The elevator door dinged open. Bolting up from your seat before you knew what was happening. Blade limped out of the elevator covered in blood. His hand pressed over a wound on his leg and there was another on his side. You reach him just as he spoke.

“No hospitals. Just go grab me the first aid kit under the kitchen sink.”

I'll be waiting in the living room, don't take too long. Blood everywhere... clean this up quickly would you? He growls and shambles towards the couch, sitting heavily on it as he watches you go to the kitchen with a mix of resentment and annoyance. He doesn't want to need your help, but damnit he can't refuse it either. The crimson stains spread out across the floor like some twisted artwork. Your silence only fuels his anger more; he wants you to talk back, fight with him... but at this moment that is exactly what he needs least of all.

Blade scoffs loudly and painfully through clenched teeth. He glances at the floor then back to you. His eyes narrow as he focuses on something behind your ear, a twitch briefly flashing in his jaw muscle. You didn't even realize until just now that... it was gone. Huh. How weird...

"Fine."

"Don't play dumb." He grunts as you begin to clean his wounds. "And I want you to tell me what happened, how did you manage to lose that?" His voice softens slightly, almost unnoticeably. It was still gruff and harsh, but there was something else there too. Curiosity? Maybe even concern...

He looked at you with disbelief clear in his crimson eyes before he pointed at your ear again. "That." His voice dropped to a whisper now, full of barely controlled anger and frustration. "Tell me what happened to that damn tassel!"

Blade growls in frustration as you deny knowing what he's talking about. "Don't lie to me!" He snaps, tensing his arms, revealing that he hadn't let go of the hand pressed against his leg wound yet. Blood trickles down from between his fingers, making him all the more furious. "Where is it? Why did you take it off?"

He leans closer to you, eyes burning with an intensity that sends a shiver down your spine.

"Why...why would you..." He trailed off with a sharp gasp as the pain overwhelmed him again for a moment, clenching his fist around the wound even tighter. When he finally managed to compose himself once more, his voice was dangerously low and icy cold. "Fine. Just fix me up and then get out of my sight."

Blade glowered at you while you treated his wounds, clearly annoyed by your continued lack of understanding. "It's not important!" He snapped, voice rising again despite himself. "Just shut up and leave me alone! Don't...just don't..." He trailed off, shaking his head slowly as he struggled to control his temper.

The wounds were finally bandaged, but he still didn't want you anywhere near him. Sitting on the couch, legs spread wide in a battle stance, he glowered at the floor, breathing heavily through his nose. He was waiting for you to say something, do something...but what? He had no idea anymore. All he knew was that this whole situation made him uneasy and angry all at once.

Blade snorted derisively, his gaze never leaving the floor. "Angry?" he repeated hoarsely, almost mocking you with the question. "I'm not angry." His free hand clenched into a fist, nails digging into the palm as he fought to control himself. "Look, just...leave me alone for a while, alright? I need some time to think." He paused, his breath catching in his throat as another wave of pain washed over him from his leg wound. "Just...give me some space, okay?"

Blade glanced up at you then, surprise flitting across his features before the crimson of his eyes hardened again. "Yeah," he grunted. "Whatever." He turned away from you now, leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes as a tiny sigh escaped him. The silence between you hung heavy, like an unspoken understanding that neither one of you quite knew how to bridge.

He didn't really hear you leave; his focus was elsewhere. When he opened his eyes again, it was to see the blood on the floor staring back at him accusingly. A sigh escaped him as he shifted onto his side, wincing from the pain that shot through his leg in response. The bandage would hold for now, but he knew he needed proper medical attention soon. Maybe tomorrow...

The thought of losing you weighed heavily on his mind even as the adrenaline from the fight began to fade away. It was a messy situation; something he never would have expected to find himself in. He wondered idly how it had all gone so wrong, but deep down he knew the answer already. The feelings that had started to surface, conflicting with his anger and resentment...it was all just too much for him to handle right now.

With a soft groan, Blade rolled onto his back

Blade glances up at you as you approach him holding the tassel in your hand. His expression is confused and slightly annoyed. "You found that?" he asks, his voice sounding oddly hoarse even to himself. He takes the tassel from you carefully, running a finger over it before slipping it back into his ear. There's a brief moment of pain as it penetrates the flesh once more, but he ignores it, focusing instead on the way it feels...right.

Blade narrows his eyes at you as he leans forward slightly, propping himself up on his elbows. "I don't know," he growls through gritted teeth. "Someone jumped me from behind, knocked me down and then stabbed me. I think it was someone from the other family." He shakes his head slowly as if to clear it of the pain and frustration. "But who cares? It's not like we were ever going to be anything but enemies."

