Meow

It was meant to be simple. Go in. Say what you had to say. Leave. The end. So why was your hand hesitating to knock on the door?

You had just reached the N109 Zone, after repeatedly going through what you wanted to say in your head and cringing every time.

Sylus, I think we should stop doing whatever it is we’ve got going on. Let’s just stay friends and occasional business associates!

Ugh… How natural. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t pain you to think of a life without the late night joy rides and the stolen kisses in the dark, but it hurt nearly as much to do it and know there was never going to be anything more.

Situationship is what Tara had called it. The word had sounded almost dirty. It didn’t capture the tenderness that Sylus sometimes looked at you with when he was inside you. There was a sense of softness sometimes in his actions and words which made you feel, dare you say, loved.

But then the auction happened. You suddenly felt yourself noticing the way the other women would look at Sylus, and the way they would approach him. You had only been to a handful of these events, and whilst the novelty had worn off, you still felt out of place. The women there would speak to Sylus with familiarity, referencing past events like an inside joke, leaving you feeling more alone than ever. You’d sometimes hover on the periphery, but you’d more often than not earn the scathing glances of the other party and would end up retreating elsewhere. Usually the bar.

Sylus was always cordial with these women, never suggesting anything more than a casual contact, but it suddenly dawned on you that he could have known them more intimately. After all, you were never exclusive. Hell, you weren’t even dating, really. The prospect of Sylus seeing other women felt like a sharp stab in the heart. You felt stupid. He was young and successful and attractive, of course he slept with other people. That’s when you realised that you had to end it.

You raised your fist to knock again but before your hand could touch the wood, the door opened, momentarily stunning you.

“I was going to wait and see how long it would take you but I got bored.” Sylus quirked an eyebrow at your nervous state, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

“What?” His lips curved upwards “cat got your tongue?” He was equal parts smouldering and annoying, and you averted your gaze as soon as you felt your cheeks warm.

“I have to talk to you” you said, frowning as he made no attempt to move, leaving you with no choice but to brush against him as you walked into his home.

“I know. I got your message.” He finally closed the door and gestured to the living room where Mephisto observed the two of you curiously from atop a bookshelf filled with records.

You had no idea whether to sit or stand. Should you have even gone in? Maybe it was better if you had continued to stand outside and kept it quick?

“You’re so jittery, kitten” Sylus’s hand touched your cheek, making you jump, much to your embarrassment and Sylus’s confusion. He withdrew his hand, eyes narrowed as he regarded you.

“Are you alright? Do you need help? Talk to me.” His voice was serious as he gestured for you to take a seat.

“I’d prefer to stand” you said, walking from his sitting form to gain some distance from him. You subtly wiped your clammy palms onto your work issued trousers, though Sylus’s gaze dropped to watch you because of course he would notice something like that.

To his credit he remained quiet while you composed yourself. His eyes didn’t leave you when you nervously tucked your hair behind your ear and cleared your throat.

“It’s not a big deal. I just thought… no, I think that we should stop…. This.” You gestured between the two of you. His face didn’t move.

“You know, like we shouldn’t see each other anymore. Well, I mean, we can see each other, I’m not proposing we just stop hanging out or whatever, but we should stop, uh… seeing each other intimately.”

You paused, letting your words sink into the room slowly as you tried to look at anything that wasn’t him. You heard him sigh and dared your eyes to glimpse at him. You weren’t sure how he would react. You hadn’t really thought that far to be honest. The best and worst case scenario was that he’d just shrug his shoulders and accept it on the chin and it would hurt a lot, but at least you would be able to move on.

“Have I done something to upset you?” You blinked in surprise. He didn’t seem upset per say, but his voice was a touch softer than you had imagined it would be.

“No…”

“Have I angered you, or made you uncomfortable?”

“No… that’s not it.”

“Then I’m struggling to see what’s going on.” He stood up suddenly, trying to cross the room to you, only for you to instinctively move away.

“Are you scared? Did I do something to scare you?” He sounded guilty.

“No!” He closed his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“Then what?”

Your stomach churned at the thought of having to spell it out so plainly to him but it seemed like you had no other choices but to show your hand.

“I like you. A lot.” His eyes widened at your confession “and I want more, but I know I can’t have it. You’ve always said you hate routine and normalcy. What’s more routine and normal than being in a relationship?” Your shoulders slumped and you turned to look down at the plush carpeting.

“So you’re writing me off, is that it?” Your head whipped up in surprise.

“Well… yeah. You said it yourself.”

It was Sylus’s turn to huff “I never said I would hate to be in a relationship. I simply expressed disdain for a regular life.”

“Oh, and a relationship isn’t a regular life thing?!”

He smiled “it wouldn’t be with us.”

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes

“Sylus, I’m not looking for a partner in crime, I’m looking for a boyfriend.”

Sylus shrugged “same thing.”

“No, that’s very much not the same thing! A boyfriend is about companionship and love - not mysterious rendezvous and hacking into comms channels.”

“Says who?”

“Says… everyone?!” You finally approached him, fuelled by your irritation and pointed a finger at him in accusation “Sylus, you can’t be a boyfriend - let alone mine!”

“Are you willing to bet on it?”

“What?” You stepped closer to him, trying to ascertain whether or not he was joking “this is exactly the kind of shit I’m talking about!”

“So, you’re not willing to bet on it? Tsk tsk how disappointing, kitten” he said, shaking his head in mockery.

“I’m actually going to shoot you. Again.” You scowled up at him, debating whether you should hit him or not.

Mephisto squawked and you looked down at the bird, only to have Sylus grasp your chin and move it up so you had no choice but to look at him.

“Focus, kitten.” His garnet eyes fixed you in place “let’s make a wager. I will prove to you that I’m more than capable of being a good boyfriend. If I lose then we’ll stop our little arrangement.”

You bit the inside of your cheek “and if you win?”

He leaned in closer, dropping his voice by an octave “then we’ll have a lot of fun.” He glanced down at your mouth and you leaned in, managing to graze his lips with yours when he pulled away.

“You have a month.”

