Y/N.

warning⚠ Disturbing scenes and dialogues ahead. do not read if you are not comfortable with it.

"What are you talking about?" my father, Paxton, staggered slightly as he stood up from his chair. His body quaked for a second.

"Yes, Dad," I said, my voice shook as fear traced up my spine. "This has been going on for years. Mom and Uncle Paxson... they are cheating on you behind your back. And.." my throat went parched "..and she is not who you think she is. She does horrible, unspeakable things down in the basement. I am scared to even be around her. Please... you have to believe me. You have to help me. She is not the person you think she is. I was so scared , I couldn't speak about this to you before. I was scared she would hurt me dad. Please."

For a moment, his countenance softened. His eyes gleamed with concern. It looked like it was concern. , but something was not right. It didn't feel real. His gaze was immovable , like he was concealing something behind it.

"Oh, God... sweetie..." he murmured. His voice dipped in like a mapple syrup. "Did you talk to anyone else about this?"

I hesitated. The knot in my chest contorted more. "No, Dad... but I heard Mr. Jeon has been looking into the missing kids in town. I think... maybe we should talk to him. Maybe he can help."

His smile disappeared.

"Good,"he replied firmly. "Good you didn't say anything to anyone."

My blood ran cold as his fingers slowly moved to unfasten his belt of his pants.

"But I don't think it is a good idea to bring Mr. Jeon into this," His eyes glazed over with something dark. Deadly. Dreadful.

He slid the belt out from the loops of his pants with one sharp pull. The sound sliced through the room like a whip.

"Dad...?" I whispered. I trembled.

His eyes switched to mind. Just wrath. It was no longer a father's eyes. And it was something onyx.

"Rey!"he barked, his voice bounced off the walls.

Then the next snap , the belt crashed through the air and struck my back, biting into my skin like flames. I cried out. I stumbled forward. My knees teetered.

Tears shredded down my eyes as I turned back to him, trembling. But he was already curling the belt in his fist again. And struck it again on my bag. " No , Dad Please!"

" Rey! Rey! " He struck the belt again. This time to my legs. " Rey!" He barked.

" No. No. Dad please." I screeched out each time the belt struck me.

" God damn it, Paxton! I am in middle of something down there !" my mom came out running and shouting with a rubber apron curled around her body that was drenched in blood.

" How did this piece of shit knows about our plan?" He yelled at her and struck the belt again on me. I collapsed on floor.

" Oh. That " she scoffed looking at me trembling down in pain." Well, Paxson came over the other day, to talk about his friend Clark's son. Roy. Well, he likes this dumbshit. He wants her for a night. But this shit hasnt crossed the line into womanhood yet. Not ripened yet. Useless. "

Lies. Every word soaked in poison. Paxson was no stranger to our house. He came often,always when Dad was away.

"Whoa.. will Roy pay for it, if we send her to him.!" My dad asked without any concern.

" Maybe not Roy. But Paxson. Yeah probably." my mom shrugged her shoulders.

" I don't want some chump change from Clark's kid or that bastard Paxson. Roy's single night with her won't fetch much."

My chest tightened.

"Rey, just keep up the act of being nice to him, make him fall for your lust and then we can execute the plan." My dad dropped the belt and walked to her. " And then when , the time comes we can kill him and take all of his money, we can drain him dry and disappear..." He kissed her. She kissed him back shamelessly while i was blazing in pain on the floor.

" Oh honey, you know, I cant just be a whore to another men. You know its so hard to pretend." She lied again. She is . She is whore to Paxson. I saw her sleeping around with uncle Paxson.

" And what shall we do with this shit.?" She pointed to me and jerked her chin.

" Sell her to men. Oh well , forgot to mention, the men at my club are asking for her, We find someone who will pay. Club regulars have been asking about her. Get a few pictures. Spread the word. Let them bid." He laughed out loud.

" No." I stared at the floor frozen in disbelief. The two people who were supposed to protect me, plotting like I was nothing more than a transaction. A product.

She laughed lightly and curled her fingers around his shirt. "You always know how to turn trash into treasure."

