V

I don't mean to act like this.

But my voice is slicing cold as I drop the dead man's throat from my grip, my Blessing dissipating away.

"She isn't here."

Jimin hyung gives me a sharp look, but I watch the little girl as she touches the opposite wall of the room.

"She was here. Traces of her Blessing on the wall." She blinks, and I make a painful sound deep in my throat.

What had she been doing inside a club like this? What had happened to her?

"Someone took her." Her brows furrow, and Jimin hyung encourages her gently. My heart's racing, because it's already been so much time.

"Where do you think she is?"

Brows still furrowed, she suddenly heads to a corner of the room. Pushing away the small table, she kicks at the wall.

It gives way to a hidden door, leading outside.

"Out here." She says, jumping back into  hyung's arms. Then she suddenly gasps, and my Blessing instinctively flares up.

"What is it?"

"Her— Her Blessing is so weak." My heart seizes when I hear her eyes scrunch in focus. "We need to hurry. Right now."

______________________

WHITE

I blink open my heavy eyes, shivering violently. My body felt— it had never felt this close to death. I could almost feel it.

"Stubborn as hell." I feel nauseous and dizzy as the man drops to my eye level, his fingers gripping my chin.

"I've never seen a woman as damn stubborn as you."

I want to shoot back, but I can't talk. My tongue feels like rock in my mouth, heavy and thick. Everything hurt.

My eyes close again, only opening when I hear sharp clicks. The cold metal around my wrists release, and he pulls my body up into sitting position, back slouched against the wall.

It's so hard to breathe.

"Wake up." He hisses, and I just blink my eyes back open again. I didn't even realize that I'd closed them.

Then all of a sudden, I feel something press against my dry lips. I instantly jerk away, my eyes wide awake now. My body hurts from the sudden motion.

Revolt twists my face, and my chest heaves.

No.

He did not just do that.

Something wet suddenly slips down my frozen, bruised cheeks, and I realize I'm crying. The blue-haired devil laughs at my tears.

"Only this to make you cry?" He mocks, shaking his head. "I didn't realize there was such an easy way."

V.

What was I going to tell V?

Then he grips the tattered collar of my shirt, forcing me to face him again. Panic instantly kicks up, and I jerk my head back again.

"Don't touch me."

I start crying harder. His laughter mixes in with my soft cries when all of a sudden, his fingers suddenly slip off of me abruptly.

The laughter cuts off into a shriek of pure agony.

My head rings, and I instantly wince as I try to cover my ears. Then the shriek cuts off as well, and I look up with exhausted eyes.

Rich green eyes.

I don't mean it, but the tears start coming harder when I see him. His pale face twists at my soft cries. Then he notices the jagged ends of my cut hair, and his entire body flares up in red.

He has one hand smashed over the man's mouth, covering his agonized screams.

V pours out his Blessing until the man is barely alive, his body broken.

"Demoiselle." He rasps, pain in his eyes as he drops the man's body to the ground. "I'm so sorry. I—"

His arms wrap around me like I'm the most fragile piece of glass.

"I'm sorry." He whispers as I cry, my body shaking violently. I can't even hug him back, too exhausted. "Please don't cry. Please don't....."

And then I feel it.

His Blessing pouring into me. I'm taking it again, my body just sucking his strength greedily.

"Take it all." He whispers, hugging me tighter. Even though I squeeze at him in protest, he presses me tighter to his chest, eyes colored red.

"Take it all, I don't care."

Then I suddenly feel wetness in my shoulder. He's crying, his hair falling over and hiding his tears.

"You're so weak. I can barely feel your pulse— why did you leave like that, White? I was—"

He turns his head, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"How could you do that to me."

"I'm sorry." I feel strong now, strong enough to tilt his head back and brush away his tears. I'm about to kiss him when I stop, a soft, pained whisper escaping my lips.

I feel disgusting.

"What's wrong?" He looks so scared, eyes wide and terrified. "Why won't you kiss me? Is this about my Blessing again?"

"He— He kissed me earlier."

My hands tremble when I see the look on his face. It's like his world has just crashed down around him, and his expression turns still.

His voice is quiet.

"And you liked it?"

"What?! No!" I yell so loud, I hurt both my ears and his. My fingers clench at his shoulder, furious he could even assume that. "How could you even—"

"That bastard." He growls under his breath, then crashes his lips onto mine.

This time he kisses me so roughly it makes me forget about the disgusting one earlier. Maybe that's what he was trying to do.

I break off, gasping for air before he kisses me again, fingers digging into my hair.

"Did you—" My head turns as Jungkook skids into the doorway, his hazel eyes losing the worry when he sees me with V. "Oh. You already got her."

He turns, pushing someone back out. A light protested whine echoes, and I smile slightly. It's Jimin, for sure.

"Rest." V's rich voice echoes in my ear, soft and gentle. "I'll keep you warm."

"Don't want to." I protest quietly, thinking about the countless hours I'd spent with my eyes closed. "I rested too much already."

He shakes his head. "You're not rested— not when you're looking like this. Go to sleep. I'll take care of everything."

"What's the magic word."

He blinks at me for a second, his mouth dropping open a bit. After having a small stare battle, he sighs and gives in.

"Please go to sleep, White."

"Fine." I mumble, sinking into the warmth of his body. "Just because you're saying please."

__________________________

"V!"

My eyes lose all the sleepiness when I realize that I'm on his bed, his arms wrapped tight around my body. Quickly I wriggle free, my Blessing pulsing.

Thankfully he still looked fine.

"White, it's okay." He mumbles, hand wrapping around my wrist when I try to curl up on the far side of the bed. "It's going to be fine—"

"No it's not!" I yelp out loud, blinking hard. "It's not. Please don't touch me."

Even though it seemed like years ago, I could still see his drained body, collapsed with exhaustion on the grass.

"White...."

He looks lost. He looks so desperate that I hate myself for doing this to him. But it was for him— and I needed to do this for his health.

I bite back a lump in my throat, fighting tears.

"I-I think I should go back to my room."

His eyes break, and I turn around to leave before he sees me crying. I couldn't believe what was happening now— I still couldn't accept this situation.

A cold hand wraps around my waist, and I yelp in protest as he pulls me back.

"Did you really think I'd let you go?"

He smiles darkly, green eyes flashing. I'm just standing there blinking like an idiot, knowing I should break away.

But I kind of really, really don't want to.

"That's what I thought." He whispers huskily into my ear, and I blush down to my toes. His voice is like rough silk, so deep.

His lips touch the side of my neck, and a little gasp bursts from my lips when he bites down on the soft skin.

"Mention anything about leaving again, and I'll make sure you can't move an inch from my bed."