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↳ ‘𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒚𝒔𝒔.’

👾 anti hero | icy : they/them : adult : angst | tragedy

🍦 Masterlist | Main Masterlist : LADS : LADS 2 : RECS : DC

🍻 Cheers. If you don't like it, don't read it. Stop wasting your time and mine.

🍹 Beta? No beta, we die like Jason Todd and Caleb.

☕️ ko-fi :") : discord : wattpad : quotev : ao3

ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇꜱ ɪ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ.

˙ʎɹɹos ɯ,I

Imagine Sylus had always known loving you would eventually ruin him. Not because you were cruel, not because the relationship was bad, but because you were good in all the way he never was. Soft where he was sharp, warm where he was cold. Honest where he had spent his entire life surviving through half truths and violence.

and Imagine the longer he loved you, the more unbearable it became knowing he could never give you the kind of life you deserved. You wanted ordinary things. That was the tragedy of it. Not luxury, not power, not the dangerous glamour that followed men like him. You wanted mornings, wanted peace. You wanted to raise children somewhere quiet enough that they could sleep without armed guards outside the door.

Imagine Sylus remembered those conversation too vividly. You sprawled across his couch late at night while he worked, your head on his thigh while you talked sleepily about random things that crossed your mind. About little apartments with terrible wallpaper, about adopting stray cats, about children. You used to talk about children so gently. Not in a demanding way, you never asked him for promises. You simply loved the idea of loving someone that much.

"I think little kids are cute when they're annoying." You had murmured once, half asleep. Sylus looked down at you back then with something dangerously close to grief alreadt forming inside his chest. "Annoying?" He repeated quietly and you laugh softly as you said, "Like when they ask the same question fiftly times." "You'd lose patience." "I would not." "You absolutely would."

Imagine the way you sat up immediately to defend yourself while he watched you with the kind of expression men only wore when they were already doomed. Back then, he almost let himself imagine it too. You, a home, children running through hallways, domesticity. The kind of life that smelled like laundry detergent and dinner left warming on the stove.

Imagine then reality always returned, because Sylus's life was not built for permanence. It was built for survival. Blood followed him everywhere. Danger followed him anywhere. And eventually he realized that loving you selfishly enough to keep you would only destroy you slowly. So he let you go before the world could.

Imagine he still remember that final night with nauseating clarity. You were sitting across from him, silent for so long that the room itself felt heavy. Neither of you cried at first, that was what made it unbearable. The understanding between you had always been too deep for dramatic scenes.

"You don't have to decide this alone." You told him quietly and Sylus nearly broke right there. Because even then when he was actively breaking both your hearts, you were still trying to stand beside him. "You deserve more than this." He said eventually. "I didn't ask for more." "That's exactly why I have to." His voice had sounded calm but inside he was unraveling. And you stared at him for a long time after that before you finally whispered. "You already decided, didn't you."

Imagine the way he could not answer. Because he knew if he opened his mouth, he might've begged you to stay despite everything. And Sylus, he loved you too much to become that selfish. So he sat there in silence while tears slipped quietly down your face. Not angry tears, not hateful ones. Just heartbreak, raw and exhuasted. The kind that came from loving someone deeply enough to understand why they were hurting you.

Imagine you left before dawn and Sylus stood in that same room long after the door closed, staring at the space you used to occupy like maybe grief itself had taken shape there. Afterward, he continued existing the only way he knew how. Work, violence, control.

then Imagine, the twin happened. Sylus sometimes thought fate had a particularly cruel sense of humor. He found them during a raid gone wrong. Tiny things covered in dirt and fear. One of them clinging desperately to the other while trying to act brave, staring at him like wounded animals when he approached.

Imagine Sylus should have walked away after handing them over. Instead, he left that warehouse carrying both children in his arms, and he hated himself for keeping them at first. Not because of the boys, never because of them, but because every single thing about them reminded him of you. Of the future he destroyed with his own hands. Children, family, a home. The very thing he convinced himself he could never give anyone.

Imagine there were nights he genuinely thought about sending them away, finding a better guardians, safer people. Then one of the twins would crawl into his bed after a nightmare and clutch onto his shirt with tiny trembling hands. And he, Sylus was weak when it comes to being needed. Especially by children who looked at him like he hung the moon. So he kept them.

