LaDS rambles and whatnot

You’re used to well-built bodies, it kind of comes with the territory of being a trained Hunter. You’re surrounded by abs and sculpted thighs all day long. You don’t bat an eye at a muscled bicep or a toned butt. Brawny backs are the norm in your world.

But Sylus?

Well, he’s- he’s just so tall. He’s tall and well-proportioned. Broad-shouldered with a slutty little cinched in waist that he keeps emphasizing with shiny-buckled belts and tucked in shirts. Long-limbed but built enough to keep from being gangly, and his frame is large so of course his body takes up most of your eye-line whenever he’s lingering about.

And he’s always lingering about.

It’s hard not to look, really.

For a while you had tried to convince yourself that your inability to look away from him stemmed from a place of suspicion and mistrust. But at some point, you had to stop lying to yourself and concede that your tendency to stare at Sylus derived more from an appreciation of male beauty than anything else.

It was kind of nice when you were finally able to admit to yourself that you liked looking at him. It allowed you to freely appreciate and admire - you could catalogue and study all your favorite parts. Like that nose.

Sylus has a face that could rival that of a Greek god. It’s angular without being pointy or harsh. And you love the sharpness of his cheekbones and jawline. And of course that lovely, lovely nose - with its very slight, but refined, bump.

He’s also always smirking too and it emphasizes the prominent cupids bow of his lips. When he talks, you can see his teeth and sometimes even a hint of his pointed fangs - it’s actually quite cute. When he frowns, it softens his expression to something almost pouty, which is charming on such an otherwise somewhat imposingly handsome face.

He has sultry cat-like bedroom eyes that change in color from warm reddish-brown black tea to surreal glowing rubies, depending on the light and his mood. They are framed by dark lashes and can be startlingly expressive when he cares to be. They’re beautiful eyes. Even the slight darkness of the hollows of his eyes and under-eyes only add to his charm by humanizing his almost sculptural visage.

His hair is somewhere in the silvery ash blond family and is surprisingly fluffy when you get up close. When a light shines from behind him, his hair catches light and his head looks like its illuminated by a moonlight halo.

His neck is an elegant and straight column. Powerful and poised, much like the rest of him. His adam’s apple peeks out temptingly and sometimes you want to lick it. Other times you want to bite it.

He walks and moves with an air of authority and danger, all slow and steady until a burst of energy suddenly pounces forth. You like it best though when he softens in private and becomes something more tender and gentle. When his large hands reach for you and then hesitate until given permission to touch. His hands are always so warm and supportive, solid but pliant. It’s like he tries to mold them to fit against you perfectly.

You like how he’ll let you sit on his lap and trace the veins on his arms, even if it comes with him teasing you about whether or not you would appreciate it more if he worked up a few pushups for a pump first. If you give him a little ‘hmph’ and ignore his gentle heckling, he’ll end up sitting there quietly and watch reverently as you carefully study the shapes and lines of his hands and arms. It always ends up being a nice quiet moment.

——

You walk over to where Sylus is sitting and bend down to reach over and pinch his inner thigh, hard enough for it to twinge but not enough for it to actually hurt.

He looks up at you and raises a brow, “And what was that for, sweetie?”

“You’re distracting me again.”

He inclines his head at you, “You told me to not bother you because you’re busy. I’ve been sitting here quietly and cleaning my guns and weapons. I haven’t said a word in half an hour.”

You harrumph, “Distracting. D-I-S-T-R-A-C-T-I-N-G. That’s what you are.”

“Are you studying for a spelling bee, sweetie? Good job. You can spell ‘distracting,’ I’m proud of you. Do you need me to use it in a sentence or give a definition?” He smiles, and you are briefly distracted by the curve of that lovely mouth. You catch yourself and then purse your lips before lightly kicking the leg of his chair for his annoying comment.

Sylus’ smile just gets bigger. “Are you sure it’s that I’m distracting and not that you have the attention-span of a crazed hyperactive hamster?”

You pinch him again, harder this time as punishment, “Stop being mean. You’re in enough trouble already for distracting me. Besides, I thought I was a cat, not a hamster.”

He laughs, “My apologies, sweetie. Of course you’re my kitten. How could I forget your little claws and feisty nature?” His tone turns flirty, “Tell me, since I’m apparently guilty of a crime I wasn’t aware of committing, how exactly have I been distracting you?” His stupid bedroom eyes glint a bit as they look you up and down, “Just what kind of trouble am I in anyway? Maybe I’ll like it.”

You gently flick at the tip of his stupid, perfect, and distracting nose this time. “Hush. You know what you’re doing.” You sneak a glance at where his butt is sitting. “Stop distracting me.”