“Deal.” He looked down at your proffered hand and shook his head “I think we can do better than that.” Before you could even ask, his hands found your waist and pulled you in tight, caressing up your spine to the back of your head as he captured your lips in a kiss. His lips were almost fluid in movement, moving languidly against yours as you felt your eyes flutter shut. You felt yourself gasp into his mouth as the hand at your waist squeezed you.

You broke the kiss and looked up at a flushed Sylus through your eyelashes.

“This can’t be real” you mumble, turning your neck to one side so you can look at the hickey from a new angle. The purple bloom glistens from the moisture in the air, matching the shine of the crystal around your neck. You think back to the dream and how realistic it felt… You had your suspicions before but didn’t want to confront the possibility that it was real.

“This is…” unbelievable? Embarrassing? Unbelievably embarrassing? You leave the bathroom feeling almost faint as the reality of your situation starts to dawn on you. Did Sylus know? What he said in your dreamscape would suggest he did but how could you test the theory? The crystal warms against your skin and an idea hatches in your head.

Your hands fumble for your phone. It’s still early but you know he’ll pick up. One ring. Two rings.

“Kitten, to what do I owe the pleasure of such an early phone call?” His morning voice is lethal. Somewhere on the edge of a soft growl. You hear him stifle a groan as he stretches.

“I just… I missed you.”

You can practically hear him smile “I missed you too. Did you sleep well?”

You hesitate “yeah. I didn’t want to wake up.”

“Hmm me too” you clench your thighs without realising it “I had a pretty good dream last night.”

“A dream?”

“Yeah, you were there.” He sounds almost nonchalant about it which is irritating you. You suspect he knows this but you don’t want to give in so easily.

“What was it about?” You try your best to match his ease.

“You invited me over to your tiny place.”

“It’s not that small” you protest “have you ever thought that maybe you’re huge.”

Sylus chuckles “do you really see me as that big?” You vaguely think back to the dream where your eyes watered from trying to fit his length in your throat.

“You just are.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

You’re at an impasse. He’s not revealing anymore about the dream but you’re fairly certain about your theory. And you’re starting to think that he already knew from the start that the crystals held this level of power. And even worst, he knows that you know that he knows… you press your temples in frustration. You have to change tact.

“Well it really must have been a dream because I’d never invite you to my place.”

“My, my, so mean first thing in the morning kitten. I’m wounded.” You hear the faint sound of him shifting positions in bed “especially since you were such a generous host in the dream. You even made sure I was nice and warm all night.”

Heat floods south and you feel the prickle of arousal start to spread.

“I suppose I’ll have to be on my best behaviour to make sure I get invited back. After all, you’re the only person I know capable of providing such attentive care in such a small space.” He muses with a soft sigh while you huff.

“You’re so lucky I’m not in the N109 Zone right now.”

“Oh?” You can practically hear his smirk “what would you do if you were here right now?”

“I would put you in your place once and for all.” The crystal grew warmer against your skin, serving as encouragement for you to keep going.

“I’d find some actual evol nullifying handcuffs so that you have no choice but to surrender to me.”

“A repeat of last time you tried to use handcuffs on me? I hope this time it goes better.” He teases.

“You’re insufferable.”

“And yet you’re still talking to me.”

“Not for long, I have to go now.”

“A shame. Have a good day kitten, make sure to wear a turtleneck.”

“What?” Your hand flies up to touch the bruise on your neck but he’s already hung up. You throw your phone back onto your bed, annoyed that he’s once again gained the upper hand from you.

You do end up taking his advice though and wear a turtleneck that morning. Luckily Simone is away on a mission, otherwise she would have sussed you out immediately.

The day moves along fairly quickly, with you juggling report writing and back to back strategy meetings. You’re later asked to step in for a simple protocore delivery mission to a research facility on the outskirts of Linkon which you accept.

“Remember there’s been reports of increased Wanderer activity in those parts so stay vigilant.” Captain Jenna warns.

“Understood Captain, I’ll have my guard up.”

The trouble started after you handed over the protocore. Two fast moving Wanderers came at you from opposite directions making it hard for you to dodge their attacks. And the activity only seemed to attract more. At one point you felt the rough bark of a tree graze your back as you took a hit to the shoulder.

“Duck” a voice shouts and you do so without question. The Wanderer dissipates after a blow to the head from somewhere behind you.

“Sylus?” He helps you up and you feel instantly calmed by his presence.

“Your two o’clock.” You turn automatically, shooting once, twice, thrice. The shield shatters and you make easy work of the Wanderer whilst Sylus takes care of the final one.

“Are you okay?” Sylus’ hands gently probe your sore shoulder. You roll it experimentally. It didn’t feel broken or dislocated.

“Bruised for sure but fine otherwise. What about you.”

“I’m fine, kitten.” You reach for his face and he leans into your touch willingly. His crystal on its thin silver chain swings free, glowing softly from the proximity to yours. Your hand trails down to touch it.

“You’re so mean for lying about this.” You scowl at him but he only smiles and his eyes are soft with affection, which makes it difficult to maintain your facade.

“I didn’t know at first. Not for sure anyway.”

“And you didn’t think to say anything after that?”

“That was a little selfish I admit” he leans into closer so his lips barely brush yours “but can you blame me for wanting to make the most of the time between us.” You hold your breath, anticipating a kiss, but he pulls away and you frown for real, pulling him back to you via the chain. Before he can say anything smart you smash your mouth to his, revelling in finally being able to kiss him outside of the dreamscape. Despite his surprise, he’s quick to reciprocate and you feel his arms wrap around your middle while yours opt to loop around his neck. He pulls back again, though not as far as before, and presses his forehead against your own. You can feel his hot breath mingle with your own as you both pant.

“Don’t you think we should do this somewhere else?” You press several kisses in quick succession to the corner of his mouth, dragging your lips down to his jawline.

“Hm?” You barely register his words.

He chuckles “I admire your enthusiasm kitten, but I don’t think a No Hunt Zone is the best place to be amorous.”

“I guess we shouldn’t waste time then” you quipped, looking down at his lips and up again at his eyes as a challenge. He doesn’t react immediately and you almost lose heart, but then he closes the distance between you.

