#daniel au

speaking of dancing, Daniel got really into bboying in high school

so much so that he didnt really come round to hang out with you and Seongwu that much anymore

It made you upset because you didnt go to the same high school as them anymore, so you barely saw him anyway

and like one time you guys had planned to go watch a movie but he flaked last minute because he got called in by his dance teacher

You were upset, because you thought that he would rather spend his time dancing than catch up with you

You came to despise the fact that he bboyed 

and you started assuming the only reason why he did it was to show off

but one day when you got to school a group of girls were huddled round someone’s laptop and they were going cray, fangirling over something

and you glance over at the screen

and lo-and-behold it’s Kang Daniel, the kid you grew up, doing windmills and flares and pulling all these other sick af moves

and when he’s done, you see that he has the biggest smile on his face

you found out that the day that the video was recorded, was the day he couldnt go to the movie with you 

and you felt so bad because you realised that you shouldn’t have been so annoyed over something that makes him so happy and he works so hard to do

and straight away, the disdain you had is all gone, and you’re just tremendously proud of him

you became a silent supporter for him, and also worrying over the fact he might injure himself whilst dancing

so you would sometimes send him texts telling him to take it easy or reminding him to eat

And Ong is like “why dont you ever send me texts like that?”

“because you’re my brother, Seongwu”

“oh really??? I thought I was your unnie, y/n?”

times like this make you wonder why he has so many people crushing over him

like both the girls and guys in your class are asking you to introduce Seongwu to them

and you just dont get it at all

so one day you’re complaining to Daniel about it because it’s gotten to the point where your entire class is in love with your brother

“What’s so good about him, that makes all the girls fall for him? Even if he wasn’t my brother, he is sooooo not my type” (yo sorry ong i dont really mean this)

and suddenly Daniel goes “then can you tell me what you like in a guy, y/n?”

and you pause because at that moment you’re not too sure yourself

and as you’re thinking in your head what kind of guy your ideal type is, and image of Daniel keeps popping up in your head

and you try to shake it off because you refuse to let yourself catch feelings for Daniel

like you obviously care for him….but not like that

right???

you’ve always seen him as your older brother’s best friend, as well as your friend, nothing more…

lol you couldn’t have been more wrong

so you never properly answered Daniel’s question, you just spluttered out a generic response 

“SOMEONE NICE??”

And Daniel just laughs, like usual and it makes the spontaneous internal conflict going on in your head even worse because you only realise now that Daniel’s laugh is so cute and you want to keep hearing his laugh

That question had really triggered you (in a good way) and you couldnt stop thinking about all the things that Daniel had done to make your heart flutter

like he gives THE best hugs ever

he’s like a big bear when he wraps you up in his warm embrace

and sometimes he’d squish your cheeks if you scowled at him for suffocating you in the hug

and you’d frown even more and he’d just laugh happily and continuing teasing you

he was always considerate of you too

he’d seen you go through all the emotions, even the scary ones and he still hung out with you

you couldn’t believe it took you so long to even realise you had a crush on him

but you didn’t know what to do with this new found knowledge because you were pretty sure Daniel only sees you as a little sister/friend

and on top of that Seongwu would probably freak in a bad way if anything did happen

so you decide to just try get over it, and not acknowledge your crush

like hopefully another guy will appear in your life that you’ll like more??

of course that doesn’t work though

when the school ball/prom/dance (whatever you call it where you live) comes round you’re content on going solo

but your friend had offered you to go with them so you two would at least have a partner for the first dance of the night

but he ended up getting into a relationship before the dance, and now had a partner so this left you solo once again but with an extra ticket

And you’re complaining about this to Ong and Daniel like 3 days before the dance

and your brother perks up immediately, and you can see that the lightbulbs are flashing in his head and you’re so worried about what clever idea he’s going to announce

