Writer and Artist (who barely draws and barely writes) | 24 | Minors DNI | This blog is dedicated to my Love and Deepspace obbsesion, mainly for Sylus and Zayne, who are my mains | I love Rafayel and Xavier as well
This page is dedicated to Love and Deepspace, especially Sylus and Zayne, who are my mains. But if inspiration strikes, I will write fics for Rafayel, Valko, Caleb and Xavier as well, who I also love very dearly!
If you want to be added to the general taglist, or the taglist of my long fic, please comment here or on any chapter of my fics. And make sure you have your age written in bio or on a pinned post, so I can make sure you're 18+. This page is intended for adults, there are smut fics here.
Masterlist
(You can also read all of my fanfiction on AO3)
🐦⬛❄️Sylus/Zayne/MC❄️🐦⬛
Long Fic
🔞Will My Soul Return From War?🔞 - multi chapter fic, ongoing (14/26 chapters)
Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
AO3 Link
One-shot
A tease, A Kiss - SnowCrow kiss, Fluff
Synopsis: The Master of Fate and the last dragon tease each other while waiting for their beloved to return home.
AO3 Link
The Aftermath of Saving a Fiend - Angst, Fluff, Post Death and Rebirth, sequel to The Grim Reaper Saved a Fiend
Synopsis: Zayne saved Sylus. Sylus is wounded, and you worry about his condition. You've reunited with Zayne, and it left you confused and disappointed. Sylus won't let Zayne forget what his actions did to you.
AO3 Link
🐦⬛Sylus/MC🐦⬛
One Shot
Heart Torn in Two Pieces - Post Death and Rebirth, Zayne isn't present but he haunts the narrative, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship
Synopsis: Sylus comforts you a week after you said goodbye to Zayne. Why are your feelings for these two men so similar?
Synopsis: You are the Countess who has married and summoned the Archfiend Sovereign. Now, the Silverwinged Fiend is your devoted husband, prepared to indulge your every desire.
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: Zayne's parents are coming to stay with your family for a whole month, while Sylus' identity has to be kept hidden. But what does Peony think about this?
Word Count: 4.1k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
The next few days proved to be quite busy.
First of all, Sylus had to go to the authorities and present his past with Philos, the fact they targeted him as a child too, and how that encounter ended with his parents' death. As expected, these news set back the development of his case. No one could say when any meaningful step forward could be taken, but it will clearly be later than previously imagined. Sylus was going to remain legally deceased for a long time still.
Then, the problem of Zayne's parents coming to visit for a month had to be settled. Besides getting Zayne's house ready to host two people, Sylus' identity was your main concern. Too many people already knew he was alive. Adding two more people to that list shouldn't happen, even if they would never talk about it to outsiders.
So, you and Zayne settled on at least a preliminary idea: Sylus, renamed as Skye, would be your late husband's cousin, who came to visit for a longer time as well. This way, it'd make sense why Peony and this other adult in the house would look so much alike. But, that would also mean all romance between Sylus, you and Zayne would have to stop while the Lis where in the house. It'd also be wiser for 'Skye' to sleep in the guest room for this month.
Sylus despised this idea. He found it rather foolish and thought it unnecessary. He wasn't going to hide who he was in his own house.
"Sweetie, I've never met Zayne's parents, but I believe they must be somewhere around the same level of intelligence as him. They're not going to buy it for long."
"But Xavier's advice—!"
Sylus shrugged. "I don't think your parents-in-law, who are going to stay with us for a whole month, will cause us problems if they know who I am. Two more people knowing won't be the end of the world."
You slumped against his chest and let the subject drop. You weren't seeing eye to eye, and to be truly honest, you didn't want to hide him either. Zayne was reticent either way: he too thought that his parents will figure out the truth pretty quickly; on the other side, you three really should restrict the amount of people who knew Sylus was back from the dead.
In the end, you only had forty eight hours to come up with a plan, that was half-baked at best.
None of you tried that much.
You all ended up cuddling in bed and falling asleep after Jasmine did the same.
***
On Wednesday morning, everything in Zayne's house was cleaned and free of dust, the master bedroom prepared to host your parents-in-law for a whole month. You had nothing else to do but wait for them to arrive.
Althea and Jace had always been lovely people with you, even though you've met them for the first time at your wedding. They were more than happy to finally get to know their daughter-in-law, the woman who captured their son's heart and made him settle down as a husband and father.
Peony was immediately adopted as their granddaughter as well, and especially Althea formed a very quick friendship with your daughter. She was excellent with children, as was her husband, but a bit more quiet and calmer than him. Peony appreciated that more than her grandpa's boisterous presence. But she enjoyed both of them overall, happy to finally have two people who she can call grandma and grandpa. Ever since she heard granny and grandpa would come to stay with them for a whole month after her little sibling would be born, she couldn't wait to see them again.
You weren't really worried about them knowing who Sylus was, but you still had some doubts. He was your first husband, after all. If they knew the truth, they might see him as their son's rival. Which couldn't be farther from the truth recently. For the past two days, they've been really happy to share little affectionate moments with each other, sweet kisses and hugs that lasted longer than before. They fell into this romantic dynamic so easily, as if they were always meant to love each other like this.
But that also caused another anxious thought: what will Zayne's parents think about their son's unconventional relationship? You were certain they were kind and understanding people, but still, what would they think when their own son is in the middle of a nontraditional relationship?
You tried to not delve on that lingering thought too much. It didn't really matter what people outside your inner family thought. The three of you and the girls mattered the most, along with creating a happy family. And you thought you achieved that. You've never been happier than now.
Laying down on your bed, you played with Jasmine, gently rubbing her little belly as she squealed and kicked her arms and legs. She should be taking her noon nap right about now, but your tiny baby didn't seem to be tired. Instead, she simply enjoyed the time spent playing with her mother. You tried to tire her out like this, so her routine wouldn't be disturbed, but even if this situation wasn't ideal, you loved smothering her in kisses all over and watch her toothless smile open up giggling.
She really was precious, your heart swelling with love every time you looked at her. One might say this was purely motherly instinct, to love and want to cry happy tears every moment spent with the little human you created. You felt the same way with Peony, you still do. And yet, the woman who gave birth to you probably didn't feel the same way. You were found abandoned as a very fresh newborn on a random street by good enough people to bring you to the nearest hospital. You never knew who were the people who created you, and what might have driven your mother to abandon you so quickly after birth. But if she felt even a drop of the love you feel for your own daughters, she would have abandoned you in a safer place, like the hospital you ended up in.
At times like this, you thought about other mothers. Although you never met your first mother-in-law, the love she carried for her son could never be questioned. She died to protect her boy, to ensure he got to live longer. You wish you would have had the chance to meet her, and thank her for making Sylus the man he is.
Your second mother-in-law, Althea Li, you were excited to meet again. It was clear how much she cared for Zayne, and how happy she was for the family he created. While you were getting ready on the day of your wedding, emotions overwhelmed you, and you ended up crying when talking with her. She held you and calmed you down, and you didn't know if her soothing skills were gained from her medical career, or her motherly nature. Regardless, you knew from that moment onwards she could always be a family member to rely on. That's why you accepted as soon as she and her husband offered to come and help with Jasmine for a little while.
During an attack of little kisses littered over your baby's mostly bald head, the door creaked open.
Zayne peeked inside, cringing at the grating sound. "I need to oil the hinges. I'm sorry if I disturbed you, dear."
You sat up straight, gathering the still giggling baby in your arms and holding her facing the door. "Did papa disturb our little play time, Jasmine? I don't think so, papa's always welcome to come join us."
Zayne's worry dissipated instantly hearing your baby voice. He shook his head and smiled, sitting down beside you and cupping his little daughter's head so he could give her a few kisses too. Of course, she giggled just as hard as she did with you.
"I thought she would be sleeping at this time," he murmured, nuzzling her head. Sometimes, it seemed he was even more taken with her baby smell then you were, sniffing her as if she was a giant, delicious macaron.
"She was supposed to, but our little cupcake has too much energy."
"The same could be said about her sister. Sylus just got her to stop running through the house and sit down to paint with him."
You laughed, letting Zayne fully take Jasmine into his arms and bounce her. You've known Zayne for years, and he'd always been such a good father. And yet, you still felt weak in the knees (even while sitting down) when he switched into his father mode. He was so gentle, so attentive to every little movement and expression of both Peony and Jasmine. Was there any wonder why you became pregnant just a few months after you two got married? Safe to say, you were already certain Jasmine won't be his last baby.
He was still focused on Jasmine and keeping eye contact with her. "I think both of our girls are excited to meet their grandparents, even if this little one doesn't know what's happening."
You shook you head and snapped out of your horny thoughts. Jasmine was barely three months old and your body needed to heal and rest for a few more years. No more babies at this moment. Thankfully, Zayne didn't notice you almost drooling at him.
"Do you know when your parents are going to get here?"
"No. They're running a little late, so I've been checking the windows from time to time." He stood up with Jasmine, and moved to look out of the opened bedroom window. Just a few moments later, he softly gasped. "Would you look at that, I think I see their car parking in my drive way. I'm going to help them settle and carry their luggages."
He turned back to give you Jasmine, and kiss your lips. It was short lived.
"Tell me when they're ready to meet their newest granddaughter," you whispered against his lips, still so close to yours.
He smiled, chuckled, and pressed another strong peck on your lips. "Will do, my love."
***
Peony was still painting with her daddy, whose skills paled in comparison to hers (she learned how to draw from her much more talented mommy), when papa rushed down the stairs and zoomed through the entrance hallway. Immediately, her family portrait was abandoned.
"Papa, are granny and grandpa here?"
"Yes, I've just seen them park."
Of course, Peony's intuition had been correct. "Daddy, you'll have to paint your silly kitties without me!" she shouted as she shimmied away from her spot in front of the coffee table. Alas, her father was left alone as she ran towards papa.
"Little kitten, aren't you going to finish your gift before meeting your grandparents?" Daddy shouted back, but she ignored it, running out of the house while papa was still putting on his shoes.
"Peony, you forgot your shoes!" Papa called out too, but she didn't care about them. She must be the first one to greet granny and grandpa.
"Welcome home, granny, grandpa!" she greeted, running down the driveway to her papa's other house. That's where she could see granny getting out of the passenger seat, and grandpa taking out heavy luggages from the trunk.
"Oh, Peony, my dear!" granny greeted back, holding her arms open so Peony could crash into her arms. "Look how much you've grown since I've last seen you!"
"I'm a big sister now, granny!"
"I know, sweetheart." Granny ruffled her hair, then tightened her ponytail back into place.
Before she could get any chance to speak more with her grandma, she was picked out of her arms and up from the street. "Hey!"
"You're going to get your socks all dirty, my little princess," her papa replied as he gathered her up like the princess she was. Then he turned his attention away from her. "Hello, mom."
"Hi, Zaynie! Your little baby was really eager to meet us," granny said, taking the shoes papa was holding in his hands. She fastened them unto her feet, while her father was still holding her prisoner.
"You know granny wasn't going to run away if you waited a few more seconds to put on your shoes," papa told her as he put her back down with a kiss on her temple.
"Yeah, but then you might have greeted her first and not me," she pouted, crossing her arms.
"I was not aware we were in a competition," papa added, but Peony thought he must have understood it prior. After all, wasn't he the smartest in their family?
Granny laughed, just as grandpa was approaching them with luggages in both hands.
"What, what did I miss?" he asked, noticing his wife's laughter.
"Noth—"
"Hi, grandpa!" Peony, now with shoes on her feet, was free to go and hug her grandpa, even though his hands were too busy to hug her back.
"Hey there! I missed you, you little carrot cake!" he finally managed to return the hug with a hand, as it was freed by papa taking one of his luggages off of him.
"Eww, grandpa, I don't like carrots!"
He laughed in response and ruffled her hair harder than granny. He also didn't tighten her ponytail back. "Zayne, she really is your daughter!"
"Jace, stop teasing them. You know just as well as I do that our son's carrot hatred is very influential."
Peony giggled behind her hand as she watched papa roll his eyes subtly. Granny and grandpa treated him like he, mommy and daddy treated her. It was very funny to watch.
Papa quickly changed the subject. "Let me help you carry your stuff inside and show you around."
"Zayne," grandpa started, leaving Peony with granny, "we stayed here last year, we don't need another house tour."
The two men disappeared into the house with the luggages, while Peony and granny still stood in the driveway. Granny grabbed the hem of Peony's dress and laughed softly. "It seems not only your socks are dirty, but your dress too. Is that a paint stain?"
Peony gasped. Her surprise gift was nearly found out! "Oh no! I must have dropped something when I was painting with daddy! But you're not allowed to know what it is yet!"
"Don't worry, Peony, I'll wait until you're ready to show me. And your dress will easily get cleaned, just give it to granny when you change into something new. But I wasn't aware you gave your papa a new nickname; I've never heard you call him daddy before."
"No, granny! Papa is papa and daddy is daddy, they're different! Daddy is my first father and he married mommy first, and papa married mommy second and is also Jasmine's father." Peony was surprised grandma had no idea about her daddy.
She was even more surprised when granny did not respond immediately. She seemed speechless for a few moments, but then she shook her head. "Ah, I understand. You were painting your daddy who didn't return from war."
Grandma was incredibly clueless! "No, granny, I wasn't painting him, I was painting with him! And daddy did come back from the war, he came back last month!"
"Really?" Why was grandma so surprised? Did she think he had died as well?
"Yes, granny! He—"
"Relax, dad. I'll bring everything else inside, please don't stress yourself. You know your back isn't what it used to be," papa interrupted as he stepped back outside, ready to bring in the other luggages.
"Papa!" She grabbed his hand before it could be occupied. "Granny didn't know daddy came back!" She leaned in closer on her tippy toes so she could whisper. "I think she thought he was dead. Does grandpa not know either?"
Papa gasped and straightened. "Peony!" He was shocked. This wasn't news to him, why did he act like this? Did he just now realize he forgot to tell his parents?
"What? What did I say?!"
Her papa breathed deeply, and exchanged a knowing look with granny as he slowly exhaled. Then he turned back to the girl who was now just as confused. "Princess, can you go tell mommy and daddy what you talked with granny?"
"Oh, yeah, that's easy!" She started to run back home. "Granny, I'm coming back soon!"
***
It was true that neither three of you thought too deeply of the plan to keep Sylus' identity hidden. Sylus didn't even contribute anything, and Zayne couldn't blame him for that. But perhaps either himself or you should have remembered to tell Peony of this half-baked idea as well. Standing before his confused mother, Zayne knew it was far too late to remember this very important detail.
"Zayne, is it true?"
His shoulders deflated. He could also already imagine Sylus' rich laugh when he learned he had won this dispute. "Yes, mom. Peony's father came back last month. He's been living with us ever since."
"Oh. She must be really happy to have her biological father finally in her life. How have you all been adjusting?"
His mother was a very gentle woman, and very careful with her words. But Zayne could understand their hidden meaning. She was concerned his family might have been shaken up by this arrival. He'd told her how Sylus' death had impacted both him, and you, how long you mourned after your first husband.
"All of us are really happy he's come back to us alive. We have adjusted well, and the presence of another parent in our family unit has greatly helped us take care of both girls. My wife has been relieved to have someone else to rely on while I'm working at the hospital. The past month has honestly been a blessing for our family." Zayne also chose his words carefully, enough to alleviate his mother's worries, but also still hide the newly developed dynamic between himself, you and Sylus. One shock at a time.
His mother nodded and sighed in relief. She smiled and expressed her own happiness hearing that such an important person for her son and his family came back from death. All in time for Zayne's father to come out, bewildered why his son hadn't come inside with the rest of their luggages.
"I feel like I missed something important, again," he said, looking between wife and son, both with expressions that hid something unknown to him.
Zayne guided his mother inside, and briefly caught up his father as well. He added how Sylus' identity was still at risk, and legally, he was still dead. He admitted how you two tried tried to keep this information from them, based on advice from the authorities, but forgot to inform Peony about this plan as well. The young girl had gotten close to her first father, and she had only been instructed to keep his return a secret from people outside of their family. Of course, grandma and grandpa were a part of that group which she considered safe to talk about Sylus with. Still, Zayne told his parents to keep this knowledge behind sealed lips, and both of them were eager to assure their son they won't say a word.
He didn't add anything about any marital concerns, nothing about any romantic relationship. At some point, he'll talk about his unique family, but both his parents should get to know Sylus first, before breaking the news that all three of them have found joy in a three-way relationship. They thought Zayne had been wholly uninterested in romance for a long time, both very surprised when they heard their son was going to be married. If marriage with a woman proved to be a surprise, a relationship with both his wife and her first husband will certainly be the biggest shock he'll have to break to his parents. But all in due time.
After explaining everything necessary, he let them rest a little and settle into their new home for the next month, and Zayne went back to check on his family.
The moment he stepped back inside, you and Sylus greeted him, one with a look of shared disappointment, the other with a subtle, proud smirk.
"We forgot to tell Peony…" you sighed heavily.
"We forgot to tell Peony," Zayne nodded, matching your sigh.
"And I don't have to pretend to be an imaginary cousin of myself, and we can continue our normal routine." Sylus shrugged. "Zayne, I'm certain your parents are lovely people. At least, that's who I expect to have raised such a wonderful man." As arrogant as Sylus could be, he also had a way to relax the people he cared for. A gentle kiss was left on the side of his neck, and Zayne felt a little more relieved.
How nice it was to be honest with each other's feelings, to no longer have to find excuses for why Sylus gave him butterflies. Zayne was finally free to simply receive affection from Sylus and bask in it.
***
It didn't take long until Althea and Jace Li came to visit your own house, and meet their newest granddaughter. They were both delighted to meet her, and quickly assess her healthy countenance. Althea noticed Jasmine had little chubby cheeks, just like her father did when he had been her age. Jace added she had the same toothless grin when her belly was full of milk as her father had when he was just a little baby. Both of his parents kept commenting their memories about their own little baby (your full grown man and husband who started to blush because of their embarrassing stories), and how much Jasmine seemed to resemble him at that age.
They finally stopped their adorable stories (you enjoyed them, Zayne did not), when Peony and Sylus entered the living room. Everything became silent for a moment, as your first husband and in-laws noticed each other for the first time.
"Mrs and Mr Li, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sylus, your daughter-in-law's first husband, Peony's father, and your son's companion during the war," Sylus introduced himself, extending his hand to shake it with both Althea and Jace.
"Pleasure to meet you, as well, Sylus," Jace replied, still shaking the other's hand. "Welcome back. Zayne told us how important you are for this family, we're very glad we had this chance to meet you."
"And now we can see who Peony takes after so much," Althea continued. "She really is a little copy of you."
You exhaled a breath you hadn't realized you were holding. This meeting went well, of course it did. Sylus knew how to be a gentleman when he wanted to. Getting to know your in-laws required his utmost grace. And to be fair, the Lis might become his parents-in-law as well, if the relationship between him and Zayne was going to go smoothly and be revealed to Althea and Jace.
He guided both doctors to take a seat on the couch, where Peony snuggled in between them, and continue their conversation. He spoke easily, and recounted a tale about Zayne during the war. It seemed he already knew how to act as the most pleasant of son's-in-law, even if the Lis couldn't suspect anything. But Sylus talked with great fondness about Zayne's companionship during those harsh months. Even Zayne himself noticed this level of praise from where he stood next to your rocking chair, and lowered his knowing gaze towards you. You barely hid your giggle.
Apparently, Sylus had a plan to win over Althea and Jace. He never intended to hide who he was or what he felt in front of them. Perhaps it was for the best that you never had a chance to lie to them about Sylus' identity.
If Xavier were to find out how many people already knew about Sylus, well… At least his innocent face could never truly turn intimidating. Bless his adorable, big, blue bunny eyes.
"Of course, there was no one else who I would have been more glad to have taken care of my family during all these years. Your son is a truly special man. I'm very happy the three of us can have this chance of raising our daughters together," Sylus continued his praise.
"You are very welcome into our family, Sylus," Althea said, "the more, the merrier. We look forward to getting to know you more during our stay here." She sat up, and like a little shadow, Peony got up after her grandma. "Now, I think it's time for me to bake my signature pie for the entire family. And you, my dear Zaynie, are not allowed to enter the kitchen and touch the sugar while I bake!"
Zayne cleared his throat and looked away. "Yes, mother."
It already felt so nice to have the Lis staying here for a full month.
Notes:I am so sorry it has taken me more than a month to update this fic! June has been a pretty busy month for me. I took about two weeks off from writing to focus on some other matters, then the heatwave attacked and I could barely get anything done (or have the energy to use my braincells to write), and when I finished the chapter and just had to edit it, Valko's cancellation was announced and it left me so dejected about LADS.
Initially, I wanted these author's notes to focus on my excitement about Valko's release, but if you've been in this fandom on any social media platform, you know the chaos that has led to this moment. I've never been so disappointed with this game before, and I really wish our efforts will be heard and taken into consideration to bring back our wolf boy! I wasn't even someone who was too excited about the arrival of a sixth love interest, Valko didn't impress me from the first teaser, but I admit how quickly I fell for him when I saw the trailers. It's clear how much effort has been put into creating him, it's such a shame that we won't get to experience any of it! So I dearly hope he'll come back to us.
With all that said, Sylus and Zayne are still my mains and my priority, but I still really like Valko. Even if he never comes back to us, I do have a plan to introduce him to this story like I did with Xavier, Rafayel and Caleb (in a platonic matter).
Sorry for rambling for so long in these notes, I simply had a lot of thoughts about the state of the game at the moment (I have many more, but there's no point in typing up a whole essay here). I'm just really hopeful this space can return to peace, and we can enjoy the original vision the developers had in store for us, with Valko.
(P.S. I know Zayne's surname comes from his mother, and Jace's last name is Ju, but I kept it simplified as them just being called the Lis. And I don't think Jace minds being Mr Li and taking his wife's last name.)
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
Tags: ValkoMC, SylusMC, CrowWolfMC, fluff, Valko clearly has a scent kink, but he's a werewolf so that's a given
Word Count: 458 words
What do you do when you have two boyfriends who are clingy beasts? Suffocate, apparently.
"Valko, get off of me! I need to get up!"
That didn't seem to convince the werewolf to let go of you. He was still sleepy, because both of you had just woken up. His beefy arm and fluffy tail were both wrapped around your body.
"Mmm, no," came his sleepy response, eyes closed and nose pressed tight in the crook of your neck. "You've today off. There's no reason to let you go when you smell so delicious."
He breathed you in deeply, and his tongue peeked out to lick your throat. "You sweated during the night. Your smell is so intense, how do you think I could let you go?" His hold onto you strengthened, and he nuzzled his whole face on the spot he previously licked.
"Eww, Valko," you swatted at him, too gently to actually make him stir a muscle. "Who's fault do you think it is?"
"Mine," he responded, and of course, he was nothing but proud.
The war was already lost, but a spark of hope flickered when the door of your bedroom opened, and Sylus stepped inside, dressed up for bedtime.
"Sylus, help me!"
"With what, sweetie?" his tone was smarmy, and he looked pleased seeing you plastered onto the bed.
"I need to get up and start my day, but Valko won't let go of me, he just wants to keep smelling me!" The offending werewolf had already fallen back asleep once he made sure you were tight in his embrace.
Sylus pondered your plea for a few seconds, before he made his way to the bed, and plopped onto it, encircling you on your previously empty side.
"Sylus, what are you doing, I thought you were going to help me!" The fiendish dragon had already gathered you tight as well, his arm slipping in between Valko's one and his tail.
"You slept all night with the mutt while I worked, and now when I come to sleep, you want to get up? Don't I deserve some sleepy cuddles with my soulmate as well?"
You wanted to be irritated by Sylus' teasing words, but his gentle kisses to your cheeks and temple placated you. He was being sweet, and yes, he did deserve to cuddle with you too. You loved cuddling with Sylus.
And yes, this was your day off, you could catch up on some sleep and relax with your lovers as well. After all, the bed was so soft, comfy and warm...
You were falling back asleep fast.
"Finally, some peace..." Valko's muttered words and kiss on your neck were the last things you remembered before falling back into the land of dreams.
Notes: Somehow, Valko ended up being the first LI outside of Sylus and Zayne that I've written in a romantic scene. As you can tell, he's been warmly welcomed into my harem. But don't worry, SnowCrow are still on top for me, Valko hasn't been able to dethrone them, but he is so silly and cute, and I already love him! This short idea popped into my head, and I just had to write it down. Speaking of short ideas, I do intend to push myself to write shorter things that I can post more frequently, because I have the tendency to stick with long ideas that take a long time to get out of WIP hell. My long fic should be updated pretty soon as well, I took a longer break than usual from writing to focus on some other stuff, but I have the next chapter almost done.
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: A conversation held with Caleb puts doubts in your mind; when you come back home, you're faced with two husbands acting weird with each other. What happened while you were gone?
Word Count: 5.7k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
Zayne didn't set an alarm for this morning. It was a Sunday, he didn't have to work, and the house was mostly empty. But still, his internal clock made him wake up early. He was used to Jasmine's waking hours, even if she wasn't here today. He had no baby to take care of as soon as his eyes opened. His girls were still gone far away from home.
But he wasn't completely alone. Sylus was still here. Actually, he was too here, pressed up against Zayne's back, his arms hugging him tightly. Somehow, as he slept, Sylus ended up making Zayne his cuddle buddy. He wasn't used to be held like this by anyone else other than you. But he supposed he would get used to it, if this new dynamic between him and Sylus were to continue. It wasn't unpleasant to be held in a much larger embrace than yours, but it was unusual.
Trying to get up proved to be harder than with you. Because as soon as Zayne lifted Sylus' arm from his waist, the other tightened his hold and pulled the doctor back down. "Where are you going?" Sylus grumbled, his face hidden in the crook of Zayne's neck.
"I was trying to go to the bathroom. And how did I become your sleep plushie?"
Zayne felt Sylus shrug behind his back. "Sweetie's not here to be held. You were the next best thing."
"Lovely…" Zayne sighed, relaxing back against the pillows. He wasn't going to escape this embrace until Sylus decided it was time to let go.
"I miss her," Sylus continued to mumble half-asleep. "She's much softer to hold. You're bony."
Zayne chuckled. "Yes, I do believe there are some physical differences between the two of us."
Sylus didn't respond. He had already fallen back asleep. It seemed doctor Zayne wouldn't get up from bed now either.
***
Eventually, both of them managed to pry themselves away from the bed. They went on with their usual morning routines, but everything felt unnatural. You and the kids weren't there. Safe to say, both men were going crazy without you and their daughters.
While Zayne was preparing breakfast, Sylus looked through the mail that arrived that morning: a new bill soon to be paid, the newspaper, a magazine you had ordered, some ads for local businesses, and a letter, penned by Althea and Jace Li.
Sylus discarded all the other mail on the entrance console table, and brought the letter with him in the kitchen. Stepping up behind Zayne, Sylus remembered that just a couple days ago, he'd done nearly the same action, trapping the doctor between him and the counter to sniff and interrogate him. But he no longer needed to suppress his feelings, so now he stepped forward, and hugged him from behind.
The other man jerked slightly, unused to this affection coming from Sylus. But he relaxed quickly, and Sylus pressed a kiss behind his ear, then let his head rest on his shoulder.
"You've got mail," Sylus said, holding up the letter.
Zayne wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and took the letter from Sylus' outstretched hand. "It's from my parents."
"I figured as much."
He opened it, took out the piece of paper and read it, still standing in Sylus' embrace. Eventually, the older man picked up his head, and read a few words over Zayne's shoulder, before he folded it back and placed it on a clean counter.
"My parents are coming to visit this Wednesday. They've finally finished their mission, and are taking a month long break to stay with us and help with the girls," Zayne said, turning around to look at Sylus, who finally let go of him.
"They're going to stay here?"
"Well, not quite here, but in my house." Ever since you and Zayne got engaged, he'd moved most of his stuff into the family home. The house he bought after the war ended, stood empty most of the time. "That had been the plan ever since we told my parents we were expecting a child. They promised to come and stay here for a longer period of time to help us with the baby. Originally, they were supposed to arrive here about a week before her due date, but they were caught up with a mission that took longer than expected, and they've only got free time now."
That seemed to have been a lovely plan, but…
"Don't you think you're forgetting something, doctor?"
Zayne sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, Sylus, what made you think I forgot about you? But I think this is something we need to discuss with our wife when she comes back home, and then figure out what we should do with your situation."
"Do they know anything about me?"
"Yes, they know my wife was a widow, her first husband and Peony's father dying in the war. I've also told them we used to be friends before your demise."
Sylus fell thinking with his chin in hand. "How long do you think we can keep my identity a secret from them? Because I'm not going to stop being a husband and father for a whole month."
Zayne had to sigh once more. "I'm hoping the whole month. Too many people already know about you, we can't include my parents as well."
"I'm going to be honest with you, Zayne. We'll be lucky if my identity remains a secret for more than a day."
Zayne didn't want to respond to Sylus' comment. He turned away and continued prepping their meal.
***
While the girls were still sleeping, you were awake, sipping a cup of coffee made by Caleb at his dining table, while he prepared breakfast. The pan was sizzling in the background, while your mind was going over yesterday's events.
Your poor grandma had become a frail, thin woman, her face riddled with wrinkles, and her movements shaky and slow. She could barely use her legs anymore, sitting in a wheelchair or in an armchair for most of the time. Her mind seemed to fare worse than her physical condition: she didn't remember you when you greeted her.
"Caleb, who's this lovely lady?" She had asked while you were holding her hands, her skin so thin that all the joints beneath it were poking against your palms.
"Granny, don't you remember your granddaughter? This is our lovely pipsqueak!" Caleb had come behind you and gently shook your shoulders as he answered. He tried to be funny and charming in front of your old caretaker, but you knew he moved so close just to be your anchor. He was still a part of her memories, while you weren't. What else did you expect after such a long time apart?
It took Josephine a few, long moments to blink repeatedly and look at you. Eventually, something seemed to connect inside her brain. "Oh, my dear, you've grown so much! I didn't recognize you!"
After a few explanations, you understood she must have still thought of you as a teenager, a version of yourself gone from a decade ago. She listened as you told her you were twenty nine years old, married, the owner and manager of an automobile shop, and the mother of two girls. You proceeded to reintroduce Peony, who she had completely forgotten. Even though you had previously explained to her that granny's mind didn't work all that well anymore, and she forgot a lot, your first daughter was still disappointed that her great grandmother didn't know who she was. You were grateful Caleb distracted her with his silly comments before she could truly get upset.
Last night, before she went to bed, you had a longer conversation with her about granny's condition, and why she couldn't remember a lot of people anymore. Peony was rightfully sad to come to terms with this reality, but it would have been worse to hide it from her. She was growing up faster than you would have wanted, but she had to be slowly and gently introduced to the harsher aspects of life. She already lived with the idea her father had died, and you don't even know for how long she had believed that.
Jasmine's introduction was easier, because she was just a baby who your granny cooed at. She said she was lovely and tiny, and looked like you when you were a baby. Granny never saw you as a baby. You were already eight years old when she had started to foster you and Caleb. You had no idea who she was confusing you with as a baby.
Caleb also let you know gently, that she didn't remember the three of you weren't actually related by blood. She fully thought she was your biological grandmother, and you and Caleb were her daughter's children. You didn't even know if she had any children, but she never talked about any relatives during your childhood. When you asked him, Caleb said he didn't know any other information either. His theory was that she must have fostered another girl during her youth, which she must have considered as her daughter.
