BTE (69) — Die For Me II (Patreon)

A/N: Sorry for the delays, guys. I'll try to get the next one out faster. I'll revise this chapter tomorrow since I'm dead tired right now. 

Yuhee felt cold. She should have been sleeping comfortably on an expensive memory foam mattress among linen pillows and all the luxuries she could easily afford—like champagne by the bedside, the most scandalous sleepwear, and Leandro by her side. He could be feeding her chocolate, or maybe she could be feeding him whipped cream and strawberries with her body as a tray.

Instead, she lay stiffly on something she could not describe with the adjective comfy or lux, even if she put a gun to her head. She was in a tent, on a hard, stiff surface that smelled suspiciously like damp and mud, and not linen. That was not taking into account that she was sweaty, unwashed, and her clothes barely retained a semblance of the extravagant fragrance wore.

She supposed she should thank Commander Kim for the fact that at least there was a mattress and a blanket, instead of the hard ground she spotted in others' tents as she got herself led away.

Everyone else was asleep, or maybe they pretended to be. She still envied them for being able to stay still, so peacefully, for so long. She could hardly keep her eyes closed despite the drowsiness and the day's fatigue weighing her body down like the heaviest concrete.

Maybe that's why she decided to toss the flimsy covers aside and get up. It was definitely not because she had seen Leandro's silhouette walk out. Seriously, that man never slept. She should check his teeth for suspiciously long and sharp canines. Maybe he was a vampire.

Her steps were so quiet she doubted they made any sounds. Then again, she had kicked off her heels. Outside, troops of soldiers took turns sleeping and gearing up for potential threats. Some would come back wounded, and many were on standby in case some Galvathians launched an all-out assault and tried to seize their supplies and their vantage points.

That was what a fight looked like, not what Leandro dished out with a casual swing of his sword.

As for the man himself, he walked right where the moon shone the brightest. At least, it tried to. The treacherous, thundering skies hardly allowed the beautiful satellite to fully reveal itself, but a hard-working shaft of moonlight somehow penetrated through the vortex, falling upon him like spotlights.

Leandro turned around, not surprised at the sight of her sneaking around like a shadow. "Not used to a hard life?" 

Ah, that bastard already knew of her problems.

“It’s stuffy inside.”

He nodded, seemingly content with her excuse.

“It beats the inside of one of those things though, doesn’t it?” Leandro pointed at one of those flying creatures she had yet to figure out a name for. 

“I don’t know. Doesn’t matter.” Yuhee crossed her arms, looking away. “What matters is whether you’re with me or not.”

Leandro was turning around to look at the moon when his eyes landed back on Yuhee, her arms crossed loosely over her chest, pushing against her well-defined bosom, and her slim waist.

He recognized a seduction when he saw one, and while she had worn pretty much the most seductive clothes around him, Yuhee had a sense of insecurity—a need to have him actually come to her. Like she could only truly feel attractive and loved, if he took the initiative.

She probably knew she didn't need that.

"Haven't I always been with you?" He replied.

Yuhee laughed, breathless, beautiful in the dim lighting provided by torches and the moon above. “You've been kind of cold recently."

Leandro raised an eyebrow, as if he were really contemplating his actions. "Have I?"

"Aren't you concerned with my feelings, Leandro? Don't I need any attention?" Her voice went from slightly needy to bolder. Yuhee had been restraining herself when they were in front of other people, but there was nobody but them to look at and they were far from earshots of campfire chattering, or anything else. "It hasn't even been three days and I'm practically neglected already!"

There was skepticism in his eyes. “I’ve made sure you were protected and well looked after, is that what neglected means in your book?”

She snorted, haughtily. “Don’t play dumb. You know what I’m talking about, Leandro. Haven’t you forgiven me yet? Isn’t it time for us to make up and bury the hatchet or something? Or do you get off on the feeling of watching me clinging onto you so desperately?” 

Her brows were wrinkled in frustration. 

“There is nothing to forgive or bury, Noona. Our relationship has always been like this, didn't it? It just hasn’t happened in this new setting yet, so you just jumped the gun a bit and went around making assumptions—based on what? Do your feelings count more than someone else's?"