" Alright, Rey. Strip her. I will get the camera " He gave her another kiss and stormed into his room.

She turned to me. Her eyes were dark." You heard him. Take off your clothes and put some make up on."

" No, mom please dont do this to me. Please." I crawled back, weakly on the floor.

" If you do what I say, you can wear bra and panties and get the photos done, and if you dont listen, you wont be wearing that too."she inclined to me. Her jaw clenched. " Now strip." Her fingers clutched to the hem of my dress and hurled it down. " No! Mom ! Please!" I shrieked.

The fabric tore into slits. She clutched the sleeve at my shoulder and ripped it down. I clutched on to the remaining piece of fabric that clung to my lower body. She hoisted her hand and then thrashed it to my cheeks. My head snapped to a side. She seized the moment and tugged the remaining piece of fabric at my lower body.

I was bare. Half naked . With only my inner garments. I curled up to cover my body. " There . Was that difficult?" She abruptly stood up and walked to her room and came back with her make up kit, she used to conceal her face to seduce uncle Paxson.

" Hold still." She pulled out her lipstick and smeared to my quivering lips, clasping my tiny face into her hands. The scent of the blood , gnawed my stomach to throw up my bile juices. " Stop crying, you piece of shit " she yelled and roughly swiped her fingers to my tears and smeared my eyelids with unpleasant color of eye shades.

" There. That might do. On your feet!" She commanded. I flinched and lingered there. " Dont cry. That eye shade is fucking expensive and if you ruin it , I will strip all of your pride and dignity. " Her nails dug to my forearm as she curled her fingers around it. And then she pulled me up to stand on my trembling feet .

" All set?" My father, came in with a camera ,clung to his hand.

" No. No ." I stumbled back. But she pinned me to the spot with a glare. Meanwhile dad, hoisted the camera and clicked it. The camera shuttered stripping off my dignity.

" Mom please tell dad, not to do this to me." I beseeched her , concealing my chest and lower body with my hands.

" Stop crying you piece of shit! You are ruining that make up." She bellowed. Her voice was slicing off my hope.

" Alright, Y/N. Stop covering yourself like that. Take your hands off your chest " The camera shuttered again.

" You heard him, take your hands off your breasts." She clutched my hair and shook my head. " Take your hands off and then stand still. You dont know how many dollars you gonna make for us in a single night. Stay still " she let go of my hair with a jerk.

I stood there and sobbed. I lingered there in fear, until a sudden jolt of clarity hit me. Without thinking, I shoved her away and sprinted toward the front door. My hands slammed against the wood as I screamed, "Somebody help me! Please!"My voice shrieked with desperation, and resonated through the walls. I prayed,just maybe, someone in the neighborhood would hear me. Maybe... Mr. Jeon.

" You fucking!...." She stormed towards me and clutched my hair.

All of a sudden, the door bell alarmed. My mom panted in fear that someone might have really heard me.

Dad stood frozen for a second. Before I could screech out again, mom clapped her hand to my mouth , concealing my further screams. She dragged me away from the door. The door bell alarmed again. " Paxton, get the door. I Will take care of her. Go .! Go now." She whispered.

She dragged me from the spot again with a harsh tug. I stumbled backwards and tripped down. She clutched my arm and dragged me to her room. My skin drew against the wooden floor. I writhed from her grasp. Her hand flung to my cheeks the next instant and crashed my head to floor again.she flipped me and made me lie on my stomach. She pulled the bed sheet and ripped them into strips. She brought my hands to my back and tied them up with the piece of cloth." No no!" I screeched. She clutched my nape and crushed my face to the floor. Her fingers then dug deep into my cheeks to open my mouth, only to stuff it with piece of cloth. And then she scrolled down to tie my ankles together.

" Oh ,mr. Jeon ..."my dad, swung open the door gently and greeted him in a pleasant voice, as if he was not abusing his daughter a moments ago.

"Try anything stupid," she growled at my ears. Her voice was low, "and I swear to God, I will slit Mr. Jeon's throat and make it look like you did it."