“Ordinarily I would want to take my time” he murmurs against your mouth, in between kisses “but, I really can’t wait any longer.” You yelp in surprise as he lifts you up, and automatically wrap your legs around his waist. You can feel his erection thrust against your clothed pussy, and you whine in response.

You feel the bark of the tree against your back again, but this time it’s a welcome feeling. The sound of Sylus undoing his belt distracts you momentarily and you shiver, as his evol softly undresses your lower half. The slight breeze makes it obvious how wet you are, and for a moment you think about how you’re about to get fucked by the leader of Onychinus in the middle of a No Hunt Zone.

“Sylus” you gasp, feeling him against your entrance. Any semblance of embarrassment or concern leaves your mind as he massages the head of his dick against your wet opening, coating himself in your juices.

“Do you want this?” His voice is strained, but steady as he looks into your eyes with a tenderness you weren’t expecting. It catches you off guard and for a second you look away and struggle to form a coherent answer.

“Kitten, focus on me” your eyes automatically flick back to his “do you want this?” He stills his actions as he waits for you to respond.

“Y-yes” your voice trembles slightly in anticipation. You can feel your wetness soak your inner thighs, and the thought of him finally being inside you makes you clench.

“Yes I want this” you seal your confirmation with a kiss, only for your mouth to fall open as he pushes himself into you. You squeeze your thighs, urging more and more of him in you until you’re full. He pants heavily, moaning into your skin when your walls flutter around him experimentally.

“Oh, fuck” he mumbles “you feel so much fucking better in real life. How is that possible?” He begins to shallowly thrust in and out of you, trying not to buck too hard and cause you any more tree bark related scratches but you find yourself quickly craving more.

“Sylus… I need more.”

“So greedy” his voice practically drips with honey “but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t greedy for more too.” He pulls out of you and instead lowers you down to lie on the grass. Your skin is so sensitive that the feeling of the blades of grass and flowers tickle you, but it’s a nice change from the roughness of the tree.

“Aw, so swollen already” Sylus teases, softly rubbing his index finger up and down your puffy folds as you squirm below him. “And sensitive too” he notes. He places his hand behind your knee, encouraging you to bend it so it touches your chest and exposes your cunt to him.

“Mmm you look so pretty all splayed out for me like this. Gonna fuck your pretty little pussy until you soak my cock.” He slides into you again, and the new angle hits even deeper than before, causing your head to fall back in pleasure. Sylus resumes his thrusting, and places your bent leg over his shoulder as he leans down to kiss you sloppily.

“Fuck, I can’t hold back” he groans, snapping his hips quicker and quicker against yours. His hand snakes down between you to rub methodical, small circles around your clit just like you taught him to in your dream.

“Keep going” you urge, angling your hips up to meet his as you feel the tell tale signs of your orgasm approach.

“Come on, sweetie” he rubs your clit quicker “cum for me.” It doesn’t take much more for you to climax, and you swear the crystal pendant glows even brighter than before as you reach your peak. You hear Sylus curse and feel him pull out of you to paint your thigh with his cum.

The night is still as you both struggle to catch your breath, and it feels as though you’re the only two people in the world. You’re only brought back to reality when Sylus shifts to lie next to you. His hand seeks your own and he presses several small kisses to it. You open your eyes to gaze at him, revelling in the way the moonlight illuminates him.

“God, I hope that wasn’t a dream” you say, eliciting a laugh from him.

A dreamless week passed and you wondered if you really had astral projected into Sylus’ dreams. Had it really been that intense? Your body recovered relatively quickly, and you began to chalk the whole thing up to tiredness. Surely the sore throat was the result of the cold air and the bruises on your knees were from fighting Wanderers? There was no way that you had physically manifested the effects of a spicy dream.

The bigger issue at hand was that you hadn’t heard from Sylus, which, granted, wasn’t unusual, but for some reason it was grating on you. No doubt he was engaging in his regular nefarious affairs, but he had always found a moment to text you, so why not now? You kept finding your eyes falling on your phone as if you were willing it to ring. You contemplated sending him a message but every time you opened up the app you found yourself chickening out. The thought of even saying ‘hi’ made you cringe, but you were drawn to the device all the same, so much so that it was being noticed by your coworkers.

“Has he texted you yet?” Tara asked over lunch. Whilst she didn’t know Sylus - Skye, to her - that well, save for the time he had randomly joined you for karaoke a couple of months ago, she had often asked you about him.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Are you kidding?” Simone asked, raising an eyebrow at your slumped form. You groaned in response.

“This is so pathetic” you mumbled, poking at your lunch half heartedly “I haven’t felt like this since I was a teenager.” It felt silly to be so forlorn at your big age but you couldn’t help it.

“I think it’s sweet” Tara said.

“I think it’s sad” Simone countered “who even is this guy?” Simone was never one to mince her words.

“Ugh Simone this is what happens when you miss group karaoke” Tara tutted, earning an eye roll from Simone in response.

“I was busy that night!”

“You’re always busy!”

“Well I’m free tonight” Simone insisted, jutting out her chin in defiance. Tara cheered up considerably at the statement. The two of them were quick to argue but equally quick to forgive and move on. It always made for an entertaining time.

“Well what about we go out tonight then? We could go to that swanky new bar that opened up the other week?”

“I could go for that, this week has been a lot.” Simone nudged you “what about you? Or are you too busy yearning?”

“Ha ha” you said humourlessly. A girls night did feel like a good idea though; an opportunity to get out of your head a bit and relax. Work had kept you so busy that your social events had been limited to quick trips to the arcade after missions with Xavier, or begging Zayne to play cards with you, which to be fair, he often indulged you in. Still, you hadn’t properly hung out with Simone and Tara in a while.

“I’m in.”

And that’s how you found yourself in one of your only suitable skirts at a bar on a Friday night.

“Jeez, this is a lot shorter than I remember” you muttered, tugging the hem of the black leather skirt. You had bought it as a set with a matching cropped jacket, but in between Wanderer slaying, moonlighting as a bodyguard for Rafayel, and volunteering for the odd day at the hospital, you hardly had any time to go out, let alone wear an outfit that wasn’t your uniform. It felt borderline unnatural.

Once you had gotten over the initial unease you found yourself relaxing into conversation with your colleagues over cocktails. You traversed work gossip, astrology (Tara), pop culture, and work again (Simone), before approaching the topic of romance.

