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How could he act so casually about this situation! He was expecting me to take off my top, and yet not to be frightened! You can't have it both ways!

"I-...I..."

His finger touched against my lips softly, and after I felt that, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Words wouldn't come. This wasn't fair! Why...why was I so affected by that simple action? One simple touch of my lips and I'd completely frozen. What was happening to me? I didn't get it...then again, it felt like my mind and body had both stopped working at all right now. All because he'd just touched a finger against my lips to politely shut me up!

I felt my eyes widen, and I felt ridiculous. Why? Because I was sitting there shirtless, staring wide-eyed at Valentine with so may thoughts spinning around in my head:

What's going on!

He's...so...hot...

What do I do?

Say something, Elena! Wake up, girl! Do you have a crush on him or something! You're just staring! You look weird!

But...he's staring at me...too...

Me? Have a crush on Valentine? Don't make me laugh! But...I was right about one thing: those...bewitching crimson eyes were staring at me in a weird way, but it's hard to explain why it was so weird. His eyes were fixed on me, and it was making me uneasy...but all I could do was stare back and try to understand what I was feeling right then. Maybe I was trying to decide what he was feeling, too. Don't laugh, but I was sure I could sense a little hint of longing in those eyes. Maybe that was just my imagination. But if it was my imagination...Why would I imagine him looking at me longingly?

Before I even had a chance to answer my own question, his finger had moved from my lips, and his hands were now gently placed on my shoulders...slowly and gently sliding down my arms. I was a little confused...this wasn't what I imagined Valentine to be like at all! I always thought he was cold, silent, and someone who hated being touched...What had gotten into him? But...I'll admit one thing: it felt kind of nice... My body enjoyed the feeling of his hands touching it (even if it was just my arms) so much that I felt myself begin to shudder a little. However, my confusion was also there. Confusion always develops into fear in times like this, right? My shuddering turned into trembling as his touch moved slowly and gently down my arms. It was hurting my left arm, though. Because I was so confused by it all, (well...it had happened pretty suddenly, right?) the pain shooting through my left arm at his touch took longer than usual to register, and eventually I realised just how much it hurt at that moment. My arm involuntarily flinched, and his hands immediately stopped their movement. Part of me was glad that he had stopped...whereas the other part was a little disappointed.

"I...I'm sorry." I heard him mutter.

No! No, don't be sorry! Part of my mind was screaming, while the other part of me thought: Yeah! You should be! This argument in my mind made me counfused about how I felt. What should I say? For once, I didn't know. What could I have possibly said, anyway? Who knows? Well, not me...that's for sure. On he went, aiding me and so on. It only lasted a few minutes at most, but to be honest, it felt like hours of painful stings and soothing words from Valentine...Soon, I thought it had finally ended and he was gonna let me go...that is, 'til I saw the look on his face.He was looking me up and down with a look of worry. At first, I thought he'd found something really badly wrong with me, making me worry a little, too. Again, he soon proved me wrong...and again, he shocked me quite a bit.

After a nervous pause, I felt one strong, firm hand make contact with my bare side over the big graze that was still stinging. I tensed a little, my eyes widening in both shock and mild pleasure. (MILD pleasure, ok!) It was all I could do not to gasp as he slid that hand down my side towards my waist. To..my waist...why was he touching my waist? What did he want? Then it hit me. Where did that graze go? Past my WAIST down to my leg...it was a hint! What was I supposed to do now!

"I'm sorry...um..."

This had to be a joke. It just had to be..right? RIGHT? He wasn't actually expecting me to...to... no way! Ok, I had to be sure, though..

"You-...you're kidding, right? You've gotta be kidding!"

"I'm afraid not."

NO! No way! He was expecting me to get practically naked in front of him just so he could treat some scratch? I could do that myself, thanks!

"Why can't I just do this myself?" Yes, I was a little angry. Sure, he was only trying to help...but could he seem any more perverted about it! Besides: I was perfectly capable of doing this myself! I wasn't a child!

