๓ครợยгค๔є

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

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Belle continued to struggle in Andrew's grasp as he tore her shirt open - not bothering with carefully undoing the buttons but instead sending them flying everywhere. As his hand trailed over her bare skin, she whimpered, trying to turn her head away from him and release her lips from his grasp. She had always known that Andrew was kind of a d**k to women, but she'd never thought that he was capable of something as terrible as this. Just as her attacker released her lips for a breath of air, an angry voice came hurtling towards them, followed by a body that hurled itself at Andrew. Belle was knocked down where she stood in the process, but she quickly scrambled back up to stand, her eyes falling on the fight that was now happening in front of her.

She felt frozen where she was as the new man who had tackled Andrew away from her landed a punch, drawing blood. Andrew seemed to fight back quickly though, saying something about how the other man had broken ribs, followed by the sickening crunch of bones as he kicked him forcefully. And he was calling him Ryder. Was she really experiencing the work of the vigilante that watched over her city? Was he finally back after his two month absence? Belle shrunk back against the wall behind her, fear and panic keeping her from doing anything productive. She couldn't make her feet move to run and her cellphone had fallen from her pocket when Andrew pulled her into the alley, so calling the police wasn't a valid option either. And in all honestly, with the brutality that was occurring in front of her, she was far too afraid to think rationally.

And her savior's broken ribs were only the beginning of the violence that unfolded. Andrew seemed to think he had the upper hand here and was threatening this man in black, throwing back threats her way with a sinister smirk on his lips. She pulled the fabric of her shirt tighter around her body, a shudder running down her spine at his comment. And the vigilante didn't seem to like his comment either, driving his heel behind the other man's knee, which caused a blood curling scream from Andrew and a fearful whimper from Belle. She wasn't one for violence and that had sounded like it hurt. Though she didn't feel bad for Andrew, she didn't want to see someone get hurt either. It was her job to help people who were hurt, not watch it happen and do nothing. Though major damage had definitely been done to Andrew, he seemed to rise up again, threatening even more disturbing things that only caused Belle to wrap her arms more tightly around her body, wishing this fear wasn't so paralyzing.

The way that the vigilante responding to this however sent a chill straight down to Belle's core. She finally managed a step backward when the words "You're right." slipped from the man in black's mouth, unsure of where this was going. His voice had an almost sadistic tone to it and she could tell just by the way Andrew's eyes found her own that he was scared now. Belle froze in her tracks again hearing the the man was far from agreeing with Andrew, but planning on bashing his face in instead. The moment the baton made contact with Andrew's face, a scream escaped Belle's lips and she turned her back to the scene unfolding behind her. Leaning heavily against the wall and sickening sounds filled the alley behind her, tears streamed down Belle's face as she was forced to listen to the violence. She didn't want to see what was happening behind her, but she didn't know what to do other than stand there and let herself cry. Ryder had saved her, but was this level of violence really necessary? She almost felt like she needed to call the police on him. Her opinion of the vigilante was dropping steadily with every blow that he laid on her attacker.

When it finally stopped, she could hear the man limping towards her, but heard nothing from Andrew. Was he alive? Shuddering at the thought, she didn't turn to face the man in black until she was forced to, a wad of twenties being shoved in her hands. Her gaze met his mask as she looked up at him, fear causing her hand to tremble and her lip to quiver. She had been afraid of Andrew, but even though this man saved her, she was feeling afraid of him as well. No one was that brutal unless they enjoyed it. The gentle voice that slipped from his lips sounded all too familiar to her, but she couldn't place her finger on why. It seemed so detached from what had just happened in the alley behind her that she didn't know what to think of him or how to feel. She could only manage to nod and speak a small "Thank you.", her voice cracking under the stress of everything that had just happened. And then he was gone, leaving her trembling in the alley and far too afraid to look back at what had become of Andrew, a bloodied wad of twenties in hand.

Finally feeling able to walk, she found her phone and first dialed the number for the taxi, then for 911. Though she hated Andrew, she wouldn't be letting him bleed out. Once she got a hold of the operator though, she discovered that they already knew about what had happened and were on their way. Hanging up the phone, she just leaned against the wall in the alley and waited, tears finding their way down her cheeks. The ambulance arrived first, asking her questions about what had happened and what she had seen. Too afraid and maybe even a bit embarrassed about what had happened, Belle lied. She had managed to button up her shirt enough with the buttons Andrew hadn't torn off and was clutching the rest of it shut with her trembling hand as she explained her lie. She had decided to walk home because she was too tired to drive and had heard something from the alley, and then had found Andrew there. They seemed to believe her enough, so she was finally released as her taxi arrived. But not soon enough to avoid seeing the bloody mess that was once Andrew's face. Shock hit her like a wave and she went sheet white, stumbling back into one of the other EMT's - that wasn't a jerk - who caught her, keeping her steady.