Before I could react, she shoved my face hard to the floor. My cheek scraped the cold floor. The metallic taste of fear filled my mouth. "Shut your fucking mouth!" she snarled again and drove her foot into my stomach. The pain made me cry out,a weak, broken yelp that bounced off the walls and got swallowed in the harsh tranquility of the room.

I curled into myself and trembled as tears were spilling down my cheeks and soaking into the floorboards. Every breath burned. My wrists were tied so tightly the skin felt raw. The smell of blood , her victim's or mine, I didn't know anymore, it was coarse in the air.

Then, like a string of light cracking through a thunderstorm , I heard a knock. The door opened softly.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Jeon's, steady voice came from the front door. It was calm.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

He was here. He was just steps away. If he would just come in, if he would just walk ten feet further,he would see me.

"Ah, yeah," my father replied. A smooth lie. "What's up?"

"I was passing by and heard something weird," Mr. Jeon said. His words sounded uneasy. "Screaming. Thought I would check in, make sure everything is okay."

I tried to move, to make some sound. I squirmed weakly, trying to drag my body toward the hallway as quietly as I could. I yanked at the torn pieces of cloth that bound my hands and ankles. It went futile. Please, please... see me. Hear me. I prayed in my head.

"Oh, that? Yeah, probably just the documentary I was watching, "my dad said lightly. "True crime stuff. You know how loud those can get."

"You sure?" Mr. Jeon didn't sound convinced. "Where's Mrs. Rey?"

"Asleep,"my father said too quickly.

"And Y/N? Is she.."

"She is asleep too," he interrupted. "Actually, could you let Jungkook walk her to school tomorrow? Thanks."

There was a pause.

A long one.

I held my breath, and prayed. "Please... Please come in. Please just walk down this hallway..."

Then I heard it.

A soft click. The door shutting.

He left.

Just like that, he was gone.

And I was still here.

Tied. Bleeding. Alone.

I wanted to scream, but my lungs had collapsed into silence. I pressed my head to the floor and let the tears fall like cascade.

"Please don't go... please don't go..." I begged inside my head, over and over again. Even though I hated Mr. Jeon,for what happened to my Jungkook's mother and Ian, I had still hoped. Hoped he would save me. Hoped someone... anyone... would.

But he was gone.

And I didn't know if I would ever leave that room alive.

" That was fucking close," my dad muttered with a sigh of relief as he stepped back into the room."So what now?" he asked, rubbing his temple.

"I will handle her, honey. You stay here and keep an eye on Jeon's house. This little dumbshit needs to learn how to behave." She grinded her teeth with rage. The way she clenched her jaw made my shivers to run down through my bones. I knew that sound. That grinding meant something worse was coming.

"Paxton, get me the duct tape." She didn't even look at him but just barked the order like she was commanding a dog. He obeyed without question, and retrieved the roll from the dressing table like her loyal pet.

She tore off another long strip and slapped it over my mouth, sealing the already,stuffed cloth inside. The taste was bitter and suffocating. I whimpered as she bent down, and untied the strips of fabric that curled on my wrists and ankles. In a swift motion, she rolled me over roughly and yanked me upright by my arm. My knees teetered under me, but she held me up.

"Paxton, keep watching Jeon's house. I will be back." Her voice was cruel and I certainly knew she is going to drag me into a nightmare.

"No... please, Mom..." I whimpered through the gag, but it was useless. The sound came out muffled, nothing more than a whimper swallowed by the tape.

She didn't stop. She grabbed one of the shredded cloth strips she had torn earlier and wrapped it tightly around my wrists again, bringing them near to my chest and swirled it around my back, so that I cannot move my hands down . She dragged me forward.

She brought me to the front door. And shoved me outside the dark night. She followed me. And threw her hands on me as she pulled the straps of my bra with a hard tug of my chest leaving my breasts bare. " No no . Mom please. " I restrained against her iron grip, she thrashed her hand to my cheeks. I crash landed to the cold ground. She inclined down and stripped off the waist band of my panties. " No.. mom!" My screech muffled again to the cloth and the duct tape.

She yanked me up to my feet again. The sky had turned onyx, cloaked by pitch-black clouds.