He notices the way your eyes dart down to the seat of his chair but ignores it. Instead he reaches for your hand, “And how should I do that? What do you propose, kitten?”

You resist the urge to give his perky butt a little swat. Or a jiggle. Or both.

“I don’t know, figure it out,” you say.

“Maybe you need a break.” His thumb strokes across the entire back of your hand in a swipe. Stupid long fingers and stupid massive hands. “I can definitely help with that.”

You tilt your chin up and give him a disdainful look, “You sound very sure of yourself,” you say.

He pushes his chair back before standing up, still holding your hand. Suddenly, you find yourself looking at his neck and the underside of his chin. He takes a step backwards and angles his head down to look at you properly. He’s too tall and his stupid legs are too long.

He gives you a fond smile, “You don’t have to play those kinds of prideful games with me, kitten. There are much better games we could be playing instead. I know you were looking at me.”

“It’s because you’re so big that you take up all the space! Who can look anywhere and not look at you? All sprawled and taking up all the room with your ugly backside!” You yank your hand back from him and cross your arms.

Sylus laughs and wraps his arms loosely around you. He bends down to whisper in your ear, “I know you think I look good, kitten. It’s one of the first nice things you ever said about me, remember?” his voice is so deep and smooth it makes you shiver slightly. “Why are you acting so shy? Shouldn’t you be less nervous now that we know each other better? You were so bold before.”

You’re blushing but you refuse to acknowledge it. You pretend like you’re not flustered.

Sylus bites the rim of your ear very softly, just enough for you to feel teeth and the slightest hint of pressure. “Come on, kitten. Take a break. Maybe if you give in to your distractions you can…work it out of your system. And actually focus on your work after, hm?”

You want to act like you’re not tempted. But maybe he’s right. Maybe if you let yourself look and touch your fill, the desire behind the distraction will be satisfied and you can actually get some stuff done.

“Fine,” you relent. “But only for a little bit! We can just…just for a little bit okay?” You jab a finger against his firm chest to show that you mean serious business.

“On my honor as a gentleman,” Sylus promises as he takes his hand to cover yours over his heart.

You snort scornfully, “You’re hardly a gentleman, honor something else that actually makes sense!” You take a moment and reach over with the hand he’s not holding to slap his butt hard before giving it a good jiggle like you had wanted earlier. Might as well give in fully if you’re going to give in at all.

Once you reach the side of his desk, you crouch down and crawl over to the side of his chair. Sylus stares, wondering exactly what you have planned. He watches as you scrunch yourself up and forcibly shove your body underneath his desk, squeezing past his chair. You shift around under there for a bit until you finally settle down in the little space between his feet, facing away from him.

You proceed to wrap an arm loosely around his calf and rest your head against the inside of his knee. He hears you let out a soft satisfied sigh and sees you pull out your phone, set it on silent, and start up a mobile racing game. He stretches a hand down to stroke against your hair and you gently push your head against it to get more contact.

The conference can’t end soon enough.

****

Twenty-five minutes later, his business is finally concluded. He shuts off his computer and looks down at you, still half-curled up around his leg.

“Kitten? What are you doing sitting down there? That can’t be comfortable.”

You keep playing your game, wanting to finish one more race. “I missed you.” You say, looking up at him briefly, “Felt like cuddles, but you were busy and I didn’t want to bother you.”

His heart squeezes in his chest.

“I’m never too busy for you, kitten. You can bother me anytime. I Iike it when you ‘bother’ me.” His hand slides down from the top of your head to cup your cheek and he smiles, “In any case, my meeting has concluded and I’m all yours now.”

You finish up the race on your phone and smile back. You turn your head to press a kiss against his palm. “Wanna cuddle in bed? I finished my race!” You turn your phone screen to show him.

He looks at the screen declaring you as the first place winner and lets out a light laugh, “Should I compliment you?”

“Yeah.”

His rubs his thumb against your cheek, “Well then. Good job, kitten. Excellent racing.”

He gently pushes his chair back before setting out to extract you out from under the desk. He bends down to take your phone in one hand and pick you up with his other arm. You wrap your arms around his neck and tuck yourself snugly against him. “Comfortable?” He asks, and you nod.

He doesn’t say anything else but you can tell that he’s pleased and walking in the direction of his bedroom.

****

Once in his room, he lays you down on his bed carefully and places your phone on the bedside cabinet next to you, before heading over to close the door.

You make a small whine as he walks away from you, “So far away, Sylus…”

He chuckles, “It’s just for a second, kitten. Are you really that needy?” He teases.

You respond with another frustrated whine.