“TAKE DANIEL, KANG CENTER, KANG PARTNER, KANG DANIEL”

and both you and Daniel look at him like wtf

and Ong is so proud of himself and refuses to take no for answer

so yeah the day of the dance comes round and you’re getting ready upstairs with some of your friends and their dates

and you hear a knock on the door so you go to get it

Seongwu has bet you to it though funniest thing is that he’s wearing trackies and baggy hoodie and all your friends are still head over heels in love with him

you’re at the top of the stairs and you spot Daniel at the front door talking to your brother

He’s all suited up, looking like a freaking model just standing there effortlessly with a hand in his pocket and the other fiddling with his tie

Ong is laughing at him because the tie isn’t done up properly

and they’re trying to sort it out, but they both notice your presence

Daniel gives you the most blinding smile ever, which you return and Ong just smirks knowingly at the two of you

“Don’t try anything with my little sister Niel, remember, you’re my man.” 

And the three of you just crack up laughing

Daniel can’t stop looking at you though

In his eyes, you’re absolutely perfect

even more so when you laugh because you look so effortlessly happy

He’s still struggling to fix his tie

You go to fix his tie, tutting over the fact that he still struggles doing it up even though he’s got one in his school uniform

You hear his breath hitch from the close proximity, and he’s just staring at your face with an emotion you can’t put a name to

and you go bright red because you realise you’re biting your lip from nervousness and you don’t want to make it awkward

so you pull back quickly and as you do, you hit your elbow on the handrail of the stairs and you fall back and cringe in pain

and Daniel’s hand immediately shoots round your waist to steady you but he kinda trips over the first stair as he does so

and the two of you are just a clumsy, laughing mess together

after you’ve both calmed down, Daniel reaches over and fixes a loose strand of your hair gently before smiling down at you

“You look stunning y/n, thanks for letting me be your date tonight.”

He blushes, before directing his gaze away from you

“Maybe uh…I don’t know if you want to…but maybe you’d like to be my date for my dance next month?”

You look at him in surprise because you hadn’t even thought about his school dance

“I know that I’m going to your ball tonight as your friend…

…but I’d really like it if you came to mine as my girlfriend”

His eyes are back on yours, and they’re shining with so much sincerity

And you feel like your smile is stretching from ear to ear

and your heart is going to burst

“Daniel, I’d really really like that”

And his smile mimicks yours as he leans down to press a kiss to your cheek

You whisper in his ear, “well you know, you might as well come to my ball tonight as my boyfriend then”

He gives you a wink, “I think i’d like that too.”

Meanwhile, Ong has been snapping sneaky photos and videos of the two of you from a distance and he just shakes his head and sighs to himself.

“They really are such a match made in heaven. Only took them over 10 years.”

You finally arrived at your destination. Even then, you didn't move an inch. The door you were leaning on opened and you didn't bother putting any effort into staying upright and simply started falling towards the ground. Two strong arms caught you, lifting you up like they had off of the ground just an hour ago. You lifted your chin slightly, staring at the man who was walking you to your ill-fated destiny. He didn't look like the normal gangster. He had soft eyes and an innocent smile. You couldn't help but wonder how someone who looked so pure and so soft could end up the right-hand man to someone so despicable. You turned your head slightly to the side, examining the place he was moving towards. You were standing in an alley that couldn't fit more than one car at a time. There were shops on each side of the road ranging from pawn shops to restaurants, to dry-cleaners. It looked like every other neighborhood in Seoul. Except it wasn't. A dark alleyway was squeezed in between one of the many pawn shops and a garage from where big men all wearing black were coming out to see the show. Nothing but muscle and fat on their body and you instantly knew they were the brute force of the organization. The men you ordered to fight for you. They were part of the organization but not a single person here was important. Or indispensable. They all l looked at you like you were a piece of meat, each making their assessments on your level of beauty. 'She's cute. I could break her from her single hip thrust though.' 'Not exactly my type but then again, who cares about looks when you take them from behind.' 'Look at Daniel go, already's got hands all over her. Isn't she supposed to be the boss' son's girl?' Dry laughter followed every remark. As the last man finished his statement, you felt the man who was holding you tense up before he sent a death glare towards that group. Daniel. So that's his name. And from what you could understand, he seemed like someone who had some power.