Imagine years passed strangely after that. The twins grew louder, messier, needier. They filled spaces inside his home that had remained empty for so long that Sylus forgot emptiness could even be replaced. And yet you remained everywhere too. In the quiet moments, passing thoughts, in every instance where he found himself wondering what you would say. The boys liked dinosaur, you would've found that adorable. One refused vegestables unless threatened dramatically, you would've laughed yourself sick watching it.

Imagine the twins would fall asleep against him on the couch and Sylus would sit there staring at them while an ache settled deep into his chest. Because it should have been you here. Not as a replacement, never that, but beside him. You should have been part of this life. And maybe that was the punishment for his decision. Not losing you completely but spending years imagining you in every corner of the life he chose without you.

Imagine he still keep tabs on you quietly. Security updates, general reports. Enough to know you were alive and safe, enough to know what you become. And Sylus remembered staring at that particular report for a long time. A teacher. It suited you so painfulyy well that he had to pour himself another drink afterwards. He thought of you surrounded by children. Patient, warm, smiling softly the way you used to smile at him during gentler days. And God... He missed you so much it physically exhausted him sometimes.

still Imagine, he never intended to see you again. Because that part of his life was supposed to remain untouched. One where it held the version of you he knew and when he still belonged beside you. The years he had spent with you had become something fragile inside him, and he feared that reaching for them again would only prove that they no longer existed. And because if he saw you again and discovered that those days had meant nothing, then even the memories would lose their warmth.

then Imagine the twins insisted he attend the parent teacher meeting personally. Usually he delegated those things. Executives, assistants, someone safer, someone normal. But the twins had spent an entire week bothering him relentlessly. "You never come." "Other parents do." "What if our teacher thinks you don't love us?" That one had made him freese. So eventually against his better judgement, Sylus went. And the moment he stepped into the classroom, the world stopped.

Imagine he saw you standing near your desk beneath warm fluorescent lighting, surrounded by colorful paper stars and children's drawings taped against the walls. And suddenly, Sylus couldn't hear anything except the violent pounding of his own heartbeat. Then you looked up and met his eyes. And for one horrible second, he felt every single year without you crash directly into his chest.

Imagine you looked the same. Older, yes. Softer around the edges, but still unmistakably you. Still beautiful in the devastatingly quiet way that ruined and save him. Sylus genuinely forgot how to speak. The twins were talking, something about getting lost in the hallway but he varely heard them. Because you were standing right there after years of only existing through distant reports and fading memories, alive, real, close enough to touch. The worst part? His body remembered you immediately. Not sexually, not superficially. It was something deeper. The instictive familiarity of home.

Imagine he remembered your voice before you even finished speaking, remembered how your smile looked when it was genuine versus polite, remembered exactly how your eyes softened when you looked at children. God, he was introble the second you smiled at him professionally and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. QIn." Mr. Qin, not Sylus. And the distance in it nearly split him open. Still, he forced himself to stay composed, professional, controlled. Because what else could he possibly be? Certainly not the man internally unravelling every time you laughed at something the twins said.

Imagine you adored the boys, it was so obvious that it hurt unexpectedly. You looked at the twin with so much fondness that Sylus had to glance away several times during the meeting. Because all he could think about was how naturally you fit into the scene. How easily you could have loved them and how easily they would have loved you back. And the small things, oh the small things. You remembered which twin struggled more in subjects, how you listened to their rediculous stories like they mattered. At one point, one of the twins interrupted your discussion entirely just to tell you about dinosaurs and how they would thrive in modern society. And you listened seriously, smiling, interested.

Imagine Sylus nearly lost composure right there because he could see it clearly. The life he denied both of you. The life he still wanted despite knowing better. Then came the moment that truly destroyed him. The meeting ended. And the twins ran ahead outside the classroom, loudly complaining about being hungry, and you walked beside him towards the doorway and for one fleeting moment it almost felt familiar again. Like the old days, like walking home together after long evenings. Then he heard himself asking, "How have you been?"

Imagine the way the question even surprised him. But the need to know had apparently lived inside him for years. And you looked startled, not uncomfortable, just caught off guard. Then you smiled softly. "I've been doing well." Sylus held his breath. "I'm happy." Happy. The word lodged somewhere beneath his ribs like a blade. Because he could tell that you mean it. There was no bitterness in your face, no lingering devastation, no sadness hidden behind politeness. You were genuinely happy.

