I watch his every move while he quietly enters, dressed for a change and with the metal collar dangling from his fingers. My eyes twitch as they dare to narrow, but I keep my expression clean of the emotions that are longing to burst from my lips. It's not the time for sentimentalities, no matter how beat up he might look, or how desperately my stupid heart wishes that he would put the collar back on.

I shouldn't have trusted him, I think tiredly.

Mike makes his way over to me with a straight back, yet he looked more proud with his head bowed, kneeling at my feet. I want an explanation that somehow fixes this mess, but I doubt I'm getting one given how he gently puts the collar down on my desk without a word. His fingers linger on the sleek metal briefly, same as his gaze.

He sighs, and I can't take the silence anymore.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

He sighs once more, then sinks down in the armchair opposite of mine, leaning back against it to stare up at the ceiling with his hands folded in his lap. His eyes seem unfocused, and I want to ask if he had trouble sleeping again.

"No, I don't. But I guess I have to." He pinches the bridge of his nose while closing his eyes and doesn't open them even when his hand drops from his face. "But I can't, Gav. I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Why?" I ask sharply, unable to stay calm. It takes all I have to not wrap him in my arms and beg him to tell me that it was all a misunderstanding. I know better, of course.

Mike -or Matthew, apparently- cracks a mirthless grin. His gaze finds mine for the first time since he entered the room, and he looks a bit crazy. "I'm a liar, love."

I might have gotten angry at the way he jokingly used the nickname I have chosen for him, but the way his eyes are glazed and red tells me that he's just covering up his feelings. Maybe it's stupid, but I refuse to believe that it's all been nothing but lies.

"It's all I can do, really. Lying."

"What's your relationship with William Anders?"

He gets to his feet, but I'm not going to have it. I want fucking answers. I want the truth, and I'll make him say it.

"Sit," I snap, causing him to flinch. His chest expands as he takes a deep breath, eyes cast to the floor. Very slowly, he sits back down again.

I get up instead, walking around the table until I'm right in front of him. "What is your relationship with William Anders?"

"That's not his real name," he mutters, tempting me to frown.

"Stop fucking with me, Mike- Matthew, whatever. I have his birth records."

He shrugs. "You have my birth records."

"I don't, actually. I have Mike's, but not yours."

His gaze flickers up, briefly making contact with mine. His brow creases softly. "His name is Richard Muller."

"Okay, fine." I sigh. Arguing about that seems beside the point right now. "Then what's your relationship with him?"

"He's-" He breaks off to inhale long enough for me to get impatient. "He's my father."

I roll my eyes. "Really? His son's dead, and his name was definite-"

The pieces finally click together when he lowers his eyes, an expression of utmost tiredness flashing across them that takes my breath away. His shoulders slouch.

I firmly grab his chin, trying to force him to face me.

"What's your name?"

He squints against the pain that he refuses to tell me about, only feeding my rage at how it's all falling apart for good.

"Please," he whispers shakily. I drop my grip on him.

"Fucking shit," I murmur, running a hand through my hair. "You're lying."

He actually laughs at that. "Yeah, probably."

"Don't make fun of me now," I state firmly. "Robin Muller is dead. That's why Anders killed his uncle and because he-"

I can't bring myself to say it. I can't admit that the man I believe to love has been abused in the most humiliating ways and neglected until he died - almost.

And he just fucking shrugs again.

I take a deep breath in an attempt to collect myself before I slap the shit out of him.

"Robin-" He flinches when I address him so, and his eyes widen while he stares into nothing.

"Robin," I say again and this time, his body goes completely rigid.

"Don't," he begs, still looking somewhere else - at something I can't see, maybe even can't imagine. I'm not going to let this slide, though.

"Robin, I've known that man all my life, and he's always been William Anders. My father and him basically grew up together, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

He doesn't react at all, which just makes me irrationally angry. I ball my fists at my sides. "I don't know what lies he-"

The corners of his eyes twitch, and a tear wells from one, then swiftly slides down his left cheek, silencing me.

God help me, but I want to protect him. It's pretty obvious that he came here to hurt me, yet he's the one hurting deeply now. He's so messed up, and he messed up my life as well. He turned my world upside down, only to flip it in even more directions previously unknown to me.

I love him.

Very carefully, I brush his cheek with the back of my fingers, forcing his eyes shut as he trembles. He squints so hard that another tear falls, following in the first one's path until it catches at my skin. I stroke him gently.

"I love you."

His eyes snap open so he can stare at me, his chest unmoving, and I smile. He's plainly terrified and also surprised. His lips start moving, likely searching for an adequate reply.

I cock my head to the side, allowing myself a cocky grin. "You know, you could just say you love me back."

He presses his lips into a thin line, still staring straight at me, though his eyes must be burning. They're laced with red and spilling tears every now and then.

I sigh and slip my hand around his head, firmly pushing it against my stomach where he breaks down, clutching at my suit jacket while he buries his face in my shirt, sobbing. I want to kill the bastard that fucked him up like this.

"I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. I'm sorry." He repeats the phrase over and over again like a prayer - as if this apology could somehow make everything right again.

"It's not your fault, love," I tell him, clutching at his hair. He shakes his head.

"He lied to me. I betrayed you, and all this time, he fucking lied to me."

I honestly can't fathom what he must be going through. His voice has cracked, and it keeps rising in pitch. "Why me? Why does this shit keep happening to me? I trusted him. And he fucked me over. "

I rub his back. I wish I could tell him that maybe, I'm wrong. Maybe his father is truly who he claims to be, but that's pretty much impossible. I know the guy, and whatever story he told his son; it was obviously far from the truth. It's sickening how he could do that to his own son.

"My whole family is a fucking bunch of liars," he spits acidly, fingers clutching desperately at my jacket. I put my hands on his, carefully loosening his grip so I can pull him to his feet and into my arms. I kiss away his tears.

"I want you to hold on to me," I whisper against the corner of his right eye before lifting him into my arms. He wraps his around my shoulders, doing as told and burying his face in the crook of my neck.

I carry him back to our bedroom and lie him down on the sheets, cradling him in my arms.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

-

So, major plot change here. I initially intended for Gav to throw him out, then I'd name the Sequel "Trust Me Again" (which would obviously be about them getting back together) and a third one called "Trust Me More". Turns out Gav really is just way too nice. He can't do it. He'd never hold a grudge against - Robin? Oh, well...

So yeah, let's see where it goes from here. I've got some ideas.

If you're confused now, don't worry, everything's going to be explained next chapter.

XOXO

T.