Sweatshirt and Sweatpants

AUTHOR's POV
V continuously tossed and turned on his bed but the heaviness of his chest from the ear-shattering screams of the girl who was being abused next door never left. Nor did he do anything to fix it; he didn't go over to Justin's room and stop the torture from happening.

But no matter how long he shut his eyes tight, buried his face inside the pillow, and threw the blanket over his head, the black's mind could only recall one face,

Y/N's.

"No... I can't stay here and not check up on her," he whispered to himself and gave up to the urge his body had endured the entire night. With a grimace, V raised himself off the mattress, touched his feet on the carpeted floor then rushed over to the door and headed out towards her bedroom.

With an anxious mind, he scurried through the corridors until his eyes caught sight of the door to her bedroom. He inflated a sharp flare of air as he stood in front of it, curling a hand to a fist. Considering the way she screamed last night, he wondered if perhaps she needed time to herself. But worry about if she was okay overtook that wonder and so he raised the fist and carefully knocked on the door twice.

Impatient seconds of no response kept passing by and V couldn't help but knock again. The guilty pulse inside his heart wouldn't go away until he saw her.

"Mr. V?" A gentle female voice called out from behind and he instantly turned around. His eyes met Emma's and slight disappointment crept over to his face. He'd be lying if he said he didn't hope it was Y/N. He was so lost in her gaze that he couldn't differentiate between the voices.

"Are you okay?" Emma studied his face closely and wasn't late to notice the stress. "Yes, yes. I am. I was just... Looking for Y/N." He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked away.

Emma had been working for them for long enough to learn how different V was from the rest. If she had to trust Y/N with someone, she'd trust her with him. She saw the genuine care that floated in his eyes and smiled slightly. "She's still in Mr. Justin's room."

The black's face hardened at her response.

Acting out of impulse, V changed his direction and stomped his way to his mate's room with rage. Anger was rampant in his body as he walked, unfazed about Justin's cruelty. How come he didn't let her go yet? I should have gotten up earlier.

Taking one last turn to his right, V finally stood in front of Justin's room. He abruptly began knocking on the door with no second thought on what they could be doing. But no response.

Just murmured voices behind the closed door but not loud enough to distinguish that those voices were saying. He raised his hand to knock again, about to hit the door again when a subtle 'click' halted his fist midair.

The door unlocked.

V's held breath instantly released in relief to see who he'd been looking for at the door and his hand dropped back to his side. "Y/N...?" A soft whisper eased out of his lips, goosebumps lining down the back of his neck when his eyes fell on her.

He found himself staring deeply at her. Just a look into her eyes reveals the turbulent storm inside it, slowly degenerating the hope that he had seen them hold the last time. The tears welled up in her swollen eyes ran down her cheeks silently. No sound. No sob left her lips.

The light brown raised her hand and wiped her tears, her other hand gripping her clothes. She lowered her gaze to the ground and walked past him without any acknowledgement.

Pain surged through V's limbs, running up and down his spine at the wrecked sight of her that lingered in his eyes. Her hair was messy and tangled, her eyes red with tears, bruised shoulders, and her silence as she walked past him.

He shifted his gaze back to Justin who still laid on the bed, no sign of remorse, guilt or sympathy on his face. He smirked up at V with his arm behind his head, aware and unfazed about what was going through his friend's mind.

V couldn't stand the unfairness, but he was hell bound. He knew better than to start an argument with Justin. At the moment, Y/N's condition was the priority to him more than anything else. He tore his gaze from Justin and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him and resting his back on it.

Y/N was silent, and her silence wounded his heart. It was as if she didn't want to interact with him either. He would respect her choice, but he was distressed about her situation; he wanted to meet her in any possible way.

Her clothes, he thought.

Y/N hasn't been comfortable in any of the clothes given to her, at least that's what he noticed. V pushed himself off the door and went ahead for his closet, rummaging inside it for a comfortable pair of clothing that would allow her to breathe. It wasn't much, but what else could he possibly do for her now?