After the girls went to bed, you and Caleb had a long talk about granny, planning for her inevitable funeral. In the end, you settled with Caleb that he'll take care of everything, if it happens while Jasmine was still an infant. She'll be buried in Linkon, beside her own parents. All her wealth, which she left in a will for the two of you, will be donated to research centres that are studying her condition and trying to find a cure. If there's anything left, it will be donated to orphanages and foster homes in need. For any family heirlooms, you'll be the first to look through them and keep whatever you want.
You both decided that for the rest of your trip, you won't talk about granny's eventual death anymore. You rarely got to spend time with Caleb nowadays, this weekend can't all be dedicated to impending grief and sadness.
"So, how's family life going now that your dead husband is no longer dead?" Caleb asked, still turned away from you as he worked on the stove. With that question, your thoughts returned to the present moment.
"It's wonderful." You put down the coffee, smiling as you remembered there's only a few more hours left before reuniting with your husbands. "Aside from the fact I no longer have to mourn Sylus, you don't know how relieved I am! It's so much easier to have one more person helping out around the house and with the kids. While Zayne has to go to work, Sylus stays home with me all day, he's always by my side so I don't have to do everything on my own!"
Caleb laughed gently. "Put them to work, pips. I took care of you all throughout our childhood, so make sure you still abide by the same standards I instilled in you, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, Caleb," you had to roll your eyes as you answered, "you can lay down your over-protectiveness, I'm not a girl anymore, I made sure to marry good men." You knew he wasn't too thrilled when he heard you were getting married right after finishing University. Sylus' intimidating appearance didn't help either. Even nowadays, Caleb still seemed to hold a little grudge against Sylus for making you a wife when you were still in your early twenties. You understood he just wanted to protect you from a potential bad match, but you had never been stupid enough to agree to marry a man who didn't seem to be a good husband.
A lot of times, it still felt like Caleb considered you a young, naive girl. Like you weren't a mature woman who ran her own household, had two children, and also managed the administrative work of a successful shop. Throughout your childhood, he tried to spoil you, in exchange for the hard and lonely first years of your life. Those years you lived them alone, without parents, without a foster guardian, without a slightly older Caleb who wanted to make you happy. Just another child in an orphanage, with no known relatives who could eventually pick you up into their household. Whoever your parents had been, they never wanted you and discarded you as soon as possible.
Although you weren't retrospective like this often, the lack of a family during your formative years left a wide, gaping hole, that was only filled when you created your own family. Perhaps that's why you and Sylus hurried to get married so quickly, still both so young, and have a child within the first year of your marriage. You wanted to become the mother you never had, be a loving parent towards your own children who will never know what it means to be alone and unwanted. Although a selfish want born out of childhood trauma, at least you were able to give Peony a happy childhood. She had everything you never did.
Caleb and grandma were nice and so good for you. But they still weren't what your young child heart craved. You wished you were wanted by your parents; you didn't want to be nobody's child anymore. Even grandma never adopted you or Caleb. You two simply had the opportunity to live in her house until both of you became adults and took life into your own hands.
He turned off the burner and scooped the fried eggs onto plates, along with some vegetables and a few pieces of deli meats. This breakfast was meant only for you and Caleb. Peony had expressed her desire for pancakes since last night, so Caleb would fry them once your little girl woke up.
"I know they're good men," Caleb continued where you left off, "but one of them is eventually going to feel betrayed. Have you thought which of them you'll choose?"
You blinked a few times, ignoring the plate Caleb left in front of you. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Sylus came back from the dead. Will you go back to being his wife and divorce Zayne, or are you still going to continue your marriage with him?" Caleb elaborated as he sat down at the kitchen table, ready to dig into his own breakfast.
"I'm Sylus' wife and Zayne's wife. And I'm not thinking of choosing any of them above the other. I didn't even get to bring this matter up myself, they settled this situation amongst themselves first. They agreed to share and keep the peace in our household while raising our children together."
"Really?" Somehow, Caleb still appeared sceptical. "They both seem quite possessive, I wouldn't have thought they'd come to such an… unconventional decision so fast."
You shrugged, finally starting your breakfast. "They might be, but I think they both value a quiet family life more than a romantic competition. Besides, they're very close friends since they fought together in the war, I'm sure they're also glad to have been reunited. For our family's sake, they chose to not challenge my marital status between the two of them."
You continued to eat while Caleb watched you. Your words still didn't convince him. "What, Caleb?" You reacted before he could say anything. Because you already knew he wanted to say something you wouldn't agree with.
"Nothing, I'm truly happy for you. It's just… doesn't it seem like it's too good to be true, pipsqueak?" He tilted his head a little, seemingly to ponder your situation. You, on the other hand, did not want to be frustrated because of him so early in the morning. "Sooner or later, maybe when the girls grow a little more, or when Sylus is legally alive again, they might not see eye to eye anymore. They'll both want you fully to themselves, like it was before a month ago. They're good friends, but for how long will they tolerate each other?"
You stabbed the egg yolk, the orange liquid spilling onto the egg white as you cut off another bite to stuff yourself with. If your mouth was full, you couldn't argue with Caleb. You loved him, of course you did, but he could be really annoying at times. He meant well. That's what you kept telling yourself as you chewed.
"I do hope both of them will think more about your family, but they're men. And they're both in love with you. I don't know if this is going to go just as easy at it is now."
You swallowed your food. "Well, then I'm not going to think about this potential situation until they express it to me. I already told you, it was their idea to share me. Any other changes in their needs and wants, they're free to tell me at any point! But I'm not going to stress over it while they comforted me that this wasn't a problem!"
You stood up, half your breakfast still uneaten. "I'm going to check on Jasmine, see if she woke up."
You left Caleb's kitchen before he could say anything else. Sylus and Zayne were different. They were family men first and foremost, and if they guaranteed you they won't force you to choose one over the other if you didn't want to, then you trusted them. Still, Caleb's words did make sense. This was an unconventional family dynamic.
Although it was an unpleasant thought, doubt tried to settle somewhere inside your mind, wondering for how long this familial peace will last.
***
The sun was setting, the sky transformed into a beautiful gradient of blue, purple and pink, as Caleb was driving back into the small town of Bloomshore. Peony was vibrating in her seat beside you, and if she hadn't been secured down by her seatbelt, you were sure she would be bouncing in place by now. As fun as their little trip was, Peony missed her home, her plethora of toys and books, and most of all, her fathers. She was eager to tell them all she saw in Skyhaven, especially the zoo you had visited earlier in the day.
Thankfully, for both her and you, home and Sylus and Zayne were only a few minutes away. Jasmine was probably going to be content to settle back in her own crib and be held by her dads as well, although at the moment, she made little noises every time she heard her older sister talking.
Approaching your house, you saw the front door open, and your two beloved husbands walked outside on the porch, waving as soon as they spotted Caleb's car down the road.
"Papa! Daddy!" Peony shouted, rolling down her window and sticking out her hand to wave back at them. Jasmine cooed and kicked her little arms and legs in her car seat, trying to mimic her sister's excitement.
It felt so good to be back home.
Caleb parked and turned off the engine. "We've landed back to base."
Peony detached her seatbelt, and flew out of the car, racing towards her fathers who were already walking over. "Aaaaand, she's off," Caleb chuckled as both of you watched Peony jump into Sylus' arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.
Zayne came to your passenger door, opened it and took Jasmine out of her car seat.
"Hi!" you giggled, stepping outside in front of your dear partner, who's face was beaming with tenderness as he nuzzled his little, squirmy baby.
"Hi, my love," he replied with the softest of voices, leaning down to leave a kiss on top of your head. "I've missed you," he whispered against your hair.
"I missed you too."
The short moment of tenderness was interrupted as Peony shouted: "Papa, I saw penguins today!"
She had left Sylus' side, who came up to free Zayne's hands so he could hug the older girl as well. Sylus held a very giggly Jasmine, who reached out to pat her uncoordinated hands onto his face. He laughed softly: "I missed you too, littlest flower." Then his gaze turned to you. "And you sweetie, don't leave your poor, old husband's side for such a long time again."
"It hasn't even been two days!" you laughed, being gathered into Sylus' side embrace as he held both you and Jasmine.
"Still too long," his reply came together with a small peck on your lips.
***
For as relieved as you felt when you came back home, it appeared to not last for too long. As you, the girls and Caleb settled into the house, the atmosphere started to feel… a little awkward. After every greeting was exchanged and the excitement of reunion died down, you noticed quick, suspicious glances between Sylus and Zayne.
And as they prepared dinner, you also noticed how little they talked to each other. There was no usual banter, no sarcastic quips that would elicit a laugh out of you or Peony, only the bare minimum of words needed to get dinner ready. It was so strange. They barely looked at each other or communicated, they acted as if the other's presence was making them uncomfortable!
It became even worse and more obvious as all of you ate. While Peony and Caleb talked about what happened during your Skyhaven trip, Sylus and Zayne avoided each other as if they both carried contagious diseases. Once, when Sylus asked for the salt shaker, which was closest to the doctor, Zayne gave it to him as he always did. Your first husband jumped in place and dropped the salt as his fingertips barely touched Zayne's outstretched hand. They both instantly looked away from each other after the incident. That's when you noticed a little bruise peeking out of Zayne's turtleneck.
What the hell happened with the two of them while you were away for barely thirty six hours?! Did they get into a fight, is that why Zayne appeared wounded? Why would they fight?
You remembered the conversation you had with Caleb at breakfast. The fact that they're possessive men, that it seems too good to be true that they'd agree to share a wife. Without you and the kids at home, did they perhaps drop all pretences and got into a fight over you? That didn't seem like something they'd do, but… what else could have happened? What led to them acting so strangely to each other? Why is Zayne's neck bruised?
Dread started to settle in the pits of your stomach, and you suddenly couldn't eat anything anymore. Well… it was nice while it lasted. No matter how strong their friendship was, they still wanted to have their wife to themselves. It made sense, of course it did.
But you wanted both of them equally. You knew you were too greedy for desiring the love of two men at the same time. It seemed they had enough of your greed.
You knew you were in the wrong here, but why couldn't they understand it was possible to love two different people at the same time? Why must you choose?
After dinner ended, Caleb drove off to meet with Gideon and sleep at his place. They both planned to spend a little more time between close friends while Caleb was in Linkon. Now that you and your family were no longer hosts, you hoped Sylus and Zayne would explain what was happening between them.
That hope became true after the girls were put to sleep. They guided you into the bedroom, and said: "We need to talk."
You sighed heavily. Here goes nothing and everything. The end of your dreams was coming to a sudden finish.
As you settled on the bed, the two men followed, sitting in front of you.
"There's something that occurred yesterday," Zayne started. You already knew what he was going to say next.
So that's why you didn't let him. "Yeah, I could tell. You two have been acting weird ever since I came back." Another dejected sigh left your throat. "I suppose I did see it coming, so I understand."
Both of their eyes widened in shock, and the two of them shared confused glances before looking back at you. "Sweetie, what do you mean you saw it coming?"
You rolled your eyes. "It was obvious, Caleb noticed it even sooner than I did. We actually talked about it this morning." You hated that he was right, but you chewed that statement along with the inside of your cheek.
"What?" Zayne asked as his ears and apple of his cheeks reddened.
Sylus raised a brow, and blinked in confusion. "How did your brother saw it before you did?"
"He's a man, he knows how other men work. He told me your friendship wouldn't be enough, both of you are possessive men, it was bound to happen sooner or later," you explained, even though you were loathe to talk about it. It was strange that they acted so flustered about it all though. Both of them were blushing now, and Zayne's nervous tick of blinking quickly was working overtime.
"Well, it seems your brother has a rather acute sense… But," Sylus pushed again, still confused about your words, "he only saw us two days ago for a few hours. How did he reach a conclusion before even me and Zayne, the men in question, realized the answer?"
You scratched at the back of your neck. You wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible. "Maybe because he's still overprotective of me, and it seemed too good to be true that both of you would agree to share a wife. He knew you two won't last like this for long, so I was expecting it too."
Even more confused glances were shared between your feuding husbands. Zayne cleared his throat and said: "But we will still continue to share you as a wife. You are the most important person in our relationship, this would have never happened if we weren't both married to you and ardently in love with you. But if it makes you so uncomfortable, be certain that our mutual attraction will never be brought up again and we will go back to how our relationship had been developing for the last weeks."
"Mutual attraction?" Now it was your turn to be confused and to raise your eyebrows.
The confusion continued now threefold, as all of you three seemed to not understand what was being discussed.
"Yes? Is that not what we were talking about?" Zayne questioned, inching closer to hold your hand and caress it.
"You already said Caleb could tell we were attracted to each other, so why are you confused, kitten?"
"Wait, who's attracted to who?" Your head snapped from one to another to look at them. "I feel like I'm misunderstanding something."
"I'm attracted to Zayne," Sylus pointed from himself to the other man, "and Zayne is attracted to me," he pointed in reverse as Zayne nodded.
You blinked, several times, trying to understand what your husbands were talking about. Weren't they fighting over you a few hours ago?
"Since when?" you asked, unsure of where to even begin trying to sort out your mind.
"We're not really sure, but let's place that morning when we all had sex as the beginning. But we only admitted our feelings, even to ourselves, yesterday evening." Zayne was still caressing your hand as he spoke.
Your mouth hanged open. What… Thoughts seemed to scramble over each other in your overwhelmed brain. "I thought you two were fighting over me. I thought you broke your agreement to share me as a wife… Were we not talking about that?"
Sylus chuckled and flicked your forehead gently. "Sweetie, I think only you and Caleb were talking about that. It seems we should have been clearer from the beginning. We wanted to tell you that me and Zayne also harbour feelings for each other and for you. We wanted to ask you if you would be comfortable if we pursued each other as well in this relationship."
"Think of it like a love triangle that is fully complete on all sides", Zayne added. "That is what we were imagining this new dynamic could look like, if and only if, you are comfortable with it. You must know you are the most important person in our life, along with our daughters. We are still very content to only be friends."
Once more you looked around, and this time, you truly took in their words. It still seemed so unbelievable that this was the conclusion they settled on. It also appears Caleb was worse than wrong in his assumptions.
"So you haven't fought over me?" You asked one last time just to make sure. They shook their heads in tandem. "Then why is there a bruise on Zayne's neck?"
The doctor quickly slapped a hand over the side of his neck, the blush coming back in full force as he scrutinized the other man. Sylus smirked, seemingly triumphant, before he replied: "I bit him."
"Why?" You looked back at Zayne, but he was still hiding the bruise.
"As if I hadn't done that before to you too, kitten."
You stood on your knees and bent over Zayne to peel the hand off his neck. Up close with the bruise… "Did you give him a hickey?!"
Sylus laughed again in the background, which was enough of an answer for you, while Zayne avoided any eye contact. "To determine if we really had romantic inclinations for each other, we experimented a little. It started with an innocent kiss, but…"
"But it ended with a full-blown make out and a hickey as a memory?" you completed for him.
"How did you know?" Flustered, Zayne finally looked back at you.
You shrugged, finally letting go of Zayne. "I know how Sylus kisses. It's hard to resist going further with him when he leaves me breathless."
Sylus smirked and moved closer to embrace you from behind. "Thank you, sweetie," he spoke beneath your ear, where he left a gentle peck. Then his eyes snapped upwards towards Zayne. "I told you she liked it."
The doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn't continue fuelling Sylus' ego. "So, now that we are on the same page, and you understand what is going on between me and Sylus, where should we go from here?"
You replayed the evening's events with the new information you gathered. In hindsight, it did make sense that their actions were based upon the shyness of new feelings, and perhaps fear for your reaction, and not hatred towards each other. Even the graze of fingertips reminded them of the passion they must have shared yesterday, leaving them flustered. Honestly, you were relieved this is what caused their unexplainable awkwardness.
"Wherever you two want to go, as long as you tell me too. I have no problem with you two trying things with each other, it seems fair in my eyes. You let me pursue both of you, so I don't see why I would reject the inverse. Actually, I'm really glad you two have become so close. I feel like you understand where I stand too, loving both of you equally."
You saw Zayne smile, and the tension in his shoulders leaving. Sylus relaxed behind you too, his head falling content on your shoulder.
"So, you have no objection towards us being in a romantic relationship as well?" Zayne asked once more, perhaps a little surprised you were so quick to welcome this new dynamic.
You shrugged and shook your head. "No. It seems completely fair considering I was already with both of you at the same time. I'm looking forward to discovering new things for all three of us like this. I just didn't know you two were into men as well."
"It didn't really matter before, because neither of us have ever been with men in our past, and both of us had our first serious relationship with you," Sylus said. "These feelings for each other wouldn't have ever arisen, if we weren't both married to you and already agreed to share you. It's a bit of a special situation."
It truly was. It also seemed too good to be true, but that didn't matter anymore. Plenty of things have already happened that seemed too good to be true, but they were true; Sylus' return from death topping that list. There was no need to worry, because every time you did, your two husbands proved your worries wrong. They were yours and they loved you, when will you learn to not doubt their actions? All they did, they did it with you and the girls in mind first.
If you hadn't realized they were extraordinary men, you wouldn't have married them. As much as Caleb worried for your safety and happiness, you had never been a naive kid. Because of the loneliness in your early childhood, you learned who you could trust and who not. Although after you met Caleb he took care of you and sheltered you, those instincts you learned as a young girl nobody wanted, helped you navigate the relationships you formed as an adult.
Sylus and Zayne were the best of people. That's why you were proud to call them yours and treasure them in your family. You jumped onto Zayne and kissed him with all the fervour you couldn't express for the last day. How great it was to be home, your lips and tongue tangled with his. As soon as you finished with him, leaving him starstruck, you turned to attack Sylus. He grabbed before you could, and crashed his lips onto yours, devouring your breath along with your gasp.
When you detached from him and fell on your back, pleased to meet with your plushy mattress again, Zayne grabbed the back of Sylus' neck and kissed him with the passion you knew he always carried just below the surface of a calm surgeon. You laid there between their thighs, watching them use the technics they always used on you, now directed on each other.
They looked so right with one another, tangled in ardour as they tasted each other's mouth. You could watch them love each other all day long. The men you loved wanted to be with each other as well. Your heart soared with happiness.
It truly felt too good to be true. You were so glad it actually was real.
Notes: SnowCrowMC is now officially formed! Still, even if the three of them are now happy in a single relationship, we're still far from done with their story. So I hope you're still looking forward to what's in store for Sylus, Zayne and MC, and what trials and tribulations they'll face until Sylus can be legally alive.
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: A conversation held with Caleb puts doubts in your mind; when you come back home, you're faced with two husbands acting weird with each other. What happened while you were gone?
Word Count: 5.7k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
Zayne didn't set an alarm for this morning. It was a Sunday, he didn't have to work, and the house was mostly empty. But still, his internal clock made him wake up early. He was used to Jasmine's waking hours, even if she wasn't here today. He had no baby to take care of as soon as his eyes opened. His girls were still gone far away from home.
But he wasn't completely alone. Sylus was still here. Actually, he was too here, pressed up against Zayne's back, his arms hugging him tightly. Somehow, as he slept, Sylus ended up making Zayne his cuddle buddy. He wasn't used to be held like this by anyone else other than you. But he supposed he would get used to it, if this new dynamic between him and Sylus were to continue. It wasn't unpleasant to be held in a much larger embrace than yours, but it was unusual.
Trying to get up proved to be harder than with you. Because as soon as Zayne lifted Sylus' arm from his waist, the other tightened his hold and pulled the doctor back down. "Where are you going?" Sylus grumbled, his face hidden in the crook of Zayne's neck.
"I was trying to go to the bathroom. And how did I become your sleep plushie?"
Zayne felt Sylus shrug behind his back. "Sweetie's not here to be held. You were the next best thing."
"Lovely…" Zayne sighed, relaxing back against the pillows. He wasn't going to escape this embrace until Sylus decided it was time to let go.
"I miss her," Sylus continued to mumble half-asleep. "She's much softer to hold. You're bony."
Zayne chuckled. "Yes, I do believe there are some physical differences between the two of us."
Sylus didn't respond. He had already fallen back asleep. It seemed doctor Zayne wouldn't get up from bed now either.
***
Eventually, both of them managed to pry themselves away from the bed. They went on with their usual morning routines, but everything felt unnatural. You and the kids weren't there. Safe to say, both men were going crazy without you and their daughters.
While Zayne was preparing breakfast, Sylus looked through the mail that arrived that morning: a new bill soon to be paid, the newspaper, a magazine you had ordered, some ads for local businesses, and a letter, penned by Althea and Jace Li.
Sylus discarded all the other mail on the entrance console table, and brought the letter with him in the kitchen. Stepping up behind Zayne, Sylus remembered that just a couple days ago, he'd done nearly the same action, trapping the doctor between him and the counter to sniff and interrogate him. But he no longer needed to suppress his feelings, so now he stepped forward, and hugged him from behind.
The other man jerked slightly, unused to this affection coming from Sylus. But he relaxed quickly, and Sylus pressed a kiss behind his ear, then let his head rest on his shoulder.
"You've got mail," Sylus said, holding up the letter.
Zayne wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and took the letter from Sylus' outstretched hand. "It's from my parents."
"I figured as much."
He opened it, took out the piece of paper and read it, still standing in Sylus' embrace. Eventually, the older man picked up his head, and read a few words over Zayne's shoulder, before he folded it back and placed it on a clean counter.
"My parents are coming to visit this Wednesday. They've finally finished their mission, and are taking a month long break to stay with us and help with the girls," Zayne said, turning around to look at Sylus, who finally let go of him.
"They're going to stay here?"
"Well, not quite here, but in my house." Ever since you and Zayne got engaged, he'd moved most of his stuff into the family home. The house he bought after the war ended, stood empty most of the time. "That had been the plan ever since we told my parents we were expecting a child. They promised to come and stay here for a longer period of time to help us with the baby. Originally, they were supposed to arrive here about a week before her due date, but they were caught up with a mission that took longer than expected, and they've only got free time now."
That seemed to have been a lovely plan, but…
"Don't you think you're forgetting something, doctor?"
Zayne sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, Sylus, what made you think I forgot about you? But I think this is something we need to discuss with our wife when she comes back home, and then figure out what we should do with your situation."
"Do they know anything about me?"
"Yes, they know my wife was a widow, her first husband and Peony's father dying in the war. I've also told them we used to be friends before your demise."
Sylus fell thinking with his chin in hand. "How long do you think we can keep my identity a secret from them? Because I'm not going to stop being a husband and father for a whole month."
Zayne had to sigh once more. "I'm hoping the whole month. Too many people already know about you, we can't include my parents as well."
"I'm going to be honest with you, Zayne. We'll be lucky if my identity remains a secret for more than a day."
Zayne didn't want to respond to Sylus' comment. He turned away and continued prepping their meal.
***
While the girls were still sleeping, you were awake, sipping a cup of coffee made by Caleb at his dining table, while he prepared breakfast. The pan was sizzling in the background, while your mind was going over yesterday's events.
Your poor grandma had become a frail, thin woman, her face riddled with wrinkles, and her movements shaky and slow. She could barely use her legs anymore, sitting in a wheelchair or in an armchair for most of the time. Her mind seemed to fare worse than her physical condition: she didn't remember you when you greeted her.
"Caleb, who's this lovely lady?" She had asked while you were holding her hands, her skin so thin that all the joints beneath it were poking against your palms.
"Granny, don't you remember your granddaughter? This is our lovely pipsqueak!" Caleb had come behind you and gently shook your shoulders as he answered. He tried to be funny and charming in front of your old caretaker, but you knew he moved so close just to be your anchor. He was still a part of her memories, while you weren't. What else did you expect after such a long time apart?
It took Josephine a few, long moments to blink repeatedly and look at you. Eventually, something seemed to connect inside her brain. "Oh, my dear, you've grown so much! I didn't recognize you!"
After a few explanations, you understood she must have still thought of you as a teenager, a version of yourself gone from a decade ago. She listened as you told her you were twenty nine years old, married, the owner and manager of an automobile shop, and the mother of two girls. You proceeded to reintroduce Peony, who she had completely forgotten. Even though you had previously explained to her that granny's mind didn't work all that well anymore, and she forgot a lot, your first daughter was still disappointed that her great grandmother didn't know who she was. You were grateful Caleb distracted her with his silly comments before she could truly get upset.
Last night, before she went to bed, you had a longer conversation with her about granny's condition, and why she couldn't remember a lot of people anymore. Peony was rightfully sad to come to terms with this reality, but it would have been worse to hide it from her. She was growing up faster than you would have wanted, but she had to be slowly and gently introduced to the harsher aspects of life. She already lived with the idea her father had died, and you don't even know for how long she had believed that.
Jasmine's introduction was easier, because she was just a baby who your granny cooed at. She said she was lovely and tiny, and looked like you when you were a baby. Granny never saw you as a baby. You were already eight years old when she had started to foster you and Caleb. You had no idea who she was confusing you with as a baby.
Caleb also let you know gently, that she didn't remember the three of you weren't actually related by blood. She fully thought she was your biological grandmother, and you and Caleb were her daughter's children. You didn't even know if she had any children, but she never talked about any relatives during your childhood. When you asked him, Caleb said he didn't know any other information either. His theory was that she must have fostered another girl during her youth, which she must have considered as her daughter.
After the girls went to bed, you and Caleb had a long talk about granny, planning for her inevitable funeral. In the end, you settled with Caleb that he'll take care of everything, if it happens while Jasmine was still an infant. She'll be buried in Linkon, beside her own parents. All her wealth, which she left in a will for the two of you, will be donated to research centres that are studying her condition and trying to find a cure. If there's anything left, it will be donated to orphanages and foster homes in need. For any family heirlooms, you'll be the first to look through them and keep whatever you want.
You both decided that for the rest of your trip, you won't talk about granny's eventual death anymore. You rarely got to spend time with Caleb nowadays, this weekend can't all be dedicated to impending grief and sadness.
"So, how's family life going now that your dead husband is no longer dead?" Caleb asked, still turned away from you as he worked on the stove. With that question, your thoughts returned to the present moment.
"It's wonderful." You put down the coffee, smiling as you remembered there's only a few more hours left before reuniting with your husbands. "Aside from the fact I no longer have to mourn Sylus, you don't know how relieved I am! It's so much easier to have one more person helping out around the house and with the kids. While Zayne has to go to work, Sylus stays home with me all day, he's always by my side so I don't have to do everything on my own!"
Caleb laughed gently. "Put them to work, pips. I took care of you all throughout our childhood, so make sure you still abide by the same standards I instilled in you, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, Caleb," you had to roll your eyes as you answered, "you can lay down your over-protectiveness, I'm not a girl anymore, I made sure to marry good men." You knew he wasn't too thrilled when he heard you were getting married right after finishing University. Sylus' intimidating appearance didn't help either. Even nowadays, Caleb still seemed to hold a little grudge against Sylus for making you a wife when you were still in your early twenties. You understood he just wanted to protect you from a potential bad match, but you had never been stupid enough to agree to marry a man who didn't seem to be a good husband.
A lot of times, it still felt like Caleb considered you a young, naive girl. Like you weren't a mature woman who ran her own household, had two children, and also managed the administrative work of a successful shop. Throughout your childhood, he tried to spoil you, in exchange for the hard and lonely first years of your life. Those years you lived them alone, without parents, without a foster guardian, without a slightly older Caleb who wanted to make you happy. Just another child in an orphanage, with no known relatives who could eventually pick you up into their household. Whoever your parents had been, they never wanted you and discarded you as soon as possible.
Although you weren't retrospective like this often, the lack of a family during your formative years left a wide, gaping hole, that was only filled when you created your own family. Perhaps that's why you and Sylus hurried to get married so quickly, still both so young, and have a child within the first year of your marriage. You wanted to become the mother you never had, be a loving parent towards your own children who will never know what it means to be alone and unwanted. Although a selfish want born out of childhood trauma, at least you were able to give Peony a happy childhood. She had everything you never did.
Caleb and grandma were nice and so good for you. But they still weren't what your young child heart craved. You wished you were wanted by your parents; you didn't want to be nobody's child anymore. Even grandma never adopted you or Caleb. You two simply had the opportunity to live in her house until both of you became adults and took life into your own hands.
He turned off the burner and scooped the fried eggs onto plates, along with some vegetables and a few pieces of deli meats. This breakfast was meant only for you and Caleb. Peony had expressed her desire for pancakes since last night, so Caleb would fry them once your little girl woke up.
"I know they're good men," Caleb continued where you left off, "but one of them is eventually going to feel betrayed. Have you thought which of them you'll choose?"
You blinked a few times, ignoring the plate Caleb left in front of you. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Sylus came back from the dead. Will you go back to being his wife and divorce Zayne, or are you still going to continue your marriage with him?" Caleb elaborated as he sat down at the kitchen table, ready to dig into his own breakfast.
"I'm Sylus' wife and Zayne's wife. And I'm not thinking of choosing any of them above the other. I didn't even get to bring this matter up myself, they settled this situation amongst themselves first. They agreed to share and keep the peace in our household while raising our children together."
"Really?" Somehow, Caleb still appeared sceptical. "They both seem quite possessive, I wouldn't have thought they'd come to such an… unconventional decision so fast."
You shrugged, finally starting your breakfast. "They might be, but I think they both value a quiet family life more than a romantic competition. Besides, they're very close friends since they fought together in the war, I'm sure they're also glad to have been reunited. For our family's sake, they chose to not challenge my marital status between the two of them."
You continued to eat while Caleb watched you. Your words still didn't convince him. "What, Caleb?" You reacted before he could say anything. Because you already knew he wanted to say something you wouldn't agree with.
"Nothing, I'm truly happy for you. It's just… doesn't it seem like it's too good to be true, pipsqueak?" He tilted his head a little, seemingly to ponder your situation. You, on the other hand, did not want to be frustrated because of him so early in the morning. "Sooner or later, maybe when the girls grow a little more, or when Sylus is legally alive again, they might not see eye to eye anymore. They'll both want you fully to themselves, like it was before a month ago. They're good friends, but for how long will they tolerate each other?"
You stabbed the egg yolk, the orange liquid spilling onto the egg white as you cut off another bite to stuff yourself with. If your mouth was full, you couldn't argue with Caleb. You loved him, of course you did, but he could be really annoying at times. He meant well. That's what you kept telling yourself as you chewed.
"I do hope both of them will think more about your family, but they're men. And they're both in love with you. I don't know if this is going to go just as easy at it is now."
You swallowed your food. "Well, then I'm not going to think about this potential situation until they express it to me. I already told you, it was their idea to share me. Any other changes in their needs and wants, they're free to tell me at any point! But I'm not going to stress over it while they comforted me that this wasn't a problem!"
You stood up, half your breakfast still uneaten. "I'm going to check on Jasmine, see if she woke up."
You left Caleb's kitchen before he could say anything else. Sylus and Zayne were different. They were family men first and foremost, and if they guaranteed you they won't force you to choose one over the other if you didn't want to, then you trusted them. Still, Caleb's words did make sense. This was an unconventional family dynamic.
Although it was an unpleasant thought, doubt tried to settle somewhere inside your mind, wondering for how long this familial peace will last.
***
The sun was setting, the sky transformed into a beautiful gradient of blue, purple and pink, as Caleb was driving back into the small town of Bloomshore. Peony was vibrating in her seat beside you, and if she hadn't been secured down by her seatbelt, you were sure she would be bouncing in place by now. As fun as their little trip was, Peony missed her home, her plethora of toys and books, and most of all, her fathers. She was eager to tell them all she saw in Skyhaven, especially the zoo you had visited earlier in the day.
