Fisher scoffed at Howl's inability to not talk about sex for longer than five minutes but still moved to get his snow gear on anyways. Howl and Fisher stole glances at Teddy as they got dressed and even tried to talk to him a few times but he was out like a light. He was so out of it, in fact, that Howl had to check the pulse in his neck to make sure he hadn't died. Teddy Morgan was still alive. For now.

-

Teddy only awoke when there was the sound of rapid pounding nearby. When he regained enough consciousness, he realized it the Human Geography teachers banging on everybody's doors to wake them up for breakfast. Teddy tried to sit up and force himself awake but winced when pain shot through him in eight different places. He would definitely need some painkillers to get through today.

Luckily, Howl had apparently bought some last night from the gift shop and gave them to Teddy as he helped him out of bed. Teddy hadn't changed last night before he went to sleep so he let Howl and Fisher leave for breakfast without him as he took a shower and got dressed. He only got a little dizzy during his shower and ached a little while getting dressed, but for the most part, he was recovering and he was alive.

For now, Teddy left his dirty jacket in the dorm room and left with his pin in his hoodie and Brian's pin still in the pocket of his jacket. He kept his hood over his head and hands in the big pocket of his hoodie as he limped pathetically through the resort to get to the mess hall where all his classmates and teachers would be.

"Teddy!" Zoe excitedly proclaimed at the sight of him and leaped out of her seat to run toward him at full speed.

Teddy nearly had the wind knocked out of him as Zoe wrapped her arms around him and he forced a little too much pressure on his ankle, which made him silently wince, but all of that pain faded when he realized Zoe was here. Teddy actually felt himself involuntarily smile as he looked down at the blonde that was hugging the life out of him.

"Hey, I know you.." Teddy joked as he stroked her hair, letting his hand settle on her jaw when she looked up at him. "Good morning, Z."

"What happened to you?" Zoe pouted, her big, brown eyes sparkling with so much worry.

"Got the living shit beat out of me." Teddy chuckled. "Can't you tell?"

"I can tell." Zoe let go of Teddy only so she could reach up and gently pet one of the dark bruises on his face with her thumb. She was being gentle, not applying any pressure, so it didn't hurt. "Are you okay? Who did this to you? Was it my mother again?"

"No. It wasn't your mother. And I'm okay. I'm better now." Teddy reassured, not willing to give anymore details or lie to her like he lied to Mr. Stevens.

Zoe sulked as she looked at the bruises and cuts on Teddy's face, already wondering how bad the rest of him looked if he walked into the room limping. Teddy could tell Zoe's mind was racing and was filled with concern and questions but he couldn't assuage her worries. What happened yesterday was undeniably dangerous and would probably make Zoe very, very upset. She didn't need to know anymore details except that he came out of it alive.

"Teddy Morgan, glad you could join us. Please take a seat." Mr. Stevens said from the front of the mess hall as he was giving his little lecture.

It wasn't until then that Teddy realized how many people were staring at him. It looked like his arrival and his reunion with Zoe had disrupted the lesson, and everybody was already done eating, which bummed Teddy out a little. He was absolutely starving.

Zoe slithered under Teddy's arm and helped him towards the table where Howl, Fisher, and Zoe had planted themselves. She wasn't actually helping very much but she had one hand on Teddy's back and the other on his chest like she was holding him up all on her own and it made Teddy smile. He only really needed help because of his ankle so he leaned on her a little as they shuffled across the room.

Howl and Fisher had mostly clean plates with a few scraps in front of them but Zoe's plate still had a lot of food on it so, when Teddy sat down, he grabbed it and pulled it in front of him. Zoe gaped at him, partially offended that he would steal her food so casually, but she didn't protest since he looked hungry. Besides, Zoe never ate anyways so the food was just going to go to waste if he didn't eat it. Teddy knew that just as much as she did.