Imagine the way Sylus suddenly realized he had spent years surviving your absence while you had actually learned how to live beyond it. And for one ugly, selfish moment, he almost wanted to ask how. How could you smile at him so gently when he still woke up some nights remembering the exact weight of your sleeping body against his chest? How could you stand there so peacefully when he had spend years carrying your ghost around everywhere? How could you move on from something that still lived inside him like an open wound?

"How about you?" Sylus froze. Because he didn't know how to answer that question honestly. Fine wasn't true. Happy was impossible. He had built an empire, raised two boys, survived things that should have destroyed him. Yet standing in front of you again made him feel emptier than he had in years. But before he could answer, the twins called loudly from down the hallway. "Dad!" "Hurry up!" "We're hungry!" The moment shattered instantly, reality returning all at once. And Sylus looked towards them briefly before turning back to you. And you were smiling at him so kindly that it physically hurt.

"Go on." You laughed softly, "They're waiting for you." Sylus opened his mouth, then close it. Because suddenly there were too many things trapped in his throat. I miss you. I never stopped loving you. I think leaving you ruined me. Do you ever think about me? Instead, he forced himself to say, "It was nice seeing you again." You smile softened even further. "Likewise, Mr. Qin." Mr. Qin. So polite, so distant. Like he had become someone formal in your life instead of someone who once knew every inch of your soul.

Imagine the twins grabbed his hands afterward, pulling him towards the hall while continuing their dramatic complaints about food and Sylus let them drag him away. But halfway down the hallway he looked back, just once. And there you were still standing by the classroom doorway watching them leave with that same gentle expression on your face. No anger, no regret. No sign that seeing him destroyed you the way seeing you destroyed him. And somehow, that hurt the most.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2026°

(: base on the result of the poll, there shall be no part 3. So yeah, this is the last part. I shall leave everything to your imagination. If you see any typo, that's because of William and Albert James Moriarty. Naduduling na ko kakacheck ng typo sa totoo lang.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE TIKTOK LIVE?! BRUH? IM SCREAMIN I WAS THERE HE WAS SOOOOOOOOOO AHHHHHHH

Imagine the transfer should have been temporary, that was what Caleb told you six months ago when the reassignment orders first arrived. "Just a different unit." He reassured you softly while standing in your kitchen. "I'll still come home." Home, not your apartment. Home. Because Caleb started calling your place home long before you even got engaged.

Imagine he kept that promised too. No matter how brutal the new schedule became, he still drove back to the city whenever he could. Sometimes arriving past midnight exhuasted out of his mind only to leave again before sunrise. You used to scold him for it constantly. "You need sleep." "I need you more." Ridiculous man. Ridiculously sincere man. That was the problem. Caleb loved you too honestly for this situation to make sense. Which is why the past week had been slowly driving him insane.

Imagine the operation had reached critical stage faster than expected. Months of investigation finally narrowed into something tangible. Dead fleet officers, missing intel, internal corruption, targeted executions disguisedas accidents. At first the unit suspected isolated incidents. Then patterns started emerging. Officers connected to specific classified transport routes kept dying one after another. Some vanished entirely, others were found dead before they could testify. The newest victim finally gave them a lead. A newly married fleet officer murdered in his own home, except his wife survived, barely. She escaped before the shooter fnished clearing the house.

Imagine now she was their only living witness. Which meant she was also a walking target. The problem? The leak was internal. Someone inside the fleet kept feeding information outward. Meaning, nowhere offical was safe. No military housing, no secure holding facilities, no predictable movement. So the witness got moved constantly between trusted personnel, including Caleb.

