The past few days, a tsourmo of turned-around lads fans have been taking over the fandom. If you see accounts who:
Hate on normal global fans
Hate on normal CN fans
Hate on the Love Interests
Hate on Valko | Ao Yin
Attack players who support the return of Valko
Attack players normal posts that have to do with a LI or the game and not with the current situation or the 6th lis return
Think that the current global boycott is only because of the 6th LI's removal, and not also because of 2 years worth of piled complaints.
Hate on players who don't want the game gone and calling them bootlickers
Call black players “mutts” and chinese players “rats”
Call CN or global players racial and ethnic slurs
Chinese bots/VPN accounts, also many from the global side, who shittalk heavily — and I mean heavily (tw: rαpe threats, death threats, bloodline humiliation, classism and racism → avoid interaction, many screenshots are taken out of context and posted to platforms as evidence to say the global community as a whole is sinophobic to take down the global servers.)
And for me personally those who have no sense of diplomatic sensitivity —
Block, mute, don't interact. The fandom is getting divided and some people do it on purpose.
I don’t usually post much but I felt like there’s a lot of stuff going around regarding Infold’s decision to cancel Valko’s release. Unfortunately, it seems like there’s a lot of hate happening between everyone in the fandom. It’s really sad to see because it’s very hard to get the full picture of what’s happening in China with the LADS community and it seems that Infold is spending a lot of money to keep it that way. I made some screen shots of a post in Reddit that gives a lot of context and makes it a little more understandable why this all happened. I know it’s disappointing that he’s not being released and I wish instead that they would have postponed it and taken time to fix the issues but with this kind of controversy it may have been their safest bet. Infold has some serious work to do and they need to take accountability for their mess.
Edit:
Another thing I would like to add is that we need to remember that China has different laws and is culturally very different from most western countries. Just because we don’t see an issue with what is being said their government does and as a Chinese company Infold should have taken something like that into account. There are a lot of contributing factors but my biggest issue with this whole thing is just how much I see the so many people hating on CN players (not that they’re completely innocent as they can be just as hateful to international players) saying they’re the reason for this when Infold should have taken into account how people would react to things especially to something so culturally and historically significant in China.
Consider: Kakashi sticks to such basic outfits/colors because the Hatake, like dogs, see less colors than (most) humans.
(Gai is banned from being the Advice Person on Kakashi’s shopping trips.)
Red-green colorblind!
Kakashi gets Sharingan and just “Wait, this is what purple looks like???”
Skip the superpowers, he can see red
“Rin… your cheek marks are purple?”
“…did you seriously not pay enough attention to our team to know this?”
“This is what purple looks like???”
Kakashi during training just goes up to Minato and Rin like “Is this weird vision thing a ‘Sharingan can see chakra’ thing or is it just… color.”
“Minato still looks the same. Rin looks almost the same. Kushina look–THAT IS VERY RED!”
Kakashi wandering around like 8O
“Oh wow, Gai’s spandex is even worse than I thought.”
Sorry I’m just unnecessarily invested in this like
Immediately
Right out the gate I’m here for “Kakashi didn’t know red, purple, green, or orange until he got Sharingan.“ He just keeps pointing at things like "is that [color]?” Rin finds it adorable.
Like I’m assuming he knew he was colorblind? Just for safety reasons?
Because like. Ninja.
But also he’s so unprepared for colors.
Oh god, Gai is so gosh darn excited about Kakashi being able to see Green, The Most Youthful Of Colors
Kakashi, running his hands over the grass: “It’s beautiful.”
Rin: Is he okay?
Minato: I don’t know, but if he keeps using Obito’s eye, he’s going to get chakra exhaustion again.
Rin: But he’s so happy about color… and he’s going to get all depressed if we don’t give him a distraction from Kannabi…
Minato: Rin, you’re our medic. Do you want to explain to the hospital why Kakashi has chakra exhaustion on your watch again?
Kakashi: I know I’m back in the hospital, but consider this: I just discovered purple.
Synopsis -> You’ve been working as Onychinus’s accountant for two years, and you’ve been carrying two heavy secrets for a third of it. You were in love with your boss, and your mother was dying.
A/N -> I'm sorry it took so long. I have been obsessing over trying to make part two perfect but I don't think I can. It's time I share my baby with you, and I really hope you enjoy it.
Tags -> Angst, fluff :)
Trigger Warnings -> Character death, heavily mentions grief. Some parts are suggestive but there is no smut.
Word Count -> 18.8K (it got kinda crazy)
Late October
It was cold, dark and gloomy; the weather a perfect pathetic fallacy to the narrative of your life. The freshly disturbed patch of grass failed to convey the significance of who laid underneath it. It was vexing, how the world continued to spin on it’s axis despite the fact that it stopped spinning for you.
It hurt to think about the events that led to your undoing. The weeks prior to the moment your mother drew her last breath. You were a cracked vase filled with wilting flowers and overflowing regret. Every breath you took consumed more energy than you could spare and yet the world just. Kept. Spinning.
“I brought you flowers. Yellow tulips, by the way.” The words felt like lead on your tongue. It was one thing to accept your mother was never coming back, it was another to try to act normal about it. “I know you never cared for them, but I didn’t think leaving a pack of cigarettes on your grave was very tasteful.” You bitterly smiled to yourself at the memories of your mom sneaking a cigarette in the backyard when she thought you were asleep. It was a nasty habit you did everything to rid her of. A fruitless attempt to protect her from the inevitable.
“I’m sorry I haven’t figured out your epitaph yet. It’s just so hard to condense your entire life into a few words. Plus, they charge by the letter, so I’m trying to be really selective.” It felt weird, speaking into empty space, but you read online that it helped with grief, so you tried anyway.
That was how you approached most things nowadays. Eating, drinking, sleeping, they all seemed meaningless. But, you knew you couldn’t survive on just antagonism and mourning, so you did it anyway.
“Zayne called again. I know you told me not to hate him and that it wasn’t his fault, but I can’t bring myself to agree.”
The moment Zayne told you that the heart that could save your mother’s life was going to someone else replayed in your mind like a scratched vinyl stuck on an aggravating note.
“I got so frustrated by his constant calls that I threw my phone into the ocean.” You let out a sad laugh. “Guess that’s the last time I bring anything with me when I’m walking along the coast.”
You paused for a moment, feeling stupid. But you had so much to say to her, it all just began spilling out.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but I might lose the house. I burned through all my paid leave, and the idea of going back to work for Sylus makes me want to put my head through a wood-chipper. I know I have to, but how can I focus on work when I have nothing left to work for?” You tasted the tears before you felt them, the saltiness reminded you of your weekends at the beach with your mom. You did everything to get out of joining her, you hated the beach, but it was her favourite place to be and in a desperate attempt to cling on to whatever was left of her, you forced it to be yours too.
“I’m sorry I never got you that house you dreamed of, or the dog. I’m sure there are lots of dogs in heaven, and at least the dogs there have been screened. With my luck any dog I would’ve gotten you would’ve been evil.” You teetered around the grievance you truly wanted to apologise for.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t spend much time with you before you passed away. I was so sure you would get the transplant. I tried so hard to save for it. I should’ve been with you. If I knew—” The sobs raked through you with a force that knocked the air out of your lungs. You sat down next to her tombstone, leaning your head against the chiseled rock.
There were moments when you’d wake up, and in the haze of your muddled mind you’d forget she was dead. But then the ache in your body is deciphered by your mind, and you’re reminded of just how much you’ve lost. Maybe that’s why they called it mourning. Grief dawned on you like the rising sun.
Life had a way of being entirely unfair, and there was nowhere to hide from fate’s piercing claws. And as if to ensure you hadn’t forgotten just how cruel life could be, your head whipped around at the sound of footsteps behind you to find the last person you wanted to see.
Sylus was dressed in a long black coat hanging effortlessly off of his broad shoulders, a black dress shirt that really should’ve been buttoned up to the top, and a pair of black slacks that made his long legs look impossibly longer. He looked every bit the cunning grim reaper, and it wasn’t just because he was surrounded by graves.
“I didn’t know you were back in the N109 Zone.” The words came out harsher than you intended as your head returned to it’s position against the rock.
Sylus stopped in front of you, lowering himself to his haunches so that you would be face-to-face. It stung to look at him, so you focused on picking at the grass instead.
“I only got back a few hours ago. I heard about your mother. I’m sorry.” Having been deprived of his voice for over a month, you cursed the butterflies that coursed through you like muscle memory. Part of you wished he’d returned disfigured, but you knew it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Ugly or devastatingly beautiful, the storm that was Sylus could not be stopped, only weathered.
“Sorry that she died or sorry that you weren’t there?” The bitterness in your tone was unfamiliar to you. Even though you knew it was unfair of you to expect him to have stayed, he left immediately after he dropped you off at the hospital and you hoped he’d have been there just a little longer. It didn’t help that you didn’t hear from him until two weeks later, and by then you were too engrossed in your battle against Akso hospital’s medical board to respond.
“You haven’t been answering my calls; they’re not even going through anymore. You haven’t blocked me, have you?” Sylus countered your question with one of his own. If you cared enough, you might’ve called him out on his diversion.
“No, my phone broke.” That was an understatement if there ever was one.
“How long ago?”
“A week.” That much was true and since you couldn’t afford a smart phone, a shitty $30 flip phone weighed down your pocket.
“And all the times I called before then?” Sylus’s eyes perused you with intensity, and you suddenly felt self-conscious. You weren’t dressed well, in a pair of black sweatpants that were too big on you and a matching hoodie. Grieving people were allowed to dress terribly without judgement, Y/N. It’s okay.
“I didn’t feel like picking up.” The grass continued to bare the brunt of your nerves as you answered. The you that wasn’t effectively an orphan would’ve made up some excuse to protect his feelings, but you were resolved to change that. Your mother was strong, independent, and she never backed down from a fight. Not against men like Sylus, and not against her illness. If you wanted to honour her memory then you had to live your life the way she’d want you to.
“Do you have a phone now?”
You reached into the pocket of your sweatpants to take out the grey flip phone. You watched as Sylus bit back a laugh.
“I’ll get you a new one.”
“I don’t need you to get me anything.” You quickly retorted.
“You’re going to need a phone from this century if you’re working for me, Y/N.” He said it so casually, as if you were put on this earth solely to serve him as his accountant.
“Right, about that…” Your determination to be confident and unapologetic began to dwindle as you wondered how to tell Sylus you needed more time.
“No. Resigning is not an option.” Twelve minutes. It took Sylus twelve minutes to return to his usual controlling self. You were impressed, truly, it was a new record after all.
“We don’t have a blood pact, Sylus. I can resign if I want to. Besides, that’s not what I was going to say. I need more time off.” You didn’t sound very convincing, but it wasn’t like you could change who you were overnight. It would take a lifetime to unlearn your bad habits.
Sylus looked conflicted, as if he didn’t know what to say. When he chose to finally open his mouth, you wished he hadn’t.
“I’ve given you a month, Y/N. That’s enough.” His statement came out so matter-of-factly, you wondered if you had imagined it. A month was not nearly enough to recover from losing your mom, but you figured a man who killed people for a living wouldn’t understand.
“It’s only been two weeks since she died. And I’m sure the temp you’ve got is perfectly competent.”
“The temp doesn’t know the company like you do and I haven’t bothered teaching him on the premise that you were returning. If you’re not back soon I can’t promise you’ll have a job to come back to.”
The tension in the air dissipated as you began to laugh. Loudly. Obnoxiously. Hysterically.
“You— You seriously think I care whether or not I have a job? I can barely will myself to eat right now—employment is not my priority.” You wiped back the tears that began to spill out. Their origin unknown, between your hysteria and sorrow, your eyes were constantly puffy.
“People die all the time, sweetheart. It’s no reason to throw your future away.” Sylus stood up straight at the end of his statement, holding his hand out to you.
The angel on your shoulder whispered that in his own peculiar way, this was his attempt at comforting you. But you stopped listening to that angel when they buried your mom under six-feet of dirt, and you couldn’t help the word vomit that escaped you like water barrelling out of a splintered dam.
You pushed away his hand, and stood up to look at him with a ferocity you didn’t know you possessed.
“I get that something really dark and twisted must have happened in your youth to make you so heartless, but most people have shitty childhoods, sweetheart. We choose not to be terrible, insufferable people because of it.” The unbridled rage you’d spend so long trying to suppress seeped out of you uncontrollably as you screamed at Sylus. You walked toward him, your anger taking hold of you as you began to push him away. A few months ago you would’ve given anything to touch him, now all you cared about was making him feel a semblance of the pain he instilled in you.
“Some of us choose to feel our emotions in their entirety, regardless of how much it hurts, because we’re not scared to love and lose. You’re a coward, Sylus and you may think that my mother dying is just an inevitable consequence of life, but my world will never be the same.” In an attempt to calm down, you took a deep breath.
“You can judge me all you want, but it won’t change the fact that when you die, no one will mourn you.” The word vomit continued, and when you saw the hurt flash briefly within his eyes, you felt the arms of regret begin to sink their claws into you.
You shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t you.
But before you could take it all back, Sylus’s phone began ringing and you figured from the urgency in which he answered it must’ve been her.
“I lost track of time, I’ll be right there.” He spoke in a low voice in what you could only assume was an attempt to mask the fact that he was leaving you for something more important, again.
He opened his mouth to speak, but you beat him to it.
“Just go.” You waved him off and turned back around to face your mother’s grave, though now the tears welling up in your eyes couldn’t be entirely attributed to the grief.
Early November
You weren’t sure time could heal the gaping wound your mother’s passing left behind, but grief had settled into your life like an imposing aunt. It was in your home, touching your things, ruining your food, and never once leaving you alone. It didn’t feel so all-consuming anymore, but it clung onto you constantly like a shadow.
You were watching the third Harry Potter movie at 8am when you received the eviction notice via Email. You’d been expecting it, ultimately you were behind on rent, but the reason plastered on the paper was exponentially worse than your own incompetence.
…Selling to developers…suburban expansion project…
As if losing your childhood home wasn’t bad enough, they were planning on destroying it. Memories were bound to decay with time, that was an inevitable consequence of being human. Sooner or later you’d forget the way your mom dressed, or the smell of her perfume. Tangible things like photographs, places, they kept those memories anchored. You couldn’t lose the house, it wasn’t an option.
You spent the next hour trying to reason with your landlord over the phone, but he was committed to selling. He rejected every single one of your proposals, though even you knew they were weak at best. The developers were offering significantly more than market value, there was no way you could beat that. Stupid gentrification. But, your landlord told you he was sympathetic, and the deal hadn’t been finalised just yet. If you could match the developer’s offer by the end of the month, he’d gladly sell it to you instead.
Of course the developer’s offer was $800,000, and by the looks of your financials, you were about $796,312 short.
Desperate for a catharsis for your unending frustration, you screamed into the throw pillow on your couch until your throat felt raw. Then, you opened up your laptop to figure out a plan.
30 minutes later you had:
Sell your kidney to an organ broker and use the money to get a loan from any dodgy bank that would accept your mediocre credit score.
Dabble briefly in prostitution and use the money to get a loan from any dodgy bank that would accept your mediocre credit score.
Become a squatter and protest the demolition of your home environmental-activist style.
“Wow, Y/N. Graduated top of your class and this was all you could come up with, huh?” You muttered to yourself as you stared at the list of terrible ideas. Your mind hadn’t come up with something so horrific since the bed-in-breakfast Mother’s Day fiasco when you were 11.
The only option that didn’t end in bodily harm or a prison sentence was to work as many jobs as humanly possible for the next few weeks in hopes you could somehow manage to accumulate the deposit for a loan. You could probably sell some appliances too, and maybe revisit the kidney idea if it came to it.
Despite it being a long-shot, you had to try. You changed into a pair of flared leggings and a sweater. It was basic and borderline mismatched but traversing your explosive closet was a large undertaking you tended to avoid. You dug a copy of your old resume out from your file drawer, after all, it wasn’t like your experience as Onychinus’s accountant was going to do you any good. Further, listing Sylus as a reference would ensure you never got a job again.
You figured the easiest place to start was the central district of the N109 zone, bars and restaurants there were constantly hiring and from what you’d heard their only requirement was that you had two functioning legs and arms. But when you tried to leave through the door to begin the job search you collided with a formidable wall.
Since when was there a—
“Where you headed to, Y/N?” The familiar voice was so surprising it made you jump, the action accompanied by a shrill scream.
“What the fuck? Why are you just standing outside my door?” You rarely ever swore and you were sure that if your mother was still alive she’d throw her shoe at you for using the devil’s language. But of all the things you expected to see that morning, Sylus outside your door was not one of them.
“Is that any way to welcome your old employer?” Sylus stepped into your home without an invitation. Conclusive proof against your theory that he was secretly a vampire.
“What are you doing here?” You asked again, still staring at Sylus like he sprouted a second head. You couldn’t think of a single reason why he’d show up at your place of residence, he never did while you were still his employee.
“I need you to come back.” You choked back a laugh at his ridiculous request. Was he insane?
“Go to hell.” Your vicious response didn’t sway Sylus.
“I’ve fired an accountant every week since you left. The accounts are in complete disarray, half my businesses are behind on their bills, the other half have been paying the wrong amounts to the wrong companies. My investors are unhappy, my debtors are one week away from assuming I’ve gone bankrupt and I haven’t slept in weeks. Come. Back.” While it stroked your ego to hear that the organisation was suffering in your absence, you couldn’t just forget the terrible way he’d treated you in and out of the workplace.
“You insisted I was especially replaceable and now you’re saying you can’t replace me?” You chose to remind him of just how horrid of an employer he was, an action he didn’t appreciate.
“If you’re going to dwell on the semantics I’d rather just cut to the chase. What’s it going to take to get you back?” Sylus’s tone suggested he was truly trying to negotiate with you. Of course a man like him didn’t know how to take no for an answer.
“Pigs to fly.” You quipped, opening your door in hopes he’d get the hint and leave.
“Y/N, I’m serious. We can’t survive without you.” His desperation went straight to your head, but you stood your ground.
“Then die.” You tried to shove him out of your doorway, but he was about as easy to move as a truck.
“Everyone has something they desire, sweetheart. Name your price.” While you were ready to fire up a quick retort, his suggestion reminded you of the very reason you were about to leave the house.
Perhaps this was a sign; you could swallow your pride if it meant you got to keep your home.
You pretended to give it thought, sighing loudly in contemplation. “Fine. I want a sign-on bonus. Or in this case, a re-sign-on bonus, I guess…” You trailed off, unsure if he would agree.
“Alright, how much?” He was quick to accept your terms, and you decided to test the waters of just how desperate he was for your return.
“A million dollars.”
“Done.”
Dammit, you should’ve asked for more.
“I want a personal driver too, I’m sick of biking to work.” You would’ve been okay with just the bonus, after all, it was insanely generous. But you’d be a fool not to milk this opportunity for what it was worth.
“Anything else, princess?” The condescending nickname only added fuel to the fire as you fired off more requests.
“I don’t want to share my office with the twins anymore, they’re loud and annoying and they have no respect for the sanctity of my monthly budgets.”
“Okay.”