"You sure you're okay, Belle?" he asked, knowing her name from working a few shifts with her at the hospital. Still white as ghost, Belle nodded, but allowed him to hold her steady as they loaded Andrew into the ambulance. "Is he... going to survive?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling at the idea that a man had done that to him. He deserved a beating for what he had done to her, but no one deserved that. The EMT just nodded at her and helped her over to the taxi so she could get home. The door shut once she was in and what felt like only moments later, she was at her front door. Without even thinking about it, she just handed over a twenty, slowly getting out of the car and making her way to her door. Once unlocked and inside, Belle bolted up every lock she had, a sob shaking her chest.

She cried like this for a while before she finally made it to her bed, the events of the night and her own exhaustion weighing heavily on her. How could someone who was doing so much good for her city be so exceptionally violent? How could someone that she had worked with for years have tried to rape her? And how could she have let him get away with it? Maybe she felt like he had been punished enough, or maybe it was for personal reasons that she didn't tell the responders her predicament, but it was weighing on her heavily. Not only had she not turned in Andrew for what he had done, but she hadn't exposed the bloody truth about the vigilante that people looked up to. How would they feel if they knew just how brutal he was? Just how far he took his own vendetta for carrying out the law, in his own very illegal way. If a cop ever acted the way he did, they would be scorned. So why were people so willing to let the vigilante act the way he did? She had been. Maybe it was because they'd never witnessed the violence first hand, or maybe, like her, they just wanted to feel safer on the streets of their own city. Of their home.

Belle finally drifted off later that night, but her sleep didn't last long. She was woken up only hours into her slumber when she jolted up in bed, a cold sweat covering her body and a scream escaping her lips. She was reliving the experience over again in her head, but the vigilante had been coming towards her this time. She realized that she had a new fear of being on his bad side. Sighing heavily and pushing herself out of bed, she decided that sleep wasn't really an option. Instead, seeing as she had a few hours before she had to be at Vince's, she opted to work out the stress that was built up inside of her. She wasn't going to go for a run however, the fear all too real and present. She worked out vigorously for about two hours, pushing her body past it's breaking point in an attempt to push the scene from her mind, finally giving up when she felt she literally couldn't do anymore. Maybe this was why Vince pushed himself the way he did, as a form of relief. Once she was finished, she got a shower and got dressed, not bothering with breakfast despite how badly her stomach ached for food, and called up a taxi to take her back to her car.

The taxi arrived quickly and Belle hopped in, remaining silent the whole drive to the hospital. She paid the driver what she owed him from what the vigilante had shoved in her hands the night before, then walked over to her car, hopping in. She didn't care if she was tired or not, she wasn't walking anywhere ever again. It didn't take her long to get to Vince's house and as she pulled into the driveway, she shut the car door behind her, forcing a smile onto her face. She had absolutely no intention of telling Vince or Damian what had happened last night. She hadn't even told the police the truth. She was keeping this to herself.

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[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

While shock had knocked him out when he got home, it didn't keep him asleep. He woke up a few hours later in a cold sweat and in a panic that just stayed with him like a bad hangover. The night he had been nearly killed just kept playing in his head over and over again. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it. The disgusting chaos of it brought raw anger and terror forth in his mind. It made him so worked up that he was throwing up every time he swallowed anything. He couldn't even manage to smoke without throwing up again just from the taste of it.

He tried to leave his room to get some air, but he found out shortly after that he had been locked in like some caged animal. He constantly fought against the door, screaming for Damian to let him out, but the butler remained on firm guard. Though the sound of Vincent's knuckles on the solid oak door made his own stomach churn, he knew he couldn't let him out until he calmed down to rational thinking.

Vincent's own physical injuries stopped him first as he had collapsed just inside the room with his head against the door. He sobbed as his hands shook, smashed open and bleeding badly. They had already begun to darken with bruising and started swelling worse than they had been when he had gotten home. After his hands wouldn't close anymore, he ended up trying to open the door with his elbows, but it still stood solid. He still couldn't get out. He was too tired to stand and he was too hurt to keep fighting. So, he knelt on the floor and fell asleep with Gypsy curled up against him.