He sighs in response, but there’s only resigned indulgence behind it. He’s already walking back towards you, “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he says. And he sits down on the bed next to you with a small smile.

You smile back at him, “Yay, you’re back.” And suddenly he can’t help himself. He bends down and presses kiss after kiss against your face.

“You are completely spoiled…and so demanding. But how can I resist when you say and do the sweetest things.” He says between kisses, “You’re so cute. You’re so cute I can hardly stand it.” He punctuates his words with a gentle bite at your cheek.

You giggle and try to pull him down so he’s laying next to you. He acquiesces without a fight.

You return his kisses with your own. Peppering them wherever you can reach. “You’re the cute one, Sylus. Look at your pretty pink face! So so so cute!” You say.

He flushes more at your words and gives a small snort, “Nobody but you would say that I’m ‘cute’, kitten.”

You give a small huff, “That’s because they’re all stupid and don’t deserve to see how cute you are.” You cup his face with both hands, “I don’t understand how anyone can see your handsome face and not want to kiss and cuddle it.” You press a kiss against the tip of his perfect nose, “See? Look at how cute and perfect you are!”

Sylus laughs throatily and wraps his arms around you to hold you close. He’s so charmed. He kisses the top of your head, “You’re so silly sometimes. I love you so much, kitten. You’re everything.”

You move to smush your face against his neck and press another few kisses there too, “I love you too, Sylus. Very, very much. You make me so happy.”

Mr. B was flashy. Unlike some of his peers who mostly tried to keep a low profile, he was loud and liked to make his presence known. He was alleged to have a weakness for women. Specifically, wide-eyed and vivacious women with brown hair and a sweet voice. Needless to say, out of all the hunters at the Association, Tara had fit the bill best.

Originally, you were only supposed to be a handler for the initial drop mission. To be there unobtrusively in the background and only step in if any issues arose. But now, with Tara out sick and the date for the soiree that Mr. B was set to attend coming up fast, you found thrown into a honeypot role that you felt ill-trained for.

Tara had spent the majority of the past three or four months prepping for the role, but you had only six days to prepare yourself. Jenna had sent you a fair amount of documents concerning Mr. B, and the Association had provided videos on luring men of power into romantic entanglements for purposes of gathering intel, but honestly, it was all a bit much. It was very different from all the previous undercover roles you had undertaken, and you were nervous.

In one of the documents you had been sent, it mentioned that the B-Group was known to have previous dealings with Onychinus. That Mr. B was said to have bragged about having a personal association with the Onychinus leader. It gave you an idea…

In retrospect, you had known that you shouldn’t. That it was a bad idea. That Sylus didn’t need to know about the Association’s business anymore than he already did. But, you were feeling so overwhelmed, and Sylus had been so helpful in prepping for other undercover roles. And he even knew Mr. B!

Deciding to ignore your gut instincts, you call up Sylus anyway.

****

“Hello kitten, it’s late for you. Pulling another all-nighter?”

“Ugh…Unfortunately,” you griped. You sighed, weirdly nervous for just a phone call with Sylus.

If Sylus could sense your nerves at all, he pretended not to. “Anything I can do to help?”

You swallowed. “Well…actually….” You gave another sigh, “So, I have this big mission concerning the B-Group, and I was wondering if you had any extra info on them. Specifically on Mr. B. If you have any personal info or anything like that, I could really use it…”

“Mr. B and the B-group? Mm, I suppose I might.” His voice turns teasing, “What are you planning with them?”

“Top secret Association stuff bucko, can’t say.”

Sylus gives a low throaty chuckle. “Now now sweetie, as generous as I am with you, you know that there is always a price when it comes to intel….”

You grit your teeth, you probably shouldn’t have called him. But it was too late to back out now, “Alright. I’m supposed to get close to Mr. B and find out more information about their protocore weapons. The Association wants an agent to establish a long term personal relationship with him to slowly dismantle the B-Group and their routes before they get any bigger.”

There is a pause before Sylus can be heard clearing his throat, “A…personal relationship? Are you the agent that’s meant to establish a personal relationship with him? What exactly do you mean by a ‘long term personal relationship’ anyway?”

Of course that would be the part that he would harp on about.

“It’s like…” You struggle to relay the information properly, unsure of what exactly to say. “It’s…not quite, but it’s kinda meant to be like…a semi-honeypot mission. I guess that’s the best way I can describe it.”

There was nothing but dead silence from Sylus’ end, which was very unusual actually.