You masked your shock at his sudden magnanimity. “One last thing. Since you’ve come to the realisation that I am, in fact, a valuable asset to your organisation, you’re not allowed to be a dick to me anymore.”
“Elaborate.”
“No more calling me stupid or other degrading insults, threatening my job security, threatening my life — just no more threats in general — and if you’re going to assign me extra work that is beyond the scope of my job description, a please and thank you would be nice.”
“You’re pushing it, Y/N.” Of course treating his employees like human beings was the most difficult request.
“You just agreed to give me a million dollars and being nice to me is where you draw the line?”
Sylus sighed, deliberating in silence for a moment. When he saw that your resolve was unrelenting, he begrudgingly agreed. He wasn’t sure where your newfound confidence was coming from, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t find it the slightest bit attractive.
“Alright, you’ve made your case. I’ll agree to your conditions. Now, please fix it.”
It took every fibre of your being not to break out into song and dance at your victory. “Let me get my coat.”
______________
You stared at the horrific mess your beautiful spreadsheet had turned in to. This was a disaster. A colossal, unfathomable disaster. “How could you let it get this bad?” Your voice was dripping with fear, it was like staring a train wreck.
“It wasn’t like it happened on purpose. Besides, if you’d never—” Sylus interrupted his own sentence which you were sure contained an insult, and you could almost hear the evil chuckle resounding in your head at the sight of his obedience. This was going to be fun.
“This is going to take forever to fix.” It would actually only take the day, but you didn’t need to tell him that.
“I need it fixed by the end of the week. Please.” He looked pained as he added the nicety. Soooooo much fun.
“Add on a massage chair for my office and I’ll get it done by Wednesday.” You wondered just how far you could push his desperation.
“Deal.” He held his hand out for you to shake and when you did, you felt a strange sense of accomplishment. Now you could tell people ‘How to Tame Your Dragon’ was loosely based on your life.
“You know, Sylus, I’m liking this new dynamic.” Your shit-eating grin couldn’t be wiped off of your face no matter how hard you tried.
“Oh I can tell. Now, get to work.” Sylus made a show of pulling out your office chair for you, and when you sat in it for the first time in two months, you felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. And for once, the recollection of your past didn’t hurt as much as it usually did.
Mid-November
This time around, your employment under Sylus was much more pleasant. Surprisingly, he’d actually adhered to your conditions.
The twins were slightly offended that you no longer wanted to share your office with them, but their gratefulness for your return trumped any antagonism they had for you. You were kind of a celebrity in Onychinus’s executive team, their saviour, if you will.
But, the enjoyment of your newly established status could not be savoured. Undoing months of mistakes was turning out to be positively exhausting. You were an accountant; socially awkward, stuck to her Excel sheets, spent most of her free time indulging in shitty rom-coms. You were not built for briefing CEOs, Chairmen, investors, subsidiaries and of course, debtors, on your commitment to stability via video call.
Sylus insisted it had to be you, even though he usually handled the bureaucratic part of the organisation. Something about him not being able to answer their questions regarding the numbers. You told him you would tell him what to say through an ear piece like a spy movie, but he responded with a resounding no.
It was more like ‘hell will freeze over before I turn into a glorified puppet, Y/N, blah blah blah’.
Every single one-on-one conference call made you feel like you were getting hives. Not to mention the active effort it took you to refrain from making stupid jokes at every opportunity. When the last one with the representative from Onychinus’s main bank was over, you had officially smoothed over all bad blood between Onychinus and it’s stakeholders.
Giving yourself a moment to recalibrate from the sheer amount of social interaction you had been subjected to, you glared at the shared calendar event. ‘Miss Hunter’s Birthday in 13 days’.
You tried to distract yourself from that familiar sinking feeling in your gut with your work. Sylus never remembered your birthday, but it wasn’t like it mattered. You were his accountant, he was your boss. That was the extent of your relationship, even though you’d both said things to each other that would cause your HR department, if you had one, to self-emulate. But in the chaos of buying your home, going back to work and learning how to navigate life with your unwanted companion; grief, you’d forgotten all about your feelings for Sylus.
They weren’t gone but they were muted, like a voice screaming out to you while your head was underwater. Most of the time they were easy to ignore, but in times like these they were too loud to overlook.
You couldn’t dwell on your self-pity for long because there was a knock at your door. No one ever knocked on your door, people just tended to barge in.
“Come in?” Confusion dripped from your voice. When the door opened to a pair of twins with shameful smiles, you knew they were about to ask you for a favour.
“We… fucked up.” Three words you never wanted to hear coming out of either Luke or Kieran’s mouth.
“What have you done?”
“Long story short. Boss sent us to pick up a gem for Miss Hunter’s birthday. It’s really rare. The man who owns them is this older, heart of gold type old guy who refuses to sell to nefarious people because of his outdated principles. He wouldn’t give it to us, said something about us being part of Onychinus. We knew if boss didn’t get this gem today he’d have our heads displayed on mantels in his office, so we threatened the old man with a gun and then an entire arsenal of security appeared out of thin air and we were blacklisted from the property.” Kieran’s explanation left you astounded.
The twins had their fair share of asinine mistakes, but this one might have taken the cake.
“You threatened an old man with a gun…”
“Yes.” Kieran responded.
“Over a gem?” You asked in disbelief.
“A very rare gem!” Luke corrected.
“Huh. How am I supposed to help?” It was a genuine question, you didn’t really see a way out of this one.
“Can you go and convince the old man to sell the gem to you?” Kieran’s request made your eyes widen in protest.
“No way! I’ve had my fill of uncomfortable business meetings.” And wasn’t that the truth. If you had to see one more man in a business suit ask you ‘if you even knew what you were talking about’ you might throw your laptop into the first body of water you could find.
“Please, Y/N. Sylus will kill us. Do you want our deaths to hang over your conscience?”
Luke’s question was an innocent hyperbole, but at the mention of deaths hanging over your conscience, you were reminded of your mom. Your face dropped, your fingers slowly forgetting what they were supposed to type. Kieran, the more observant twin, elbowed Luke.
“Fuck, Y/N. I’m sorry, I forgot.”
“No, no, it’s fine. You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me, I’m not going to burst into tears.” You weren’t sure that was true quite yet, but fake it till you make it, right?
“Will you help us? Please. We’ll owe you big time.” The line was clearly rehearsed since they said it in unison, or maybe it was some weird twin telepathy thing. Either way, it freaked you out so much you agreed.
“Fine, what’s the address?”
_____________
You knocked on the large wooden door of a beautiful home. It was classically designed, a perfect intersection between modernity and the timeless complexity of archaic house designs. It was rare to see homes like these in a society that prided itself on progress.
When you heard the sound of soft feet shuffling toward the door, you felt the guilt eat at you internally. You were tricking an old man into selling a gem to people he very reasonably did not want to sell to.
“Y/M/N?”
Did he— why did he call you by your mother’s name?
“That was my mother, I’m her daughter, Y/N.”
“Oh, thank god, I was beginning to think I’d finally lost it. Come in, come in.”
Your interest had been piqued, and you forgot all about the gem as you entered the old man’s home.
“I must say, I’m surprised you’re here. Did your mother send you?”
You swallowed the lump in your throat. “She passed away just over a month ago.”
“Oh god. I’m so sorry, dear. Are you alright?” The question was filled with so much warmth it made tears well up in your eyes. Your mother never had any friends, and you were estranged from your extended family. You were all alone in your grief, and hearing someone who knew your mom in some capacity ask you if you were alright felt bittersweet.
“Yeah. I’m doing okay. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you know her?”
“You don’t know? I figured that was why you were here.”
Right. The reason you were here, the gem.
“No, I’m actually here entirely coincidentally, I came to acquire a gem.”
“Which gem were you after, dear?” He asked the question as he looked around his living room for something.
“The Painite one.”
He stopped pacing and turned to you with an accusatory stare. “This wouldn’t happen to be related to those two rowdy boys who came by earlier, right?”
“Well…” You couldn’t lie to him. He looked like the old man from ‘Up’, it was entirely unfair.
“I’m afraid I can’t sell to you. I’m concerned you’ve even gotten yourself wrapped up in such a terrible organisation.” He shook his head, his disappointment evident in his tone.
“Look, I know what you’ve heard, but most of the rumours you hear about Onychinus don’t have a modicum of truth to them.”
“Then why hasn’t your boss cleared them up?” A great question.
“In this business its good to have a reputation that instills fear in others. You’ve seen what people do for Protocores and black-market items. Onychinus serves as a… regulatory body of the underworld, the only people they harm are those that harm others.” The practiced speech came from years of listening to Sylus give it to yourself and others.
“I don’t know dear, I’ve heard some horrific things about their leader, Sylus.” You were probably responsible for a few of those rumours…
“The only horrific thing about him is his sharp tongue. Seriously, he has a way of finding your worst insecurity and then using it to drag you through the dirt.” Recognising the unhelpful tangent, you digressed.
“But when it comes to business, he’s fair and when someone hurts the people he cares about, he’s merciless. He has a good heart, it’s just encased under a very thick layer of stone.” When he didn’t look convinced, you continued.
“In fact, he wants this gem for a woman. She’s special to him and its her birthday in a few days. She’s a hunter, by the way, she saves lives. So, even if you don’t want to sell to Sylus because he’s probably half demon, you should sell it to her. You know, by proxy.” The argument was a stretch but you couldn’t help your rambling.
“You are the spitting image of your mother.”
The comment caught you off-guard.
“You think so?”
“I knew your mother when she was your age. She used to sing live at a bar I frequented with my friends. It was a simpler time, before wanderers attacked. I was head over heels in love with her, and I knew she felt the same way about me. But, she got wrapped up with the wrong guy, a real bad man, and it took finding out she was pregnant with you to break it off with him.” He recounted his past as he continued to search his drawers for something, when he came back to the couch in front of yours, he handed you a photo.
It was of your mother, except she was much younger. She was on a stage performing, a part of her life she never told you about. She looked happy and was glowing with the kind of ethereal beauty that never dwindled with time. He was right, you looked a lot like her.
“Can I keep this?” You looked up at the man, and he gave you a small nod.
“Of course. You know, I offered to help her when I found out, said I’d raise the baby as my own, but she told me I was destined for more than she could give me. Said she had to do this on her own. She was stubborn but she loved boundlessly, Y/N, just like you.”
You were confused, this man hadn’t known you for very long, how could he know such a thing? “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know what that Sylus man has done to deserve your adoration, but I can tell you love him. And for you to come here on his behalf to convince me to sell him the rarest gem in the world for another woman? You truly do have your mother’s heart.”
His words sprouted doubt and introspection. Why were you trying so hard to get Sylus such a romantic gift when it was meant for someone else? Were you secretly a masochist?
“If it’s alright with you Y/N, I’d love to get to know you. Your mother was my first love, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to about her.”
You gave him the sincerest smile you could come up with. “I’d like that. I don’t really have anyone to talk to about her either.”
“As for the gem, I’ll sell it to you but only if you promise to love a man who will go to these lengths for you, not someone else.”
“I promise.” You’d promise to try, at least. You told the man, who you now knew was Dr Jeffery Hunt the geologist, that you needed to get back to work. You exchanged contact information with a promise to catch up later and trade stories about your mom.
You left the house with the rarest gem in the world in one hand, and an infinitely more valuable picture of your mother in the other.
___________
You walked toward your office where Luke and Kieran should have been to find the door slightly ajar. You stopped just outside the door when you heard Sylus’s voice from inside your office.
“You sent Y/N to get the gem? Was the task too difficult for the two of you?” You tried to sympathise with the twins, but it was kind of funny to see Sylus berate someone else for once.
“The owner said he wouldn’t sell to Onychinus—” Kieran’s attempt at an explanation was shot down instantly.
“So you pick some random person off the street and send them in instead. You don’t send the girl the gem is for to go retrieve her own present. You have completely ruined the surprise.”
Wait, what?
“No, it’s fine, we sent Y/N not Miss Hunter.”
“Miss Hun— why would you assume it’s for her?” The question hung in there for an uncomfortable moment, after all you assumed the same thing.
“Her birthday’s in a few days.” Luke timidly added.
“How do you know that?”
“It’s in the shared calendar.”
“Fuck.”
With your ear plastered shamelessly against the door, you smiled to yourself. He had a bad habit of putting personal events in the shared calendar.
“The gem was for Y/N. Thanks to you imbeciles I have to figure something else out.”
Why was the gem for you? Was it poisonous? You started down at the velvet box in your hand and wondered if the gem was secretly a teeny tiny bomb.
“Is it Y/N’s birthday soon too?” Kieran’s question offended you. Your birthday was in March and both he and Luke were at your celebratory birthday dinner last year.
“No, that’s in March. It’s to celebrate her 3rd year with Onychinus. Although now I’m wondering if your time here has come to an end.” It was kind of sadistic, but it was comforting to know that Sylus threatened other people’s job security over minor inconveniences too.
“No! Please, we promise we’ll make it up to you.”
You stopped listening to the conversation as you opened the box in your hand. The gem glistened under the artificial lights as questions fired off in your brain. He wanted to give this gem to you? How did he even remember the day you started at Onychinus? And he knew your birthday?
Before you could search for the answers, the sound of footsteps approaching the door made you panic. You tried fruitlessly to escape the long hallway but Sylus stormed out before you could.
“I um, got that gem for you.” You pretended you weren’t eavesdropping and held the gem out to him, but he pushed it back toward you.
“Thanks. I was going to have it turned into a necklace, but since the cat’s out of the bag, you can decide what to do with it.” He clearly knew you’d heard everything and gave the twins a pointed glare as they scurried out of your office.
“It’s really too much. Most employers get their employees a gift card or something.” You tried to hand it back again, but he was unrelenting.
“I’m not most employers, and you definitely aren’t most employees.” The loaded compliment made you bite back a smile.
“In that case, a necklace would be nice. I have a photo of my mom when she was my age, she wore a necklace with a similar looking gem. Do you think you could find someone who can copy the design? It would mean a lot. I’d pay for it, of course.” You kept the photo in your wallet now, it quickly became one of your favourites. When you passed the photo to him, he looked at it for far longer than necessary.
“Consider it done, and your money’s no good with me. Save it for something else.” He paused for a moment, took a photo of the necklace on his phone and returned the photograph. “I see where you get your beauty from.” The comment was so nonchalant and inconsistent with Sylus’s usual dialogue that you were left speechless. Your heart battered against your ribcage as if it were trying to escape and mount itself onto him instead. Traitorous organ.
You watched him turn around and walk toward his office. The sight of him walking away from you brought back memories of that day in the graveyard and what you’d said to Sylus before he left.
“You can judge me all you want, but it won’t change the fact that when you die, no one will mourn you.”
The guilt was eating away at your conscience, and you knew you had to let him know that you didn’t mean what you said. Especially not now.
“Sylus, wait.” He stopped just as his hand reached the doorknob of his office door and looked up at you expectantly.
You raked your mind for the right thing to say, and Sylus didn’t make a sound as you prolonged the silence.
“If you died, I’d mourn you.” And you meant it. You maintained eye contact despite the urge to look away from his intense gaze in an attempt to convey your sincerity.
He shook his head with a slight chuckle in response, and walked into his office wordlessly.
You figured he hadn’t given what you said a second thought. It was foolish to think you could ever hurt the impenetrable Sylus’s feelings. You weren’t even sure he had feelings.
But, unbeknownst to you, when Sylus closed the door behind him, he felt himself let out a breath that alleviated a pressure in his chest he didn’t know he’d been carrying. What you’d said to him in the graveyard weighed on him like an uncomfortable tumour.
Sylus knew you were right, but the idea of no one caring for him never bothered him before, not until you said it. It dawned on him that the only person who’s idea of him actually affected how he thought of himself was yours.
Late-November
“Finish up, we have a reservation at six.” At the sound of your boss’s voice, you looked up from your computer screen. Your eyes were watery from staring at the ledger for hours but you still couldn’t reconcile the $15.70 that was missing. It was driving you insane.
“Was there a meeting I forgot existed?” The calendar looked empty from where it stood on your second monitor. Well, it was empty now that Sylus deleted the shared calendar event for Miss Hunter’s birthday which should’ve been yesterday.
“No, it’s just us. I’m taking you to dinner. Now hurry up.” You couldn’t help the frown on your face. There was surely an ulterior motive.
“Taking me to dinner? Are you asking me out on a date?” You were teasing; hell would freeze over before Sylus would ask anyone out on a date. Though, maybe he already had, after all he was busy yesterday…
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re celebrating your third year with Onychinus. As an employer I believe rewarding long-term employees can strengthen their loyalty to the company.” He regurgitated the words like they were toxic.
“You stole that from the last issue of Forbes magazine. I would know since I was the one who gave you the article.” It was titled ‘Ten foolproof ways to make your employees like you’ and you thought it would be funny to leave it on Sylus’s desk.
“And I’m responding to your feedback like number 4 on that list suggested. Now, do you want to go to this dinner or should I ask someone else?”
You quickly scrambled out of your seat, you couldn’t miss out on a chance to see Sylus actively try to be a regular boss. Who could say no to dinner and a show?
“No, no, I’ll go.” You grabbed your bag off of the floor and followed Sylus out of the building. You asked him a series of questions about where you were going, when you’d be back, if you were getting paid for the time you were forced to spend with him, but he answered none of them.
Sylus was driving for all of 2 minutes before you began to draft an appreciation letter to the inventor of seatbelts in your head.
“You know, you may be harder to kill than a regular person, but I will die if you crash this car.” Pleading for your life in an expensive sports car was not how you expected to go.
“It’s a little early in the night for your theatrics, Y/N.” Sylus’s deadpan tone did nothing to soothe your concerns as he turned yet another sharp corner with aggressive speed.
“It’s also a little early in my life to die.” You unhelpfully added.
“Relax, will you? I’ve never crashed before.”
Well, there’s a first time for everything. You thought as you tightly gripped the handle of the door. You found yourself suddenly missing the middle-aged man who would grouchily drive you to and from work. At least he drove like he valued his life.
_______
When you arrived to the place in one piece you felt severely under dressed. Sylus was wearing his regular attire, a suit without the tie, and you were dressed in linen pants and a turtleneck. Sylus never enforced a business dress code, though in that moment you found yourself wishing he did.
The restaurant was multi-level and sat at the top of a mountain. The exterior screamed affluence and you were sure everyone who dined there was in a different tax-bracket. Sylus reserved a table on the rooftop which unfortunately meant you had to ascend four levels in your mediocre outfit that made you stick out like a sore thumb.
When you eventually reached your table, you quickly hid in your seat. While it was unrealistic to assume anyone would pay you any attention but your embarrassment was usually irrational. Nor, did it help that Sylus naturally made heads turn wherever he went. He was freakishly tall and unnervingly handsome; next to him anyone struggled to look attractive.
“You’re in a rush. Hungry?” Sylus asked across from you as you buried your face in the menu. You didn’t feel like explaining how being out with him made you feel insecure, so you forewent a response.
The waiter quickly returned with a bottle of wine. Of course Sylus’s favourite wine was known universally. Why wouldn’t it be? He practically ruled the N109 Zone.
“Thanks, she’ll have a mojito.” Before you could tell the waiter not to bring you your favourite cocktail, he was gone.
