• Blessing •

Sinn's POV

Embracing her drenched body that was shaking due to the excruciating pain, my heart stinged seeing her in this condition.

I was searching for my phone with one hand, as I held her body with the other, when her screams subsided, and I noticed she had passed out due to the pain.

Feeling panic in every cell of my body, I carried her unconscious body in my arms and felt wetness on her thighs.

I lay her down carefully when I examined the wet thing sticking on her pants as blood laced my fingertips.

Her words repeated over in my head, "The baby, I'm losing it. Please help me, I can't lose it."

I pulled my hair away from my eyes as I digged my phone from my pocket and dialed a number.

It ringed thrice before it was picked up.

"Leave whatever you're doing. I need you here immediately." I didn't let them speak, as I spoke orders.

When I ended the call, everything dawned on me.

She had been acting strangely these past few weeks, and I've been wondering if she was unwell, but she declined when I asked her.

I knew something was different, and if I had enough time, I would've reached the conclusion that she's pregnant.

But before I could speculate any further, we had to deal with Papa Don and her father, and they were a threat to us and everyone around us.

I heard her talking with her father and telling him that she's pregnant when it was confirmed for me.

It's not like it came to be out of thin air. We did it without protection, but I wasn't sure it could happen with one time.

Now I'm sure seeing where we stand.

I had wanted to ask her about it but found her in this condition.

I don't know since when she's going through keeping this news to herself.

It would've been so hard on her.

She must think she is to blame as she asked me to do it without using protection.

I know her. She didn't want to burden me with her decision. And she has decided to keep it.

How am I to tell her she can never be a burden to me?

She wants to do things herself and never wants to rely on anyone due to her past trauma. It hurts me that I can be of no use to her.

If I knew about her condition, I would've never let her fight this battle. And now, she's in excruciating pain.

I pulled away her hair, which was drenched in sweat as her face was contorted in pain even when she was passed out.

If I could, I wish to take any calamity which befalls her.

I'd rather take the pain than watch her go through it.

I heard a knock on the door.

"Come." I said when it opened and I heard heels against the floor.

"Whatever is the matter? Why would you call me in so urgently?" I didn't look away from Layla as I replied.

"She's bleeding." I told her, and I could sense her shifting her weight to her other leg.

"She's pregnant." It was enough for her to hurry towards me and push me away and check her thighs where her blood soaked in.

"Get out." She ordered me.

"I'm staying." I didn't budge.

"She needs urgent treatment. If you won't leave I won't be able to do anything." She told me in a serious tone, and I didn't want to get in the way of her treatment, so I left the room with her treating my Layla.

I closed the door behind me and rested my back on it before sitting on the living room sofa and placing my head in between my hands.

We just got our freedom back, I can't lose her.

She's been going through it, keeping this news to herself. How lonely and scared must she be. The times she threw up alone with no one by her side.

I wish I knew before so I could've comforted her.

The door to my room opened, and I heard heel hitting the floor again, knowing who it was.

"I've cleaned her up. She also had a wound that needed stiches. Thankfully, the bullet just grazed her skin. She must be the new girl under you."

She folded her arms, "I never took you to be so careless as to get someone pregnant. Do I need to give you sex education?" She gave me a disapproving look.

"And to make things worse, you took her to fight against Papa Don. Are you nuts? Do you know how high-risk early stages of a pregnancy are?"

I listened to her lecturing me quietly. I deserve it.

"She must be a superhuman with God's blessing to fight and survive even in this condition.  If it were any other person, they would've lost their lives, let alone the baby."

I looked up when she mentioned the baby. "What about it?" I didn't realize I was on edge awaiting her response.

"It's a miracle it survived. How wouldn't it, when its mother is an extraordinary person who can withold anything. I've never seen something like this in my whole career."

She paused as if something caught her eye. "You need to get your wound treated or it'll infect."

I looked down. I almost forgot about it. It's nothing compared to the sting I'm feeling in my heart seeing Layla in such intense pain.

"I'll take care of it." I told her, and she looked at me knowingly.

"I know. My supplies are inside, so suit yourself. Also, she would be getting up anytime." She walked away, and I stood up almost immediately, ignoring the slight pain from my wound.

Layla's POV

My whole body felt like it was fractured as I couldn't move for how heavy it felt.

The excruciating pain in my lower region had subsided, but it was still there.

I noticed my body clean with fresh clothes and the wound on my arm treated. Every inch of my body was screaming in pain, but it wasn't like the intense pain from before I felt in my lower region.

My eyes landed on a bare chest as they were attempting to wrap a bandage over their torso. It's concerning how almost immediately I knew who it belonged to.