At around eight in the morning, Damian finally came to check on his master as he had been quiet for a while. He found the man still passed out on the floor with Gypsy curled up in his arms. Usually the little dog would jump right up to great the butler, but she stayed with Vincent.

"Master Hughes, Belle is going to be here within the hour, you need to get up," he told him, slowly pulling on his arm to raise him. Though it received a hiss, Vincent didn't fight. He held onto Damian and stood slowly yelping as he did. Still, he got the man back into his bed where he should have been. Shortly after, he retrieved a glass of cool water extra pain killers after seeing how much damage he'd done to himself. It took coaxing, but Vincent swallowed it all down. However, he was back on his feet to throw it up again in the bathroom. Damian let out a defeated sigh and left his master in the dark room to curl up in his blankets again.

He tried to call Gypsy out to feed her, but the puppy jumped up into bed instead and nuzzled herself between his arms. Damian let out a heavy sigh and left Vincent stroking the small dog's ears.

He headed down the stairs just in time to hear a car roll into the driveway. He quickly washed his hands free of Vincent's blood before meeting her at the door. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but the somber weight of the house still rested heavy on his shoulders. "Good morning, Miss O'Dear," he practically sighed as he nodded to her. Before she could ask about him, he quickly made up an excuse for his own exhaustion. "I'm sorry I'm not up to my normal chipper state. Vincent pushed himself too hard yesterday and has been sick all night. He hasn't gotten out of bed yet."

Though it was partially a lie and partially truth, Damian still felt horrible over it. With the condition his master was in last night, he felt like he was sending a lamb into the lion's den. Then again, Vincent seemed to have gotten over his homicidal urges and had moved into just being depressed again. At the look on Belle's face though, he had a feeling both were in the same mood.

"Would you like me to make you up any breakfast? I can make whatever you want if it'll help you cheer up a bit."

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

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Belle walked to the front door of the mansion with tired footsteps, fighting to keep the smile on her face. If it wasn't for the fact that Damian opened the door to greet her, she probably would've run right into it. Thankfully his voice snapped her out of her sleepy trance and she stopped just short of him, snapping her head up to look at him. "Oh, morning Damian." she said gently, her lips turning up in a slight smile as she brushed past him. Seeing that neither Vince or the easily excitable Gypsy were anywhere in sight, she turned back to Damian looking for an explanation. Thankfully one followed shortly, telling her that Vince had pushed himself far too much yesterday and was sick all night. Concern washed over her face and ran her hand through her hair like she always did when she was nervous or worried. It was a hard habit to break for her. "He just doesn't know how to relax." she said quietly, glancing upstairs then looking back to Damian.

The older man than asked her about breakfast, wondering if she wanted anything to eat. Despite the thought that popped in her mind to say no, her stomach disagreed, growling angrily at her. She couldn't help but smile slightly, though genuinely, at her stomach betraying her. She wasn't sure when she had last eaten.. maybe lunch yesterday? "Breakfast would be great if you don't mind Damian. I'll eat whatever though, thank you. I really appreciate it." she said quietly, grateful that he was trying to help her out. She was very well aware of how exhausted and distressed she looked, but he looked just as bad. "I think I'll go check on Vince though, unless you want help with breakfast?" she said, only to be turned down as Damian shooed her off. She shouldn't have expected anything different.

She nodded and thanked him, then turned on her heels and climbed the staircase to get to Vince's room. Pushing the door open gently, she stepped inside, her eyes falling on the broken and bloodied man in front of her. "Vince.." she breathed out, finding her way to his bedside quickly. She pulled up her chair beside his bed and hovered over him slightly, her face washed with concern. Her eyes scanned over all the damage he had done to himself, wondering why exactly this had happened. "What happened to you?" she mumbled, absently brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead.

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[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

Damian nodded at her request for breakfast, smiling gently as her stomach protested not having food in it. He was about to leave when she asked if he wanted help. Immediately he tisked her then shooed her off like a nosy child. He watched her walk up the stairs for a moment before he turned to making a rather big breakfast in hopes that some gold old fashioned, American classic breakfast would bring Vincent's appetite back around. Then again, if the poor man couldn't keep down water, he had no idea how bacon was going to stay down.

The damaged man in question was still in bed, his back turned to anyone who came in. He kept his eyes on Gypsy as she watched him back, gently wagging her fluffy tail against his damaged body. When the door opened though, both of them looked up, but she was the only one able to get up. The white dog gently sat up in Vincent's grasp and wagged her tail eagerly to Belle. Still, she didn't leave his reach, seeming to stand guard over the man though she was far smaller than him.