Thankfully, for both her and you, home and Sylus and Zayne were only a few minutes away. Jasmine was probably going to be content to settle back in her own crib and be held by her dads as well, although at the moment, she made little noises every time she heard her older sister talking.
Approaching your house, you saw the front door open, and your two beloved husbands walked outside on the porch, waving as soon as they spotted Caleb's car down the road.
"Papa! Daddy!" Peony shouted, rolling down her window and sticking out her hand to wave back at them. Jasmine cooed and kicked her little arms and legs in her car seat, trying to mimic her sister's excitement.
It felt so good to be back home.
Caleb parked and turned off the engine. "We've landed back to base."
Peony detached her seatbelt, and flew out of the car, racing towards her fathers who were already walking over. "Aaaaand, she's off," Caleb chuckled as both of you watched Peony jump into Sylus' arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.
Zayne came to your passenger door, opened it and took Jasmine out of her car seat.
"Hi!" you giggled, stepping outside in front of your dear partner, who's face was beaming with tenderness as he nuzzled his little, squirmy baby.
"Hi, my love," he replied with the softest of voices, leaning down to leave a kiss on top of your head. "I've missed you," he whispered against your hair.
"I missed you too."
The short moment of tenderness was interrupted as Peony shouted: "Papa, I saw penguins today!"
She had left Sylus' side, who came up to free Zayne's hands so he could hug the older girl as well. Sylus held a very giggly Jasmine, who reached out to pat her uncoordinated hands onto his face. He laughed softly: "I missed you too, littlest flower." Then his gaze turned to you. "And you sweetie, don't leave your poor, old husband's side for such a long time again."
"It hasn't even been two days!" you laughed, being gathered into Sylus' side embrace as he held both you and Jasmine.
"Still too long," his reply came together with a small peck on your lips.
***
For as relieved as you felt when you came back home, it appeared to not last for too long. As you, the girls and Caleb settled into the house, the atmosphere started to feel… a little awkward. After every greeting was exchanged and the excitement of reunion died down, you noticed quick, suspicious glances between Sylus and Zayne.
And as they prepared dinner, you also noticed how little they talked to each other. There was no usual banter, no sarcastic quips that would elicit a laugh out of you or Peony, only the bare minimum of words needed to get dinner ready. It was so strange. They barely looked at each other or communicated, they acted as if the other's presence was making them uncomfortable!
It became even worse and more obvious as all of you ate. While Peony and Caleb talked about what happened during your Skyhaven trip, Sylus and Zayne avoided each other as if they both carried contagious diseases. Once, when Sylus asked for the salt shaker, which was closest to the doctor, Zayne gave it to him as he always did. Your first husband jumped in place and dropped the salt as his fingertips barely touched Zayne's outstretched hand. They both instantly looked away from each other after the incident. That's when you noticed a little bruise peeking out of Zayne's turtleneck.
What the hell happened with the two of them while you were away for barely thirty six hours?! Did they get into a fight, is that why Zayne appeared wounded? Why would they fight?
You remembered the conversation you had with Caleb at breakfast. The fact that they're possessive men, that it seems too good to be true that they'd agree to share a wife. Without you and the kids at home, did they perhaps drop all pretences and got into a fight over you? That didn't seem like something they'd do, but… what else could have happened? What led to them acting so strangely to each other? Why is Zayne's neck bruised?
Dread started to settle in the pits of your stomach, and you suddenly couldn't eat anything anymore. Well… it was nice while it lasted. No matter how strong their friendship was, they still wanted to have their wife to themselves. It made sense, of course it did.
But you wanted both of them equally. You knew you were too greedy for desiring the love of two men at the same time. It seemed they had enough of your greed.
You knew you were in the wrong here, but why couldn't they understand it was possible to love two different people at the same time? Why must you choose?
After dinner ended, Caleb drove off to meet with Gideon and sleep at his place. They both planned to spend a little more time between close friends while Caleb was in Linkon. Now that you and your family were no longer hosts, you hoped Sylus and Zayne would explain what was happening between them.
That hope became true after the girls were put to sleep. They guided you into the bedroom, and said: "We need to talk."
You sighed heavily. Here goes nothing and everything. The end of your dreams was coming to a sudden finish.
As you settled on the bed, the two men followed, sitting in front of you.
"There's something that occurred yesterday," Zayne started. You already knew what he was going to say next.
So that's why you didn't let him. "Yeah, I could tell. You two have been acting weird ever since I came back." Another dejected sigh left your throat. "I suppose I did see it coming, so I understand."
Both of their eyes widened in shock, and the two of them shared confused glances before looking back at you. "Sweetie, what do you mean you saw it coming?"
You rolled your eyes. "It was obvious, Caleb noticed it even sooner than I did. We actually talked about it this morning." You hated that he was right, but you chewed that statement along with the inside of your cheek.
"What?" Zayne asked as his ears and apple of his cheeks reddened.
Sylus raised a brow, and blinked in confusion. "How did your brother saw it before you did?"
"He's a man, he knows how other men work. He told me your friendship wouldn't be enough, both of you are possessive men, it was bound to happen sooner or later," you explained, even though you were loathe to talk about it. It was strange that they acted so flustered about it all though. Both of them were blushing now, and Zayne's nervous tick of blinking quickly was working overtime.
"Well, it seems your brother has a rather acute sense… But," Sylus pushed again, still confused about your words, "he only saw us two days ago for a few hours. How did he reach a conclusion before even me and Zayne, the men in question, realized the answer?"
You scratched at the back of your neck. You wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible. "Maybe because he's still overprotective of me, and it seemed too good to be true that both of you would agree to share a wife. He knew you two won't last like this for long, so I was expecting it too."
Even more confused glances were shared between your feuding husbands. Zayne cleared his throat and said: "But we will still continue to share you as a wife. You are the most important person in our relationship, this would have never happened if we weren't both married to you and ardently in love with you. But if it makes you so uncomfortable, be certain that our mutual attraction will never be brought up again and we will go back to how our relationship had been developing for the last weeks."
"Mutual attraction?" Now it was your turn to be confused and to raise your eyebrows.
The confusion continued now threefold, as all of you three seemed to not understand what was being discussed.
"Yes? Is that not what we were talking about?" Zayne questioned, inching closer to hold your hand and caress it.
"You already said Caleb could tell we were attracted to each other, so why are you confused, kitten?"
"Wait, who's attracted to who?" Your head snapped from one to another to look at them. "I feel like I'm misunderstanding something."
"I'm attracted to Zayne," Sylus pointed from himself to the other man, "and Zayne is attracted to me," he pointed in reverse as Zayne nodded.
You blinked, several times, trying to understand what your husbands were talking about. Weren't they fighting over you a few hours ago?
"Since when?" you asked, unsure of where to even begin trying to sort out your mind.
"We're not really sure, but let's place that morning when we all had sex as the beginning. But we only admitted our feelings, even to ourselves, yesterday evening." Zayne was still caressing your hand as he spoke.
Your mouth hanged open. What… Thoughts seemed to scramble over each other in your overwhelmed brain. "I thought you two were fighting over me. I thought you broke your agreement to share me as a wife… Were we not talking about that?"
Sylus chuckled and flicked your forehead gently. "Sweetie, I think only you and Caleb were talking about that. It seems we should have been clearer from the beginning. We wanted to tell you that me and Zayne also harbour feelings for each other and for you. We wanted to ask you if you would be comfortable if we pursued each other as well in this relationship."
"Think of it like a love triangle that is fully complete on all sides", Zayne added. "That is what we were imagining this new dynamic could look like, if and only if, you are comfortable with it. You must know you are the most important person in our life, along with our daughters. We are still very content to only be friends."
Once more you looked around, and this time, you truly took in their words. It still seemed so unbelievable that this was the conclusion they settled on. It also appears Caleb was worse than wrong in his assumptions.
"So you haven't fought over me?" You asked one last time just to make sure. They shook their heads in tandem. "Then why is there a bruise on Zayne's neck?"
The doctor quickly slapped a hand over the side of his neck, the blush coming back in full force as he scrutinized the other man. Sylus smirked, seemingly triumphant, before he replied: "I bit him."
"Why?" You looked back at Zayne, but he was still hiding the bruise.
"As if I hadn't done that before to you too, kitten."
You stood on your knees and bent over Zayne to peel the hand off his neck. Up close with the bruise… "Did you give him a hickey?!"
Sylus laughed again in the background, which was enough of an answer for you, while Zayne avoided any eye contact. "To determine if we really had romantic inclinations for each other, we experimented a little. It started with an innocent kiss, but…"
"But it ended with a full-blown make out and a hickey as a memory?" you completed for him.
"How did you know?" Flustered, Zayne finally looked back at you.
You shrugged, finally letting go of Zayne. "I know how Sylus kisses. It's hard to resist going further with him when he leaves me breathless."
Sylus smirked and moved closer to embrace you from behind. "Thank you, sweetie," he spoke beneath your ear, where he left a gentle peck. Then his eyes snapped upwards towards Zayne. "I told you she liked it."
The doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn't continue fuelling Sylus' ego. "So, now that we are on the same page, and you understand what is going on between me and Sylus, where should we go from here?"
You replayed the evening's events with the new information you gathered. In hindsight, it did make sense that their actions were based upon the shyness of new feelings, and perhaps fear for your reaction, and not hatred towards each other. Even the graze of fingertips reminded them of the passion they must have shared yesterday, leaving them flustered. Honestly, you were relieved this is what caused their unexplainable awkwardness.
"Wherever you two want to go, as long as you tell me too. I have no problem with you two trying things with each other, it seems fair in my eyes. You let me pursue both of you, so I don't see why I would reject the inverse. Actually, I'm really glad you two have become so close. I feel like you understand where I stand too, loving both of you equally."
You saw Zayne smile, and the tension in his shoulders leaving. Sylus relaxed behind you too, his head falling content on your shoulder.
"So, you have no objection towards us being in a romantic relationship as well?" Zayne asked once more, perhaps a little surprised you were so quick to welcome this new dynamic.
You shrugged and shook your head. "No. It seems completely fair considering I was already with both of you at the same time. I'm looking forward to discovering new things for all three of us like this. I just didn't know you two were into men as well."
"It didn't really matter before, because neither of us have ever been with men in our past, and both of us had our first serious relationship with you," Sylus said. "These feelings for each other wouldn't have ever arisen, if we weren't both married to you and already agreed to share you. It's a bit of a special situation."
It truly was. It also seemed too good to be true, but that didn't matter anymore. Plenty of things have already happened that seemed too good to be true, but they were true; Sylus' return from death topping that list. There was no need to worry, because every time you did, your two husbands proved your worries wrong. They were yours and they loved you, when will you learn to not doubt their actions? All they did, they did it with you and the girls in mind first.
If you hadn't realized they were extraordinary men, you wouldn't have married them. As much as Caleb worried for your safety and happiness, you had never been a naive kid. Because of the loneliness in your early childhood, you learned who you could trust and who not. Although after you met Caleb he took care of you and sheltered you, those instincts you learned as a young girl nobody wanted, helped you navigate the relationships you formed as an adult.
Sylus and Zayne were the best of people. That's why you were proud to call them yours and treasure them in your family. You jumped onto Zayne and kissed him with all the fervour you couldn't express for the last day. How great it was to be home, your lips and tongue tangled with his. As soon as you finished with him, leaving him starstruck, you turned to attack Sylus. He grabbed before you could, and crashed his lips onto yours, devouring your breath along with your gasp.
When you detached from him and fell on your back, pleased to meet with your plushy mattress again, Zayne grabbed the back of Sylus' neck and kissed him with the passion you knew he always carried just below the surface of a calm surgeon. You laid there between their thighs, watching them use the technics they always used on you, now directed on each other.
They looked so right with one another, tangled in ardour as they tasted each other's mouth. You could watch them love each other all day long. The men you loved wanted to be with each other as well. Your heart soared with happiness.
It truly felt too good to be true. You were so glad it actually was real.
Notes: SnowCrowMC is now officially formed! Still, even if the three of them are now happy in a single relationship, we're still far from done with their story. So I hope you're still looking forward to what's in store for Sylus, Zayne and MC, and what trials and tribulations they'll face until Sylus can be legally alive.
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: You, the girls and Caleb go to Skyhaven to visit your ill grandmother one last time. Sylus and Zayne remain home alone, and are forced to confront their situation.
Rating for this chapter: Mature
Content Warning for this Chapter: Suggestive Themes, Discussions about Sex, but no Sexually Explicit content
Word Count: 4.8k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
When you broke the news of your very spontaneous trip to Skyhaven, only one of the four people who heard it was thrilled. That was Peony, because she was coming with you, and she was excited to travel and see her great grandma again. Jasmine was far too young to understand anything, so unfortunately, her opinion wasn't a part of the equation. But Sylus and Zayne… their expressions instantly turned pathetic. They understood this impromptu trip was important for you, that it might be your last chance to see your only parental figure. So they didn't try to stop you from leaving, or taking the girls with you. It was clear Peony wanted to go wherever you went, and Jasmine relied on you the most.
It was unfortunate neither Zayne nor Sylus could accompany you. Zayne had a surgery scheduled for late afternoon the next day, so he had to stay close to his workplace. And Sylus, for obvious reasons, could at most wander around his neighbourhood in Bloomshore while disguised. There was no way for him to travel all the way to Skyhaven, while he was supposed to stay dead.
So, your two husbands will have to stay home, and miss their wife and kids for around thirty hours.
From that moment on, they became clingy, and extra affectionate with you. They said it was to make up for the time you'll lose. So of course you let them hold you even tighter than normal when you three went to bed.
In the morning, you tried to get up early and start packing, but every time you tried to rise from your bed, one of their hands was sure to pull you back down between them.
"Five more minutes, kitten, the sun is barely rising."
You complied, and settled back in their crowded embrace.
When more than five minutes passed and the sun was higher up in the sky, you tried to stand up again.
"There's no need to hurry, love. You need to be well rested for your trip."
Down back you went, and the moment you complied again, Zayne rewarded you with a kiss on the temple.
These antics continued for close to an hour, until Jasmine urged you to get out of bed and pay attention to her, instead of her clingy fathers. They finally let go, and rose from bed too.
The rest of the morning was busy with getting the girls ready, and packing enough luggage for a day and a half. If it would have been only you and Peony, you two wouldn't have needed more than two changes of clothes, hygiene products, and perhaps a couple of toys for your daughter. Jasmine was the one who needed much more, from a sturdy supply of diapers, baby bottles, pacifiers to enough onesies for every potential mess. You were grateful to have two husbands who helped out, and made sure you, the girls and Caleb left fully packed and well fed before noon.
With a Peony who shouted her goodbyes and waved enthusiastically towards the fading view of her fathers on the porch, you were leaving Bloomshore.
Your lips still tingled from the goodbye kisses you left for both Zayne and Sylus, and were already eager to come back home to them.
***
You left. And Sylus was displeased. Of course he let you go and visit your grandmother, but he was bothered he wasn't allowed to go with you and the girls. He looked to his left as Zayne closed the door behind them, Caleb's car far away from their view. The doctor wasn't pleased either, if Sylus understood correctly the furrow between his brows. At least he had a comrade in misery through the arduous hours ahead.
Not many words were exchanged between the two of them before Zayne had to leave for work. He didn't even have time to eat lunch at home. As soon as the twins rang the bell, Zayne answered the door as he put on his shoes. He was already starting his car by the time Sylus could greet them and explain why the house was so empty.
He cooked lunch for the three of them while the twins talked about how business was going inside Onychinus. Sylus was proud to hear they managed to upkeep his shop and advance its renown among the elite. Although Luke and Kieran were not known to be humble, they still felt it necessary to add that it was you and your management that propelled them into a line of success. Sylus couldn't be more satisfied hearing this. His Lady Onychinus was truly the brilliant mind he'd always known you to be.
The three of them talked for a long time about everything they didn't have time to discuss previously, from Onychinus, to Sylus' imprisonment, to Luke and Kieran as the spy duo 'The Crows'.
But eventually, even Luke and Kieran left as evening started to settle in. And Sylus was left all alone, in a house filled with cumbersome silence. With no one else around to distract him, he finally had to confront the thoughts left lingering in his mind after yesterday. After cleaning the kitchen from the remains of dinner (and leaving aside a plate for Zayne when he came home), Sylus retreated to the living room with a bottle of whisky and a glass. He wasn't trying to get drunk, he was careful enough with his intake of alcohol, but sometimes he liked to indulge. Tonight felt like the only appropriate moment, considering he would never drink any hard liquor around his children, or when you couldn't indulge either. Uncorking the bottle, he poured himself a finger width of alcohol. When he brought the glass to his lips, the small sip left a satisfying burn down his throat.
Sylus was a selfish man. He liked to surround himself with the finest luxuries that he could obtain, and surround himself with remarkable people. He was proud of himself, and his family, and when he was a young man, he thought nothing he built in his life could ever be taken away. And yet, out of his own ego, came his failure that deprived him of a family he loved beyond anything else. And even after those seven years of imprisonment, it was apparent he never learned how to not be selfish.
Now that he was home, he enjoyed every second of every day, being in your presence, experiencing fatherhood for the first time. He was truly happy. All he ever wanted, he managed to salvage, and be a part of his family. He got to wake up beside you every day, greet you with a kiss every morning, take care of his sleepy daughter before breakfast, hug her tightly before she went to school, spend all day at home with you and Jasmine, spend afternoons doing homework and playing with Peony, putting her to sleep, and enjoy a quiet evening with the love of his life and his closest friend. Sure, at some point in life, this domesticity sounded a little boring for him. But these thoughts slowly changed as he got to know you, to fall in love with you, to create a family with you, and to miss said family for seven years. He's certain this routine won't completely satisfy him for the rest of his life. He wanted to work again, to busy himself with business and provide for his family. But for now, all he needed was to be a husband and a father, and make up for lost time.
That was why he was still a selfish man. He thought only of his happiness, and thought everyone else around him was just as happy as him. The thrilling peace of the present made him forget about the future. And what place he'll occupy in this family once he'll be fully integrated. As alive as he felt, he was still a dead man. The world had moved on from him, and only remembered his existence when visiting an empty grave. If he wanted to truly be the husband and father his family deserved, he had to think about the future, and how he can become alive once more.
Sylus sighed and closed his eyes, leaning on the couch. For a man who once dominated everything and everyone in his life, he was truly useless right now. He couldn't even accompany his family on a trip! At least Zayne had a valid excuse, when Sylus… Sylus was simply supposed to hide himself, to keep to the shadows of those dead. You still suffered as the widow of a man who's alive, who can't lift a finger to prove it. All he could do was sit in an empty, silent family home, while the government handled his fate, and his family continued their lives.
All while he was still supposed to act like a grave.
How useless the mighty Sylus had fallen. A man who once held so much power, was dead.
He gained his freedom, but not yet his life.
Sylus downed the rest of his glass and placed it with a clink on the coffee table. Enough self-pity for one night. It was unbecoming of him, too pathetic even for a man who escaped the pits of hell and came back. It was useless to worry about matters that weren't in his control at the moment, that he couldn't resolve. Once he can gain back power, that is when his plans will be thought over and put into play.
He settled back on the couch after choosing a book from their home library, and poured himself another round of whisky before opening his book. This solitude could be passed through other means as well. He's listened enough to his thoughts to know where he stood and what he could do next.
The next few hours passed while Sylus was absorbed in his book, slowly drinking and becoming more relaxed. He stopped before he could slip into a state that wouldn't align with his sobriety, put the bottle away, and continued his reading. The fantasy novel he picked had surprised him, unaware that the romantic subplot would be so prevalent and although subtly written, so obviously present. The main character who had been ostracized by her community because of her unusual powers, found home in the sacred territory of a God, who became her mentor. Although the beginning chapters focused more on her internal world and her getting accustomed to the God's way of living, the budding feelings for her mentor became more and more clear. Even his changing behaviour towards his apprentice left little to imagination. He was fond of her too. Although never stated verbally, their affection was pure and warm, and the most important thread of the novel.
When he reached the chapter detailing the end of a festival held in the village, Sylus heard the door unlock.
Zayne returned, dropping his keys on the entrance console and toeing off his shoes.
"Welcome home," Sylus greeted him and helped him take off his coat. The doctor sighed.
"I miss the girls…" was the first thing he said, letting Sylus hook his coat on the hanger.
"Me too." Sylus turned to look at Zayne's exhausted figure. Usually, his mood would pick up when he came back home and Peony would jump into his arms. But Peony wasn't here today, so Zayne couldn't relax.
"I'll reheat your dinner," Sylus added with a gentle pat on his back, walking towards the kitchen. Zayne nodded and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
***
Sylus sat at the dining table as Zayne ate his meal quietly. When he asked how the surgery went, the doctor explained that it had been a success, but it was a long procedure. He focused on eating more afterwards, instead of continuing the conversation.
Still, the silence that lingered between them wasn't uncomfortable. They spent more quiet meals than either of them could count during their war days. Each other's presence was safe and comforting, so silence was a natural state between them. Although they enjoyed peace at home now, back then, the quiet meals they shared were some of the only times of true peace and relaxation in the camp.
Sylus had thought about Zayne many times since he came back home. Of course he didn't expect his wartime friend to have married his wife and have a child with her. At first, he was quite frustrated Zayne had stolen his life. But that quickly faded away. Zayne was the only person he trusted to take care of his family. Sylus came to be glad you and his daughter had someone who took care of you while he couldn't. At least that man was Zayne. Any other man, he wouldn't have accepted.
After that conversation held between them on the first night, he thought Zayne might become a rival. It made sense that two men competing for the attention of the same woman would become rivals. Even with their agreement to make peace and share you, Sylus expected this situation to eventually become burdensome.
But that sense of rivalry existed only for a few days. Contrary to his beliefs, the rivalry lessened in severity every day, until it completely disappeared.
That morning when all three of you had sex had well and truly changed all of Sylus' preconceived thoughts about Zayne's place in this relationship. If he wasn't a rival, if he enjoyed sharing you with another man, than what was Zayne actually?
This question had been nagging him for a while. And the more time all three of you spent as a family, the clearer the answer was becoming. Sylus wasn't sure though if this answer was even possible.
He'd been aware for a while that the gender of a person didn't matter in his eyes when looking for a romantic partner. He'd come to that conclusion when he had been a very young man. But he never really experienced any romance with another man, because he met you. You had been his first serious, long lasting relationship, you had been the first person he'd been intimate with, and eventually, the love of his life and wife. So any thought about men had long left his mind. He didn't need to think about anyone else when he loved you so much.
But this time, it was different. Zayne was a part of the family. You loved him just as much as you loved Sylus. Because of you, Sylus learned it was possible to love two individuals at the same time, and be loyal to both of them.
So for a few days now, Sylus had been wondering… would being attracted to Zayne be such a bad thing in this relationship? If this was to be his future life, sharing his family with the doctor, would it be wrong to have similar feelings for him as for you?
But what would Zayne think? Is he even attracted to more than just women? Would this love triangle even be a possible relationship for the three of you?
But Sylus didn't like to wonder for too long. If he wanted something, he'd make sure to acquire it. And what he wanted now, was to know what Zayne felt for him. After all, tonight would be the perfect moment to have this conversation, considering you and the kids aren't present. If this combination won't work, then the two of them never have to speak about it again, and they'll continue their family life as previously done.
So, after Zayne finished dinner, the two men moved into the living room to unwind a little before going to bed. Sylus picked up his book again, while Zayne looked over some of his students' reports.
"Zayne," Sylus started, tentatively placing his bookmark inside the pages again, "I would be curious to conduct an experiment."
"An experiment?" Zayne asked, his eyebrow raising as he still looked over his medical documents.
"Mhm. I was wondering, is there any attraction between the two of us?" Sylus made sure his tone of voice would sound confident. In this very moment, he didn't want to admit he wasn't. Matters of the heart were more complicated than business deals, so even Sylus could feel a little shy in such moments. Perhaps it was a good thing he decided to indulge in alcohol earlier. The liquid courage propelled him to get this situation cleared up once and for all.
Zayne's gaze jumped from his papers to Sylus' face, looking at him with wide, searching eyes. Even his ears became flushed. "What do you mean?"
"C'mon doctor, I'm sure we can both agree that morning when we had sex was pleasurable. Even when we were the ones touching."
Zayne cleared his throat, looked away blinking repeatedly, blushed even harder, fixed the knot of his tie, then cleared his throat again. Sylus had never seen him so embarrassed.
"We were both in a heightened state of arousal, it was only natural that any type of stimulation would have aroused us further." When he replied, he still didn't look at Sylus.
"Hmm?" Sylus raised and eyebrow and leaned into Zayne's personal space. His book hit the coffee table as he discarded it, forgotten. "I would think the touch of a person you don't find attractive would turn you off."
"That—" Zayne staggered again, pushing his glasses up, "that is a possible response, yes…"
"But that wasn't yours, was it, Zayne?" Sylus pushed further, leaning so close he could whisper, and breathe in the same air as the doctor.
Zayne finally snapped after a frustrated sigh. He gained enough courage to face Sylus. "What do you want? You're clearly asking these questions with an ulterior motive, so say it already."
"I want to kiss you."
Zayne froze. His blush didn't, it only deepened down his cheeks and neck. And Sylus was smirking.
"I was direct, doctor, I did what you wanted."
"Why?" Zayne blinked a few more times.
"Because I told you I want to conduct an experiment. I want to know how deep this attraction between us goes. I have a theory that we're both mutually attracted to each other and our wife. Your theory was that we enjoyed each other's touch because we were already highly aroused, and our beloved was between us. Why shouldn't we try out an experiment, and figure out which theory is more accurate?" Sylus knew this train of thought would make sense to Zayne, who very rarely let go of his scientifically oriented way of thinking. "Besides, isn't tonight our best opportunity? The girls aren't here. If we find my theory untrue, then we can never speak of it again. But if it is, then we know we'll need to adapt this relationship to fully include three people. Not two different pairs that overlap."
Sylus let Zayne think over what he said. He knew he'll eventually agree, but it was endearing to watch as the doctor's gears rotated in his mind. Even Sylus could admit it felt liberating to speak his feelings out loud, and the other man appeared even more handsome in his eyes, now that he was letting his mind truly consider him though a romantic lens.
With a deep, defeated sigh and tightly shut eyes, Zayne relented. "Fine, I agree your assessment has merit. Let's just get this over with," Zayne said, placing his papers and glasses on the coffee table.
"If you don't want to do it, I won't force yo—"
"No, I want to." Zayne was definitive, and when he turned his head back to watch Sylus, his eyes were already intense.
For the first time tonight, even Sylus felt his face heat up. Zayne moved closer to him, their thighs touching as they sat on the couch. Neither knew who should make the first move, their eyes trailing to each other's lips. In the end, it was Sylus, (who felt it was his responsibility, because he brought it up), to come closer, and close the gap.
His eyes closed on instinct, as he did so many times when he kissed you. Only this time, when his lips touched another's, they were colder and thinner than yours. He pressed his lips delicately over Zayne's, uncertain how the other man would react. But Zayne didn't draw away, letting Sylus take the lead. He pushed further, slowly moving his lips, and Zayne reciprocated. A gentle, languid kiss continued between them, until a sound bubbled up from Zayne's throat and into their exchange, and Sylus knew immediately he couldn't stop.
Who knew Zayne's sounds could sound so delicious? Sylus' hand trailed upwards to cradle Zayne's cheek, as lips crashed with more force against the other man. Zayne gasped, and Sylus pushed even more, emboldened by this new, but amazing feeling. The tip of his tongue traced the other's lower lip, going further to his teeth, and waited for Zayne to reject him if this was too far. But Zayne continued to reciprocate, and deepened the kiss, now both of their tongues touching and exploring each other's mouths.
This thrill was exhilarating. It felt so right and natural to kiss Zayne, to entangle his lips and tongue with his, to feel his warm skin beneath his palm, to hear him struggle to breathe as neither wanted to be the first one to let go. Why did Sylus ever doubt what he felt for Zayne? Perhaps because it never felt clearer than right now.
Eventually, Zayne pushed at Sylus with enough force to draw him away. His mouth was parted, lips wet with shared saliva, panting softly as his chest rose with each breath. "I believe you forgot we need oxygen."
"I need you," Sylus growled, grasping Zayne again by the waist, and crashing their lips together once more. This felt too pure to let go of and end now.
It seemed Zayne agreed, as he kissed back just as passionately, their lips moving in a messy dance. His arms reached behind Sylus' neck, one hand tugging on the strands of hair at his nape, urging him closer. Sylus moved slowly, but with hunger, as he moved Zayne against the arm of the couch, trapping him with his body, with no way to escape. But it didn't feel as if Zayne wanted to escape.
For a man so reserved, who only minutes prior tried to deny his attraction, Zayne was passionate and eager. It made sense how he made you swoon so easily. What else was the steadfast doctor hiding behind his stoic persona?
Zayne nipped at his lower lip, and Sylus withdrew a few breaths away, taken aback by the slight sting. The doctor seemed proud of his action.
"I didn't think you had it in you," Sylus chuckled and left a peck on the corner of his lips.
"I had to teach you a lesson if you refused to let me breathe. Do you suffocate our darling like this too when you kiss her?" Zayne replied with a smooth tone, tugging on Sylus' hair. It's as if he knew he liked some roughness. For how long had Zayne studied him?
"She likes it," Sylus said, leaning down to leave a soft bite below the doctor's jaw. He gasped again, making Sylus bite hard enough to leave a mark.
"I think she also enjoys catching her breath." Zayne grasped him by both his hair and chin, detaching his teeth from his throat. "You're quite aggressive, do I need to put a muzzle on you?"
Sylus smirked and laughed, every word coming out of Zayne's mouth just exciting him further. "I'd like to see you try, doctor."
He couldn't get any other word in, because this time, it was Zayne who took control and pressed his lips against Sylus' first. With each and every kiss, their movements only became hungrier, more desperate, rougher. Zayne pushed at Sylus, their lips coming apart as the taller man's back fell onto the couch. Not a moment later, Zayne kissed him back again as he straddled him, sounds of pleasure falling in between their uniting lips and tongues.
His hands reached to grasp Zayne's waist and pull him down flush onto his hips. That's when he noticed just how hard he'd gotten from their make out session. He'd ignored that part of his body while his mouth got acquainted with Zayne's. With a tentative thrust upwards, he felt the hardened bulge also present in Zayne's slacks. With an uncontrolled whimper, Zayne broke all contact and got up from Sylus and the couch.
"We should stop here. We proved your theory correct, but I don't think it's appropriate to continue any further. We are still, first and foremost, in committed relationships with our wife," Zayne cleared his throat, and fixed his tie again.
"True," Sylus agreed while still laying down on the couch, willing his erection to go away. He didn't want to push further either. You were still the most important person in his life, and if you hadn't already been so committed and lawfully wedded to both of them, this situation between Sylus and Zayne would have never even crossed their minds. "But I was correct."
Zayne started pacing through the living room, no doubt trying to calm down his erection as well. Sylus eyed his bulge, and wondered how well endowed he was. They've seen each other naked before, men in the barracks didn't get much privacy when changing, so he'd seen Zayne's dick before, but only in a flaccid state. And during that morning, he'd been too preoccupied to look at his manhood. But now he was curious. Alas, his curiosity would have to be postponed until you allowed it.
"Alright, fine, I concede," Zayne said, stopping his pacing. "I am attracted to you and I did enjoy our kissing session."
"I could tell." Sylus sat up on the couch, finally calming down after this pleasant experience. "Did you know you liked men as well?"
Zayne nodded. "I realized it after the war ended. But I've never done this with any man before."
Sylus confirmed neither did he. It seemed both of their first experiences with love were with their wife. "So, doctor, where do we go from here?"