As Daniel brought you towards the main entrance through the dark alley, you felt a shiver run down your spine. The shadows playing on the walls looked like creatures from your nightmares and you curled up against his chest. You felt his grip on you tighten slightly as he moved you back up towards his chest, grabbing you firmly. The narrow alleyway led you to a big double door that looked to be the entrance to about a three-story building. You looked up at the sky, trying to remember the shape of every cloud that was passing overhead. For some reason, you had a bad feeling this would be your last opportunity to enjoy being outside before a long, long time. The man who had murdered your father came up from Daniel's right and looked straight at you. His hand came up to stroke your cheek and you froze in fear. Your mind went back to the slap. You could still feel the vibrations it had sent through your body. "Good girl." he whispered as his fingertips grazed your lips, before nodding towards the two body guards guarding the door. They each opened a door and the man walked in first, hands behind his back, a little spring to his step. Your hand came up to Daniel's shoulder and you squeezed it tightly. He looked down at you, surprised to see you move. He didn’t think you’d have the strength. 'Save me.' were the two words you mouthed to him, fear making your irises tremble. He looked you straight in the eye and nodded ever so slightly as to not attract any unwanted attention before he made his way into the building.

You took a look around. Everything looked so terrifying. From the velvet rug that drew a path to a very large staircase to the piles of cocaine being hidden away, everything felt so unfamiliar. Even though you knew, for the most part, what your father did for a living, you never got involved. He never wanted you to. So you never witnessed the drug deals, weapon exchanges, and other illegal acts your father may have committed. To be exposed to all of it, in all its putrid magnificence, you weren't prepared for that. "Daniel, take her upstairs." The blonde-haired man nodded, a 'yes, hyungnim' brushing past his lips before he took long strides towards the staircase. It was the kind of staircase that fanned at the bottom, slightly narrowed down before opening up in a little area. Two second sets of stairs started off on both sides, allowing you to get to the second floor. The area in between the two floors opened up on a cozy living room kind of area. Two sofas were facing each other, separated only by a small marble table, an enormous fireplace taking the center stage of it all. You drank it all in, trying to remember every detail about this place. Even in this kind of situation, the lessons your father had taught you were shining through. After you had found out about his true identity, your father had taught you how to defend yourself. You knew the basics of self-defense but what he had put a lot of emphasis on was knowing your surroundings. You were only as strong as your knowledge of the space you were in. Escape routes, placements of guards, weapons, you should always be aware of where the threat lies and the easiest way for you to escape. That's what he had taught you. And despite the burning pain boring a hole through your heart, you followed his teachings. After examining your surroundings, you looked up at Daniel and at the tiny bead of sweat that dripped from his forehead. Your hand came up naturally and wiped it off. He looked quite surprised and stopped just a little short of the second set of stairs. A faint smile appeared on your face as you croaked out an "I can walk." He shook his head and started off again, heading upstairs.