"Mom... please," I whimpered.

But she didn't stop. She grabbed my bound wrists and dragged me from the front door, across the yard, and out through the gate,hauling me right onto the street like I was nothing. The coarse and rough ground scrapped the sole of my feet. My breath caught to my throat by every tug and every curse she let out as she dragged me to the streets.

The rain poured down on my bare body. Each and every drop of the rain sliced through the coarse air and crashed to every inch of my naked body like piercing needle. The force of the rain drops bit my skin. I couldn't hide my private parts down my lower body . It was exposed to cold air. And the worst part was, I couldn't even cover myself. My hands were tied together, and the strip of cloth wrapped around my wrists was looped behind my back. I couldn't move, couldn't pull it down ,I was completely exposed and helpless.

"You think you are smart? Telling my husband everything about me and Paxson?" Her words fizzled through the rain.

"Guess what? He already knows. He is the one who fucking told me to seduce Paxson in the first place, so we could squeeze him for money and run."

" Surprised huh? "She laughed out .Her voice sharp and venomous.

"But here's the real twist, sweetheart,I had a plan before any of them. Me and Paxson? We are in love. Real love. Sick, twisted, beautiful love. Before Paxton, your dumb father ,even told me to seduce Paxson, I was already fucking Paxson. We have been planning to ditch your pathetic father for a long time. And then we will kill sarah too. Your beloved aunt sarah.. Paxson's wife.."

My heart thundered to my ears. " No no.." i shook my head. Aunt Sarah was the only person in my life who ever truly cared about me without expecting anything in return. She never had children of her own, so she poured every bit of her motherly love into me. With her, I felt seen... safe, even if just for a moment. She looked at me like I mattered, like I wasn't just a mistake someone regretted. I know she is not strong enough to fight my mom and Uncle Paxson, and the thought of them dragging her into their darkness terrified me. I won't let them hurt her. I can't. Not Aunt Sarah. She is all I have

My mother leaned down.

"And you? Oh, you are coming with us. But not to be happy. No, no. You will be our cash cow. We will throw you to Roy, to every man at that club, night after night, until you are nothing but a paycheck to us. You will rot while we live in paradise."

She smiled. Cold. Cruel." Since you clearly need a lesson on how to act around men, or how to seduce and spread legs for them, " she snarled. yanked me by the arm and shoved me into the pouring rain, in the middle of the street. "You can stay out here tonight and figure it out for yourself."

She stepped back toward the gate, her face depicted cruel satisfaction." Maybe some stranger will notice you out here... maybe someone will stop their car, ask if you are lost, or they may offer you cash for a night, Maybe they will drag you into the woods and have you in the most cruel way possible or take you somewhere you will never come back from. Who knows?"

My heart slammed in my chest. My breath staggered in horror. Her words made me trembled.

"But don't worry" Her voice dipped in mock tone. " Tomorrow I will play the devastated mother. l will cry, beg the neighbors for help,say you ran away in the night. Mr. Jeon will search the whole town thinking he is helping me. Or may be. ." Her face ignited with something ."Or maybe..." she dragged her voice like poison on a slow drip, "you ran away with your little hero,Jeon Jungkook. The one you used to hide under your bed like some secret treasure. The one you clung to like a lifeline, whispering your pathetic little cries and begging him to leave before Mr. Jeon could hurt him... just like he did to his crippled twin."

She let out a mocking laugh.

"Oh, that lie? That lie would be perfect. Everyone would believe it. Poor little Y/N, swept away by her forbidden lover. Nobody would bother to look deeper. Nobody would care to ask why you really vanished. And me? I would cry my crocodile tears and tell the police you were just a confused, troubled girl chasing after a boy with a tragic past."

Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"It's the kind of story people eat up. The kind that makes them forget the truth ."

"And when they find you, you will be a ragged doll used by some shit types of men. " she spoke through her clenched teeth ,her voice dripped in venom as the rain lashed down around us, " I will be the grieving mother. I will cry in front of Mr. Jeon , 'Oh look what your other son did to my innocent daughter!' ". She clutched her chest mockingly, eyes gleamed with malice. "She trusted him. She ran off with him... and he left her broken, discarded like some filthy secret."

