A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

Despite his words, she shook his head even though his look held nothing but truth in it. To her mind, her escaping the fate that the other creature had planned for her in the subway had brought this terrible situation upon them all. Maybe, she would be dead now, but ... Ether squeezed her hands, and the tightness of his hold woke her up from diving back into those thoughts. "I'm not letting that fire die out in you again, (f/n)." Her expression almost seemed lifeless and puzzled. "From the beginning, you've always wanted to live no matter what obstacle was before you. You were able to get away from me back in Cankerfell because you were determined to live. You didn't let the situation drag you down and freeze you." His grip tightened, and she winced, but he didn't loosen his hold. "You've survived so many situations because you refuse to lie down and just give up."

"But, this is different. If it hadn't been for Chris, my will to live or not ..."

Instantly, he cut her off. "So, you're just going to waste what Chris gave you?" His question caused her to pause. "She helped save you back there. She might've died if the other creature had thrown her just a little harder against that wall. He was distracted, so he hadn't concentrated his full strength on her. She got lucky, but she pushed him and knew that she very well could die in the next moment." He tugged her towards him before his right hand left her hands and moved to her chin.

"You saying that you should've died would've changed things?" Almost, a dark, cruel laugh parted from him. (F/n) saw the shift of emotion in his eyes, and she wanted to pull back, but his grip on her chin was strong, nearly painfully so. "Well, it would've. Like I had said, things would've been worse. Nick, his team, your parents ... All of them wouldn't be alive."

Finally understanding what he was getting at, her eyes widened, but his expression didn't soften. If anything, it grew serious. "No, they most likely would be dead, and the other creature would be dead too if I didn't die first." His eyes stayed locked on hers. "You know why." She didn't answer.

Releasing her chin, he rested his hand on his knee. "The only reason why I've been able to control my anger around Nick and your father is because you're here. The only reason I've been able to live around humans without making a full meal out of them is because you're here." A giggle parted from his lips before a grin spread on them. "Without you, they become targets just like anyone else." Despite his giggle and grin, his eyes bore nothing but seriousness. There was no amusement in his tone.

"If you had died that night, I would've butchered Nick's team. Even Chris wouldn't have been spared. She would've just been lucky that she would've been unconscious when I killed her. I would've tortured Nick afterwards." A dark, sadistic gleam crossed his eyes, and (f/n) felt a chill slither through her blood. "I'm sure you can think of all of the things I would've done to him based on what you've seen of my actions in the past."

Slowly, she nodded, but she forced herself not to dwell on such thoughts. Otherwise, she might have to dart to the restroom. "Your parents would've been next." She didn't have to ask why; she knew that he would've been in a ballistic state of mind. Anyone associated with her probably would be placed onto the chopping block. "One probably would die slowly and the other quickly."

A heavy frown formed on his lips, and his fingers clenched around his knees. His left nails practically stabbed into skin, but no blood was drawn yet. "And despite all of that, it only would've made the other creature happy. Even if I had killed him and lived, he would be able to die in a peaceful state of mind. While you would've died in agony, he would've been killed in bliss." Almost, a growl left him. "I never want that piece of sh*t to die like that. I want him to die knowing that he lost and that he was wrong. I want him to suffer more than you suffered."

Gradually, his nails dug deeper, and his left ones just began to pierce his flesh. A little bit of crimson met her (e/c) optics, and her whole body tensed. It combined his previous words with the red liquid, and horrid images of her parents, Nick and his team's lifeless bodies filled her mind. They were left in terrible, seemingly impossible positions, and every which way was splattered with crimson remains. Nearly, she gagged; however, she forced herself to replace their bodies with the other creature's, and the scenery became much more bearable.

Ether's nails finally relaxed a moment later when he noticed her far-off expression. His right hand reached forward again and pulled her on her left wrist. He tugged her onto his lap, and he felt her wake up from her thoughts as she shifted against him. Her hands held onto his hoodie, and she was curled up on and between his legs. Right hand enveloping her waist, it held her to him. "So, don't think that you having met his true punishment that night would've made this all better. It wouldn't have."