At the sight of Zoe judging him so unfairly, Teddy scowled back at her and threw a grape at her forehead. Zoe silently gasped and slapped a hand to her forehead, which made Teddy triumphantly smirk, the expression contorting thanks to his mouthful of food. Zoe simply shook her head at him and continued to watch as he shoved food in his mouth.

Towards the end of the lecture, Zoe wasn't paying attention but she did begin to zone out as she stared at her teachers. Teddy stared at her, admiring her profile and feeling pride build within him one ounce at a time. Winning that fight yesterday secured Zoe's safety. And Teddy did it all on his own. Sure, he was in pain, but that only meant that Zoe would show him even more affection since it made her worry. He didn't want her to worry about him, of course, but he did like the attention.

Teddy couldn't even begin to explain the amount of stress and grief that was lifted off of his shoulders since he won that fight yesterday. He had always been fighting. Ever since his mother died, he had been fighting to take care of himself and fighting to work his way towards a position where he could take care of his sister. He had been fighting his classmates, fighting his depression, fighting to push Zoe away. And he lost those fights every single day.

Yesterday was the first time that Teddy felt like he actually won.

When he claimed he was the only one that was looking out for himself and his family and even called Zoe a coward, he didn't mean it. Teddy was just so used to living that way that he didn't want to admit that someone else had taken the reigns from him. He didn't want Zoe to take care of his family. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted her to trust him to do that because he could—because he was able to.

Instead of being pushed aside and watching those he loved fight to save themselves, he wanted to be the one to save them. The weight of that responsibly was worth it if he could actually pull through and take care of them and protect them. The weight of constantly losing and being absolutely useless was something that Teddy carried around for a very, very long time and he was sick and tired of it. But finally, yesterday, the tables had turned.

Finally, Teddy was not useless. Finally, Teddy could protect what meant the most to him. Finally, the world failed to knock him off his feet. Nothing felt better than that.

Eventually, Zoe felt a strong pair of eyes on her and turned to see Teddy blatantly staring at her with an unfamiliar smirk on his face. Zoe blushed and squirmed in her seat, unsure of whether she should maintain eye contact with Teddy or try to shrug him off. He wasn't looking away when she made eye contact, though, and that made her even more anxious and flustered. He was acting so weird this morning and she didn't know how to handle it.

"What?" Zoe whispered to Teddy.

"Nothing." Teddy averted his eyes to gather more food in his mouth and then looked up at her again, his smirk unmoving despite his chewing.

Zoe tried to ignore Teddy's staring but it was all she could think about now that she was so hyper aware of it. Every time she stole a glance at him to check if he was staring, he was. It would've annoyed her if he didn't look so stupidly handsome with that smile on his face. She just didn't like looking back at him and seeing those dark bruises and cuts, though. She wanted to cradle his head in her arms and coo him back to health, if that was possible.

"Stop staring!" Zoe quietly scolded as she playfully slapped Teddy's leg. "You're freaking me out."

Teddy laughed but finally obeyed Zoe's demand, which actually made her pout a little. She liked having his attention all to herself for a change, even if it did make her a little flustered.

"I heard yesterday that there's a little arcade in the resort somewhere." Teddy said to Zoe once the lecture was over and the Hudson students were free to go explore again. Their classmates were already scattering like roaches. "We should go check it out."

"I already checked it out yesterday with the girls. It's an arcade for children. Besides, this is a ski resort, Teddy. Why don't you go skiing?" Zoe argued.

"Okay, first of all, since when has something been too childish for you, Zoe Yang? And second, I'm not going to waste my time in the freezing cold. Let's go to the arcade." Teddy insisted.

"Teddy-" Zoe tried to protest but was cut off when Teddy hopped weakly out of his seat.

"Come on, Bozo. I can't walk on my own. Are you really going to watch me limp out of here by myself?"

"Ask Howl or Fisher to go with you." Zoe said and gestured a hand towards the two she was still sitting with.

