she won't stay long / sylus x non mc reader
tags: angst, established relationship, reader referred to as "boss lady" word count: 4k summary: you decide that you no longer wish to stand between sylus and miss hunter.
you deserve better.
that thought came to you in a dream, a quiet whisper that wrapped around you right and warm. it was the answer to all your doubts. every instance that left you feeling small, belittled, and insecure finally meant something. it led you to a path you knew only you could take.
you had to leave. all the struggling, the desire for more, it wasn't worth the misery this man brought upon you. you were better than this. you were better than the leftovers he gave you.
"i bought this emerald specifically for you."
he had purchased a vibrant ruby necklace for her on the same day at the same shop. she had worn it the very next time you saw her, hanging from her neck like a gold medal. from what little you saw of it, its luster was unsettlingly similar to his eyes.
"buy anything you want, sweetheart. it's all yours."
he was at this exact shop with her just a few days ago. the shelves were near empty and it was still recovering from her last shopping spree. the entire staff seemed nervous about how little they had to offer you.
"come here, sweetie. try a taste of this wine. i'm sure you'll like it."
the bottle was half empty. he had spent an afternoon with her, chatting over wine in a room that held no one else but them. you knew for a fact that she was passed out drunk in the room he only recently furnished for her sake.
those moments were not far and few between. it was a constant. a curse.
you were tired of being a ghost in your own relationship. it was obvious you had become nothing but a chore to him. something like a cog in the machine, maybe. you were no longer something whole and he made you that way. he had weakened your resistance and rounded your instincts.
growing up in the n109 zone, you knew better than to linger in the eye of danger. the longer this went on, the longer you lost yourself. it was beyond you how it got this bad. you thought you were smart enough to avoid getting involved in something like this, but you thought wrong. his love had blinded you.
now, you're stuck standing a few feet away from your partner, watching as he looks at another woman as if she planted every single flower in his blossoming garden.
"what's wrong, boss lady?" one of the twins ask, nudging you back to reality.
you smile, turning away from the sight of sylus in order to give luke your full attention. "i'm just doing a little thinking," you say with a cryptic glint in your eyes.
luke folds his arms. "a little thinking? yeah right," he huffs, unconvinced.
he looks out towards his boss, taking in the current events. "it's not like that, y'know." he murmurs. "boss-man and miss hunter— they're strictly business."
his reassurance makes your face hot. you appreciate his concerns, but you're mortified to have been read like an open book. from someone younger, no less.
really— just what has loving sylus reduced you to?
"i know," you say after swallowing the knot in your throat.
you lean against his shoulder, sighing loudly. "thanks for caring, luke. i promise everything is okay."
"are you sure..?" he leans into you as well. "because you've been real quiet lately."
"i'm okay." you stand up straight with a chuckle. "you have nothing to worry about. just keep being a little cutie-pie for me."
"euugh, there you go again…" luke shifts away from you, cringing exageratedly. "you're nuts, lady!"
you laugh, probably for the first time in a while, and it feels great. there's a weight missing from your shoulders. now that you know what to do and which path to take, you won't hesitate.
but… what if you took your time with it?
you have the world at your fingertips right now. all the money in the world, jewels that you will never see again, the ability to go anywhere you desire. it was all at your disposal.
is it wrong to take advantage of what you have while it's still yours?
who knows. whether it's right or wrong wont stop you.
"i'm thinking about taking a vacation." you announce after making up your mind. your voice is muffled under the sound of machinery and laughter from miss hunter. the moment is still yours, however, because all eyes have suddenly fallen onto you.
"a vacation?!" luke exclaims in shock. "where is this coming from?!"
his brother appears out of nowhere, occupying the vacant spot on your other side. "hey, what's this i hear about a vacation?" kieran asks.
before you could answer, your eyes get caught on the crimson glow of sylus' gaze from afar. he probably heard everything.
"i wanna go on a trip," you respond, tearing your attention away from sylus. it was a delayed process, but you manage. this will be your first win of many soon to come.
"i haven't been anywhere but the n109 zone and linkon city. it'd be nice to get out and explore." your attention flits between both boys. "what do you think? not a bad idea, right?"
"how are we supposed to live without you, boss lady?" luke shrieks. he latches onto one of your hands in a panic, spouting some more nonsense that you clearly don't take too seriously.
"now that i think about it… it is kinda weird." kieran says amidst his twin's nonstop crying. "you're a workaholic to the max, boss lady. i can't believe you're finally deciding to take a break on your own."
you chuckle, "what can i say? seeing you boys laze around all the time has inspired me."