“I’m not drinking.” Your protest fell on deaf ears. “Drinking with your boss is like number 1 on the list of things you shouldn’t do if you value your job.”
“You don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself in front of me, Y/N. You’ve done that plenty of times sober.” Sylus smirked as he made the dry joke and you held back the urge to step on his foot under the table.
Never mind. You needed a drink pronto.
“Asshole.” You muttered under your breath.
“What was that?”
“Artichokes! I said the artichoke salad looks good.” You could tell Sylus wasn’t convinced, but he dropped the matter anyway.
“Order whatever you’d like.”
“There’s no prices on the menu.” You flipped it around every which way but not a single price appeared.
“Sweetheart, the people who can afford to dine here aren’t too concerned with prices. Don’t worry and order what you wish.”
Aw, how sweet. Sylus thought you enquired about the prices because you were concerned about overspending. As if. You knew that man’s financials inside and out, if anything, you wanted to order the most expensive things on the menu.
“Jeez, my bad Mr One-Percent.” Your joke was not well received.
“Can we have one night without your incessant sarcasm?” The plea sounded genuine, but it was denied.
“We could, but that’s no fun.”
“I find you painfully unfunny, Y/N.” You smiled to yourself at his blatant lie. Everyone found you funny.
Before you could think of a retort, Sylus pulled out a large velvet box and slid it toward you on the table.
“What’s this?”
“The necklace.”
You opened it up eagerly and the sight of it brought pure bliss to your heart. It was exactly like the one your mother wore, and it was even more beautiful in person.
“It’s perfect. Thank you.” Feeling slightly remorseful for your attitude prior to the gift-exchange, you gave him a sheepish smile.
Sylus watched you lift it up to put it on, but quickly interjected. “Allow me.” He stood up, walking toward your seat. Flushed, you clumsily turned around so your back was facing him. You felt goosebumps on your skin when his cold hands bunched your hair away from your neck, the tips of his fingers leaving a trail of wired nerves in their wake.
You took your hair from his hand to hold it up, the mere feeling of your fingers brushing his gave you heart palpitations. The act was way too intimate, and despite how it good it felt to have him so close, your brain knew it was safest to pray it would be over soon.
When Sylus was done he spun you around to face him and shamelessly observed his handiwork. “It looks good.” Your brain short-circuited the moment your eyes met his, so you sat in front of him in complete silence.
The moment was rudely interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice.
“Sylus? Y/N? Fancy seeing you here!” You both turned to the source of the voice to see Miss Hunter in a beautiful baby blue gown. As if you didn’t feel bad enough about your choice in attire. You began to smile until you noticed that the arm linked with hers belonged to your mortal enemy. Dr Zayne.
You got up to greet them, despite your primal urge to push Zayne off the roof, but Sylus beat you to it. “Miss Hunter, always a pleasure.” You tried not to gag at the sight of Sylus being so gentlemanly. It became particularly hard when he kissed the top of her hand.
“I didn’t know you knew Dr Zayne.” The comment slipped out of Sylus’s tense smile with a twinge of what you thought was hostility. Was he jealous that she was with Dr Zayne? Were you jealous that he was jealous? Are you in a soap opera?
“Oh, he’s a childhood friend andmy doctor! I’m very lucky. How do you know him?” Before you could whisper to Sylus to make up some excuse, he was firing off information about your personal life to the last two people you wanted to discuss your personal life with.
“He was Y/N’s mother’s doctor.” Everyone went tense, everyone except for Miss Hunter, of course.
Your eyes followed her as she turned to you, praying she wouldn’t ask about your mother’s health. Instead, she praised your nemesis. “He’s brilliant, isn’t he?”
You wanted to scream in protest. You wanted to swing a chair into Dr Zayne’s head, and then use the broken scraps to beat him to a pulp. But you opted to force a painful smile instead.
“He’s definitely something.” You looked right at Zayne, hoping he’d understand the implications of your backhanded compliment.
“Well, we were just here to celebrate my birthday yesterday, but the hostess said it was all booked out and silly Zayne forgot to make a reservation. We just came up to the rooftop to get some pictures, but you guys should enjoy your dinner!” Miss Hunter’s polite dismissal was the perfect opportunity to end the painfully awkward interaction and move on with your night.
“Thanks.” You were about to return to your seat when Sylus decided to continue with his commitment to ruining your life.
“You guys should join us, the more the merrier, right Y/N?”
The question you had no idea how to answer only poked at the jar of pent up murderous rage you were trying to suppress. It wasn’t like you were subtle about your hatred for the Doctor, why the hell was Sylus inviting them to stay?
“Right.” You couldn’t have sounded less sincere if you tried, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You had to focus on making it out of this building without a homicide charge.
When Miss Hunter happily agreed, Sylus quickly waved down a waiter and made them transform your two-seater table into a four-seater. Unfortunately for you, the seating arrangements somehow ended up with you next to Zayne and Sylus next to Miss Hunter .
Zayne could feel the hostility radiating off of you in waves, but he was too scared to do anything about it.
“Happy birthday, by the way.” You offered Miss Hunter the nicety, since she was really the only innocent person at the table. Your unfounded hatred for her took the back-burner when Zayne was around.
“Thanks, Y/N. I love your necklace, where did you get it?” Yet another question you didn’t know how to answer. If this was how the entire night was going to be you might as well cut your losses and take your chances with jumping off the roof.
“It’s um, custom made.” You avoided Sylus’s glare.
“Well it’s beautiful.” You couldn’t help but smile at her compliment. Her sunshine-y attitude could rival yours.
“Sylus knows the guy who made it, I’m sure he could get one for you too.” You glanced at him only to see him quirk an eyebrow at your response. Was he seriously mad? You were practically the world’s greatest wingwoman.
When Miss Hunter turned to look at him, he quickly shut her down. “He retired right after making that piece, actually. Something about getting arthritis.”
He was definitely lying. You weren’t sure why he was gatekeeping this jeweller and you never got the chance to ask.
“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Hey Zayne, you’ve been awfully quiet. Say something!” Miss Hunter gave him a playful push on the shoulder as she teased him. The sight would’ve been adorable if it weren’t for satan’s incarnate sitting inches away from you.
“Yeah Zayne, how was work? Steal anymore hearts lately?” You asked the deceivingly innocuous question while breaking apart a piece of bread. The double-entendre was like a secret you both shared; though the idea of sharing anything with that waste of space made you inscrutably angry.
Sylus silently observed the interaction with curiosity. Your passive-aggressiveness was a trait he thought you only reserved for him. You were always nice, to everyone. Seeing you treat Zayne so coldly was like witnessing a beaver play the piano. It was unnatural.
“Work went as well as expected.” Zayne’s clipped reply left no room for further discussion. The conversation came to do a lull, and you took it as the opportunity to excuse yourself to the bathroom. You immediately beelined away from the table that currently situated your nightmare blunt rotation and toward the women’s bathroom that was positively Zayne-free.
The bathroom was just as extravagant as the rest of the restaurant but you didn’t get to admire it before you splashed water on your face in an attempt to cool down. There was no way you could last an entire dinner next to Zayne. Maybe you could say you were feeling sick. Probably a bad idea when he’s a doctor. Work emergency wasn’t plausible, your boss was at the table. What if you just ran away? You could live with the shame and embarrassment.
You looked up at the ceiling and silently cursed the heavens for your terrible luck. Seriously, you must’ve been a serial killer in your past life to deserve this fate. It was a never-ending series of unfortunate events, and you were desperate for a break.
When you eventually left the bathroom, Zayne was standing right outside the door. He startled you, but the moment the shock wore off your face morphed into a deadly glare.
“Look, I know you think I’m a terrible person but—”
“Monster is the term I’d use, but go on.” You rudely interrupted Zayne. He chose not to acknowledge your comment.
“I rarely get to spend time with MC and I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t ruin her birthday dinner because of me.” It didn’t take long for you to realise that MC must’ve been Miss Hunter’s first name.
Zayne ruined everything he touched, he needed no help from you.
“I’m sorry, does the fact that I’m angry at you for letting my mother die put a damper in your dinner plans?”
“Yes it does, actually.” Zayne responded quickly. He either didn’t understand sarcasm or was an even bigger dick than you thought.
“Then might I suggest you take her someplace else. It’s your fault you couldn’t get a table here. Why should I have to suffer because your incompetence knows no bounds?” You couldn’t think of a time you’d insulted someone so much in such quick succession. Dr Zayne brought out the worst in you, but you could reflect on your actions later. Right now you were at war.
“We are perfectly capable of having an amicable dinner.”
You rolled your eyes at his condescending tone. “You might be, I’m not that mature.”
“Y/N. We’re both adults.” He pleaded.
“Bite me.”
Before Zayne could open his mouth again, Sylus interrupted.
“Everything all good here?” For once in your life, you were grateful for Sylus’s interruption.
“No.” You said.
“Yes.” Zayne also said, at the exact same time.
“Zayne you should head back to the table. Miss Hunter's waiting for you.” Zayne didn’t think twice before taking the out and you internally flipped off his retreating form.
Sylus grabbed you by the forearm, his grip tight as he dragged you to a secluded part of the rooftop and away from the bathrooms.
“What’s going on with you?” He asked the moment you stopped moving, his hand still gripping onto your arm like a vice.
“Can you let go? You’re hurting me.” He quickly released you, his eyes washing over with something you couldn’t recognise as you soothed the part he’d rubbed raw.
“Why are you acting so childish?” His question would've angered you had you not been angry already.
“I hate his guts.” The response did not help your case, but you weren’t very articulate when you were upset.
“What did he do to you?” Sylus’s eyes narrowed, and he spoke in a low tone that was laced with danger. You didn’t think too much of his strange reaction, Sylus acting strange was pretty much the only consistent thing in your life lately.
You gnawed on your lip, unsure of how to respond. Your grievance against the world-renowned doctor was one you’d always kept to yourself. After all, everyone had nothing but praise for the brilliant Dr Zayne.
“Y/N, if he touched you I’ll—” Your eyes quickly widened in shock at his interpretation.
“No! Nothing like that. It’s just, a few days before my mom died, a heart came in that was a match. But there was this other guy who was younger and needed it just as badly. The policy was that the hospital's medical board would vote on who got the heart and the entire board, Zayne included, unanimously agreed that the heart should go to the other guy.” They said it wasn't personal, that it had everything to do with survival rates, but there was no way to detach personhood from medicine.
You realised that when you said it out loud, your hate seemed unfounded. “I know it wasn’t entirely his fault, but he didn’t even try to give my mom a fighting chance. He didn't say anything to sway them, he just silently agreed. He was supposed to be her advocate.” The frustration began to boil over, and before you knew it there were tears welling up in your eyes.
“God, I spent every last dollar of my paycheque to make sure she got the greatest medical care money could buy. Everyone said he was the best, but when it really mattered, he did nothing for her. I was such an idiot.” There was an uncontrollable fountain of tears streaming down your face, and you were grateful for Sylus’s decision to drag you to somewhere secluded.
The familiar tendrils of an oncoming panic attack began to wash over you as you began to hyperventilate. No matter how much you wanted to blame Dr Zayne, or the universe, or your shitty luck, the only person you could really blame was yourself. You sent her to that hospital, you convinced her to hold on for a transplant, you spent her last months on this Earth slaving away in another city instead of by her side. There was no way to get that time back.
“Y/N, look at me. It’s not your fault.” Sylus’s voice was like a beacon of light that led you through the dark tunnel you were trapped in. He cradled your face in his hands, wiping away your tears as they continued to stream down your face. But when your tears showed no signs of slowing, he pulled you into his arms, his hands holding your tear-stricken face against his chest.
He ran his long fingers through your hair as he whispered everything you wanted to hear. "It’s not your fault. It’s okay to hate him. It will get easier."
You weren’t sure how long you spent with your face buried in his chest, but by the time you’d returned to reality, his white dress shirt was slightly transparent where your tears soaked through the material.
You laughed a little at the sight, and the corners of Sylus’s lips raised ever so slightly at the sound. When he saw you were okay, Sylus began to speak. “Don’t move. I’ll grab your bag and we’ll get out of here.”
Before he could leave you tugged on the sleeve of his suit jacket. “Hey, I’m sorry I ruined your dinner.” You truly were. Sylus did not deserve to be subjected to yet another one of your meltdowns, but he seemed to have a habit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“No it's my fault, I ruined it by inviting them to join us. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Sylus then manoeuvred through the restaurant toward the nightmare table. When he returned with your bag in one hand and the other outstretched toward you, your heart skipped a beat. Or two. He played the role of the knight-in-shining-armour quite seamlessly, and he looked every bit the handsome prince charming. You tried to remind yourself why it was so dangerous to be attracted to a force like Sylus, but when he smiled at you like you were the only two people in the room, all caution was thrown to the wind.
_____________
In the spirit of making things up to you, you made Sylus take you to a restaurant of your choosing. It was a hole-in-the-wall dumpling place that charged so little one would question if they were serving real meat. But you never found better dumplings, so you took the risk anyway.
The dynamic was completely subverted as you sat on the table that was slightly sticky with cheap cleaning chemicals. Sylus was the one who looked out of place, his suit was unarguably the most expensive thing in the room and it brought joy to your miserable night to see him out of his comfort zone.
“How did you find this place?” The question was warranted, other than you two, the only other occupants in the restaurant were a few middle-schoolers.
“I used to come here a lot with my friends in high school.”
“Did they all die from food poisoning?” Sylus seemed proud of his quick-witted joke. You gave him a pointed glare to convey just how unfunny that joke was.
“Funny, but no. We just drifted apart after we graduated.” The clipped reply shut down any further inquiry. You thought back to the fond memories you had in that restaurant. Things were different when you didn’t yet know the cost of failure; before you knew what you’d be losing. And while everyone may have moved on from this small town in the N109 Zone, you never left.
“Do you even have any friends?” You choked on your drink at the question. He was genuinely asking and the worst part was, you really didn’t.
Your constant struggle to make ends meet and maintain a high GPA for your academic scholarships made it impossible to have a social life. It didn’t help that you went to a college you couldn’t afford. It was hard to find people to relate to when everyone had grown up with silver spoons. Then after you graduated you landed at Onychinus, and it wasn’t exactly a friendly environment.
“Of course I have friends.” Your lie was a feeble attempt to preserve the last of your dignity. Sylus had seen you at your absolute worst, but there was something extremely dehumanising about letting him know you were insanely lonely.
“Really, who?” His genuine surprise only made your insecurity worse.
“You don’t have to sound so shocked. Plus, you wouldn’t know them.”
“Try me.” Of course he wouldn’t drop it. When has Sylus ever let something go?
“Well, there’s Mr Demir, and Luke and Kieran, and my newly acquired friend Dr Hunt.” In a desperate attempt to keep up your lie, you pretty much just named all the people you knew.
“Y/N, that’s the man who sells you your sandwiches, my assistants, and a geologist who sold you a gem.”
“Has anyone ever told you that no one likes a know-it-all?”
“I think you should get out more. Maybe tone down the sarcasm and you might just make a friend or two.” Your jaw-dropped in faux shock at his unsolicited advice.
“You’re one to talk, your best friend is a mechanical crow.” You snuck a dumpling off of his plate while he was distracted.
“I don’t need friends, they’re unnecessary burdens.” He took a swig of his beer. You thought he’d burst into flames if he drank anything other than red wine, but he adapted to his surroundings with little effort.
You put a hand on your heart as if in pain and jokingly gave him a solemn look.“Then why would you wish such a cruel fate onto me?”
“Because I hate seeing you this miserable, Y/N.” The amusement from your banter died a quick death at his confession. You thought you kept it together most of the time, though bawling your eyes out in the N109 Zone’s hottest restaurant probably didn’t do that facade any good. But for the most part, you handled the death of your mother relatively well.
“I’m not miserable. Not all of the time at least. Like right now, I’m only mildly annoyed!” You tried to change the topic the only way you knew how, with humour, but Sylus wasn’t budging.
“You take care of everyone but yourself and all it’s done is isolate you. There needs to be a give and take, sweetheart. People don’t like feeling useless.” He spoke to you softly, as if he was scared the timbre of his voice would cause you to shatter into a million pieces.
There was a sinking feeling in your stomach that followed his oddly specific guidance. He seemed to know more about you than you thought he did, and you were torn between feeling seen and feeling judged.
“That’s sound advice. Guess you’ve been reading more magazines.” You were grasping at straws, willing to try anything to get the unwanted spotlight off of your inadequacies.
“You also need to learn how to accept help without downplaying your problems.”
“Okay, okay. You sound like my mother. Has her soul possessed you?” There you go Y/N. Play the dead mom card, that’ll work.
He chuckled at your joke. You knew he found you funny.
“You don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“Yeah, the manufacturers didn’t include an off-switch. No refunds, sorry.” You stuffed a dumpling in your mouth as the tension subsided.
“Oh, I’m not returning you, sweetheart. They’ll have to pry you from my cold dead hands.” While you knew he was probably referring to the value you brought his company as his accountant, you couldn’t stifle the butterflies that wreaked havoc in your stomach.
You didn’t move when Sylus’s car stopped outside your house.
“Thanks for tonight, I had fun. Sorry it didn’t go to plan.” You turned to him after you unbuckled your seatbelt and the tight confines of the car felt even smaller.
“It’s fine, I liked this version of events better anyway.” His low voice reverberated through the small distance between you, nestling in your heart that was beating unhealthily fast.
“Me too. Next time you take a girl to dinner you ought to let her know if she’s supposed to dress like she’s going to the met gala.” Your advice had a bitter undertone because part of you still wished you could be the only girl he’d take to dinner.
“I usually do, but this particular girl doesn’t need a fancy dress to be the most beautiful girl in the room.” The candid compliment made the butterflies do summersaults, and while their gymnastics routine continued, you found yourself at a loss for words.
“Goodnight, Y/N.” Sylus leaned over the centre console and opened the door for you, completing the chivalrous act of opening the door for you in his own unique fashion. He was so close, all it would take was one small move and his lips could’ve been on yours.
“Goodnight.” You barely got the word out through the sudden bout of breathlessness you were experiencing. And when you were finally encased in the familiar four walls of your home, you thought about every moment you shared with Sylus and how different he seemed from the man you knew before.
The weekend passed by in a blur. The necklace that looked like a carbon copy of your mom’s was nestled on your neck. A permanent reminder that made ‘Operation Sylus: No More’ infinitely harder to achieve.
Perhaps you shouldn’t have asked him to stop being a dick, because what you thought would be an easy feat was beginning to feel like climbing a mountain with a peak you couldn’t even see.
You were staring at the list on your notes app on your brand new phone in hopes of searing it into your memory.
Operation Sylus: No More
The foolproof guide of getting rid of all feelings Sylus related by the end of November.
Step 1: avoid Sylus and all thoughts of him at all costs.
Step 2: no more funny jokes, his laugh is seriously deadly.
Step 3: force yourself to remember Miss Hunter in moments of weakness. She’s the one he really wants.
Step 4: try to find love elsewhere, like the corner shop owner, he may be in his 50s and happily married but he’s kind of a silver-fox!
Step 5: do not, under any circumstances, allow yourself to be alone with Sylus for too long.