“The way you fight is so intense” Simone said “you so clearly need to get laid.” You almost choked on your drink.

“W-what?!” you stumble over your words, feeling the way the alcohol loosened your tongue and thoughts “since when was that a thing?”

Simone shrugged non chalantly, much to your frustration.

“I can just see it in the way you move and the way the adrenaline hits you after a fight.” Her eyes leave your annoyed face and look around the room “maybe someone here can help with that?”

“No way!” Tara interrupted “she’s already got Skye.”

“Not officially!”

You winced like salt was being rubbed into your wounds but this didn’t seem to deter the other two.

“It’s a hook up, Tara, she doesn’t need to get married!”

Tara didn’t budge “she’s literally found the love of her life” you actually choked on your drink at that statement “why would she bother looking elsewhere?”

“There are so many guys here. I’m sure one can basically do the same thing.”

You drain your drink ‘the perfect man would get me another drink.’ You think to yourself, about to slide out of the booth to get another round when a hand places a bottle of wine on your table, stopping you in your tracks. The gesture was enough to even stop Simone and Tara from squabbling over your love life - or lack thereof.

“Your glass looked empty.” Sylus’ silky voice immediately made your cheeks flush, and you failed to make eye contact with him.

“What are you doing here?” You asked quietly, electing to look at the way he uncorked the bottle. You could still feel his eyes on you though. It made your heart hammer.

“Business.” He said simply, not choosing to offer you any additional context. He poured three glasses, offering your friends a glass and greeting them cordially.

He made easy conversation with them while you sat there like a lemon, unable to look up at him or meet his obvious gaze.

“You should join us” Tara insisted, gesturing to the empty spot next to you. You almost balked at the invitation.

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt your evening.”

“No, no, we insist.” She unsubtly kicked you under the table, much to your dismay and Sylus’ amusement.

“Only if you’re free” you finally said, looking up at him through your eyelashes in an attempt to still avoid as much eye contact as possible. As suspected though, his eyes were fixed on you, giving you an immediate flashback to last week’s dream where you’d watched his face with rapt attention as he bucked, and groaned, and cursed whilst you took him in your throat. His eyes had seared into your own during the dream and it was hard to shake off, even several days later.

“Of course. I’d love to join.”

You were almost surprised by how easily Sylus found it to speak to normal people. If you hadn’t seen him interact with your other colleagues before, you would have seriously doubted his abilities. After all, the leader of Onychinus was more often than not snapping necks or giving orders. Pleasant conversation just seemed like something beyond him. But here he was, indulging your friends - and perhaps you too - by answering their questions and pouring them wine liberally.

“Do you live far from here?”

“No but it’s not the most convenient commute.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a small business owner.”

“How did you guys meet?”

“Miss Hunter ran into some trouble near my house and I stepped in to help.” You resist the urge to roll your eyes.

Unfortunately for you, the girls seemed eager to keep questioning him.

“Maybe you can help us?” Tara said, eyes sparkling with mischief “we think someone at the table” her eyes look pointedly at you“has been single for too long. Any advice for them?”

“Tara!” You whine, trying to swipe her glass of wine from her but she manages to be quicker despite the alcohol fuelled flush in her cheeks.

“And do you know anyone single for said person?” Simone added, earning her an angry look from you.

“I’m never coming out with you guys again!” You groan, half meaning it. It was bad enough that Sylus was present, but the fact that he was right next to you made things even worse. You could feel his thigh against your own, and even the smallest movement made your skin break out in goosebumps. Even the scent of his cologne felt like it was engulfing you in a smoky, seductive embrace.

“I guess I’d recommend just going for what you want” Sylus said, sounding thoughtful despite how obviously pointed the question was “sometimes it’s worth giving into your desires. And you never know” you could practically hear his smirk “they might just correspond with the other person’s.”

The night ended not too long after that. It was clear from Tara’s unfocused gaze that the alcohol had well and truly claimed her, which led to her hanging off Simone’s arm.

“Are you sure you guys don’t want me to come with you?” You asked worriedly as Simone deposited Tara in a taxi.

“It’s fine, we live close to each other so she can crash at mine.” Simone offered you a smile and a hug “good luck tonight” she whispered in your ear.

“Simone, not you too. You’re meant to be the level headed one.”

“Well my official assessment as the level headed one is to have fun and promise to give us all the details.” She looked above your head to Sylus, who, after hailing the cab had chosen to stand a few paces away to let you say your goodbyes.

“And you!” She narrowed her eyes at Sylus “you better get her back safely or else!”

“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything but.”

You both watched as the taxi pulled away, and you suddenly became hyper aware of the fact that it was just the two of you.

“Sorry you had to sit through that” you said, fiddling with a strand of hair as you both turned to walk down the pavement. Despite the late hour, Linkon City was far from asleep, and you passed several groups of people still eager to seek out the city’s nightlife.

“No need to apologise, it was fun. And it’s nice to see you like this.”

“Like what?” You make the mistake of looking at him in the corner of your eye, only to see him looking at you too. There’s a softness in his gaze that makes your heart thump.

He smiles “like… not a Hunter. Just a normal person.”

“Well, you looked like a normal person tonight too.” You countered “I was surprised. I didn’t know you had that in you.”

“When I’m with you, I feel like a normal person. Just Sylus.” He’s being so honest with you that you’re unsure of what to say. The joke on your tongue suddenly doesn’t feel right to say.

“Can I see ‘just Sylus’ more often then?”

“Maybe. If you’re good and invite me out again with your friends.”

“I don’t know if I even want to go out with them again. That was so embarrassing.” You huff at the memories.

“I think it was funny” Sylus teased “I look forward to hearing how the person at the table fares in their love life.”

“Ugh don’t remind me!”

“Why not? I think I gave them some pretty solid advice.”

“Y-“ you yelp as you’re cut off by Sylus suddenly wrapping an arm around you and pulling you close to him, stopping you from narrowly avoiding a collision with a tipsy bar hopper who hiccups an apology.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I should have been looking where I going.”