Howl and Fisher weren't paying any attention to Teddy and Zoe, however, as they played a game on Fisher's phone together. Fisher had his phone sitting sideways in his hands and resting on the table as he leaned forward to play while Howl was leaning over him and tapping the screen to screw him up. Fisher would giggle and try to shove Howl off of him but Howl never moved and continued to mess with Fisher. They looked like they were already having fun together.

"I don't want to go with them." Teddy retorted and captured Zoe's hand in his. "Come on. We're gonna go play games. Maybe win a stuffed animal, or candy, or those stupid spider rings, or something."

Zoe laughed as Teddy dragged her out of her seat and didn't bother to protest this time. Zoe placed herself under Teddy's arm to make sure he had some support, glancing briefly at Howl to see him knowingly bounce his eyebrows at her. It looked like he was hinting at her to seduce Teddy, but he was injured. Zoe would feel guilty trying to convince Teddy, in this broken state, to steal her away and kiss her again.

Although, he was already stealing her away in a strange turn of events.

Still, Zoe was too nervous even thinking about possibly seducing Teddy. There was no way she would gain the courage to actually do it.

"Did you hit your head yesterday? When you were getting beat up again?" Zoe asked as she walked pressed against Teddy's side.

"Did I hit my head? Why would you ask that?" Teddy snorted a laugh and cocked an eyebrow at Zoe.

Zoe looked at her hand and drew both her and Teddy's attention towards it. Their fingers were still interlaced and he was holding on pretty tightly with his arm still slung over her shoulders.  Zoe couldn't help but blush at the sight of them holding hands and being so close to each other. Every time their fingers ended up tangled together like this, which was not often, it was clear that Teddy was doing it without realizing it.

This was different. Teddy grabbed her hand and held on despite how uncomfortable it should've been for him in this state. His fingers were still swollen and bruised and his knuckles were healing over with scabs. There was no way he was comfortable having them all squished between Zoe's skinny, bony fingers. He didn't even looked shocked or disgusted when she pointed it out, though. He didn't even drop his arm from around her shoulders or anything and put some distance between them.

"Are you saying you want me to let go?" Teddy teased.

"No..." Zoe muttered, too bashful to turn to look up at him. "You've just never wanted to hold my hand before. It's... strange."

"You know, come to think of it, I did get thrown pretty hard into a brick wall. Must've hit my head then." Teddy lied.

Zoe gasped and stared up at Teddy with wide, sparkling eyes. "Teddy! Are you serious? Are you okay?"

"I'm joking, Bozo. Don't be so gullible or I'm gonna have to tease you some more." Teddy chuckled.

"Seriously, what happened, Teddy?" Zoe whined.

"I told you, it was nothing. I end up beaten and bruise like three times a week. Even on vacation, I can't avoid it."

"Two out of the three times you get beaten, it's somehow because of me. What was it this time?"

"And one out of three times, it's my fault." Teddy argued and stared down at Zoe with such a soft expression on his face that some of her worries actually began to fade. He didn't even have to say anything convincing and she was already trusting that he was telling the truth. "You don't have to worry about it, Zoe. I'm right as rain."

"You're hurt."

"Pain is temporary."

"Now you're being stubborn."

"So are you."

Zoe rolled her eyes and tried to slip her fingers out of Teddy's grasp and wiggle away to escape him, but Teddy only laughed and tugged Zoe even closer. She collided with his side and he silenced a painful grunt on impact. Zoe looked up to see the slight spark of pain pass through his expression before he wiped it clean away. Zoe worried about him but something about his reaction made her feel warm again. He was enduring unnecessary pain just so he could hold her close to him. It was strangely flattering.

When they found the arcade, Zoe guided Teddy through the small space and pointed out all the kids running around and tiny machines that wouldn't be any fun to play. Teddy ignored Zoe's complaining and fished a dollar out of his pocket to put in a crane machine filled with candy. Teddy's hand was basically as low as he could reach without bending over and he didn't let go of Zoe at his side as he manipulated the crane to hover over some lollipops, Now & Laters, and bubble gum.