He finally put you down in front of a wooden door at the end of a long hall. Looking from the outside, you had never expected the interior of this place to be so big. They sure did a good job finding a hideout. You could hate them with every fiber of your body, but you had to give them at least that, they were quite good at being the villains. You put your hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it. Your heart was racing, not knowing what you had to expect. But you could feel his presence behind you. His overwhelming warmth engulfing you and giving you to courage to push the door open. You entered a big rectangle room. At the center of the room, pushed up against the opposite wall was a magnificent ebony four-poster bed. The burgundy sheets flowed down to the floor in a wave of silky beauty but you couldn't help but notice the white shirt, sprawled out on the bed. A man's shirt. You turned around, seeing Daniel close the door behind the two of you. "Where are we?" You knew exactly where you were. You knew what was waiting for you. But in your hopeful foolishness, you wished Daniel would tell you otherwise. "Your room." he said in a low voice, turning back towards you. "Mine alone?" You saw the hurt in his eyes. He didn't want to do this to you. And yet it was his place to shatter your last sliver of hope. "Yours and Hyunggyu hyungnim." Your face fell. He wasn't joking when he said he wanted to take you as his wife. It wasn't just something he said out of the blue to drive your father to his limits. He actually intended to make you his wife. You felt acid crawling up your throat and you rushed to a door on your right, hoping to find a bathroom. You opened it hastily and to your luck, it was indeed a master bathroom. You emptied your already empty stomach in the toilet bowl, flushed and steadied yourself on the nearby sink. You looked at yourself and had you not known you were looking at your reflection, you wouldn't have recognized yourself. In under two hours, bags had appeared under your eyes like you had been awake for 48hours straight. Your eyes were bloodshot red and drool was dripping from the corner of your mouth. You took some water in your hands and washed your face, trying to scrub off this horrible nightmare your life had just become. You heard steps coming from behind you as you saw Daniel appear into view, leaning on the doorframe. You turned the water off and crawled your way to him. You took his hand into yours, tears prickling at the corner of your eyes. "I thought you'd help me. I know what I saw. You nodded. I know you did." He squatted down in front of you and brought you back up to your feet. He moved you towards the bed and had you sit down as he lowered himself to your eye level. "I will." Even though you didn't know this man, at all, his words appeased you. For some strange reason, you felt like you could count on him. "But I can't do that right now. You'll have to endure it for a while." Fear seeped into your bones as you thought about having to live next to a man you already despised. You look at Daniel straight in the eye and he gave you a faint smile that only fueled your fire. They do say that in desperate times, you tend to do dumb things. Like, put your trust in people you shouldn't. "Forget it." The venom dripping from your every word was chilling to the core. "I don't even know why I thought you'd be any different. You're all one of the same." You spat out, turning away from him. He opened his mouth to protest, to tell you he wasn't like his boss, he truly did want to help you but not everything was that easy. He couldn't simply whisk you away without any consequences. But before a single sound could escape his lips, a loud knock was heard and Daniel stood straight up, taking a step away from you. A boy of small stature poked his head through the door. His skin was pale and his eyes perfect almonds. You had no idea how someone so young could find themselves intertwined in this kind of business. "Hyung, Hyunggyu hyungnim is looking for you." "Thanks, Jihoon-ah, I'll be right down." The younger boy nodded and closed the door behind him. Daniel came right back to your side, taking your hands in his. You ignored him and looked elsewhere. "I won't let him hurt you, that I promise." Your heart was racing in your chest but still pretended to ignore him. He sighed heavily before leaving the room quietly, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Daniel went back downstairs, looking for Hyunggyu. He found him lounging on a sofa, a beautiful woman on his lap. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the actions of his elder. Daniel and Hyunggyu went way back. Despite the four year difference, they were always like brothers. They were inseparable. That was until Daniel and his parents got kidnapped as collateral. Daniel made it out alive, but his parents didn't. They weren't deeply rooted in the system but they were associated with Hyunggyu's dad who ran everything around here and got caught in the crossfire. Daniel was only 8. After that day, Daniel was never really the same. He still was his cheerful self but he had his dark times. Moments when everything would come back to him. Because he was there. He witnessed everything. And for an 8-year-old to witness the murder of his parents, it'd be an understatement to say that it shocked him to his core. Hyunggyu's dad ended up adopting him and treated him as his son ever since, which didn't sit well with his biological son. Let's just say that Hyunggyu didn't mind sharing with friends but sharing with an adoptive brother when your father clearly favors him, is hard to deal with when your ego is the size of Manhattan. The black-haired man looked at his younger brother through hooded eyes, gritting his teeth. "How's my fiance doing?" Daniel's hand formed into a fist and he faked a smile, knowing better than to challenge Hyunggyu when it came to you. "She's adapting. Trying at least." That forced a chuckle past Hyunggyu's lips as his eyes darkened and he got up, throwing the woman he had on his lap to the side. "Guess I'd better help her get acclimated then." The smirk on his face was sickening. Daniel was clenching his fist so hard his knuckles turned white and his fingernails dug into the palm of his hand. Hyunggyu went past him, patting his shoulder before heading upstairs, whistling. Hyunggyu wasn't always like this. He hadn't always been this shell of a human being, void of emotions. But it was who he had become and knowing what he was capable of and knowing where he was headed made Daniel sick to his stomach. He gritted his teeth until his jaw hurt and with fists still clenched, he made his way outside.