She took a step closer. "And maybe then" she whispered, "Mr. Jeon will finally do what I couldn't. He will find your so called hero and finish the job he started years ago. He will kill Jeon Jungkook. And you?" Her smile stretched like sinister. " And you know why I want him dead. Because he found about my science lab down the basement I was doing on the children's head. So dont you think he shouldn't be alive? But dead?"

My stomach twisted in fear, my Jungkook would get hurt.

" Its your fault,Y/N.." she tutted. " Why did you tell him about our little secrets at the basement?"she let out a dramatic sigh that sliced through the rain. " You will never see him again. Not alive. "

I trembled. My lips couldn't move. My body froze under the cold rain, not from the cold, but from the truth that dripped from her every word.

" You really thought he would come back?" she chuckled low."After you sent him away like some coward? After you begged him to leave to keep him safe? Oh, sweetheart... you made it easy for me. He is gone. And now... no one is coming for you."

The street was silent except for the rain pelting the pavement. Her voice dropped even lower, "You are all alone, little girl. And even if you scream now... no one is listening, because you have your mouth plastered. And dont think about running to Jeon's house. If you run to them.." her eyes darkened. " I will kill the Jeons and that neat and tidy brat Jungkook living with them as a replacement piece of your hero Jeon Jungkook. And I will frame you or may be your hero too. Oh, and maybe I will feed this entire town with a little story... something tragic. Like you were planning to run away with your precious little hero, Jeon Jungkook. And guess what? That neat, tidy, brat ,the other Jungkook and the Jeons ..I mean Mr. Jeon and Mrs. Jeon, they stood in your way. So what did you do? You and your monster lover slaughtered them. Wiped them all out. Just to play house together. Just to be happy."

She guffawed coldly.

"They will eat it up, Y/N. And when they come for you, not even your hero's ashes will be left to save you."

She laughed again. While I was trembling in fear. " That was a good talk. Enjoy your night, little flower."

She turned away like she had tossed out the trash.

And I was left standing there... just a girl in the storm, wondering if anyone would come before her nightmare came true. Or may be not. Because like she said what if men with cruel intentions comes here and notices me. What if they take me to woods and do unspeakable things to me, like my mom said? No no. I sobbed.

My mind kept clinging to my Jungkook, my Jungkook, not the neat, tidy replacement living under Mr. Jeon's roof pretending to be him. No, I was aching for the real one. The boy who held me under that old tree when I was crying in the rain. The boy who promised he would come back for me, who brushed the tears off when I was out in the dark and cold night. My Jungkook, who once cupped my cheeks with blood streaked hands and whispered that I wasn't broken.

If he were here now, I know he would save me. I know he would fight them all. But that's exactly why I can't wish him back. Because if he came... if he stepped anywhere near this house again, my mother would get him in the trap she has been spinning .And this time, if Mr. Jeon finds him, he will burn him too..

So I bit back his name every time it clawed its way up my throat. I press my lips shut, even when my soul is screaming for him. Because loving him now... wanting him here... it could get him killed. And I already cost him his brother. And his mother .I won't let him lose himself too. Not for me. Not again.

I stood there in the cold rain, my body trembled, my lips quivered and , prayed, pleading to the universe, to God, for him not to come back. Don't come for me, Jungkook... please, I kept chanting in my head, even though every aching part of me longed for him more than anything.

The downpour was relentless, sliced through my bare skin like cold needles. And then, out of nowhere, the sound of footsteps broke through the veil of rain. The soft splashes under heavy steps, got closer and closer. My heart seized in my chest.

No. No. No, please God no... My breath pitched as I squeezed my eyes shut, terror ripped through me.

"Please..." I whimpered into the cold, my voice wobbled. "Please don't come near me. Please... I am begging you. Don't." I backed away instinctively, shoulders drawn in, fear wrapped around my spine like knives .

The footsteps stopped. For a second, the world held its breath with me.

And then,

Arms.

