A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

His lips stayed on her delicate flesh, and his eyes remained shut. Her supple skin was warm to the touch, but he felt the cold's tendrils digging into it too. The chill retreated, however, as his lips stayed on hers. He transferred warmth to her in a soothing manner, and he wouldn't let her gaze ruin his concentration; he had to determine the truth.

The simple action to others might only appear as a base way to force pleasure onto himself, but that wasn't the case at all. He had to feel some part of her that was intimate to understand his previous decisions. There were other places where he could've touched, but those wouldn't have given as perfect as a result. His intention was to be as caring as possible.

She was fragile, and her petals could fall off easily. He had to be caressing as possible. Even the tips of his nails touched her skin lightly. Every part of his action wasn't to elicit fear. The creature didn't know how his partner was reacting, but that wasn't important. Her feelings had been brought to light to him, but his own were in question.

A slight struggle occurred under him. She required air. He did too. Steadily, he pulled back. Air filled his lungs, but he didn't open his eyes. Gradually, a smile tugged at his lips. The creature continued to hover over her form before he pushed himself up and away. Sitting straight up, he rested his hands on the bed. Her breathing sounded in the background, but he didn't dare look upon her.

Lingering on his lips, the sensation of the kiss entered the passageways of his mind. It truly felt like petals falling upon his skin. He pictured the pink carnation. His smile kept up its appearance. The flower had looked lovely in her hair. Its beauty suited her better than the dead.

Steadily, his nails trailed up to his lips. They touched the surface. He traced his smile before his nails fell back to the middle of the smooth flesh. His eyes opened, and his gaze shifted to her form but not to her face. The blanket covered her. She shivered slightly under it. Her action was either from terror, the cold or both, but he didn't check.

Bandages lied under the cover as did her limbs. His nails traced along her form. Something escaped her lips, but he didn't pay it any mind. Rather, his nails traveled from her left thigh to her shoulders. The wrappings peeked out from the plush fabric. Dried blood decorated them. Red suited her too but not in excess. That he had learned from earlier in the day.

Palm resting over her heart, it felt the beating of her heart. It was a melodic sound. She attempted to move away, but her wounds prevented her from doing so. More words left her, but they fell deaf upon his ears. For a little while longer, he listened to and felt the soothing beats. Her heart continued to live because of him. His smile grew by a fraction.

Eyes meeting her lips once more, he stared upon them with fondness. He had just kissed those lips, and the effect was lasting. The memory made his heart beat faster for a brief moment. A door cracked open. Warmth embraced him. That wouldn't have been possible if she had died, but he had saved her. She was breathing because of him.

Not meeting her gaze, he asked, "Are you thankful that you're alive?" Her answer greeted his ears with hesitation. Most of her words vanished before they made impact, but he distinguished one. Yes. That was all that he needed to hear. She was grateful to be alive, and he was the reason for her life being intact.

Why had he bandaged her injuries and kept her alive? The feeling of her lips, the red of the bandages, the beating of her heart, he felt, saw and heard them all. They led him to the answer. His nose twitched, and slight hunger teased him. He could smell her sweet, divine blood. Memories of her taste plagued his mouth. Tongue gliding over his lips, he recalled it more. Her smell and taste revealed the truth to another degree.

All five of his senses had been affected by her. She stimulated every part of him. That was more than anyone had accomplished in the past. The human girl before him was simply magnificent. No wonder he had rescued her from the arms of death; no wonder he hadn't kill her in the tunnels when he had so many opportunities to have done so.

(F/n) was a gift. No, she was more than that. She was his partner, helper, murderer and ... His eyes met hers. Their stunning (e/c) hue swirled beneath him. The emotions that were in them didn't matter. He was merely happy that he could watch her life glow in them; he was simply joyful that she was living and that he knew her. With more time, his knowledge of her would only grow. That made his heart skip a beat.