Imagine he hated it immediately. Not because of the responsibility, but because of you. Because suddenly, the operation stopped being dangerous only for him. Now there was possibility of collateral. And the moment collateral became possible, Caleb's entire perspective changed violently. You became the center of every tactical decision in his head. Could this route expose you? Could this operation lead people toward your apartment? Could someone follow him back home? Could someone use you against him? That last thought alone nearly made him sick.

so Imagine, he started pulling away slightly, not enough for you to notice fully. He tried so hard not to. God, he tried. Because Caleb physically didn't know how to function properly without you anymore. You were woven too deeply into his life, routine, and sanity. After brutal shifts, hearing your voice grunded him. Sleeping beside you kept him human somehow. You were the only place where Colonel Caleb stoppped existing. Where he could just be your fiance instead of someone constantly responsible for life and death.

but Imagine lately, the pressure became unbearable. Every move mattered, every mistake could get people killed. And Caleb was good under pressure, exeptionally good. But not when it involved you. Never you. So yes, he became distaracted. Quieter sometimes, checking his surroundings more often, sleeping lighter, watching doors automatically. You noticed, of course you noticed. You noticed everything about him too. And Caleb hated himself every single time he saw concern flicker across your face before you smiled anyway and kissed him like you trusted him completely. Because you did trust him. That trust became the knife slowly twisting inside his chest all week.

Imagine then tonight happened and everything finally exploded. The witness was sitting quietly in the kitchen when Caleb stepped into the shower. He planned to finished paperwork afterwards then drive back to the city to see you. He missed you so badly it physically ached. The past few days had been hell. He needed you. Needed your voice. Needed your hand in his hair while he pretended the world wasn't collapsing round him. Instead the bathroom door opened and Caleb walked straight into his worst fucking nightmare.

Imagine the way you stood frozen inside his apartment staring at the witness like your entire world had just been ripped out from under you. And fuck, the look on your face. Shock first, then confusion, then heartbreak. Real heartbreak and Caleb felt actual panic slam through him instantly. Not suspicion, not irritation. Panic. Because immediately, he understood exactly what this looked like. The witness was wearing his shirt. Fresh marks still on the witness neck from injuries sustained during the attack days ago. The apartment looked lived in, intimate, domestic. And Caleb himself just walked out looking comfortable as hell inside the environment. Fuck.

"Baby-" Then your expression changed. And Caleb's stomach dropped violently because he recognized it instantly. That look, the moment someone stops feeling safe. You ran. And everything inside him snapped. "Baby!" He sprinted after you immediately, not caring about protocol, not caring about surveillance risks. Because nothing mattered except stopping you before this misunderstanding destroyed everything.

Imagine the apartment hallway blurred around him. Then came a movement, tiny, brief. A red laser dot flickered against the far wall behind you. Gone immediately but Caleb say it. Years of training wired his brain too sharply not to. And suddenly all the blood drained from his body. No. No no no no. They found the apartment. The operation was comprimised. And worst of all, you were here. Exposed, visible, vulnerable. For one horrifying second, Caleb imagined the laser moving slightly upward. Straight to your head. And his chest nearly fucking stopped.

"Baby wait!" You kept running, crying. Completely unaware someone potentially had a scope trained on your body right now. Caleb caught your wrist at the parking lot. Then you hit him, hard. The impact split skin across his cheek instantly. His head snapped across his face. He barely regustered it. Because you looked shattered. And Caleb realized with horrifying clarity, you genuinely thought he betrayed you. "Listen to me." He said immediately, breathing hard. "That's not what it looked like." "Then what is it?" He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Because his brain was screaming too many things at once.

Imagine there was the witness, the leak, the fucking laser. Get her out of here. Protect her. Then your voice cracked. "What is it, Caleb?" God, you looked desperate. Not angry yet, just desperate. Like you were begging him to give you something, anything, that would make this make sense. And that almost destroyed him more than the slap because even now, you still wanted to believe him. You still trsuted him enough to ask explanation instead of immediately condeming him. That trsut fucking wrecked him. Because he loved you. Loved you so much it bordered on insanity sometimes.

and Imagine now he was standing here watching that love get twisted into pain because of a mission he couddn't explain. "Tell me." He looked at your face. Then beyond you. The laser flickered briefly again against your car window. Cold rage exploded through him instantly. They were sending a message. Talk. Talk and she dies first. Caleb understood that perfectly. And suddenly, something terrifying woke up inside him. Not fear but murderous rage. Because these people weren't just threatening him anymore. They were threatening you. Using you. Cornering him into hurting you himself.