"Well, first we need to tell her of our little discovery. We go further depending on her reaction. If she's uncomfortable with a relationship forming between us, then we end whatever we started tonight. If she's alright with us pursuing each other as well, then we go with whatever pace is comfortable for all three of us."
Sylus nodded, not finding any fault in Zayne's reasoning. "Will you be comfortable with pursuing me further if she accepts this?"
"I don't think it would be detrimental." Zayne was pretty confident in his assessment now, in contrast to his prior embarrassment. "We're both going to continue living in this house, share a wife, and raise both of our children, I don't see why a relationship between three people, although unconventional, would have a negative impact on our family."
"Glad to be on the same page then, Zayne."
The two of them spent a little more time talking about this new situation before getting ready for bed. They were both still a bit uncertain with this dynamic, but both were clearly longing for the other. Zayne admitted he had to start considering his feelings for Sylus after that fateful morning, but was unsure whether is was something he should pursue, or just a fleeting infatuation he couldn't really understand.
But then…
"I thought of our daughters growing up, especially about Jasmine. If nothing were to change, then she'd never remember a time when you weren't a part of her family. She'd grow up seeing you everyday, and hear her sister call you 'daddy' and me 'papa', so she'd want to call us the same way. I thought it'd be unfair to prohibit her from calling you her father. Why can her sister have two fathers, but she only one?" Zayne looked up, sitting besides Sylus once more. "That's when I realized I didn't mind you being just as important for Jasmine as me. And I realized there might be something more between us. But I didn't want to think too deeply about it."
Sylus felt warmth bloom inside of his heart as he listened to Zayne's candid words. It had come naturally for him to care for Jasmine, just as he did for Peony. He'd adopted her as his own daughter, just like Zayne did with his Peony.
A tender kiss to his cheek followed, and Zayne nuzzled his nose in response. Although they had been friends for such a long time, this new dynamic made Sylus feel a little shy, like he was at the beginning of a relationship once more. Well, in a way he was. He'd never shared such feelings with anyone else other than you.
But to be completely honest, it felt pleasant sharing similar, romantic moments with Zayne as well.
Perhaps this was the start of something unique, that could only exist between the three of you.
Notes: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It has been a long time coming. Sylus and Zayne finally made a step to address their blossoming feelings. I did promise there would be snowcrow developments pretty soon. 😉 So sorry once again this chapter was released so late, I had this one planned out since the beginning, and I wanted to make it the best version possible, so it took me a little while to feel confident in writing it. As always, thank you for reading! ❤️
Taglist: @mzfandom @nyzecorner @xvsxliaaxx @owodi
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
In another life, the Master of Fate and His apprentice didn't have to part ways.
Synopsis: The Master of Fate and His Wife complete a sacred ceremony in their hot spring.
Word count: 1.1k words
Tags: Smut, Shameless Smut, PwP, Married Sex, Kissing, Cunilingus, Penis in Vagina Sex, Missionary Sex, Nipple Play, Vaginal Fingering, Creampie, a little bit of Aftercare, Bratty MC
You can also read this fic on AO3
🔞NSFW THIS WORK IS INTENDED FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE🔞
As tradition goes, every year when the Master of Fate officiates the village's sacred ceremony, a priestess shall dance for Him. Her elegant moves were meant to entice Him, and motivate Him to grant the townsfolk's wishes that were carried out by her. He was meant to watch, to listen to her, and to accept her prayers. In exchange for the townsfolk's protection, He was supposed to take her and consummate their relationship.
But the Master of Fate always retreated back to His residence in the mountain before the dance of seduction could take place.
But, this tradition still went on, even if the Deity ignored it. Until He didn't. Until the priestess' dance became His most anticipated part of the ceremony.
Because now, year after year, the priestess who danced for Him with all the longing in her heart, was His wife.
***
Plenty of times, the consummation of the Divine dance took place in the hot springs nestled in the Master of Fate's residence. It was no different tonight. His most beloved priestess, apprentice, wife, soulmate, had been laid on her back on the edge of the pool as sweet, little sounds poured out of her mouth as fast as the nectar smeared between her thighs. He nuzzled into her warm intimacy, His tongue drinking up that which satisfied Him more than the sweetest of baked treats. His long tresses were wrapped around dainty fingers that pulled and tugged, while His lips were occupied kissing and sucking her pretty, pink petals.
"Ahh, Zayne!" she whined, legs wrapping around broad shoulders.
"You're being so good, letting your God hear your prayers. Go on, say my name as you give me that which I desire most," He whispered, barely detaching His lips from her nethers, going back to work as soon as He finished the command.
As usual, His lips and tongue were too efficient, and it didn't take long until a continuous chain of whimpered "Zayne"'s reached His ears. His mouth sealed around her throbbing, empty orifice, lapping at everything she had to offer.
He raised from between her trembling legs, the pool's steamy water wrapping around His thighs. His beloved was panting, still riding the highs of her ecstasy. But although Zayne had already pleased her, her legs wrapped around His waist and pulled Him closer again. An amused chuckle left Him as His hands braced above her flushed figure.
"Not satisfied yet?"
"It's your turn now," she let out with a staggered breath, still trying to recover.
The corners of His mouth lifted up slightly, and she smiled back in return. Sometimes, Zayne beloved His gentle smile was all she needed to be happy and content. But He was determined to give her so much more than a simple, honest smile.
"Of course," He agreed, His hands gliding up the wet skin of her thighs until He reached her hips. "The Ceremony is not complete until both of us reach our ending."
His fingers traced the slit between her lower lips, sliding one, then another inside her depths. She sighed so deliciously, that He felt Himself throb in anticipation. She was warm and tight, and so wet around his digits.
"Zayne…" she whined, pushing the heel of her foot into the small of his back. "Please…!"
He withdrew his fingers, coating his hardened length with the slick collected from her channel. The Master of Fate chuckled. "You're so impatient, my love. But considering you begged me so sweetly, I'll give in to your wishes."
She gasped, her nails scratching lines along His biceps as He started to push in, breaching slowly. Even He shuddered, so overcome with bliss as she covered Him all around, still pulsing faintly from her previous orgasm. Once completely inside her, Zayne moved slowly, drawing out and in, savouring the smooth glide. He leaned down, crashing His lips against her, the taste of her slick still staining His mouth. Moans and whimpers were traded between both of their breaths, tongues and lips barely leaving each other before entangling once more.
Both of them grew hungrier, hips meeting each other with wet slaps, as each thrust became harsher, more desperate. He left her swollen lips, instead choosing to litter her jaw and neck with ardent kisses and needy, little bites and hickeys. Once more, she sang His name, and He rewarded her with a passionate thrust. It was clear they were both pent up with desire, and wouldn't last long during this encounter.
Water surged and splashed above the edge as Zayne chased his high. He was still occupied with leaving little marks of his love on her neck, when her wandering hand raised to his chest, caressing his skin slowly. He gasped and twitched as her naughty fingers pinched his nipple and pulled on it.
Zayne kissed her ear, bit her earlobe, while her touch gentled and her nail flicked over His sensible nipple. "You can't resist teasing me, can you?" He whispered, barely holding Himself from spilling before she finished first.
"Don't act coy, Zayne, you love it. That's why you fell in love with me." She accentuated her words with a harsher flick, and Zayne had to bite His lip as He stilled inside her.
He straightened, looking down at her satisfied face while she still teased the sensitive nub. He raised one of her legs and bent it towards her chest, while His other hand busied itself with finding her clit and pinching it. She gasped and trashed, pulsing around Him, but still did not stop her teasing touch.
"Be grateful I'm merciful tonight. Otherwise this behaviour would get you a punishment."
"Punish me tomorrow morning, shifu. I swear I'll be good."
He chuckled, knowing that was a lie. She disobeyed, she found loops in all His commands, she never treated His rules with reverence. But that's why He loved her. For her, He was simply Zayne, the man who was her husband.
With a few more intentional flicks of her puffy clit, her leg tightened around His waist, and her back arched. She screamed out His name again, and came with a shudder around Him. Not a moment later, Zayne became too overstimulated from His poor, abused nipple and the throbbing grip around His length. He buried Himself deep inside her, and all His seed poured out through her channel.
Both panting and gasping, they tried to relax on the edge of the pool, Zayne careful enough to put all His weight on top of her. As the heat of their passion died down, He pressed a soft kiss on her sweaty forehead, and nuzzled His nose against her cheek. She laughed, tired, but her hand came up to scratch His scalp, damp from the steam of the hot spring.
Another year and another ceremony completed, with all the townsfolk's wishes granted, because they had been carried through His beloved's prayers.
Note: After today, I couldn't think of anything else other than Master of Fate and hot spring sex. I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: Caleb comes to visit, and brings with himself disturbing news of your first husband. Left to doubt him, you confront Sylus, and find out something you never expected. His past...was marked by tragedy.
Rating for this chapter: Mature
Content Warning for this Chapter: Suggestive themes, descriptions of violence, killing and death
Word Count: 5.1k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
When Sylus and his girls got back home, he expected more to have been done. At least contrary to an hour ago, you were clean, and smiled brightly when he handed you the baby. He was glad to see your improved mood. But the dinner he expected, was still nowhere close to finished. Zayne was still slicing vegetables for a stir fry when Sylus finally entered the kitchen.
"Doctor, I'm hungry," he pouted, leaning against the counter and looking disappointed at the lack of a warm dinner.
"Unless you have impossibly regressed back to the same age as Jasmine, you can feed yourself," Zayne replied, still working and not paying attention to the other man.
Sylus squinted. "I gave you an hour to finish dinner, but I see you've barely started it."
"I had to take care of our wife first." Zayne finished with the bell peppers and moved on to the broccoli. "I drew her a bath and helped her wash."
Sylus straightened his posture, letting a moment of silence hang between the two of them. He was standing close enough to Zayne to get a pretty good idea how he helped you wash. Still, he wanted to get a clear confirmation, so he stepped behind the doctor, and leaned in to take a deep breath at the base of his nape.
Zayne's knife clattered on the cutting board. "Did you just sniff me?" he asked, perplexed. Sylus didn't understand his confusion.
"Why do you smell like our sweetie's body wash?" His hands rested on the counter top, caging in the doctor so he won't escape his question. Sylus couldn't see Zayne's expression, but he did hear his sharp breath in.
"I already told you I helped her with the bath." He tried to turn and face the other man, but there wasn't enough space between the counter and Sylus' chest to do so.
"Alright, but I would only accept that excuse if your hands smelled like her soap. How do explain this fragrance on the back of your neck?" Sylus' voice lowered, almost whispered in Zayne's ear. He leaned further, and sniffed him more. The doctor's front was almost flush with the edge of the counter. "Even your hair smells like shampoo. You took a bath as well."
Zayne didn't respond, but he cleared his throat. The tips of his ears were red, from either shame or embarrassment. Or both. Sylus chuckled and raised his hands from the counter top, only to place them and grab onto the doctor's waist. He barely kept in a gasp.
"How opportunistic of you, Zayne. You took advantage of the situation the moment I left the house."
"You left me at home to help her relax," the doctor replied, but his voice wasn't as steady as usual.
"No, I left you at home to make dinner while she relaxes alone, taking a bath. But considering she looks so full of life again, I'll keep your idea of relaxation in mind. You know, for when she needs it, and you're not home to help her. I'll gladly take your place, Zayne," Sylus whispered the last sentence in the medic's ear, his warm breath caressing the skin that shouldn't have smelled so fresh.
Zayne didn't bother to respond to his taunting, instead forcefully peeling Sylus' hands off his waist. He took one step away, and continued cutting up the broccoli. "I advise you let me continue cooking."
Sylus took his place back against the counter. He barely contained his smirk when he noticed how red Zayne's face had become. "That's precisely what I let you do. You're the one who decided it was a better idea to have a quickie in the bathtub instead."
The other man closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Probably due to divine intervention, Zayne was spared from having to endure Sylus any more. The doorbell rang.
"Please, just go and answer the door," he sighed again, still not opening his eyes.
"Right away, doctor," Sylus said with a glorious smile, placing a heavy hand on the other's shoulder as a friendly pat.
Sylus moved away, but before he could fully exit the kitchen, Zayne still felt it necessary to add: "And for your information, I only pleasured her!"
***
Peony was out your bedroom's door the moment she heard the doorbell. She always hurried to greet whoever came to visit. Usually it was the twins, who were more so her older brothers than her uncles. This time, it was her favourite (only) uncle, Caleb.
You gathered your sleepy baby, and followed after your first daughter. The care you received from both of your husbands helped you calm down, and now you felt ready to spend a nice evening with your family, that today would include Caleb too.
"Hey, Peony, look how big you've gotten!" You heard while descending the stairs. She must have tackled him the moment the door opened.
"Uncle Caleb, can we play air planes? Please, please?"
"After dinner, Peony. We need to eat soon," Sylus said, closing the front door as Caleb toed off his shoes.
"But I'm not hungry yet! Uncle Caleb, you're not hungry either, right?"
Unfortunately for Peony, her stomach decided to betray her in the very next second. As you approached, you saw both your husband and best friend barely containing their laughter.
"Was that a rumble I heard just now, Peony? Pilots can't lift off with no fuel in the engine, so let's make sure to fill up before we take off. Don't you agree, Peony?" Caleb said with a gentle chuckle, ruffling your daughter's already messy, white hair.
She let out the loudest sigh, but relented, and moved beside you, hugging your waist.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," she whispered, making sure her father and Caleb can't hear.
You gently pressed her hair back in place after Caleb's ruffling. "Papa's cooking dinner. It will be ready soon."
She pouted, but said nothing else as she clang to you.
"And who's this little one? May I finally meet her?" Caleb asked, stepping closer to you.
"Yeah, you can. But all you can do is look at her, 'cause she's pretty much asleep," you said, moving her slowly so Caleb could take a good look at her. "This is Jasmine, your second niece." Your baby laid comfortably in your arms, still dressed in her outdoors onesie. Her eyes were closed, unaware she was meeting another member of her family.
"She's really adorable. Congrats, pips. You're the strongest person I know." His smile was full of affection towards both you and Jasmine. He ruffled your hair too, like he did when you two were Peony's age. Some things will never change, no matter how old you two grow.
Caleb bent to look at Peony, still attached to your waist. "And when your little sister grows up, she can be our copilot when we're playing air planes, right?"
"Yes! I can't wait to play with Jasmine! Mommy, when will Jasmine be able to play with me?"
You giggled, feeling Sylus arranging your hair behind you. He grumbled, displeased with Caleb's show of childish affection. "You'll have to wait for a few more months. But don't worry, she'll grow up quickly."
While speaking with your daughter, you missed the suspicious looks exchanged between Caleb and Sylus. If you hadn't been so busy with the girls, you would have noticed they shared no words since Caleb arrived.
***
After dinner, Peony finally got her freedom to play her favourite game with her uncle, until she tired out and settled on the couch between her fathers, and quietly started to read her book. That's when Caleb told you he wanted to speak in private. It was time to learn what he found out about Sylus' case.
You took Caleb upstairs, into your bedroom. He took a seat on your rocking chair, while you settled on the edge of the bed with a racing heart.
"Tell me everything," you said as soon as you sat down.
"I will, I will. I went out with Gideon last week, and randomly met with Xavier and Jeremiah." Gideon, Caleb's closest friend, had been a pilot and his colleague before and during the war. But both of them suffered injuries that took them out of their first career. Caleb ended up in the military, as a Colonel, while Gideon entered the secret services. He and Jeremiah were colleagues now. "They let me pass on this information to you. But first, I wanna talk about granny."
"How is she?"
"Not great. Her mind is deteriorating faster than the care workers estimated. Her physical health isn't great either, and they let me know she might not make it to next year."
Your shoulders deflated. You and Caleb had never had a traditional family. All you had was granny, who took you in and gave the two of you a roof, food, comfort and a safe environment. She was the only parental figure either of you had during your lives. You suspected for a while her life wouldn't continue for too long, but your heart still hurt hearing this verdict. She'd been poorly since Peony was one year old. But you still hoped she'd recover somewhat, and be able to see Jasmine grow up too.
"But she's been feeling a bit better these last few days. She even remembered who I am and asked about you. I don't know for how long this clarity of mind will last, so although very sudden, I thought it would be a good moment for you to come and visit her? I'm afraid it might be the last time she'll recognize you."
Caleb's voice was sombre. He probably knew more about her shaky health, but hid it from you. If he was certain enough to use the word 'last', that meant he truly believed she'd die soon. Tears escaped you water line, but you quickly wiped them away. Death was inevitable. You knew she won't be a part of your life forevermore. You managed to keep living after Sylus 'died'. You'll be able to keep going forward after she passes away too.
At least, you'll always have your childhood memories; when you and Caleb left that orphanage and finally got a house just for the two of you, rooms that could be yours alone. She bought you everything your heart desired, as much as her meagre pension allowed. She made sure you and Caleb would have a fund to start a good life in adulthood, she supported both of your decisions of career, and whatever form of education you two wanted to pursue. She alone helped you when you were most desperate: grieving with a newborn who you didn't know how to take care off, during a brutal war.
You didn't have a mother or a father, but granny had been enough.
Caleb stood up and came to hug you. You relaxed in his embrace. Although Caleb didn't really show his feelings, you knew he quietly suffered too. Life with granny had been good. Much better than if you two had remained in that orphanage.
"Alright, I'll come tomorrow to see her. I'll bring the girls too. It's probably the only chance she'll get to meet Jasmine," you concluded against Caleb's shoulder.
She'd been old when Peony was born too, but you knew she loved being a great grandma. If there's a chance for her to remember she has two grand granddaughters, you'll take it.
Caleb let go of you. "Probably." He said nothing else as he sat down. Both of you were quiet. Both of you knew you needed to start thinking about organising a funeral.
"We'll talk more about granny tomorrow. Now, spill. Tell me what you found out about my husband."
He sighed, and leaned in the rocking chair as it swayed. He avoided looking at you for a few moments.
"Where do I even begin? I'm afraid Sylus has hidden a lot from you."
***
It took a while until Caleb told you everything he knew. And those things, you should have first heard them coming from your husband's mouth, not your brother's. He exited the bedroom before you. You had to follow him. You had to summon Sylus, and clear things up.
Everything was calm in the living room when you returned. Jasmine was sleeping on a large pillow on Zayne's lap. Peony sat between her fathers, while they read to her with different voices. She was supposed to contribute too, but she almost fell asleep leaning against Sylus' side.
Sylus…
Your beloved first husband. So soft and gentle as a family man.
Why did he decide to never tell you his past?
Why did it have to be dug up now, and you had to learn it from Caleb and not him?
Did he not trust you enough?
"Sylus, can I talk to you in private?"
He raised his head from Peony's book, still smiling. His ruby eyes were sparkling with innocent joy.
"Sure, kitten," he replied with a soft voice, careful to not disturb his sleepy daughter. He moved her to lean against Zayne, where she settled comfortably and closed her eyes. As he stood up, something unspoken passed between your husband and brother. Caleb was too harsh with him.
But he never fully liked Sylus anyway. Back when you two first met, he deemed him as a bad boy. It didn't help that Sylus always wore a scowl on his face, and his imposing stature and combative demeanour made Caleb's over-protectiveness fully activate. He'd always been good to you, otherwise you wouldn't have fallen in love with him, but Caleb was scared Sylus would hurt you at some point. In a way, he was right. But Caleb never thought you'd be hurting from grief. So, because he loved and respected you, ever since Sylus 'died', Caleb never brought back his doubts about Sylus.
But Sylus was no longer dead. He could hurt you alive.
And he's already hidden so much from his past.
Sylus ignored your petty brother and took your hand to lead you back to the master bedroom. Your fingers tightened around his warm palm. It always reassured you to feel his skin against yours.
Once back inside, both of you settled on the bed, facing each other. Sylus still held you hand, his thumb tracing a gentle pattern on the back of your palm.
"What did you find out, sweetie? Any good news?"
Your fingers tightened once more around his, and the thumb stopped moving. How do you even start?
"Sylus, how did your parents die?" Your throat was dry.
"Hmm?" He raised his head, his eyes scanning over your face, not understanding how this subject was brought up. "They died in an accident, you know that."
"They weren't assassinated, then?"
Sylus' eyes widened, and they settled on direct contact.
"Was that what Caleb told you? Is that why you look so shaken, my love?"
"Is it true, Sylus?" You pushed.
Sylus kept looking at you, but he didn't speak. His lips were sealed.
"So it is true." His silence was answer enough. "Why did you lie to me, Sylus?" Your voice started to shake.
"I didn't lie, sweetie. Their death was an accident."
"But, you just agreed they were assassi—" you inched closer even though Sylus interrupted you.
"They weren't the target. I was. It was an accident they died and I survived."
You blinked several times, barely understanding his words. "But… weren't you like twelve when it happened? Who would want to assassinate a child?"
"Philos." Sylus' answer was simple. You did hear from Caleb that Sylus' parents died because of Philosian bandits, but, it's clearly not what Sylus knew.
He took your hand again, and sighed. "I thought I'd take this to the grave, but I know I can't hide it from you anymore. Not even the secret services know what I've went through, so whatever your brother found out, it's only the outside story of that incident. I've never spoken about it with anyone else."
You placed your other hand atop his, and listened.
His father had been a very successful business man, owning a company that produced modern technology. Sylus had inherited his father's passion for engineering, and was already knowledgeable from a young age. When he was twelve years old, his father received an offer of technological collaboration from the Philosian Government, which he accepted. On his first trip to the foreign Empire, he brought his wife and son as well.
Because of his young curiosity, Sylus got lost through a warehouse that was owned by the Government, where he passed the time by tinkering with what he assumed was old, broken equipment that no one had any use for. Back then, he was young and idealistic enough to think that if he fixed, or even improved this equipment, he'd bring honour to his father's name, and guarantee success in his own future career.
Somehow, he managed to revive an old communication device, and intercepted a radio frequency. Somewhere else in this old building, a secret conversation was being held among some officials, regarding the production of illegal weaponry that could be used against the island nation they wanted to conquer, Lemuria. Sylus hadn't meant to listen in on their conversation, he barely understand the type of weapons they wanted to produce (some type of technology that didn't exist in Linkon). Still, nevertheless, he had heard their plans, and was unaware there had been multiple security cams installed throughout the warehouse. At least, that's how he thinks he was found out.
Sylus became their target, even after breaking the device back immediately and running away from the warehouse. He realized he was in danger, but hoped if he said nothing about the illegal weapons and the neighbouring Kingdom at risk, he'd be safe. That night, he couldn't close an eye.
The next day, he and his parents left. His father's collaboration was decided upon, and he would return in a few months for further developments. Just as their driver was about to cross the border back into Linkon, gunshots broke through the comfortable silence. The glass windows were shattered as bullets flew, one lodged into his father's neck, ending his life in less than a second. His mother screamed and fell over her only child, hiding him between the backseat and her body. More bullets flew into the compact space of their car, and his mother's horrified screams were cut off. Sylus didn't even dare to breathe, knowing that above him, his beloved mother was already a corpse. The driver was shouting and cursing in pain, shot, but still alive, as he crossed into Linkon territory.
Once safe, the driver stopped the engine before he could lose consciousness. Sylus didn't remember how long it took until Linkonian policeman and firemen came to take him out. Those memories became quite blurred in those moments of shock and devastation. As he was escorted out, he saw his clothes drenched in blood that wasn't his. The entire backseat, white leather his mother always warned him to not dirty, was now stained a deep crimson. Laid atop, his gentle and loving mother, her hair the same colour as his, died the same colour as their eyes.
Sylus fainted. He remembered nothing else afterwards.
At some point, he woke up in the hospital. He had only sustained some minor injuries. Their family friend, Phillip, was present, and told Sylus what happened. He was the only survivor. His parents had died instantly. The driver lost too much blood and died shortly after he arrived at the hospital. From now on, Phillip was to become his legal guardian.
An investigation had been started, to find out what happened. It was confirmed from both Philos and Linkon, that Philosian highway bandits attacked the Qin family car, having targeted them because they were rich, and were hoping to run away with expensive spoils. Sylus didn't believe this conclusion. Still, he said nothing, knowing he could get the people close to him in danger. Phillip didn't deserve to die because of him as well. His parents and the driver were victims that should have never existed.
Before Sylus became a hardened, intimidating man who inspired fear in strangers, he was first a sheltered boy, who was encouraged by his parents to become a genius engineer. He had parents who showed him nothing but love and a plan for success. All of that came crumbling down with their death, and he had to learn the dangers of the real world while still young.
When he finished explaining, steady tears were streaming down your face. Sylus' hands ended up cupping your cheeks, talking and wiping your tears that wouldn't stop.
"I'm sorry… for making you cry, sweetie." Although his voice was affected, he was no where near your state of distress. Was it because he had relived those moments so many times, he became desensitized to them?
"No, Sylus, don't apologize! I'm sorry for doubting you!" Your voice was shaky from quietly crying.
"Did you doubt me based on Caleb's words?"
It was embarrassing to admit, but you nodded. "I thought you might have hidden a family secret, that lead to the assassination of your parents. That they had something to do with Philos, betrayed them somehow, and you knew the details."
Sylus let go of your face, and bent towards the nightstand to grab a tissue for you. "What's the version Caleb told you?"
"Philosian bandits shot at your family car after a business visit in Philos. Neither he, nor the secret services believe those men were simple bandits, but no one could find any ties between them and whoever ordered the assassination. He was suspicious of you and your family, and said that your previous negative ties with Philos create an even more difficult situation in your case. So, there's no good news, because the resurgence of this event from twenty years ago will push back any official resolution that might have been decided until now. Your case is still up in the air."
Sylus carefully cleaned your face, and you were ashamed for ever doubting your beloved husband. You had been used to trusting Caleb's intuition all your life, as he was older, and always sought to protect you. But he'd never been correct about Sylus, so you felt foolish having trusted him right now. Sylus had his reason for not telling you the darkest secret of his life. You shouldn't have doubted his family, just because he avoided talking much about his parents. It all made sense now.
"You kept this hidden, because you were scared it would bring danger to our family?"
"I wouldn't say scared. Just cautious. By the time we got married, I honestly thought it wouldn't come back to haunt me again, but I decided to keep that matter buried. Just in case."
Yes, your husband was never scared. He never showed his weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Yet, you still recognized them, no matter how much he denied them.
Your cradled his face in your palms, guiding his eyes back to yours. "Sylus, when we got married, we promised in our vows we'll always be with each other, through the best of times and the worst of times. If anything burdens you in the future, please tell me too, so I can lighten your load. You won't burden me, it's my duty as your lifelong partner. I don't want you to suffer in silence. I understand this matter was traumatic, and you've kept it buried for my own safety, and your own comfort, and I'm sorry I pried it out of you because of doubt. But please, don't hide inside of yourself. Share with me your worries, your pain, everything you shouldn't keep only to yourself."
Sylus' eyes shined slightly, like on the first day of his return, when he saw his baby for the first time. You knew your words touched him, and even if he were to verbally dismiss how affected he was, he couldn't hide his expression of warmth. For once, he looked so pure.
"You are too kind for your own good, kitten," he chuckled, dismissing his emotions just as you expected. But his hands did reach yours, still holding his face. His palms were sweaty.
"I am just the right amount of kind as your wife," you smiled back and leaned in to press a soft peck to his lips. You'll never doubt your first husband ever again. Though the world might see him as intimidating and dangerous, in your hands he was a soft man who was wholeheartedly dedicated to his family. You and Zayne were the only people to see him for who he truly was from the beginning.
You met Sylus at a rock and roll concert in the summer between your first and second year of University. You ended up standing beside two very energetic boys, who loved the performing band just as much as you. They were barely teenagers, and just when you wandered where their guardian could be, Sylus appeared , chastising them for running away before he could park the car. You instantly found him handsome, and although he towered over you and the boys you found out he adopted into his family, he was gentle and considerate. You chatted with him all night between songs, laughed at his hilarious attempts at singing, and never once felt like he could be dangerous. His harsh exterior never intimidated you, and over the course of that summer, a sweet romance blossomed between the two of you.
You let go of him, still sitting close enough to brush noses. But, there was still more left unsaid.
"Sylus, I know this story hurts you, but I think you have to tell the truth to the authorities. Because, honestly, it's even worse that you were the one to anger the Philosian Government, and not your parents." It was hard to break the heartfelt moment created between the two of you, but it had to be done.
He sighed, but agreed with a nod. "You're right. Because of all that I've been through for the past seven years, I almost forgot it. But I agree, my previous ties with Philos put me into their enemy list since I was a child." For your family's safety, he'll have to do it.
You bit your lip and fidgeted with your fingers. Every time you hoped for good news… you always ended up let down. "I'm scared you won't be able to keep your real identity."
"I know. But I can start a new one."
It almost infuriated you how relaxed he was. "Alright, but how will we deal with the dead you and the alive you?!"
"Sweetie, does it not matter more what goes on inside our household? That's where I'm alive. I'm only dead for the outside world."
No, at this point he did infuriate you. You breathed deeply, feeling another knot getting stuck in your throat. He let go of his past too easily. "If the outside world sees Sylus Qin as dead, then I'm always going to be considered your widow, and Peony will always be half an orphan. I'll still have to tend to your grave, even though you're alive in my home! I can never tell anyone that I'm happy with you, I'll always have to keep you a secret! Peony will have too, she can never tell her friends how you two spend time together, she'll always have to act sad about the father she, supposedly, never met!"
It seemed like Sylus wanted to interrupt, but the moment he opened his mouth, you raised your voice and continued.
"She's just a child, Sylus, eventually it will slip out of her mouth that she has both a daddy and a papa! And what are we going to do when the whole family goes out?" So far, for the quick walks he's been on, Sylus was disguised with a hat that covered all his white hair, and sunglasses that hid his ruby eyes. But he can't keep wearing a disguise for the rest of his life. "She's inherited all your traits, she's your little copy, she calls you daddy, do you think people won't connect the dots? Everyone who knows us, bar the few people who work closely with the government, know you are dead. Who are you going to be in our family, that won't raise suspicions? What random man can you be, that lives in the same house as me and my second husband, that looks exactly like my first daughter, that acts like a father to both of my children? How can you gain a new identity, when everything around you will point to the identity you left to die?"
Now that you vented out your worries, you regretted raising your voice. Sylus fell silent, his eyes darting to and fro as he thought over your concerns. The longer he spent unable to come up with any solution, the lower his frown deepened between his brows. For once, he appeared stumped, stuck between his conviction and your lack of satisfaction.
"I'll… take that into consideration," he finally answered. It wasn't an easy thing to solve, you had no idea how to deal with it either. But at least, he saw your perspective now.
At the end of the day, who knows if he'll even have a chance to choose between his real identity and a new one? Perhaps the authorities will choose for him.
You embraced him, arms going around his torso, as you rested your head against his chest. He kissed the top of your head and covered you with his own arms. "Of course, our personal life at home is the most important, but we can't deny the outside world exists. And I don't think hiding you for the rest of your life will do our family any good."
"I understand your vision, kitten. I simply think it might be too idealistic, too unattainable."
"I know. But I still want it."
His hand raised to pet your hair, and you closed your eyes, listening to his rapid heartbeat.
"If this is what you wish for, my beloved wife, then I'll do everything I can to make it a reality. Your happiness is all that matters. I taught you to be greedy, to make the impossible possible. So I shall do my duty as your loyal husband, and rise myself from the dead." A warm kiss fell onto your temple, where it lingered for many, comforting moments.
Whatever will happen, at least you know your happiness mattered most to Sylus. At least he'll fight for what you wished. And you'll fight too, to make sure he won't have to suffer again in this life.