A sudden, strong pair of arms curled around me, pulled me with urgency,not to hurt me, but to hold me. I was yanked forward, crashing into a chest, that was bare, warm, and heartbreakingly familiar. My eyes flew open in shock as the heat of him consumed me.

Then, in the blink of a heartbeat, I felt the fabric of a hoodie wrap around both of us. The two sides of it curled in over my shoulders as he pulled the zipper up,not just around me, but around both of us. His chest pressed tightly against mine, and suddenly, we were one body under one hoodie, concealed from the world, from the storm, from the cruelty outside.The moment he pulled me into his chest, my fear started to uncoil. His hoodie cloaked over both of us, shielding me from the world. The zipper rasped again as he drew it up, enclosed us in a cocoon of shared warmth.

And just like that, I didn't feel exposed anymore. I didn't feel ashamed.

Because it was him.

It was my Jungkook.

He tucked me into him like I was something fragile, something he couldn't afford to lose again. My fingers fisted the fabric near his ribs, my tears drenched his skin as rain poured down around us, muffled inside that small, heaven of mine. His chest.

His chin rested over my head, his breath trembled, his voice shook and then he whispered. "I told you I would come for you."

And that was when I knew, I wasn't safe from the world, but I was safe in his arms. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

"It's okay, sunflower. I am here... I am here." His breath warmed my damp hair. And then he slowly peeled out the duct tape from my lips and pulled out the piece of cloth.

I trembled and gasped.

"You shouldn't be here... I told you to leave... You could get hurt. My mom, she will find you. She will kill you like she..." I sobbed into his chest. My words muffled against his chest.

"Shhh... I don't care. Let her. I couldn't let you stay out here. Not like this... Not alone. Not hurting." He tightened his hold.

"I was so scared... I thought someone else was coming. I thought, God, I thought.." I broke into more sobs. "I prayed you wouldn't come but I wished you would so bad."

"You told me to go, but you were crying when you said it. I saw it, sunflower. You wanted me to stay. I should have never left." His jaw pebbled which I could feel at the crown of my head.

"I didn't want to lose you like you lost Ian and your mom. I thought... if you stayed away, you would be safe. I didn't want you to burn like them..." I sniffled.

"I already burned the day I left you on that night, sunflower. I have been burning every damn day since. You are my only home, Y/N." His voice broke and pulled the hem of hoodie to cover my bare back.

"I missed you... I missed you every night. The strawberries, the sunflowers... I knew it was you. I knew you were still with me." I fell on him and cried harder.

"I never stopped watching you. Never stopped loving you. And if I die tonight for coming back... so be it. But at least I am with you now." He whispered through the cold rain.

"Don't say that. Don't talk like that. You are all I have, Jungkook. You are all I have ever had." I cried harder . Again.

"Then let me protect you this time. Let me take you far from here. No more basements. No more monsters. Just us." He held me close like doesn't want me to let go.

" I don't know where we would even go, Jungkook... I don't even know what 'safe' means anymore." I trembled and lifted my eyes to his.

"Anywhere you are, that's where safe is. Even if it's just a shack with no roof. Even if we sleep under the stars, soaked to the bone. I just want you away from them." He whispered and pressed his forehead against mine.

"They will come after us. You know they will. My mom, my dad, your dad they won't let us go easily." I gently placed my fingers to his chest.

"Then let them try. I have already lost too much. I am not losing you, too. Not now." He placed his hand gently at the back of my head.

" I feel filthy. I feel filthy of myself. I am filthy, Jungkook... she, she said things. Did things. I don't feel whole anymore. How could you still..." A sob caught at my throat.

"Don't ever say that. You are not filthy. You are the strongest person I know. And no matter what they did to you,you are still my sunflower." His large palm curved around my cheeks.

"But I am scared... of what comes next." My tears blended with the rain. No. Our tears.