It made you nervous and you blathered on, words coming a bit too fast, “The Association’s contacts have said that he’s…fond of women and I mean- I wasn’t supposed to do it originally but the first choice agent is currently out sick. So I’m, I’m scrambling…I just- I just want to prepare more I suppose. It’s very different from any other undercover roles I’ve done.” You take a breath, “I already have some info and stuff on his preferences and all, but since you’ve actually met the man, I thought….”

Your lips suddenly feel dry and you lick them before continuing, “I thought maybe you could help me prep? Like when I was supposed to be the leader of the Tenebra group. Y’know?”

Another pause of silence. It’s a moment before Sylus replies, his voice slow, “A…honeypot mission. I…see. Is the Association doing that sort of thing now?”

“Umm…”

“It’s a bit…well, never mind, kitten. Far be it from me to dictate how the Hunter’s Association should run their affairs.”

You pause. “So, will you help me?”

“Sure.” His voice sounds curt, but casual.

You breathe with relief, “Oh my gosh, Sylus, thank you. I’ve been freaking out so hard over this assignment.”

“I aim to please, sweetie.” His voice is relaxed and it sets you at ease, glad he was taking this so well, “So, tell me, when exactly is this mission set for anyway? What do you need to know? How can I help you?”

****

Three days before you were set to meet Mr. B at the soiree, and two days after you had called Sylus, the entire undercover mission is called off.

The B-Group had been fully dismantled. Their routes and protocore weapons had all been destroyed, and nobody had any idea what had happened to Mr. B, or where he was. Rumors ranged from the B-Group breaking down due to internal strife, to Mr. B selling it off himself and escaping to some private island paradise. However, the Association’s best intel suggested that the B-Group had somehow run afoul of Onychinus and been taken down for it.

As you sat at your desk reading the email that had been sent about the entire thing, you couldn’t help but feel irritated. You knew you shouldn’t have called Sylus that day.

And he had pretended to be so helpful too! Had spent all that time with you rehearsing your approach, and had even role played as Mr. B for some practice at light flirtation. You had some choice words for him next time.

Still irritated, you see Captain Jenna walking towards your desk with another file at hand, you sigh as you close out the email and turn your attention to her. You wondered what she had to say about this whole debacle.

****

You shove yourself into an empty bathroom and angrily speed dial Sylus’ number. He answers after just two rings.

“Hello kitten. What a pleasant surprise to hear from you.”

“Sylus! Don’t you ‘pleasant surprise’ me! Why did Jenna just tell me that my honeypot training might not go to waste after all? Why did the Association get a weird tip about an Onychinus lieutenant named ‘Slater’ who has a weakness for women who like…plushies, claw machines, gaming, and kitty cards?!”

You pause to take a breath, “Who is ‘Slater’? Is it you? I know it’s you, Sylus! The Association’s busy trying to verify if it was a weird tip-off or not!”

Sylus laughs heartily, “Mm…oh no. What a shockingly accurate tip-off that is.” You can hear the self-satisfied smile in his voice, “Should I congratulate the Hunter’s Association on having excellent surveillance?”

You bristle at his casual tone, “You’re the one who gave that weird tip and you know it, Sylus!”

He sounds far too pleased with himself, “Now why would I ever give up such useful and correct information about Onychinus?” He hums a bit and you can hear the smugness in his voice, “I certainly hope that the Association doesn’t find out that ‘Slater’ is set to attend an arms auction in two weeks. And I would never want them to find out that the very next day after that, there is a shipment of altered protocores that they would love to get their hands on….”

“SYLUS!”

He finally drops the act, “You’ve been so busy with work, sweetie. It’s been almost impossible to get ahold of you. It feels like you only ever call me for business. I wanted to arrange a date. Can you really blame me?”

“Yes! I can, and I do! I know what you did about the B-Group by the way, and I’m really annoyed!”

“I just wanted to help, sweetie. Like I said I would.” He ignores your angry protests, “You were so stressed out about the whole thing, and honestly, the B-Group…and Mr. B, they weren’t worth your time anyway. Their protocore weapons were subpar and besides, they had been threatening to step on Onychinus’ toes a bit concerning product routes. It was really a two-for-one sort of thing. Would have happened eventually anyway.”

You’re not at all assauged. “You better be prepared to give up that shipment of protocores in two weeks, Sylus! They’ll all be coming with me back to the Association’s office! Every last one, you hear?”

He laughs, completely unbothered, “Of course, of course. A small price to pay for a night spent with you, kitten.”

————

****

You had found the sweater a week ago in Sylus’ closet when you stayed the night. You’d been looking for something comfy to lounge in his bed in, and when your hand had brushed up against this particular caramel-toned sweater, you couldn’t help yourself. It was so soft. It must’ve been one of Sylus’ favorites. He must have worn and washed it regularly for it to be as soft as it was.