He didn't really know where he wanted to go but he knew he needed to get out of there, as far away from Hyunggyu as possible. Before he did something stupid. He wandered down the dark alleyway he had brought you down just moments before. Your face popped up in his mind. Your hand, clutching at his shoulder, your eyes filled with fear as you tentatively asked him to save you. You had no idea who he was. You had no idea what his reaction was going to be. He could have just told his boss right away as they laughed about it together and you got tortured some more. But still, you took a chance. You took a chance on him. And knowing he was leaving you to the wolves was killing him. He was just hoping to any god that'd listen to him, that nothing happened to you. He'd figure it out. He'd figure out a way to get you to safety. Soon. He came out of the alleyway and moved towards the car repair shop that was on his left. It wasn't exactly a normal garage as it belonged to their gang but they did actually repair their own cars so it did have a semblance of being an actual shop. He wandered in and spotted a sedan that the boys had just finished working on. "Mind if I take her for a drive?" Everyone knew Daniel and just his presence intimidated them. They all nodded rapidly as one of the younger guys handed him the keys, looking at the ground. Daniel hopped in and started driving, not really knowing where he was going. He drove and kept on driving. He didn't really have a destination in mind yet but after about an hour of driving, he realized where he had been headed all along. As he walked towards the front door, he remembered your face when you heard the gunshot and his heart broke in half. He had witnessed countless murders and had to continue living with the images of the heartbroken families they had left behind. But never before had he been this heartbroken. He pushed open the front door and the air reeked of blood and bodily fluids. He brought a hand up to his nose and moved towards the main hall. As he saw your father, bathing in his own blood, bits and pieces of his brain stuck to the floor and nearby wall, for the second time in his life, Daniel had to look away.

Daniel gathered his thoughts and moved towards the back of the restaurant. Through the kitchen window, he discovered a backyard but no back door. He went back outside, trying not to look at your father. He found a tiny path hugging the right-side wall of the restaurant leading towards the backyard. He walked around, basking in the peace and quiet that the little garden was allowing him, in the middle of this city that never sleeps. As he moved towards the back of the backyard, he spotted what looked like a gravestone in the far corner. Upon inspection, he realized the grave must have belonged to your mother. He had heard of the stories. One of Hyunggyu's dad’s proudest moments. The sick fuck. Daniel discovered a run-down shed, hugging the back wall of the building. He made his way inside and found a shovel, a pick and a big bag of quicklime. A soft sigh escaped his lips as the thought hit him. Your father must have always had everything one needed to bury a body in this shed. And that was one of the most depressing things he could think of. Whether he was always getting ready to bury one of his men or whether he wanted everything ready for when this moment happened, the simple thought was heartbreaking. The last thing he could do for his daughter was to prevent her from having to go buy the supplies she needed to bury her own father. When you're in the mafia, most of the time, you don't get to have a real place to rest after your death. Your family, unlike the rest of the world, does not get to have a place to go and visit you after your death. Most of the time, you end up being thrown into a communal grave where every single man who died during a fight ends his days. That's the sad reality of their world. Only the lucky few get to rest in peace after living such a hard life. After everything that had happened today, and everything that was going to happen from now on, if this was one of the only nice things Daniel could do for you, he was going to put his all into it.