He must've noticed I've woken up as his eyes widened slightly, and he came close to me.

"How are you feeling?"

I gave him a weak smile, "Better than ever."

He smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and I noticed how exhausted he looked.

I heard a knock on the door before Sinn allowed them to come in.

"You're up. How are you feeling." My eyes landed on the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

She had long black hairs which reached her waist, and she was twice as tall as me.

Her aura radiated confidence and security, which is why I didn't feel uncomfortable when a stranger such as her saw me in my most vulnerable state.

"I was called here by Sinn. I've treated your wound and stopped the bleeding for now, but if you over exert yourself again, this will happen again."

She started, and it wasn't hard to get that she was a doctor.

I was enchanted with the way she carried herself and spoke with confidence yet softly that I felt I could open up to her about anything.

"Is the baby alive?" I asked her worried, to which she walked closer to me.

"If Sinn had called me any later, I wouldn't be sure if I could save it." I took a sigh of relief as I thanked God that it survived.

"Do you know how lucky you are? To fight in such a state. I heard you squash Papa Don's head with your violent kicking."

A beautiful smile formed on her face as she continued, "Though I'm impressed, but it was severely dangerous in your condition. You must be in complete bedrest for at least 3 months so you can recover."

"And from bedrest, I mean complete bedrest." She gave Sinn a look while saying it, as if she was directing it to him, and I saw him roll his eyes at her.

It was clear what she was indicating.

Now that I think about it, she resembles someone very much. Someone I know extremely well.

Her grey eyes smiled at me with kindness.

"Are you related to Sinn?" The question left my mouth without me thinking twice.

She raised her brow at me before her smile widened.

"She's my sister." Sinn said, and I looked at him as he sat on the chair beside me, with his chest exposing and only a bandage covering his torso.

"Elder sister." She added.

"Being old by 12 months doesn't count." Sinn stated in his normal tone.

"Even a second matters when it comes to being the oldest." She smirked teasingly, but Sinn remained his usual self, not affected by her remarks.

But I can sense he does respect her. How can one not, when she's so charismatic. No wonder they're siblings.

"I never knew you had a sibling. I always thought you were an only child."

Sinn looked at me, his eyes were tired, but I saw them lit up when he glanced at me. "I never got a chance to tell you."

"Layla, what happened to you? It must be serious that Sinn had to call over Sienna." Leo walked in with Yuri, concerned.

Sienna. It really suits her. It's beautiful, just like herself.

"Nothing's serious, I was just about to lose my baby." I told them nonchalantly.

Keeping it from them would be of no use, I've already decided to keep it.

"Oh." They said casually, but when they realised what I have said, looked at me shocked.

"What? A baby? Yours and Sinn's? You were doing the thing?" Yuri questioned, demonstration the act with his hand.

"My poor innocent Layla, I couldn't save you from this devil." He wiped his fake tears, and I couldn't help but laugh at his dramatics.

"I knew you were hitting it. Congratulations." Leo said, giving me a genuine smile.

"I can't believe you were fighting so hard in your condition. I don't understand how Sinn let you." Leo said genuinely, wondering, and Sienna gave him a look and forced a smile.

I could feel the tension between Sinn and I, as we still had to have a proper talk. If I hadn't passed out from the pain, I was planning on doing it before.

"I think we need to let Layla rest. She's on complete bedrest." She grabbed Leo and Yuri's arm and dragged them out of the room.

I caught a hint of something in Leo's eyes as Sienna took hold of his arm and dragged him out of the room. But before I could further my thoughts, the door shut behind them, leaving just the two of us.

Sinn was still shirtless, and I was shameless.

I tried to keep my eyes away from his body and on his face, but it was a hard thing to do.

"I was planning on telling you, but I didn't know how. I didn't know how you'd react." I started, finally getting down on business.

"At first, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to keep it, so I didn't tell you, but with time, I started to realise I want it to be in my life."

Sinn listened to me patiently, not uttering a word.

"But then I didn't want to burden you with my decision and my actions."

"I know it was me who wanted to do it without protection in the first place. I couldn't dump it on you. I didn't know if you would want to keep it. But I knew one thing and that you'd force yourself to take care of it for my sake."

I looked down at my hand, resting on top of my stomach. I still felt pain in there, but it was faint.

I felt his hand on mine as he intertwined our fingers. "You think too much for me."

"If you told me, I would've never allowed you to partake in this fight."

Sinn looked up at me, and I saw sadness in his eyes. He rubbed his thumb on my hand as it rested just above my belly. "I heard the conversation between you and your father,"

He looked down at our intertwined hand, and I could see the regret in his eyes.