Teddy only managed to get one Now & Later and a lollipop, which Zoe actually seemed excited about considering how she was just sulking about how disappointing this arcade was. Since Teddy was partially crippled, Zoe bent over to retrieve the candy from the window at the bottom of the machine and handed Teddy the Now & Later so she could suck on the lollipop. She didn't even ask which one he wanted and Teddy stared at her, clearly offended, as she popped the unwrapped lollipop in her mouth.

"I wanted the lollipop, Zoe. I'm the one that won, I should get first choice." Teddy argued, although, there wasn't an ounce of anger in his voice or expression.

"You have another play, Teddy. You're running out of time." Zoe said as she pointed at the screen that was counting down inside the machine.

"Give it to me." Teddy demanded with an open palm extended in front of him.

"Teddy! You can win another one! You're running out of time!" Zoe exclaimed.

"I want that one."

"Teddy!"

"Yours is blue. I want the blue one."

"Teddy! You have ten seconds left! You're going to waste it! There's another blue one in there!"

"I don't want that one. I want the one you have."

Zoe already knew Teddy was only bickering with her just to be annoying so she groaned and pushed him aside to play the game herself. Teddy exclaimed a few, whiny protests but the crane was already descending into the candy by the time he had his hand on the controls. The only thing the tiny crane got was a Tootsie Roll and a small Nerds box, which made Teddy sulk.

"Here. Have some of these." Zoe offered as she gestured the open box of Nerds towards Teddy.

Teddy stared with a blank, dead expression at Zoe and the box of Nerds before he slapped the bottom of the box and caused them to jump into the air. Zoe gasped and duck her head as the handful of Nerds flew into the air and scattered over her head and on to the ground. Teddy tried to hold back his laughter but eventually broke when he realized the Nerds had gotten caught in her hair.

"Teddy!" Zoe whined but kept her head ducked to let Teddy start picking the candy out of her hair. "You made a mess!"

"Don't worry, Zo. It's not on the floor. Most of them are in your hair." Teddy laughed.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, you dork!" Zoe exclaimed.

"You can say dick, Zoe. I won't tattle on you." Teddy teased, still picking Nerds out of Zoe's hair.

"Dick." Zoe spat and threw her hand out towards Teddy's crotch.

Since Zoe was bent over with her face towards the ground, she couldn't properly aim for Teddy's dick, but he was close enough for her to nail him in the thigh. Teddy flinched and jumped away from Zoe as she stood up straight again, tossing her hair back with a dramatic flip. She glared at him while he stared agape right back at her.

"Are you insane?!" Teddy exclaimed as he used one hand to block his junk.

"Are you? You just smacked a bunch of candy into my hair!" Zoe argued, a smile daring to break through her heated glare.

"I got most of it out!"

"Most of it? There's still more?" Zoe panicked and raked her fingers through her hair, hoping that the rest of the candy would fall out. "Help me, Teddy!"

"No way. You just tried to punch me in the dick!" Teddy laughed.

Zoe returned to glaring at Teddy as she continued combing her fingers through her hair. "If you weren't crippled, I would attack you right now."

"And do what?" Teddy challenged with a smirk.

"Hurt you."

"You couldn't even if you tried."

"You want me to prove it?"

"I dare you."

Teddy and Zoe held each other's stare for several seconds, silently challenging each other to a duel. The only thing holding Zoe back was the fact that Teddy was crippled and she didn't want to actually hurt him. She couldn't deny, however, that the thought of playfully wrestling with Teddy sounded kind of fun. She had learned some self defense and attacks from Kenneth. She could probably take Teddy down, non-lethally, if they wrestled.

"I'll attack you when you're healthy again." Zoe huffed and looked down at the loose curls of her blonde hair. "I don't feel like it right now."