After about six hours of digging, some more digging, some heavy lifting and a lot of cleaning, Daniel was putting the last of the soil on your father's grave. Before putting him in the ground, he had noticed this watch you father was still wearing. He didn't know whether this was a good or a terrible idea but he took it off his still warm wrist and put it in his pocket. Whether this was going to infuriate you or appease your hurt in some way, he had no idea of knowing. And frankly, that scared him shitless. That he could be the one bringing you more pain when all he wanted to do was help you through this tough time. But what was done was done. He moved a big rock on top of the freshly made grave to prevent any stray cat from becoming grave robbers. That’s something you learn from experience. He went back into the restaurant one last time, taking a look around. He hadn't forgotten any spots, no one would ever know they were there had it not been for the note he placed on one of the counters in the kitchen. 'Your boss is dead. Buried him in the backyard. His daughter is with us. Don't try anything stupid. -The Crimson Roses' Voices could be heard from outside. For a second, Daniel thought he was screwed but he thought back to the kitchen window and made his way through it with difficulty before four large men made their way through the door. With your father's watch in his pocket, he sprinted back to the car, hopping back into the sedan and made his way back to HQ, his heart still racing.

After Daniel left you alone with your thoughts, you stayed completely frozen on the bed for a couple of minutes before you finally decided to move. You dragged yourself to the bathroom, closing the door behind you. You moved towards the bathtub and drew yourself a nice hot bath. You needed it, badly. You took off all of your clothes, discovering the bruises Hyunggyu had left on your body when he threw you on the ground earlier that day. You traced the bluish stain on your arm and hip, wincing as even a simple touch sent a shot of pain through your whole body. You tentatively entered the bathtub, letting the warmth of the water relax your every muscle. You stared at the ceiling, wondering whether your father would be able to make it to paradise. Not that you particularly believed in all that crap but the thought alone helped you cope a little. You closed your eyes and you felt yourself slowly sliding down. Your body kept sliding, and sliding, and sliding until your entire head was submerged in water. For the first time that day, you felt at peace. A few bubbles of oxygen escaped your lips and you imagined them popping as they reached the surface, releasing a scream as loud as your pain into the world. You felt the air in your lungs slowly becoming rarer. Your heart was racing in your chest, your mind was blank, your lungs were screaming. You wanted this. Or did you? Your mouth slightly opened and as you drank some water, almost as a primal instinct, you flung your entire body out of the water, choking on the tiny bit that had entered your lungs. You hit your chest, spitting out every last drop of water that entered your body and you started sobbing. You couldn't even manage to kill yourself. How pathetic was that? You heard a door slam as you jumped at the sudden sound, tears stuck in your eyes. You got out of the tub and dried yourself. You put the same clothes back on, those same clothes with blood stained elbows and a rip at the knee. You exhaled deeply before opening the door to your bedroom. You tried scanning the room but couldn't see everything due to the way the door opened. You peeked your head out and saw him. You froze in place for a second before jumping right back into the bathroom. Even the sight of him terrified you. "Don't be afraid. Come over here." You heard him call out. After a few seconds too long, you heard a loud sigh and some inaudible rambling. "I told you to come over here. Right. Now." The tone of his voice had changed and no matter how badly you wanted to stay hidden in the very bathroom you thought of taking your own life in, you wandered out. You closed the bathroom door behind you, turning slowly towards him but not moving a step. His suit vest was hanging on the armrest of the chair next to the door to the bedroom. He was sitting at the end of the bed, taking his cufflinks off, neatly placing them on the nearest nightstand. He looked at you through hooded eyes, a slight smirk plastered on his face. "Come over here. I'm not going to eat you." His voice was sweeter but you could hear the fakeness in his tone. Still, absolutely terrified, you made your way over to him as he started unbuttoning his shirt. You stood about a meter away from him, completely stiff when he took your wrist and brought you over to him. His arms found their way around your waist as he buried his face in the valley between your breasts. His grip on your hips tightened as it took everything in you not to scream out of pain. He nuzzled his nose down to your bellybutton, inhaling, taking in your scent. Silent tears started to roll down your eyes as you were completely frozen in place. His hands kept stroking your lower back as he placed his chin on your stomach, looking up at you. Seeing your contorted face, a silent tear rolling down your face, he almost felt hurt you could find him so repugnant. That fleeting thought soon enough left his mind as he gripped onto your hips even harder and threw you down on the bed. You yelped in surprise and in pain, your arms coming up to your chest as to prevent him from intruding your space even further. You dared looked into his eyes and what you saw sent a shiver down your spine. He was looking right back at you and his eyes were the color of the midnight sky, filled with lust. His right hand came up to your shoulder as he grazed your skin with his fingertips. His hand moved down your side, to your hip. He slowly moved your shirt up, revealing the bruises he has inflicted upon you. His fingertips grazed the bruise. His fingers were freezing to the touch, 'as cold as his heart' you thought. You bit your lip, keeping yourself from screaming. You weren't going to give him that joy. "Did I do that?" he said, a fake pout finding its way onto his face. He brought his lips down to your hip, placing a wet kiss on the bruise. And another slightly higher up. And another at the hem of your bra. His lips parted with your skin as you closed your eyes tight, hoping this moment would stop if you wished hard enough for it. A slight chuckle escaped his lips at your reaction. He brought his face closer to your ear. "There's nothing to be afraid of, princess." He whispered in your ear, his warm breath on your neck sending a chilling shiver down your spine. His lips moved to your neck as he started sucking on the supple flesh while his right hand moved down to your thigh. He placed his hand on the outside of your knee, slowly bringing it higher up. When he brought his hand to the inner part of your thigh, your instinctively brought your legs together, locking his hand in place. He instantly froze and you did as well, absolutely terrified of what he'd do to you for having dared refuse him what he wanted. He brought both his hands right next to your head, supporting his weight as he towered above you. You opened your eyes and your gazes locked together. You were sure he could see the absolute terror he was inflicting on you and it looked like he liked it. "I'm letting you off this time, princess. Your father did just die." In a flash, he was off of you, sitting at the edge of the bed like you had found him earlier. He finished taking his shirt off and revealed multiple scars that painted his back. He got up and turned towards you, pointing a disapproving finger at your frozen figure. "But don't you dare do that again. Reject me all you want, you're still mine." His words tore through you as he headed for the bathroom, smirking. He slammed the door and you jumped, not quite processing everything that had just happened.

