The cold air wraps around you as you slowly open your eyes, only to be met with the piercing gaze of Carnelian. His eyes, a deep shade of red, seem to burn with something unspoken—an emotion so intense that it makes your heart race. His presence, though quiet, feels overwhelming, like a storm contained in silence. The room is dimly lit, casting shadows across the elegant furniture he had adorned with gifts for you, each one more extravagant than the last.

"It's cold," his voice is soft but firm, as if he's been waiting for you to wake up. He pulls the covers up higher around your shoulders with a tenderness that contrasts with the situation. The gesture should be comforting, but there's an undeniable tension in the air. You remember that it's been a month since he took you, whisking you away from the Sakamaki household on your birthday, and yet the memory feels both distant and too close at the same time.

His hand lingers at the edge of the blanket, as if he's fighting the urge to touch you more, to close the distance that still remains. His gaze never leaves yours, and you can see it now—how his cold, unfeeling exterior has started to crack. His chest rises and falls with the weight of unsaid words, and his breath, despite his vampiric nature, is just a little uneven.

"Why won't you love me?" His voice is barely above a whisper, but it cuts through the silence like a blade. There's pain in his question, the kind that’s been building up, consuming him. For a moment, you're unsure if it's a demand or a plea.

Carnelian’s need for you goes beyond obsession—it’s a desperation that gnaws at him, pulling him apart every time he looks at you and sees that you're still not his, not in the way he craves. And now, with the cold weather seeping into the room and him so close to you.