♣Ten♣

                                    

                                          
Blood immediately lowered his gun, his eyes going wide. Arianell fell to the floor, clutching her arm in pain. Blood turned and ran from the room. 
                          
"Arianell!"Julius shouted. He crouched down beside her and moved, pulling her jacket off of her. He saw that the bullet had gone straight through the outermost part of her arm. "You idiot, what were you thinking!" Arianell looked up at him with a pained smile. He felt anger bite at him. "Don't smile at me like that...you're so stupid!" He ran and grabbed clothes, getting warm water into a bowl. He sat it on the nightstand and picked her up, carrying her around the half wall and dropping her onto her bed. He sighed hard as he worked at cleaning the wound. "Why did you do that?"
                          
"Because..."Arianell murmured. She winced as he pressed on it. 
                          
"Damn...the others will be pissed if they hear about this,"Julius growled. "And not at you." He sighed. "I need to stitch it.." 
                          
"Go...go ahead,"she told him quietly. He sighed and got up, finding a needle and string. He cleaned both, and then walked back over to her. He began to stitch it up, ignoring her hisses of pain. When he was done he sighed. He cleaned up the mess and when he returned, she was about to poke at her wound.
                          
"Don't touch it,"he said sternly. She flinched and dropped her hand. He walked over and looked at it. He sighed and sat down on her bed, running a hand through his long hair. "Don't you ever do something like that again." 
                          
"Should the need arise-"
                          
"No." He reached out and forcefully grabbed her chin, making her look at him. His touch sent warmth through her. He kept eye contact with her. "Don't. I can be replaced, it's you who can't." Arianell wrinkled her eyebrows at him. He sighed. "You're an outsider." He reached put and placed his hand over her heart. He felt it pulsing as he pressed down. "This. This right here isn't a clock. You can't be replaced if you die, Aria." Her eyes widened. That was the first time he'd shortened her name. 
                          
"Why are you making such a big deal about it?"Arianell asked. She ripped her chin away from his hand. "All I did was try to save you because I care.... Is that so wrong?"
                          
"If it results in your death, yes!"
                          
"I'm sorry I care about you so damn  much then!"she shouted. He flinched. She stiffened, realizing what she'd said. "I'm not...it was a lie." Her eyes watered. I said something so awful. She thought. He sighed and reached out, pulling her to where her face buried itself into the crook of his neck. He closed his eyes and squeezed her to him. 
                          
"I know you didn't mean it....and I'm sorry too. Thank you for trying to save me...I was just scared that I'd lose you and you wouldn't come back this time." Her tears slowly stopped. She felt warmth at what he'd said, and knew he was being honest with her. His other arm wrapped around her gently. She adjusted herself and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He sighed and his face relaxed. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. It was a mix of everything- sadness at the though of losing her as well as fear. Warmth at touching her and her touching him. Pleasure at the thought of her being with him instead of Blood at that moment. Anger at Blood for hurting his outsider. He stiffened. My outsider? I don't think of her like that, do I? 
                          
Arianell sighed and they released each other. She wiped at her face where her tears had fallen. He gazed at her, his eyes tracing over her. How do I think of her then? Is there something else? 
                          
"You look tired...you should sleep,"Julius murmured, looking away from her. She nodded at him. He rose and his other hand which had still been around her waist reluctantly slid and moved with him. She watched him cross the room to his closet and she looked down at her arm where she'd been shot. She stood and walked back around to the place where her jacket lay and she picked it up. She scowled. Damn, now it has a hole.