"it would seem like the twins have rubbed off on you in the worst possible way." you hear sylus say as he slowly approaches you.
the soles of his shoes come to a halt with one final click atop metallic floors. he stands in front of you and the twins, brushing them off in order to be the only one within your line of sight.
his lips are curled on one side, confident in a lazy way. "do you really intend to go on a trip without me?"
there's a tense beat of silence before you respond, "i do."
you peer up at him since he has left you with no other choice. "i haven't been too busy lately. who knows when i'll ever have this kind of free time again." you add, "shouldn't i make the most of it while i can?"
sylus' recent missions barely required your help. as much as you would hate to admit it, your skills and assets are completely replaceable. sylus can gather information on his own and miss hunter is more capable on field than you.
that doesn't mean you're useless. it just means your work is needed elsewhere. you'll probably figure out your next job while on break.
"still…" sylus mumbles, tilting your head back by your chin. he narrows his eyes at your lackluster expression. "why don't we go together once my work with miss hunter is complete?" he suggests.
you give him a look. "and when will that be?"
"i…"
"sylus! there's something wrong with this gun! can you come take a look at it?"
sylus flinches. he glances between miss hunter and you, obviously torn. he eventually sighs. "let's talk about this when we get home," he says to you.
you nod and he hurriedly returns to miss hunter. the sight has something cold filling into your chest. it's not so much hurt as it is disappointment.
"luke, kieran." you turn to the two young men, smiling at them gently. "we should go someplace expensive for lunch. what do you say?"
the two light up, bouncing at your side excitedly. "let's go, let's go!" they exclaim in unison.
"we should have something sweet as a treat after that." you and the boys head towards the exit with big plans in mind. "should we buy it or make it ourselves? i think i feel like baking today."
"you always do look super funny covered in flour." kieran says with a snicker.
luke holds the door open for you. "those cookies you made last time were amazing, boss lady!" he laughs, "you could conquer the entire n109 zone with just your cookies alone.”
you shake your head at his nonsensical joke. "i'll make a lot more this time, then." you promise on the way out of the building.
the silly boys cheer and chant the entire way out. they always make for a good time. thanks to them, the rest of the day passes by in a flash. you barely had any time to think much about sylus.
they leave you sometime around dinner, however. something about an emergency visit to a client, they had said. you saw them off, but not without stuffing one last cookie in their hands before they left.
even without the twins, you're not alone. there's the security, the personal chef in the kitchen, and miss hunter.
"he—hello." she stutters as she greets you, cowering into her shoulders. she wrings her hands together as a self-soothing mechanism, clearly intimidated by you.
you feel a little bad because despite her being the root of your problems, you never did have the heart to hate her.
"here." you hold a cookie out to the poor girl. "i made these earlier for the twins. there's more in the kitchen to snack on if you'd like."
"oh! thank you." she accepts it in a hurry.
she stuffs the entire cookie into her mouth in one go and you really aren't sure how to react.
"wow! ish sho delishush!" she exclaims through chews, her two thumbs raised up out towards you.
"pfft." you cover your mouth as you laugh, her antics a bit too much for you to take.
"i'm glad you like it." you say just as your laughter slows to an end. you reach out to her face and wipe the crumbs away with a tissue from the pack in your pocket.
she thanks you awkwardly. both for the cookie and for helping her with the crumbs. you noticed this earlier, but she seems to look at you with a certain glint in her eyes. it appears to be a mix of admiration and guilt. she's definitely not as naive as she makes herself out to be.
to you, that's a good trait to have. especially since she's involved with sylus of all people.
"i heard sylus is renovating the room you were staying in." you stare at her calmly and curiously, because she intrigues you.
"did you pick out a new temporary room?" you ask.
she shakes her head. "i have to get a few things from my room before i move into another one…"
"i'll help you." you step past her, patting her on the shoulder in passing.
"thank you." her voice sounds a bit strained, but she follows after you. you lead the way fully knowing where her room is.
honestly, she could very easily reject your offer to help. you two aren't friends. you wonder why she won't draw a line with you.
if you had to guess, it's probably because she has some sort of respect for you. the twins let her know about you from the start. you're second to sylus, a force to be reckoned with. one wrong move with you could very well result in something irreversible.
what she doesn't know, however, is that she is completely out of your jurisdiction.
sylus and miss hunter haven't known each other for long, but he had treated her with such high regards that you knew better than to mess with her. you didn't know what tied them together, but it seemed fated. meant to be.
it was obvious. you just denied it until you no longer could.
"here we are." you say, standing off to the side so she can open the door.
miss hunter nods with a polite smile. she opens the door in a hurry and the two of you enter the messy room. it's empty aside a few plastic-covered pieces of furniture set off to the side.
"it'll probably take a few weeks before this room is finished." tickled from the sawdust lingering in the room, you cough. "you should move all your belongings for the time being."