Vincent laid continued to lay on his undamaged side though before he looked over his shoulder when she started fretting over him, asking what happened. He winced at the question, but managed to relax a little more with her gentle touch. Somehow, even in all the chaos, she still could work some unexplainable magic and soothe him.

"I was boxing yesterday... I got mad so I took off my gloves to feel it more and tore up my hands," he quietly lied. He slowly shifted onto his back, hissing as he did. Still, he fought to sit up all the way, relying on his forearms more as his hands were cracked open and caked in his own dried blood - and some of Andrew's still. "I ended up sick afterword and haven't been able to swallow anything. I haven't even been able to smoke without getting sick. I stand up and the world spins and I can't breathe... I don't know what happened. I blacked out and woke up in here after I took my gloves off."

He still wasn't speaking above a whisper as he half lied to her. While it wasn't true entirely as to how his hands had been so damaged, but he really didn't remember all of the previous night. A lot of it came in wild flashes that he didn't remember very well. There was Belle being attacked, Andrew's knee being snapped, Vincent drawing his baton; then there was a massive gap. After that there were just flashes of violence, of rage, fear. Then just searing pain. Pain was how he woke up and the reason he couldn't keep anything down. If he had been able to not throw up the pain killers, maybe he wouldn't be so depressive at the moment, but his body hurt in ways that rivaled being beaten himself. At least then he'd been able to take pain killers.

"Why do you look so rough?" he asked her, quietly as he laid back down from being too dizzy to even stay upright.

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

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Belle had noticed Gypsy's excitement when she entered Vince's room, but her only concern right now was the state that her friend was in. He looked like he had taking a beating and as her eyes scanned over his injuries she flashed back to the night before. She shuddered involuntarily, knowing very well that couldn't have been him, though the gashes that decorated his fists looked all too similar. She snapped out of it when Vince spoke, starting to tell her his story. He explained that he had been boxing, that he tore up his hands solely from that alone, out of anger. Anger. The previous night flashed in her mind again and she brought her hand through her hair again, willing the memories away. What happened last night had nothing at all to do with Vince. She had to focus on the here and now and helping him get better, since apparently he was so sick with pain that he couldn't even keep food down. Doing that was more difficult than it ever had been before though, exhaustion, hunger, and raw fear weighing on her heavier than she knew how to handle. How to compartmentalize.

There was a moment between Vince finishing his explanation and his next question where Belle was sure that she looked completely and utterly lost. She kind of stared off into space, her focus lost to her no matter how much she tried to regain it. His question brought her back to reality however and she redirected her attention to him. A flash of pure fear fell across her gaze for only a moment before it was gone again. Chewing her lip, she allowed herself a yawn, tugging her fingers through her hair for what had to be the thousandth time already that day. "Nothing. I'm just tired and hungry, that's all." she breathed out, forcing her lips to turn up at the corners in a smile. She knew he wasn't going to believe her because unfortunately at this point, he knew her better than that, so she immediately tried to change the subject instead. She just didn't want to tell him about what had happened last night. About what she had seen the vigilante do and how it scared her to see such violence from someone who was supposed to be serving justice, not fighting with a bloodthirsty edge. About her co-worker who's hands she could still feel grabbing at her bare skin, who's lips seemed to leave an imprint on her's in the most terrible of ways. She didn't want him to know. She didn't want anyone to know.

"Um, ok. Obviously you're hands are going to need a lot of work, stitches, bandaging, the works. What about your ribs, Vince? I can tell they're bothering you. Can I take a look?" she asked, her voice quiet as her eyes traveled down his body. Normally she'd just go ahead and check without asking, but this seemed different, and he hadn't mentioned a thing about his ribs being hurt. "And as far as not being able to get anything down, I should set up an IV and add some painkillers so they can get into your system without you having to swallow anything. It'll help." she added gently, almost as an after thought. She felt like she wasn't doing her job to the bet of her ability, missing little things like the IV that she should've already had started. With this in mind, she stood to get her medical kit, bringing it back over to her chair by his bedside. She rummaged through it and started pulling out what she would need, setting up the IV beside him but not quite sticking him with the needle yet.

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[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

Vincent watched Belle closely as he tried to pry from her what was bothering her so much. While he knew that she would be bothered that someone tried to force themselves on her, he had no idea the level of brutality he had expressed. As he had been a gang enforcer in his earlier life, that wasn't overly startling to see him do. Usually he only got that rough against scum bags who he felt deserved to never walk properly again. Andrew deserved all of what he had.