***
One aspect still lingered above your head, something Sylus wished to tell you, but his mouth could not speak it. Yet. You've learned too many painful things about him today.
This secret…will have to stay buried for a little longer.
Notes: Happy Birthday Sylus, our most beloved fiend and boss man, husband and half of our soul! We shall spend every birthday in your future by your side!
I am once again so sorry it took me this long to update this fic, I didn't manage my time as well as I had hoped. I've been stuck with some other writing projects, some that are still WIPs and will come when ready, others that fell through. I didn't even realize how much time passed since I last updated, and hurried to finish this chapter before Sylus' birthday. It felt fitting, as this is such a Sylus heavy chapter. I thank each and every one of you who sticks with this fic, even when I update so rarely. I truly appreaciate you all, for reading, giving kudos and commenting on this story! I never thought I'd have such an audience for my silly, little fanfics.❤️ I still really love writing this story, this is the most fun I've ever had in a fandom so far!
As always, thank you for reading!❤️
Taglist: @mzfandom @nyzecorner @xvsxliaaxx @owodi
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: Sylus thinks about Zayne, and what feelings he might have for the doctor. He's uncertain. You and Zayne find a moment of intimacy for the two of you.
Rating for this Chapter: Explicit🔞
Word Count: 5.2k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Tags for this Chapter: Vaginal Fingering, Slight Dom/Sub Dynamic (Sub MC, Dom Zayne)
🔞This work and especially this chapter is intended for a +18 audience!🔞
All mornings went like this. Zayne was the first to wake up, the only person in this house who had a job that required him to work on an almost daily basis. He didn't need an alarm clock, his biological one was more than enough, waking up every morning at the same hour. He had stopped using an alarm since Jasmine was born, not wanting to scare his baby and wife from their deep sleep. Sylus wasn't included in that consideration. Still, without a fault, Sylus also woke up at the same time Zayne did.
After years of war and imprisonment, Sylus learned to be wary even when resting. He slept lightly, feeling every time the bed dipped and rose back as Zayne got up. On instinct, his left eye would open, watching what was happening around him. He was safe. His sleepy body couldn't recognize the safe environment until he made sure he was in his bedroom, and the worst thing that could happen is wake up to the sound of a crying baby. By the time he calmed himself down, Zayne noticed he was awake, nodded as a greeting, and walked soundlessly to the bathroom.
Sometimes, Sylus would fall back asleep while Zayne was showering. Sometimes, he spent more time looking at your serene face. Nothing other than Jasmine's cries could wake you up. As long as the baby was asleep, so were you. This morning, Sylus decided to spent some quiet moments with his beloved wife in his arms, breathing in the soft, floral scent of your shampoo. You were so warm and comforting, and at that moment, completely his.
Eventually, Zayne finished his shower, but didn't get ready quite yet. It didn't take more than half a minute since he emerged from the bathroom, that Jasmine started to coo. He picked up his daughter and left the bedroom before you could wake up from her noises. A few minutes later, Sylus decided to get up too, and leave you the entire bed to yourself to continue sleeping. Three adults, especially two very tall and well built men, sleeping in the same bed was quite cozy, but there wasn't much distance between cozy and cramped. They'll have to upgrade the bed frame and mattress to a larger model.
By the time Sylus made his way downstairs, he found Zayne in the kitchen, bouncing Jasmine as he patted her back. An almost empty baby bottle was sitting on the kitchen table.
"Good morning," Zayne said, his tone completely flat. "I thought you'd be sleeping in today."
Sylus groaned as he moved towards the coffee maker. "Figured I could let our sweetie sleep more comfortably by herself. I'm thinking we need to upgrade the bed."
Zayne nodded, still bouncing Jasmine. "I agree. Though I'm not certain how feasible that is at the moment with such a young infant. I doubt we have the time to dismantle the old bed frame, build the new, larger one, and get the bed ready all in one day. I think this plan will have to wait a little. But if you're concerned about our wife's nightly comfort, you could always sacrifice yourself and return to the guest bedroom."
"That's not going happen, doctor, and you know it," Sylus quickly replied, fixing the new coffee filter in place. "Unless you're the one who's selfless enough to sacrifice himself."
Zayne sighed, and stopped patting Jasmine after he finally got a burp out of her. "We can probably stop discussing this topic here. We both know neither of us is going to back down."
"I see you've finally got used to me," Sylus let out a soft chuckle and started the coffee machine.
"Was I not used to you during the war?" Zayne continued the trail of their light-hearted banter, while Jasmine peeked over his shoulder to look at Sylus. The other man smiled gently at the little baby. She was really cute. A perfect little combination of features from both her mother and father.
"But did you think that we would end up sharing a wife and a family? No."
"And apparently that includes a bed as well," Zayne rolled his eyes and sighed. Sylus knew he was simply playing defensive, and wasn't actually upset about it. He made sure to remind the doctor of this fact.
"When you had the opportunity to kick me out of bed, what did you decide to do? Hmm?"
"Sylus." Zayne turned to look again at the other man, and Jasmine turned her head to still be able to watch the white-haired man. She had no idea what her dads were talking about.
"You tucked me in. What, do you dare deny it, when I was there to feel when you picked up my lower body to slide the blanket from under me and then tuck it over me?" The coffee machine beeped as it finished its brewing.
"I thought you were asleep." Zayne's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"Oh, so you took pity on me because you believed I wasn't conscious," Sylus added a hefty drop of sarcasm into his tone. It delighted him to rile up Zayne. Lovingly, of course. Otherwise, this peaceful family life wouldn't have existed between the two of them.
But sometime between coming back home, being extremely jealous that his war time friend married his presumed widow, and this very moment, Sylus started to appreciate that it was Zayne who married you and took care of your family. He would not have tolerated any other man even a fraction as much as he did Zayne. Because if Sylus were to be honest, he more than tolerated Zayne's presence in this family. Of course, because of the fact he knew Zayne, he treasured him as a friend, and respected him as a companion.
"You do one good deed…" Zayne muttered under his breath, but Sylus heard it. It was meant to be heard.
"Does that good deed include the physical touch we both enjoyed the following morning?"
Zayne instantly became red in the cheeks and tips of his ears. He also promptly covered Jasmine's little ears too. "Can we not bring up that subject with Jasmine present?"
Sylus nodded, and turned away to take out three cups and divide coffee between all of them. They'll get back to that subject at one point. It was fair to not speak about matters of intimacy in the presence of the baby, even though she couldn't understand a word of it. As much as Sylus kept his mouth shut about matters that weighed heavily, or acted confident while discussing them, he was more uncertain than usual about what happened that morning.
Of course it was deeply enjoyable, it was the first time in seven years he had been intimate with his wife, who he had longed for all this time. Zayne's presence in the equation should have been at best ignored, or at worse, to have taken away from the enjoyment of it all. Sylus was shocked that even when he didn't ignore the doctor, his pleasure did not diminish at all. They avoided touching each other, reserving all their affection for you. And it was you who brought them together between your legs, where their most intimate flesh actually came into contact.
In the heat of the moment, he did not mind it at all, on the contrary, the added friction proved to be very pleasurable. When he calmed down and his senses came back down to earth, he had to contend with the fact he still did not mind it. He avoided looking at Zayne after all of you finished. They didn't speak at all while you left them to shower. He had no idea if the other man enjoyed that morning as much as he did.
Even with you, when Sylus talked about that morning, the conversation focused on what happened between the two of you, with the promise of being intimate again whenever there's time and a mutual desire for such an act. But still, he could distinguish that unasked curiosity in your eyes. What's going on between you and Zayne?
Sylus didn't know how to answer. He was grateful you never brought it up verbally.
He didn't even have enough courage to speak seriously about it with Zayne, and a few weeks have passed since that morning.
Sylus' thoughts returned to the task at hand, dividing fresh coffee in three cups. He filled his to the top, enjoying his coffee black, filled yours halfway through, the rest reserved for milk, and three quarters full for Zayne, who will complete his cup with ten tea spoons of sugar. It was a miracle the doctor did not develop diabetes yet.
He was still holding Jasmine while he reached for the sugar on the counter. Sylus, having finished his and your coffees, picked up the baby, so Zayne could drench his caffeine in the alarming amount of sugar he enjoyed. Having settled into Sylus' arms, Jasmine looked at him with wide eyes, and once her little, developing brain came to a conclusion, she smiled. She got quite used to having Sylus around her, holding her, caring for her. Although she wasn't his biological daughter, Sylus quite liked seeing how a little human grew and behaved as a baby. He didn't get to witness this life stage with Peony, but he now had a chance with her sister.
For him, family life was truly pleasant. Including Zayne.
The aforementioned doctor was stirring his coffee when the house telephone started to ring in the hallway. "One moment," he said, leaving his cup of sugar infused with caffeine to respond to the call before the noise could travel upstairs and disturb the remaining two slumbering souls.
Sylus peered from the kitchen archway, taking in only Zayne's side of the conversation. "Yes, the Li household?" Sylus did have a problem there; it should have been the Qin household, he's the one who bought this house. But he continued listening to Zayne. "Oh, good morning, Caleb! Yes, she's still sleeping. You can tell me your message and I'll tell her."
A few moments of silence followed as Caleb was presumably talking. Then Zayne glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "Yes, he's here too." Sylus raised an eyebrow, curious how the conversation switched to him. "Of course, there's no problem. She'll be happy to see you again and for you to meet Jasmine for the first time. Alright, I'll tell her when she wakes up. Have a good day, Caleb," Zayne finished and placed the receiver back.
"So, what did Caleb want?" Sylus asked, still leaning in the archway, holding Jasmine.
"He said he needs to talk to his sister about their foster grandmother, and has some information pertaining to you too. There have been some aspects from your case that have developed. He's going to come on Friday, and spend the night here, and that's when he'll tell us what he's found out."
"Did he give out any hints?"
Zayne shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We'll have to wait until Friday."
***
You shouldn't be fretting so much about your foster brother coming to spend a night here. To be fair, it wasn't his visit that stressed you, but rather the fact your house was a mess, one you haven't been able to clean up all week. Caleb wouldn't mind your messy house, in fact, he'd probably offer to help you out. He had always done this when you two were small children and your room got far beyond disorganized.
But it was exactly because you knew he would offer to help you, that you wanted to have this house clean and spotless. Not because he was an esteemed guest, or he was a clean freak, or a snob, but simply because he was a very helpful and caring brother and friend who has always taken care of you. And now, because you're a grown woman with a family, you didn't want to rely on him anymore. Especially since he lost his arm in the war. His right hand used to be his dominant one. But now, with the prosthetic, he barely has any flexibility in it. You don't want to make him work in a house that's not his too.
And even with Sylus' help, it was already afternoon and you still had a lot to tidy up. Zayne had more long shifts than usual this week, Peony had a sore throat and a runny nose for about two days, and you were scared she was going to get sick, and tried to protect Jasmine from her older sister's potential sickness as much as possible. Blessed be the day you decided to fall in love with a doctor and marry him, he truly was a miracle in your life. He took care of Peony and gave her some medicine to combat the cold before it could take place. After only a night with a very mild fever, Peony was much better.
Still, all that time spent on purely taking care of the girls, left you with little time or nerves to deal with the overall cleanliness of the house.
"Sylus, are the sheets dry?" you shouted from your bedroom's balcony down into the backyard. Your husband was taking down the laundry from the clothes line.
"Yes, sweetie!" he shouted back at you, picking up the full basket and going back inside.
You exited the bedroom, and once you heard the backdoor opening, you shouted again from the stairwell. "I'll get the guest bedroom ready! Can you look after Jasmine?"
"Yes, kitten!" he shouted, once more, as a response.
Much of the day was spent like this. You ran around from room to room, while Sylus listened and obeyed all your commands. Today, you didn't even have time for lunch, neither did you let Sylus prepare one. You were simply too busy. Only when you sat down to breastfeed Jasmine, did Sylus escape your commands and actually managed to crop up a quick platter of vegetables, deli meats and cheeses for both of you. The moment Jasmine was done eating, you stopped as well, and urged Sylus to get back to work as well. He barely managed to ingest a few bites.
Now, he finally understood why the twins became used to calling you boss lady.
***
It was already late afternoon, and you knew Zayne and Peony would come back soon. They both usually came home for lunch, but today Peony had an after school activity, and Zayne had a longer shift. Still, you needed to get ready for the girls' daily walk, and you've just gotten the house in order. It was close to five p.m., and you already had to change Jasmine once, because her new, clean diaper, couldn't contain her blow out when you had just put on her going out outfit.
You were still covered in sweat, dust, and questionable fluids created by your lovely baby, when you went downstairs. Sylus was ready to go, having taken out the stroller from the garage already. Your shoulders deflated as you stared, knowing you were so far behind, and feeling disgusting.
Sylus noticed it as well.
"Sweetie, you're running yourself ragged," he said, taking Jasmine from you and placing her in the stroller. You didn't even have time to warn him before his arms captured you in his embrace.
"No, Sylus, I'm covered in—!"
"I don't care what you're covered in. You're tense, let me destress you." His heavy hand was comforting running up and down your back. When did your spine start to hurt?
"I need to take a shower and get ready… Peony and Zayne are going to get home any minute now…" you whined, relived to lean into your husband's warm body.
"They're not going to rush you. You have all the time in the world."
"But we have to get back from the walk and make dinner before Caleb arrives!"
"Just because he's a Colonel now doesn't mean you have to spend a whole day stressed out and overwhelmed. I'm sure he can wait for us if we're not home, and I'm sure he won't die of starvation if dinner is a little late."
You sighed, closing your eyes and leaning further into Sylus. What a blessing it was to have him back in your life, in your house, to spend all this time with him everyday.
"Thank you."
"Anything for you, kitten," he whispered, placing gentle kisses around your ear, your temple, your forehead.
You were still in his embrace when you heard an engine drive in front of your house. It didn't take long until you heard the keys jiggling in the door, and you didn't let go of Sylus until Peony burst in the entryway and jumped in your arms.
"Mommy!" She giggled, brushing her cheek against yours.
"Peony, baby! How was your day today?" You held her tight. You both needed it. Her school clothes needed to be washed this weekend anyway.
"Great! I learned so much about art today!" She finally let go of you, but she still grabbed your hand. "Are we going on our evening walk? Are we?" She asked, swinging the hand she was holding.
"Yes, Peony, let's get you changed into some more sporty clothes first."
"Yay!" She exclaimed while running upstairs towards her bedroom.
You took a moment to greet your second husband and give him a peck, before you rushed after your daughter.
With the two men left alone, Sylus turned to Zayne.
"She ran herself ragged today."
The doctor nodded. "I can tell. She looks tired. I hope you've been helping her today." He looked up at the other man with scrutiny.
"Of course I did! Doctor, you wound me with such allegations!"
Zayne sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm tired as well, so if you can keep your sarcasm to a minimum this evening, it would be greatly appreciated."
"The day is not over yet, Zayne. I can make no promises," Sylus placed a heavy hand on the other's shoulder, and felt his tense muscles underneath his shirt. Without another word, he moved his hand to run it up and down his back, like he did for you too earlier. "Anyway, I was thinking about our wife. She's worried we're already behind, and Caleb will arrive before everything's ready. She still needs to get ready to go outside, and the dinner's not cooked yet. How about I go with the girls on their daily walk, while she gets a quiet house to relax in and cleanse herself, while you take over dinner duties?"
Zayne sighed, unconsciously relaxing against Sylus' touch. "Your idea is not bad, I'll give you that. If she gets about an hour of rest, then that's good. I'll draw her a bath and then get the food ready."
Sylus chuckled, his soothing touch finally stopping. "I knew you could be agreeable. Just make sure to make bigger plates for me and her, we've barely had anything for lunch."
The doctor nodded, and Peony descended down the stairs in her sports suit, running towards her fathers.
***
You had just gotten inside your own bedroom, when you saw the door open again as Zayne entered.
"Come," he said simply, taking your hand and leading you to the bathroom.
"Zaynie, it's alright, I can take a shower by myself. I need to get ready quickly, otherwise—"
He shook his head and turned on the hot water tap for the bathtub. "I already talked with Sylus. It was his idea for us to stay home while he takes the girls out. You've worked too much today, so you're going to relax in a nice bath, and I'll make dinner before Caleb can arrive. Alright?"
You were speechless. You weren't surprised your husbands did so much to comfort you, but still, it came at a time when you didn't think it was a possibility. They always thought about you first and foremost. How were you so lucky to find two men who loved you dearly and wholeheartedly?
"Thank you."
"Thank Sylus too when he gets back home. It was his idea. And maybe let him eat a bit more. I could hear his stomach growling, so I sent him out with a protein bar."
"Oh no!" you laughed softly, ashamed. "I'll make sure to thank him properly later this evening. But thank you, for taking care of him too."
Zayne stopped the water from running, checking its temperature. "I've gotten used to it. It's not the first time I've had to feed him. He did use to forget to eat when he was deeply concentrated on his projects." He stood up and unbuttoned his shirt. "Now, enough about Sylus. Let's focus on your relaxation."
You watched him shrug off his shirt (or rather, you ogled his impressive abdominal muscles and well defined pecs), and stood motionless as he grabbed the hem of your dirty house T-shirt. "Umm, what are you doing?" you made sure to ask with a very sweet voice.
"I thought it was obvious I was helping you relax." You let him pull off your T-shirt.
"And your finely sculpted torso is included in the relaxation plan?" You trailed fingers along the valleys between his muscles, and felt him laugh softly.
"Yes, and there's so much more," his response was whispered beside your ear, followed by a silence filled with warm kisses running down your neck. His hands were busy with pulling down the ham of your pants, as he landed a soft bite beside your jaw.
"Zayne, are you perhaps a bit needy right now?"
"I always need you. I never denied that," his hands settled on your back, his dexterous fingers quickly unlatching your nursing bra. He let it fall to the ground, straightening his posture to look you all over.
There have been some moments when you looked at your own body, and were still unused to seeing it like this. You put on a lot of weight while carrying Jasmine, you lost some of it, but your skin sagged in places, your boobs did too, your belly was heavier and rounded, decorated with stretch marks. You went through this before, when you gave birth to Peony. So you tried to not be affected by the effects of pregnancy on your body. It was normal. Your body was healthy, you were able to carry two pregnancies to term and birth two healthy babies. Your body did its job perfectly, and there was no point in being harsh towards yourself. Still, there was an annoying part in the deep recesses of your brain, that was discouraged with this look.
But there was Zayne too, who still dedicated attention to every line of your body, to every new curve you gained or lost, to every change your body went through as you nurtured his baby and brought his daughter into this world. He was still deeply mesmerized by your physical beauty, the growing tent in his slacks a clear indication towards his attraction for you.
And that outward validation made your insecure brain calm down. Your husband still found you hot. There was no reason for you to think you were not.
He crashed his lips against yours, his mouth hungry to chase the sweetness of your tongue. His hands hurried to push down your panties too, while his lips still danced along yours. You couldn't wait any longer either, unbuttoning his slacks and sliding them down his legs.
"You," Zayne breathed on your lips between ardent kisses, "my love, are driving me insane." Another hungry kiss descended on your lips, stealing your breath. "Do you know how hard it is to go through an entire shift without you by my side?"
He kissed you with fervour again, he didn't allow you any time to respond. His arms gathered you up, and gently placed you down into the warm soothing water. Only then did he let go of your lips, and you were able to breathe deep again.
His boxers were discarded quickly as well, and you licked your kiss swollen lips as you eyed his impressive length jutting free from between his legs. "Yes, I can tell how hard it is…" You weren't sure if he was going to catch your double entendre when he was this desperate for you.
The water flowed and rose as he entered the bathtub behind you, his arms gathering you against his chest. Zayne rested his chin on your shoulder, breathing in deeply the scent of your skin, before placing a gentle kiss there. His hard cock pressed against the cleft of your butt cheeks, but your husband paid no attention to himself. He was fully concentrated on you, on caressing the supple stretches of your skin, massaging the muscles he knew hurt the most. All the while his lips gently explored your neck, the back of your ears, your jaw. He was fully consumed with you.
"Love, where do you want to be touched?" His low, whispered voice called from behind.
"Zayne…" you whined, hoping he understood where you needed him most.
A groan left his throat, as his slender, long fingers draped over your navel and slowly moved over your mound. "You don't want to use your words, baby?"
You shook your head slowly, and let it fall against his shoulder. Your eyes closed as he landed a gentle kiss on your forehead, his lips curling into a smile pressed onto your skin.
"Alright, I'll be graceful with you today. After all, you deserve to be pampered and treated like a queen for how hard you work everyday for our family. So let me relax you, and stop thinking for a little while." He tenderly bit your earlobe, then soothed it with the tip of his tongue. "I'll think for you too."
His fingers finally connected with your vulva, his index and ring fingers gently spreading the lips open, while his middle one pressed onto your clit with soft pressure. You moaned a tiny, high sound, and you heard Zayne inhale a deep breath. "There we go, does that feel good, my dearest?"
He continued to explore your outer lips, three of his fingers running up and down, from your clit, that was getting puffy and enlarged, to your opening and adding a little pressure there too. He continued to caress in this manner for a little while, and you felt how warm blood pooled in your most sensitive regions. Butterflies swarmed inside your lower abdomen, making way to a comfortable feeling of heightening arousal.
Your eyes remained closed all this time, while your mouth was parted to let out little noises of pleasure sing out into the sanctuary of your bathroom. Zayne was more than pleased with your soft, vocal responses to his careful ministrations. He kept getting harder and harder against your back.
"Tell me if this hurts," he whispered again, and not a moment later, you felt his middle finger slowly breach inside of you.
Even though you've had a couple sexual experiences since you gave birth two months ago, you've never been penetrated during them. Not even with fingers. Although you've wanted to feel Zayne inside of you again (and Sylus), he'd been cautious, and wanted to wait further until you were more than fully healed. His medical expertise was always going to outweigh his needs and pleasures.
But it didn't hurt as he breached you. You felt a little pressure at first, but otherwise it was completely fine. True, it was only one finger, it'd still take longer until you were going to get used to handling the diameter of your husband's hard cock. Both his and Sylus'. You've managed to marry two very well hung men.
"Is it alright, love?" He kissed your cheek after his question, his finger shallowly trusting inside of you.
"Mmmnn," you whimpered, moving your hips to chase after his touch.
His free hand stilled your hip, so your movements wouldn't shake the water out of the bathtub. "Oh, you're being such a good girl for me. Just focus on my touch and keep making those adorable sounds. Alright, baby?"
You nodded and whined, playing perfectly into Zayne's commands. He rewarded you with his finger going in deeper, thrusting quicker, while his thumb came into contact with your needy clit. He flicked it and circled it, adding pressure just as you liked it. After all, you've been together for long enough for him to know all the sensations you were thrilled by.
Another finger made its way alongside the other, and you mewled in response. Zayne chuckled with a soft breath, continuing to play you like an expert. Your eyes finally opened, just to see the intensity in his half-lidded eyes. He was watching you intently, all the while his hand continued to plunge and massage your walls, bumping into that spot that made you see stars. You were so close, and he kept intensifying his speed and pressure.
"Let go for me…" he whispered, sucking gently onto the side of your neck.
Your body could do nothing but obey to his plea, and you felt all tension erupt out of your body.
"Zayne!" you screamed, your walls convulsing around two of his fingers, who were moving to prolong your orgasm. It felt as if your whole body was fluttering in pleasure, and your nails caught onto his forearms, digging in.
"Good, there you go. Do you know how beautiful you are when you scream my name?" he praised you, his fingers finally withdrawing, but still caressing on the outside.
There was no coherent response you could give. You were still somewhere far in the realm of unimaginable satisfaction, still riding on the waves of complete surrender.
His touch lightened, became more gentle as he switched from pleasuring you, to simply taking care of you. His passionate kisses turned softer, tender against your sweaty hair, his hands returned to massaging your exhausted muscles.
"Was that good?" Even his voice sounded more like the Zayne you usually knew, and the intensity he liked to imbue into your sexual encounters was gone.
"Yeah…" you sighed, still perfectly satisfied. "Let me return the favour now."
Zayne stopped you before you could turn and touch his long abandoned dick. His hold was firm on your arms. "No. This was about you, only for you. There will be another time for me too. I'm plenty satisfied just seeing you lose all composure in my arms."
Even though you just came from simply being fingered, and you two have done much kinkier stuff in the past, his words still made you blush. He kissed your red, warm cheek, and leaned back to grab your body wash.
"We don't have that much time. Sylus and the girls will come back soon, and I still need to at least start cooking dinner. Now, let's get you all clean."
You kissed him back, smothering his cheek with a million 'thank you's for turning this stressful day into a very pleasing experience. Soft kisses continued to be exchanged between the two of you as he uncapped your body wash, and started slathering it over your body with a careful caress.
Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (and the second smutty scene of this fic😁 I have plans for so many more, muahaha). As always, thank you all for reading!❤️
Taglist: @mzfandom @nyzecorner @xvsxliaaxx @owodi
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
Synopsis: Sylus, at his most vulnerable moment, was saved by Zayne. And unknowngly, the doctor found you too.
Now you have to tend to an injured Sylus, and confront the uncertain reunion between you and Zayne. With a heart torn in two pieces, you're only left with confusion and desire for both men. But only one can have you and bring you happiness, while the other wallows in a self inflicted punishment.
Sylus will make sure Zayne doesn't forget his decisions, which only ended up hurting you more.
Word Count: 7.2k
Rating: Teen
Pairings: Sylus/Mc, Zayne/MC, Sylus/Zayne (the much heavier focus is on MC and her relationships with the guys, Sylus and Zayne still don't particularly like each other, but this work is a part of a series that will feature a Poly!SnowCrowMC relationship in the future)
Tags: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, Gentle Kissing, Forehead Kisses, Whump Sylus, Fluffy SylusMC, Angsty ZayneMC, Tense SnowCrow, Post-Death and Rebirth (Love and Deepspace), Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace), Allusions to Beyond Cloudfall (Sylus' Dragon Myth), Not Canon Compliant
Prequel (Not necessary to read to understand this one, but occurs directly prior to this one, and shows Zayne and Sylus' first meeting)
You can also read this fic on AO3
After arriving home from work, you checked your phone again. Sylus still hadn't responded to any of your texts. You hadn't seen Mephisto all day either. But you convinced yourself this was an overreaction. You moved on with your evening.
With dinner finished, and a new episode from a show you couldn't focus on, you started to bug Sylus with texts and calls, to tease him, to provoke him into replying. Still, no response. Your messages hadn't even been read. This was unlike him ever since you two started to date.
After hours of fretting and worrying about your boyfriend's silence, you called once more.
You waited for a while, the call ringing in your ear. Just as you were about to cancel it, the call was picked up.
"Hello, I'm Sylus doctor. He can't respond at the moment as he's resting, but he is fine."
You gasped, mouth wide open. No words were able to come out. That voice… Were you starting to hallucinate all doctor voices as Zayne's? No, there must be a reasonable explanation for this. You were simply tired and worried about Sylus, so when you heard a doctor speak, your mind simply defaulted to imagining Zayne. Even though it had been months since you last heard him in that cemetery.
"Hello?"
The doctor spoke again. You had been caught in your own delirium for too long and failed to respond. Still, your throat felt tight, your mouth dry, speaking felt too arduous to muster with your mind seemingly unstable. Yet, you pushed through, as best as you could.
"I—I'm sorry… I… Uhm, has something happened to Sylus?" Only now did you realize how strange it was for a doctor to answer the Onychinus' boss personal phone.
This time, it was your turn to hear a gasp on the other side of the call. A few seconds passed, before that voice that strangely resembled Zayne's… spoke your name.
You clutched your chest. No… This couldn't be real? Can it? You heaved in air, which barely passed through the knot choking your throat. Tears sprang behind your eyelids. Why…?
"Zayne…?" your voice trembled, as tears ran down your cheeks. You had to confirm it was truly him. Though it made no sense why Zayne would be Sylus' doctor, and answering his personal phone. But logic didn't matter that much right now. For whatever reason, you reached out for Sylus, and it was Zayne who answered.
A few more moments passed, but finally, the other person replied: "Yes, it's me."
The phone almost slipped out of your sweaty hands. With a deep breath of air, held in your lungs for a couple seconds, you decided to finally get answers for the confusion that's been wrecking your brain for the past few minutes.
"Zayne Li, what is happening? Where are you, why are you Sylus' doctor, how is he, why are you answering his phone, how—?" your voice continued to tremble even as you forced yourself to calm down. You furiously wiped the tears still running down your cheeks.
"It is quite a long story, but in short, I'm in the N109 Zone. I met Sylus on the border between Linkon City and the N109 Zone. He was wounded, and I stopped to offer him assistance. We were both transported to his base, and I managed to close his wound. He is resting at the moment, that is why he couldn't respond to you. I wasn't aware… that 'Kitten with a red heart emoji' was you, but I felt bad for whoever was messaging and calling him over and over again. So I answered on his behalf."
Zayne's voice had been utterly calm and collected, like you've always known it to be. You'd expected to hear more shock from him discovering the ridiculous nickname Sylus insisted on using, was directed towards you. The red heart emoji you couldn't blame him for, it was entirely your idea, your own finger that tapped to add it, once the two of you started to date last month. Still, you didn't like the short story Zayne told you. Why would Sylus need a doctor to mend his wounds?
"How hurt is he? Did he not heal himself?"
"I'm afraid his Evol abilities have been nullified before I met him. From what I've gathered, EVER developed some anti-matter weapons that were used on him. His Evol hasn't recovered before falling asleep. I can't give you any more details, but I can assure you that he's stable, his wounds are not life threatening, no organs have been hit, and he's merely resting at the moment."
Even though it was Sylus who he had to treat now, he still spoke with the same care he showed to every one of his patients. As if Sylus wasn't a criminal, the leader of Onychinus, the ruler of the N109 Zone. That is why you appreciated Zayne not only as a professional, but as a person too.
"Thank you, Zayne." You bit your lip, uncertain if you should voice more of your thoughts. Your heart was still beating far too fast, and even with his explanations, you were worried and confused about both of them. "Zayne?"
"Yes?"
"If you knew it was me, would you have answered?"
Perhaps the question was too harsh, but you couldn't ignore it, after months and months of Zayne keeping his distance from you. If he had the choice, he would keep this painful distance between the two of you. That's what you came to realize.
Long moments passed without any answer from your ex-physician. The silence was loud enough, you understood why he hesitated to answer truthfully. But you were done avoiding him.
"I understand. I'm coming to the N109 Zone, don't you dare leave." This time, you made sure your voice was steady. For once, he needed to listen to you, to trust you.
"Yes, ma'am," was all he said, and you were grateful.
The call ended, and you sprinted across your apartment to pick up your helmet, coat and bag.
***
It's been a long time since the N109 Zone learned to fear you, and avoid pursuing you. Whispers must have reached all depths of the lawless zone that you were Sylus' woman. Only someone with a death wish would dare to try and harm you. As you raced down the chaotic streets, you hoped this unofficial law still stood. You hoped no one found out Sylus was stripped of his Evol at the moment, forced into a vulnerable position that he wasn't used to.
Thankfully, you reached the underground parking of the Onychinus base without any events. Your heart was still racing as you hurriedly turned off your motorcycle, pulled off your helmet and shook your sweaty hair. With trembling fingers, you pressed the penthouse button as soon as the elevator doors closed in on you. Leaning against one of the walls, your eyes closed, still trying to understand how EVER managed to create weapons that could disarm Sylus in such a way. You had to see for yourself what state he was in.