He grabbed a sweatshirt and sweatpants, having it as the only excuse to meet her again. And so, he hastened his way to her bedroom.

Two knocks on her door and the man was already anxious, tapping his foot on the ground, waiting for her to open the door for him. Leaning closer, he could subtly hear the muffled cries of her voice that ached his heart.

His hand abruptly grabbed the doorknob and pushed it wide open. Y/N gasped at the sudden entrance and sat up on the bed. "M-Mr. V?" She was about to stand up from the bed, but he stopped her. "Wait," he stepped inside, eyes connected to hers as he closed the door. "Don't. I'm coming." He mumbled and broke eye contact, taking slow steps towards her bed.

The woman shifted her gaze to the clothes neatly folded in his hands as he inched closer to her bed. He stopped his footsteps in front of her, clearing his throat. "May I... Sit down?" He requested in the quietest voice, eyes looking anywhere but at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, yes, of course," Y/N shuffled awkwardly towards the side.

V hesitantly sat down, exhaling a long sigh. "H-how can I help you, Mr. V...?" Y/N sniffed. He extended his hand to her, giving her the clothes he brought. "What is this?" She contemplated the fabrics in his grip. "A comfortable outfit for you, sweatshirt and sweatpants. I saw some of the clothes that were bought for you by the maids. They didn't seem to match your taste."

She felt lightheaded after all the crying, but as soon as she heard what he said, the exhaustion on her face slowly faded away. She lifted her gaze and peaked at him, an unfamiliar feeling sneaking into her heart as she studied his side profile.

Nibbling on her lower lip, Y/N took the material from him. "Thank you... So much, Mr. V... I promise I'll wash it and return it to you tomorrow..." She trailed off, falling short of what to tell him, shocked at the thoughtful gesture.

A deep chuckle escaped his lips at the words that left her mouth. He turned his head to her and glanced at her innocent eyes, his heart softening at her sight. "No need," he smiled, "This is a gift from me to you. You can keep it."

His eyes lingered on her as she looked back at the clothes on her lap, running her fingers over the soft material. Her lips stretched to a small smile, the innocence in her smile making his heart flutter. "But... Mr. V, if these belong to you, they must be very expensive."

"Expensive?" V raised an eyebrow. He placed his hand on the bed, putting his weight on it as he leaned closer to her face. "Y/N," he called, making her look into his eyes. "Clothes are just fabrics. But you... Invaluable."

She froze, her eyes widening with surprise as they stared at him. His words, the proximity, the clothes, everything was so surprising to her. She became speechless. V's smile widened at her expression, and he tried so hard but failed and burst into a light chuckle.

"Let everything slide and tell me one thing... Are you okay?" He questioned out of the blue, deepening her confusion. "W-What...?" He saw her frowning and a voice in his head told him not to repeat, but he had no control over his words. "Tell me, Y/N, how are you feeling?"

His words echoed in her ears, the memories of the previous night flooding her mind as the discomfort and disgust resurfaced on her features. They tugged at her heart, and she started to feel nauseous again. The frantic change in her demeanor didn't go unnoticed by the black, but he waited to see if she would respond to him.

With the unpleasant feeling lingering in the pit of her stomach, she looked up at him, letting a soft smile be graced on her lips. "I'm okay."

I'm not.

"I'm alright, Mr. V. Don't worry," she assured.

It was crystal clear in his sight that she was crushed inside. But he knew the stare that she gave; he knew that her guard was up because all the horrible things that happened to her in the last two days were burnt in the back of her mind.

So, just like Y/N did, V also decided it would be best to bury the talk.

-

The clash of the door being slammed echoed off the walls when V barged into Jimin's room. Jimin was on his balcony, leaning against the railing with ease. On catching a glimpse of the angry-looking man, he turned his slender body around, hooking his eyes with the black-haired guy.

"What makes you forget the rules we made, V? I didn't hear you knocking on the door," Jimin calmly said as he threw the cigarette that was between his fingers out in the open space. Hearing the calmness in his voice got into V's nerves, the picture of Y/N's tears resurfacing in his eyes.