He noticed the fear jump across her face and it made anger jump onto his. While he knew Andrew was laid up in the hospital - and would be for a while - he had the rising desire to beat him down again all over. Every time that man got out of the hospital, he wanted to make sure that his scars never healed.

Just as she had been distracted, he was caught off guard when she replied. He blinked a few times then nodded, letting out a heavy sigh despite it making his ribs hurt. He grabbed at them and hissed, prompting a whimper from Gypsy. He reached to the dog's soft head and scratched her with his thumb the best he could as his hand barely would move. He relaxed a little more as she laid back down next to him and he let out a slow breath of air, calming down again.

He opened his eyes up at her, confused when she asked about his ribs. "What about them?" But as soon as he asked, they started throbbing as if on command. He growled agitatedly and grabbed onto them again, putting pressure against them though it did little more than to temporarily sooth the pain. When she asked about an IV, he shook his head. "I don't want it. I did this, I need to deal with it. It's not worth it to treat self inflicted wounds," he argued as he started trying to sit up again, hissing as he moved, but managing it none the less.

He thought for a second about it and shook his head at himself, hanging it. Was he so blinded by his own anger that he was going to risk being taken out of the field again because of his injuries? He already knew he was going to have to face Damian and argue for his right to go back out, but he couldn't do that if he was too busy throwing up everywhere. "Can it wait until after my hands are taken care of? I can't hold them still very well and I don't exactly want a needle in my arm while I'm fighting to keep it still," he muttered much quieter, still looking at the ground as he held his hands against his body.

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

……………………………………………………………………

Belle was surprised when Vince simply let it drop, but was grateful as well. Though Vince was probably the person that she was closest to in her life, she didn't want him knowing this. She noticed the flash of anger that came over him when her eyes met his, only lingering for a brief moment. She wondered why that anger was there, why he had been so angry that he beat himself so badly because of anger in the first place. She frowned slightly as she moved around to get the IV ready, catching Vince's movements out of the corner of her eye. He was obviously in a lot of pain over his ribs, though he didn't seem to want to admit it. And then he was telling her that he didn't want the IV. That it wasn't worth it because he self inflicted his wounds.

Stopping in her tracks, Belle froze for a moment and turned to look at Vince, raising an eyebrow at him. She shot him a look that she was pretty sure only she was capable of, a hand resting on her hips. Just as she was about to scold him for being stupid about this, he hung his head, changing his mind. Grinning slightly, she nodded to him, leaving the IV be for now. The IV was ready as soon as she was done with his hands. "Yea, we can do that." she said gently. She walked to the bathroom first, wetting a rag so she could wipe the dried blood from his hands. She then made her way back into the room, situating herself beside Vince on the bed and pulling what she needed from her kit. Taking her hand gently in his, she started gingerly wiping away the blood, a frown still sitting across her lips. As she cleaned him off, she couldn't help herself, and had to ask. "Why were you so angry? What made you do this to yourself?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper as she focused on his hand and not his eyes.

As she waited for his response, she finished cleaning off his hands. Dropping the rag down on the floor to pick up later, she examined over the cuts that decorated his hands. Some were deeper and would require some stitching, others would be fine if they were just wrapped. She moved on to the antiseptic wipes, cleaning out his wounds and hoping it wasn't stinging too much.

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[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

Vincent slowly gave her his hand when she finally sat down in front of him. His left hand was far worse than his right as he was a southpaw, but it didn't mean his right hand wasn't in serious pain too. He hissed as she drag the wet cloth across rather deep cuts. In a few spots he wasn't sure if he was looking at bone or tendon - he mentally prayed it was neither. However, the more she cleaned the caked blood off, the worse they looked. He didn't realize how black and blue they were until all the dark red was gone. He started shaking more and sweating as he saw how bad they were. He started worrying that he broke a few knuckles from getting too intense then night before.

When he handed her his other hand, he flinched from her when she asked what he had gone off over. He slowly gave his hand back to her, staring at it as she cleaned it. He started rapidly bouncing his knee as he fought from yelling over just water in the cuts. Vincent tried to think of some lie that would warrant this kind of violence, but he couldn't think of a damn thing.

"You..." he muttered, almost too quietly to be heard.

He let out a painful yelp and swore loudly, invoking much heavier breathing the moment she touched him with the antiseptic wipes. He struggled to get his breathing back down, but it was so hard as she cleaned out the obviously infected wounds. He snarled and tried to ease his shaking, but it just kept going.