"What if something had happened to you? What would I be without you."

I saw a single tear drop down his eyes, and my heart broke.

I reached my hand to his cheek, wiping his tear as he grabbed it, leaning in my palm.

"You know me, I would still fight even if you would've told me not to. Don't blame yourself."

I tried comforting him with my words. It's true that I still would've fought even if he knew and stopped me.

"Then stop taking all the burden and let me share it with you. Stop thinking that you would be burdening me when it's far from the truth." His voice was stern like he was the one lecturing me.

"You think too highly of me. I'm no fool that would be forced on doing anything. The only thing I'd be forced to do is exist without you."

His grey eyes looked at me intensely as my eyes welled up hearing his words.

"I asked you to come back to me, so I can ask you something."

I felt my heart picking up its pace as I recalled the time he did ask me to just before leaving for the fight.

His eyes didn't leave mine for even a second.

"Will you stay with me forever?"

I smiled at his words as I rubbed my thumb against his cheek gently. My heart filled in with joy, hearing his words.

"Is Sinn Phoenix proposing to me?" I teased him.

"I am." He said confidently as he put his cheeks against my palm, holding my hand close to him.

"It would be my pleasure." I said, the smile not leaving his face as he came towards me, reducing the distance between us.

"Don't you ever think that you're burdening me." He gave me a stern look, and I laughed as I joined our lips.

I felt a wave of pain in my lower region again, and I winced.

Sinn backed away and looked at me with concern. "Does it hurt?"

"A bit." I mumbled, fisting my hand as I waited for the pain to go away.

Sinn held my hand and gently rubbed his thumb over my palm in an attempt to calm me.

"I'll call Sienna." He said as he searched for his phone before I stopped him.

"It's fine. She told me I'll feel the pain for a while, but it'll go away. It's not intense like before." I smiled at him, but he still had a worried look in his eyes.

"Just hold my hand like this, and I'll be fine." I pointed at our hands together and gave him a smile. He held it fimly and placed our joined hand against his lips.

The pain went away, and I exhaled, feeling much better.

"I'll be bored the next three months. She told me to be in complete bedrest. What does that even mean? Would I not be allowed to walk?"

I asked with confusion as I could not imagine not being able to move around.

Sinn smiled as he looked at me. "Not for three months. No, you can't walk."

"What, why? I'll be fine in just a week or two. Why the need for three whole months?"

I already felt bored thinking about it.

Sinn still had his eyes on me as he explained. "You overexerted yourself today, and it's still pretty early on in your pregnancy. If it were me, I would've stated complete bedrest till you're in labor."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and Sinn looked at me with a hint of a smile.

"How far along are you?" He asked me for the first time, and I calculated in my head.

"Let's see, probably 3 weeks, but I haven't checked at the doctors. I only did a pregnancy test I brought from the convenience store only cause I missed my period."

"I'll set a date with Sienna for the ultrasound."

I didn't object to that. There was a brief, comfortable silence between us when I spoke up.

"I want to visit Jasper's."

Sinn raised his brow as he was staring at me the whole time while we were sitting in silence.

"Jasper, who?"

I almost cackled, looking at his expression. Of course, he won't remember Jasper.

"Jasper, my cousin? The one whom I lived with before I came to join your unit."

"Your cousin." He must've rememeber as I saw realisation on his face.

"Why would you want to go back? And you're to be in complete bedrest for the next three months."

"After my bedrest. I'll go then." I told him.

"Isn't he your cousin from your father's side? Would he want to see you after what happened with your father. I'm sure the word must've spread."

He then added after a brief pause,

"I don't want you to go there. Who knows what he might do. I won't allow it." He ordered me, and I looked at him as I noticed he was still worried about me.

"I thought I was no longer under you and won't be taking orders from you." I smiled at him, but he still looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"Jasper and I may not agree on many things, but there is only one on which we both do. That is despising my father. So don't worry, he knew I was joining your unit only so I'm trained enough to take down my father, and I did just that."

I explained it to him, and he was still reluctant.

"Are you sure?"

"A hundred percent. And I have to deal with things there so I can come back to you. Didn't you just ask me to stay with you forever?"

I teased him with a smile, and he finally sighed, and I saw a hint of a smile on his face.

"Okay. But I'll take you there."

"You don't have to. I'll be fine." I said, but then I saw Sinn raising his brow at me.

"Didn't I also tell you to let me share your burden?"

I couldn't help but widen my smile, and I finally saw him smile at me.

"It's done then, I'll go there with you.