"Is that what matters to you?" He rasped. "Do you not care about what's happening with Y/N?! " He lost control over his voice, speaking with the dark navy louder than he should. Jimin didn't seem the least bit impressed by his death glare, his tongue cloaking his plump lips, "Are you here to ruin my peace of mind, V?"

"Peace of mind? Listen," V scowled, his voice getting thicker as he stepped closer to his boss, "This girl came from a world that had nothing of this filthy shit. Just a few days ago, she didn't even know any of this existed! She is pure from head to toe, whereas our hands are full of vile blood that you're trying to smear over her."

Everything fell silent after the last word he spilled. His words caught Jimin's undivided attention, sinking inside him one after the other. Or so he thought.

The corner of Jimin's lips curved upwards haughtily, eyes peering at the guy opposite him. "What's with the considerate words, pal?" He mumbled, his voice toned down. V's intense stare altered, his jaw clenching. Jimin started taking steps forward, dangerously slow, his glare remaining sharp at V.

"Acting like an angel will not turn you into one," the dark navy mumbled, gently tilting his head. V gritted his teeth in anger, unpleasant memories of his past flashing in his mind. But it went away just as quickly as it came.

"Look, I'm not here to argue with you—"

"You can?" Jimin arched his eyebrow, his voice sickening.

V ignored the wicked question, bringing his attention back to the girl he just left a while ago. "Don't send Y/N to the next person tonight," he asserted.

A scoff left Jimin's lips, followed by a dark chuckle, "Funny. Choose then, my friend." He inched closer, leaving no more space between them. "I either send her to the next person, or drag her into my room every night," he smiled, wickedness floating all over his dashing features.

He leaned closer to the younger one, whispering in his ear. "Choose wisely, or else you won't get the opportunity to kiss and destroy every inch of her skin—" Jimin's words get cut off by V's hands flying to grab the collar of his shirt with rage.

Jimin's face darkened, not averting his eyes any bit. "V... Step back. Don't make me remind you of your place," he warned in a dangerously low voice. V gulped, slowly letting go of Jimin's collar as he was the first to look away.

"Don't do this, Jimin... Can you not see the state she is in?" V whispered, his eyes gravitating towards the floor. It was almost as if he was desperate about ending what she was going through, and Jimin heard the desperation in his voice.

"What state, V?" He questioned.

The black gaped at him, his voice getting stuck in his throat. He didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't have the words. "What state is she in? Tell me, V." Jimin repeated his words mockingly, knowing very well he wouldn't be able to respond.

He knew V couldn't say it.

He couldn't say she was raped.

"That's what I thought," he smirked. "Open up your ears and listen to me carefully. Women don't deserve to be treated right in my property. They are created to be used; to be played with." V hung his head low, swallowing every word.

"Don't you remember what happened when Jayden fell in love? He dared to bring the girl here, and how did it end? It ended with her death. Why? 'Cause she exposed all of our secrets to our most beloved rival," Jimin scoffed, revulsion coating his hoarse voice.

"And what about when Justin brought one of his chicks here, saying she's the one? What happened to her?" He snapped his finger, raising an eyebrow. "Dead. Why? 'Cause that pretty doll was a fucking spy hired by the fuckers out there to manipulate Justin and us."

"So, tell me," he tilted his head, gaze piercing through V. "Should we treat them right? Do they deserve it?" He sucked in on his teeth, waiting for the younger to reply.

"Answer me, Kim Taehyung."

V's eyes clenched tightly as he inhaled sharply to resist it, but it took mere seconds for the exhale to leave his lips, his eyes flickered back open in anguish and quietly mumbled, "No..."

Jimin's lips curved into a victorious smirk, pure satisfaction running through his veins at the reply he heard. "I'm glad you did not lose all your senses. You can leave now."

An exhausted sigh deflated V's lungs, and he turned around to leave the room, defeated. Just as he was about to step out, the boss' voice made him halt his footsteps.

"Remember, Taehyung. Mafia's born to kill. Not to care."