You violated step 5 that Friday when you let him take you to dinner and you were reaping the consequences of your mistake. There was no way you could survive the free-fall if you couldn't get your heart to obey your mind. The disconnect between the two vital organs might be the thing that kills you.
When you heard something shatter in the hallway, you quickly put your phone down and went out to investigate.
The door opened to Mephisto standing on a side table where an empty vase used to sit. The vase was now on the floor in pieces in front of your feet.
“You did this on purpose.” You pointed an accusing finger at the bird, but all he did was tilt his head to the side as if he couldn’t understand you. You knew he could understand you perfectly well.
The cold war between you two started in your first week at Onychinus when he would swoop at your head spontaneously for no reason. Sylus told you he did it to everyone he didn’t trust and that he’d be over it in due time, but you were too vindictive to let it slide.
Several back-and-forth pranks later, the bird seemed to have remembered the tradition you managed to forget. “If this is your way of saying you miss me then you take an awful lot after your owner.” Your words faded as you made your way to the kitchen to find the broom. However, upon your return you saw that the floor was flawless and the door to your office was closed.
You rushed in with unparalleled speed to see your worst nightmare; Sylus leaning against your desk in his usual model-like fashion with your phone in his hand.
Panic coursed through you like never before as you remembered what had been left open on your phone when you set it down and the painful fact that you left it unlocked.
Prayers for a sinkhole to open up and consume you in that very moment went unanswered as Sylus looked up at you with a smirk on his face.
“Is my laugh really deadly?” He looked amused.
Come on sinkhole. Anytime now.
When you didn’t answer, Sylus moved toward you. When he was close enough to touch you, he leaned down to make sure your eyes were on his.
“Your deadline is fast approaching, Y/N. Care for a progress report?” The taunting question made heat rush to your face.
“It was stupid, I wrote it months ago.”
“Then why did you have it open?”
You couldn’t exactly tell him that his willingness to change his cold and cruel demeanour just to keep you as his accountant revived the feelings you thought were long dead. You definitely couldn’t tell him that the necklace that suddenly weighed down your chest made your heart skip a beat every time you touched it. And there was no way you were telling him that the dinner you shared was the happiest you’d felt in a long time.
“I was going to delete it when I heard Mephisto break something in the hallway.”
“Delete it? Guess you don’t need it anymore.”
“Nope.” You popped the P on the word for emphasis. “Can I have my phone back now?” He placed the device into your outstretched hand.
“So how do you feel about me now, sweetheart?”
You tried your best to appear unperturbed by his taunting. “Mad at your blatant violation of my privacy.”
“Forgive me. I saw my name on your phone when I went to check in on you and I was curious.”
“Mephisto told you I broke the vase, didn’t he?”
“Don’t deflect. Do you still have feelings for me?”
“No, they’re gone. Can we please drop this? It’s embarrassing.” You lied in favour of self-preservation and hoped he wouldn’t be able to see through your act.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Y/N. Many women confess their love for me every month.” You rolled your eyes at his ardent display of over-confidence and narcissism, though you knew he wasn’t exaggerating.
“Okay, brace yourself there bachelor. No one said anything about love.” It was true, you never said you loved him. Whether or not you did, well that was a secret you’d take to the grave.
“So then which feeling are we discussing?” The loaded question came out of his mouth so casually, like someone ordering a latte. A display of power that reminded you of just how little this mattered to him.
Your feet felt like they were grounded in their place by an invisible force and you were sure your cheeks were beet red. You knew your mouth was slightly agape in shock, but you couldn’t even close it. Meanwhile, Sylus was unfazed, treating your feelings like a game.
“Since when do you even care about how I feel?” The sudden outburst was accompanied by your hand running through your hair out of frustration.
Sylus’s jaw clenched and for a moment he said nothing. There was no hint of amusement left on his features.
“You think I don’t care about you?” He seemed irritated by the premise, but you couldn’t figure out why. You thought Sylus was proud of his clear disregard for other people’s emotions.
“You treated me like gum stuck to the bottom of your boot for years. What reason did you give me to think otherwise?”
“I don’t know, maybe the fact that I pay you more than my highest ranking footmen. Or that I had Mephisto tail you when you used to bike to and from work to make sure you got home safe. Hell, I invented the lunch budget when I hired you just to make sure you were eating— I even banned mushrooms from my kitchen in case you wanted to eat here. Not to mention the bullshit extra work I’d assign you just so you would stay longer.”
Choosing not to dwell on the implication of his silent acts of kindness, you interjected. “Hey, I took those tasks seriously!” The twins thought you were crazy when you asked if Sylus was making those assignments up. You knew you were right.
“Don’t interrupt me.” Your mouth clamped shut at his rather reasonable request. Sylus wasn’t a big talker, so when he monologued, it was important.
“Your kindness, your humour, it all caught me off guard. No one ever treated me like you did and I had no idea how to feel. The little doodles you sent back to me on the notes I left you delineating tasks? I kept every last one. When Mephisto complained to me about that time you put corn-starch in his water fountain and almost destroyed his wiring, all I could do was laugh. I treated you like I treated all my men because I didn’t want people to find out that you were my weakness.”
You swallowed the lump in your throat, but the pressure wasn’t budging. There was so much you didn’t know about Sylus, so much you completely misunderstood. This revelation caused a series of chain reactions to go off inside your brain and the weight of what he was trying to say felt suffocating.
You dreamed of a time where Sylus would reciprocate your feelings, but the reality of it was more daunting than you realised.
“All my threats are empty with you, Y/N. You’re the only one who gets away with the attitude you give me. You tell me you crashed a car worth over half-a-million dollars and all I could think about was if you were okay. I even offered to buy your house for way more than it was worth just to get you back. Do you seriously think I don’t care?”
All sound came to a stifling halt.
“Wait, you were the ‘developer’?”
The inklings of betrayal wove their way through your skin as the pieces began to fall into place. The timing of the eviction notice, the fact that he’d shown up at your house the day you received it, the way he was so quick to agree to the ridiculous bonus.
He manipulated you like a puppet on a string and let you think you were in control the entire time.
“Don’t look at me like I’m some traitor.” His audacious demand made your blood boil.
“You are a traitor! How could you do that to me?” You yelled.
“You were going to leave me like I was nothing!” For the first time since you’d met him, Sylus raised his voice to match yours. Your entire body went cold at his vulnerability. He was afraid of being abandoned, and that was a fear you both shared.
“Not seeing you every day made my heart feel like it was being ripped out of my chest. I could barely focus, all I could think about was what you were doing, who you were with. So imagine my surprise when I come to find that while I’m being tortured every minute I’m away from you, you needed more time.
“I knew I was being selfish, I knew that your grief had nothing to do with me, but I’ve never been good at putting my feelings into words. That day in the graveyard when you wouldn’t even look at me, I thought I’d lost you for good. It ate at me like a parasite. I had to get you back and I won’t apologise for not playing fair. There isn’t a rule I wouldn’t break for you, Y/N.”
It was hard to hate him for what he did when you understood where he was coming from. You were two sides of the same coin. While you overcompensated for the lack of love in your life by becoming the ultimate people-pleaser, he avoided it at every turn, saw it as a weakness. But at the core of every human being was an innate desire to be loved and an inherent fear of being abandoned.
People couldn’t leave your life if you never let them in. That was a philosophy you saw both your mother and Sylus live by. It was lonely and difficult, and if you had the power of hindsight you would’ve tried harder to convince your mother she was worthy of love. You couldn’t make that same mistake again.
You loved Sylus, that much was ingrained into the flesh of your heart. For all his rugged edges, he had a way of making things happen that was akin to magic. His determination, his grit, it was admirable.
His intelligence was infuriating, you couldn’t get anything past him. If he received the Greeks’ horse instead of the Trojans, you were sure he’d have seen right through their ruse.
His desire to make the N109 Zone a better place stemmed from a sense of altruism you could only hope to possess. And when Sylus did things for others, he never expected anything in return.
But for all his greatest traits he had some difficult ones too. He’d hurt you more times than you could count, and even if he’d changed drastically since your mother’s death, you couldn’t quite trust that he wouldn’t hurt you again.
“You already know how I feel about you.” You confessed. It was no secret you wore your heart on your sleeve, despite your mother’s constant reminders that the world was filled with terrible people who’d take advantage of your candour. You chose to see the good in others, it boded better than the grim lifestyle that came with perpetual pessimism.
“Then why are you fighting this?” His question came out pained, and it was one you could answer.
“I’ve loved you for a long time, Sylus. I loved you even though you insulted me, ignored me, reminded me I was replaceable every chance you got.
“I told myself it was just how you were, that it wasn’t personal. But when you walked out on me in the hospital when I needed you the most, I loved you a little less.”
Sylus felt an unfamiliar twinge in his chest, like someone took a needle to his heart. He left that hospital because he wasn’t sure you’d even want him there, and it pained him to see you so distraught over a problem he couldn’t fix. When MC came to him with an important mission in Skyhaven, he saw an out, and like the coward he was he took it. If he knew that you’d lose your mother while he was away, he never would have left your side.
“When you didn’t call until weeks later, when you showed up only to tell me I was being dramatic for grieving, I loved you even less. Every time you screwed me over you made it easier to live without you.”
It hurt to remember the pain you were in back then, the immense pressure of the burdens you carried. But if there was ever a chance of you and Sylus working out, he needed to know the truth.
“I’ve only ever loved two people, Sylus, and in one month it felt like I’d lost them both. I still love you, I’m afraid I couldn’t stop if I tried, but I don’t know if I can be more than your accountant right now.” You couldn’t survive another heartbreak, that much was for sure.
Even though Sylus looked like he was going to be sick, you continued.
“I thought I was okay with you treating me like everybody else, thought I was strong enough to take it. But when I saw you with Miss Hunter and the softness with which you spoke to her, it broke me. I saw that you were capable of being gentle. You just didn’t think I was a worthy recipient of your kindness.”
He was quick to correct you. “That’s not true, sweetheart. Not at all. She has something I need, something I can’t take with force. It’s why I’ve had to adopt unusual methods. If I’d known it was causing you so much pain I would’ve explained. Fuck, Y/N, you deserve so much more than just my kindness, more than I could ever give you. I can’t even think of a person on Earth who deserves you at all.”
When Sylus saw the tears begin to slide down your cheeks, he resisted the urge to wipe them away.
“I’ll give you anything you ask for, anything but letting you go. There’s nothing so broken it can’t be fixed, Y/N. You taught me that. Let me fix this.” He tested the waters by taking your hand in his and when you let him, he pulled you into his arms.
For a moment, the room was silent. You listened to his heartbeat through his chest and it might have been even faster than yours. It felt like deja vu, reminding you of that moment in the restaurant, or that time in his hallway after Zayne’s phone call. Sylus was there to comfort you more often than not, why were you so scared of letting him in?
“I want to believe you, I just don’t know that I can.” Your voice was small, timid. As if you were afraid something you’d say would shatter the sanctity of this moment and you’d find out it was all a dream.
“I won’t stop trying until you do, sweetheart. You’re it for me, there’s no one else.” He kissed the top of your head with a softness you didn’t know he possessed and the words were like bandages wrapping around the wounds inflicted by your own envy.
In the comfortable silence, Sylus made a vow. “I don’t have regrets — you know that quite well — but I regret the way I treated you. I’ll spend every lifetime repenting for my mistakes, Y/N, and I promise I’ll never let anything hurt you again.” He squeezed you tighter and the comfort his warmth brought you was a welcome change to the cold you lived in all the time.
Desperate to diffuse the overwhelming angst of the situation, you pulled away from his embrace and clapped your hands together. “Okay then, as of today we commence ‘Operation Sylus: The Redemption'.”
His loud laugh resounded through your office, and it was a sound you’d never get tired of hearing. He grabbed your chin. “Have you always been this corny?”
“I watch a lot of movies, okay? Now, shake on it.” You shook his hand off your face and held out your hand with an invitation that he instantly accepted. With his warm hand encasing yours, you whole-heartedly hoped this operation would be a success.
Late December
You assumed the dynamic between you and Sylus would drastically change following your impromptu heart-to-heart. But the changes came in small waves.
It started with the middle-aged man who silently drove you to and from work with a permanent scowl on his face being replaced by Sylus himself.
Then there was the sticky notes he’d usually place on documents explaining the task and deadline, now with an added addendum.
— That necklace was the best decision I’ve ever made.
— Your hair looks especially nice today.
— Did you switch perfumes? I like it.
— That new lipstick suits you. Your lips are all I can think about.
You saved all of them in a drawer at your desk.
He had someone bring you your lunch every day and spent your entire lunch break with you. Somedays you talked until your tongue felt like it was going to fall off, other days you just sat and ate together in silence. And every Friday afternoon, instead of taking you straight home, he’d take you to visit your mother’s grave with a new bouquet in his hands.
You were glad he was taking things slow. His small gestures made your heart flutter without overwhelming you, but it had been a month since your confrontation, and he didn’t even try to touch you.
While your inexperience with love, lust and romance never impacted any significant aspect of your life before, it was growing increasingly difficult to wait for Sylus to make the first move. He didn’t want to scare you, that much was understandable. But you were growing angsty waiting for him the tension between you two hit a boiling point.
The glorious plan came to you while you were shopping with Luke and Kieran for Onychinus’s annual Christmas gala. It was a networking event masked under the guise of a holiday celebration where the people hiding in the shadows of the underworld could spend one night communicating on the surface.
Every year, Sylus insisted he couldn’t outsource waiters for the event because of potential security leaks, so you, the twins and a couple other of his staff were forced to fill in as the help. Sylus told you that you wouldn’t have to participate this year, but you began to look forward to the event. It was like an unorthodox Christmas tradition.
Your eyes drifted to the costume section of the party store, and when they landed on a short red Santa’s helper dress, you felt a lightbulb turn on in your head. Maybe you had to give Sylus a little nudge.
“Hey, aren't you guys kind of bored of the slacks and the dress shirts he makes us wear?” You sowed the seed of doubt into your unwilling accomplices.
“Duh. I hate dressing like a butler.” Luke’s eyes continued to scan the aisle for decorations. The hall was professionally decorated, but you added your own little details every year. It made things less drab and it gave the twins an excuse to spend hours in the party supply store.
“What if we went with Christmas themed costumes this year?” The twins turned to look at you with confusion, but they quickly warmed up to the idea when you pointed at the wall of seasonal costumes.
“I’m Rudolph!” They made their declarations in unison before breaking out into an argument in the middle of the party store.
“Just flip a coin!” You desperately suggested, taking a coin out of your wallet and placing it on your thumb, ready to flip. People were beginning to stare.
“I’m heads!” They said in unison, again.
“Kieran you’re heads, Luke you’re tails.” You assigned them the parts of the coin alphabetically and watched it flip through the air. When it landed in your hands, it displayed tails. You silently hoped they would move on from this unnecessary battle and restore peace to your shopping trip again.
“Sorry Kieran, Luke’s Rudolph.” Kieran complained for the rest of the day about how annoying being an elf was, and how, since he was an inch taller than Luke, it only made sense for Luke to be the elf instead.
They argued like the siblings you never had, and for all the pain and suffering they caused you, there was no denying you loved having them around. Besides, working for Sylus left the three of you trauma-bonded for life. There wasn’t really an out from this unconventional friendship.
_________________
You failed to remember to clear the costume idea with Sylus before the gala. He was just so busy trying to organise the event, and you were similarly swamped with ensuring all the invoices were sent out on time to the right vendors. You barely saw each other in the days leading up to the big event.
The dress was shorter on you than you anticipated. Coming up just above mid-thigh, it was nothing like anything you owned in your closet. The little hat it came with was cute though and you pinned it to your hair. The make-up you wore was the same as your everyday makeup, barring the eyeliner you’d spent way too long trying to perfect and your lipstick.
Other than the dress, you really did look the same as you did most of the time. Would Sylus even notice?
Right on cue, a knock on your door snapped you out of your train of thought, and you took a deep breath before opening it.
As you expected, Sylus looked unfazed by your choice in attire as you moved out of the doorway to let him in.
“I see we’ve foregone the uniforms this year.” His comment was a welcome distraction from your insecurities.
“Whimsy is part of the Christmas spirit, you know.”
“It’s cute. Did you get that dress from the children’s section?”
The question came so out of left-field it left you were stunned. Once the shock settled in, you suddenly felt self-conscious.
“No… Why? Does it look childish?” You couldn’t help the vulnerability in your voice.
Sylus closed the distance between you in a few long strides, his hands were on you in an instant. His palm was holding onto your waist the other tracing alone the edge of your dress.
“Quite the opposite, I’m just wondering why they’d make a dress so short for adult women.”
“Adult women can dress however they want, Sylus.” You chided.
“I know, but I’ll have my hands full if I’m trying to host this event and take care of the hoards of men that will be chasing after my girl at the same time.” He whispered the words seductively into your ear, the hand on your thigh slipping ever-so-slightly under the dress.
You ignored the warm, fuzzy feeling that bloomed through you at the sound of Sylus calling you his girl.
“There won’t be ‘hoards of men’. This will be the third time I’m working your annual gala and I’ve only ever gotten hit on like four times.” You knew from the way his eyebrows furrowed that you shouldn’t have told him that.
“Four times? Men hit on you four times while I was in the room and you didn’t tell me?” He was clearly angry, his rage unwarranted since it happened right under his nose.
“I didn’t think you’d care. Most of them were like fifty, anyway!” That was true, and every time one of them placed a hand on your shoulder or your forearm, it made you grimace.
“If men approached you in long pants and a dress shirt with a plate of refreshments in your hand what do you think they’ll do when they see you in this get up?” He walked you back until you were standing against the wall.
He had a point. Maybe it was too suggestive.
“I can change—”
“No. You never have to do that with me, baby. Just stay where I can see you, alright?”
“Okay.” You felt a blush paint your cheeks. The tension was bubbling up between you. His hand was searing into your waist, his other one moving dangerously high on your thigh. You really thought this would be the moment he kissed you. But then the warmth of his hands was abruptly gone.
“Okay. You ready to go?” He held the door open for you. That was it? Frustrated at your lack of results, you silently walked out of your house.
__________________
“Did you see Sylus’s date?”
“Of course, she’s definitely the hottest girl here.”
“I bet she’s had work done.”
“If so, I need the name of her surgeon.”
You eavesdropped on the hushed whispers of a group of women who were gossiping in a corner near the kitchen. The second you walked through the doors of the extravagant event hall, you both went your separate ways and you hadn’t seen him since. So much for not letting you out of his sight.
All you heard about the entire night was his mysterious date and her envious beauty. He never told you he was bringing one, nor did he ever ask you to fill the spot. But before you could completely spiral, you reminded yourself of Sylus’s promise. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. There had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
“Now what’s a pretty girl like you doing working here?” Your train of thought was interrupted by the voice of a man. You turned around, expecting to see one of the many sleazy old men who frequented these events and saw you as an easy target, but all you saw was a young, attractive guy in a three-piece suit. Huh.
“Hors d’oeuvre?” You offered the plate to him in place of a response.
“No thanks. I’ve had my fill, though I must say, the other servers aren’t quite as easy on the eyes as you.” His eyes shamelessly scanned every inch of you, head-to-toe, and you felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny of his gaze.