You stayed there for a couple of minutes, just lying there, unable to forget his hands on you. You could still feel every single stroke of his rough hand, every wet impact of his lips on your skin and it made you feel sick to your stomach. You wanted to scrub your skin till it turned raw only so you could feel less dirty but he was in there. And you weren't about to go outside looking for another bathroom. Instead, you took a pillow, squeezed it in between your legs and curled up into a ball on one side of the bed. Silent tears were streaming down your face and you couldn't do anything to stop the current. Every trace that each tear left on your cheeks felt like burning fire but you simply couldn't stop. It was like your body was determined to empty your body till the very last drop. That's how you fell asleep, out of exhaustion. Curled up on a stranger's bed that felt as cold as the morning breeze on a January morning. That night you dreamt of your parents. You dreamt of the night you found your father holding your mother's limp body in his arms. You remember the venom dripping from his tongue and the look of defeat in his eyes. You also dreamt of your father and his two fallen front teeth. You dreamt of the gunshot that ended his life and of his lifeless body probably still lying on the cold hard tiles of the restaurant. You dreamt of them, meeting up in paradise and looking down at you. You heard your mom's voice calling out and your body slightly relaxed at the sound of her voice. "You'll do great, sweetheart. I know you're strong enough to get through this. Choose the right allies. Fool the right people. In this game you're about to play, you either win, or you die."