"Tell me!" You begged now, tears falling harder. "Because right now it looked like you've been lying to my face for weeks hiding another woman in your apartment." Every word hit like a bullet. Because on your perspective? You were right. You had every right to think that. And Caleb hated himself for putting you in this position. "It's not like that." "Then explain it!" "I can't." The second those words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Imagine the way your face collapsed completely. Not dramatic, not explosive, worse. It was quiet devastation. Like your heart physically cracked open in front of him and fuck. Caleb would rather take a bullet. 'I can't' sounded guilty, cowardly, suspicious. He knew that. But what was he supposed to do? Tell you there were armed eyes watching right now? Tell you people died over less information than this? Tell you your life had potentially become collateral damage the second you walked into that apartment? He coudn't risk it. Not with you. Never with you.

Imagine then your voice dropped smaller. "You're hurting me." And there it was, the thing tat finally broke him. Because you weren't screaming. You weren't insulting him. You just sounded hurt, disappointed, heartbroken. Like you couldn't understand why the man who loved you most was suddenly becoming the source of your pain. Caleb's grip loosened slightly around your wrist. His breathing became uneven. Because he knew. God, he knew he was hurting you and worse, he was doing it knowingly. Chosing silence while watching tears run down your face because the alternative could get you killed.

"Please." You whispered desperately. "Just tell me the truth." He wanted to. Fuck, he wanted to so badly. Wanted to grab your face and explain everything. Wanted to beg you not to leave him. Wanted to promise this wasn't betrayal. But then the laser appeared again brieflt against the concrete, then to your forehead. And Caleb saw red. Actual red. Something violent surged through him so fast his vision sharpened dangerously. Someone was aiming at you. At you. And suddenly every protective instinct inside him turned monstrous.

"I can't." He repeated hoarsely. You went still, then slowly... You pulled off your enngagement ring. The world stopped. No. No no no. Not that. Anything but that. Caleb genuinely panicked. Real panic. "No- baby, please-" "What am I supposed to do?!" You asked shakily. "Stand there pretending I didn't see another woman wearing your clothes?" He couldn't tell you anything, and that helplessness made rage build hotter inside him. Not at you. Never at you. At the situation, at the operation, at whoever forced him into this impossible corner, at the bastards watching from the shadows while the woman he loved cried in front of him because of their fucking mess. You shoved the ring into his chest. "Get out of my way."

Imagine he stared at the ring in his palm. Your ring. The one he spent months secretly carrying around before proposing because he wanted the perfect moment. The one you cried over while saying yes. Now it's sitting cold and unwated in his hand. Something inside Caleb cracked violently, but he stepped aside anyway. Because keeping you near him tonight suddenly felt more dangerous than losing you. And God, that realization nearly killed him. So he watched you get into the car. Watched your hands shake against the steering wheel. Watched you avoid looking at him directly because if you did, maybe you'd break harder.

Imagine Caleb stood there bleeding from the cheek, engagement ring clenched painfully tight in his fist, feeling completely fucking helpless. You looked at him once before driving away. And the devastation in your eyes would haunt him forever. Because despite everthing, you still loved him. He could see it. Which somehow made this infinitely crueler.

Imagine the second your car disappeared, Caleb snapped, completely. He stormed back upstairs so fast the witness physically recoiled when he entered. "She okay?" She asked quietly. Caleb ignored her and grabbed his phone immediately. The moment the line connected, his voice turned terrifying calm. "We've been compromised." Silence, then movement. "I want every surveillance team active now." "Sir?" "There was a fucking laser sight pointed at my fiancee." The room went dead silent. Caleb paced violently through the apartment. Caleb paced violently through the apartment. Every emotion inside him mutating into something colder, meaner, more dangerous.

"Get covert protection on her immediately. Twenty four hour surveillance." He was silent for a moment. "My family too. I want every possible tail identified before sunrise." "Sir we still need authorization-" "Then authorize it." Caleb snapped viciously. Nobdy argued after that tone. Colonel Caleb angry was dangerous. Colonel Caleb angry over you was catastrophic. "They touched the wrong fucking person." He said coldly. The witness stared silently from the kitchen while listening to the conversation. And honestly? She looked scared of him now. Good. Because Caleb himself felt terrifying right now. Not because he lost control but because he still had it.

