A/n: Linked with the Bonus: Wartime in Jungkook and Lyr's fic! It'll be easier to understand some parts if you read both POV's, but not necessary :)

_______________________

LEAH

"Taehyung."

"Where are you going?"

His eyes are cold again. I'd bandaged the wound on his chest myself— I'd seen how deep it was. And he was going to another battle?

"I need to go. All the Heads are required."

"So what." I whisper, remembering how much he'd been bleeding yesterday. "It's been one day. You can't fight like that."

"I can."

"No, you can't!" I say, raising my voice. "You stopped bleeding last night. Why are you doing this again? Why can't you just see that—"

He makes a frustrated sound deep in his throat.

"I don't have time for this."

My throat feels like someone's shoved something in there as he turns and leaves, just like that. He doesn't even look back. Not once.

Angry tears flood my eyes.

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If it was anyone else, I wouldn't care anymore after they'd treated me like that.

But it's Kim damn Taehyung, and I can't. I can't just sit around and wait for him to come back with worse wounds— or not come back at all.

So I find Lyr.

"A— second battle?" She repeats blankly when I tell her. "There's another? Just the Heads fighting?"

Her hand tightens into a fist.

"You've got to be kidding me."

My brows twist in confusion. "Jungkook didn't tell you about it? What did you think when he left?"

"He said he was going for a walk." She growls, twisting the hem of her shirt in her fingers. "A walk. I'm going to kill that rabbit for lying to me."

I nod.

My thoughts are still on Taehyung though, the entire way there. He'd almost acted like I was an an annoying burden. Like I was overreacting about everything.

"Stupid..." I mutter under my breath when my eyes start to sting again.

After all that we'd done?

Maybe all of that really meant nothing to him. Or maybe he'd just gotten sick and tired of being around me.

My heart hurts.

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When we get there, I count only the Heads. There's six of them in total, including Head Jimin and Jungkook.

Taehyung keeps touching his chest.

Stupid.

It probably hurt a lot.

I explain first blood and the battle rules to Lyr as best as I can without my voice breaking. Her brown eyes fix on Jungkook with the same fear that I have, except it's different.

She knows he loves her.

Stop acting like an idiot, I tell myself, focusing back on the battle. You're acting like some lovesick puppy that got kicked to the side. It's pathetic.

Taking a deep breath, I watch with my eyes closed half the time.

Because I keep thinking that when I open them next, I'd see Taehyung hurt.

But he doesn't.

He doesn't give any ground to the other Head, even with his wound. His kohl-dusted eyes are all cold and calculative.

And then I see it.

Head Jungkook draws first blood.

My heart crashes to the bottom of my chest in relief when Lyr suddenly narrows her eyes, pulling back an arrow nocked in her bow.

Confusion fills my mind.

"Lyr...?"

Then a terrified scream rings through the air, and I whip back to the bloodstained clearing the same time Lyr lets go of the string.

"Jungkook!"

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I can't meet his eyes.

I should probably be more afraid of the man holding me right now. But I'm more afraid to look up and see how Taehyung's looking at me.

He lifts me up, clammy fingers tight around my collar.

My feet.

I suck in a quiet breath when I can't touch the ground anymore. My feet scramble to point themselves, and I brush the dirt a few times before giving up.

Dammit.

"Don't even try, girl." The Head hisses lowly into my ear, making shivers run down my back. "I could knife you top to bottom."

And I hiss right back.

"Shut up."

Then I start kicking harder, and smile inwardly when I feel him getting angry. His face must be red as a tomato by now because of how—

And then my smirk completely disappears when I feel his hand slide into my shirt.

My eyes go wide.

Panic clouds my mind, and the first thing I do is look up. I hadn't even realized I'd done it.

V's eyes.

They're so dark.

But before I can even think about why they're so black, the man drags his fingers harshly down the length of my back.

A painful yelp bursts from my lips, and I start to struggle harder when I feel his nails break the skin. He drew blood, I just know it. I can feel it.

Then all of a sudden, it stops.

"Don't fucking touch her."

He's not in front of me anymore. My hand squeeze together by my sides as the man's hand slides back out of my shirt, fingers lingering on my neck.

I shudder.

"What can you do? You know you can't make a single scratch on me."

The Head's mocking V.

But right now, all I can feel is the hot blood running down my back, and the tears I'm pressing in. Because it would look so, so pathetic if I started crying here.

So now he cares.

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"You're bleeding. Come here."

The back of my shirt sticks to my skin. I know it's bleeding. I know it is, you stupid dumb idiot.

"No."

He sighs. I curl up tighter into myself when I hear him drop the roll of bandage and get up from the chair. He's coming closer.

"Why are you acting like this?"

Anger burns through my body. "Why not? I thought I was a waste of your time, V. I don't want to be with you, so get the hell out of here."

I realize what I'd said right after I say it.

Crap. I really said that to him.

There's a long silence. I'm actually starting to think he's going to leave when he wraps his arms around my body, pulling me into his chest.

V buries his head into the crook of my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Leah."

"Forgive me."

And for a second, I almost do.

"I don't want to."

I shift away from him, moving further back in the bed. Then I sit crosslegged, fixing a stare in his direction.

I'd show him I wasn't that easy.

His eyes widen.

"Leah."

I ignore him. But then he starts coming closer, and I can't ignore him anymore when he corners me into the wall, body so close we almost touch.

A blush slowly climbs up my neck when he draws even closer, his face inches away from mine.

"I deserve death for treating you the way I did." He whispers, his breath warm against my skin and making me shiver.

"But please. Don't ignore me. Let me beg for your forgiveness."

The soft blush instantly deepens into bright red when I see the forlorn look in his eyes.

Was he sure he'd never been around women?

Because he was too awfully good with me.

He kisses me softly at first. From there it gets rougher, and only when he wraps his large hand around my bloodstained back does he break away with a sharp breath.

"I— we need to get that bandaged." He whispers, running his fingers through his hair. "Can you lift the back of your shirt?"

And I can't help but stare at him teasingly.

"You want me to what?"

"Just. The. Back." He says stiffly, his features all stone. But his cheeks are blushed lightly, and I laugh, seeing what I'd came for.

"Sure."

He sighs at my light reply. "Leah, I swear— don't tease me. Not like that."

Smiling slightly, I pull my shirt over my head so only my back is exposed. I struggle not to laugh when I feel his fingers moving quickly, gathering my hair and shifting it over my shoulder.

His fingertips are light.

"That bastard." V curses as he brushes the scarring wounds. "This is deeper than I thought, Leah."

"I should've killed him."

I giggle to hide a small wince when he spreads ointment thickly over the skin. "Didn't you kill him?"

"I got too angry." He says disappointedly as he starts wrapping. "I killed him too quick. A death like that doesn't count."

I laugh as I hold out my hand behind me.

"V. Hand."

"What?"

"Hand."

There's a pause before I feel his large hand envelope mine. He sighs when I hide a smile behind my sleeve, a smile that he clearly sees.

"Leah. You're such a child."

I shrug.

"Now how am I supposed to finish with your bandages?" He asks, and I start playing with his palm— running my fingertips across it and back.

"You're Crown Healer. You can bandage with one hand."

He frowns.

"That's not how it works."

"Make it work."

He breathes out a quiet laugh. But he tightens his fingers around my palm, and finishes up with my bandages. And he does it just fine.

I smile.

"You're old enough to know not to act like that." He says, brushing the top of my hair down. "Stubborn."

I ignore him, wrapping my arms tighter around his waist and pressing the side of my face into his chest.

Taehyung shakes his head when I touch his tattoos.

"When will you grow up."