And you had to meet Zayne. For the first time in months. Somehow, your heart failed to calm down thinking of it, choosing to race even more worryingly.
The elevator bell dinged, doors opening inside the spacious, opulent apartment that was close to becoming your second home. You struggled out of your boots as you tried to hurry and find the two most important men in your life, the helmet slipping out of hands onto the carpeted floor. At this point, you couldn't care anymore to keep this place tidy. As soon as your socks hit the carpet, you ran towards Sylus' private wing.
You didn't even have to run for long, as he stood there in the hallway, waiting. Waiting for you. Dressed in all black, the same suit he wore the last time you two met. Your feet stopped a few meters in front of him, a little distance that still seemed too sudden to close. Zayne. The second half of your heart (the first was dedicated to Sylus). After almost half a year, he stood only meters before you. And still, he made no movement to reach you.
Taking a few moments to reacquaint yourself with his face, you couldn't help but frown. He looked —to put it kindly— barely alive, in a much worse state than you last saw him. His face was tired, cheeks slightly sunken, heavy, dark circles sat beneath his eyes, and a messy, unshaven stubble covered his jaw; overall, the look of a man who didn't care of his appearance anymore. Even his hair was longer, strands falling past his jawline. It wouldn't have looked bad on him, if it had been an intentional haircut, and the strands would have been healthy. But it was simply his usual style that grew out, and he didn't bother to fix it.
It hurt you to see him in such a desolate state. You hoped these months of forced separation would help him, that he'd find the answers he sought, that he'd get better and come back into your life. But almost six months have passed, and he looked worse than when you left him.
If this unfortunate situation wouldn't have happened, how long would it have taken for him to seek you out on his own? A few more weeks? You doubted that. A few more months? Possibly. A year, or more? You were scared of believing it. And even now, when Sylus will no longer need the assistance of a doctor, would Zayne withdraw again, leaving you heartbroken once more?
Before you could continue to hesitate, your feet moved you forward, as Zayne carefully watched every step you took. Standing before him, both of you stared, uncertain what words would be appropriate.
"You— Is that blood on your clothes?!" You noticed as you looked away from his weary face. The black waistcoat and shirt he was wearing were darkened with shed blood.
"It's not my own," he replied simply, his voice icy.
"Sylus'?"
He nodded.
"That doesn't reassure me." You staggered in place, disturbed by the amount of dark splotches on his clothes. He must have noticed the uncomfortable expression on your face, as he took a step back and cleared his throat.
"I assure you, the blood loss is not life threatening. He will probably feel weaker once he wakes up, if he does not regain control of his Evol, but he's out of danger. You can check on his condition for yourself," he tried to calm you down, already clutching the door handle to Sylus' bedroom.
You nodded, scared your voice will tremble. You've never known Sylus without his Evol. EVER tried to hurt him with such weapons during the Zoion Hunt, but it didn't seem to do much damage. He's been hurt before, when he couldn't immediately heal himself, but he's never been knocked out because of a wound before. For crying out loud, he forced you to shoot him in the chest, and he shrugged it off as if you merely pricked him with a sewing needle, of course you were overcome with worry in this moment when he couldn't just shrug off a serious injury!
As soon as Zayne opened the door, you burst in the room, sitting down on the chair placed beside his bed. A heart monitor was beeping steadily on the other side of his bed, just beside an IV pole that slowly trickled fluid down the tube connected to his elbow veins. Zayne had created a mini hospital setup in Sylus' bedroom, and that only worried you further. He's never needed a hospital before.
You touched his hand, larger and heavier than yours, and grasped it in both of your own. He was still warm, as you knew him, and even looking at his face, he seemed to sleep normally. Were it not for the medical equipment and the fact he didn't even stir from his sleep as his bedroom door opened, you would think this was just a normal scene. Your thumb caressed the back of his palm, hoping your gentle touch could be felt as comfort in his deep slumber.
To see such an undefeatable man —a person who was always ten steps ahead of the idiots who dared to take him on— in such a vulnerable position where he could not defend himself, it made you silently cry. Warm, beady tears spilled down your cheeks, as you looked at Sylus. Never before have you sneaked into his bedroom and touched him without him noticing you immediately. At most, he'd pretend to sleep soundly, lying like a predator trying to trick its prey into a false sense of security, before he'd catch you being naughty.
You'd never thought that one of the first nights spent with him, when you tried to capture his brooch and tie his wrist with a useless pair of handcuffs to the headboard, would feel so nostalgic, so comforting. You wished he'd peek an eye open and catch you by surprise, grasp both of your wrists into the hand you're still clutching onto. But no, he remained still, deep asleep, with a heavy frown etched between his brows. Was he experiencing pain even in his sleep?
Quiet steps scared you, flinching, as Zayne approached and knelt in front of your chair. He held out a tissue, expecting you to take it. You managed to pry one of your hands from holding Sylus', to grab the tissue offered by Zayne and dab at your trailing tears.
"I know it is difficult to see a person dear to you in such a state, especially when it is not characteristic of them to be in a vulnerable position. But trust me, I made sure he will be fine. His body simply needs to rest after dealing with a wound it is not used to. That said, I will not tell you to stop crying or worrying. Your reaction is natural. But, I do want you to tell me if my presence here is not wanted. I can wait in the hallway and give you two a moment alone."
"No!" You grabbed onto his collar before Zayne could have any chance to move. His eyes bulged out at your bold initiative. "Stay. It's been so long since I've had you near, please, just stay…" your voice trembled as your sobs could not be calmed down.
Zayne regarded you quietly and nodded, placing a cold hand above your own, still desperately clutching onto his collar. He said no words, and let you pour out your sorrow. Your tears continued to fall, as your heart took in the devastating scene before you once more. Sylus, hurt and exhausted, robbed of the power that has always kept him strong, and Zayne, weary and depressed, seemingly a ghost of the cardiac surgeon you knew him as. Even though you reunited, the state he was in disappointed you. And… who knows for how long he'll stay here until he decides to distance himself once more?
You stayed like that for a while, watching over Sylus' sleeping form, feeling Zayne's weary presence kneeling by your side, with the constant noise of the heart monitor breaking through the eery silence. At some point, your tears dried, no more able to fall down. You had to get used to the current situation. You trusted Zayne, if he said Sylus will be fine, then you believed it. There was nothing to be done before he wakes up on his own.
Instead, there is plenty you can do about Zayne.
"Zayne, will you listen to me tonight?" you asked, voice weak and tongue dry.
"I will."
Your eyes glanced down at him. For how long had he stayed there, kneeling beside you? You felt bad now that it didn't even pass through your mind to tell him he can bring a chair and sit on it beside you. But it was clear from his eyes that followed each of your movements, he was worried to disappoint you further. For now, he was tired, and obedient. All the fight in him was gone. Perhaps he too enjoyed this wretched moment of having you close again, craved to break free from his self inflicted punishment. You wholly trusted him, that tonight, everything you asked, he will obey.
"I'll bring you a set of pajamas and a new set of clothes for tomorrow. Then you'll go and take a shower. You'll eat what I'm going to prepare you. And then you'll go to sleep, and rest for at least a few good hours. Tomorrow, you're not leaving until Sylus wakes up and I dismiss you. This may be Sylus' home, but you only listen to me, not him. I'll stay to watch over Sylus tonight, and you," you pressed your pointer finger in the middle of his sternum, "rest. tonight. Have I made myself clear?"
Zayne blinked a few times, and then with a soft voice replied: "Yes, ma'am. I'll honour every moment of kindness you're willing to grace me with."
Through all the current distress, his regretful demeanour almost made you chuckle. "Zayne, you don't have to talk to me as if you're a sad, little puppy who's been kicked, and I was the one to rescue you," you added with a soft pat to his prickly cheek.
Hearing your response, even he seemed to relax a little. You swear you could see a bit of tension leaving him as his shoulders dropped. "I don't think I've ever been compared to a sad, kicked puppy before. I don't particularly like it."
"Then stop acting like one," you said, giving him one last pat, which he tried to lean into but it far too late. You stood up, and helped him out of his uncomfortable, kneeling position. "Take my seat, I'll be back in a few minutes."
And with that, you were gone out of Sylus' bedroom.
***
You returned in just a few minutes with two changes of clothes for Zayne, then guided him towards a bedroom and bathroom that were going to be his tonight.
While he showered, you went to the kitchen to find something easy and fast to cook for Zayne. But you had to face the fact that a rich man like Sylus, truly did not keep his fridge well equipped. He had a more peculiar taste, you knew how picky he could be towards certain foods, and how he had a propensity for strange combinations, so he probably relied on his chef for most meals. While the twins, they probably ordered take out most often, if they were not included in the meals alongside Sylus.
You settled for the little you could find, some vegetables for a salad (how ironic it was that the vegetables in the largest quantity were carrots, which were outright forbidden for any meal destined for Zayne), two burger patties that you could fry quickly, some bread you could toast, and a bit of butter you could spread over it. If you were to ever take Sylus' offer to join Onychinus and move in, the first thing you'd take control over, will be the sorry state of this fridge! Good thing you managed to eat your dinner before Sylus' lack of communication started to worry you.
After chopping the veggies and dressing them up for the salad, you started to fry the frozen patties. That's when you heard footsteps behind you, and were hit with the fragrance of a deep, refreshing, woodsy and spicy smell you associated with Sylus' body wash. For half a second, you thought Sylus might have woken up and followed you into the kitchen, but you quickly realized it was Zayne who finished his shower. You turned to look at him. It was so strange to see Zayne in front of you, but smell Sylus.
"That doesn't seem to be a very balanced meal," he spoke, glancing at what you were cooking from behind you.
"Blame it on the sorry state of the billionaire's fridge," you said, pointing to the offending household appliance.
Zayne moved away from your side to peek inside the fridge, and you instantly heard him let out an annoyed sigh. He noticed the carrots.
"Indeed. There is far too much space overtaken by frozen pieces of carrots," he spit out the last word as if it had been a curse. Good to know he was feeling well enough to hate on the poor, orange vegetables.
You giggled, and flipped one of the patties. He heard your amusement, and moved back to your side, leaning against the counter. The pajamas you gave him, a cotton set in black and red, fit him decently well. The too long sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, showing off his scarred forearms. Were there more scars than you've previously seen? You were afraid to look longer, scared you'll notice scars not yet fully healed.
"Kitten?"
"Yes?" you answered, not even fully realizing it was Zayne who called you that. Your cheeks started to heat up the moment you responded, and you bit your lip in frustration. Sylus' body wash was really throwing you off.
"Oh, so he uses this nickname often enough you respond to it," Zayne concluded, and you decided to close your eyes against this onslaught. If the patties were going to burn because you couldn't see them, then so be it, he deserved them burned. "I didn't expect the leader of Onychinus to use such a… cutesy nickname. And for you nonetheless."
Still with your eyes closed, you breathed out slowly. You did not need to be confronted about Sylus' affinity for stupid pet names by Zayne of all people!
"Zayne, don't you think this salad would be tastier if I added some pieces of carrots?" you asked, sarcasm rolling off your tongue in the most obvious threat you could launch.
He didn't respond to your teasing, instead picking up a fork and taking the bowl of salad away from your grasp. He rounded the kitchen island and sat down, taking a bite of what you prepared. "No, it only needs a bit more olive oil."
You groaned as you rolled your eyes. For such a serious, calm person, Zayne could also be a very annoying man.
"And let me take over here," he added, having moved slowly behind you. He grabbed your spatula and gently pushed you aside. "You're burning the poor meat."
That was the point! That was supposed to be your punishment!!
With another heavy eye roll, you relented, and moved to the other side of the kitchen to start loading the toaster. "You are very ungrateful to the person feeding you, doctor Zayne," you huffed over your shoulder, before returning your attention to the toaster.
"I believe I am grateful enough. After all, was is it not Miss Chef who threatened to poison me?" Zayne replied, with that smarmy, level tone of his. He finished frying the patties and passed them onto a plate.
"Carrots are not poison, Zayne!" The toaster dinged behind you as you turned to glare at Zayne.
"Truly still a mystery why they are not categorized as such."
He sat down at the kitchen island again, finishing his salad dressing, and cooling down the meat patties enough for him to be able to eat. In the meantime, you picked the two pieces of toasted bread and spread a layer of butter over them, placing them beside the meat for Zayne.
You started to clean the kitchen as Zayne ate, the two of you sitting in silence. For a moment, it seemed peaceful, reminiscent of familiar scenes spent at your apartment or his house. But Zayne decided to break the nostalgic moment.
"Initially, based on the nickname and emoji, I assumed Kitten❤️ to be Sylus' significant other." Zayne's pause lingered for a few moments before he sighed and continued. "Was I… correct in my assumption?"
You stopped wiping the counter, your head and shoulders dropping. It was hard to admit the truth to Zayne. Although you were happy and fulfilled with Sylus by your side, there was still the lingering thought that Zayne might have occupied that space if he hadn't abandoned you. Because of his distance, you had the opportunity to get closer to Sylus and notice how important he became for your life. It was Zayne's own decision that led to you finding solace in another man's embrace.
"Yes. We… are a couple." You had to swallow around the lump in your throat. Your eyes couldn't connect with his. "We started dating last month."
Zayne cleared his throat, but did not respond. When you finally became brave enough to look at him, you watched him glance away, blinking rapidly. Did it hurt, to know for certain he lost you? You were almost convinced he must have held tender feelings for you for a long time. He dedicated his career to find ways to heal your heart. But did it not hurt you too, when he quit being your doctor, when he distanced himself and left your heart broken? When you needed him most to mend your fragile heart, he became unreachable.
Maybe he should hurt now too, knowing that another man fulfilled you in ways he couldn't. That you were happy, and in love with someone else. It was cruel, and you realized that, but still, he can't blame you for falling for someone else. You've already put your love life on hold for him for too long. Since you were a child, who barely knew what a crush meant, to the teenager that still longed for her childhood friend that you lost contact with, to the young woman who found her path in life, and reconnected with him… It was still Zayne who pulled away again.
How can you be certain it won't repeat and you'll end up heartbroken again?
At least Sylus promised that he'll keep you bound to him, that your connection transcends this place and this world. At least Sylus won't abandon you, like everyone else in your life ends up doing. Whatever wretched existence you live, he won't let go, he'll fight everything by your side.
At least you physically have a way to keep him bound to you. For as long as your soul wants.
"Congratulations," Zayne finally said, quietly, breaking you out of spiralling thoughts.
It was a hollow word. You nodded simply to acknowledge it.
You didn't want to linger on this topic any further. There was no point of punishing him further. After all, what else were you supposed to say? How happy and relieved you were to be in a stable, official relationship with Sylus? That'll break him. That Zayne could have been your partner if he didn't leave during that night in the cemetery? He's already aware.
So you switched subjects, trying to understand more of what he went through for these past months.
"Have you found any of the answers you were looking for? Do you know what's causing you to become Dawnbreaker and lose control of your powers?"
Zayne pondered for a few moments how to respond. "I have found some answers. Though I can't say they're satisfying, or helpful in my pursuits. It's… not a particularly easy problem to fix, I'm afraid."
You waited for a more thorough explanation of his research, but he didn't elaborate. For whatever reason, he chose to keep that information from you.
"I'm sorry."
You raised your head to look at Zayne, to see the pained expression on his face. The frown of his brows, his hazel eyes wet and sparkling, the deeply regretful expression he was vulnerable enough to show you, left you unable to respond. At least, in a satisfying matter.
"I know." It was too simple of a response. It was all you could give.
"I don't want to hurt you. I did it to protect you."
Zayne stood up from the island stool, walking towards you. More than half of his meal was still uneaten.
"I know."
"But I hurt you still."
He was standing right in front of you, but you kept your head hung low. Another knot was forming in your throat. You nodded, scared that if you spoke, you'll cry.
"I never meant to hurt you, physically or emotionally. I know I failed both. I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me."
You swallowed, your saliva thick and sticky down your constricted throat. This was all too much to take in, to even think about rationally, while you were still tempering down the incomprehensible worry in regards to Sylus. You were frankly too tired to deal with this problem now. You cared too much for Zayne to give him a simple answer, that you knew he wouldn't buy.
"It's not a matter of forgiving you, Zayne. Please, you don't have to ask me about that!" You choked on the words you said, finally glancing up at him. You shouldn't have done that. You've never seen him this close to tearing up before. "It's late, for both of us. Let us speak about this when we both have clearer minds, when we're rested. I can't do this tonight."
As much as you tried to abate them, tears still escaped your water line. Zayne, probably without thinking, wiped them off with his fingers. His touch, sudden and cold, startled you. Your stomach twisted, uncomfortable with how much you still craved his skin against yours. Everything was wrong tonight, and you had nothing left to give.
"I'm going to watch over Sylus. Go to sleep," you said as a final note, moving away from the kitchen. You didn't look back at him, you didn't wait for an answer, you didn't want to know how he reacted to your words. Just in front of Sylus' bedroom door did you stop walking to wipe the remnants of your stupid tears.
You pushed the handle, and slipped back inside, where Sylus was still sleeping, and his heartbeat was monitored with stable beeps.
***
Your body was sore. The upper half was bent over a bed, head resting on your forearms, while your lower half was still sitting on a chair. How did you fall asleep in such a strange position? Your spine will complain about this absurd decision the moment you decided to move. But you still couldn't. Far too sleepy to open your eyes, especially as your head was being gently petted, a heavy, large hand combing through your tresses.
It took a few seconds for you to remember where you where. But when it did…
Your head whipped instantly, heart beating a million miles a second, eyes widened to truly take in the scene in front of you. Sylus, his hand raised in front of your face, was awake, sporting that everlasting smirk you've always seen plastered on his face. He woke up!
"Kitten, the bed's big enough for both of us. Why sleep like a deformed shrimp? I don't have a king-size bed just for it to go to waste, when I could have my beloved sprawled out beside me."
Oh, his voice was just as snarky as ever, tone level and low, strong. There was no weakness to be perceived from his voice, the expression on his face or his stature. He truly did look fine, normal. You couldn't be more relieved.
"Sylus!" You shouted with joy, kissing the palm that used to card through your hair, before jumping on the bed to hug him, tighten your arms around his neck. "You're awake."
"That's what usually happens after someone finishes sleeping," he replied at ease, his muscular arms encircling you. They were so heavy and warm, you never wanted to let go.
You kissed him, slow and tender, and heard his soft groan as he melted into the touch of your lips. Over the past few months, it became unbearable to go through even a day without his presence by your side. Even if he couldn't be present in person, you two always texted, heard each other's voices through phone calls. Yesterday, you didn't have him at all, and it broke you. To arrive at his house, to barge into his bedroom and sit by his bedside, and for him to not notice you, it was a foreign, disturbing sensation. All of it melted away now, when you could hear the low rumble of his voice, when you could rest in his embrace, when your lips could mold around his own. When every breath you took was one shared between you two. When there was no space separating the two of you, that's when you felt bliss and peace.
"You're very affectionate this morning, sweetie. What has gotten into you? Not that I'm complaining, of course," his husky voice murmured against your lips as you two broke apart.
The steady beeping of the heart monitor started to speed up, and you were pretty sure you were getting his heart far too excited for a patient who lost a lot of blood yesterday. You decided to show some restraint, and tried to back away. Sylus didn't let you.
"You're the one who started this, and yet, you're still the one running away? Be more merciful towards your prey, kitten, won't you?" he inquired, voice still low and close to purring. His eyes roved over your face, your neck (he spent a lot of time there), over your collarbones and the collar of your T-shirt.
"You're injured, I don't want to worsen your condition. I'm just happy you woke up and you look fine. Has your Evol come back? Do you want Zayne to come check how your wound is faring?"
Sylus sighed, and let his arms loosen around your waist. "Sweetie, have you forgotten who you're dealing with? I can assure you, whatever toys EVER comes up with, they're not going to outmatch me. I've suffered worse." He didn't give you a time to absorb his words, before he promptly flicked your forehead. "And don't bring up your doctor while I'm still thinking of kissing you."
"Hey!" you flinched, smoothing a hand over the spot he flicked. "You still haven't answered if your Evol returned, big boss! Might I remind you, you were out cold for like half a day because of 'EVER's toys'? And be nicer to Zayne, he helped you when you needed it most!"
"My Evol will be fine. I've dealt with weapons that did worse, and it still recovered. You don't have to worry that much about me, the N109 Zone won't greet a new ruler for a very long time, I can guarantee you that." He leaned closer to you, his fingers tracing a strand of your hair. "And I have been plenty nice to your doctor. I let him into my territory, does that not speak enough of my gratitude?"
You rolled your eyes, and relaxed. To be fair, he did treat Zayne better than you expected. Perhaps because he was no longer a valid rival, Sylus accepted him? Hard to say what Sylus' true reasoning was for tolerating Zayne, if it was simply a decision based on a moment of weakness when he needed help, or something else. Even now, Sylus' motivations and true feelings were hard to decode. You decided to simply be grateful that a fight between leader and doctor did not occur. Especially because Sylus always knew you held feelings for Zayne first.
Sylus pushed his thumb between your brows, and you were prompted to focus on him again. "Where did your mind go to, sweetie?"
"Nowhere. I was just thinking."
"You're doing far too much thinking for this hour." Sylus leaned back against his pillows, and opened his blanket. "Come. Rest with me properly."
"Are you sure? I don't want to disturb your wound."
"I'm only wounded on my left side. My right side is available for you. Actually no, it is craving you, so come rest with me." He patted the spot next to him, drawing his arm away to make space for you.
You conceded, tired and aching, and deeply needy to be closer to your Sylus. So you crawled in after him, settling in the space he created for you. As soon as your head hit the pillow, his arm tightened around you, and his head turned so his chin could sit above your hairline. Content, warm, and safe in his embrace, you let your eyes close.
Slowly drifting into an exhausted slumber, you felt his lips leave a soft kiss on your forehead. His voice, tender and almost distant, whispered above your head.
"You don't have to worry so much about me. My treasure already made sure only she can grant me a true death."
His voice drifted as sleep overtook you. You curled tighter against Sylus, as a barren valley, covered in black fragile petals came into your dreams. You tried to grasp a petal, but it disintegrated as soon as your fingertip touched it.
"Sylus… I curse your soul… to never fade away!"
***
You were out for a long time. Finally able to rest in a comfortable bed. Sounds started to come in slowly, something about 'an incessant beeping that was grating', and consequently, the stop of the aforementioned beeping. You were aware Sylus was speaking beside you, but with who? Zayne?
Oh yeah, Zayne was here. You almost forgot that. The two of them seemed to be talking about Sylus' wound and his sprained ankle. Did he have a sprained ankle too? Neither of them mentioned that before. Surely Zayne noticed earlier than right now? Then why weren't you made aware? You tried to pay attention to their conversation, but it was hard to follow as you were slowly brought back to sleep…
"You love her."
Well, that certainly woke you up. Still, you kept your eyes closed. After Sylus' statement, silence dawned in his bedroom. Although you knew it wasn't fair, you faked still being asleep, too curious on what Zayne's answer would be.
"My feelings towards any person are my business, and my business alone. Now, if you don't need anything else, again, I will leave you two alone." His voice sounded grounded, but you knew he only used this deeper tone when he was vexed.
"No, in fact I do believe it is my business what feelings a person such as you has for my beloved." Sylus' arm tightened around you, and you almost blew your cover as you were startled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" His deep tone became even icier.
"Don't tell me a genius man such as yourself, Dr Li, would be so oblivious as to not realize his childhood sweetheart had feelings for him?" Oh, Sylus could be so condescending when he wished to rile someone up.
You heard Zayne groan. It was bizarre how quick of an effect Sylus' words had on him. "What do you want from me? You two are already in a relationship. She chose you. Are you afraid she might leave you for me if we were to mend our prior relationship?"
Sylus let out a mocking laugh. "I assure you, doctor, I am very confident in my relationship. Unlike you, I don't depend on fate for my desires and happiness. We already chose each other long ago. I can't be afraid of a man who disappeared because he feared fate instead of trying to defeat it."
"You do not know my motivations, so stop talking as if you do. All I've ever done, was to protect her."
"Hmm, did you? You're a cardiac surgeon, or rather, you used to be. You've dedicated your career to developing methods of treating Protocore Syndrome. You took her on as a patient, because you're the number one specialist in your field. And yet, even though she still suffers from Protocore Syndrome, she has a high risk job that forces her to use her Evol on a constant basis, which raises the chances of her exhausting her heart, you resigned. If her heart needs to be operated on, where will you be?" Sylus' accusatory tone was well defined.
The air inside the bedroom started to turn colder. If this conversation were to escalate, you were prepared to jump in and break the tension. Zayne probably didn't even notice his Evol reacted in accordance to being riled up.
"You have no right to judge me. I have colleagues I have worked with for years, who know my methods, who can continue my work. I distanced myself to protect her; in case I lose control, she will not be a victim."
Sylus didn't answer outright, but you felt his chest rumble underneath your palm.
"A lesser man would have thanked you for this distance you chose to enforce. After all, shouldn't I be grateful? Because of your decision, we were able to get closer. But you still don't realize how much you did hurt her by leaving. And I can't deny I hold disdain for your actions. How can you be so certain you love her, when you let her suffer alone?"
Your heartbeat increased, tense from the ongoing conversation. But you still debated if you should let them know you woke up.
Zayne didn't give you time to think further.
"Still, as I said from the beginning, that is not your business. This will be a conversation held between the two of us. I don't need to give you any of my reasons for my actions, and neither do I care about your feelings towards me or my decisions. I will only tell you this: if there was a higher destiny at play, that took away your mind, and forced you to kill your beloved, would you not do everything in your power to eliminate yourself from her life?"
The air grew colder still. Sylus did not respond. He didn't even groan. All he did, was hold you tighter, cradle your head against his chest.
Silence settled over the room, and the temperature rose back up. You heard footsteps leaving the bedside.
"Fight that destiny and break it," Sylus growled after some very long moments. "Don't you ever dare hurt her again."
You didn't hear Zayne respond, only the door as it opened, and closed behind him.
***
The rest of the day was filled with both good news and bad ones. Sylus' Evol started to manifest again. Although it was weak, he managed to fix his ankle and ensure his abdomen wound won't reopen. He was able to move on his own again, but both you and Zayne recommended he stay home for a few more days, and spend most time in bed. Sylus acquiesced as long as you were going to stay at Onychinus. Frankly, you weren't even thinking of leaving.
Sylus and Zayne didn't speak much for the rest of the day, but kept a civil and polite tone with each other. Neither of them seemed to want to open the can of worms previously opened and closed, especially in your presence.
You also did not find a good moment, or courage, to have a deep conversation with Zayne. It didn't feel particularly right to deal with it at Onychinus' base. Not in Sylus' presence, who managed to inflame the doctor.
Towards the evening, as Sylus was feeling and doing alright, you let Zayne go. Your boyfriend didn't need the assistance of a doctor anymore.
As you closed the door behind Zayne, you hoped this was merely a 'goodbye', and not a 'farewell'.
Notes: Initially, I thought this installment will be a second chapter for "The Grim Reaper Saved A Fiend". But after this work got longer and longer, I realized it fit better as a stand alone one shot.
This work focuses solely on MC's perspective, and her relationships with Sylus and Zayne. Sylus and Zayne only share one scene in this fic, and there are no scenes from Zayne's perspective, as the previous installment did.
It is not necessary to read the previous two works to understand this one, but if you want more details into MC's perspective on her relationships, a moment shared between her and Sylus before they started to date, and the first time Zayne and Sylus met, then you can find them in the aforementioned works.
I can't promise how often I'll continue this series, as this one depends fully on what inspires me. I'm also a little scared for what canon is going to do with Sylus and Zayne next in the Main Story, but I've already diverged from what is canon (of course, cause I plan to make them and MC a throuple). Still, whenever the Main Story updates (please, Paper Games, give us another update, I miss my husbands!!!), I hope the reunion between MC and Zayne won't be as angsty as I portrayed it. What I'm writing here are not necessarily my ideas for what might happen further in the canon story, they're simply what I think serves the narrative I'm creating best. Still, I'm working in at least, plausible constraints of the canon timeline, so there's a lot I'm considering when writing for this series. That said, I could just get a great idea that won't leave my head next week and update this series earlier than even I expect.😁 But I want to focus more on my muti-chaptered AU SnowCrowMC fic at the moment.
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: Your daughter, Peony, confronts you about her beliefs regarding her father; another person from Sylus' war life shows up, someone you've considered a family friend for some years; the shadow of the war's horrors still lingers above your family.
Word Count: 4.6k
Tags: Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
While your husbands were busy cooking lunch and caring for Jasmine, you and your first daughter were sprawled over her bedroom's carpet, playing dress up with her dolls. The doll clothes were strewn all around the two of you, her entire box of outfits dumped on the floor. Peony was very critical when it came to her dolls fashion sense. Highly picky about which shirt matched which skirt, what purse could be worn with what outfit and what pair of shoes fit best. That is, if the pair of shoes hadn't been separated, which always happened and resulted in a mad dash around the room to find the missing pair.
But today proved to be quite peaceful, no drama over missing shoes, or frustration over ugly outfits. In fact, it seemed to be too peaceful. Your daughter was always full of energy, and even if an outfit looked good on the first try, she'd never settle on it until she'd try a few more combinations. Instead, she played quietly, picking only the closest pieces of clothing to her, even putting on mismatched boots on her doll's feet. You wanted to ask her if she was feeling fine, but Peony beat you to it, speaking first.
"Mommy, can I ask you something?" she said, dropping her doll on the floor and picking at the skin around her nails.
"Of course, baby. What is it?" You were concerned, as Peony didn't even try to meet your eyes.
"Is daddy really him? I… Is he really my daddy?"
You blinked a few times, the question shocking you and throwing you off guard. It didn't seem like she doubted her father for the past few weeks, so you didn't understand where it came from.
"Of course, Peony. Why would you doubt that?" you asked with a gentle voice, and scooted closer to where Peony sat. She still wasn't looking at you.
Your daughter kept her head low, but she did inch closer to you, tucking herself under your arm. You instinctively wrapped her up in an embrace, offering her the comfort she had always received from her mother.
"Well, I thought daddy died in the war."
Although Peony had spoken gently, your heart almost stopped beating. It probably did for a moment. You held her tighter, trying to find suitable words to dismiss her worry. For how long had your little baby held this belief, that her father had passed away? If she'd asked you this question just a month before, you'd have had to confirm her worry.
"Peony, your daddy didn't die in war. Sylus really is your father, it just took him a very long time to return home, but he did. And now he's a part of our family." Your words were meant to be calming, but your own voice betrayed you by shaking. "What made you believe daddy was dead?" That last word was so hard to actually utter in context with Sylus, even though he was alive and well, just downstairs in the kitchen.
"I thought the story about him being a hero might have just been a lie, like grown-ups usually tell kids," your daughter sighed as she explained herself. "Sarah said her dad died in the war, and her mom told her he's just gone far away on a mission when she was little. And then she found out from her older brother that their dad was dead. And Dennis said his uncle died in the war too! And Rebecca lost both her mom and dad during the war! So I assumed daddy died too, and you simply didn't tell me, because I was too little and you didn't want to make me sad."
Your shoulders slumped with every word spoken by Peony. She had always been intuitive and smart for her age, no wonder she had connected the dots, considering so many of her classmates had their families torn apart by the war as well. Perhaps you should have told her the truth earlier, been honest with your daughter, but you were the one who was still too hurt to accept reality. If you didn't address it, you didn't have to think about it. And even though you didn't lie to your daughter in most matters, this was the one you simply hadn't been able to voice out. Even now, suppressing your tears proved to be a monumental effort.