Sylus had laughed when he saw you emerge victoriously from his closet with your spoils. Said you had surprisingly refined taste for someone so cheap.

You had never felt anything so buttery and soft before. Sylus doubtlessly used some very nice detergent and fabric softener. The sweater was a bit too large for you, intended to fit someone of Sylus’ frame, and the too long sleeves had felt so overwhelmingly cozy. You couldn’t stop petting yourself while you wore it.

Sylus had watched you with a smile and teased that you looked like a self-absorbed hamster grooming itself. You told him that he was just jealous that you had discovered his favorite sweater and had taken it hostage for the night.

When it came time for you to head home the next day, you were loathe to leave the sweater behind. And Sylus, dear sweet generous Sylus, had told you not to bother and to take it with you instead. He insisted. Said you clearly liked it better than he did.

You had hemmed and hawed about it at first. Both wanting, but not wanting, to steal his favorite. But you could tell by his smirk and head tilt that he knew how delighted you were with your new prize.

You had no idea that prize in question was made of one of the most luxurious textiles in the world. That it was worth over four months of rent for your apartment. That it wasn’t soft from Sylus wearing it all the time, but because it was made from the literal finest wool available on the market today.

Sylus just laughs when you call him up to confront him.

****

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal. It’s really not that bad, just a sweater.”

“It’s more than my rent! For four months!”

“Tch, that really says more about your meagre accommodations than anything else, kitten.”

“Why do you even have a sweater that costs $9,000 anyway?”

“$17,800.”

“WHAT?!”

“$17,800. It was custom made and I wanted a looser fit for comfort, so it required substantially more wool.”

“SYLUS!”

“Oh sweetie. It’s really not that bad. I have a rather large illegal white shahtoosh shawl somewhere that’s worth at least double that.”

“A what? A sharoo? Huh?!”

“Shahtoosh. Don’t worry, sweetie. It was a gift from a business associate trying to curry favor. And very old. Vintage. I wouldn’t buy one myself, I know how much you love animals.”

“Huh?”

“I’d give it to you, given your fondness for fine wools, but I know you’re a good law-abiding citizen so…”

“You…you big criminal! Why are even the fabrics you own illegal? Sylus? Sylus! Sylus, stop laughing at me! Sylus! It’s not funny. Sylus!!”

****

The next time he sees you, he hands you a skein of vicuña yarn.

“For my kitten to play with.”

“….”

You’ll never tell him that you do end up fiddling around with it later.

———

A/N - I know they use “Linkon currency” in the game but tbh I was too lazy to try and look up conversion rates so I just used what I know. Is Linkon money equivalent to the Chinese yuan, or no?

Sylus’ sweater is definitely extremely expensive, even for vicuña, but I’m assuming he would get the best of the best, so….

Also, apparently, shahtoosh wool is the finest wool in the world (literally. The hairs are the finest in the animal kingdom). It is made from Tibetan antelope (chiru), which are endangered, and the antelope have to be killed for the wool to be harvested, so there’s some ethical and legal concerns with it. According to wiki, it is also illegal to buy/sell/own shahtoosh, however it can still be found on the black market sometimes for exorbitant prices.

You bite your lower lip, flustered, “…No, no. It’s fine. It’s not- You didn’t- I’m sorry… You didn’t make me…uncomfortable. I- I just can’t. I’m sorry.” A cowardly answer, you think.

Sylus was always braver than you though. More willing to show you his vulnerable belly than you ever were to show him yours. He visibly swallows, gathering that bravery, before starting up, “If I… If you don’t mind my asking, is there someone else? Did I misread the situation? Us? How you feel about me?” He pauses briefly, “I thought that we were on our way to a…more intimate relationship of sorts.”

You turn red, “No, there’s no one else… I…I just. I apologize if I gave you the wrong idea, but I just want to be friends.” You fidget. Coward, you think again.

You swallow. You know Sylus would never press an issue that you were obviously distressed by. But, you think, he deserves more than this. He had been so good to you. Made you feel…special, for a while. Looked at you and saw you. Allowed you to play pretend that maybe you could have something nice with someone nice. Sometimes he even made you forget your own self-loathing. He deserves to know, at least a bit of it, to not be left in a foggy muddle of where things stood, and where they had been.

You try to be brave too, “It’s not you, I know that we were…flirting with something like that. Well I guess just flirting too, in general.” You try a joke to lighten the mood. It doesn’t really work.

You can’t look at him so you look to the side. Your voice comes out soft, barely a whisper, “I liked it. I…I do like you. I just. I can’t date anyone, that’s all.”