"I'll take you up on that, Z. You better watch yourself." Teddy smirked.

Zoe rolled her eyes but still smiled. Teddy was so ridiculous. He was strangely playful and carefree right now and, as much as Zoe enjoyed it, she worried that this happy attitude would suddenly disappear for whatever unknown reason. She didn't know why he was so happy, especially since he was in such a bad condition, so she didn't know what could possibly trigger him to go back to his usually cold and standoffish personality.

Zoe could only hope this playful, cocky, touchy version of him lingered for a little longer so she could soak it in and enjoy it.

"Want to play Whack-A-Mole?" Teddy asked as he pointed towards another machine.

"Are you going to hit me with the mallet?" Zoe joked.

"Are you?" Teddy shot back. "You swung first."

"Not true. You hit the candy out of my hand." Zoe argued with an accusatory finger pointed at him.

"That's fair." Teddy laughed once and tossed the handful of candy in his hand into a nearby trash and then offered said hand to Zoe again. "I won't hit you, Zo. Come on. Let's test your reflexes."

Zoe stopped fussing with her hair and put her hand in Teddy's to skip towards the Whack-A-Mole machine. It didn't take long during that game for their competitive rivalry to take over and for them to start pushing each other out of the way. Zoe was non-stop laughing and squealing as Teddy shoved her aside to get higher points than her. Zoe tried to push him too but she wasn't nearly as strong. The only advantage she had was when she pressed on a bruise over his rib and made him double over and wince in pain.

Zoe tried to comfortingly rub Teddy's shoulder and back as an apology for hurting him but she still kept her eyes on the moles and swung at them with her toy hammer. Zoe won that round and threw her arms up as she burst out in cheers and laughter. Teddy groaned, holding his side with a deep frown, and Zoe's laughter died as she carefully wrapped her arms around his torso and pouted up at him. Teddy simply scoffed at how quickly her attitude changed and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Shh-orry, Teddy..." Zoe mumbled past the lollipop in her cheek.

Teddy chuckled. "If you're really sorry, you'll give me that lollipop."

"I've been sucking on it!" Zoe exclaimed and jerked her head back in surprise, although, she didn't let go of him.

"Yeah, and?" Teddy cocked an eyebrow and smirked down at her.

Zoe didn't believe for a second that Teddy would be okay swapping spit with her like this. Maybe he was okay with kissing her once in awhile but that was under very rare circumstances. So, to challenge Teddy's desire for the stupid lollipop and call his bluff, she pulled it out of her mouth with an oddly sensual drag of her lips that stole Teddy's attention. When she offered the lollipop to him, though, Teddy leaned it to bite down on it and steal it from her.

"Eww! Teddy!" Zoe shrieked and pulled the lollipop away before his mouth could come into contact with it.

"Ew?" Teddy gawked. "What's wrong with sharing, Zo? Are you scared I have cooties? It's not like I've never had your saliva in my mouth before."

"That's different!" Zoe blushed. Luckily, the colorful lights in this mini arcade hit the color change in her cheeks.

"How so?"

"It just is! You can't have this." Zoe declared and popped the lollipop back in her mouth.

Teddy's smirk broadened as a few convincing arguments popped into his head. He could pull that lollipop out of Zoe's mouth, shamelessly taint her mouth with his own, and steal the lollipop. Then it would be a fair trade. Saliva for saliva. Even better, though, Teddy could just grab that lollipop and toss it so she couldn't have it anymore. And then kiss her. No matter what his rebuttal to Zoe's rejection was, he wanted to kiss her. Her sweet, plump, pink lips were calling to his like a moth to a flame.