At least she had only expressed her belief now, when you didn't have to let her down.
You braced yourself, finally resolute to be honest with her. "It's a miracle daddy didn't die in the war, and even if it took a long time, he managed to find his way back home, to be here with us and be your father. And…" you paused, tilting your daughter's chin towards your face gently. "I did think he had passed away for a long time, and I want to be honest with you about it. It's true I didn't tell you what I thought to be true, because I didn't want to sadden you, but also because it hurt me too much to think about. I love him, just as much as I love you, and it was hard for me to speak about it. I didn't mean to lie to you, I simply tried to protect both of us, but I do realize now that I should have been more honest with you, baby. I'm sorry. But I never lied about him since he came back home. He is your father, and I'm immensely happy he returned and surprised me like this. Thankfully, what I thought was the truth, was actually false."
Peony looked at you, cuddled into your arms, but waited a while to form her thoughts and express them. "So, he was actually a hero in the war and was gone somewhere far away where he couldn't come from until last month?"
A dry, exhausted chuckle left your throat. "Yeah. He's a hero who was caught in a difficult situation, and it took him seven years to come back home."
Your daughter looked up with her ruby eyes, glistening. "I thought he was a scary man."
"When you first saw him?" you asked and Peony nodded. Oh, your poor baby. "And what do you think of him now?"
"I think he's a scary daddy, but not for me or Jasmine. He plays dragons with me, reads me to bed, pushes me hard on the swings, harder than papa! I like playing with him. And he has white hair and red eyes like me!" Peony threw her arms in the air, barely dodging your chin. Her previous reticence seemed to fade away. "So I think I like daddy. And he and papa are funny when they joke."
You smiled while she giggled at whatever she remembered. It was a calming thought that your husbands' sarcastic banter proved to be quite funny to your oldest daughter.
"I'm glad to hear you like daddy. He loves you, and he never meant to be scary to you. That's simply the way his face looks."
Peony gasped and her eyes widened. "Was he scary in the war? Did he scare the enemies and that's how he became a hero?"
You couldn't contain your laughter. "I'm not really sure, but probably?" You didn't want to dispel this idea she had formed in her mind. There will be a time when she'll learn the real horrors of war, but not today. She was still a baby, who needed more time to truly trust and enjoy her father's presence.
Peony stood up with a jump. "I'm gonna go ask daddy!" she exclaimed, already running towards her bedroom's door.
Before you even had the chance to stand up yourself, she was storming down the stairs, as the doorbell rang.
***
It was Sylus who went to open the front door. After all, they were waiting for Luke and Kieran to come eat lunch with the rest of the family, as they usually did during the weekends.
But instead of the twins who he helped raise, Sylus opened the door to witness a man he didn't recognize at first. A tall, young man, with purple hair, dressed in a finely embroidered shirt and slacks, carrying a canvas and a bag over his shoulder stood before him. But once he noticed the dual tones of blue and pink in his eyes, Sylus instantly remembered him. The many times he'd seen this man before, his identity had been fully covered, except for his striking eyes. It seemed the other man recognized him as well, his blue-pink eyes widening and his eyebrows lifting to the middle of his forehead.
"Y-You!" the other man staggered and pointed an accusatory finger towards Sylus. "Didn't you die seven years ago!?"
"Long time no see, Abbyswalker," Sylus replied, leaning in the door way. "What brings you to my home?"
Abbyswalker had no time to respond as quick, excited feet approached them, and his baby girl attached herself to Sylus' legs. "Daddy, daddy, I—" she stopped her words as she saw the man waiting in the doorway. "Hello, Mr Rafayel!" she greeted with a smile on her face and an energetic wave.
Abbyswalker, —or as Sylus finally learned his civilian name— Rafayel, blinked a few times before he schooled his expression back into a smile. "Hello, little cutie. Where is your mom? I didn't realize your dad came back home." Rafayel spoke with a careful, cheerful tone, while throwing daggers with his gaze towards the man that should have been dead.
"Oh— I'm here," you came into view, stepping behind Peony and Sylus. There was a certain look being exchanged between you and Rafayel, one that couldn't be verbalized while in his daughter's presence. You threw a quick glance towards Sylus, before bending down to speak to Peony. "Kitten, can you go tell papa that Mr Rafayel arrived, and help him set the table too?"
The little girl nodded and ran away towards the kitchen. You let out a deep sigh and your shoulders slumped as your daughter rounded the corner. With Peony gone, Rafayel's tension reappeared, glancing between the two of you.
"Sorry, Rafayel, I forgot you were scheduled to come today! It completely slipped my mind!" you excused yourself, and even Sylus was curious about this forgotten appointment that he had no knowledge about.
"Oh, it's fine, cutie, don't worry about it," he waved away the problem, while Sylus raised an eyebrow towards the pet name used. Still smiling, Rafayel pointed again at Sylus. "Is he your first, 'dead' husband?"
Sylus chuckled, and you sighed, which prompted him to place a reassuring hand around your shoulders. "Indeed, I am her first husband, although you might want to reconsider that 'dead' part. I fear it's not up to date." You slumped even deeper into his side embrace, watching the confused face the other man used to glare at Sylus.
"Something tells me you two know each other…" you let your words trail, and Sylus, graciously offered to clear the confusion.
"Mr Rafayel used to be my informant during the war. He was the one to inform me about Philos' plan to capture me and frame my death."
"Yeah, barely had any time to save my own skin too. I thought you were as good as dead in their hands after all this time," Rafayel replied while fixing his bangs. "At least I didn't risk my life for nothing, so… I suppose it's nice to see you're still alive."
"Thank you, Rafayel," you left Sylus' side to grasp the other man's hand and shake it. "Without you, he might not stand by my side today."
"Don't give him that much credit, sweetie. I survived and escaped all on my own. The most that he did was prepare me for the inevitable, giving me enough time to destroy my blueprints."
"I nearly lost a leg because of that explosion, and you can't even spare a 'thank you, Rafayel for saving my life'? Jeez, I knew I shouldn't have offered you my services back then," he rolled his eyes, which elicited an amused chuckle from Sylus. You dearly hoped this was simply just banter, like the usual snarks thrown between your two husbands. But you couldn't deny the fact that Sylus tended you throw harsh words towards people who weren't you or the girls.
Behind Rafayel, you saw two guys quickly approach your still open front door, and you silently thanked them for arriving at this moment. You endured enough banter between Sylus and Zayne, you weren't sure how much longer you can suffer it between Rafayel and Sylus too. Rafayel heard the boys coming behind him, and fully entered the house, making space for them too.
"Oh, Mr Qi, nice to see you!" Kieran greeted him.
"Hey, Mr Qi, does your car need any fixing? You can hire us at any time!" Luke intervened as well, while Kieran already accosted you to ask how the lunch was going.
"My car's still in perfect condition, boys. I came here with other purposes today. I've been tasked with a family portrait that might have been forgotten about, eh?" Rafayel addressed that last part towards you, finally taking off his bag and leaning the empty, giant canvas against the wall.
"Oh?" Sylus asked, knowing just as little about the portrait as the twins. His gaze drifted to yours.
"Let's all go to the dining room, we can talk more over lunch!" you quickly offered, already overstimulated by so many inquiries. Maybe Zayne will be able to help you explain some of the details.
***
The dining table hadn't been so full in a long time. The situation became even more chaotic, and the reprieve you hoped for didn't happen. Luke and Kieran were sprawling all over the table to grab onto different dishes and condiments, jumping into any conversation they saw fit. You couldn't understand the full story of the relationship between Sylus and Rafayel during the war, because Peony was present, and you were determined to not let her know about any of the horrors her father had to endure. It was bad enough she had a period of time when she believed her father was dead.
You thought Zayne might help you, but his usual quiet attitude was overtaken by more overzealous members at the table. With so much noise and so many people, it was no wonder Jasmine couldn't sleep and was fussy. You had to take care of her first and foremost, your lunch threatening to go cold, were it not for Zayne who took pity on you and ended up spoon-feeding you while your arms were full with an annoyed baby.
After lunch ended, the twins took Peony in the backyard to play with her, leaving the adults (and one still disgruntled baby) to talk about the overarching backstory of how Rafayel fit into each of your lives.
It was clear from his different features, that Rafayel wasn't Linkonian. You learned before that he was Lemurian, a small ethnicity that had been conquered by Philos and assimilated inside its borders while Rafayel was still a young child. Lemuria had been a modest island Kingdom off the coast of Philos, until the King and Queen were captured and executed by Philos officials, who stole the island from its citizens around twenty years ago. Having lost his parents and country, Rafayel was saved by his aunt and found refuge for the two of them inside the borders of Linkon.
When the war between Philos and Linkon erupted, Rafayel became a spy under the name of Abbyswalker, hoping to find a way to save his Kingdom and regain its independence. Safe to say, he had no opportunity to even set foot on Lemuria, his missions being restricted to areas close to the border with Linkon. Lemuria couldn't be saved, at least not at that moment and without help. So he tried to find Linkonian allies who'd be willing to help him, in exchange for secret information he extracted from Philos. This is how a deal was made between him and Sylus, the engineer promising to help him with new high-tech devices, while the spy provided him with war plans from Philosian Generals.
Everything fell through when Sylus was captured during the explosion, and Rafayel barely had time to run away. Still, his left leg had been badly injured, and his femur broken. He was found by other soldiers from the camp who were trying to find their brethren, and Zayne ended up being the doctor to perform surgery on his leg and tend to him afterwards as he slowly healed. Even to this day, if one were to look very closely, they would notice Rafayel had a slight limp in his walk.
He had to give up his spying missions due to his health, but was tasked by the Linkonian special secret forces to overlook and train other spies. He wasn't particularly thrilled to take care of Linkonian business while his plans for Lemuria had to be abandoned, but it was during this time that he came to know the Twin Crows: Crow 6 and Crow 7, and teach them what he knew.
After the war ended, Rafayel entered your life as a customer for Onychinus. His sport's car had been badly damaged during a car crash, and you noticed he had his own wounds, one arm sealed in a cast to heal. You only usually popped into Onychinus at the end of the month, when you took over the company's accounting duties. After all, even though the shop was run by the twins, you were still the legal owner of it. And you had an opportunity to do the job you had went to University for. Rafayel simply stumbled into your car shop while you were there.
The twins, who remembered him as their spy teacher, took his car and started to assess and analyse the damages and the work needed to repair it, while you and Rafayel fell into a natural conversation. You hadn't known at that time that he used to be a spy, but you learned his current occupation: he was an artist, and occasionally an art teacher. You two kept talking until Zayne came to pick you up from Onychinus, after he already picked up Peony from kindergarten. Rafayel and Zayne recognized each other from the war time, and the artist deeply respected the doctor for putting his leg back together and making sure he healed properly.
It took a few months until his car was fully repaired, and in that mean time, you met him at Onychinus a few more times, a natural friendship developing. Even the twins and Zayne liked the eccentric artist as a family friend, and Peony liked the cute pictures he would occasionally draw for her, and so, Rafayel ended up being invited to your and Zayne's wedding. During your special day with your second husband, it was Rafayel's idea to give the two of you a family portrait as a wedding gift. You graciously accepted, and over the next few weeks, he painted the family you had at that time: you and Zayne dressed in your wedding attire, and your little daughter as a flower girl. That painting now sat proudly framed and hanging in the entrance hall, where it could be seen every time you moved between rooms.
While you were still pregnant with Jasmine, Zayne hired Rafayel again, to paint a new family portrait that would include your new daughter too. Once Rafayel agreed, Zayne told you as well, and a preliminary appointment was set for today, two months after Jasmine was born. Except, you had completely forgotten about it, and Rafayel's arrival took you by surprise.
"Rafayel, I'm so sorry, I don't think we can start the portrait today," you said, sitting in your rocking chair, bouncing Jasmine to try and calm her down. "Jasmine's been fussy all day, she can't stay still and now that Sylus is home too, he needs to be included in the family portrait as well! And I really don't think I can figure it all out today."
"Don't worry about it! Call me when you want to reschedule, and we'll figure it out then. It was still a nice day to catch up like old friends and…" Rafayel's words trailed as he turned to look at Sylus, who stood by the window, watching his daughter and the twins playing outside. "I suppose it makes sense why the secret intelligences reached out to me recently about my last mission. Thought it was about something more ominous, but I'm glad to see it was because a ghost came back to life."
"Again, I didn't die," Sylus said, his voice monotone, his attention still focused on Peony outside.
"Right… I wonder how you managed to get out and still live."
Sylus didn't respond, and silence took over the living room, only interrupted by Jasmine's disgruntled noises. There was a different type of tension between Sylus and Rafayel, compared to the one that existed between him and Zayne in his first few days home. Neither man wanted to discuss it further, for whatever reasons both of them had. Because of their past or the present, heavy unspoken thoughts lingered in the space between them. Although Rafayel still gazed towards the other man, Sylus stood with his back facing the living room.
"Anyway," Rafayel cut through the silence, "expect some news about your case soon. If the secret services reached out to me already, that means they're working on it." He got up from the couch, brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt and slacks. "Good luck with getting your old identity back."
"I'm not counting on it," Sylus responded just as dry as before.
Rafayel raised an eyebrow, but it was you who spoke faster. "Why? Do you really think it's not safe to be Sylus Qin anymore?"
Now that he was supposed to respond to you, Sylus turned away from the window. "I don't know at the moment. So I'm not going to count on it. What matters most is keeping you and our family safe. I'm not attached to a name, or to a legacy that's already considered dead. If I have to dispose of it to protect my family, then I'll gladly do it."
You bit the inside of your cheek and gathered Jasmine closer to your chest. He had a different view about himself, and you weren't going to dismiss it. But it still hurt thinking you could never go back to a time when Sylus wasn't considered dead. That funeral stone will forever stand above an empty grave, you'll always be expected to care for it and mourn over that patch of grass in front of it, even though you slept every night in the arms of your beloved 'deceased'. You simply wished to erase these past seven years of stolen moments and pointless tragedy, but if Sylus Qin was going to forever remain dead, that could never happen.
"We'll wait for more information once his case will be further examined and take into consideration the officials' advice," Zayne spoke out, trying to break the uncomfortable, stilted pause between you and Sylus. He sat crouching beside your rocking chair, holding Jasmine's bottle that she previously refused.
"Sure," Rafayel nodded. "Can't really give you any advice from my perspective. But I suppose there's different reasons for why Philos wants both of us dead. Can't help you with much either, nowadays I'm just a humble artist." Rafayel shrugged and walked away from the couch. "With all that being said, I think it's time for me to leave. Cutie, you know where to reach for me when you want to reschedule, yeah?"
You nodded, excusing yourself once more for wasting his day. He shrugged you off and Zayne stood up to lead him outside, handing you the baby bottle. Once both the artist and your husband were gone, Sylus approached and crouched down in the place Zayne left empty. He smiled gently towards you and Jasmine, and caressed her head, while wordlessly picking up the bottle from your not quite so free hand.
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
Your eyes connected with his ruby red ones, weariness etched in his expression.
My love, what kind of horrors did you endure in these long, useless years? When you could have been home, here with me and our baby.
Who knows if you'll ever have the courage to ask what he went through. In lieu of knowledge and understanding of the war front, you offered him gentle comfort, a soft hand to touch his cheek and the subtle stubble he didn't shave today.
"Indeed."
***
Nowadays, it was mostly Sylus who read Peony to sleep. Per her words, he "sounded more like a dragon than papa", and she was still obsessed with her favourite book, 'Beyond Cloudfall'. But tonight, as Sylus sat down on her bed, she put her much smaller hand over his, urging him to not open the book yet.
"Daddy, were you scary in the war?"
Sylus raised an eyebrow, and chuckled. "Little kitten, where did this come from?"
"Well, you're big and growl like a dragon, and your eyebrows go down in a mean frown," she explained while pointing her fingers in the shape of angry eyebrows in front of her own. "So I'm sure you scared away all the bad guys you were fighting! That's how you became a hero!"
She was so excited with her idea, and even Sylus wished it had been true. He wished he could have been a hero for his daughter. But truthfully, all he managed to do was fail his grandiose plans to avenge and conquer, to protect and win. He'd been a dead man to his own wife and daughter for far too long, and although he was free from his tormentors, invisible chains still shackled his existence.
It wasn't rare when you still looked at him as if he was a ghost, a miracle you didn't deserve. His own daughter preferred another man, instead of her own father. And as much as he cared and respected Zayne, it still hurt to have to chase affection from Peony. It had become easier with each and every day, a bond was deepening between the two of them, but it should have existed from the moment she was born.
"Do you really think I'm that scary?" He responded with a carefully curated smile. She'll never know the pain he carried every day for the past seven years. No one will.
"Well, yeah, but not to me! I just think you'd be good at scaring away bad guys." She never failed to show Sylus how innocent of a creature she was.
He patted her head full of hair the same colour as his. "You have a very creative mind, Peony. And you're pretty smart and intuitive as well."
"So… I was right, daddy, right?" Her smile was stretched from ear to ear.
"Whatever my little kitten says, must be the truth."
Satisfied, she jumped into his embrace, which he tightened around her small, delicate frame. He never wanted to let go of her, always keep her safe in the cocoon of his large arms, where she had all the room to cuddle him. He should have been here when she was even smaller, the size of Jasmine. One day, she'll grow into a teenager, a woman, have her own life and family and leave his nest. But right now, she was his little girl, only seven years old, and she wasn't scared of him.
After seven long years of torture, every moment he lived now was pure bliss.
Notes: I am so sorry for taking so long to update this chapter! I'm not going to lie, I did struggle with some writer's block while writing this chapter and this fic in general as of late. But the problem should be resolved now, and I want to update more often from now on. Based on my outline, this fic should have 26 chapters. The number may go up or down depending on how I'll write down my ideas.
Although it has taken me so long to update, I suppose it is fitting that Rafayel gets introduced into my story, right as his birthday event started. That new plushie we can decorate is so cute!!! As always, thank you for reading!
Taglist: @mzfandom @nyzecorner @xvsxliaaxx @owodi
Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
Synopsis: Although Zayne no longer walked the path of a doctor, his instinct to save everyone's life reigned supreme. That is how he stumbled into the leader of Onychinus, gravely hurt and incapacitated by EVER's anti-matter weapons, desperately in need of a medical professional.
Even if he was a criminal, Zayne knew this wretched man was somewhat of a friend and ally to his childhood sweetheart. He won't let him die. Not when Miss Hunter cared for him, as well as an unknown person only catalogued as "Kitten❤️" in Sylus' contacts.
Word Count: 3.3k
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Zayne/Sylus, implied Sylus/MC and Zayne/MC (MC is not present in this, but she is referenced, and it is clear that both Zayne and Sylus have feelings for her. That said, this one-shot has been written as an introduction between Zayne and Sylus, that will lead to a romantic relationship between the two of them and MC, whenever I will continue this series. Poly!SnowCrowMC is the end goal.)
Tags: Hurt Qin Che | Sylus, Doctor Li Shen | Zayne, Post-Death and Rebirth (Love and Deepspace), Whump, Depressed Zayne, SnowCrow, Pre-Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Soft Li Shen | Zayne
Notes: This is a continuation to my previous one-shot "Heart Torn in Two Pieces". You do not need to read the previous one to understand this one. It detailed MC's feelings after Zayne left at the end of Death and Rebirth, and her general romantic feelings towards both men. She isn't present in this fic, only referenced.
You can also read this fic on AO3
Zayne Li was no longer a doctor, but a grim reaper for those beyond salvation. In this pursuit, he ventured to the ends of Linkon City to take down a particularly strong Alterum. He didn't even realize he was on the border between Linkon and the N109 Zone, until the Alterum had been defeated, and he could take a deep breath.
He shouldn't linger there, the N109 Zone was a lawless place where criminals run rampant. He should return to the Fractal Library and continue his research.
But... not far away from where he stood, he heard a heavy thump, followed by an angry whimper. Against his better judgement, Zayne still acted like a doctor, wanting to make sure there were no casualties, and if there were, to help them. Perhaps that Alterum managed to make a victim and Zayne hadn't noticed. So he moved fast and turned the corner of the building to see if anyone was in need of help.
As soon as he turned, there was a man kneeling, breathing heavily as he grabbed onto the side of his abdomen. Even in the low light of the street, Zayne still saw the drops of blood seeping through the man's fingers and staining the ground.
"I'm a doctor, let me help you," he said, approaching the injured man with a quick step. Technically, he wasn't a doctor anymore, even if the hospital didn't want to let him go. Still, he was trained as a doctor and knew how to proceed. It would take too long to explain, and this injured man didn't deserve to know his sorrow.
The white haired, injured man tried to chuckle, but ended up wincing and coughing. He raised his eyes towards Zayne, and squinted at him. The grim reaper kneeled beside him.
"Can I check the wound? It looks serious. I have the necessary supplies to close it and stop the bleeding."
"Very well," the man agreed, sat down, winced again as he moved his leg, and let the doctor inspect his wound.
To Zayne's dismay, it was pretty deep, a good portion of the muscle tissue being torn, but thankfully, whatever pierced him didn't hit any organs and didn't go through to the other side.
"I'll stop the bleeding and close the wound momentarily, and then I'll call for an ambulance to take you to Akso Hospital."
"I refuse. I do have that right as a patient, right, doctor?"
Zayne glared at the man. "Of course, if you want to risk losing your life."
The other guy laughed, and once again, had to stop with a wince and a cough. Zayne refused to make anymore small talk, and got to work. Thankfully, he carried with him all necessary tools and medical equipment he might need for collateral victims in the large pockets of his coat.
With the help of the wounded man's phone flashlight, he quickly sanitized the area and closed the wound with stitches. He didn't have any anesthesia, but the patient assured him he's endured worse. He also managed to find out from the man he was currently suturing, that he wasn't hurt because of a Wanderer, but from a more intense typical fight for the N109 Zone.
Zayne finished the stitching and cleaned the area once more, and then secured it with bandages.
"I still believe you should go to Akso Hospital," Zayne reiterated.
"Once my Evol recovers, it'll be a thing of the past. Besides, I have the necessary equipment to treat any wounds at home."
Those ruby red eyes of his patient seemed far too confident for the state he was in. Zayne didn't fail to notice the way his pupils shook, close to losing consciousness.
He wanted to reply and insist once more, perhaps even take his phone and make the call for an ambulance himself, but the guy pulled him down and growled: "They're coming back. I can't use my Evol, so you'll have to rely on yours. And I'm sure they have more anti-matter weapons."
The injured man appeared more clear minded in the wake of incoming danger, frowning as he scanned the area.
"We have to get you to a safe area—" Zayne tried to stand up, but the man pulled him down again and interrupted him.
"Backup is coming. You can't both keep me steady and fight against them. Focus on defending."
Although he wasn't pleased with the situation or the man's plan, Zayne had to listen to him. It was clear he knew how things in the N109 Zone worked, while the grim reaper had no idea.
Different footsteps were coming from all directions towards them, and Zayne acted before the attackers could even reach them. He created a wall of thick ice to encase both him and his patient against the abandoned building's outer wall. There were far too many assailants coming here, based on the sound of footsteps. What mattered most, is keep the injured man safe.
Bullets rained down on the ice barrier he created, and Zayne fortified it with thicker layers, every time the bullets dissolved it. Hopefully, the man's backup was going to come soon, and be skilled enough to take care of those thugs. His Evol won't be able to withstand such weapons for long, and if a bullet so much as grazes Zayne, he'll be just as defenceless as his patient.
Meanwhile, Zayne glanced back at the patient, who frowned while keeping his eyes closed. He opened them again before Zayne could wonder if he was still conscious. He didn't say anything, but it was clear he was struggling, and the blood loss must have been the primary reason.
Indeed, the man's backup came quickly, tires screeching and more bullets flying as the assailants were being dealt with. Zayne could still see faintly though his ice what was going on, including a crow flying towards where they were hiding. His strange caw echoed inside the ice fortress, and the wounded guy finally focused his sight on the bird.
"Mephisto. Take down the ice wall, doctor. We're safe now." Even his voice was more weary now, and Zayne worried about his condition. The adrenaline was dying off.
Still, he listened to his instructions, melting enough ice to let the crow inside, who instantly perched on his owner's shoulder. Right after, a guy dressed in all black and wearing a crow mask ran towards them, while another one dressed the same, took care of the last couple of attackers.
"Boss! We've intercepted EVER's accomplices and we took care of one of their hideouts."
Zayne fully melted the wall once the subordinate approached. EVER. He wasn't surprised they were involved in the N109 Zone. After all, this was where one of their old research centres was located before the Chronorift Catastrophe occurred. Where his childhood sweetheart had been kept as an experiment.
Both he and the subordinate stood up with the patient —this 'boss' apparently— and gently guided him towards the car. He was limping, something Zayne hadn't noticed and the man didn't complain about. He must have sprained his ankle as well. The other guy got behind the wheel, while their boss was being laid on the back seats.
"Get in the car, doctor. It isn't safe for you here," the first masked guy said, walking towards the passenger door.
"We also probably need you to stay with boss. Our private doctor isn't in the area at the moment," said the second one, the driver. Even the crow added another strange caw to this conversation.
So, Zayne got inside the car and knelt in front of the backseat covered by the injured man.
"We got a hold of the weapons, boss," the driver said after starting the car. "We'll send the model to the odd shop and see what we can do to reverse the effects of those bullets."
"Don't worry about it, boss," the passenger added. "We'll get your Evol working at its full capacity in no time!"
The 'boss' in question grumbled, a forearm thrown over his face. "It'll come back on its own. But make sure we'll save a supply of antidotes once Phillip develops them."
The two identical guys, perhaps twins, glanced at each for a moment. The crow, who had been previously perched on the shoulder of the driver, flew down to land on Zayne's. He looked at the strange bird, noticing the metallic sheen of his feathers. This wasn't a real bird.
"I've had patients before who were hit with Evol neutralising weapons, and their Evol hadn't come back. This might be a bigger issue, if they were developed by EVER," Zayne added to the conversation, still watching the strange metallic bird that was inspecting him.
The boss scoffed. "Their anti-matter weapons are stronger than last time, I'll give them that. Still, they're not even coming close to neutralizing my Evol for good. Don't give them that much credit, doctor."
Zayne was still impressed by the man's confidence, considering his condition. What state would he have been in if no doctor were to attend to him? But after all, he shouldn't be surprised by the audacity of a wanted man in the N109 Zone. Even at a quick glance, the model of the car, the high-tech crow, the fact that this man had two loyal subordinates who were also incredibly skilled, meant that his patient was surely an important name in this lawless land. Zayne tried not to think how important this man was, and if he was going to regret saving his life. Still, this wasn't the first time he treated a dangerous person.
"I suggest you shut up and preserve your strength," Zayne replied, then turned his attention towards the two young men in the front of the speeding car. "You two, do you have medical equipment necessary for a potential surgery, an IV pole and drip, blood for a transfusion, and a heart monitor, at least?"
"Sure do, doctor!" Said the first masked guy, seated as the passenger.
"Except for the blood," continued the driver. "Boss has never needed it before."
Zayne turned to glare at his patient with furrowed brows. "What is your blood type and Rh?"
The man shrugged, a forearm still covering his eyes. "Don't worry about it, doctor. Your human categorisation of blood doesn't apply to me."
Zayne blinked a couple of times, and refused to ask further questions. If the criminal in front of him wanted to be an annoyance, then he won't entertain him. He'll do as much as he could, and ignore the fact he was already starting to regret following his medical instincts.
But at this point, he was buried too deep in this man's business, and there was no way of escaping this situation without a brawl. Those two subordinates will not hesitate to protect their boss if Zayne were to turn against him. He had no doubt he'll be able to escape, his Evol was powerful enough, and those two didn't seem to be Evol users. But so deep into the N109 Zone, Zayne might be caught before he could return to Linkon. This wasn't his territory, he didn't know how to traverse it and avoid all danger. He had to be tactful dealing with these men.
No other words were spoken until the identical guys pulled into an underground parking lot. From his position on the floor between the front and back seats, Zayne wasn't able to properly see where they had been going. But the building they entered, seemed to have been grand and imposing.
Once the car was parked near the elevator, the guys got out and opened the doors Zayne couldn't reach. He stepped out, and all three of them carefully removed the boss from the back seat. He was unsteady on his feet, wincing once he put pressure on his left foot, and Zayne propped his weight against his shoulder. As confident as the man had been before, he was quiet now, letting most of his weight rest onto Zayne, who was slightly shorter than him. Thankfully, the previous driver came to take of some of his boss' weight and helped dragging him to the elevator.
Just before the car door was closed, Zayne noticed fresh blood stains on the back seat's leather. The wound had reopened during the drive. The doctor put pressure on the man's wound, trying to keep as much blood inside him as possible.
"You two need to bring all the medical equipment you have available immediately after we lay him down," Zayne instructed as all four men and one crow were rising with the elevator.
"Understood," the masked men nodded in unison.
The patient was breathing heavily against Zayne's face, his head bent down, weak. Zayne raised his hand to check the state of his pulse at the throat. It was concerning how fast his heart was beating.
"Mr…?" Zayne started to ask, wanting to check his consciousness. It also seemed proper to at least know the name of his patient.
"Sylus," the man replied with a shaky voice, so unlike what he previously heard.
Ah…
Zayne wasn't surprised to hear this name. As fate would have it, he managed to stumble into and save the life of the most infamous man in the N109 Zone and Linkon City. The founder and leader of Onychinus, a criminal organization that dealt with illegal Protocore trading, manufacturing and distribution of enhanced Protocore weapons. The most feared and powerful man in this lawless land, and its undisputed ruler for more than a decade.
And yet, at this moment, he was merely an injured man who was close to losing consciousness and relied wholly on Zayne's medical expertise and care.
A few months ago, he would have risked his life and fled, leave this man to die. When he thought this man was after his sweetheart's Aether Core, and caused the explosion that killed his childhood friend and their grandmother. But after her return from the N109 Zone, she cleared this man's name. Even more, he helped her find out who caused that explosion, protected her in the N109 Zone and became an unlikely ally, who also assisted her in uncovering what had happened in her youth inside the Gaia Research Centre. If she trusted this man, and she felt safe under his protection and authority over the N109 Zone, then so will Zayne.
He showed no reaction over learning this crucial information. He only kept Sylus as upright as he could, the heavy man soon to fall unconscious.
***
After many hours, that Zayne didn't count, the penthouse above the Onychinus base was quiet. He and the twins —whose names he learned were Luke and Kieran, though he didn't know who was who— moved Sylus to lay in his bed as soon as the elevator reached its destination. The doctor barked out commands for the twins to bring all the medical equipment they'd promised was available. Indeed, those two brought everything and listened to each of Zayne's instructions. He didn't know what kind of people they were, or what type of relationship they had with their boss, but their obedience towards a strange man that could save Sylus meant they must care for him.
Upon further questions, Zayne also learned more about Sylus' Evol, and his ability to heal his wounds through regeneration. Per the twins answers, he had never been in such a terrible state before. Zayne tried to keep him awake, but Sylus could barely concentrate on what was going on around him. His blood loss was concerning, and the doctor tried to pry again on the boss' blood type, but the twins didn't know it. With Sylus' barely engaged attention, he once more replied it wasn't a common human blood type, and he shouldn't ask about it again.
Still, Zayne was able to stitch his wound, make sure no organs had been affected for good, and stop his bleeding. He checked and treated the limping leg as well, and was relieved to confirm it was just a sprained ankle, and not a fracture. He hooked an IV drip to Sylus' elbow, a heart monitor to check his resting heartbeat —concerningly fast, but Sylus mumbled it was normal—, and kept the oxygen machine close by, in case his breathing would worsen. It was normal at the moment, so Zayne let Sylus rest and fall asleep, sitting in a chair by his bedside. As he fell into slumber, his heart rate evened out, and the constant beeping became an usual, comforting background noise.