Sylus’ arm doesn’t immediately remove itself from your body and you realise that you don’t mind. You’ve both stopped in your tracks, and you feel your breath hitch in your throat as his hand suddenly traverses away from the safe zone of your arm and up to your throat.

“You’re still wearing this?” He asks softly, and you feel a tug at your necklace.

“Of course, aren’t you?” You hadn’t taken it off since you put it on, and it had gotten to the point where you hardly noticed it.

He removes his hand from your pendant to fish out his own from under the collar of his black shirt.

“Of course. This is much better than the energy linkage.” Your twin gems glow in the darkness of the evening. You feel relieved, and cradle the stone in your palm, enjoying the way his own mimics it.

“Good. I’m glad.” You look at his face properly for the first time in a week. He was still attractive as ever. Maybe even more so, if it was possible. He had a warmth in his eyes that you had spied more and more during your time together, and you were eager to see it again. Being with him once more just felt right and you felt a twinge of sadness as you nearer your home.

“Thanks for walking me home, and for hanging out with us tonight. I…” you cleared your throat, feeling pricks of nervousness sting you “I was happy to see you again. I know you’ve been busy this week and all” you finished lamely.

“You do know you can text me if you miss me?”

You frowned “who said I missed you?”

“You did” Sylus smiles, poking your forehead “don’t scowl kitten there’s nothing wrong with that. I missed you too.”

“You could’ve texted me too then.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry sweetie. Let’s promise to text each other more then.” He offer an outstretched hand and you take it gingerly.

“Deal.” You shake hands but Sylus doesn’t let go.

“I’ll see you soon, kitten.”

He had been true to his word because not long after you parted, you felt your eyes become heavy as you replayed the night in your head. His garnet eyes were the last thing you thought of as you drifted off to sleep.

You had never invited Sylus into your place, partly because it felt too personal, and partly because you weren’t sure he would even be able to fit in your house. And honestly? You were right. He looked comically out of place on the futon you’d set up for him in your living room.

“Do you want an extra blanket?” You had been fretting over making his stay as comfortable as possible.

“You’re worrying too much” Sylus said, smiling whilst shaking his head.

“I’ll get you another pillow-“ you jolted in surprise as his hand reached out to grab your arm.

“Come here.” He tugged your arm again, and pulled you in, turning you so that your back was flush against his chest. You could feel the firmness of his body behind you, and you were worried he could feel how hot you had suddenly become from the proximity.

“I think I do want something” he rasped against the shell of your ear.

You shivered in response “w-what is it?” You suppressed a gasp when you felt his lips ghost the side of your neck.

“You, of course” he teased, sweeping your hair to your other shoulder before pressing his mouth against your pulse point. One hand grazes the front of your pyjama top, whilst the other snakes its way around your waist to hold you against him. His lips continue to pepper kisses against the delicate skin of your neck and jaw, and you whine when his hand finally makes its way under your shirt to fondle your breast. His thumb circles your nipple gently, sending bolts of desire down your body.

“Hmm you’re so soft” he murmurs nuzzling into your neck “and warm. Maybe I should have you here tonight instead of a blanket. Although…” his tweaks your nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making you whine. “Do you deserve the position of keeping my bed warm? You were so adamant about not looking at me tonight. Such a cruel kitten.” He sighs and lightly bites the skin below your jaw, sucking on it to leave a mark.

“Sylus…” you try and turn your head to kiss him properly but he stops you.

“All week I’ve wanted to see your pretty face but you denied me” his voice is soft but it has an edge to it “don’t you think that deserves some kind of punishment?” Before you can answer you feel a piece of material cover your eyes. The familiar feeling of his evol slides by you, as it ties the material to your face. You swallow. He had blindfolded you.

You almost jump when his hands resume their ministrations, as your senses immediately heighten to compensate for the loss of sight. He chuckles softly at your reaction.

“So sensitive” he sounds amused “I wonder how sensitive you are?” His hands delves down, stroking the softness of your belly and the planes of your abdominal muscles before reaching down further to the waistband of your pyjama shorts. He teases a finger below the waistband, running his digit along the hem of your underwear before withdrawing his hand. Your hips twitch by their own volition and you once again hear him coo.

“I haven’t even started yet and you’re already whining. So needy.” His hand ends up cupping your core over your pyjamas and you instinctively buck into his hand. His grip on your waist becomes tighter.

“What do you want sweetie?” He drawls, experimentally pressing the palm of his hand against your clothed pussy. You wince, grinding your hips against his hand in search of an ounce of pleasure. The friction from the fabric does help, but having Sylus this close feels like an opportunity missed if you don’t have his fingers in you.

“Use your words” he presses, easing the pressure of his hand on you, much to your annoyance.

“Sylus please” it’s embarrassing to beg him to touch you, especially when you can’t see his reaction.

“Please what?”

“Ugh…” you swallow to lubricate your increasingly dry throat “please touch me.”

“Hmmm not good enough” he clicks his tongue and you huff “try again and be more specific this time.” Again, he eases his hand away, instead electing to trace patterns on your thighs. His digits skim your skin, never quite going where you need them to.

“I need your fingers.”

“Where?”

“You know where.” You’re growing weary of his games, but he doesn’t let you off the hook.

“Here?” He touches the area above your knee.

“Higher.”

“Here?” His hand rests at the bottom hem of your pyjama shorts.

“N-no, higher.” You try to bend your knee and encourage his hand to move to your core faster but he doesn’t take the hint. Or if he does, he deliberately ignores it.

His hand sits on your waist “surely not here?” When you groan in frustration he repeats his earlier request.

“You’re going to have to use your words, kitten.”

“Please play with my pussy” you mumble, practically squirming in your seat “i want you to rub my clit.”

“Ohhh” Sylus’ mock surprise is eclipsed by his smugness “like this?” His hand finally makes its way under your panties which are shamefully soaked through and towards your clit. He mimics his movements from earlier on your nipple, rubbing tight circles into the wet flesh. Your head falls back onto his shoulder and you moan louder than you anticipated, making you clap a hand over your mouth.

“Not allowed” Sylus chides, moving his free hand up to discourage you “I’m only blindfolding you tonight, not gagging you.” You don’t need even have the mental capacity to process the statement. You’re too busy trying not to cream yourself from the way he expertly massages your bud.