Yuhee stopped short, stunned for a second by Leandro's calm reaction, and then indignant about what he had said next.

She had come here not to bicker. But was she expecting him to simply apologize, get down on his knee and declare his endless love for her?

Yuhee crossed her arms and looked away. Leandro could already see imaginary foxy tails swishing behind her. “It’s not fair…”

“What isn’t?”

“The thought of me with someone else pisses you off, but here I am forced to watch you hang around those women, as if I can’t fucking see how much they want to jump on you. Even Bada, that stupid traitor.” Her cute face was all scrunched up, but she still smiled. “You’re a greedy bastard, aren’t you?”

Leandro nodded, seeing the truth in her words. “I am…”

Yuhee was momentarily surprised. 

“You’re a greedy bitch as well, that’s why we hit it off so unpredictably well, despite it all.” Leandro continued with a smile that perfectly mirrored hers. “The difference is that I’d rather cut off my hand than use it to harm you. You, on the other hand, might think nothing of tossing me away when you see something shiny and new to toy with. Though, maybe your priorities changed and you found out you weren’t as immune to damage as you imagined. Did you fall for me, Noona?"

She twitched, blushing. It was easier to look away than to peer into Leandro’s knowing eyes. He made her feel so damn self-conscious. Damn it!

With gritted teeth, she pushed forward, walking up to him to jab a finger into his chest. There was no reaction, only a tilt of his head. “You like talking so big, you pretentious little shit. Maybe it’s you who’s fallen for me, hmm?” 

“Maybe.” He shrugged; she was taken aback. “Though, for every right thing you do, you do a hundred wrong ones. But I still like you. If nothing else, you did get me invested enough not to look the other way when it comes to you.”

She clicked her tongue. “What does that even mean?!”

As if she’d be satisfied with him merely ‘liking’ her. It was not fair—if she was down bad for him, he had to be way more down for her. She narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head and crossing her arms. 

Even as sweaty and roughed up as she was, Yuhee’s beauty remained undiminished. If anything, that state had its own charm and appeal. Leandro moved forward, his thumb quietly wiping at a smudge under her right eye. “Go to sleep, Noona. You need as much rest as you can. Tomorrow isn't going to be easy. You won't like it either way."

"Fine, but you're coming with me."

She tried to seize his hand, but he smoothly moved away. "I'll stand guard. We don't know what might happen if we're caught unprepared."

Yuhee scowled. "Idiot, you haven't rested properly yet!"

"I'd rather lose sleep than any of you. It's a worthwhile trade if you ask me."

He chuckled airily.

That damned fool. Yuhee pursed her lips into a pout, only to relent the next second as she heaved a drawn out sigh. She wasn’t going to waste her efforts trying to pester the man if he had the mindset of being some sort of modern guardian angel for the next twenty hours or so, and a lot of them needed to rest after today.

She stalked away, steaming in frustration. 

Still…

She looked back, watching his lone figure under the moonlight, and silently berated herself for not being more stubborn. But his tone was so placid and calm, she just... couldn't, really. Damn it.

Her feet stopped moving as she heaved another sigh. 

With a graceful twirl, Yuhee turned around, crossed her arms, and tilted her head at him. She stood there for a couple of seconds, thinking. Oh, and she knew Leandro must’ve sensed her indecision, so she moved again, towards him.

This time though, instead of doing some random shit that Yuhee normally indulged in, such as slap him, pout, make a fuss, or have some banter, she merely stood by his side.

"You miss me already?" Leandro chuckled.

She narrowed her eyes, bumping her shoulder into him, which had the same effect as a chicken bumping into a mountain, but she didn’t particularly care. If anything, she enjoyed the way her firm and curvy body practically molded with his strong side.

"Shut up." Yuhee pressed against him, though not in that constricting way of hers. She didn't make any attempts to lure his attention with inappropriate touches.

This time, Yuhee simply just enjoyed being close, standing within touching distance.

“Fond of the moon?”

Yuhee couldn’t help but follow his line of sight. 

He hummed thoughtfully. “Yes. I’ve come to realize that, no matter how hard it gets, the moon always finds me.”