He frowns, “I’m afraid I… I don’t understand? I don’t…” He stops. You look like you’re about to cry. You are about to cry.

“Oh kitten, I… It. It’s fine. Don’t feel pressured to explain. I understand that you have your own reasons and I respect that.”

You do start to cry. Messily, snot and all. You’re embarrassed to do this in front of him, ashamed of your own weakness, “I’m really sorry, Sylus,” you choke out between tears.

His fingers twitch, unsure of what to do at first. You reach up to try and wipe at your eyes sloppily. You go to wipe your nose against your arm and his mind is made up.

He pulls you into a hug, and holds you protectively. Your tears and runny nose are undoubtedly making a disgusting mess against his fancy designer shirt. “Shh…it’s okay. It’s okay. You are always allowed to say no. You don’t owe me or anyone else an explanation. Your reasons are your own and that’s more than enough.”

His breathing is steady and you can feel his warmth against you. It feels nice. It always does. “Shh…I’m here. I’ll always be here for you if you need someone. If you need me. We don’t have to do anything or be anything you don’t want. We can just be here like this.”

And it feels so good to be comforted, to let him hold you.

Sylus deserves better than you and your non-answers. You want to tell him that. You want to tell him that you’re scared he won’t like you anymore the more he gets to know you. That you’re scared he’ll avoid you and reject you if he sees deeper into all the disgusting and terrible and ugly parts of you. You want to tell him that you hope he finds someone better than you, someone more worthy of being loved. That you hate yourself. That you don’t deserve to be cared for. You don’t deserve to be held like this. That you are so flawed and so ugly and so awful and so pathetic in so many ways that he cannot even imagine.

But you know him well enough by now to know that saying those things would only upset him. Infinitely patient with you as he is, there is nothing he would hate more than hearing you tear yourself down. Even if it’s all the truth.

You’re leaning against his arm, and you give another sigh, watching Chihiro and Haku fly off to the bathhouse together while holding hands, “Nothing, it’s just…I wish I had a dragon boyfriend too.”

Sylus stares at you for a moment before turning back to the television screen. He doesn’t say anything at first until finally, he replies. “And why would you want something like that sweetie?”

“Weeell, I dunno,” you press more of your weight against his arm to try and be annoying, “I think it’d be cool. See Haku? If I had a dragon boyfriend he could fly me around all the time. I could ride on his back and hold onto his horns and take to the skies!” You throw your arms open to demonstrate the freedom of flying on a dragon’s back.

You turn conspiratorially towards Sylus and give a mischievous grin, “Also, I don’t think Haku did, but dragons typically have hoards, don’t they? Like in ‘The Hobbit’ movie. I wouldn’t mind having a hoard!”

Sylus raises an eyebrow, “You mean like Smaug?”

You nod, “Yes! The one with the piles and piles of gold and treasure.” You put on a deep voice, “I will not part with one single coin!”

Sylus isn’t watching the film at all anymore, eyes and attention fully on you instead. He laughs before giving you an indulgent smile and murmuring, “What a pitiful excuse for a dragon.”

You pout. “Hey! Not all of us have deep growly voices like you, okay? Some of us have to make do with the dragon voices we’ve got!”

He snorts before wrapping an arm around you gently, “No, no, no sweetie,” he soothes, “Not you. You would be the most lovely dragon. Voice and all. Breathtaking and spectacular, truly.” His eyes glitter earnestly and you are sated by this response.

“I meant Smaug.” He clarifies.

“Smaug?” you tilt your head at him. “Why’s he a pitiful dragon? Cause he got killed?”

“Tch,” Sylus huffs, “There’s no shame in an honorable death or being killed by a worthy opponent. No, he’s pitiful because of his arrogance and lack of safety precautions. He didn’t guard his vulnerability properly. And because his greed had no purpose.” He gives a disparaging scoff, “‘Not a single coin,’ what is wealth but a tool to be used? He would make a terrible dragon boyfriend, sweetie. He would never share his hoard with you. Pathetic.”

You punch him lightly on the shoulder, “Hey now. He’s a dragon. It’s in their nature to be greedy and hoard things without sharing! Besides, I would’ve thought you could relate…”

Sylus makes a slightly affronted noise, “When have I ever been anything less than exceedingly generous with you?” he asks accusingly.

“Not that part! Just….” Your eyes scan around the opulent room that Sylus has you two currently set up in. You take note of the rich decor and the state of the art entertainment system. “I just mean, it’s not piles and piles of gold but you’ve kinda got a hoard of your own going on. Don’t you?”

“A hoard of my own….” Sylus repeats.