Imagine every ounce of rage insdie him became focused, precise, lethal. He wanted names, faces, bodies. He wanted everyone involved in this operation dragged into the light personally. No more patience, no more careful politics. These people made you cry. Made you take off your engagement ring. Made you look at him like he betrayed you. For that alone, Caleb wanted them ruined.

Imagine that night, long after orders were issued and surveillance confirmed you reached home safely, Caleb sat alone on the edge of his bed staring at his phone. The apartment felt unbearably empty now. Tiny traces of you everywhere. And now, he didn't know if he lost you forever. The engagement ring sat beside him. Caleb kept staring at it like maybe if he looked hard enough, tonight would undo itself somehow. His cheek stung where you slapped him. He welcomed the pain. He deserved worse. Slowly, Caleb unlocked his phone.

You: I love you. seen

You: Please trust me. seen

then Imagine, it took him a few more seconds and one message for the message to failed and realized you had blocked him. And for a several seconds, he just stared blankly at the screen. Then he laughed, one horrible breathless laugh. Because of course you blocked him. Of course you did. And somehow the reality of it finally crushed him completely. You, his fiancee thought he betrayed you. The woman he planned his entire future around. The woman he wanted children with. The woman he loved so much it scared him sometimes. And now, you were gone. All because he couldn't protect both the mission and your heart at the same time.

Imagine the way the laugh broke midway. Then Caleb lowered his head into his hands and finally cried. Quietly, violently, completely alone. Because there is nothing could do right now except finish this opertion. But afterwards? Afterwards he was getting you back. Even if it destroyed his pride entirely.

Imagine he would kneel, he would beg, he would crawl if he has to, and he would explain everything. Spend years rebuilding your trust if necessary. Because Caleb knew one terrifying truth with complete certainty now. He woud survive gunfire, war, blood, death. But losing you? That would be the thing that finally fucking killed him.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2026°

: if I have typos, just think I can't spell. Cuz maybe i really cant XD

Imagine after four whole years with Caleb, not once had he ever made you questin whether he loved you. Maybe that was what made this hurt so much. Because the cruelest part wasn't the possibility that Caleb stopped loving you. No. You knew him too well for that. Even now, even later, even after everything that would happened tonight, you knew Caleb loved you.

Imagine you knew it with terrifying certainty, you knew it in the way he always reached for you first in crowded rooms. In the way he memorized your routine better than you did. In the way exhaustion never stopped him from driving hours just to spend a night beside you. In the way he still kissed your forehead absentmindedly while half asleep.

Imagine Caleb loved you. Which was exactly why your chest hurt so badly these past few days. Because something was wrong and you could feel it. It was not obvious enough for accusations. Not dramatic enough to start fights. It just felt wrong. Tiny things, small pauses in conversations, moment where Caleb looked distracted before immediately covering up. How he checked his phone more often lately, and sometimes went quiet in the middle of your conversations like he was thinking too hard about something.

and Imagine every single time you noticed it, he would pull you closer afterwards, kiss your temple, then ask about your day. He looks at you with so much warmth it made you feel guilty for doubting him at all. Which only made your anxiety worse. Because if Caleb had been cold, distant, cruel... This would have been easier, but he wasn't. He was still loving you exactly the same. Still calling you endearing nicknames in that soft voice that always melted you. Still showing up at your apartment carrying your favorite food after long shifts. Still sleeping with one arm wrapped tightly around your waist like he physically couldn't rest properly otherwise. Still loving you.

so Imagine, why does your chest feel so heavy? You hated yourself for overthinking. Hated the way old conversation started resurfacing in yout mind again. Military wives whispering warning during gatherings years ago. "Distance change people." "Sometimes they stop telling you things first." "Men stationed far away get lonely." You used to brush off those comments confidently because Caleb wasn't like that. Your Caleb wasn't careless with hearts.

Imagine he loved too deeply for that. Still, the anxiety stayed. Quiet and persistent like your instincts were trying to warn you about something your heart didn't want to see. For an entire week, sleep became difficult, finding yourself rereading old text at night like reassurance, listening to his voice messages repeatedly, trying to convince yourself everything was fine. And maybe, maybe if you had just stayed home that evening, maybe things would have been fine, maybe ignorance really woud have been kinder. Because a part of you would spent the rest of the night wishing desperately that you had never gone there at all.