“Oh, um thanks.” The blush on your cheeks was an unwanted biological reaction, you weren’t used to attention from men within your age range. It wasn't like you thought you were ugly, you were just a bit of a hermit.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” You were about to answer his question when someone did it for you.
“Y/N.” The voice belonged to the man of the hour who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
“Sylus, hello. Hors d’oeuvre?” Clearly you were running out of things to say if your default reaction was to offer everyone a snack, but it was hard to find the voice to speak when you saw the girl who had her arms wrapped around his.
Miss Hunter. You should’ve known. Your eyes passed over her beautiful dress and pinned up hair. She lived up to the rumours, she was definitely the prettiest girl in the room. Next to Sylus the pair reminded you of a renaissance painting. They made sense, and clearly not just aesthetically if he brought her as his date instead of you.
Sylus saw the way your eyes trailed off to MC standing next to him. He saw the self-doubt turn your eyes glassy, and all he wanted to do was whisk you away to a private room where he could show you just how badly he wanted you, and no one else.
But his enemies were in attendance tonight, it was part of the reason he didn’t want you there. Sylus’s only weakness used to be his mortality, and even that was debatable. But now his biggest weakness was tangible, and she wore an adorable Christmas themed dress that made every man in the room brim with desire. Miss Hunter may have been the focus of all the women in attendance, but all the men could talk about was the sexy server in the little red dress. It was driving him insane.
But MC was a hunter and if he endangered her, she could get out of it unscathed without his help. Their enemies were the same, which made them perfect allies, but it also made their loved ones easy targets. Sylus would never forgive himself if he let someone hurt you. So despite the excruciating pain that coursed through him at your hurt expression, he did nothing to quell your concerns.
But he couldn’t idly stand by and let this man make a pass at you either. It was clear Henry was not aware of Sylus’s newly established no-fraternising-with-the-staff policy.
“Henry, not distracting my staff, are you?” Sylus directed his attention to his business associate. Henry ran a security company which supplied a large portion of their weaponry from Onychinus. The contract they shared was a substantial source of revenue that Sylus couldn’t afford to compromise.
“I’m just wondering where you found such delectable staff.” Sylus felt his jaw clench at the way Henry undressed you with his eyes and your consequential discomfort. Fuck the contract, he was going to make that man pay. But he couldn’t inflict his revenge quite yet, so he played nice.
“Unfortunately my staff are exclusively mine. I’m sure you understand how difficult it is to find loyal help.” Well, at least he tried to play nice. The subtle jab at Henry’s recent whistleblower scandal was a low blow, but he wasn’t above kicking below the belt.
Annoyed and slightly confused by the exchange, you rolled your eyes at the testosterone-fuelled men bickering and cleared your throat.
“I think I’m needed in the kitchen. Nice meeting you, Henry.” You gave him the kindest smile you could muster and gave Sylus no smile at all. It was the least he deserved for blindsiding you with his date.
“I should check on the catering, excuse me.” Sylus followed you to the kitchen and the second he caught up to you, he pulled you into a nearby storage closet.
There was barely any room for the both of you in there, so you were pressed up against his body. You tried to create some distance between you two, but he just pulled you back in by your waist.
“What are you doing? I’m supposed to be working and you’re supposed to be socialising. We can’t do those things from here.” You berated him quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. You didn’t really need anyone from the staff discovering you in this compromising position. You’d had enough embarrassment in one night for a lifetime.
“Miss Hunter is just here with me on business.” Sylus’s statement did little to comfort the tumultuous storm in your mind.
“I don’t care.” In a sense, it was true. It seemed your mind didn’t care whether Miss Hunter was there with him on business or not, it still hurt all the same.
“Don’t lie to me, I can tell when you’re upset.” Sylus tried to caress your cheek but you pushed his hand away.
“Okay, fine. I’m upset. Now will you let me leave?” You tried to wriggle out of his grasp but to no avail. His hand squeezed your face as he forced you to face him.
“If you’re upset, talk to me about it. Don’t antagonise me by flirting with other men. It won’t end well for them.” The fire in his eyes swore retribution and you did not want to be Henry right now.
“I wasn’t flirting!” You tried to defend yourself but you knew he’d see straight through your ruse.
“That sweet smile of yours is reserved for me and me alone.” There was no way Sylus would’ve let that over-the-top smile slide and this was exactly how you expected him to react, but it only made you more upset.
“Right, but I just have to make do with sharing you with Miss Hunter.” The irony of the situation was not lost on Sylus, but he had a laundry-list of crimes, hypocrisy was the least of them.
“I’m all yours, baby. I promise it’s just business.” He sounded sincere, and you trusted him to tell you the truth. Sylus never lied unless it was out of omission, but when you asked him a direct question, he never failed to answer honestly.
“I can help you with business.” You tried to reason, your palm resting against his pounding heart.
“Not this kind, sweetheart. I’m just trying to protect you. I need you to trust me.” You trusted Sylus with your life, with your heart. Which was why you knew you wouldn’t like the answer to the question you asked next.
“Did you sleep with her?” The mere thought of it tasted like acid on your tongue. It wasn’t like you weren’t aware of Sylus’s past, but where the other women in his life came and left like the tide, Miss Hunter’s presence was persistent.
You needed to know just how far they’d gone, even if it might destroy you.
“Yes. It was one time when we first met in September. Before I realised how I felt for you.” The words pierced straight through you like bullets of radiation. Your palm slowly slipped off of his chest and you diverted your gaze to your heels. “Y/N, you know I only want you. It meant nothing to me.”
Perhaps it wasn’t the fact that they’d slept together that hurt you so deeply. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, the way she got under his skin. Sylus may love you, but what if he wasn’t attracted to you?
The thought slipped out of you before you could mull it over. “How am I supposed to believe that when you were all over in seconds and you won’t even kiss me?!”
A hint of recognition flashed through Sylus’s eyes as he realised the catalyst behind your frustration. For some odd reason that he could never figure out, you were insecure. Even though your charm bordered on lethal and your beauty was unparalleled, you still felt inadequate. It perplexed him how someone could look so divine and not be aware of it.
“I haven’t kissed you because I wanted to make sure you were ready, sweetheart. I was worried I’d scare you away, because I’m sure if I got a taste of you I wouldn’t know how to stop.” He sounded strained when he spoke, as if he was recalling his frustration at having to hold back.
You watched him intently, his words dripped with a desire you both shared. With his body so close to yours, it was hard not to wish he’d just act on his primal instincts.
“You’re entirely unaware of your affect on me. You have no idea how precarious the string holding me back from insanity has become. When I saw you in that dress, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to hold back. But then you'd look up at me with those angelic eyes and I realise I can’t risk losing you.”
Before you could even think it through, your desire became overwhelming and your lips were on his in an instant.
It was nothing like you expected, nothing like the chaste, sweet kisses you saw in your movies. It was heated, messy, desperate. His lips ravaged yours like a man on death row devoured his last meal. You felt his desire with every movement and all the doubt you had dissipated instantly. His hands were all over you, one softly held on to your neck, while the other held on to your waist like you might disappear.
His lips moved to your cheek, your jaw and eventually the sensitive skin on your collarbone. When he bit a particularly sensitive part of your neck, you let out a whine. You hoped he hadn't given you a hickey. His face came up to yours as he looked at your lips which were red from the impact and the desire running rampant in your eyes. It might’ve been the most beautiful you’d ever looked.
“Well? I’m still here.” You whispered against his lips before giving him a chaste peck.
Sylus knew you weren’t just talking about this moment. You never left, even when he gave you a million reasons why you should. He didn’t know what he did to deserve such luck, but he knew he’d never give you a reason to walk away from him ever again.
“We should get out of here.” Somehow you knew he didn’t just mean the storage closet. He shifted to lead you out but you quickly stopped him.
“You can’t leave your own party! What about your date?” As much as the idea of MC hanging off his arm made your skin crawl, it wasn’t right to just leave her alone.
“She’ll be fine. The only woman I care about is right in front of me, and I want to do so much to her than kiss her in a storage closet.” There was an underlying promise in his tone, and you felt the slightest bit of fear that you might’ve bitten off more than you could chew.
“You’ve lasted this long, what’s one more night?” Your last ditch effort to escape the dangerous situation was unsuccessful.
“Sweetheart, I can't wait another second.” He gave you a soft, gentle kiss that conveyed his fraying restraint. Your fear felt inconsequential when he was with you, you knew you could trust him wholly with every part of you.
So, when he led you out of the storage closet and all the way to his bedroom, you never once felt scared. Or insecure. Or inadequate. Sylus worshipped you like you were his salvation and he never once let you doubt yourself again.
Later that night, as you laid in his bed underneath his covers, staring over at his peaceful sleeping expression, you realised he was your salvation too.
Christmas Day
“What’s the surprise?” You asked the same question for the umpteenth time.
“Just be patient, we’re almost there.” You let Sylus lead you through what you thought was a building while you obediently kept your eyes shut. Eventually your feet came to a halt, and you were bursting with anticipation.
“Alright, open your eyes.” When you opened them you were in the living room of a charming beach house. It was so bright it took your eyes a while to adjust, but when they did you noticed that it was decorated with splashes of your favourite shade of yellow. The large balcony doors opened to the sight of a familiar beach, and you felt a range of emotions wash over you all at once. Sadness, nostalgia, yearning.
“Merry Christmas, baby.” Sylus’s voice behind you snapped you back to reality.
“What is this place?” The awe in your voice could not be concealed.
“It’s yours. I know how much you hate being on the beach, but I also know it meant a lot to your mother. From this balcony it’ll be like you’re right there without actually being there.” He sounded almost nervous while presenting his gift to you, worried you might hate it. But there wasn’t a word that could describe the pure gratitude and love you felt for the man standing in front of you.
“You bought me a house on my mother’s favourite beach?” The disbelief in your voice was almost tangible.
“Yeah.”
“Sylus, all I got you was a pocket watch!” You thought that since you were both not very big on Christmas, you would exchange small gifts. Clearly small wasn’t a word Sylus kept in his vocabulary.
“You gave me so much more than that.” The suggestion in his voice did nothing to soothe your guilt.
“This is too much.”
“Y/N, you’re more familiar with my assets than I am, if this made a significant dent in my bank account I think you would’ve noticed when I bought it a month ago.”
“You’ve had this for a month?” The shock persisted, but he was right. His expenses ranged from a box of paperclips to the purchase of a two-hundred-million dollar industrial complex.
“Yes, I bought it the first time you asked me to take you to the beach after work.”
“But what if we didn’t work out?” A month ago that seemed like a palpable possibility, but now you couldn’t imagine your life without Sylus in it.
“I’d find a way to trick you into taking it anyway.”
You all but rolled your eyes at the memory of his less-than-graceful plan to acquire your house until you ended up working for him again.
“Right, of course. You’re quite good at that I hear.”
“I’m good at many things, I’ll remind you later.” He drawled against your ear, but before you could force him to act on his promise he spoke up again. “For now, there’s one more surprise.”
You let Sylus lead you out to the balcony with his hands on your shoulders, driving you forward. He stood behind you, his chest to your back. He pointed to a hill on the left of the house where a beautiful willow tree sat atop the beach on a cliff.
“I bought that plot of land too. I don’t want to overstep, but if you’d like, we could move your mother here. Have her final resting place be at the place she loved the most.” His voice kept you anchored as memories of your mother threatened to pull you away. It still filled your chest with overwhelming sadness when you thought of her, but the thought that she could spend forever in the place that brought her the most joy filled you with relief. You didn’t get to give your mother much, but at least Sylus helped you give her this.
You couldn’t stop the tears streaming down your face if you tried.
Sylus had come a long way from that day at the graveyard, an even longer way from the day you met him. The fact that he grew to care about your mother as much as you did made your heart swell with love for him that expanded every day. Something you didn’t even think was possible.
“She would love that.” Sylus wrapped his hands around your waist, placing an ever-so-gentle kiss on your temple. “I wish you could’ve met her when she was alive, you would’ve loved her.” They were both the strongest people you knew, and it pained you that they never got to meet.
“I’m sure I would have. After all, I am a huge fan of her work.” You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped you at his cheesy joke. You were rubbing off on him, that was for sure. He peppered kisses all over the side of your face at the sound of your joyful laugh and you had to squeeze out of his grasp to make him stop.
While you wished you didn’t have to lose someone so important to you to gain another, things always had a weird way of working out. Your future was still murky, but what you did know for sure was that ’Operation Sylus: No More’ could officially be declared a massive failure. And even though the physical hole in your heart still existed, the proverbial one shrunk to half it’s size; and you had the silver-haired man with the stone-encased heart of gold to thank for that.
LADS BOYS BUT THEY BECOME SELF-AWARE WHEN THEY SEE F!ISEKAI'D!READER.
P.T.2
★ TAGS: suggestive themes, romance, kind of dark!LADS boys, self-aware!LADS boys, isekai'd!reader, possessive behaviour, jealousy, like crazy amounts of jealousy sometimes, gaslighting, manipulation, especially this chapter, they want you and they are not afraid to fight for you
★ A/N: ahhhh!! thank you all sm for the love and support you've been sending this series so far, i rlly appreciate it 🥹💞 also yes, it's the second chapter and there's already a brief, tiny kiss scene, i couldn't help myself, okay?
★ 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕 ★ | ★ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ★ | ★ 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 ★
YOU FIDDLE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON YOUR LAP—
—taking a moment to briefly glance up before immediately flitting your gaze back down.
Rafayel's staring at you with that look again; that infinity.
He gazes at you like you're the cosmos, like all the stars in the night sky one day aligned and drew you—and he couldn't stop staring since.
He gazes at you like you're the ocean, like you're the very source of what gives him life in the first place, of where he lives and all that he is.
He gazes at you like you're one in a million.
Like you're you and that's all he needs.
Seeing that gaze in real life (is this even real life? You still think you're dreaming) as opposed to in-game is… flustering, to say the least.
Hell, you're sure it was never even that intense in the game.
You clear your throat. "Um, are you sure you don't want me at least looking for a job or something?"
It takes him a beat to answer, voice not entirely in the room, drifting off somewhere with his stare, "Yeah."
You briefly glance to the side, meeting a blue-ish pink that's damn near swirling, before quickly looking way again.
"Um, yeah you do? Or… yeah you don't?" You glance at him again, but he just continues staring, so you return to looking at the wall and continue, "'Cause you've already done so much, so I can uh… go ask one of the other guys—"
"No."
You flinch.
His tone.
His tone changed, hardened.
Where before, it was drifting somewhere between pink clouds—just now, it felt anchored, short like the temper of a cat.
He's never spoken to you like that before.
From the corner of your eye, you watch his sharp gaze go blunt again, softening around the edges a little as his shoulders fall and you let your gaze fully encompass him once more.
"I'm sorry, cutie"—he sighs—albeit, a tad louder than your average joe—then kneels in front of you and takes your fiddling hands in his own, gaze just as swirling and devoted as before—"it's just that… well, the other guys…"—his eyes trail to the side—"they wouldn't understand."
You blink. "Huh?"
Then they flit back to you. "They don't know you. Not like I do."
It takes you a moment to process his words, to realise exactly what it is he means, but once you do, it's evident in the way your lips turn down. "…Because I'm not the MC?"
"Exactly."
For a moment, you swear Rafayel's lips twitch up the slightest amount, but they're back to a frowning downturn before long, and you're left wondering whether or not you were just seeing things.
"And because you're not the MC," he continues, his knitted brows just a little too exaggerated as he tilts his head to the side and rises a little to get closer, "they won't even give you a second glance."
You can't help the way your heart cracks at his words, the way you can almost hear it shatter in your ears.
Was it so wrong of you to hope that maybe, just possibly, the men you spent so much time fantasising and fangirling about could feel just a fraction of what you feel for them, for you?
It hurt. Like a dagger to the chest. Knowing they're so close yet so far. That they belong to another despite being (bullshittingly enough) literally made, or coded, for you.
Typical that the second they become 'real', you can't have them.
"Hey now," Rafayel's voice draws you out, ushering your gaze back to his own, gentle one, "I know that look. You're not upset about that, are you?"
You purse your lips and don't respond.
Rafayel frowns. "Well, we can't have that, now can we, cutie?"
With a sudden yank of your arm, you're up, and Rafayel is in front of you, leaving you only a few blinks to register his hand still in yours, guiding you forward right with him.
"Wha—?! Rafayel! What are you doing?!"
"Taking you somewhere, duh."
He says it with that sly smirk, the one he tosses over his shoulder at you as he pulls you along to the private beach he owns, because you now know someone who own a whole ass beach and that's no longer just a fictional thing.
Yeah, still settling in that this might not be a dream.
"C'mon, cutie, I dragged you out here so you'd leave the clouds, not keep drifting in them."
Another yank pulls you out your thoughts, and you blink, and he's suddenly so close.
Nose-to-nose. Breath-to-breath. You can almost feel his lips on yours. His pretty, soft-looking, pink lips.
Your gaze lingers on them for a beat before you realise just how obvious you're being—dammit, [Name], this isn't a fictional character anymore, stop ogling him!—and quickly pull back.
You don't get far though. He doesn't let you.
His grip on your wrists tightens a bit, and he pulls you back in, gaze lost in your own.
"Don't think about them," he whispers, breath mixing into his words. "You have me."
And then, he kisses you.
You remember the day you first woke up in this world.
You remember the days leading up to it too.
You had been logging in to the Love And Deepspace app daily, and something… strange had been happening, to say the least.
You had your home screen set to all the boys, just for fun, having any one of them surprise you at any given time was nice. Or at least, that would be the case.
But lately, you had only been getting Rafayel.
You didn't think much of it the first two days. Then the third day came, and you clicked off the app several times, being told you'd been away for too long each one and having to log back in all over again.
And each time? It was Rafayel that had greeted you.
After that, you had tried logging out and in again a couple more times, before relenting and choosing to completely remove Rafayel from the option of LIs who'd greet you when you logged in. Just out of curiosity.
It didn't work.
In fact, the opposite happened.
No other LI could be picked.
You tried tapping their icons repeatedly, but it was like the screen was frozen, like the game wasn't letting you pick.
Something even more peculiar:
"Something the matter, cutie?"
Your jaw dropped, finger paused in mid-air, hovering right over Xavier's icon to try and fail for the fifth time to pick him.
Rafayel had never done that before, had he?
They don't speak during that screen… so then why..?
Dismissing it with an almost suspicious look, you had returned to the interaction screen.
Rafayel looked the same as ever.
You tried goading something out of him, poking and prodding at places you would never touch had he been a real person stood in front of you, but all you ever got was the normal dialogue you were used to and had heard a hundred times over (still didn't stop you from giggling at them each time though).
You dismissed it as a weird bug.
But the bugs kept on coming.
Weird camera angles. Zooming in close at Destiny Café. Random chuckles when you're ranting about something with the app open and nearby.
It had started to freak you out a little, so you looked it up online.
All you could find was self-aware fanfic.
They couldn't be… could they..?
Of course not, this was real life, and that kind of thing only happened in fanfiction.
But then, one day, while the app was open and you were readying up for a date with a nervous smile and a gorgeous set of earrings newly placed in, your phone screen lit up, loudly white and obnoxiously bright.