You pat the luxurious and exceptionally comfortable sofa you are currently seated on. “Like, this sofa and this room. And all your armories, your music, and art, and jewelry collections…it’s all very nice stuff. Like a modern day dragon’s hoard.”

Sylus looks oddly pleased. “You think my ‘hoard’ is nice?”

You laugh at his odd display of pride. You have never known Sylus to be egotistical about his wealth so this display of self regard was rather strange on his part. “Hmm…maybe you should add some piles of gold and gems to it, then we’ll talk.”

His eyes suddenly darken devilishly, “That could be arranged, kitten. Rather easily at that. Be careful what you ask for.”

You playfully bump against him, “Yeah? Maybe you should grow some horns and wings too. A tail and some claws while you’re at it. Really complete the whole ‘dragon’ thing, y’know?”

He smiles dangerously. “I’m skilled at modifications, sweetie. Again, be careful what you wish for….”

You laugh again, he’s being so silly and cute. “I guess I’d have to actually date you then wouldn’t I? My very own dragon boyfriend, just like I wished for.” You pull him into a kiss.

****

It was a funny sight. Sylus was currently crouched on the floor of your apartment, peering underneath your coffee table. He had dropped by earlier under the pretense of looking for a part of Mephisto’s wing that had fallen off the day before.

“….”

His lies were getting worse and you had no compunctions about telling him so.

“You can stop by just because you wanna say something or see me, y’know? You don’t always have to blame it on Mephie. That crow already has enough crimes to his name.”

You allow yourself a smug self-satisfied smile as he scoffs at your remark but still gives up the bit and stands up. “Besides, you built that crow. I highly doubt he’s so easily damaged.”

Sylus smiles as he gives you with a fond look. “Nothing gets by a hunter of the Association now does it?” he says lightly.

You smile back, and then in a slightly sing-song tone of voice reply, “Speaking of hunters from the Association and birds….another little bird told me something very interesting the other day. Two little birds actually…”

“Oh?” Strangely, Sylus seemed a little bit on guard at that, although he clearly didn’t want to show it. If you hadn’t grown so good at reading his micro-expressions you wouldn’t have noticed it at all. He fixes a smile on his face and tilts his head forward slightly “And what did these two little birds have to say that was so interesting?….”

You ignore how his smile doesn’t fully reach his eyes and continue on, your smile a bit more mischievous, “Well it was about this big mean crow that likes to bother hunters on their off time!”

The smile on his face doesn’t move at all as he waits for you to continue.

“These little birds told me that….this big mean crow might have a little crush on someone from the Hunter’s Association!”

Sylus stares at you for a second or two too long before giving a hearty laugh. “Is that so? Is that the sort of thing little birds tell you?” he chuckles, “You really should learn how to communicate with Mephisto better, sweetie. I promise you he is a much better conversationalist than whatever birds you’ve been chatting with.”

You ignore him, refusing to be swayed “Y’know…if this big mean crow would admit things out loud…maybe this hunter from the Association could actually be of some service.”

Sylus suddenly stiffens and he stares straight at you. It looks like he’s not even breathing for a few seconds. He licks his lips and swallows, strangely obvious nervous tics for a man who prides himself on staying calm in nerve-wracking situations. He seems to catch onto this himself and when he speaks, his voice comes out as smooth as always “Oh? And how would this Miss Hunter be of service to the big mean crow?”

“Wellll…for one, this Miss Hunter works at the Association!”

“Yes…she does, doesn’t she?” His eyes scan yours for something. You’re not sure what it is he’s looking for, so you go on.

“Yes! And, this Miss Hunter knows a LOT of hunters. Hunters that maybe this big mean crow has met before? Some very crush-worthy hunters? Maybe even a hunter named…” you pause a second for dramatic effect, eyes locked on his to catch any hint of emotion, “…TARA!” You say Tara’s name like it’s a gotcha moment.

Sylus stares blankly at you. No nervous widening of the eyes or quick inhale of breath at the name.

“…Tara?” you try again, “From the…”

He continues to stare at you. He looks like he’s wondering if you are unwell.

“No? Oh, hmm...” you pause to think for a second “….maybe…Lois?”

His brow furrows. “Sweetie, what are you-“

“….Simone? Did you, have you met Simone before? I can’t remember if she was there at karaoke that day or not…”

“…what? Simone who?”

“…Alex?” you try again, “Is it Alex? I know you met him at the resort too that time….”

You hem and haw for a bit. trying to think of other hunter’s that Sylus might have met before, “Jenna? Andrew? …Nero?”

Sylus has walked up to you quietly without you noticing. Large hands gently hold onto your shoulders and your face looks up to meet his gaze. He looks vaguely concerned.

“Are you okay, sweetie?”