Imagine the way you just wanted to surprise him. That was all. Caleb had been stuck near base almost nonstop lately because of his transfer to the new unit and you missed him terribly. So after work, you bought dinner and drove toward his apartment near the base with the spare key he once pressed into your hand months ago.

"For emergencies." He told you back then and you laughed. "What counts as emegency?" "You missing me." God, you almost broke down just remembering it.

Imagine the drive there felt normal. You even smiled stupidly at red lights thinking about how surprised Caleb would look seeing you unexpectedly. Maybe he would pull you into one of those crushing hugs you secretly loved. Maybe he would complain dramatically about how exhuasted he was until you played with his hair. Maybe the anxiety would finally disappear once you saw him again. You wanted that desperately, wanted assurance. You wanted your Caleb back.

Imagine the hallway outside his apartment was quiet when you arrived. You balanced the food carefully in one arm while unlocking the door. And then your entire world titled sideways. Because there, right there was a woman sitting inside his kitchen. Wearing Caleb's shirt. For one horrible second, your brain genuinely failed to process what you were seeing. She looked comfortable there. Too comfortable sitting casually at his dining table with coffee in hand like she belonged in that apartment. Like she belonged in his space. In your space. The oversized shirt hanging off her shoulder was unmistakably his too. You knew it immediately becasue you bought that shirt for him last winder after he complained about the old one fading.

Imagine the way your stomach dropped so violently it hurt. The woman looked up at the sound of the door opening. Then blinked in surprise seeing you. And somehow, seeing her expression looked more curious than guilty like she genuinely didn't know who you were. That made your throat tightened painfully. No. No no no no. This didn't make sense. Because Caleb loved you. He loved you. You knew he did. So why? That was when you noticed the marks near her neck. Your vision blurrred instantly. Love bites, fresh enough to still look angry against her skin. Your breathing became uneven immediately. The room suddenlt felt too small. Too hot. Too loud despite the silence.

Imagine the way the woman slowly lowered her coffee cup while studying you carefully. "Caleb didn't tell me a friend was visiting." Friend? You open your mouth. Nothing came out. Because your thoughts were crashing too violently against each other. Who is she? Why is she here? Why is she wearing his clothes? Why does she look so comfortable? Why are there marks on her neck? Why... Why? Why?! You wanted Caleb to walk out right now and laugh. Tell you this was ridiculous. Tell you there was explanation. Because there had to be. Then the bathroom door opened.

and Imagine there he was, fresh from the shower, hair damp, towel around his neck, relaxed, domestic, comfortable. The exact imagine of a man at home with someone. Then his eyes landed on you and you watched everything change instantly. Shock, real shock. Then immediate panic, not guilt, not exactly. Panic. You knew Caleb well enough to recognize it immediately. His eyes widened sharply as if his brain was calculating too many things at once. You saw him realize what this looked like and saw the fear hit him in real time.

"Baby-" something inside you snapped. Because innocent people explained immediately. Innocent people didn't look terrified like that. So you turned and ran before he could say another word. "Baby!" You ignore him. Your chest hurt so badly it felt difficult to breathe. The hallway blurred around you as tears burned instantly behind your eyes. You heard the apartment door slam open violently behind you. Then footsteps, fast, panic filled. "Baby wait!" Your thoughts spiraled uncontrollably. All those insecurities you thought you outgrew suddenly came flooding back at once.

Imagine he's handsome, successful, and surrounded by people constantly. Maybe eventually someone better caught his attention. Maybe distance really did change things. Maybe those women years ago were right. But no... Because even now, even while running away crying like your heart was being ripped open. You still couldn't fully believe Caleb cheated on you. That was the worst part. You didn't think he stopped loving you. You thought he was hidding something. Something big enough to hurt you anyway. And somehow that pain felt deeper. Because if Caleb cheated, at least the betrayal would make sense. But this?

Imagine this felt like watching the person you trusted most slowly drown while refusing to let you help him. Then a hand suddenly grab your wrist. You spun instantly and slapped him hard on the face. The sound cracked violently through the parking lot. Your nails scratching his cheek deeply enough to leave blood behind. Your own palm burned afterwards. And Caleb barely reacted. He didn't even defend himself, he just held your wrist carefully, breathing hard like he had run after you without thinking. Purple eyes frantic, devastated.

