Author's Note: Thank you to the seven people (theshadowcat, Belmont-Bellamy, anaticulapraecantrix geez, your name is a mouthful lol, princess moon shadow, Amber, Paige, Libertad23), out of 101 readers of Chapter 6, who took the time to leave some sort of comment! I really appreciate hearing a little shout out so I know people are actually reading it and not just clicking to the page and decide it's not worth it. Am I insecure? Perhaps, but really what's more of an issue is that I'm crying out for attention… hahaha! Just kidding (or am I:-P)

Chapter 7

Evey wiped her brow, preventing the drop of sweat making its way to her eye and stretched her sore back. It appeared that no one had come down to the dark tube station so hopefully no one saw the evidence of their life together down there. Currently she and V were cleaning up the last of his blood that lead to the Shadow Gallery's entrance. She couldn't believe just how much of it there seemed to be, it was dried and brown and she knew it looked less than when it had been fresh blood. How did V drag himself all the way back home, to her?

"And into what void are you looking so intently into?"

Evey visible snapped her eyes and shook her head at V's interruption, turning her head towards him and smiled, "Just thinking, nothing you need to worry about."

"Is that so?" he let that phrase linger in the air before straightening up before walking towards ground zero, along where they had scrubbed out his blood, with a brush sweep in his hands.

"Where are you going? We already cleaned it up!" Evey called after him down the tunnel, clearly confused.

"Exactly, now I must go and dust the area," came V's exuberant voice.

"What do you mean dust!" called back Evey's voice as she jogged up to him, quite worried now. She knew he liked to try to keep his surroundings fairly clean and orderly, but this was just too much!

"No need to worry my dear, you must be thinking that I must have finally lost my mind, or more so than usual in any case," he amended buoyantly, "But I assure you that I still am maintaining my usual facilities. This is no dusting as you are thinking of, rather I am to RE-dust the area so that it appears undisturbed by our recent activities."

"Oh thank God," Evey breathed, visibly relaxing beside him, "I wouldn't know what to do with you if you decided to go on a city wide cleaning spree."

"Hm," he grunted, playing the part of a wounded man at her comment he replied rather dryly, "Yes, what ever would you do?"

Evey gently elbowed him in the side, conscious that his many recently healed wounds may still sting. Although if his injuries had bothered him during their work he showed no signs that they did.

They sat in front of the telly in the darkened Shadow Gallery, V sagging back into the couch, legs stretched out in front, and Evey snuggled up and leaning into his side with his left arm draped across her back and curled in towards her stomach where her right hand met his, fingers interlaced. They had began the movie sitting up side by side, then at Evey's tentative but determined movements and signals they had evolved into their current comfortable and intimate position. V had almost held his breath thinking, "Is this really okay?"

He had allowed himself to be molded for her comfort and began to relax into it, finding the arrangement more than pleasing and agreeable. He could get used to this, her head resting against his chest, her shoulder under his.

The pictures on the telly flashed different colors and projected them against his white mask, brightening it then darkening to grays. But was it acceptable for him to get used to this innocent intimacy? There was no mistake, he did want this, yearned for it more than anyone, but he had his doubts. He had yet to truly reveal himself to Evey who, through her determined conviction, had let him know exactly how she felt about it all.

Evey shifted against him, rising up slightly before settling against him again, raising her left hand up from her right arm and resting it against his stomach, fingers lightly splayed. V glanced down at her, seeing only her buzzed head from this angle. He really wasn't watching the movie much anyway so lost in his thoughts and the feeling of this woman against him was he.

But for all those beautiful words that Evey had let fly out of her mouth, and he knew that to her in that time they were honest, he couldn't help but be distrustful of them. Like the fox in Aesop's Fables who had at first really wanted those grapes that were out of reach, he truly wanted to believe that Evey would accept his ruined visage, all of him, but feared that it would turn sour as soon as he relented and allowed her to see the man under the mask.

Evey moved again, V's attention immediately snapping to her, his head turning to watch as she sat up and looked up at him, his arm still wrapped around her.

"V? Are you all right?" concern quite evident in her voice and on her face.

"Yes, of course. I'm fine, why do you ask?" he replied, hoping that all trace of his dark thoughts were not apparent in his voice.

"You've been awfully quiet and haven't responded to my questions."

V stilled, he couldn't believe… but of course, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that it was more than possible that he didn't hear her.

"I'm very sorry. I did not mean to upset you, I was just lost in my thoughts," he told her quite honestly, squeezing her lightly to him.

"Anything you care to share with me?" she asked, her face mostly smoothed from worry.

"Nothing you need to trouble yourself with," he answered quietly.

"Good, because if you were dwelling on any doubts you have about me accepting you as you are you are going to get an earful from me," she stated matter of factly before settling back down against him. She felt him stiffen guiltily against her. A sad, but knowing, smile made its way to her mouth as she continued softly, "But you wouldn't be doing that because you know I love you and you wouldn't doubt me like that."

She tightened her fingers around his briefly and stroked his stomach gently for a moment. He looked down at her in remorseful wonder. No, he should never have doubted her and her love for him, but those were yet again words, the true test would be in action. But for a time he would put his belief in her. He looked at their joined hands at her side, his scar-thickened hand against her dainty ones. He convinced himself, he had to believe, needed to. He mumbled his words out, his answer and promise to her.

"No, I wouldn't."