Zoe's mouth probably tasted amazing right now, Teddy thought. Kissing her was addicting every time he did it, but now she probably tasted like candy. Sweet, sugary, heavenly. Just thinking about getting to devour her in a heated, passionate, wild kiss made Teddy's heart race a little in his chest. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get to do more than just kiss her. He was attracted to her in a million different ways and all he had done was kiss her. What would it be like to finally get to experience the rest of her enticing, petite, tasteful figure?

"Oh, look! They have ski ball back here!" Zoe excitedly blurted and stepped out of Teddy's embrace to hurry towards the machine.

Neither of them actually dared to separate from each other so their hands naturally locked when Zoe got too far and Teddy ended up dragged in her wake. Part of him was sulking since he hadn't acted on his temptation to kiss her. He felt stupid for not kissing her. Why wouldn't he? She was fucking beautiful and she liked him and he knew he wouldn't regret it. Maybe it was just not the right time but Teddy wanted to, and would eventually, kiss her again. He had to. His craving for her wouldn't go unanswered. Besides, Teddy was sure she wouldn't mind.

-

"Do you think it's sprained?" Zoe asked Teddy as she stared down at the ankle he was limping on.

"Could be." Teddy shrugged.

"Don't you need to go to the hospital for something like that?" Zoe pouted.

"Nah, I'll be alright." Teddy dismissively waved off with a smirk itching at the corner of his lips.

Teddy didn't like hospitals, didn't have the money for something like that, and he liked having Zoe under his arm to support his weight instead of using crutches or something. Besides, he was far too stubborn to actually seek help. He knew he would heal, pain was temporary, and he wasn't a runner so a bad ankle wouldn't make him suffer too much anyways.

"Could use a piggy back ride, though." Teddy joked.

"Yeah, right. You'd crush me." Zoe scoffed.

"Because you're too weak?"

Even though Zoe knew Teddy was teasing her for his own entertainment, she still gawked at him as she took offense to his question. Still, she was amazed by his change in attitude today. Everything was a joke and an opportunity to tease her. The bones in his face must have broken yesterday because he hadn't stopped smiling since he suddenly appeared this morning. This was nice. It was fun. Zoe didn't want it to end, but it was so strange at the same time.

"I am not weak. You're just a giant... bear!" Zoe blurted when the right word came to mind.

Teddy grabbed Zoe's shoulders and hopped behind her, preparing to jump on her back. "Ready, Zo? I don't want your little legs to snap."

"Then don't jump!" Zoe argued and tried to wiggle away from his grip.

"Come on, Z! Brace yourself!"

"Teddy! No!"

Teddy jumped on to Zoe's back despite her protest and she squealed as she felt his weight come down on her back. Teddy barely had his arms and legs around Zoe before she buckled and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Teddy was quick enough to save himself with his feet on the ground but he still stumbled as he tried to save Zoe as well. She didn't fall very hard and Teddy caught her arm so she turned on her back when she hit the ground and started bursting out laughing, which made Teddy laugh as well.

"You're such a-" Zoe proclaimed through her laughter but cut herself off when she realized a curse word was hanging off the tip of her tongue and daring to escape.

"I'm such a what?" Teddy challenged with a grin, still holding Zoe's arm and staring down at her. She bit down on her bottom lip, that was basically begging to be kissed, as her wild eyes stared into Teddy's. "Say it, Zoe. What am I?"

"You're an asshole." Zoe whispered with her mouth awkwardly contorting since she was clearly uncomfortable saying the word.

Teddy chuckled and reached for Zoe's other arm to pull her to her feet again. Once she standing again, she nervously looked around at the other ski resort guests that were enjoying themselves. Since they were on their way towards the mess hall for dinner, they were a few feet into a hallway and away from the guests but they could still be seen, which made her blush. She wasn't used to goofing around this much in public but she was also having a lot of fun today.

"Have I ever told you how proud I am of you when you curse like that?" Teddy asked with his unwavering smirk and charming glint in his eyes.

"Maybe once or twice.." Zoe awkwardly laughed and combed a few strands of loose locks behind her ears. "It's a hard thing to get used to.."