"I had a panic attack last night. I had a dream you were attacked and I couldn't do anything about it. When I woke up, I went off about it. I wanted to go see you, but Damian kept me here. So, I went off against my punching bag until I couldn't move," he finished, struggling to not speak through his clenched teeth. He let out a strained sigh as he forced himself to relax a bit more and look up at Belle for a second, curious as how she would take this idea, but he looked back at his hands before she could figure out if he was lying by his expression. "It's really easy for me to lose control when I'm worried over your well being. Damian is teaching me to contain it, but it still slips up. It's hard to retrain a reflex to be violent."

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

……………………………………………………………………

Belle knew that cleaning off his wounds was hurting him, especially when it came to the antiseptic wipes, but she had to do this. Otherwise they could become infected and ten times worse than they already were. When he muttered a reply that almost sounded like you to her question about what had him so enraged, she paused what she was doing for a moment, watching him carefully. What could she have possibly done to make him so angry? A new type of concern flooding her eyes, she bit her lip and looked down, focusing on getting his wounds cleaned up. They kept getting worse as she exposed more skin and removed the last bit of blood, the view before her sickening. She didn't even flinch when he cursed loudly at the feeling the antiseptic against his wounds, used to him being loud about being injured. She didn't like to hear him in pain, but unfortunately it was a sound that she had become accustomed to.

When he spoke up again, her eyes lifted to meet his as he tried to explain why she had been the cause of his anger. Hearing his reason why, she downcast her eyes again, a knot forming in her throat. How could it even be possible that he had that type of dream last night? Letting his hand go, she barely heard the rest of his words and she pulled herself up from the chair, her head swimming. She stood behind it and braced herself, her hands trembling against the wooden back of the chair as she refused to look at him. A whimper escaped her lips as the tears began to fall and she turned her back, not wanting to look at him. She was just so exhausted and so scared that she couldn't hold it in anymore. Not when his simple words about a dream brought it all cascading back into her memory. It was like it was happening all over again.

"I was attacked last night." she whimpered out loud, her back still turned to him as she wrapped her arms around her body instinctively. She didn't know what else to say, nor could she make anymore words come out and her body shook with a sob. Tears streaming down her face now, she reached back to grab the chair behind her to support herself, though she refused to face Vince. She wasn't sure why she didn't want to look at him. Maybe because he had just told her that he lost control when it came to matters that involved her. Maybe it was because she didn't want him to know that another man had touched her the way he had without her permission. Or maybe it was because she simply didn't want to relive the violence that seemed to be engrained in her memory. Whatever the reason, she let her body shake with tears, but didn't allow him to see them.

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[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

He watched her stand up and felt like she was fleeing him. He grew worried she put two and two together and had realized what he had done. "Belle," he began, planning to defend his opinion, but she instead told him something he already knew. He bit his lip as she seemed to suddenly crash over the whole issue. He felt guilt fill him as he knew what had happened to her. Never had he experienced such a thing, but he understood it well enough. So, instead of trying to sympathize, he stood up.

He crossed the few steps over to her slowly, but he made the last few steps quickly once he could balance on the chair. When she was in arms reach, he wrapped a single arm around her, pulling her in close to his damaged body. He gently stroked her back with his finger knuckles. "It's okay, Belle. It's not happening anymore, alright? It's done and over with. No one is going to get you here, I promise. Is there anything I can do for you though? I know I'm a mess too, but that doesn't mean I can't try my hardest to make it at least a little better," he assured her.

He gave her a quick squeeze then relaxed it a little bit as he still continued to stroke her back. "Why don't you just stay here today? Call off work and let us take care of you for once. I don't have much for a spa day for you, but I can get some or take you," he said with a light chuckle, trying to be light hearted. Though he was the one trying to cheer her up, he didn't feel any better personally. That frustration just remained in his gut as he remembered the man who had caused his closest friend to be crying in his room. "In all seriousness though, Belle, I'm here for you. Truly. I would walk through fire for you if it would help. Just say the word."

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

……………………………………………………………………

No matter what her original reasoning was for fleeing Vince's comfort, she immediately wished she hadn't. She remained with her back to him though, trying to reign in the tears that poured down her cheeks. She hadn't wanted to tell him or break down in front of him like this, but there was no going back at this point. Soon enough his arm wrapped around her, pulling her in close to him. Knowing how hurt he was, she refused to lean up against him too closely, but took comfort in his fingers trailing across her back and the feeling of being so close to him. His mere presence was really enough to make her feel safe, but being wrapped in his arms only made her feel even better. She was sure that if it had been anyone else who tried to hold her, she would've flinched or pulled away, but Vince always meant safety to her. She had no desire to leave his arms. She was still crying however, her body shaking gently as she rested her head against his chest. She wanted the tears to stop.

