You laze happily on the plush couch in your room. The fireplace crackles as you watch the snow outside fall. A warm blanket and the sweet smell of hot coco fills the air as you take a sip. It was all so peaceful and serene, all but the man who stood stiffly behind you. Blade had been assigned to you after an almost death experience brought on by your more adventerous nature. The man followed you everywhere. only leaving your side when you sleep to hand the job over and get rest himself. Yet he alway carried a look of distaste and judgement as he looked at you.

As you feel his eyes on you again, you let out a sigh and stand. Walking to the double doors of your rooms balcony. Wanting to get a breath of the fresh crisp winter air. A strong hand grabs your wrist. Blades deep growl filled your ears as he pulled you away from the doors. You are now so close to him you can feel the hot breath on the back of your neck.

"What do you think you're doing?"

You feel his breath on the back of your neck as he scoffs. "Don't give me that crap, Princess. You think I care about what your father thinks?" His grip on your wrist tightens slightly but it doesn't hurt; rather, it's unsettling in its firmness. He pauses for a moment before continuing more softly, "I just... I don't want something to happen to you."

Blade releases your wrist slowly, almost reluctantly, and takes a step back. His crimson eyes narrow as he studies your expression. It seems like his attempt at being gentle didn't work out too well; he usually resorts to brute force or intimidation when dealing with people who annoy him."Fine," he says finally. "But next time, use the door by the bed instead. Nobody would expect you to come out that way." He crosses his arms over his broad chest and leans against the wall beside one of your large windows as he watches you thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again in an even lower tone, "And don't ever try to push me around. I won't hesitate to put you back where you belong if I have to."

His words hang in the air between them, heavy with unspoken threats and implied dominance. It's clear that he doesn't intend on making things easy for you anytime soon; then again, he never does. You can feel his gaze boring into your back as you carefully open the double doors leading out onto the balcony and step outside. The chill of winter air is instantly refreshing against your skin, but there's an underlying tension that seems to follow you everywhere... even here on your private balcony with Blade mere steps behind you.

It takes Blade a moment to register what you've said, his gaze flickering over your shoulder before returning to the view beyond you. He seems lost in thought for a moment, contemplating his reply before finally speaking. "He didn't say." His tone is gruff and noncommittal. "It doesn't matter," he continues, voice slightly more bitter than usual. "You shouldn't be hoping for that anyway. Your father trusts me with your life, so why would I want anything to happen to you?"

There's a long pause as Blade stands there, watching the snow fall and trying hard not to let his mind wander back to whatever trouble he got into before being hired onto this assignment. Eventually, he shrugs and turns away from the railing, walking closer to where you stand on the balcony's edge. His eyes narrow ever so slightly as they examine your features in profile. "He paid well for me, I'm stuck with it," he says quietly before taking another step forward, standing close enough now that his body heat envelopes yours like a cocoon.

Blade glances out into the distance once more, as if trying to focus on something far away and long ago. "It wouldn't hurt you to be nicer," he mutters under his breath, almost too softly for you to hear. The words come across as both a warning and an apology, leaving you uncertain about how much of what he said was meant to be taken at face value.

Blade raises an eyebrow, looking somewhat amused by your admission as he crosses his arms over his broad chest. "I know," he replies, equally quiet. There's a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips as he gazes down at you from beneath his crimson hair. The humor in his eyes doesn't quite reach them, though; they remain cold and hard as stone. "But I don't care."

His confession stuns you for a moment, leaving you speechless. You hadn't expected him to respond this way, with such honesty. It's unsettling in its own right. Blade continues to look down at you, his expression softening just slightly as he takes another step closer. Now their bodies are mere inches apart, close enough for you to feel the heat radiating off of his body. "I'm stuck with this job," he murmurs, running a hand through his long hair in frustration, "and whether or not I like it, I won't let anything happen to you."

The words seem almost caring coming from him, but the tone remains bitter and mocking. You wonder if maybe there's more to Blade than he lets on, hidden beneath his gruff exterior and sarcastic remarks. Perhaps this job means more to him than he's willing to admit... or perhaps it means less. It's impossible for you to tell right now.

Blade's face turns crimson with anger as he watches you jump onto the ledge of the balcony and grip tightly to the railing. "What are you doing?!" He shouts, quickly closing the distance between you. Before he can reach out and grab you, however, his movements slow down and a look of pain crosses his face. His breath hitches slightly as he tries to speak, but all that comes out is a hoarse gasp.

It takes Blade a moment to realize what's happening; your grip on the railing has left angry red marks across his palms. The sight seems to ground him somewhat, and he relaxes his body, taking a deep breath in through his nose as he tries to regain control over himself. "You shouldn't do that," he whispers harshly, eyes narrowing dangerously. Blood trickles down from the marks on his palms, staining his fingertips red.

Forcing himself to calm down, Blade steps back, his expression turning hard once more as he looks you over carefully. "You're really testing my patience today," he growls lowly. "Don't ever do something like that again."

Blade's expression hardens further at your outburst, but he keeps his voice low and dangerous as he says, "Don't you ever say that again." He crosses the room to stand in front of you, his posture tense and ready for anything. His crimson eyes search yours, trying to find some sort of understanding or empathy within them. Finding none, Blade sighs heavily and shakes his head, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Look, I know this job sucks..." he begins, pausing as if considering how much to say.

"And I get that you hate being cooped up in here all the time," he continues more softly. "But there's no need to be so bitter about it. Your father only wants what's best for you." Blade steps closer, his gaze locked on yours as he says each word slowly and distinctly, emphasizing his point. "And even if I wasn't your bodyguard," he pauses again, searching for the right words, "even if this was just a regular job... I still wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

His voice drops almost to a whisper as he finishes speaking, but there's a newfound sincerity in his tone that makes you stop and think about what he's saying. Blade watches your expression carefully, waiting for some sort of reaction from you. For the first time since he's been hired to protect you, he wonders if maybe there's more to Claria than meets the eye... and whether or not they could ever find some common ground amidst all this anger and resentment.

Blade's expression softens slightly at your words, his posture slackening as he listens to you speak. Though the anger and frustration don't completely disappear from his features, they seem to lose some of their edge when contrasted with this newfound understanding. He takes a deep breath in through his nose before exhaling slowly, shaking his head slightly.

"Look," he says quietly, "I get that it must be hard for you... I really do. But you have to understand where I'm coming from too." His gaze meets yours briefly before looking away again, as if searching for the right words. "My family was nothing special; we were just peasants living on a small farm. When my father died and left me nothing, I joined the army out of desperation..." He trails off, his voice fading slightly as he continues to study the floor between your feet. "When they offered me this job... protecting someone like you..." Blade pauses, finally looking up at you again. His expression is unreadable for a moment before anger wells up in his eyes once more. "I took it because I needed the money, and now... now I'm stuck here with you."

The venom in his voice surprises even him, and he takes another deep breath to calm himself down. He can feel the anger burning inside of him, hot and tight like a knot in his chest. It makes him want to lash out, to hurt you in some way for making him feel this way... but he knows that isn't the solution. Not now, not ever.

With a final sigh, Blade steps closer to you again. "I know it's not fair," he says more quietly, his expression softening as he looks at your face. "And I wish there was something I could do... but