"good idea." she nods so much it makes you feel dizzy.
"what should i help with?"
"umm…" she points to the dresser. "could you please grab my clothes? i need to get the stuff under the bed."
"mhm."
a tense quiet spills into the room, filling out the space between you and miss hunter. you can feel her glance at you a few times. she has something to say and you don't mind waiting until she's ready to speak.
"i—" she stumbles in your direction. "i'm sorry." she says. it's so sudden and so heavy.
"i'm not trying to get between you and sylus. i swear." she speaks in a hurry, the words coming out so fast her mind can barely catch up. "i don't know how to explain it, but there's something there, you know? it's this unexplainable pull. every time we resonate, i feel that there's something more between us."
out of breath, she quickly says, "but i promise i won't do anything!"
you shake your head, taking in a deep breath as you look at her from over your shoulder. "that's enough."
"i know what you're talking about and i don't blame you." you offer her a sad smile that only makes her pale in the face. "why would i blame you for what can't be helped?"
"sylus and i are still together. at least for the time being." removing your eyes from hers, you walk towards the door while you speak. "you shouldn't worry about us or feel guilty about something you can't control. i get it."
holding the door open by the doorknob, your eyes fall into hers. you should probably say something more, relieve her of the guilt that sticks to her like a second layer of skin, but you find yourself drained. your sympathy, understanding, and kindness have all run dry.
with one last forced, fleeting smile, you wave goodbye to her and exit the room with a hurried pace. you really can't understand it. why is her bond with sylus near inescapable? was it all an inevitable outcome? why did it feel like this world was made for her?
none of it made any sense. you were certain that nothing would change even if you tried your hardest. so that really only left you with one last choice— the one you already made.
"this is the life…" you sigh in content from where you lie on the beach chair. you can hear the ocean waves in distance and you wholeheartedly welcome it. this is the most relaxed you've been in ages.
let's make the most out of this before leaving.
"sure is, boss lady." one of the twins says in agreement.
you open one of your eyes, glancing at the young man on the chair beside you. kieran had tagged along for your vacation, but luke had to stay behind to help sylus with a few things. you didn't mind, of course. you get along well with the twins and you actually like spending time with them. you had become family with the boys and you're certain you're something special to them too.
it's not just kieran, though.
there was a bodyguard standing not too far away and a few other hidden out of sight. you could feel all the eyes on you. kieran had assured you it was for your safety. yeah right.
sylus was monitoring you. he could probably feel you pulling away from him. he has always been a careful man. you were a liability. if you and him were to ever part on bad terms, who is to say you wouldn't run off with all of his secrets and betray him? a simple vow could never soothe a man as guarded as him.
"guess what?" breaking you from your chain of thoughts, kieran sits up in a hurry. "boss said he'd be here by dinner. he still has some stuff to deal with, but he at least wanted to see you."
"did he now?" you push your back off of the chair.
"will luke be coming with him?"
"nope. he's on a mission in linkon with miss hunter—" kieran cuts himself off as if the mention of the other woman had burnt his tongue.
"hmm." you don't mention his behavior because you're more than aware that he's just trying to be thoughtful.
"if that's the case, then we should go get ready to meet him. you know how particular he is."
kieran tumbles awkwardly off of his chair, nodding eagerly, anything to leave his mistake behind. "you're the boss, boss lady."
sylus doesn't arrive before dinner at all. you had waited only an hour before deciding to eat with kieran instead. it was a nice dinner without him regardless. you could have bought a small house with the total on the bill.
sometime after a relaxing bath in the evening, a pair of arms snake around your waist and you're pulled into an embrace you've almost forgotten.
"you really don't hesitate when using my money, do you?" sylus chuckles behind your ear.
instead of sinking into him, you remain still.
"what's yours is mine." you respond, blinking slowly as if to steady yourself. "i remember a certain someone saying that all the time."
"whoever that certain someone is, he sounds quite wise." his mouth moves from your ear to the side of your neck, lips soft on your skin, planting languid kisses down the length of it.
you shudder at his abrupt show of affection. it feels both right and wrong.
"you've been acting unusual lately," he whispers into your neck. he sighs heavily. "why have you become so cold, sweetheart?"
"i haven't."
"you have." he purses his lips and pulls you in closer. "i know i have been quite busy, but that doesn't mean i care about you any less."
"miss hunter—"
"is just a friend." he quickly interrupts. he was waiting for you to bring her up. the tone of his voice is completely off. it's raspy with a mix of panic and guilt.
oh.
he's aware of how his actions have been effecting you lately. of course he was.
you turn around, exhaling. "sylus."
his face pales.