He was talking to her now, reassuring her that it was okay and that it was over. That no one would get her here. And then he was asking what he could do to help. She shook her head gently against his chest, her tears slowed but still there. There wasn't really anything he could do to make this feeling go away. And yea, it might be over, but it could happen again and she couldn't get it out of her mind. Not a single part of it. He then moved on to suggesting that she took off work today and stayed here. That he would walk through fire for her if she just said the word. She tilted her head up to look at him then, her tear filled blue eyes searching his intense green ones.

"Thank you." she said quietly, her lip quivering as she tried to find her words. "It was terrible, Vince." she muttered, moving her head back down to rest against his chest so that he couldn't see the pain in her eyes. Part of her wanted to tell him what had happened, but she didn't want him to know that someone had touched her the way Andrew had. "I just can't get it out of my head. It was terrifying and then violent and just.. just.." she whimpered, stifled by a sob that escaped her. She hadn't really responded to anything he suggested, too distracted by the vivid memory that played back in her head.

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[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

He looked down at her when she leaned back to look at him. He saw her tear filled eyes and felt his body instantly felt far more painful. When she placed her head back against his chest, he let out a sigh and shook his head, unsure what to do to make her feel better. Hearing how the violence had disturbed her as well though, he let out a drawn out sigh. Now that he knew how rough he had gotten was haunting her, he felt like breaking his hand.

Desperately he just felt the urge to take her. To cover her in his own kisses, to chase away the haunting residue that Andrew left on her. He wanted to show her what it felt like to have someone mutually loved please her. He wanted to hear her moan his name as he rid her mind of the other. In the end, he wanted her curled up in his arms, safe, and the real world miles away. Her steady heart beat pulsing beneath her breast as she pressed her skin against his, fear entirely gone from it.

But he knew that would never happen nor would he ask it of her. As Vincent understood the terror that nearly being raped instilled - and then seeing someone almost be beaten to death on top of it - she needed many things, but feeling exposed was not it.

"I understand, there was a lot of gang related things I wish I could get out of my head. I was a wreck afterwards. I had my ways of fighting it, none of it was good. Mom tried to get me the help I needed, but I never went as I was too concerned about her running out of cash. Therefore, I was left messed up in more than one way... Probably still am," he said quietly. He then let out a defeated sigh and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck a bit. "I have no idea how that is suppose to feel better, maybe to explain that I understand? I'm not sure at all. Fear is not something I'm god at consoling because I don't understand how to control my own."

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

……………………………………………………………………

Belle wasn't sure what she expected Vince to say in reaction to the pain she was feeling, but she could only be glad to have him there regardless. She didn't know how she had originally planned on holding this burden on her own, but she was glad that she didn't have to. Shouldering an experience like this was hard to do on your own. Belle calmed herself enough to stop shaking from her tears, taking deep breaths in and out. Even something about Vincent's scent was calming and she wondered if it was just because she cared for him so much that she felt this way or if this was something that other people had felt around him. It made jealousy flair in the back of her mind for a moment, but it was quickly pushed away when he started talking again, reminding her of the problem at hand.

She listened calmly as he spoke, his heart beating against his chest and pounding into her ear as he spoke. She liked the sound though and focused on the rhythm of his heartbeat and his words, closing her eyes in an attempt to remain calm. She didn't want to start crying again and was feeling better just by focusing on Vince's words and heartbeat than the feeling that Andrew had left across her skin and lips. Her breath caught in her throat when he nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck, not because she didn't like it but because this was a different type of closeness. They'd hugged before, but his face nuzzled so closely to her neck made her heart beat pick up, forgetting about her problems for a moment. She responded by nuzzling her head against his, her hands tentatively and gently wrapping around his waist.

She stood still like this for several minutes, not immediately responding to what he said, but taking in the feeling of their closeness and the warmth that radiated between them. She finally turned her eyes to look at him straight on, their faces in such close proximity that it made a faint blush appear across her cheeks. Part of her desperately wanted him to kiss her right then and there, to take away the feeling of Andrew's lips that haunted her, but she wasn't sure if that was right. If that was the right way to erase the haunting feeling of his touch.