"Because I know that you won't...you'd lie and carry on with the wound...or at least try to. I imagine that injury you have there wouldn't allow you to get very far. You would be in no fit state to go and find your friends...and if that bastard found you again, you would be in no condition to fight back. So that is why if I tend to this now, all that you would need is rest rather than a hospital bed."

Hospital bed? No thanks! I'd wasted enough time already! I couldn't tell whether or not the 'go and find your friends' was sarcastic or not...since when did he believe that they were alive, anyways? Last I'd heard, he thought I was stupid for even thinking about that! Anyway...alive or not, I wasn't gonna give up. So...for now, (even though I didn't wanna admit it to him) Valentine was right...I guess...just this once, though..ok? So that was why I co-operated, keeping my eyes shut as I discarded the rest of my uniform. I felt so stupid...this was really embarrassing! Luckily I managed to keep my blush under control though, somehow.

"Thank you..."

Eh? Did he just thank me? Weird...I would've thought he'd want thanks from me, or something, but hey, whatever's good for him.

Well, here we go again. that horrible stinging, and stuff. I couldn't wait for it to end, as I could feel myself twitching, and I knew he could feel it too. I must've seemed so weak to him! A Turk who can't even manage a few stings..it's pathetic! It's humiliating!

Finally, it all ended and I felt the security of a tight bandage being wrapped around me and fastened. His touch was removed from me, and I felt my body both groan in disappointment and sigh in relief. Confusing really, isn't it? Anyway, even when his touch was taken away, I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. I was expecting something to come next, but I didn't know what, really. Though...there was a feeling right at the back of my mind...I couldn't help but feel like I was...being watched, you know? Maybe I was just a bit paranoid right then 'cause of my...um..'situation'. But what if someone was looking at me? What if it was..him?

After a few minutes, my suspiscions were confirmed in the most surprising way possible, I think. Again, I forced myself to supress a gasp as I felt it...I felt his fingers caressing my inner thigh. I hated it...and...

...loved it...

Why did I love it? Was I imagining that those torturous fingers belonged to Tseng?

Nope...I knew that it was Valentine who was doing it, so why did I enjoy it so much?

Whatever the answer to that question was, (and I was gonna find out someday even if it drove me insane!) I soon forgot it as I closed my eyes tighter, my teeth biting down on my bottom lip as the part of my mind that begged him to quit teasing me and move higher already drowned out the part that screamed at him to get his hands off me...

And then he stopped. He stopped to gently stroke my hair out of my face and announce in a mutter:"All done."

Nice one, Valentine...way to piss on my parade! Nice job(!)

When I'd opened my eyes, he was looking away as though he was scared to look at me. All of that...and he was acting scared? What about me? I'd just been touched after being made to take my uniform off...I was still able to look at him! Man...

Even so, I gazed at him for a little while longer, taking in the uneasy look on his face at that moment and examining the light blush on his pale cheeks. On his cheeks..so...why had my gaze travelled down to his chest? I...I...I couldn't look away...why couldn't I look away? Had I lost control, or something? What if he looked at me again and saw me staring at his chest like this..? What kind of weird excuse would I need for that?

"I assume that you...like what you see, then?" That rough voice spoke after a few minutes, and I froze, feeling my eyes widening. I'd been caught, just like I'd feared. Funnily enough, he didn't sound all that confused. In fact, he sounded more...amused. "I-...I...I was...-" I began trying to explain, but in times like this, words never really come to mind, do they? Well, I didn't even have to think up an excuse, because he placed his hand under my chin and lifted my head to look up at his face. My eyes were still wide, and stared up at his crimson ones, which gazed straight back into mine, sending shivers down my spine and through the rest of my body.

"Shhh..." he murmured in that un-naturally soothing way he had. A finger of his free hand was then placed against my lips again to silence me. "Don't speak, Elena...just for now...just allow me to cherish this much of you..."