"don't do this." he tries to hold you close to his chest, only stopping himself when he feels you resist. "sweetie, please…"
"i see the way you look at her, sylus." you stare deep into his eyes. you used to adore the mystery behind those ruby reds.
now, they haunt you.
"i saw it right from the start— how your eyes would linger on her. do you realize how you light up whenever she's around?" you laugh bitterly, "you're something special when you're with her."
"i'm tired of pretending not to see it."
"no— no. sweetheart, please." his hands drop down to yours and he grips you tight. "it's not true. not true in the slightest."
he speaks softly, almost as if begging for you to understand. "it's only you. i only see you."
"stop it." pushing away from him, you frown deeply. "i'm not an idiot, sylus. don't treat me like one."
"sweetheart—"
"tell me right now, would you prioritize me over her?" you ask with a quickness brought on from the rush of your emotions. "if we were both in danger, who would you save first? would you even think of me in that moment?"
"i…"
you shout, "answer the question!" and it echoes throughout the large, luxurious room.
there's a moment of silence before he answers, "i don't know."
you laugh through your nose. "right."
"how can i convince you that i only want you?" he asks like a broken man. "that i have chosen you?"
"i don't want to be a choice you have to make." you shake your head at him. "i want to be you're only option— the only one on your mind— but that will never happen.”
"you don't understand," he sighs.
"it's different with her, sweetheart. our connection goes far beyond this lifetime. it's something out of my control." one of his hands reach for you. "but i want this with you. i want this lifetime to belong to us."
"why fight what's fated?" you take a step backwards. "just accept what is being handed to you on a silver platter, sylus. i'm willing to walk away for both of our sakes."
he catches you by the wrist. "no."
"i'll make us work. you just have to trust me." he nearly begs.
slapping his hand off, you strengthen your resolve. "i don't want to trust you."
you say with greater effort, "i don't want you."
"you can’t say that." he looks at you with eyes that resemble shattered rubies.
"i don't want you." you repeat, because you can only hope it comes true the more you say it. "i don't want you, sylus."
what happened after that wasn't anything special. sylus had left the room like a man on the run, spewing a rushed apology without even looking back. when he left, the bodyguards he assigned to you had tripled.
he kept an eye on you throughout your travels. you weren't sure whether it was to prevent you from betraying him or just a means to keep you from leaving. it didn't bother you. you had no plans to betray him or abandon your life in the n109 zone.
you just wanted to leave your love behind.
which, through nights of reflection, promises, and sheer determination— you did. you clumsily closed that part of yourself off and refused to bear your soul to sylus from that point forward.
he hasn't been taking it very well at all.
"i fail to see the point in this," he snarls, aimlessly pacing back and forth. his eyes are dark with frustration. the hopelessness that settled between you two only amplified his growing anger.
"i understand that i have failed to provide you with the security you deserve, but why this?" he abruptly stops in place, his head snapping in your direction.
"can we not fix this mess together, sweetheart? just as we always have before?"
you cross one leg over the other, your expression unrelenting. "no, we cannot."
you sip at your hot drink, the warmth filling into your chest a comfort you've long missed. you haven't been at peace like this in a long time. it feels wonderful.
"sweetie…"
with a big sigh, sylus sits down by your side. he hunches over, elbows propped on his knees, hands holding his head by his forehead. "i miss you," he murmurs. it's a sentence you barely even hear.
"i miss you.” he says again. “i miss us." he glances at you in the corner of his eyes. you, who is peaceful and happy. someone he took entirely for granted.
someone he should have fought for.
compared to his defeated appearance, you seem serene and untouchable. it didn't make sense how you were right in front of him while simultaneously beyond his reach. he hated it. he once had every right to hold you however he wanted. now, all he could do was simply look at you.
"miss hunter will be arriving soon. she asked if we could help her track down someone and i agreed." you finish the last bit of your drink with a content sigh.
"you agreed to help her?" sylus sits up straight, frowning deeply.
he had been avoiding the woman in question ever since he lost you. he felt ashamed of his feelings and the actions he could not control. he wanted to gather himself before facing her again, but it looks like he no longer has a choice.
maybe this was your way of seeking vengeance. you were pushing him away while guiding him towards a path he could not reject. it was sickening how little control he had.
"i don't want to see her," he says in a low and slightly quivering voice. he sounds equal parts angry and anxious.
"you have to." you smile towards him. "you can't run away from this forever, sylus."
"i won't see her."
"you will."
as if on cue, the door to the room is knocked on three times. "boss! miss hunter is here!"
you watch his face twist into something short of horrified. his fate is playing him like the fool he is and, like you, he begrudgingly succumbs to it.
after taking a deep breath, he sighs, "let her in."
you watch, wordless, as he returns to the path already paved.