“Need your fingers” you whimper.

“You already have them don’t you?” He punctuates his point by tapping your clit, making you roll your hips.

“No…. In me.” He seems pleased by your openness and rewards you by slipping his index finger into you. He slides in easily on account of how wet you are.

“So tight” his voice is practically a purr now “and so wet for me too. How long have you been thinking about me doing this?”

“Fuck…. Since I met you.” You draw your knees up, adjusting the angle of your hips. It wasn’t a lie technically. When he bet you that you couldn’t locate his - now your - broach, you found yourself hating him for what he did and for how he made you feel. Having to search his near naked form for the item had taken all your willpower and focus as to not salivate over him.

“Mmmm me too” he kisses your jaw with surprising softness, and you moan as he curls his finger in you while his thumb presses down on your clit.

“More” you urge, your words come out so desperately that you’re practically slurring them but you don’t care anymore. You can feel the tightness in your lower stomach form - a tell tale sign that you’re going to cum.

“God, the way you’re clenching around me right now” Sylus’ voice is ragged and your walls quiver around him as he adds a second finger.

“Ah, Sylus!” The stretch is deliciously raw, toeing the line between pleasure and pain seamlessly.

“Cum on my fingers” he orders “I want you to soak my fucking hand.” You try to move away from him, the sensation and his words stoking an overwhelming fire in you, but his hand refuses to let you move away from him.

“It’s too much!”

“You can handle it” Sylus insists “come on kitten, be a good girl and show me how much you love it when I finger fuck you like this.” It doesn’t take long before your back arches, and you cry out. You cum so hard you vaguely feel yourself squirt all over his hand as promised, but you’re too lost in your own pleasure to concentrate on it.

Sylus withdraws his hand, and you shiver as you hear him suck his fingers. He removes the blindfold from you gently. The dim lighting in the room is suddenly harsh on your eyes, and you shut them again, turning your body to nuzzle your face into Sylus himself. He obliges you, wrapping his arms around your frame and pressing several kisses to your head.

“Fuck” you curse “Im definitely going to have to get you new sheets.”

Sylus laughs, stroking your hair “worth it.”

You pull away, and regard his lust filled eyes. They look at you with such admiration you almost want to look away, but you don’t. He tucks the sweaty strands of hair behind your ears and you press your forehead against his.

“Oh” you look down, hearing the click of the gems on your necklaces touch. They seem to shine brighter than you’ve ever seen them do before.

“Remind me to thank that salesman for these.“

“What?”

Sylus smiles and finally leans in to press a proper kiss to your lips.

“And this one?” You pointed to the emerald cut rock resembling a protocore.

“You have a good eye!” The merchant grinned, as he began spinning lies to you about how rare it was. You knew it was a fake without even touching it, but you held off from correcting him immediately and instead pretended to listen. You could feel a strange sense of excitement bubble in you as you got ready to test the merchant, but a familiar rush of energy behind you put that excitement on pause, and you watched as the shopkeeper’s voice faltered. His face became ashen, as he looked above your head, and you could see the blurry reflection of a dark, imposing figure and red eyes bounce off the larger crystals behind him.

“I thought I told you to stop doing that” you said, not bothering to turn around as you examined the other pieces of jewellery.

“Do what?” His breath is warm against the shell of your ear and you can feel the tickle of his silver hair against you.

“To stop looming over my shoulder like that” you turn slightly only to be met with an amused smile “you’re ruining my investigation.”

“… Investigation?” The merchant choked out but you both ignored him.

“Maybe I wanted to look around too, did that ever occur to you?” Sylus said, straightening up and putting his hands in his pockets casually. He was at least a head taller than you and he never failed to remind you of that.

You scoffed and crossed your arms“as if you’d shop here. There are so many fakes on display it’s probably not even worth it to you.”

“Now, hold on-“ the shopkeeper protested but it fell on deaf ears again.

Sylus shrugged “you can still find a diamond in the rough if you look hard enough.” He stepped from behind you to your side to look at the display case in front of him.

“Although…” his eyes glanced at the artificial gems “this selection is lacking.” His eyes flick up to the merchant whose face is flushed with embarrassment and fear.

“I- I did get something in this morning. Something real.” His hand lowers slowly to the vault behind him, as if asking for permission.

Sylus sighs “well go on then. Let’s see it before Miss Hunter here brings you to justice.” He only chuckles softly when you elbow him in the side.

You both watch as the shopkeeper produces two small vermillion boxes. He opened them up, carefully unwrapping the layers of tissue paper to reveal a matching pair of necklaces, both holding a crimson stone. Your eyes widen as you feel the energy emitting from them.

“Is this…?” Your eyes transfixed “part of an Aether core?”

“My, my, I certainly wasn’t expecting that” Sylus murmured, equally dazzled by the pair of necklaces.

You couldn’t help but let your fingers reach forward to feel the smooth stone on one of the chains. It glowed in response to your touch, and the other mimicked it.

“Legend has it that a pair of lovers separated by the Great War crafted it so that they could always remain close to one another despite being physically apart. It’s rumoured that if your connection is strong enough, you can achieve a psychic connection like none other.”

You can practically hear Sylus raise an eyebrow at that.

“Wait” you frown “I know that myth, it’s from thousands of years ago. Surely this can’t be the same pair of necklaces.”

“What if it is?” Sylus asked, touching one of the stones and watching the other glow “stranger things have happened.”

It was your turn to raise an eyebrow “I didn’t take you for a fantasist.”

“Even I have capacity for romantic notions” he smiles at you fondly, making your cheeks flush. “How much for it?”

Just as the shopkeeper opens his mouth to answer you interrupt “I think it would be best for everyone if you just handed these over.” You looked squarely at the shopkeeper “I know the Hunter’s Association are looking for you - dead or alive.”

“Well played” Sylus murmured to you, looking at you with admiration whilst the merchant was left with no choice but to agree and pack the necklaces away.

Outside the market you prepared to bid Sylus a goodnight, and thanked him for taking you to the N109 Zone’s night market.

“Oh wait” you fished the Aether core necklace out from its pouch “come here.” He turns and approaches you, smiling when you roll your eyes and gesture for him to come closer.

