WHITE

"You crazy damned ba—"

But when the knife pierces into my arm, there's nothing that I feel. V shoots me a look, clearly unhappy with my choice of words.

His fingers are still tightened around my shoulder, and I can feel his Blessing course through my blood as it soothes away my pain.

"I told you." He mutters under his breath, his green eyes dark and jaw tensing. "Watch your mouth, demoiselle."

Watching the red trickle from the wound, I look back from this to him with amazement. That was clearly blood, but no pain that came along with it. It was almost like a miracle.

"How are you doing that?"

"I can take away pain." He repeats, his lips pursed with concentration. When he gently slides the blade from my arm, it leaves behind a deep bleeding gash that makes me uncertain if my body has the capability to heal. "Watch."

Then I feel it— a slight series of tingles around the wound as I follow his order. I can already feel it healing from the inside, at unimaginable speeds.

"I'm invincible!"

"No you're not." He retorts sharply, running his fingers through his raven hair. "The only reason it's healing that fast is because there's no pain holding you back. If I wasn't doing this, things would be a lot different."

"Oh."

"Regeneration is something many would kill for to get." The coldness of his hands seep into my skin, the usual edge of his voice sharpened even more. "Don't think this lightly."

When his grip loosens, I tug his wrist back onto my arm with a surprised look on my face.

"What are you doing?" I say, my voice a bit high with urgency. The wound was healing, but it was still there. Which meant it was going to sting as hell. "It's going to hurt if you let go."

A soft sigh escapes his parted lips.

"This is exhausting for me." He breathes, but he doesn't let go of me even with beads of sweat rolling down the side of his cheeks. "I'm going to have to let go sometime."

"Hold on." My words are quick as I instinctively cling onto him, my eyes flickering anxiously from watching his face to the mending wound. "I think it's going to-"

Then pain slashes from my neck to navel, brutal and sending my body into a short spasm. My hands fall limp from his wrist, and another stinging pulls at my arm as I lose all control on my Blessing.

I shiver.

When a whimper bursts from my lips, V snatches his hand from my shoulder with wide, scared eyes, almost tripping over his own feet as he backs away.

A shaken gasp whispers out of his lips, before he turns back into all ice and frosted silence.

"I don't understand." My features in a rough grimace, I meet his gaze. "It was fine before. I could touch you without all this. Is it your feelings? Why is it back? What—"

The silver glitters underneath his eyes.

"I think you should leave." He cuts me off, his green pools bitter with pain deeper than mine. "Now."

He's biting his lip so hard I can see blood, his hands tightened together behind his back. I can't believe I was stupid enough not to see it before. The reason why he kept me away, why he'd even tried to pull back earlier. Why it sometimes didn't hurt when I touched him, and why it had done just now.

His feelings were linked to his Blessing, and he could no longer control his emotions around me.

I'd shaken him.

"Go." He repeats, his eyes crumbling when he sees the realisation in my shocked gaze. When I don't move, the tone of his voice is like shattering glass.

"Please."

__________________________

I end up back in my room sitting cross-legged in front of the mirror and watching the silver lights of my Blessing run back and forth over the outline of my body, not being able to get the image of his broken expression out of my mind.

He cares about me.

But that was impossible. It seemed just like yesterday when he'd collapsed me to the floor with his cold voice and his Blessing, when he'd shut me out countless times with an expression of hate.

"Knock!" Someone suddenly exclaims, and I lift my eyes when a sharp rap echoes against my closed door. "Is anyone in there? Let me in!"

Who....?

"Jimin," I sigh, rolling my eyes when he feigns a gasp. "I'm really not in the mood right now."

"I brought a present. Still going to kick me out?"

Pursing my lips, I get heavily to my feet and open the door just the tiniest bit to see his easy smile through the crack. He holds up a cupcake, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

"I know how much you love them, Miss." Jimin grins again, nestling the sweet into my palm and marching into my room. "Besides, you look like you need it. I've never seen you look so much like V."

The cupcake nearly drops from my fingers.

"You know," He continues lightly, not having noticed my stunned expression. "Sad and depressed and pretending like he's strong enough to handle anything that comes his way."

"What?" I mutter under my breath, looking at the cupcake. If it was some other day, I would have it stuffed into my mouth and have my lips stained with chocolate frosting. But right now, it looked more unappetizing than a rock. "He's not like that."

"Of course he is. Not to mention he's stubborn as hell. Can't forget that." Then Jimin's pale blue eyes flicker over to mine, and he points at my neck. "What in the world is that supposed to be?"

I slap a hand over my neck, knowing instantly what had widened his eyes.

Dammit.

Rushing to the mirror, I let out a loud groan when I see the purple marks blossoming from the expanse of my neck, the small patches that had nearly killed V.

"Nothing." But my chest is heaving slightly, and I adjust my collar as I sit nonchalantly back on the bed. "Doesn't even hurt."

"Would V think so?"

My heart stings.

"I don't think he would want to think anything related to me right now." Voice bitter, I stretch my legs out and stare at my feet instead of Jimin's eyes.

"You know," He says quietly, and I blink when he sits down on the ground so his eyes meet with mine. "V cares for you much more than you might think, Miss."

Yeah, maybe.

But now he probably just wants me out of his life. Forever.

"Yeah..." Jimin shoots me a look at my dead voice, his teal eyes glittering.

"For real." He says, his small hands cupping his chin as he runs them through his almost-white hair. "I'd say he already thinks of you as a lover, but you know how much he—"

"Gosh, Jimin!"

"Are you feeling better now?" He says sweetly, and I can't help but laugh as he  blinks his lashed eyes. "But I wasn't joking, you know."

"Enjoy your cupcake, demoiselle." He laughs, making me flush as I realize V's nickname for me. "See you soon."

I whip around.

"Wait, what?" I exclaim, climbing to my feet with a surprised look on my face. Even though he was annoying and made it his purpose to tease me, he was good company. "Where are you going?"

He smiles brightly, but there's a kind of sadness to the curve of his lips. "So sweet, White. You don't want me to leave you."

"So why—"

He cuts me off.

"I would love to stay, but the Empress would have my head if I'm later than I already am."