You sigh and stare him straight in the eyes. “I’m trying to figure out the hunter you have a crush on!”

He blinks.

“Luke and Kieran let on that you might have a little crush on a ‘certain special hunter’ from the Association, so I’m trying to figure out who it is!” you tell him.

His hands slip from your shoulders as he takes a step back and gives a deep sigh, “Oh kitten…”

“I know you met some of my coworkers when we had that retreat at your fancy resort that one time…but I guess you’ve probably run into other hunters too, given your…occupation,” you try to meet his gaze again but he has closed his eyes and is pinching the bridge of his nose gently.

“Hey, I’m trying to tell you that you can tell me!” You take a step towards him and he takes another sigh, “We’re friends now, aren’t we? If you tell me, I can help put in a good word for you!” you pause, “Secretly, kind of. Might have to stick with the Skye persona for a while at first.” You pause, “But I can totally be your wingman! Really!”

Sylus shakes his head slowly, seemingly exasperated. You take the opportunity to grab at his arm so he stops pinching his nose and looks at you.

“You can tell me. I promise.” Your voice is softer. He’s staring at you again, “I can even give you tips if I’m friends with whoever your crush is.” Your lips feel dry and you lick them before continuing, “Tara likes fortune-telling and gossip, she’s super friendly and already thinks Skye is a pretty interesting person. Not sure about your singing though…. Serenading her is definitely off the table. As for Simone, she’s super into mechanical stuff, she modifies our weapons at the Association. She’s really good at it! Ooh, you guys would have loads to talk about actually. If you like her, just show her Mephisto or your bike, she’ll love the modifications you’ve-“

“Stop.” Sylus presses a finger against your mouth. “Please, sweetie. Please. Just…” He takes a few seconds to look straight into your eyes before he closes his eyes again and takes a deep breath as he pulls his hand away. When he finally looks at you again, he seems tired. “Don’t listen to Luke and Kieran. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“But-“

“Shh. Let me finish. Trust me, sweetie. They don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re just messing with you. I don’t have a crush on any of your hunter friends at the Association.”

“…oh.” you bite your lip, “I thought…”

Sylus gives another sigh, this one more fond than tired or frustrated. He continues on breezily, as if trying to set the mood for a bantering session, “Really kitten, you shouldn’t make it so easy for them. If you keep on being so gullible they’ll never stop having fun at your expense…” You give a huff, Sylus pays it no mind and goes on, “Honestly, I thought maybe you’d gotten better at figuring out when they’re pulling your leg.” He gently prods your arm a bit, “You really thought I had my eye on one of your Association’s hunters?”

You pout and cross your arms. “I’m going to have some words with those two the next time I see them!”

Sylus smiles and cups your face gently to get a better look at your pout. “Mm…. You should spend some more time over at the Onychinus base, sweetie. Maybe you’ll start to catch onto their tricks better if you do. Get more used to it and all that.” He leans down and presses a soft kiss to your forehead like he can’t help himself.

****

When Sylus returns home, he doesn’t say anything about the incident with you earlier. However, the twins do notice later that night that their schedules for the next few weeks are jam packed with all their least favorite tasks. They’re smart and they figure it out, even before you come over and give them each a heated earful about spreading silly rumors.

Best to keep their noses out of Sylus’ business with you, even if it was done with the best of intentions.

———

A/N: So, my MC and Sylus are in a friends-with-benefits kind of situation. It’s all kisses and cuddles and hangouts (and more) but hey, whoa, we’re not actually together.

Sylus, as he does, wants more. He actively wants and hopes for a serious relationship. My MC does too…but she also has major, major commitment issues and insecurity anxieties abt the whole thing. She’s afraid of losing herself in a relationship and also doesn’t want to read too deep into whatever weird kissy friendship they have, because what if Sylus is just messing around with her to mess around? He reads like he wants to be in a relationship with her but can she be so sure? So anyway, she also doesn’t want more a deeper relationship. This all makes her want to appear really extra okay and supportive of them not being together, and of any other romantic interests that might befall Sylus. Is she secretly a bit jealous at the thought? Yeah, but she’s never going to admit it.

You might notice Sylus staring into her eyes a lot. It’s cause he can see what she desires. And frankly what she wants is kind of a shitshow? She wants to be with him but she also doesn’t, and she wants to know that he’s serious but she also doesn’t want to know. Sylus isn’t 100% sure how to proceed with that and for as blunt as Sylus is, he always lets her take the lead in the relationship. I see him as being terrified of her getting scared or upset and avoiding him - so he doesn’t want to push her. And the result is that they’re kind of stuck in this push-pull couple-but-not-a-couple situationship.