It didn't stop her from wanting it though as her light blue eyes met his deep green ones and she sighed gently, trying to push the idea from her mind. She didn't think that it would happen anyway, they were just friends and she did work for him. "I don't think there's really any one way to help someone get over fear. I'll be okay in time Vince, but thank you for listening. It's only been one night and it was already hard enough to shoulder that burden myself." she said quietly, her body no longer trembling and the tears slowing immensely. She only had a few that trickled down her cheeks now and she seemed much more at ease here in his arms.

She bit her lip slightly then, his offer from the day before floating in her mind. Though it had seemed like a good idea then, it seemed even better now. She wanted to feel safe and after her experience last night, she didn't know how to do that home alone. "Is that offer to move in still on the table?" she asked gently, glancing away from him for a moment before she made eye contact again. She didn't want him to see how afraid she was to be on her own right now, nor did she want him to think that the fear was the only reason she was accepting his offer. It was simply the reason that had pushed her over the edge to make her decision so quickly.

……………………………………………………………………

 

[Unbreakable Justice]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAll the broken pieces left unglued
xxx → Should never find their way
xxxxxxx into the hands of x( x s o m e o n e x )x like you !

Vincent nodded to her when she thanked him. He gave her a soft smile and gently brushed her years away with his thumb, his hand still loosely clenched from the damage inflicted on it. He pushed a few strands out of the way as he did, meeting them back up as they usually did. When she asked about moving in though, he stopped. It took him a few seconds to reprocess exactly as to what she was asking of him. Though it had been a little over twenty four hours ago, he had almost already forgotten about it.

He blinked at her a few times over what she said then when it clicked he nodded to her. "Absolutely. Just say when you need and when. I can get everything taken care of when you want. I just don't know how much help I'll be," he told her, talking about his hands. "Let Damian get some food in you first though. I can smell it cooking from up here so he should be done soon."

He gave her a sweet smile then stepped back slightly, almost falling onto the bed as his body was proving too tired to stay upright for long. He rubbed his ribs with his knuckle fingers then let out a huff of air. It didn't feel very good to even breathe at this point, so he just wanted to go back to bed, but unfortunately he couldn't because if he didn't get his hands bandaged up first, he would only continue to get worse and worse. "I'm really hoping that I can eat though because I can smell bacon and I desperately want some."

「 I'M IN THE DARK... 」xxxxxxxxxx

 

[VVanderIust]

ＳＡＲＡＢＥＬＬＥ ＦＡＹ Ｏ' ＤＥＡＲ

……………………………………………………………………

Belle's eyes followed Vince's movements as he brushed the tears from her cheeks, his thumb carefully brushing the sadness from her face. His rough hands felt gentle as they brushed strands of hair away from her eyes, but at her mention of moving in, it stopped. Belle watched Vincent's facial expression change as she asked him about moving in, wondering if it had slipped his mind. She began to get slightly nervous as she awaited his response, wondering if he had changed his mind or had just said it in the moment to make her feel better, but hadn't really meant it. He was just blinking at her and looking like he didn't know what to say for what had to only be a few moments, but felt like hours.

When he finally spoke up, Belle released a short breath of air that she had been holding in, smiling gently at Vince. She nodded at him, smiling at the mention of food as she suddenly remembered just how hungry she was. Her stomach growled loudly in agreement and she smiled sheepishly, laughing a bit at herself. "Thanks, I appreciate it more than you know. And yea, food is probably a good idea." she said, letting him step away from her and fall back into his bed. She had almost forgotten in her moment of remembrance from the night before exactly how hurt he was and she fell into her chair in front of him shortly after, her eyes scanning over his hands again. She wiped the remaining tears from her face and composed herself, showing only concern for him now.

"Let's finish with your hands and get that IV set up before Damian comes up here. It won't take long and the IV might help you be able to eat because it'll get fluids into your system." she said gently, moving back over to sit beside him on the bed. She had finished cleaning off his hands before her little breakdown, so she reached for what she would need from her medical kit for the next step. Instructing Vince on what he needed to do and how much it would hurt like usual, Belle worked on giving him a few small stitches and then bandaging up the rest of his hands so that they would heal effectively.

Once she was finished with this, she returned to the IV she had set up earlier, waiting for him to get in a comfortable position so she could give him the IV in a spot where it wouldn't get in his way while moving or eating. This didn't take long to do and soon enough he was getting the fluids that he needed, as well as some painkillers, and he was all bandaged up and ready to go. "And we'll take a look at those ribs after we eat." she said with a grin, leaning back in her chair as she looked over at him. She had a feeling that he didn't want her to know how badly he was hurt for some reason, but she she could just from him holding her and the way he had positioned himself that his ribs were in bad shape.

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