"Well?! What, can't tell me the truth now?!" Your voice holding an aggressive cockiness to it but your body is contradicting you, your legs feeling weak as you rise from the seat in order to try and square up to the blonde but your is heart racing like crazy.

Of course, you feel a little stupid now and begin to second guess yourself. 

I mean, starting an argument with a family of vampires. What's wrong with me?! Do I have a death wish?!

The blonde also rising to his feet, his eyes locking onto yours as he leans in closer to your face, the predator aura about him only causes your anxiety to worsen. Slowly, you step back, trying to make a wider distance between the two of you but naturally, he insists on closing this gap, until you find your back hitting the dining room wall. 

Oh shit! Nevermind, I don't care if you bit me anymore! I probably deserved it!

"I would never have taken advantage of you like that." The blonde husks quietly, your orbs stuck to his intense gaze, you've tried to look away but those eyes are too damn demanding and too pure, it's like hypnosis. 

Something about him screams that he's telling the truth though...

Sabo looking a little sad as he places his hands either side of your head, resting on the wall and locking you into place as he studies your expression, clearly trying to read whether you trust him or not.

"I can't tell you what happened to your neck..." The blonde continues as his eyes trail down and linger on the bite mark for a moment before he huffs subtly to himself. "It's dangerous for your mind. If you break the memory wall, your brain might not be able to handle it."

Memory wall?

"You understand? I'm trying to protect you." He adds lastly, his voice is soft and gentle but also harbors a slight pain to it, as if he genuinely cares, as if remembering could actually kill you.

Unable to find any further words, you nod your head slowly in response, his body never leaving yours as he smiles faintly. You could just tell by the look in his eyes that this is hard for him, he looks like a kicked puppy.

"Why do you want to protect me so bad?" Your question coming out quiet and it feels like the toughest question you've ever had to ask, the anxiety is stirring up inside you as you nervously await the answer.

Wouldn't it be easier for him to kill me at this point?

"I sense something good in you." Is all you receive for an explanation but his tone still holds that sincerity to it as he gently leans his forehead against yours, your heart seemingly freezing in place.

Holy shit! He's so close to me!

"Well, well, what do we have here yoi?"

Both you and Sabo snapping your attention toward the doorway, still frozen in your slightly intimate position, Marco catching your eyes first with a big grin etched into his features and his arms smugly folded over his chest, mimicking that of a mother who has just caught her child doing something naughty. Thatch was stood behind him with a paled expression, the brunette looking completely and utterly mortified as he holds his stomach, looking as if he was about to puke his dinner back up.

How charming... Although, he is highly stressed right now, I think I'd be feeling sick too.

"Where did Ace sneak off to yoi?"

Thatch's eyes falling closed in what you could only describe as 'totally done with life' as he forces himself to straighten up before calmly making his way toward you and the handsome blonde, Sabo tensing as he lowers his arms from the wall and faces his brother, his body remaining between the two of you though, as if he was a shield and it's this action that causes Thatch to stop dead in his tracks. 

What are you doing, blondie?!

"Move, Sabo." For once Thatch's voice isn't at all polite or welcoming, it's cold and crisp, a demanding kind as his brows knit together in annoyance. It's in this moment that you realize just how authoritative this guy is, he has a darker side to him when he's irritated and quite frankly, it's terrifying.

The cutie in front of you rebels though, giving a stubborn shake of his head as he extends an arm out across you, his aura also turning slightly darker. "You'll not touch her." Sabo's usually soft voice now sounding threatening and it causes Thatch to frown.

Yeah, I may have fucked up here!

"I see..." The words drift coldly from Thatch's lips like a sigh as his eyes close again, upon opening them do you notice that they've changed color, a deep red as he approaches his younger brother in what seems like only one step. You can barely believe your eyes as the brunette whips a hand at Sabo's throat, tightly gripping it as he lifts the boy off of the ground a little. "Is that how it is?"

Your heart drops as you watch the handsome blonde struggle, your mind screaming at you to do something but you're unsure what, Thatch's undoubtedly stronger than you so your attempts would be futile. 

But I have to help Sabo!

Without thinking rationally you bypass the blonde's struggling body and throw yourself into Thatch, managing to catch him off guard and causing him to stagger, dropping his brother to the ground as an annoyed grunt escapes his throat. 

The second the brunette straightens up he whips a hand in Sabo's direction, somehow causing the blonde to fly across the room and into a case full of cutlery, a few loud smashes following. With the borrowed time, Thatch makes his way toward you, his hand gripping at your jaw painfully as he forces your sights on him. Your life flashing before your eyes as you squirm.

"I'm sorry, Miss [F/n]. But this is to protect the people I love, you understand." Is the only explanation you receive and it's all you need. You understand how risky it is for these guys as vampires to coexist with humans, especially considering how ignorant some humans are, they'll think they've got more rights to live than this family and they'll most likely try to kill them in the name of God or something. People hate what they can't understand.

Before you receive your impending death, a gasp escapes Thatch's lips as he releases you, his eyes widening as they turn back to their usual color.

Something surprised him?

The brunette turns and you see what it was, a knife sticking out of his back and blood staining his white button-up shirt, his and your eyes both landing on Sabo at the same time. It's only in this moment you realize Marco still stood in the doorway, leaning against the door frame with an amused smile on his sadistic face. 

"You ungrateful little brat!" Thatch's voice coming out like venom as he approaches Sabo again, his back to you, clearly he's about to harm his brother some more and you will not allow it. Throwing yourself forward you grip onto the knife and twist it further into Thatch's spine, earning a pained yelp from the brunette in response, you hadn't thought that it would harm him much given his species but apparently, you were incorrect.

Before you know it Marco has you in his arms, you're unsure of how he even got behind you so fast, he was stood behind Sabo to the far side of the room just a second ago. The blonde plucking you off of his older brother before he tenses up against your back. 

"Stop it yoi!" Thatch swinging around to face you but he immediately turns emotionless, his gaze drifting over your head and seemingly locking onto Marco's as his muscles slowly begin to ease. "Pops won't want you harming Sabo and he won't want you to kill this girl without speaking to him first! Would you like to end up getting a disciplinary, like Luffy?!"

The atmosphere in the room slowly turns somber instead, the brunette still looking annoyed but thoughtful at least, Sabo coming around him to take your hand in his and carefully pull you away from the pair. His grip is warm and tight and his muscles are tensed still, you can now tell for certain that he was being genuine when he said he wanted to protect you but you still don't understand why.

The silence lasts for an unbearable few seconds that feel like minutes before Thatch finally huffs to himself, as if he's letting all of his anger release in that one breath. "Perhaps not..." He murmurs as he reaches behind his back, sternly ripping the knife from his spine and dropping it onto the dining table. "I'll...change my clothes and then call pops."

Your eyes must be the size of Jupiter right now, your body instinctively nestling itself into Sabo's as Marco waits for his oldest brother to leave the room before chuckling softly. 

"That was entertaining yoi...Sabo, take your girlfriend to her room. I'll deal with this."

Entertaining?! Is he insane?! He almost lost his little brother! WAIT, GIRLFRIEND?!