"Listen to me." He said immediately, voice rough. "That's not what it looked like." Your laugh came our broken. "Then what is it?" Silence. Not long, but long enough to destroy you. Because you watched Caleb struggle, actually struggle. Like the truth physically sat there inside him clawing to come out. "What is it, Caleb?" His jaw tightened painfully. "Tell me." Nothing. Tears finally spilled fully down your face. "Tell me!" Your voice cracked violently. "Because right now it looks like you've been lying to my face for weeks while hiding another woman in your apartment!"

"It's not like that." "Then explain it!" His expression twisted. God, he looked horrible. Not defensive, not angry. He was horrified. Like every second of this conversation was killing him too. "I can't." Your entire body went still. Not I won't but I can't. And somehow, that hurt worse. Because you believe him. You believe he physically could not tell you. And that realization shattered something inside your chest completely. You stared at him through tears. "Do you understant how much that hurts?" Caleb's face crumpled slightly. "Bab-" "You're hurting me." Your voice came out smaller now. Broken. "And you know you're hurting me."

Imagine that made his grip on your wrist loosened slightly. Like the words physically wounded him. You cna see it all over his face. That was the cruelest part. You knew Caleb loved you, even now. Even standing here bleeding from the cheek after you slapped him. Even now while watching your heart break apart in front of him. Because of him. He still loved you. You could see it so clearly. Which only made this unbearable. Because if he loved you this much. Then whatever secret he was protecting had to matter more than your relationship right now. And that thought destroyed you.

"Just tell me the truth." You whispered desperately. "Please." Caleb looked wrecked. Actually wrecked. Like he wanted to say it so badly. But instead he just whispered again. "I can't."

Imagine the way something inside you gave up. Not angrily, not dramatically. Just... Collapsed. "I see." You tried pulling your wrist away but he still held on weakly, desperately. Like if he let go now, he would loose you forever. And maybe he would. Your hans trembled violently as you reached for your engagement ring. The second Caleb realized what you're doing, real fear crossed his face. "No." You pulled the ring off slowly. The skin beneath suddenly felt enbearably empty. "No- baby, please-" "What am I supposed to do?!" You asked shakily. "Stand there pretending I didn't see another woman wearing your clothes?" His breathing became uneven.

"This isn't what you think." "Then what is it?" Silence again. And God, that silence hurt more than screaming would have. Because you knew Caleb was choosing this silence for a reason. Which meant he believed he had no choice. And maybe that was what truly broke your heart. Not betrayal. Not cheating. But that there was a wall between you neither of you knew how to cross. You shoved the ring weakly against his chest.

"Get out of my way." He looked destroyed, but eventually stepped aside. You got into your carnumbly. Your shared car. Everything suddenlt felt shared, painfully. Outside, you watched Caleb paced near the vehicle helplessly, back and forth. Hands shaking slightly. The cut on his cheeks still bleeding. He looked like he wanted to drag you into his arms and never let go. But he didn't, maybe because he no longer had the right.

Imagine you looked at him through blurry vision and somehow, even now, you still loved him so much it physically hurt. Which made everything even worse. Because a part of you desperately wanted to rewind tonight entirely. Wanted to unknown what you saw. Wanted to go back to his morning before anxiety pushed you here. Because if you never visited, maybe you and Caleb would still be happy right now. Maybe tonight would have ended with him holding you in bed enstead of watching you leave him behind. Maybe ignorance would have sabved you both. That thought haunted you the entire drive home.

and Imagine, later that night, as you curled motionless in your shared bed, staring blankly into the darkness while his scent still clung to the pillows, you phone buzzed.

Apple: I love you.

Apple: Please trust me.

Imagine the way you chest caved inward. Because the thing is you did trust him. Trusted that he loved you. Trusted that whatever happened tonight wasn't a simple betrayal. Trusted him enough to know he was suffering too. And somehow that made this infinitely more painful. Because you knew love wasn't enough to fix this. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. Tears blurred your vision completely. Hands shaking violently, you blocked his number. Then buried your face into the pillow and cried until breathing hurt.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2026°

: advance happy birth day my loveeee! This is one of my bday gift for you :)