"So am I. But I would rather be scared with you than numb without you." He gently pressed his lips to my forehead. His lip piercing gently scrapped my skin. " Now come on, sunflower. Lets get you dry " He gently guided me to the porch of my house. Not once did he touch me inappropriately, his hands loitered respectful, and warm. He simply adjusted his steps, his feet moved in sync with mine, like we were walking as one. With both of us wrapped inside the same hoodie, it felt as though we were stitched together, bound not just by fabric, but by something deeper, something sacred. Maybe this is what it felt like for him back then, when he walked with Ian... their arms fused by skin and bone, two souls forced to move as one. Maybe that's why he understood how to move with me now, without words, without discomfort, just soft coordination and steady breath. Not a single moment did I felt exposed, even though my body was bare beneath the hoodie. Instead, I felt safe. I felt protected. I felt home.

As soon as we reached the front door, he twisted the doorknob immediately, but it was locked.

"Let's go the other way," he slowly untied my hands without even looking at me inappropriately and unzipped the hoodie that was wrapped around us. He snapped his head to the side, avoiding my gaze, like he couldn't bring himself to look at me bare.

Silently, he pulled off the hoodie and handed it to me without turning back.

"Wear this, Sunflower," he said gently.

Then, without hesitation, he slid off his jeans and handed them to me too, now standing in just his tank top and boxers.

" Put these on, we might need to climb through your bedroom window." we walked to the side of the house.

The rain became ravenous, drummed hard against the roof and slid in cold streaks down our skin. Everything was slick and dangerous, but he didn't hesitate.

He glanced up at the side of the house. His eyes locked up on the narrow pipe that stretched past my window. Then he looked back at me.

"Climb on," he said softly, and bent his knees as he turned his back to me. "Hold tight, alright?"

I nodded. The soaked hoodie clung to me like second skin. As soon as I was close enough, he scooped me into his arms, one strong arm cradled beneath my knees, the other braced behind my back. I gasped as he lifted me with ease, like I weighed nothing, and instinctively I curled my arms around his neck. My leg wound around his waist for balance, My skin was against his, but safe.

He adjusted his grip and exhaled hard .He reached for the pipe with one hand.

The metal was slick, but his fingers wrapped tightly around it. With a grunt of effort, he pulled both of us up, one hand climbed higher, his feet found footholds in the wall as he clung to me with the other arm. The strain was visible in the lines of his jaw, but he was steady.

My breath caught. Rain streamed down his face, and still he climbed, gripping the pipe, pressing into the wall, carrying me like I was the most important thing he had ever held.

Every inch we ascended, I held him tighter. My face buried against the curve of his neck, the scent of rain and him filled my senses. My heartbeat thundered in my chest, but not from fear.

"Almost there, "he muttered.

He turned slightly, lowered himself further, while his hands were steady against the slick wall. "Step on my back," he instructed gently. "Then my shoulder. I will guide you to the window sill. From there, you can grab the windowsill."

"But you.." I asked concerned.

"I will be right behind you," he cut in. "I won't let you fall."

I hesitated for only a moment. Then, I set my barefoot trembling, carefully onto his back. He grunted softly adjusting my weight. The rain slid off my skin, off his back, everything slick, unsteady, but still he didn't move.

"Now my shoulder," he braced himself.

I reached up, played my hands on the wall as I shifted my foot to his shoulder, trying not to press too hard. But he stayed solid beneath me.

" Good. You are doing good..." He muttered yet it sliced through the rain.

I reached for the thin metal sill of the window . My heart pounded. My fingers wrapped around it and slipped once before finding grip. I pulled myself up, and stepped onto the edge.

" I have got it," I called softly.

"Now the sill. You are almost there, sunflower." I stretched, my hand brushed the edge of the window. With a small gasp, I caught it.

I turned instantly. " Your turn. Come on, please."

He was already moving. In one swift motion, he pulled himself up with the pipe, using the momentum to step on the window sill and his hands caught the windowsill . I reached for him, but he paused just before climbing in. "You are safe now." he said as , rain was running down his face.

"Don't say that like you are staying out there, "I whispered. My hand tightened around his wrist.

He didn't answer. He just let me tug him in.

And the moment he stepped into my room, dripping and breathless, I wrapped my arms around him again, without thinking. My body knew what my voice hadn't know yet.

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