Slightly, her hands tightened their hold on his hoodie, and he rested his chin on top of her head. She didn't protest, but she didn't say that she liked his comforting treatment either. Ether didn't mind, though. "I want you to remind yourself that you've been fighting for your life ever since you've met me. Remind yourself why you've been able to hold on for so long. Don't lose sight of that just because things have taken a turn for the worst."

Leaning back a little, Ether tilted her chin up, and he grinned to her in a soft manner. "I'm here for you. I know that might not be the most consoling thing you've ever heard or consoling at all for that matter, but remember that you have me to help fight the other creature. You'll escape with your family, Nick and his team while I stay behind with him." He touched his forehead to hers, and she didn't pull away, which warmed his heart just a little bit. "And, remember that you living is why all of this is able to happen." Now, a smile fell upon his lips. "You are my home and life. I breathe for you, and I will end this nightmare that is the other creature for you."

Doubt entered her gaze, and she finally did pull away from his hold, but he let her do so. "But, you said that you might lose. He might still live." Terror filled every word leaving past her lips. "What, then?" Ether could feel her heart pick up. "Then, we'll still be in a nightmare, and it'll be seemingly impossible to kill him." Her hands tugged on his hoodie roughly. "I know because I've tried to kill you before. Your kind doesn't die easily, Ether. So, what then?!" Her voice rose at the end out of a necessity to stress her point. Just what did he expect her to do against the other creature, who had tortured her for two months and now was terrorizing her family and friends.

"Even when I was trying to kill you, you gave me multiple chances. You made exceptions to the rules. You made it so that I stood a chance." She tugged harder and pulled him closer to her. "I can't do that with him. I'll maybe get one shot before he gets the upper hand and destroys everything."

"So, it would've been better for you to die that night in the subway?" His voice lost its warmth, and his eyes narrowed. "Didn't I just tell you what would've happened?" Stressing every word in a lower tone, he continued, "Everything of yours would've been destroyed. You just wouldn't have been around to witness it!" Instantly, she lost her next words. "Is that what you want? A quick death while people you care about get tortured just like you if not worse before they receive the same release of death?"

With no warning, he pushed her aside and got off of the bed. He took a few steps away from it and combed his left fingers through his nearly white locks, dotting them with flecks of crimson along the way. "I mentioned that I might lose against him, but that's only one possibility." Roughly, he turned to her and noted how she was supporting herself up on her hands. Her eyes were downcast, and she was trembling. One of his heartstrings nearly was torn, but he resisted the urge to go back on the bed with her. "Back in Cankferfell, you had the potential to die but you also had the ability to live. You lived despite the low odds. I have better odds than that when facing him."

Clenching his hands, he felt his left nails pierce his palm. "So, don't you dare start wanting the easy way out when before all this sh*t happened, you took the harder path. You chose to live, and, in the process, you have made your killer into your killing machine." Steadily, her eyes looked up to his. "I will do my best to kill him, and that means that I most likely will because I want you to live. You living is my happiness, and I won't let that a**hole take that from me even if my odds aren't a hundred percent."

Approaching the bed, he stopped right in front of it. He relaxed his hands before he leaned down and held her chin again with his right hand. "(F/n)," he stressed every letter of her name with a clear, determined passion that only a lover could give their companion, "tell me that you want him dead. Tell me that you want me to kill him."

Tears started to trickle down her cheeks, but she couldn't break her gaze from his. Her lips parted. Steadily, she spoke, "... I want him dead." At first, her voice was quiet, but it grew louder as did her sobs. "I want him dead. I want you to kill him." She reached up hands and gripped his right wrist to hold him in place, to give herself a little stability. "I want this nightmare to end. I want him gone." (F/n) held onto him tighter. "I really do want to live, but I want my family to live too. Nick and his team as well." More tears came. "I don't want to have to worry about him anymore. I don't want these thoughts." Their gazes locked completely. "Please, Ether."

Upon his lips, a soft, caring and genuine smile formed. If she wasn't in such a worried state of mind, her heart would've skipped a pleasant beat at the site. "You don't have to beg me, (f/n). You only have to ask." Words escaped her, and his lips soon pressed against hers in a gentle kiss, which she was too weak even to protest against. In fact, it felt warm and eased her heart as her mind finally relaxed a little. That calmness and the lack of energy she felt afterwards caused her to drift away into unconsciousness as he pulled away from the soft showing of affection.