Blade snorts derisively and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, right," he mutters sarcastically. "There's nothing you can do for me." He glances away for a moment before looking back at you, his expression unreadable. "Maybe I should just let them finish the job..." His voice trails off, as if he hadn't quite meant to say that out loud.

Blade looks at you incredulously. "Don't say that! You don't know what I'm talking about." His voice is harsh, almost cruel. "It's not like we have some kind of future together or anything." He turns his head away again, wincing as the pain from his injuries flares up momentarily.

The silence between you stretches on for several long moments before he finally speaks again. "Look...I don't know why I said that, okay? It's just...everything is so messed up right now." He lets out a shaky breath and then looks back at you with something that might almost be pleading in his crimson eyes. "Can we just forget about this?"

The words sting and confuse him at the same time; they make him want to lash out but he can't help feeling a pang of guilt too. "Fine," he grumbles, relenting despite himself. "But if you keep pushing me like this...if you keep acting the way you do..." His voice trails off as he glances away again, eyes focused on something far away.

He knows he should apologize, but he can't seem to find the right words. So instead, he settles for silence and an awkward nod, his body tense as he tries not to show any more weakness than necessary. It feels strange, admitting that maybe you're right...but it also feels wrong somehow. This is their marriage, after all; it shouldn't be like this.

Blade looks at you skeptically but doesn't bother arguing the point. He knows you care about him; that much is obvious even to his jaded sensibilities. But why? It boggles his mind sometimes, how someone like you could possibly be interested in a man like himself. It makes him wonder if maybe he misunderstood something along the way...or if there's some other reason for your apparent affection. He decides not to dwell on it for now; there are more pressing matters at hand.

"Alright, I need help getting cleaned up and then we can talk about this later," he says gruffly. "You sure you don't mind doing that?" There's a hint of vulnerability in his voice, but also a touch of aggression as he challenges your commitment to him.

"Alright then," he mutters, reluctantly conceding the point. "Come help me up." As you reach out to him, he allows himself to be pulled close enough for you to assist him into a standing position. Once stable on his feet again, he winces and hisses as pain shoots through his leg once more. Leaning heavily against you for support, he hobbles toward the bathroom with a wince. "I'm gonna run a bath," he grunts, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. "You can help me get undressed and all that if you want..." He trails off, not meeting your eye as he turns the handle on the tub.

The hot water rushes into the tub, steam billowing up around them like a cloud. As Blade limps over to sit down on the edge of the tub, his gaze fixed on something beyond

Blade nods slightly in thanks as you help him ease himself into the steaming water. The heat soothes his aching muscles almost instantly, but he still can't bring himself to relax completely. His eyes linger on your hands for a moment before flickering away uncomfortably, focusing instead on something across the room.

"It's been a long day," he mutters by way of apology. "Sorry if I've been...I don't know...different today." He hesitates, unsure how to properly express what he's feeling. His hands twitch in the water beside him, wanting desperately to reach out and touch you again, to feel your skin against his own. But something holds him back; some lingering fear or uncertainty.

"I just need some time," he continues slowly, carefully choosing each word. "To figure things out...and maybe see where

Blade looks at you searchingly, wondering if he can trust your words. There's something in your eyes that he can't quite place...something familiar and comforting that makes him want to believe you. But the voice in his head, the one that's been telling him not to get too attached for so long, whispers doubt and anger. He frowns, unsure which emotion is stronger right now.

"I...thank you," he manages to say at last, his voice barely above a whisper. "For understanding." He pauses, chewing on his bottom lip as he studies your features once more. "We'll talk later, okay?" It's not much of an apology, but it's all he can muster right now. Maybe tomorrow will be different; maybe things will finally start to make sense again. Or perhaps they'll only get worse before they get better...

Blade sighs heavily as he leans back against the tub, closing his eyes and trying to relax despite his racing thoughts. The pain in his leg throbs relentlessly, but he pushes it aside for now; there will be time enough to deal with that later. Instead, he focuses on your voice, the sound of your breathing, anything that might distract him from the chaos within.

"I'm sorry I never gave you a proper wedding night," he says softly, his voice barely audible above the rush of water and his labored breathing. "Maybe once all this mess is over...?" He trails off, unable to meet your gaze as he poses the question. It's so strange; just hours ago, he was sure that everything would be different between you tonight. Now it seems as if fate has other plans.