Bend and Break(poly)(bxb)

Three

Von slides his fingers along the inside of my jacket, runs them along my chest and along the metal tucked inside a hidden pocket.

"You're shaking." He notes but doesn't look up at my eyes when he says it. His eyebrows are knitted together softly but his movements are smooth. "Stop it."

"I can't help it," I confess. I'm scared.

I'm convinced I have to do exceptionally well on tonight's mission or Diana will get rid of me.

Von finally brings his attention to my face and I watch as his expression slowly softens. Like we have this delicacy between us. Like we don't have to go kill in a few moments. "Little Mia, what's wrong? This is a small assignment... Nothing major, nothing that will hurt us."

I feel his fingers soft on my chin and I know he always does this before we have to go into our missions. He becomes affectionate, squeezing Romero's shoulder, carding his fingers through Seven's hair. I used to think it was because any one of us could die. But maybe it's even more than that. A last caress to calm our nerves.

"Answer me." He runs a finger along my jaw painfully slowly.

"I think this is my last— my last mission." I get choked up and he furrows his eyebrows.

Seven looks up from his seat across the room and for some reason, I'm scared he heard me too.

"Why?" Von asks simply. Like everything is simple. Black clothing. Black ink tattoos.

"Diana hates me. I'm not useful enough. It's only a matter of time before she kicks me out of the gang."

At the mention of his adoptive mother's name, Von loses all traces of the softness he held earlier. He removes his hands from me completely and stuffs them into his pants pockets. "She's not going to kick you out." Is all he says.

"You don't know that," I shake my head at him. This entire conversation is multiplying my nerves. I can feel myself about to choke. I'll never be able to go out like this. I was supposed to prove how useful I am today and I can barely even speak.

"Mia," Seven speaks tenderly as he approaches me. He's wearing baggy loungewear. Long sleeves hiding all but the tips of his fingers, grey sweats pooling on the floor. "She said she would be adding people in, not taking them out."

"And I won't let her take you out." Von leans down so that he's at eye-level with me. Forcing me to stare into his every emotion. "You saved my life. I want you here and I need you here."

I remember the first night against the TL's. How he took a bullet graze to the side of his head and laid on the ground concussed and unconscious as I fought off two rival gang members. I thought I lost him and didn't even have time to react to his presumed death.

I'm brought back to the present day as Von walks away from me and heads outside, ready to leave.

"Has she ever taken anyone out of the gang before?" I ask as I follow after him.

He doesn't answer me, just opens the driver's seat door. Silver Mercedes reflecting the moonlight.

"Has she?" I repeat and he at least looks up at me this time. Expression unreadable, eyes dark.

Seven speaks softly behind me after I stop walking. "Yes."

"Lie to her," Von speaks and it looks like it's getting ready to rain. In this 30 degree weather, it'll freeze. "You pick and choose when to do it and this time you should've chosen to. We don't need her psyched out over some shit that's not even going to happen. Mia, get in the car now. We haven't lost any members in years— she was just trying to keep us on our toes when she said that."