"But it's fun, isn't it?"

Zoe peered up at Teddy through her lashes as she fought a smile. "Maybe a little.."

A throaty chuckle rumbled within Teddy before he caught her under his arm again to continue towards the mess hall. Zoe felt her cheeks warm at the sound of his deep laughter, their close proximity, and how touchy he was being. Even though they had been like this all day long, Zoe just couldn't get used to it. She wanted to hug Teddy and squeeze him and never let go. Their closeness was like a dream come true, as was that unbelievably attractive smile on his face.

Unfortunately, once they had stumbled into the mess hall, Zoe's friends began flagging her down so she would sit with them. Since she had spent the entire day with Teddy, she felt too guilty to turn them down and shamefully excused herself from Teddy. The smile he wore all day slowly fell as his arm slipped off of her shoulders. Zoe skipped away to join her friends and instantly started chatting with them while Teddy stayed in place, suddenly feeling very, very alone and empty.

"What is up with you today?" Howl whispered to Teddy once he finally sat down with him.

Teddy didn't have to ask questions to know what Howl was referring to. All he could do was run his hands over his face and drop his head to the table as a heavy sigh and strangled groan poured from his chest.

"Do you remember when I said I wanted to spend all of my time with her? Undivided attention, all of her affection, all the time.." Teddy reminded, refusing to look up as he wallowed in his despair.

"Yes, I remember." Howl said.

"That's not going away.." Teddy whined.

"You just had all of that, Teddy. You had it all day." Howl laughed as he stole a glance towards Zoe, who was simply listening and nodding as her friends mingled.

"But then she left." Teddy groaned.

Howl chuckled again, shook his head, and comforted Teddy with a gentle squeeze to his shoulder. "I knew you had feelings for her, but shit dude... you're whipped. You weren't like this yesterday."

Teddy raised his head and was quick to vomit all of his thoughts on to Howl in an attempt to make himself feel better. "That's because, yesterday, I didn't think I could protect her. You know? Her world is so big and so dangerous and I felt inferior and small and helpless and it was making me scared and insecure and now... now, I know I can do it."

"What do you mean?" Howl cocked a suspicious eyebrow at Teddy as he carefully studied him. "Is this your whole 'we'll be untouchable' thing?"

"Yes! I can do it! I can protect her and I can be there for her and it can be us against the world, just like I wanted. I don't have to be so scared of how I feel anymore because, now that I can do this, we don't have to separate. I won't lose her now." Teddy explained.

There was a wild look in Teddy's eyes that Howl didn't like. Even he was worried Teddy had hit his head with the way he was talking right now. Teddy must have been thinking about this a lot but only focusing on the good things. He felt strong because he won a fight and now it was going to his head. He wasn't untouchable yet but Teddy didn't seem to realize that. He was so high off of his triumph that he was throwing caution into the wind.

"Are you a fucking idiot?" Howl blurted. "Don't you remember Abe warning you that Rin would kill you if she knew you were in love with her daughter? Don't you remember confiding in me because you knew Zoe would kill you if she found out you work for Rin? Why do you think you're ability to protect her changes anything? Why do you think that would make Zoe stay?"

"Aren't you the one that's been convincing me to go after her?" Teddy nearly shouted, already annoyed with Howl arguments against him. "Why are you trying to stop me now? Wasn't this your plan all along?"

"I want you to have Zoe because you make each other happy when you have so much other shit to be depressed about. It's good for you, both of you." Howl said, keeping his eyes locked with Teddy's so he would know he was being sincere. "But you can't just run around holding hands and making out when it could literally get you killed. You're smarter than this, Teddy. Be happy, kiss her, fall in love, whatever. But do it behind closed doors, at least."

Teddy gulped and shamefully dropped his eyes as he realized Howl was making some very good points. Maybe he was a little too high off of his triumph. Teddy swore he was going to use his head to make sure he won, from now on, yet his head was already int he clouds.