Before him was someone spectacular. He desired to kiss her again, but he couldn't divert his gaze. Her brilliant orbs were too splendid. His smile grew before it relaxed. It became gentle. The creature's smile was that of a lover waking up to wish their companion a good morning. She leaned her head back into the pillow more and winced, but her eyes didn't seem to distance themselves. He was too enraptured by them. All along her marvelous gaze had been before him.

Finally, he had his answer. He didn't pull away from her. Rather, he leaned his head down. His right cheek touched her left. The creature breathed in her scent. A light laugh escaped him. Inside, he felt ... different. A weight had been lifted off of him. Outwardly, it showed.

Turning his face towards her neck, he placed a tender kiss to her skin. She tensed under it, but his smile didn't let up. His lips moved back by only a miniscule quantity. "I found it," he whispered. "I have my clarity." Another laugh parted from him. "You were right ... That dreadful girl was right."

Again, his eyes greeted hers. His smile transformed into a grin. "I'm in love with you." A fog seemed to seep into the room. Its fingers slithered along the floor. The air felt cold. Her heartbeat picked up, and her eyes were wide.

Placing his hand over his heart, he maintained his grin. His nails pressed into the fabric there. "You have my heart, (f/n). Whether you place a dagger in it or you fail to do so, you will always have it." The creature's pale eyes shone brightly. "By your own declaration, we have a bond through death. I'm your victim, and you're my murderer. That's your tie between us. And again, I have agreed to it."

Sparks seemed to ignite in his orbs. "But, I have my own pronouncement. We have a bond through life. You may not agree to it, but it doesn't need your permission. It's mine and mine alone. You'll never be able to take it away from me. I'm in love with you. You're my partner, helper, murderer and my love. You're my delicate flower that touches both life and death.

"By your will to live and by your connection to death, you have drawn me out of the shadows. You have ripped me out of my home and taken me to another. Even that one, you have pulled me from, but that has led me to uncover yet another. You have weakened me and made yourself my home."

Lovingly, he extended out his right hand. His left rested on his lap softly while his right took up her left. Carefully, he lifted it a little higher. Her whole arm was tense, and she winced again. The creature's lips touched her skin. They lingered above her flesh, and his gaze stayed on it for a short time.

Staring back to her, his eyes unveiled something unseen by others. "My lovely little human, you can work towards your path of killing me, but I'll continue to march down the road of keeping you safe. I'm your victim and protector. While I breathe, so do you. Your life is mine." He kissed her hand again before he drew himself away. The creature lowered her hand caringly to the bed before he stood.

Back to her, he placed his hands in his pockets. "Get some rest. Your ears shouldn't be tainted by what will happen in the other room." His hands clenched. "That trash has already damaged you enough." Gradually, he took steps forward. When he reached the doorway, he paused. A giggle returned to him. He peered over his left shoulder. The creature's stare froze her. "Have a good sleep, my pink flower."

Closing the door, his form disappeared from her sight. (F/n)'s eyes remained wide open. Her body quaked with horror. Regret tugged at every fiber of her. She should've stayed quiet. Every action of the creature's that had just passed alarmed her. What had she done?

No longer would the creature try to kill her, but what was the cost of that? Or, was that truly the case? She had seen part of his anger. If that grew to a greater amount, would he be able to hold himself back? Did it matter? A more massive threat lied before her. He had realized his feelings for her, and that made him all the more deadly.

Her one shot to kill him increased in significance. If she failed, her parents would suffer; she would suffer, but she would live. She would view every horrendous sight, and she would never be free from them. (F/n)'s desire to live was immense, but she even had a limit; she could still be broken. Since he had understood his feelings and declared his affection, the likelihood of that occurring grew tenfold.

None of his affectionate actions dominated her mind. No, she recalled his grin. She remembered the looming feeling in the air. The cold's fingers were all the stronger. Her fingers clutched at the blanket, and her shoulders ached. (F/n) could still view the obsessive and maddening love that had dictated his gaze. Everything relied more heavily on her success. If she failed, she would lose so much. Even her will to survive might abandon her, and that frightened her to her core since it would make all of her previous actions null and void.