The twins left to visit the man they've previously mentioned, and to possibly gather more information about EVER's weapons that reduced Sylus to this state. Even that mechanical crow suddenly left to who knows where, leaving only the patient and the doctor in the quiet penthouse.
Zayne sat watching Sylus breathe steadily while asleep, his clothes still stained with the criminal's shed blood. Deep inside the N109 Zone, Zayne stood guardian over a man he should have hated. But the truth was, there was no person Zayne could hate more than himself. After all, he was a criminal as well, who let go of his noble mission to save people's hearts.
The oppressive silence was interrupted by a low buzz. Sylus' phone on the nightstand vibrated with an incoming call. Zayne sneaked a glance at the device who stunned him out of his tired thoughts, noticing the cheesy nickname that was calling the ruler of the N109 Zone: "Kitten❤️". Zayne sighed, letting the call end on its own. It seemed even a ruthless boss had a significant other with a ridiculous nickname in his contacts. Perhaps it was true that everyone deserved love. But Zayne chose to grieve over it instead of pursue it. If he did, he might've ended up grieving the person he loved instead.
His gaze settled once more on the sleeping man. In his rest, Sylus looked like every other patient he'd had over the years. He was simply a person who needed to recover; who found a shred of peace in his slumber. Still, the deep frown etched between his eyebrows stayed, and almost unconsciously, Zayne leaned over and smoothed out the tension. Someone out there loved this wretched man, and wouldn't want to see their beloved stressed even in their sleep. Sylus didn't stir at the touch, and Zayne straightened back in his chair.
Minutes, hours passed, and Zayne barely kept his eyes open. He couldn't remember the last time he slept. Maybe he took a short nap after reading another one of the Fractal Library's books yesterday. But since he began researching all those tomes, his dreams have become even more confusing and distressing. Previously, it was only the grim reaper from another dimension that tormented him. Now, there were so many more images of himself he wanted to forget about.
But the constant buzzes and pings from Sylus' phone vibrating every time he got a notification kept the doctor alert. "Kitten❤️" kept messaging Sylus every few minutes, and Zayne caught a few words before the screen would darken again.
"Sy, why aren't you responding?"
"Sy, I used your credit card, aren't you proud of me?😁"
"C'mon, even bait doesn't work anymore?"
"I haven't seen Mephie all day either, what are you up to?"
"Sylus, I'm starting to worry. Just send a short message to tell me you're alright."
"You're fine, right?"
Another few calls went unanswered, and Zayne himself started to feel bad for this Kitten❤️. They were clearly worried about their partner. They had to know the truth.
When the next call came, Zayne picked up the phone and exited the bedroom into the hallway. He swiped to answer and brought the phone to his ear.
"Hello, I'm Sylus doctor. He can't respond at the moment as he's resting, but he is fine."
On the other side of the call, Kitten❤️ gasped.
Notes: This series will become canon-divergent, because I won't acknowledge To Our Yesterday (sadly, as I loved it, but it is not relevant to this story or what I'm envisioning for it) or any other future Main Story updates, unless it is small things that pertain to canon and can be introduced here. No other LIs will appear, as this series is focused only on MC, Zayne and Sylus and their relationship.
A continuation of this might be written in the future, based on what inspires me, but I don't know if it should be a second chapter to this one-shot, or simply a new one. Thank you for reading, and I am sorry if this is too cruel of a cliffhanger!❤️
Well, I thought I could save up more diamonds for future events, I even thought: "oh, hey, maybe I'll skip the solos this year if they're not that interesting". I even convinced myself that the next event would be X-02 rerun, and then...
Infold hits us with THIS?!?!!???
Thank you very much for this delicious meal, I am going to eat it whole and leave no crumb (drop💦) outside of my mouth. 😋 🤤
Zayne is just that freak, and keeps doing things to my heart that he should be SOLVING not CAUSING!!
Anyway, can't wait for Friday to come and see what the plot of this card's about. What kind of secret mission are they on? (I know I'm on a secret mission to suck his co-)
Synopsis: The Master of Fate and the last dragon tease each other while waiting for their beloved to return home.
Word count: 1.6k
Rating: Teen
Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Master of Fate Li Shen | Zayne, Dragon Qin Che | Sylus, Kissing, Boys Kissing, Rough Kissing, Sloppy Makeouts, Licking, Biting, Snowcrow banter, Sylus' tail shows his emotions, POV Second Person
Pairing: SnowCrow, Poly!SnowCrowMC
You can also read this fic on AO3
Happy 2nd Anniversary to Love and Deepspace!
Because of your powers, you were prone to attracting magical creatures around you. Usually, they were simple animals you considered pets, and Zayne was comfortable enough with you keeping them. After all, Hua and Bai Ze could use some friends of their kind.
Until you attracted a sentient, intelligent, humanoid creature: a dragon that seemed to originate from somewhere very distant to Zayne's mountain. Sylus, as you named him (because neither you nor Zayne could understand his ancient draconic language or how to pronounce his name; you settled on a name that sounded phonetically close to it), seemed resolute in staying and making a home in the mountain God's territory. Zayne tried to shoo him away, but after looking into his fate, and realising he was the last of his kind, still hunted by other humans, the Master of Fate's heart softened once again; he ended up welcoming the lonely dragon into his home, just like he did with you, after making sure Sylus will not disrupt his order here and will listen to him. The dragon tilted his head, and shrugged, agreeing to listen to Zayne's rules.
And that was that. Zayne, you and Sylus were living together. Sylus even proved himself to be useful, scaring away humans who tried to enter Zayne's territory, and taking care of catching your next meals, leaving you more time to study and copy bamboo slips. You pouted once you realized bringing in a new friend meant shifu can use him to his own advantage.
***
Zayne was sitting down in the shade of the Sacred Tree, sipping his warm tea. There were many bamboo slips waiting for you on the table beside him, but you haven't returned to your studies since you left after breakfast. Zayne wondered where your legs might have led you to be so late, when a loud purring approached him quickly, and crashed into his lap.
"What are you doing?" he asked, witnessing the large dragon laying his head in Zayne's lap. Sylus even nuzzled his face into his pant legs, relishing being so close to the Master of Fate.
"Resting. I worked so hard all morning hunting a good meal, cutting all the meat and storing it into your magical cooling box, that I deserve to rest now."
As soon as he stopped speaking, he returned to purring loudly, Zayne feeling the vibrations in his legs. Fair enough, the dragon supposedly deserved rest. Zayne still wondered why his lap had to be Sylus' pillow though.
"What did you catch?"
"A cow."
"A cow?" Zayne raised an eyebrow. "Aren't those supposed to be in the lands near the village?"
Sylus shrugged. "It wondered off into the mountain territory. The humans wouldn't have been able to retrieve it, and if they even found it and tried, it would have been a hassle. So now our dearest can finally try out all the beef recipes she's been talking about."
Zayne rolled his eyes and sighed, his shoulders dropping. As annoying as Sylus could sometimes be (very often), it was clear how attentive he was to your needs. And Zayne's, if he would have been as sincere and easy to read as you were.
"Speaking of our dearest troublemaker," Zayne rested against the tree's trunk, raising his left hand to gently card his fingers through Sylus' already tangled strands, "do you have any idea where she might be? She was supposed to study today."
The dragon shrugged again, nuzzling further into Zayne's lap, his purring becoming even louder (if such a thing was even possible), as Zayne tried to gently untangle his hair. "I have no idea. I was out hunting all morning."
"I wouldn't call catching a cow 'hunting'," Zayne chuckled. "It's a domestic animal, and you are an apex predator."
The dragon was very displeased with the mountain God's dismissal of his very well done job. He huffed a puff of smoke out of nostrils, while still enjoying the gentle fingers (who were for once ungloved) scratching his scalp. "You wound me, shifu. Do you really think so little of my accomplishment today?"
"That's not what I meant. I simply corrected your use of vocabulary. But you're free to misinterpret my words and sulk," Zayne replied, retreating his touch and trying to hide a smirk from appearing on his face.
With an even more indignant huff, Sylus raised out of Zayne's lap to harshly glare at him. Whether it was for trying to tease him, retreating his caress or both, the Master of Fate did not know, and neither did he try to. It was quite comical watching the imposing dragon wag his tail in annoyance, thumping the ground and disturbing the fallen flowers around them.
It was even more comical (for Sylus this time), when he got revenge on the know-it-all God, by attacking him where he was most unprepared. By flustering him. Sylus jumped on him and ran his long, scratchy tongue over the smooth, shaven expanse of his jaw and cheek. Zayne gasped, shocked, and tried to get out of his dragon's hold, but Sylus made sure to grab firmly onto his waist.
"What are you doing? Behave!" Zayne laughed as if he was tickled, unable to detach himself from Sylus, and instead falling on his back. Finally, the dragon relented on stopped slobbering the side of his face, proudly looking down at what he must have considered a masterpiece.
Indeed it was a masterpiece. Zayne's ears and cheeks gained such a pretty shade of dark pink, and his chest expanded with each shaky breath he took in.
"What was that for!?" Even his voice was shaky, so uncharacteristic of the always composed Master of Fate. It was only ever Sylus and you that managed to fluster him like this. It had happened on so many nights before, until he'd gain back his composure and control, and punish you two in the most delicious ways.
"Revenge," Sylus drawled, unable to stop his tail from flicking in satisfaction.
Zayne blinked at him, bewildered by the dragon's behaviour. But he didn't have the chance to respond, before Sylus leaned down and crashed his lips onto Zayne's. The dragon didn't know how to kiss gently (he didn't know what kisses were in the beginning, as they weren't part of draconic social interactions), he knew only to devour and bite with his sharp teeth at the plush of Zayne's lips. The Master of Fate choked on a gasp as Sylus cut his sensitive skin and then promptly licked the droop of blood that seeped out.
With a firm hand on the dragon's horn, Zayne tilted his head away. "Gentle," Zayne whispered his command. "I'm not your prey, you don't need to pierce your fangs into me."
Sylus didn't respond, instead choosing to continue what Zayne had so unfairly interrupted. Still, he kept his sharp teeth at bay, only using his lips and tongue to explore Zayne's mouth. Content with Sylus' nonverbal response, the God reciprocated his kiss. There was still the metallic taste of Zayne's blood lingering on Sylus' tongue that very eagerly reached deep to tangle with his own.
Again, Zayne's hand on his horn pushed the dragon away, so that they may catch their breaths. Although at first, Sylus was loathe to detach from his God's sweet lips, he became quite satisfied once he noticed how a deeper shade of blush coated his skin. Sylus licked his lips and smirked.
"You look pretty when you're flustered."
"Is that what you wanted to get out of me?!" Zayne counteracted, still trying to catch his breath after their previous intense kiss.
Before either of them could continue the game neither of them remembered who started, a giggle sounded just behind Sylus. Both of the men turned their attention to the source of the sound.
You came back (from wherever you had been gone to), just to find your two companions sprawled on the grass, with rosy cheeks and swollen lips.
"What were you doing without me?" you asked, on an as innocent tone as you could muster.
Your shifu ignored your question. You couldn't ignore his blush. "Where have you been all day? You were supposed to study," he spoke after clearing his throat. Still, he was questioning you while laying down beneath your dragon with his elegant ponytail dishevelled.
"I went into the village," you said, picking up your long, flowy skirts and twirling once. "I bought a dress for dancing."
Zayne's eyes sparkled as he watched you twirl, while Sylus' tail flicked like an overenthusiastic dog's. "But you don't really like long sleeved, long skirted attire," Zayne continued.
"Just because I'm clumsy with it doesn't mean I don't like it! Besides, it looks very pretty when I'm dancing for you." You twirled again, your long hair, sleeves and skirt following your movement and flowing graciously around your body.
Both men looked entranced at your elegant moves, following a rhythm only your heart knew, as Zayne was too incapacitated to summon his guqin and play. He became even more restrained as Sylus flopped onto him with all his weight, knocking the wind out of Zayne's lungs.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Sylus asked, unbeknownst to him that the man beneath lost his breath for a short moment.
"She is," Zayne sighed, still watching your moves that were now less controlled since witnessing their banter and starting to laugh at them.
He knew he should push Sylus off his body and urge you to start your very late studying session. But as much as he wanted to, the dragon's body was too warm and heavy, and you looked too divine dancing with the sun shining behind you.
So the Master of Fate chose to relax for a moment longer…
Notes: Thank you for reading!❤️ The brain worms did not let me live until I fulfilled my desire to see the Master of Fate and the Dragon kissing passionately. Hope you enjoyed!
Fic Synopsis: Seven years ago, your husband Sylus died in war. For seven years you mourned the loss of half your soul. And now, when you've finally healed and started a new life with your doctor neighbour, you witness a ghost.
Chapter Synopsis: During a long day at the hospital, Zayne reminisces about the war days, when he formed his friendship with Sylus. Once he comes back home, he has a revelation about his old friend.
Word Count: 3.9k
Tags: Not Really Character Death, It's only believed to be true in the first chapter, Alternate Universe, No Evol Abilities (Love and Deepspace) ,POV Second Person, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Romance, Post-War, Grief/Mourning, Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth, Poly!snowcrowmc, eventually, Snowcrow banter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
This work is intended for a +18 audience, even if this chapter does not contain explicit content.
Zayne let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. His glasses hit the desk harder than he meant to throw them. His overworked eyes were dry, and he closed them, trying to bring some moisture back into them. Worst of all, it was only lunchtime, and his shift would still go on for more long hours. He had to leave home before anyone else could wake up for an emergency surgery, so he wasn't even able to meet his family this morning. A patient of his that was discharged only two days ago was brought in again, because their condition suddenly worsened. Afterwards, he noticed his calendar had somehow gotten mixed up, and he had two appointments overlapping each other, which ended up forcing him to embarrassingly reschedule one of them.
Nothing had gone right today, but at least now, he had a little bit of free time for himself to decompress. Zayne leaned back in his chair, resting his eyes and his mind. He should probably go down to the cafeteria and eat lunch. But ever since you started to pack him lunches, the cafeteria food turned bland and unappetizing. Because he left home while you were still sleeping and cuddling Sylus on the other side of the bed, there was no way for him to have a home-made packed lunch in his bag. Perhaps his lunch will have to be substituted with a couple muffins from the vending machine on the hallway of the cardiac department. Still, a kiss goodbye from you would have been much sweeter than all the sugary treats in the vending machine.
It didn't use to be so hard to go through the motions of a long, busy, sometimes depressing shift. When he came back from the war, working in the hospital felt like inhaling a fresh breath of air. But then you appeared in his life, along with your rambunctious daughter that was the spitting image of her father. You and Peony showed him a much happier, more carefree and warm way of living, and ever since you confessed to him and Peony called him 'papa' for the first time, Zayne longed to return home even if he had just pulled his car out of the driveway.
The hospital no longer felt like the only home he had —because that was the place he spent most of his life in— because you and Peony gave him a true home. After getting married and bringing Jasmine into the world, this longing to be home intensified. His baby was growing so fast, and he was loathe to miss any of her developments. Every time he was needed in the paediatric ward, his mind couldn't stop itself from wandering to his little babies.
Thinking about his family eased his stressed mind. You, Peony and Jasmine, the most important people in his life, the people he loved most. But…as much as he tried to deny it, there was another member in his family now. Sylus. For all intents and purposes, he couldn't be ignored. Or rather, he wouldn't allow anyone to ignore him. Ever since that morning when you all had sex, Sylus was dead set on sharing the bed every night.
"What, you welcomed me into your bed, shared it with me one night and one morning, and now it's a problem?"
Zayne could still remember the other man's argument the night that followed. He had shut his mouth, because he couldn't complain. He couldn't even deny that he enjoyed it. And you liked cuddling with both of them, having a warm body that could embrace you on either side you rolled on. So Sylus never slept in the guest room since then.
The situation could have been tremendously worse, had it been any other man other than Sylus. At least they had been close friends during the war, so there was an implicit sense of trust and comfort already cemented in the foundation of their relationship. The question was, what kind of relationship did they have now, when they shared a family?
You questioned this strangely comfortable dynamic since that morning, but Zayne couldn't give you a definitive answer. He didn't have one for himself in the first place. All that he knew, was that Sylus was a close, trusted, admired friend. Potentially one of the closest ones he had. Probably because of the hardships they went through together, being constant presences in each other's daily life for close to a year. They slept in a bunk bed all that time —which is probably the reason why they accommodated to sleeping in the same bed so easily—, ate every meal beside each other in the cafeteria, talked about anything and everything when they had free time, instead of resting for the night like all their other companions. But resting brought nightmares, while talking about their families back home (or lack thereof), ideas and goals brought a warmth that was otherwise absent from their lives.
Zayne could still remember the first time he met Sylus. Two weeks after the war started, the newly graduated medic had been transferred to one of the war fronts on the northern border. Another two weeks later, new soldiers and some professionals arrived as well, Sylus having been brought for his engineering skills. It didn't take long until soldiers started to die in the trenches, and the engineer found himself where he shouldn't have been. He took up arm when one of the young soldiers was shot in the head, and Sylus covered the dead man's spot. He was lucky, only getting a wound from a bullet grazing his side. But still, he needed medical care.
It was Zayne who cleaned up his wound, who bandaged him up. And that is when the doctor tried to understand what kind of man the engineer was. There were three types of men on the battle fiend, based on Zayne's categorisation. The first type were the young, untrained soldiers, scared to hold a weapon, terrified to use it and inflict damage on the enemies. These men were usually easy to kill, little more than boys who never learned how to take care of themselves without their mother. They had to adapt and mature fast, lest they cause their mothers to grieve them. Then there were the more mature men, those who knew the danger they were in, and the duty they had to carry. They were careful, calculated, true capable soldiers. These men would be the ones most successful, those who would climb the ranks of the military, those who would return home decorated and respected by a whole country.
And then, there was the third category, those men who were brave, stupidly so, and thought they were strong enough to survive any battlefield. Zayne was afraid Sylus fit into the last category. A big, though, intimidating man who knew the ins and outs of so many war machines, who was skilled with a number of weapons, who was already regaled as one of the biggest advantages their camp held. No one around here would dare to lessen Sylus' ego.
The third category would often end up heroes. But back home, only a cold medal would greet their families.
"I suggest you be more careful next time. You were lucky today. If the bullet would have struck you just a few inches to the right," Zayne traced his finger from the bandages to the middle of the man's sternum, "you and the soldier you replaced would have ended up in the same state."
The engineer chuckled and shook his head. "Thank you for the advice, doctor, but I don't die that easily. I know how to take care of myself."
It hadn't been long since war started. But Zayne had been a combat medic in smaller conflicts before. He had heard that last sentence far too many times, which proved to be untrue for at least half of his patients. A soldier thinks he can take care of himself. But when life hangs on a single moment's instincts, all knowledge a soldier holds might become useless. He only hoped, that when Sylus' conviction would ultimately be disproved, he won't sustain life threatening injuries. He really was needed here.
"Do you have any family?" Zayne asked, checking the bandages one last time.
"I got married last year. Me and my wife are expecting our first child."
Zayne considered the engineer's words as he handed him a new, clean shirt. Sylus took it and started dressing himself. He was a fairly young man, probably not much older than Zayne, around his mid-twenties. He had a long life ahead of himself, and plenty of years to spend with his family and make it bigger.
"Mr Qin, I tell you this as a doctor, who has witnessed many other patients in situations like yours. Be careful. Stay away from the front lines as much as possible, and concentrate on your mechanical work. Ensure you will return to your wife in the same condition you left."
Sylus frowned and regarded the doctor with scorn. "We're in war. Anything might happen, even if we're perfectly careful. I will continue to do what I deem best. And I will return home."
Their first conversation ended there. Zayne couldn't see the future. But his intuition had turned to be, unfortunately, correct. He's glad it didn't last for an eternity.
Eventually, Sylus did return home.
***
Despite their less than agreeable first conversation, Zayne and Sylus kept meeting each other. Sylus was usually a lonely man, and Zayne observed how others perceived him as intimidating. So the engineer's lunch table was often empty of other people, and full of little pieces he inspected while eating. His space was tucked in a corner of the room, away from the rowdy tables where the soldiers finally had some free time to relax and unwind with their companions. Zayne preferred a quiet space for his meal, so he naturally gravitated towards the engineer's lonely table. Neither of them paid each other any attention, Sylus focused on his projects, and Zayne on refreshing his tired mind. This comfortable silence was the first piece placed on the puzzle of their friendship.
Not long after, with the arrival of new soldiers, some people had to be moved around in the dormitories. There was one empty top bunk bed in the medical dormitory, the one above Zayne. Somehow, fate or the bigger forces of the universe, decided to move Sylus in that empty bed above Zayne. The doctor wondered for a little while why the engineer was moved together with the medics, and the only reason he had received, was that his previous place was dedicated to soldiers, and there was no more space with the arrival of the new ones.
After months of spending so many moments together, and learning more about their previous lives and where they grew up, an unlikely relationship had formed. Perhaps Sylus wasn't that reckless of a man as Zayne first thought of him. He was stoic and unafraid, and he never acted without first thinking. Zayne was pleasantly surprised to learn how wise his war time friend truly was.
And most of all, he learned how much Sylus loved. There wouldn't be a day when he wouldn't talk about his dearest wife, who he longed to return to. As months passed, the man kept a little notebook where he checked off every week of your pregnancy's development. When he neared your due date, he submitted a request for a few weeks of leave, so he could come back home and assist your birth. He didn't want to miss his baby's first moments of life.
When you were around 37 weeks, Sylus received an answer for his request. A definitive denial. The engineer stormed out of the General's office and slammed the door closed. It was a miracle the hinges didn't fall off. Zayne had happened to walk nearby, and stopped as soon as he heard that thunderous slam. A few moments later, Sylus crossed the doctor's path, wearing the heaviest scowl Zayne had ever witnessed on the other's face.
"What happened?" he asked, but received no response other than a crumpled piece of paper shoved into his hands. He unfurled it, and read the words that had angered Sylus so much. No matter how polite his request had been denied, it was still heartbreaking. Sylus had no choice but to leave his wife to give birth alone, and to miss his baby's first breath of life. There was nothing Zayne could have said or done to comfort his friend.
He folded the wrinkled paper and placed it in his pocket. There was no reason to give it back to Sylus, when said paper was the reason for his foul mood. "What are you planning to do now?" Zayne asked, keeping his tone of voice steady and calm. One of them had to be reasonable. Sylus clearly couldn't be that one.
The engineer sneered. "Isn't it obvious, doctor? I was polite enough to request a leave and I don't much care about their response. I'm leaving to go and help my wife give birth!" Sylus shouted his answer and turned away to storm off who knows where. Zayne followed him, hurrying after the offended man.
"You plan to desert? You do realise there will be consequences for disobeying higher orders and defecting your station, right?"
Sylus scoffed. He abruptly turned and stopped to glare at the doctor before he could climb the stairs. "What makes you think I care about their orders? All I care about is my wife. And she needs me, she's been needing me for the past 28 weeks I've been here! And I know you may not agree with my ways, but I'm sure whatever consequences come my way, I'll have enough money to bribe them and absolve me of my sins."
Zayne didn't respond. There was nothing he could say to change Sylus' mind. And neither did he want to. If their situations were reversed, Zayne would have wanted to act much the same. Although he had never loved anyone as much as Sylus adored his wife, he was certain he would sacrifice anything for the love of his life. Sometimes, rules had to be broken and orders had to be ignored for the sake of protecting what mattered most in one's life.
After a few moments of silence, Sylus turned again and began climbing the stairs towards the main area of the camp, thinking his friend was dismissing his choices. That idea couldn't be further from the truth.
"Don't be rash," Zayne started, but Sylus ignored him. "Wait until night falls so no one can catch you defecting. I'll watch your back when you leave, so you can sneak out safely."
Sylus stopped his steps, turned towards his friend, and burst out laughing like a madman. The medic was convinced he actually was one. Nevertheless, he cared for the engineer and his budding family. He climbed back down the stairs, and pat Zayne with a heavy hand on the back as he thanked him.
And although Sylus' deserting would have been successful with Zayne's aid, the moment they stepped outside, they noticed lights in the far distance. Lights around their villages and towns, that should have never been there. Somehow, the enemy forces managed to encircle the camp, taking advantage of the heavy fog that was so uncharacteristic to that time of summer. The moment the fog lifted, during that night when Sylus tried to leave, the enemies were spotted. But it was far too late, and a siege couldn't be avoided anymore.
Zayne opened his eyes and stared at the bright light on his office ceiling. He didn't want to continue his train of memories. He couldn't go through Sylus' death again, the three months of siege when everyone thought they'll die of starvation.
His chair squeaked as Zayne stood up and walked out of his office, focused on finally eating those vending machine muffins he was craving.
***
The sun was steadily descending past the horizon line as Zayne finally turned off his car, parked in front of his house. No one came to greet him as the engine went to sleep, and he exited the car. He wasn't disappointed, but he did enjoy it when Peony would scream his name and run out of the house to jump in his arms.
Once he entered the house, and noticed how utterly quiet it was, he peeked into the living room and understood why no one came running towards him. You and Peony were fast asleep on the couch, your first baby snuggled in her mother's arms as both of you were resting beneath a fluffy blanket. The scene was incredibly precious to him, and he moved slowly and quietly towards the two of you, watching his girls be so content and at ease.
Still, someone was missing from this heartwarming scene: his youngest little love. Her mobile bassinet was here, but no little baby inside. Seeing as you and Peony were heavily asleep, he left you two alone to search for his other daughter, unsure of where she might be. Everything was quiet, so surely she wasn't crying or feeling upset. But Zayne worried, simply from the fact he didn't know where his Jasmine was while her mother and older sister were napping together.
As he climbed the stairs to check in the master bedroom, a croaky, low, raspy voice could be faintly heard humming. Zayne stopped in his tracks on the last step, trying to distinguish what he was hearing. Was Sylus…humming a lullaby?
Incredulous, Zayne gently pushed the door ajar, trying to sneak a look without Sylus noticing. He was actually humming, bouncing on his feet as he held Jasmine, rocking her along his shaky rhythm. She seemed pretty calm in his hold, sucking her pacifier and looking at the strange man who tried to entertain her. Her little hands were clumsily flapping around, sometimes knocking onto Sylus' shoulders, and he carefully positioned her so she wouldn't wiggle out of his arms. It didn't seem like she wanted to get away from him, she was simply very awake and active, as she has started to have better control of her limbs recently.
Even though Zayne tried to be inconspicuous, Sylus absolutely noticed him, turning to look the doctor in the eye through the slightly opened door. He stopped humming and chuckled lowly.
"Look who's here," he whispered towards Jasmine, who was now looking at Zayne as he fully pushed the door open and entered the bedroom. "Papa came home."
"What are you doing?" Zayne asked as he approached them, looking at his daughter swaying comfortably in Sylus' arms.
"Our beloved and Peony fell asleep shortly before Jasmine woke up. I took her upstairs so the girls could continue their nap. I was trying to entertain her if it wasn't obvious, doctor," Sylus replied, passing the baby into her father's embrace.
Zayne kissed her forehead and held her snug in his tight embrace. Oh how good it was to be back home, back with his family, back with his baby pressed against his chest. He cradled her small body, starting to rock on his feet just as Sylus did previously.
"Thank you. It was a good idea to let her rest together with Peony."
Sylus nodded. "I know. She's always running herself ragged taking care of this whole household. If she finds a moment to close her eyes, I do everything to ensure she can continue her rest."
"Has this happened before?" Zayne asked, pointing at the squirming baby in his arms.
"What, me taking care of Jasmine?" Sylus raised an eyebrow, amused by the doctor's question. "I stay home all day, do you really think I ignore your daughter's presence? I'm trying to be a part of this family, so I'm obviously going to take care of every member of it. Especially our daughters who need it the most."
Zayne stopped bouncing, taking in Sylus' answer. He wasn't necessarily surprised to find out that his old friend was taking care of his baby. More so, he was surprised he hadn't come to this conclusion before witnessing it with his own eyes. It has been three weeks since Sylus came back, it was obvious there were going to be moments when he took over Jasmine's care all on his own. Although he previously thought he might simply be a strange man for Jasmine, wasn't he the man who spent more time at home than Zayne? Three out of her eight weeks of life have been spent with this 'strange' man in her surroundings. And if nothing changed, if Sylus continued to be a part of their life, of their family, Jasmine will grow up with Sylus by her side. She won't remember a life without him in it. Just like Peony didn't remember her life without 'papa' being a part of her family.
Jasmine will grow up and Sylus will be there, watching her grow and helping her along. She'll start mimicking her older sister once she starts to speak. Naturally, she'll end up calling her biological father 'papa', just like her older sister, and Sylus as 'daddy'. Did Zayne have any right to forbid his daughter from calling Sylus the same name Peony used for him? Would Jasmine not feel wronged if she was only allowed to have one father, when her sister had two? When her sister's other father took care of both girls the same way, lived in the same house, had the same relationship with her mother as Zayne did? No, it already felt wrong just thinking about it, even though Jasmine still had to grow so much more until she would be able to think and speak, understand the dynamics of the family she lived in.
If nothing were to change, if Sylus fully integrated into their family and regained his alive status, then he will become Jasmine's adoptive father, just as Zayne was for Peony.
Zayne wasn't sure if he wanted anything to change.
"Cat got your tongue, doctor?" Sylus teased him and startled Zayne out of his thoughts. "You haven't said anything in a while."
He shook his head and let out a relieved sigh. "I'm just tired. I had a long day at the hospital."
Sylus nodded and walked towards the bedroom's still opened door. As he passed by, he patted Zayne's shoulder, with a softer touch than what the doctor remembered earlier today. "Then you should rest with Jasmine too. I'll go in the kitchen, see what I can prepare for dinner."
"No, it's alright. I'll take care of dinner."
Sylus interrupted him before the doctor could take a step. "Do you really think I cook that badly, Zayne? I promise I won't sneak in any carrots, you can trust me."
Zayne let out a tired, but amused laugh. "Just make something simple, if you insist on cooking."
The other man clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "I'm not that bad of a cook."
"Sure, sure," Zayne replied, trying to hide his smile. Fair, he wasn't a bad cook, just clearly inexperienced.
"I'll go downstairs before you can nag me more about my cooking." Sylus squeezed Zayne's shoulder, then he finally retreated his touch. The gentle pressure of his palm was gone. "Rest."
Before Zayne could give out any other reply, Sylus was gone, the door of the master bedroom closed behind him.
The warmth that existed in this room vanished as Sylus left. Except for a spot on the tip of Zayne's ears.
Notes: Happy New Year everyone! (It's almost the middle of January, but better late than never.) I hope you all had a great time this holiday season (for those who celebrated), and I'm sorry it took me almost a month to update this fic! But the holidays kept me busy, and then the 5.0 update kept me even busier (I have spent way too much time in the house, and I still have to decorate most of the rooms.) Also, I was so upset when I gifted Sylus a peony, and this man had the audacity to say he doesn't really enjoy peonies!!! 😠 How dare he, I named our daughter after this flower! 😤 /J (but still peeved slightly). Thank you for reading this chapter!
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Disclaimer: If you want to be added to the taglist, please leave a comment, but make sure you have your age in your bio so I can check if you are 18+. I do not feel comfortable interacting with minors, my page and my fics are made for adults. This fic will feature more smut in the future. Thank you for reading!