“A kiss goodbye?” He teases and you try to subtly swallow to remoisten your dry mouth.

“You wish.” You fiddle with the clasp of one of the necklaces and loop it around his neck. The feeling of his cool skin wasn’t entirely foreign to you, but neither was it overly familiar. This was probably the closest your faces had ever been, though you had dreamt about it happening almost every week. The memories of your latest dream played in your mind, making you hastily click the necklace into place and pull away before his eyes could ascertain your desire.

“It suits you” you said, admiring the way the deep red tone sat against his pale flesh.

“Your turn.” And before you could blink he was holding the matching necklace in his hands. He swept the curtain of your hair over one of your shoulders as his fingertips ghosted the back of your neck, making you shiver.

“A ticklish Hunter? Isn’t that a liability?” He asked jokingly, only for you to huff in response. You could almost have sworn that his touch lingered but if you thought about it too much you were sure you would melt.

“There” he cupped his own pendant “now we match.” You gasped feeling the warmth of the gem against the delicate skin of your chest.

“This is purely scientific” you said, experimenting with holding your own Aether shard. The vibrations in your hand akin to a gentle purr.

“Oh, entirely” Sylus agreed “until next time Miss Hunter.”

It was well past midnight when you got home. The toll of the evening weighed on your shoulders, leading you to take a hot shower in an attempt to undo the knots in your back. Your mind wandered as you lathered up your body wash. The N109 Zone Night Market had yielded some promising leads on illegal protocore trade activity. You had some names and faces to run through the Hunters Association system when you went back to work on Monday, and you wanted to cross reference them with your notes from your last mission too.

You were so caught up in your thoughts that you jolted when you felt the Aether core pendant react. Sylus? You gently stroked the stone, feeling a comforting warmth emanate from it. Was he thinking of you? Or just touching the stone? He had looked handsome tonight. Way too handsome. Every time you saw him you felt like you were being drawn in closer and closer to him. It felt dangerous. And exciting.

You could blame the heat of the water for the slightly dizziness but the way the warm sensation flooded south was something else entirely different. Your mind flickered through the moments you shared tonight. The way you could feel his tense muscles as you gripped him on the back of his motorcycle; the moment when he tricked you into trying a so called N109 Zone street food staple only for you to take a bite and hate it instantly, the sound of his laughter and the intoxicating way he slyly smiled and attempted to quell your annoyance by buying you a sweet treat instead, the way the moonlight had illuminated him softly…

Without even realising it, your hand had begun to wander toward your hardening nipples, imagining it was his fingers pinching the pebbled peaks. You pictured him kissing the point where your shoulder met your neck and whimpered at the thought. How good would it feel if he was pressed against you? Grinding his erection into your ass whilst he bit down on your shoulder. Would he sprinkle in all those little pet names he’d developed for you?

“Can’t wait to bury myself inside you kitten. Going to fuck you nice and deep like you deserve.”

You felt your breath hitch. Your fingers traversed downwards, running up and down your slit. Your mouth fell open.

RING RING

You frowned.

RING RING RING.

You groaned in frustration, hurrying out of the shower and towards your phone. Surely even Wanderers knew that they should give it a break at this time of night?! Your skin was still warm but you’d broken out in goosebumps from the sudden temperature difference. Your robe was tied way too loosely around you too, exposing your skin to the cool temperature of your room.

“H-hello?” You answered, you hadn’t realised that you were panting until you stood there. You attempt to clear your throat and repeat your greeting. You’re met with silence. You pull the phone away only to see it’s a hidden number.

“Who is this?” you hear the smallest sound, something akin to a breath and then the call ends. What a waste of time! You throw your phone down on your bed in frustration, and close your eyes for a couple of seconds. The call had interrupted your flow and you suddenly wanted nothing more than some instant ramen and your bed.

After changing into your pyjamas and indulging in some late night cup noodles (sorry Dr Zayne!), you settled into your night time routine and sighed in relief as you nuzzled into the latest plushie you’d won at the arcade. Sleep found you almost immediately, and you found yourself slipping into a dream almost instantly.

There had been problem after problem for the past couple of days, and whilst Sylus was happy to delegate tasks down to his underlings, there had been several particularly tricky issues which required his full attention.

‘So bothersome’ he thought, raking a hand through his hair, which no doubt, was a mess from the repeated action. The words had started to blur together a little and he took his glasses off momentarily to shut his eyes. Maybe he needed a break? The fire he had started when he first reached his study crackled in the fireplace, providing a source of warmth that was much needed on such a cold night. He resolved internally to at least work through the contract sitting on the top of the pile of paperwork on his desk before he called it quits, and put on the glasses again to scan through the fine print.

Not ten minutes later he heard a knock on the door.

“Enter.” He had expected it to be the twins, but blinked in surprise when you peeked your head around the door.

“You’re still awake?” Sylus’ expression softened as he set down the pen and leaned back on his dark chair.

“It’s hard to sleep when you’re not next to me. It’s so cold tonight.” You said, running a finger along his desk as you made your way towards him.

“Look” you shrugged off the silky robe he usually donned, letting the soft material pool on the hardwood floors at your feet.

“I have goosebumps.” You offered your bare arm up for him to inspect.

Sylus’ lips twitched, as his eyes hungrily drank in your near naked form. The crimson lingerie set he had seen in Linkon City just the other week had clearly stuck in his head more than he thought. The delicate lace of the bra looked so pretty against your skin; equal parts sensual and feminine. And despite you standing with only a small gap between your legs, he could already spy the silk framing the open crotch detailing of the panties.

“You do look chilly” he remarked, running his hand up your exposed arm before placing the palms of his hands on the back of your stocking clad thighs, urging you closer to him. You obliged, naturally, arching your back when his hands kneaded the flesh of your thighs and ass.

“Are you almost done with work?” You asked, your own hand finding his cheek to caress. His skin was still smooth from having shaved that morning.

Sylus sighs “hmmm not quite yet.” He pinches the top of his nose and closes his eyes for a second, before leaning into your touch.

“You’re tired” you murmur gently.

“I need to finish this.” He reluctantly nudges his glasses up the elegant bridge of his nose.