And then you blinked, and you were in the most gorgeous open space you had ever seen in your life, with a man you thought only fictional stood right in front of you.
Arms held out as if to steady you—all the while shaking themselves—lips parted like he was breathing out awe, blue-ish pink stare reflecting you in its gaze and you alone.
Fanfiction is supposed to be cringy. You're allowed to write bad. You're allowed to be cringe. Fanfiction is supposed to be self indulgent. You're allowed to be cringe. Let yourself be cringe. Fanfiction is supposed to be fun. Stop putting arbitrary rules on yourself and be free.
Tags:nsfw/fluff, dont like body worship or body positivity or pussy eating? Probably not for you.
Caleb:
• First of all I am a firm believer that Caleb would absolutely love and adore how soft and cute you look in comparison to him. He's constantly looking for excuses to pinch and squish your cheeks between his hands and fingers watching as you get flustered and attempt to swat his hands away.
• He's also looking for any excuse possible to be cuddled up with you, his personal favorite is to be laying in bed or on the couch with you with him laying in between your thighs with his arms wrapped around your waist. Burying his face in your belly and feeling your plush thighs against him. He falls asleep so fast with you like this, your fingers working their magic through his hair while his breathing evens out as he knocks out fully. You're a comfort to him.
• Since meeting up with him in Skyhaven and making yourself at home, he's made sure he has sets of clothes set aside for you to choose from if you're so inclined. It just happens to be a coincidence that a majority of them are all sundresses. He thinks they suit you beautifully from the way they hug your curves, to your tummy and your thighs.
• On that same note though as well, if you're in need of hoodies he will purposely buy larger sweaters and jackets if needed that he will wear around the house or running errands just so he can see you in his clothes. He gets comfort in stealing your hoodies and smelling you on him, he's more than happy to return the favor, wanting to make that scent bond with you.
• If there's any instances of you feeling insecure he's got zero issues listening off all of your desirable features to him. From the way your chubby fingers mold along side his much larger calloused hands, to the way your cheeks light up when he kisses you, to the way you try to hide your embarrassment him, to the way your eyes sparkle when he gets you to laugh at his absurdities, to the way...
• When it comes to sex with Caleb he's a patient man. He's in it for the long haul with you so if you're not ready yet he's perfectly content waiting until you are.
• But that moment that you are, his moves are gentle and calculated as he reaches for you. Eyes full of yearning, his emotions threatening to break at the seams as he presses his thumb against your lips before leaning in. Almost as if he's preparing himself incase of the event you'll turn away from him.
• But when you lean into him, he bridges the gap. Savoring the way your breath hitches at the contact, his own heart rate jumping erratically from slow to fast to slow again. His main focus being on you anchoring him into that moment as he deepens the kiss when he feels the way you gasp against his lips. Right as he's pulling your plush body against his, his breath shakey as he moans into the kiss at the feeling of your body molded against his.
• Remember those pretty little sundresses he's been getting you? He's biting and sucking his way down your neck to your tit's leaving marks in his wake as his hands wander and slide between your thighs. His hands caressing and guiding your thighs to spread for him oh so kindly as he's hiking that pretty sundress up to your waist. A low groan escaping him when he sees you're wearing his favorite pair of panties. "Are you still with me, honey?" He'd ask, his fingers itching to move but remaining where they lay firmly against your hips again, opting to rub soothing circles against your skin.
• His forehead soon presses against yours, eyebrows knit together as he struggles to get his breathing under control as he waits for your answer, enjoying the way you whine before nodding. Doing everything to avoid eye contact with him - cheeks hot to the touch, something that Caleb is burning into his memories if he can help it.
• "Baby, I need you to look at me and tell me you want this or I'm not moving." Grinning when he feels the way your thighs shift together to alleviate the arousal pooling between them.
• Taking in a shakey breath of air you finally respond to him, eyes meeting his - "I want this Caleb, I want you."
• The swiftness in which this man would act upon hearing your request is beat by none. He's dropping to his knees and pressing a kiss to your stomach before making fleeting kisses to your thighs. "Will you open back up for me sweetheart? I want to see her again" He'd request, mouth already watering at your scent, openly moaning when your pretty panties come into full view for him. The wet fabric clinging to your skin as he leans forward and presses an experimental kiss to your clothed clit. Tuting you gently as your thighs threaten to close around him at the contact.
• He's quick to slot his shoulders against your thighs in a effort to keep them open as his thumb reaches up to rub circles into your clit right as his other hand reaches to pull the seat of your panties to the side as he takes the opportunity to slide his tongue between your folds. Moaning and pressing his face against your pretty pussy in an effort to get a better taste. "You taste so good baby, need to see all of ya" he's groaning to himself as he hooks his fingers into the waistband of your panties and helps them off of you.
• His hand holds your hip steady as you use his shoulder for balance, thighs threatening to close in again as you watch him pocket your panties but before you could do so successfully his hands are pressing between your thighs urging them to stay open. The hand from your hips reaching for yours to guide your fingers into his hair as he looks up at you. Lavendar eyes meeting yours before he leans forward again taking your clit into his mouth before sucking harshly, humming in satisfaction as he finally hears your composure break when he hears you whine. Fingers interlocking with his hair as you try to anchor your aching pussy to his mouth, a frustrated whine leaves you again as he pulls back for a moment to speak. His head pressed firmly against your thigh as he teases, "I know, honey - it feels good doesn't it? Do you want more?" He'd ask - already knowing your answer before hand.
• His fingers applying pressure as they threaten to slide into your wet heat as he nips your thigh to get your attention again. "You know what to do, be a good girl and use my mouth... you want that yeah? I know she does." He murmurs, his eyes locking in onto the way your hips start to lower themselves against his fingers before the grip on his hair tightens. A breathy whine releasing from him as he gets your physical assent to continue.
• He lets you set the pace - he wants you to face fuck him as he devours you and who are you to deny a starved man?
You groaned and looked out the window, trying to shrink in on yourself. She must have been more worried than you thought if she's mad enough to be in big sis mode.
You took a deep breath and looked her at her. "Well, for starters, I was minding my own business-"
"BULLSHIT!"
"I WAAASS!!"
"Mhm, and tell me what happened while you were minding your own business."
You were not looking forward to telling her.
"Well....apparently people find their soulmates because of....uh...." This is so embarrassing. Taking another deep breath, you closed your eyes and forced yourself to finish. "...cause people feel the strong urge to kiss someone when their soulmate is nearby." You opened your eyes again to see the gobsmacked look on her face.
"Tha-....you have gotta be kidding me, that sounds totally asinine."
"Viv, we've been to universes where humans don't exist and aliens of literally every shape and size coexist, a world where a storm means zero gravity and you rise in the sky, one where Christianity never existed, and-" you shudder at the thought. "Theres that last one we visited..."
"Hay that last one was cool!"
"No, it was terrifying! What world did you live in for a world populated by giant spiders, the smallest being the size of a 3 story house, that speak German and breath fire, IN WHAT WORLD IS THAT COOL?!"
It was a really good thing the bar was empty. The staff were looking at you two like you were nuts.
You sighed, rubbing your temples and holding your head in your hands. "..I still cant believe you tried riding one like a bull. You're fucking insane." You whispered.
" ..seemed like a fun idea at the time..."
"Well, we almost died cause you thought that might be fun. and didn't follow it up with what could go wrong? as if you were still a teen."
"I said I was sorry. I recognize now how stupid that was." She crossed her arms at you. "And we're not done talking about your disappearing act Iris. Explain yourself."
You sighed and gave her an exasperated look. "Look, all I remember is I was waiting for you when I suddenly felt like I had to kiss someone, the thought of everyone else I saw made me wanna gag, Then next thing was I was making out with Sylus, he brought me into a hotel room, and next thing I knew after that, I woke up in his arms, both of us covered in bite marks and hickeys and such, and I was insanely sore. I don't remember anything in between making out in the alley and waking up naked with him."
"So...you really are soulmates? Really?"
You nodded. "The make out makes a string come out of the couple and bind them together, 99% of people cant see other people's strings, oh and there's also different levels to boot and my string with Syus is one that is not able to break. So yea, there's also that."
"Holy shit.."
"Yea." You looked back out the window, head resting on your hands. "And the craziest part is he isn't like in the game, its almost like he already knows me. Like he was created specifically for me. Yea, he still teases and flirts but..." You looked down at the table, hand instinctively holding and playing with the necklace he'd given you. The one he wore in the memory where the player has to measure him. He'd seen you staring at it and decided it was yours now. "..He's...so much more gentle. More affectionate and honest."
"That sounds more like Caleb than Sylus."
"I KNOW!"
"What about mc?"
"I don't know..." You said with a sigh, looking back at her. "She was at the one gala he took me to, but he didn't see her. Probably just too focused on the conversation he was having with whoever that asshole was."
"He...really didn't see her."
"You know him....he'd have made a beeline for her or, the stalker that he is, just watched her the entire time the second he did." You completely deflated thinking about it. He was trying hard to convince you that he loves you: the cuddling, the kisses and pecks, the praise, refusing to leave whatever room you were in or sleep alone. You kept forgetting what would inevitably happen.
You were so happy...
"Maybe we should just leave?" She had a solemn tone in her voice, no longer skeptical or defensive. Just worried. "We could just leave now an-"
"Don't be stupid, this is Sylus we're talking about. I disappear right now and he's gonna go through hell and back to follow." You wrapped your arms around yourself and tried rubbing them for comfort like how he always does. "Best thing to do would be to find her and reunite them. The-"
Suddenly the phone Sylus gave you rang.
"That's...not your-"
"Sylus gave me this one, said we'd need it for when he had no choice but to leave the base. I have no idea where my actual phone is."
You answered it.
"Sweetie." He said sweetly too sweetly. You knew that tone. It was calm, gentle, but there was a sharpness to it.
Oooh, He's mad..
"H-hi Sy. What's-"
"Having fun Baby?"
"Yea.." You lied.
"Good." He purred, voice deeper. "Im glad you could catch up with your friend."
"Did, uh...did something happen? You sound like..."
"No Honey." He chuckled, tone quiet and low like he were a villain about to set off a trap that'd keep the hero out of his way and assure his victory. "Just your surprise is ready, and I have been going through Angel withdrawals, so I'm afraid we'll have to cut your time together short. Luke and Kieran are picking you up now, so I suggest you exchange numbers quickly. I'm sure you'll want to be able to meet with her like this again, no?"
He knows.
He definitely fucking knows.
"Yea, ok...I'll see you soon then.." You started looking around for any glimpse there could be of Mephisto.
"I'll see you soon Sweetie." He said genuinely, seemingly in a better mood.
You spotted a red light behind one of the trees outside, hiding either in its branches or on the building behind it.
Shit.
"Angel?"
SHIT! You got distracted.
"Hm?"
"I love you."
You froze, breath caught in your throat, before you hesitantly replied "I love you too." and hung up.
Sylus's pov
Sylus quietly hummed happily to himself.
He's had the staff gather pretty much everything that caght your eye before. Now he was gonna find a few extra surprises. Just cause.
He looked around at everything.
You likely wouldn't want the lingerie right now, you weren't confident enough yet. Perhaps something more classy?
He looked through the dresses first. There were plenty you'd consider slutty. Half of them had the Chest too low, skirt too short, and were backless and strapless. He had no idea why they were being sold here.
The other half at least were much better, only having 2 or maybe 3 of those details.
And there he saw it. The perfect one.
Or two, really.
It was the same dress in two different colors. The first was crimson, a beautiful V cut with long sleeves going to the wrist with an elegant poof to it, a large strip of ribbon wrapped around the waist the width of his hand, flowing to the floor looking like a flower petal. He played with the fabric of the skirt of it, feeling the silky texture of it and seeing the faint black shimmer as it caught the light just right.
The second was just the same. Same shape, same texture. The difference was this one was black with a red shimmer, with the added details of crimson lace decorating the hem in a flowery vine design. It subtley wrapped up the skirt in small patches, as if they were real vines growing up and around the dress, with the same style and pattern on the sleeves.
They were perfect for you, gowns truly fitting of his Angel.
You would love them.
He felt like he was done here. Too much would be overwhelming and he's already got more than a few things for the fashion show he'd eventually convince you to give him.
Till one more caught his eye.
It was similar to the other two. A beautiful scarlet with a V neck with a floor length skirt. Only, it had straps and square cut for the back. It was more of a tube dress while the other two flowed and twirled which he knew you'd love. Biggest thing of all to him, there was a cut in the skirt, something to subtley show off the right leg.
He could just imagine you in that. Standing there in front of him like temptation made flesh. Until he got his hands on you, trailing them down your waist and squeezing your thighs as he pulled you closer. He'd wrap your right leg around his waist and grind as he trailed soft kisses on your neck. Listening to your soft moans before ripping it off you and pulling loud screams of his name out of your beautiful lips.
God he's so hard. He needs to see you in this.
He took a few deep breathes, trying and failing to calm himself down.
Not here.
Not now.
True, you hadn't claimed eachother since he found you. You get as carried away as him when you make out but...then you're ashamed when you realize, as if him seeing your body was just wrong.
But it changes nothing. He is yours alone. You are the only one allowed to see the man behind the Onychinus mon-
He cut himself off with a sigh and corrected himself.
Boss. The boss of Onychinus. Back then and even now, you wouldn't want him calling himsel-
"Um...s-sir..?"
He growled, glaring at the staff that interrupted his thoughts. Sylus saw him shrink in on himself and another walk up from behind him, likely a manager.
"Wonderful selection sir. We just got those gowns specially ordered just yesterday." The manager smiled too big for his liking, too fake. "I can only imagine these are for the woman you came with earlier today. Getting in some 'experience' before meeting your soulmate?"
"She is my soulmate." Sylus practically snarled.
The manager turned white, still keeping his smile. "O-oh, is that so? Well, fine woman she is. M-m-may I ask the color of your thread..?"
Sylus gave him a wicked grin. "Gold. Please, feel free to fact check if you like."
The manager whitened more, looking like he was about to faint. Good, he should be scared.
He did tell you that some levels got privileges, he just neglected to tell you it was just gold and the only reason for it was people were rightfully terrified of what someone with a gold thread could and would do to them.
"I-, uh...I can see you're finished with your shopping so why don't we just ring you up?"
Funny, the manager was trying to push him out. It probably should bother him more, Asura knows he'd wanna stay longer just to spite him, but truth was he really was done and he missed you.
"Yes, please do."
And with that, the two workers were gone to do their job.
Sylus exhailed and brought out his phone. Mephisto should be somewhere close by so he'll be able to see you and calm himself down a bit.
He opened up the camera and there you were. Even hiding in the trees, Mephisto did well getting a good view and still staying out of sight.
He smiled upon seeing you and put one wireless earbud in his ear. He needed to hear your voice.
"I said I was sorry. I recognize now how stupid that was."
Sylus rolled his eyes. Right, he'd nearly forgotten about her.
"And we're not done talking about your disappearing act Iris. Explain yourself."
She doesn't have to.
You looked both tired and angry with her. What did she do to you? What did she say? He knew he should have taken care of this sooner.
"Look, all I remember is I was waiting for you when I suddenly felt like I had to kiss someone, the thought of everyone else I saw made me wanna gag, Then next thing was I was making out with Sylus, he brought me into a hotel room, and next thing I knew after that, I woke up in his arms, both of us covered in bite marks and hickeys and such, and I was insanely sore. I don't remember anything in between making out in the alley and waking up naked with him."
Explains why you're suddenly so shy, You both had gotten a bit too carried away that night...
"So...you really are soulmates? Really?"
Yes!!
You nodded at your friend. "The make out makes a string come out of the couple and bind them together, 99% of people cant see other people's strings, oh and there's also different levels to boot and my string with Syus is one that is not able to break. So yea, there's also that."
"Holy shit.."
"Yea." You sounded bitter. He could hear the pain in your voice. Do you really believe that much that he'd leave you?
"And the craziest part is he isn't like in the game, its almost like he already knows me. Like he was created specifically for me."
That's because I do know you Angel. I was made for you.
"Yea, he still teases and flirts but..." You looked down at the table, hand instinctively holding and playing with the necklace he'd given you. "..He's...so much more gentle. More affectionate and honest."
"That sounds more like Caleb than Sylus."
"I KNOW!"
Caleb? Who the fuck was Caleb? Sylus made a mental note to have the twins do some more research.
"What about mc?"
What about her?
"I don't know..." You said when a sigh, looking back at your friend. "She was at the one gala he took me to, but he didn't see her. Probably just too focused on the conversation he was having with whoever that asshole was."
I was focused on you. How could I not be?
"He...really didn't see her?"
He did, he just didn't care aside from how she was affecting you anyway.
"You know him....he'd have made a beeline for her or, the stalker that he is, just watched her the entire time the second he did."
He's not a stalker, He's a your protector. Big difference.
"Maybe we should just leave?"
What?
"We could just leave now an-"
Oh fuck no!
He immediately grabbed a second phone from his pocket he wasn't about to miss anything just cause he had to handle a call and called the twins.
"Get ready to pick her up. The second they've exchanged numbers, go in and bring her home." He ordered them the second one of them answered and hung up immediately after. He didn't have the time to spare. He had to put a stop to this NOW.
"Don't be stupid, this is Sylus we're talking about. I disappear right now and he's gonna go through hell and back to follow." He saw you wrapped your arms around yourself, rubbing them for comfort like how he always does when you start to spiral.
My poor Darling..
He hated this so much. He hated that you were trying to leave because you thought it was right.
He immediately called your phone.
"Best thing to do would be to find her and reunite them. The-"
You both flinched, looking shocked as you both realized someone was calling.
"That's...not your-"
"Sylus gave me this one, said we'd need it for when he had no choice but to leave the base. I have no idea where my actual phone is."
Truthfully, he'd stollen it. Its his special keepsake now. True, he did give you a phone so you'd be able to stay in touch but the main reason was cause he couldn't just leave you without a phone. You'd probably go nuts.
You finally answered the call.
"Sweetie." He said sweetly. He was trying to hide how....unhappy..he was about your conversation.
"H-hi Sy. What's-"
"Having fun Baby?"
"Yea.."
Liar. You're clearly upset. You very clearly need him.
"Good." He purred for you. You'll never say it but he knows you love it when he makes his voice just that little bit deeper. Depending on context, it can both relax or arouse you. "I'm glad you could catch up with your friend."
"Did, uh...did something happen? You sound like..."
"No Honey." He interrupted with a chuckle. "Just your surprise is ready, and I have been going through Angel withdrawals, so I'm afraid we'll have to cut your time together short. Luke and Kieran are picking you up now, so I suggest you exchange numbers quickly. I'm sure you'll want to be able to meet her like this again, no?" Cause why wouldn't he want you to stay in contact with the bitch trying to take you from him.
"Yea, ok...I'll see you soon then..." You said, starting to look around for Mephisto. He smiled at that.
That's my smart girl.
You hadn't been "alone" many times yet but you were already learning to suspect something.
"I'll see you soon Sweetie."
He saw your eyes grow wide as you spotted Mephisto, staring in disbelief that you were right to think he was watching you.