"And don't think that Zoe won't leave you, Teddy." Howl continued, drawing Teddy's eyes up to him again. "Zoe is the sweetest little button on this planet. If she finds out you're a killer, one her mother's henchmen, and the reason she keeps getting hurt, you're going to lose her. This is a fucking mess, Teddy, and you need to get your ducks in a row before you trip up, lose Zoe, and get yourself killed."

"I won't lose her. Whatever happens, I won't lose her." Teddy stated. "She'll understand even if she does find out."

"You don't know that."

"You don't either!" Teddy snapped. "Even if she doesn't understand, I'll fix it. I'm not losing her, Howl."

"And I'm telling you, Teddy... you might not have a say in the matter. No matter what you think or feel." Howl argued. "You're not untouchable yet, Teddy. Don't forget that."

Teddy sat in silence for a while as he considered Howl's warnings. Howl was right. Once again.

Teddy had been convincing himself that pain was temporary and he would grow stronger and he could have the girl of his dreams all the while, but in reality, it would not be that easy. If Rin did not like Teddy's relationship with Zoe, she could do a lot more than punch him in the stomach. She still had his family in the palm of her hand and could do whatever she pleased at any moment. It probably wasn't smart to drag Zoe around a ski resort with hearts in his eyes when danger was around every corner.

"I just want her.." Teddy sulked as his eyes fell shut. "And, I guess, I got caught up thinking I could have her.."

"You can, Teddy. You just have to be smart about it." Howl whispered, his voice a lot more reassuring than it was a moment ago.

Teddy only nodded. He didn't feel good about lying to Zoe, obviously, but there wasn't much he could do. He knew telling her would go badly and his recovery plan would have to be very, very good if everything was going to turn out alright. Still, Teddy didn't want to lose Zoe so he would hide it for as long as he could. He would also have to hide his feelings while they were out and about so information didn't spread that he was head over heels for her.

That thought brought a smile to Teddy's face that he failed to fight off. Part of him still wanted to reflexively deny his feelings since he had been doing it for so long, but he couldn't anymore. Zoe was a ball of light and happiness and love and he wanted to always have that around him. She was incredibly selfless and she cared so much about everything and she always did her best and Teddy admired her for those traits. Not to mention, she was surprisingly goofy and funny and clumsy and he couldn't get enough of it.

"What are you doing now? Why are you being weird?" Howl asked as his face contorted in confusion and disgust at the sight of Teddy beaming with joy.

Teddy shrugged. "I'm just.. thinking about her.."

"God, this is weird... You're like a whole new fucking person and it basically happened overnight." Howl laughed.

"I've felt this way for awhile, Howl. It's only now that I'm not pushing all of those feelings down, you know? And it kind of feels... good.." Teddy admitted.

"How long have you been pushing down your feelings for her?"

"Uh.. I don't know.. shit, like... a few months, maybe?"

"That long?"

"Well, I mean... She's always been special to me, even on a platonic level. And I was attracted to her, physically, for awhile. But then, all of that stuff blended together and intensified until I just wanted her. All of her and all of it." Teddy confessed with the softest expression on his face that Howl has never actually seen before.

Teddy was getting lost in his own thoughts again and Howl could see it as he stared down at the table and his eyes glazed over. For a moment, a soft smile itched at the corner of his lips before it vanished and he started to pout. Howl watched with furrowed eyebrow and a goofy grimace. Teddy was so weird now. He looked like Zoe when she started thinking about Teddy. They were both helpless dorks completely in love.

"What is it now? Why are you pouting?" Howl teased Teddy as he gently shoved his shoulder.

Teddy turned his doe eyes towards Howl and maintained his pathetic pout. "I want to kiss her again."

"Oh my god.." Howl sighed under his breath and covered his face in his hands. Teddy really was helpless. It was as adorable as it was disturbing.