“You need a break” you chide and slip yourself in the gap between his form and the desk.

“Sweetie-“ but you interrupt him.

“Just ten minutes, Sy. Please?” He could never resist your puppy dog eyes.

“What do you suggest I should do?”

You lean in so that your noses are touching “leave it with me.”

You press your lips against his, silencing any doubt. He relaxed against your touch, letting your tongue languidly stroke his own as you mounted the chair to straddle him. He can already feel your molten core through his jeans as you begin to rock your hips experimentally against his own. It doesn’t take long for him to reciprocate, and you take it as an opportunity to pull your mouth away from his. He groans at the loss of your lips, which you drag to the column of his pale neck. You feels his heartbeat quicken when you ghost your teeth against his neck and playfully nip him.

“Harder” he urges, and you comply, sinking your teeth a little more into his skin to leave a mark. You lick at the same point as an almost apology, gasping quietly when he ramps up his thrusting. You’re soaking the denim of his trousers but he doesn’t care. He’s so focused on how your body quivers and pushes and pulls at his touch that he almost doesn’t notice you unbuckle his belt and slip a hand into his boxers.

Both of your eyes look downwards as you squeeze his length, running your hand up and down his dick.

“Fuck…” Sylus sighs. How long had he waited for this? He watches, hypnotised, as you spit into your hand and massage it into the head, just the way he likes.

“You’ve been working so hard lately” you murmur, continuing to work your hand up and down in a tantalisingly slow manner.

“I think my fiend deserves a treat for all his hard work.” Sylus tips his head back, closing his eyes as he becomes putty in your hands. He half opens them to watch you slip off the chair and onto your knees.

“What’re you doing kitten?” He mumbles, mourning the loss of your heat against his body.

“Shhhh” you reassure him before leaning forward to lick a stripe up his shaft. He groans as you press kisses onto his dick before opening your mouth and taking him inch by inch into your throat. One of his hands clutches your hair into a rough ponytail, whilst the other hovers at your jaw as he guides you to take more and more of him. The cavern of your mouth is hot and wet, and whilst he can feel your throat constrict you seem to want to take more of him.

“S-so good for me” he mumbles, and his thumb blots a tear running down your cheek.

“Ah, ah kitten, no need to get ahead of yourself” he gently chides, which naturally spurns you on more. Sylus’ head falls back again, mouth open as he shallowly thrusts into your throat. His eyes flicker open when he hears the wet sound of your fingers touching yourself as you pull back a little to concentrate on lavishing his length with your tongue.

“Fuck… is this turning you on, sweetie?” You hum in response and Sylus groans at the feeling of the vibration “mmm such a pretty little slut for me… taking me so deep in your throat like this. Ah- I guess I wasn’t the only one dreaming of this.” His grip on your hair tightens and you can tell from his desperate pants that he’s reaching his limit. You quicken your actions, ignoring how lewd you sound slobbering and choking on his dick. Your jaw aches but he’s so close that you can’t stop. Your own pussy clenches around nothing as you soak your thighs in your own arousal.

“Fuck I’m going to-!” You brace yourself for his cum to spurt down your throat, and-

RING RING RING

You groan and open your eyes as your alarm slowly pulls you out of sleep’s clutches. You lay there for several moments, half dazed as you acclimatise back to your surroundings. Your hand eventually silences the alarm but you struggle to move beyond looking at your phone blearily. You had slept all night but still felt tired. You made a half formed mental note to ask Dr Zayne why that was and moved the heel of your hand to your face to rub the sleep out of your eye.

Yawning hurts, you figure out very quickly, and you attempt to move your jaw a few times to loosen it. It aches. And your throat felt dry too. Were you sick? You slowly sit up and hiss at the slight grazes on your knees. Surely that wasn’t a symptom of a cold was it?

It’s only when you strip off your sweat soaked pyjamas for a shower that you notice that your underwear is soaked through and your thighs are slick. You shiver and observe your body in the mirror. It looks much the same but there are tell tale signs that something happened. Your sleepy mind tries to focus as you wash yourself but you can only concentrate on putting yourself through the motions of your morning routine.

Last night still lingers in your thoughts at work, though you choose to compartmentalise it for a later time. Your mornings are filled with training and you dispel some low level Wanderers who spawn on the edge of town, which makes it easier to forget but it becomes near impossible to ignore in the afternoon as you sit at your desk, rereading the last sentence of the report you just wrote.

“Here” a mug of something warm and citrusy is placed on your desk and you look up in surprise at Xavier.

“Thanks, how did you know?” You give the liquid a small sip, relishing its soothing warmth against your sore throat.

“Your voice sounds pretty bad. Are you sure you’re not sick?” Xavier’s hand touches your forehead as his blue eyes narrow.

“I’m fine. I think I just fell asleep last night without my blanket. I found it on the floor this morning, I must have kicked it off me at some point.”

“Were you dreaming?”

Images from your dream flood your mind and you look away, afraid your blush will reveal the nature of those dreams.

“Yeah” you cough awkwardly “I think I did but it’s a bit blurry.”

“Maybe you were fighting Wanderers” Xavier speculates “or trying to beat the claw machine again.”

“Ugh don’t remind me! I was so close to getting that Sunset Tomato!”

Xavier smiles and shakes his head “you’re at the arcade so much it’s making its way into your dreams. You should really take a break.”

“Maybe… Have you ever had a dream that felt real?”

You nervously look up at Xavier, half expecting him to be alarmed but he quietly considers your question instead.

“Hmmm… what do you mean ‘felt real’?”

“Like, it felt like you were there. Physically. As though your body and your spirit and everything wasn’t in your bed anymore but in a whole new environment.” Xavier’s face remains unchanged.

“Forget it” you quickly dismiss “dumb question.”

“Not necessarily. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a dream like that but I remember reading something a while ago online about astral projection. Maybe there’s something to it?”

Xavier’s words stick in your mind long after you leave work. Could you actually be astral projecting into Sylus’ dreams? You try to Google it but the results are either too vague or sound too unfounded for you to take seriously, and you certainly weren’t feeling confident about searching ‘Can you astral project into your sort of enemy sort of crush’s wet dream?’