"Angel?" He called you back, making you flinch again.
"Hm?"
"I love you." He said warmly.
You froze. You always did when he said it. He didn't expect to hear it back yet and made that clear to you. He just wanted to tell you. He wanted you to know.
"I love you too." You meekly replied and hung up.
Whatever it was you were saying to your friend or was it the other way around he didn't know.
You'd...never said it back before. You showed him affection, yes, but you'd always be too nervous to just say it.
Sylus found himself grinning as he gathered everything he bought and walked out, earbuds and phones now put away in his pockets.
You were making progress. Rather you realized it or not, you were starting to lose the fight in you to leave "for the greater good."
He saw a jewelry store across the street from the boutique. There were many rings, necklaces, and such on display. He'd have gone on his way back home, but one piece caught his eye.
A ring.
He smiled, putting everything he bought in the car and making his way to the jewelry store.
Synopsis: Sylus's Birthday, prompt "protocore".
Characters: Sylus x Non-MC!reader
Warnings: fluff
A/N: Not my best work, honestly. I just couldn't figure out what to write. Not to mention, that I'm a bit sick rn and can't even brainstorm a proper synopsis. Dropping this and running away.
You had warned Sylus that it would turn out like this.
You were sitting quietly in the darkest corner you could find. You knew his world wasn’t for you. And not because of the danger. You had long since made peace with that and Sylus did everything in his power to keep you out of harm’s way.
But you still didn’t fit into his world of deception, betrayal, and constant masks.
You knew you should have rejected his invitation to the auction.
But he had looked so excited while picking out the perfect dress for you that you hadn’t had the heart to tell him you had changed your mind.
So now you were sitting in the darkest corner, hiding from curious gazes and trying to relax as best you could.
You watched Sylus move through the room as if he owned it and everything and everyone in it. People lingered near him, trying to gain his favor or use him for their own purposes. Sylus barely paid them any attention, and you could see that clearly.
Then you noticed him calmly scanning the room.
Anyone else might have assumed he was evaluating the protocores on display or assessing the people around him. But you knew that look.
He was looking for you. And soon enough, he found you. A barely noticeable frown creased his features as his gaze landed on your hiding place. Before he could move, you gave a small shake of your head and mouthed that you were fine. You smiled brightly and nodded toward the various displays. Just because you were tired and your social battery was nearly dead, didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy himself.
Sylus looked at you for a few seconds longer, then nodded and turned his attention elsewhere. But it seemed he wasn’t the only one who had noticed your absence. Your eyes landed on a woman who was desperately trying to get Sylus’s attention. Even from where you sat, you could clearly see her flirting with him and practically hanging on his arm. You hummed and kept watching the woman try, and fail, to get Sylus to look at her for more than a second. She had tried every trick in the book. At one point, she had “accidentally” tripped and nearly fallen into him, forcing him to steady her. And when he did, she took it as an opening, batting her eyelashes, pressing herself into his hand, and leaning just so as if by accident to reveal a little too much cleavage.
You had to bite back a laugh while watching her struggle. Then your eyes shifted to Sylus. He looked as relaxed and composed as ever, but you caught the slight tension in his jaw, the subtle narrowing of his eyes. Any other day, he would have brushed her off already with some condescending remark dressed up as politeness. The kind that would have made her blush at first, with the true meaning of his words dawning on her much, much later.
But for some reason, tonight, he wasn’t doing it. Instead, he kept moving through the room with that maddeningly calm expression, while the woman practically trailed after him like a lost, clingy puppy that had decided he was its new owner.
At some point, you noticed Sylus throwing glances toward your hiding corner. You raised a brow, confused. Then it clicked. For some reason, he wanted you to make a scene. You thought about it for a moment, then slowly smiled to yourself. Fine. If that was what he wanted, he would get it. You were already dreading the toll it would take on you afterward, but that was a problem for future you. And Sylus would be right there afterward, and you would absolutely milk his attention for everything it was worth.
You took a few deep breaths and quickly formulated a plan.
Confront them directly? No. Too boring. You needed something bigger.
He wanted a scene? He would get a scene.
You slipped out of your corner and moved slowly along the row of protocore displays, pretending to browse as you looked for the priciest one.
There.
Your lips curled into the sweetest smile you could muster, though you were already feeling a little sorry for the poor staff member who was hurrying toward you with a tablet in hand, no doubt already calculating how much money you could spend.
You reached out and picked up the container holding a protocore. It was honestly baffling how little security this place had. Your fingers curled around the container for one brief second before you turned and hurled it into the nearest wall.
The container struck the surface with a loud, sharp thud.
Instantly, the entire room went quiet. Then every eye turned to you. You didn’t even flinch.
Instead, you moved to the next display. And then the next. And the next.
In the corner of your eye, you caught the sudden chaos behind you. The owner of the auction had apparently called security, but the moment the guards moved toward you, the crow brooch pinned to your dress stopped them in their tracks.
So you kept going.
You picked up another container and smashed it against the floor this time, just to be a little more dramatic. Glass shattered. Several people gasped. Somewhere behind you, someone muttered your name in disbelief.
Wonderful.
You reached the next display and sent that one crashing into a pillar. Then another. Then another. The sound of breaking containers, startled shouting, and hurried footsteps filled the room as panic spread from one end of the auction hall to the other.
You ignored all of it.
You ignored the whispers.
Ignored the shocked looks.
Ignored the staff scrambling to protect the remaining displays.
What mattered was the fact that every single person in the room was now staring at you. Satisfied with your work, you turned around and quickly ran towards Sylus, practically throwing yourself at him. Did you ‘accidentally’ stepped on the woman’s feet? Maybe. But you would die before admitting it.
Sylus went very still. For a second, you thought he might actually laugh. Then the corner of his mouth lifted, slow and knowing, and his hand slid up your back with infuriating ease, settling at the nape of your neck.
His gaze left you for the first time in what felt like ages. It landed on the woman. She was still clinging to his arm, though now her smile had gone a little strained at the edges. The room around you was silent enough that you could almost hear the collective realization spreading through the guests like a ripple.
Sylus tilted his head.
“Hmm.”
That single sound was calm enough to be deadly. You could practically feel the woman stiffen beside him. Sylus looked back down at you, red eyes warm with amusement.
“Bored already, sweetie?”
You huffed, still clinging to him like a spoiled cat that had decided the entire evening was beneath it.
“I told you,” you muttered. “This place is awful.”
A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest.
“Awful,” he repeated, as if tasting the word. Then he glanced once more toward the woman, his expression smoothing into something politely indifferent. “I suppose I’ll have to agree with my feisty kitten. This event has become rather disappointing.”
The woman blinked at him, clearly unsure whether she had been dismissed yet. Sylus answered that question by lifting her hand off his arm and pushing it aside as though she was nothing more than an inconvenience.
“Thank you for your interest,” he said smoothly. “You’ve had enough of my attention for one evening.”
The woman’s face flushed.
“B-but… I…”
Sylus’s smile sharpened by a fraction.
“You should be more careful where you place your hands.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The woman took a shaky step back. You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling too widely.
Sylus turned back to you, and the severity in his eyes melted almost immediately. His hand remained at the back of your neck, thumb brushing once over your skin in a quiet, possessive gesture.
“Since the auction is no longer entertaining,” he murmured, “I suppose we should leave.”
You brightened at once, looping both arms tighter around him.
“Finally.”
His eyes crinkled faintly.
“However,” he added, voice turning low and dangerous in a way that made several nearby people visibly freeze, “I do believe there are still some matters to be addressed.”
You blinked up at him, then followed his glance across the ruined displays.
Right.
You had technically destroyed an auction.
Sylus looked entirely unbothered. In fact, he looked almost proud. The owner of the auction had gone pale enough to be mistaken for one of the marble columns. Several guards stood uselessly at the edges of the room, all of them watching Sylus with the careful, terrified respect reserved for storms and executioners.
Sylus shifted his hand from your neck to your waist and drew you closer against his side.
“Consider this a lesson,” he said, not even raising his voice. “If you invite me somewhere, ensure she will not be bored.”
One of the men behind him made a strangled sound.
You could not help it, you laughed, burying your face briefly against his shoulder. Sylus’s hand tightened on your waist in response, steadying you, and when you looked back up at him, you found his expression softening in a way only you ever got to see. The dangerous amusement was still there. So was the possessiveness. But beneath it all he was pleased. Deeply, unbearably pleased. He was enjoying it far too much.
Sylus leaned down just enough that only you could hear him.
“That was quite a scene, sweetie.”
You gave him your sweetest smile.
“You wanted a scene.”
“I did.”
“Then you’re welcome.”
He led you out of the room, ignoring everyone else as if they had already ceased to exist the moment you touched him.
The second the door shut behind you, cutting off the noise, the stares, the tension, you collapsed against him.
All the fire drained out of you at once.
“Sy…” you whined, this time for real, your voice small and tired as you pressed your face into his shoulder. “I’m exhausted.”
A quiet laugh rumbled through him, warm against your cheek.
“And that’s your fault,” you continued weakly, fingers curling into his jacket. “You could’ve handled everything yourself.”
“I could,” he agreed easily.
There wasn’t even a hint of guilt in his tone.
“But I wanted you to claim me. That woman was annoying.”
You huffed, too tired to even properly argue.
“You’re unbelievable…”
Before you could say anything else, you felt him shift and then suddenly you were off your feet.
You blinked, startled, as he lifted you effortlessly with one arm, holding you like you weighed nothing at all while he continued walking down the hallway.
“Sylus…”
“Relax,” he murmured, adjusting his hold on you. “You’ve done great.”
Your arms slid around his neck, holding onto him as you let your head drop against his shoulder. Your body felt heavy now, drained in that familiar way after pushing yourself too far socially.
“Don’t worry,” he added, voice lower, almost indulgent. “I’ll make it up to you.”
You hummed, eyes half-lidded, too tired to question him properly.
“Mm…”
Your fingers lazily toyed with the collar of his shirt before you spoke again, quieter this time but no less firm.
“Cancel everything for a week.”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“You’re staying with me,” you added, tightening your hold around his neck just a little. “No meetings. No disappearing. No mysterious ‘work.’”
A pause.
“…A whole week?” he echoed, tone faintly amused.
You lifted your head just enough to give him a tired glare.
“Yes. A whole week.”
His lips curved slowly, something dangerously soft settling into his expression as he looked at you.
“You’re quite demanding tonight.”
“You asked for it,” you mumbled, already melting back against him. “You said I should claim you.”
A quiet exhale left him, half a laugh, half something else.
“Careful what you say, sweetie,” he murmured. “I might take that very seriously.”
You barely registered the warning.
“Good,” you muttered, eyes closing. “Do it.”
That did it.
His grip on you tightened just slightly. Not enough to hurt, but enough to ground you firmly against him.
When he spoke again, his voice had dropped, smoother, edged with something far more possessive than before.
“…Alright.”
You didn’t see the look in his eyes.
“I’ll clear my schedule.”
His thumb brushed once, slow and deliberate, along your side.
“A week,” he repeated, as if testing the idea.
Then, softer, almost to himself:
“That’s not nearly enough.”
You made a small, sleepy sound, completely missing the shift.
Sylus glanced down at you, taking in your half-asleep state, the way you clung to him without thinking, trusting him completely.
His expression softened in a way no one else would ever be allowed to see.
“Let’s get you home first,” he murmured, already making a lot of plans for the upcoming week. Maybe he should get his personal doctor to write you a sick note for work. You would definitely need it.
Summary: Sylus has a habit of buying everything you so much as glance at.
It all starts with a necklace.
You don't even stop walking.
The diamond display catches the light as you pass the boutique window, and for half a second, your eyes lingers. It is beautiful, delicate, the kind of thing you admire and then forget.
Or so you think.
The next day, Sylus sets a velvet box on the table in front of you.
You blink at it. “What is it?”
“Open it.”
Inside, nestled in silk, is the necklace.
You stare at him.
“You looked at it,” he says simply.
“I glanced at it. I didn't even remember it.”
“You looked at it.”
“Sylus...”
He leans back in his chair, calm and entirely pleased with himself.
“It suits you.”
You try to argue. You really do.
“I do not need another diamond necklace.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you buy it?”
He reaches across the table, brushing his thumb under your chin, tilting your face toward him gently.
“Because you wanted it.”
“I did not say that.”
“You did not have to.”
That should be the end of it.
It is not. It is the beginning.
A week later, a delivery arrives. You open it to find a pair of shoes you had been scrolling past online, hesitating over the price but never adding it to the basket.
Sylus appears in the doorway like he has been waiting.
“I noticed you looking at those on your phone,” he says casually.
You gape at him.
“You weren't even in the room.”
“I do not need to be.”
“And why are there four boxes?”
He smiles.
“Options.”
Inside are the shoes in multiple shades. Beneath them, neatly folded, are matching outfits.
“You bought entire outfits.”
“Yes.”
“Multiple.”
“Yes.”
“So I could choose,” he says, like this is the most reasonable thing in the world.
You drop onto the sofa, half horrified, half amused.
“You cannot just buy everything I look at.”
His expression shifts slightly, something softer beneath the smugness.
“I can.”
That is the problem.
You test him once, purely by accident.
At a showroom, you pause in front of a car. Not even long. Just long enough to admire the colour. Deep, rich, exactly your taste.
You forget about it by the next day.
He does not.
You wake up to him holding out a set of keys.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Sylus.”
“You liked it.”
“I looked at it.”
“You looked at it,” he repeats, like that proves his case.
You stare at him, then at the keys, then back at him.
“I do not need these things, I just need you.”
That makes him pause.
For a moment, the teasing arrogance fades. He steps closer, sliding his arms around your waist.
“I know,” he says softly.
“Then stop.”
He brushes his nose against your temple, voice low and fond.
“No.”
You groan into his shoulder.
He laughs quietly against your hair.
“I love you, and I enjoy giving you things. Not because you need them. Because I want to.”
“You are impossible.”
“Yes.”
You pull back, narrowing your eyes.
“You are not allowed to buy everything I look at.”
His lips twitch.
“You will have to stop looking at things.”
You swat his chest.
“Sylus.”
He catches your hand easily, kissing your knuckles with exaggerated reverence.
“Fine, I will try.”
“You are lying.”
“I am.”
You cannot help laughing.
Because the truth is, it is not about the diamonds or the shoes or the car in your favourite colour.
It is the way he notices things.
The way he pays attention to the smallest flicker of interest and treats it like a command.
So you wrap your arms around his neck and sigh dramatically.
Those words were like magic. One moment you feared for your life, the other you were crying tears of relief. Mephisto deep-dived straight at MC, squawking and attacking.
“Argh, stupid fucking crow,” she yelled at the bird that unrelentlessly attacked MC, taking up all her attention. And right at that moment, there was a loud explosion. The cold floor vibrated with its intensity as the dust and debris wafted through the air. You were once again knocked off your feet, involuntarily curling yourself into a fetal position.
When the dust settled down, you raised your head.
In between the rubble stood Sylus, black and red tendrils of mist surrounding him.
“Sylus,” MC chirped in her saccharine tone, “what happened to your little ragtag team of dingdongs?”
Sylus didn’t reply to her question. He only scanned the vast space till his eyes landed on you. “Spotted,” was all he said. And just then, a door that wasn’t too far from Sylus’s spot opened, and Zayne stepped in, looking weary.
“There was a perfectly functional unlocked door right here, Sylus,” he said, holding what seemed to be a briefcase.
MC didn’t seem to be surprised or even unnerved. “Okay, so there are two—”
“Look up,” Sylus said.
MC, kind of confused, looked up, and just then the roof burst open with a fiery explosion. Rafayel dropped down on his feet, followed by Caleb, who ever so gracefully landed right beside him.
“There you are, cutie. Had us running around all over the place like maniacs.”
“I am getting you a better tracker, pips.”
“Again, the door is right here. I... I even opened it.”
MC had jumped from her spot and a little away from you. She was glaring at them. You could tell by now what she was thinking or doing, even if she had no expressionable features to give it away.,
In hindsight, that was one of the biggest hints you missed, how could you understand her so well you met her properly for like what? 20 minutes even if it felt like a very long time. But the truth didn't come out until much, much later.. She was headcounting them. “So all of you dingdongs are here.”
“Real mature, MC. Real mature,” Caleb said. “But you are missing one.”
He said, and Rafayel shrugged and added, “Don’t blame you, he is pretty forgettable.”
MC was quick to realize her mistake.
Xavier…
“He is behind me, isn’t he?”
Just then, as she turned, lo and behold, the man in question was there, looking livid. His cold fury really beckoned in his eyes, and yet his voice was as calm as ever when he said, “Hey,” and swung at her with the hilt of his sword.
And that’s when all hell broke loose.
Sylus took the opportunity created by Xavier and added to the attack as he barked, “Cover Zayne. He must check up on her.” Before he could finish, Xavier had already made a bubble of protective shield around you, and a moving one for Zayne, who, once he got the opening, didn’t waste a second to rush to your side. Entering the bubble on Xavier’s will, he got on his knees next to you, cradling your face with utmost gentleness and caution.
“Speak to me.” It would have sounded like an order if his eyes didn’t hold urgency and desperation. “Speak to me, darling. Tell me, can you see me, hear me? Does it hurt somewhere?” he said. His observant, sharp eyes did spot the few minor bruises here and there, and especially on your neck, as you were still in those clothes you were wearing at the beach.
You smiled, genuinely so. You had been relieved to see them. Yes, you felt some grievances over the kept secrets, but right now they were all here, joined together as a united front to protect you, to take you back to safety. You couldn’t be mad at the moment. Especially when the man in front of you, who was supposed to be the pinnacle of composure, seemed to be on the verge of breaking.
“I am fine, Zayne. I do have some bruises, but nothing hurts too much.”
“So something does hurt. Where is it?” he asked urgently, not completely convinced, as he continued to check up on you, opening the bag that had sutures and stuff. Jeez, was this man prepared to conduct surgery at the drop of a hat?
As he shuffled through his bag for something, you grabbed his face with both of your hands and made him look at you. “I am fine,” you said, punctuating each word with sincerity. “I was scared, really scared, but you guys showed up, and now I know I’ll be fine.”
Zayne exhaled deeply. His body sagged completely, his hands now covering yours, allowing himself to feel them press against his warm skin.
As you two shared a moment, in the background the four guys were locked in a fierce battle, coordinating with effortless ease. Phrases like “on your 3 o’clock,” “block her,” and “assist me” were thrown here and there as you were entranced by the scene unfolding. The thrill of fear once again unfurled in your chest.
A thump sound made you look up, and it was Caleb standing on the barrier, glaring at Zayne. “Who’s getting too touchy now?” Caleb said.
Zayne only smirked. One arm snaked around your waist. “You were the one who said I am not touchy enough.”
Caleb’s eye twitched. “What kind of medical care is this?”
“The effective kind,” Zayne replied.
Before Caleb could lose more of his mind, Rafayel screamed at him, “Get your loser ass back in here.” Begrudgingly, Caleb left.
You sat there, noticing how strong MC was. Considering her opponents, she was still pulling through. You could also see the guys trying to talk to her. You couldn’t make out what they were saying, but you could see Rafayel trying to reach her, not attacking as much, as if he was trying to reason. Sylus also seemed agitated, something you never thought you’d see. When Caleb got back, even he tried to get something across, trying to slow her down so she would just once listen.