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "You sound like some pretentious ass with a poetic streak. Who knew you could be such a flowery romantic."

"I thought you liked that."

Yuhee fell silent.

"If this is an attempt at seduction, I'd say that you could do a looot better, Leandro." She huffed, bumping into him one more time. "Not that you need it. You speak too much sometimes."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." She said, breathily, as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Say it."

"What? No. I'm not going to feed your ego." She pursed her lips.

"Feed my curiosity."

"......" Yuhee stood by his side quietly, before breaking out into soft laughter. There was a short pause. "You're really stubborn about the weirdest shit, huh?"

He glanced at her with those stupid and sexy heavy-lidded eyes. "It's my most redeeming trait, if you ask me. Gives me an odd balance. What about you?"

"What about me?" She challenged, tilting her chin up.

"That was stupid of you, you know?" He gave her a knowing look.

Yuhee looked mildly offended. "What are you talking about?" She hit his arm, huffing

"You pointed a gun at someone who could have pulverized you with a flick of her fingers. It was incredibly stupid..." He trailed off. "And also very brave."

"That's right! Worship me more, Leandro. I deserve a reward, after all! You see the things I do for you~?" Her purple eyes lit up.

"Well, you knew I'd have saved you, so I'm not sure if it counts."

He paused to think.

She narrowed her eyes. "Hey! I'd have shot that bitch for real! Tch. She touched your body knowing perfectly well that it belongs to me, Yuhee!" She flipped her hair, smirking. "Also... thanks for ruining the mood, you fucking loser."

Leandro smiled slightly.

"You're welcome, you fucking bitch."

She smiled back.

Before they knew it, they sat down on the ground, leaning into a small tower of stacked boxes. A yawn tore through Yuhee's mouth. She smacked her lips, eyes blinking slowly and blearily. The air was breezy and chilly, but a small gust of Aura enveloped them like a shroud.

Yuhee looked at Leandro, bumped him, and mumbled begrudgingly. "Seriously... you still owe me a date. Bastard."

Her eyes fluttered shut.

"......"

…

It was hard to tell whether it was morning or not. The sky still cast a dark shadow over Seoul; if anything, the clouds had gotten thicker and smokier, like the tendrils of some black, abyssal octopus. 

The soldiers were fidgety, jumping at their own shadows. 

Leandro could feel an oppressive aura coming from the sky. ‘Just come down already, you lurking bastard.’ Seriously, the only positive note was that there were no hiccups throughout the night, and the older woman leaning and drooling on his shoulder could, more or less, get a peaceful sleep. 

With ease, he scooped her up and brought her back inside the tent. He lay her down on her original perch. Wouldn’t it be such a beautiful dream if he could finish them all off before any of the girls could wake up? 

He didn’t like the thought of them going to battle. In fact, he detested it, but he was aware that all it took was an overlooked variable, and a tragedy could happen. He’d have liked to raise their strength in a controlled and safe environment, but for now, they’d have to suffer a bit. 

Yuhee’s face looked peaceful. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing soft and even. He couldn’t help but stare for a bit. ‘She looks like a doll.’ Every inch of this woman was beautiful. From the tips of her disheveled hair, down to her curled, nylon-clad toes. 

For someone like her, who always radiated sex appeal and held an air of unavailability, Leandro figured he wanted to see this look on her face more often.

‘I hate how I simply can’t hate her. This is different. This feels real.’

Because it didn’t matter how hard he tried to blind himself to the emotional bonds he was developing, he could not push the growing awareness away. He was being burned again. 

He had the potential to actually cut down anyone and anything in his path, and yet Yuhee, someone so petty, conniving, and twisted, who did everything under the sun and moon that would push away anyone else, someone who threatened, taunted, and tempted his kindness—

...could not find herself slain.

He sighed, rubbing his face, before his ears picked up a faint sound. Footsteps. 

A set of arms gently wrapped around him. A head pushed into his back, and from the slight intake of air he heard, he knew the ambusher had deliberately inhaled his scent.

Leandro was slightly startled when the hands locked around him tightened. 

“Why are you looking at her like that, Oppa?”