MC’s maniacal laugh still rang through. Even if she had taken quite a few hits, it seemed like shedding whatever held her back had made her a more ruthless fighter. But how much can you do with four formidable men?
“Aren’t you going to help? I am fine,” you asked Zayne, who had just finished putting bandages on a few cuts here and there.
“No. They will be fine. I am not that strong anyway.”
What? Who is this guy fooling??
But then a thought came to you. “How is that possible? Is it because I didn’t get the right protocol? I am sorry, I just don’t get the hang of those things. They were so complicated with power-ups and attack and crit damage, crit and secondary attributes, and—”
You paused when Zayne ruffled your hair. “Silly girl,” he chuckled softly.
“No, it’s nothing of the sort. It’s none of your fault, and those things don’t even matter,” he said, then added sheepishly, “I only said that because I didn’t want to leave you. I am guarding you. That’s the most important job.”
You shook your head, of course. You turned your head right back to them. “They are so well coordinated. I have never seen them getting along so well,” you commented.
“They are united under the same cause,” Zayne said knowingly. His eyes, that hadn’t left you until now, finally looked towards them. “When it comes to you, all differences among us are cast aside.”
You didn’t know how to react, how to reply, or how not to blush. In that moment of brief silence, the feeling you were trying to suppress also made itself known through your mouth. “Even for lying.”
Zayne froze. His head snapped to you. He didn’t try to deflect or play dumb. Now, he wouldn’t do that to you. He just looked regretful. Guilty. He looked down, ashamed. “I am sorry… on behalf of all of us,” he said.
You shook your head. “No. I can’t accept it without a full explanation, Zayne,” you said.
For a moment, Zayne looked crushed, but he nodded in understanding. That sweet moment dissolved into one of melancholic anticipation.
On the other side of the barrier, MC was finally cornered, panting and breathless. She was backed to one side, the four of them standing in front of her.
“Stand down now, MC. This has gone too far,” Xavier said, his sword still pointed at her.
“This is getting tiresome now, so if your theatrics are over, we would like to take her home,” Sylus added.
MC just scoffed. “Oh boohoo, my little human wasn’t covered in fluffy blankets and spoon-fed foreign delicacy. She would wither and die,” she said mockingly.
“You are not funny,” the red-eyed man glowered.
“Actually, that was a little funny,” Caleb mumbled softly, only to be glared at by the rest.
“Seriously, you need to stop this. This won’t get you what you want, and you know that. She has nothing to do with any of it,” Rafayel said on your behalf.
That made her more pissed off. Once again, an iridescent glow of her powers came to life.
“Stand down. You are tired and outnumbered,” Caleb said, this time seriously.
MC cocked her head to the side. “Oh yeah, you are right. This is unfair. Four big men against one little old me,” she said. Her tone brought a foreboding feeling in all four of them.
The floor rumbled. They could all feel it. You and Zayne could feel it. Several holes appeared on the ground, opening into voids. Purple mist oozed from them, and instantly you knew.
“Oh dang it!!”
“Fuck.”
“Oh, this just got very interesting.”
“More like, annoying.”
You could barely hear who said what as your heart rate dropped. Zayne’s hand instinctively reached out for you, shielding you subconsciously. He inhaled sharply. “Wanderers.”
Loud, ear-piercing shrieks and thunderous roars blended to form a horrifying chorus that instilled a deep, bone-chilling fear inside you. All that warm relief you were feeling was now gone, completely replaced by a depressing pressure of foreboding. Big, monstrous creatures spawned from the pitch-black voids.
“Hey, doc. I think it’s high time you leave that cozy cocoon,” Sylus spoke as they all got ready.
Zayne looked hesitant. “What about Y/N?” he said, but couldn’t deny the need for manpower.
“Go… please,” you said.
He looked at you, solemn. Nodding, he got up and left the barrier with Xavier’s help, who sealed it off again, making it stronger. Zayne even surrounded it with long icy spikes.
When he joined them, he took off his coat, earning a whistle from Sylus that he ignored.
“Alright, Sylus, Rafayel, and I on the offense. Caleb, Xavier, defense,” Zayne said, very surprisingly, for you.
They all acknowledged and agreed.
“You got it, big boss.”
“Let’s take positions.”
“Snowy, over here, taking charge… I like it.”
“Let’s dance..uggos.”
MC, on the other hand, giggled in glee. “Now isn’t this going to be something worth watching?”
You spoke, who knows where, because you couldn’t spot her, feeling nauseous at the sight in front of you.
And so the battle commenced.
The first wanderer lunged before anyone could finish speaking, tearing itself out of the void like something that had no business existing. Its jagged limbs twisted unnaturally as a warped scream split through the air, charging straight for the barrier without hesitation.
It didn’t make it.
A beam of blinding light cut clean across the space, precise and controlled, and the creature disintegrated mid-lunge. Its body broke apart into particles that dissolved before they could even hit the ground. Xavier lowered his arm slowly, his expression unchanged.
“Focus,” he said quietly, because that had only been the first.
More wanderers attacked, cracks splitting outward as more wanderers crawled their way through. Three, then five, then more, spilling into the warehouse in waves. Some were massive, others quick and erratic, their forms flickering like unstable code. The air grew heavy with their presence, thick enough to feel in your lungs.
“Alright,” Caleb cracked his neck as he stepped forward, a grin tugging at his lips, “now this is more like it.”
The moment one leapt, the air itself shifted. The creature froze mid-motion, not halted by ice or time, but by something far heavier. Gravity bent around it, compressing its body inward unnaturally as its limbs buckled under invisible force. With a violent slam, it crashed into the ground hard enough to fracture the concrete beneath it.
“Stay down,” Caleb muttered, though he already knew it wouldn’t.
“tsk,” Sylus clicked his tongue as energy flared around him, red and black currents spiraling violently from his hands. When he moved, there was nothing human about it. He stepped forward and tore through two wanderers at once, raw force ripping them apart as their forms destabilized on contact.
“Zayne.”
“I see it.”
At the far end of the warehouse, something larger began to rise, its body pulsing as if it were still forming. Zayne lifted his hand, and the temperature dropped instantly. Frost spread across the ground in a rapid surge, ice crystallizing up the creature’s limbs before it could fully stabilize. It struggled, roaring as fractures spread across its body.
“Now.”
“Already on it.”
Rafayel’s laugh cut through the tension, sharp and almost delighted, as fire ignited around him in controlled spirals. He moved like he was dancing, stepping into the frozen path Zayne had created, flames coiling around his arm before he drove them forward. Ice held the creature in place just long enough for fire to consume it completely, steam exploding outward as heat clashed violently with frost.
“Perfect timing,” Rafayel smirked.
“As always,” Zayne replied flatly.
Another shriek tore through the air, this one faster, sharper, slipping past Sylus and Rafayel before anyone could intercept it. It darted straight for you, its distorted form flickering as it closed the distance in seconds.
Your breath caught as the barrier flared just in time, taking the full impact. The force cracked against it, the surface flickering dangerously as the creature clawed at it, screeching, its form glitching in and out as if forcing itself through reality.
“Xavier.”
“I know.”
Light surged instantly, reinforcing the shield before it could give way. A second later, the creature was gone. Sylus had it by the throat, his grip unyielding as energy pulsed violently through his arm.
“Wrong direction,” he said coldly, and the wanderer didn’t even get the chance to scream before it was obliterated.
But the silence didn’t last. It never did.
More were already coming.
“Left side!” Caleb called out, shifting his stance.
“I’ve got it,” Rafayel responded, already moving.
“No, you don’t—”
Too late. Rafayel surged forward, flames bursting outward in a wide arc that cleared space in an instant, only for another wanderer to emerge right behind him, silent and ready to strike.
“Careless.”
A blade of light pierced straight through it before it could touch him. Rafayel glanced back over his shoulder, and Xavier didn’t even spare him a look.
“…I had that handled.”
“You didn’t.”
A brief pause passed before Rafayel exhaled, conceding, “…okay, maybe not that one.”
“Children,” Zayne muttered under his breath.
The ground trembled again, but this time it was different. Slower. Heavier. From the largest rupture yet, something else began to emerge, not frantic or unstable like the others, but controlled. Its presence alone made the air feel wrong, like the space itself was resisting it.
“…That’s new,” Caleb said, quieter now.
Even Sylus stilled slightly, his gaze sharpening. “Stay sharp.”
The creature stepped fully into view, and for the first time since the fight began, none of them moved immediately. It wasn’t just another wave. It was watching them back, you recognized this one as it was the one whom you hated the most, Alterum Benedict.
Then it smiled.
“Great,” Caleb exhaled, “it’s this bitch. That’s exactly what we needed.”
Rafayel rolled his shoulders, flames flickering higher. “Oh, relax, how bad could it—”
Before he could finish, the creature vanished and reappeared between them. Everything exploded into motion at once.
“Move!” Xavier snapped as light burst outward, forcing distance. Sylus surged forward head-on, energy colliding with the creature’s strike in a violent clash that sent a shockwave through the entire warehouse.
Zayne didn’t hesitate. Ice shot upward, locking its legs in place for half a second, and that was all they needed.
“Caleb.”
“On it.”
Gravity slammed down with crushing force, forcing the creature to its knees as its body buckled under the pressure. Rafayel’s fire followed instantly, engulfing it in a blazing vortex while Xavier’s light pierced straight through its core. For a moment, it held, resisting, cracking under the combined assault before finally detonating outward.
The blast forced all of them back a step as smoke curled into the air, thick and suffocating.
For a brief second, nothing moved.
Then Caleb let out a breath. “…Okay, that one actually almost had me.”
Behind them, the barrier flickered softly, still intact, still holding.
Still protecting you.
Zayne spared a glance back, just for a second, just to make sure, and that was all it took. The others shifted back into position without needing to be told, falling into place like they had done this a thousand times before.
Because no matter how chaotic it got, no matter how many came, they were in sync.
And they weren’t letting anything through to get to you.
—--------
The aftermath of the explosion barely had time to settle before something shifted again.
A low, echoing laugh threaded through the warehouse, slipping between the cracks of the crumbling space like something alive. It didn’t come from any one direction, and yet it was everywhere at once, curling around the edges of the fight, pressing into the minds of everyone present.
“Oh, this is getting good,” MC’s voice rang out, layered and distorted, amusement dripping from every syllable. The air thinned, prickling inside your lungs like a thousand needles. Your eyes darted everywhere to spot her till you did right in the open, perched atop a broken slab of concrete like she had been there the entire time, watching.
Waiting.
“Such a pretty little performance,” she tilted her head, her faceless gaze sweeping across them. “You boys really do put on a show when you’re desperate.”
“End this nonsense?,” Sylus snapped, energy flaring sharply around him.
“Or what?” she laughed, light and cruel. “You’ll stop me?”
Before he could respond, the ground split again. Wanderers poured out in a violent wave, faster, more aggressive, their forms more stable than before. They didn’t scatter aimlessly this time.
They moved with intent.
Toward the barrier, towards you.
Xavier’s jaw tightened as he reinforced it, light pouring from his hands in steady waves, but even he was beginning to strain. “They’re targeting the barrier,” he called out, voice sharp but controlled.
“Yeah, no shit,” Caleb snapped back, twisting his wrist as gravity warped around a lunging creature, crushing it into the ground before it could reach Zayne. Your stomach dropped as you pathetically crawled back into the corner till your back pressed against the wall.
“Xavier!” Zayne called out sharply.
“I am holding it,” he responded instantly, reinforcing the shield as the first wave slammed into it.
The impact was brutal.
You felt it before you fully registered it. A deep, violent shudder that rattled through the floor and climbed up your spine. The translucent shield around you flickered, light bending and distorting where massive claws dragged across its surface. A screech followed, sharp and grating, the kind that made your teeth clench, and your chest tighten.
Another hit. Harder.
Cracks of light splintered across the barrier like fractured glass.
Your breath hitched and gaze flickered across the battlefield, mind racing faster than your body could keep up. Zayne’s ice surged in controlled bursts, freezing limbs mid-strike. Rafayel’s flames roared in arcs, cutting through the dark mass of creatures. Xavier’s light flashed, precise and lethal, while Caleb distorted gravity itself, crushing wanderers into the ground. Sylus stood at the center of it all, energy pulsing around him like a storm barely contained, hitting any target in an unbiased fashion.
Once again, your eyes caught her, now observing from a high vantage point, unmoving. Her head tilted to the side, and her arms crossed her face cradled in her hand, like a show put on just for her.
In that moment, the world is still. Your feelings numbed only for something else to ripple; it was faint, but alive. And it came from her. You don't know how you knew that, you just did. Realization washed over you like ice-cold water. This…is just a tableau, she didn't want to kill you…not yet, she just wanted you to suffer. For her own amusement. You got back up on your feet, not looking away from her, something that caught her attention as she straightened. In that moment, you did not care for the barrier that was going to break, deaf to the screeching of the wanderers or words shouted by the guys who were putting their lives on the line.
“Xavier,” Caleb warned.
“I see it,” he replied through clenched teeth.
Sylus didn’t even look back. His hands burned with volatile energy as he tore through two creatures at once, his voice cutting through the noise. “Then fix it faster.”
“I am,” Xavier snapped.
Another hit.
The crack deepened.
And then it shattered.
The sound rang out like glass exploding, fragments of light dissolving into nothing as the barrier collapsed completely. For a split second, everything stilled. Every head turned to you. Wanderers snarled but didn't attack as one would assume they should
“Y/N, don’t move-” Zayne started.
But adrenaline had already taken over. You ran
“Y/N!” Rafayel screamed
“Pips, what the hell are you doing?!”
“Get back here!” Zayne pleaded
Their voices collided behind you, panic breaking through their composure for the first time, but you didn’t stop. Your lungs burned as you sprinted across the fractured concrete, heart hammering violently against your ribs. A shadow lunged toward you from the side, massive and grotesque, and missed.
You stumbled, barely keeping your footing, eyes wide as the creature’s claws scraped the ground where you had just been. It didn’t follow through. It didn’t strike again. Instead, it moved to your side, cutting off your path.
Another dropped in front of you. They weren't trying to hurt you. They were herding you in corners.
Your theory was right.
You swallowed hard, forcing your body to keep moving. One wrong move and this would all fall apart. Another wanderer lunged, slower this time, deliberate, giving you just enough space to react. You dropped low, sliding beneath its reach, your hand scraping across the ground until your fingers closed around something sharp.
A broken shard of metal. Jagged. Solid.
Good enough.
You didn’t hesitate.
You ran straight toward her.
“Are you insane?!” Caleb’s voice cracked behind you.
“Y/N, stop!” Xavier shouted.
“What in the seven seas is wrong with you!!” Rafayel yelled, on the verge of collapsing
Even Sylus swore under his breath, something dark and furious threading through his tone.
But you didn’t stop.
You reached her.
MC barely moved as you approached, her head tilting in mild curiosity, as if she were watching something mildly entertaining. Her voice slipped out, layered and mocking. “Awh… What are you going to do with that? Hit me with it? You think that pathetic thing can hurt me?”
You didn’t answer. You raised the shard and pressed it against your own throat.
Everything froze.
The shift was immediate. Absolute.
The guys went still.
“Y/N… don’t,” Zayne said, his voice low, controlled, but you could hear the strain beneath it.
“Put that down,” Sylus added, his tone sharper, dangerous.
“That’s not funny,” Caleb snapped, though there was nothing light in his expression.
Xavier didn’t speak, but the way his light flickered told you enough.
“Seriosuly, what the heck is wrong with her?!!”
MC, however, only scoffed.
“I don’t care,” she said flatly. “You think I’d stop you? Go ahead.”
But you felt it.
That flicker.
That hesitation.
You stepped closer to her, pressing the metal just enough for it to bite into your skin. A thin line of red welled up instantly.
“Yes, you do,” you said quietly, your voice steady despite the way your hands trembled. “You don’t want me dead. Not now.”
She stilled.
“You would’ve killed me already if you did,” you continued, each word landing sharper than the last. “We wouldn’t be standing here. We wouldn’t be talking. I would’ve been gone the moment you brought me here-fucking hell you wouldn’t have brought me here”
Her head twitched slightly.
“You want me alive,” you said, taking another step forward, forcing her back this time. “You need me alive. Because this—” you gestured faintly with the hand holding the shard, despite the danger “—this is your game. Your entertainment.”
Her breathing hitched. Barely noticeable. But there.
“You don’t want it to end so quickly,” you finished softly.
For the first time, MC looked… shaken.
“No, that’s not—” she started, her voice overlapping, glitching between tones. “That’s not why—”
“It is,” you cut in, firmer now. “And you know it.”
Silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
Then you pushed the shard just a little deeper.
“Call them off,” you said.
Behind you, the battle had slowed, the wanderers hesitating, their movements faltering as if awaiting a command.
“Make them disappear.”
MC staggered back a step, her composure fracturing. “You- you wouldn’t- ”
“Try me, bitch.”
Another drop of blood slid down your throat.
That did it.
Her form flickered violently, like a broken signal. “Fine,” she snapped, her voice splintering. “Fine!”
The effect was immediate.
The wanderers stilled.
Then, one by one, they dissolved, their grotesque forms collapsing into wisps of dark mist that vanished into the air. The pressure lifted, the noise dying down until the warehouse fell into an eerie, ringing silence.
MC shot you one last look, a clear promise of return, and with that, she was gone.
AN:
A -comparatively- quick update???by me????during my final exams that's is??? *gasps and points gun at reflection"
Who am I and what have I done to myself?!?!?!
---
Ok now that I got that out of my system we have a little competition.
You may have read some dialogues in the fic and must have wondered "hmm who the heck said that?!?"
Well...that's for youuuuu to guess!! those of you who can guess the who said the below dialogues, yes both portions,would get a mini reward.
The dialogues are (hint: it's obviously not zayne because I had to specify his dialogues both time)
1- " oh dang it!!"
"fuck"
" oh, this just got very interesting "
" more like, annoying"
2- "you got it big boss"
" let's take positions"
"snowy over here taking charge...I like
it"
" let's dance...uggos"
Reward: A short highly personalized reaction/Imagine with your chosen LI.
First three to guess right will get it. Sooo comment your answers to take part!!
I once read someone's comment somewhere about how Ace was inferior to Luffy because he lacked ambition. Obviously the comment was meant to criticise Ace, but all I could think of was: What's wrong with Ace's decision regarding his piracy career?
Ace found what he was looking for with the Whitebeard Pirates, or at least the start of it. Why would he, at that point in time, wish for more?
He became a Pirate to surpass his father to overcome the hatred he'd been faced with due to being Gold Roger's son (unbeknownst to the people who said Roger's child deserved to be tortured).
Whitebeard becoming his father freed Ace of some of his demons, and for the first time Ace was told that his parentage didn't define his worth.
He went out to sea because he wanted to find the answer to whether or not he deserved to be born. And joining the Whitebeards did give him an answer.
Just because Ace's objective wasn't the same as Luffy doesn't make him inferior.
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
andulkaphoto
ellievsbear
izzy806
kianamaiart
