Gold

Sylus' voice is so low it sends shivers running through you when you feel him come up behind you. He bypasses you completely, going straight for your son and leaning close till he was eyelevel "You're not disrespecting just your mother here, you've disrespected my wife. Don't you know what I do to those who scorn her?"

Your son can't bear to hold eye contact, looking nervous and lowering his gaze as Sylus whispers something to him. You're watching how his entire body goes rigid in fear as his father steps back "All this for your bike?"

He's too scared to respond, you can tell. You step up to his side to explain but your husband is not having it "Sylus-"

"No" He gently interrupts, before turning back to his son and tossing his keys at him, not as playfully as he usually would "The kid wants a ride? He's going to get one. Meet me in the garage in five minutes"

Your son slides an apprehensive look towards you and is about to leave when Sylus' low voice stops him dead in his tracks "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Gulping, he turns back to you. The keys jingle in his palms as he fists them. He's pale from fear at getting caught talking to you that way, but he's terrified for the talk that's coming after "I'm sorry, Mom"

He's out the door before you can respond and you turn to Sylus, dubious at how he'd behaved. Said man acts like he didn't just threaten his own son as he lifts his daughter out of the crib and coos at her "You can't talk to him that way!"

"And he can?" Sylus shoots back, his tone conversational as he kisses his daughter's cheeks.

"I was going to address it-"

"No" Sylus carefully holds his daughter in one arm as he turns to you "This is not behavior that we address. This is when they need to be put in line and made to understand the sacrifices you made for them to have the kind of life they do now" Putting an arm around you, he pulls you close and kisses your forehead "They can't get away with talking to their mother this way. More importantly, my wife"

"He shouldn't be riding his bike" Your brows furrow as Sylus puts his daughter back in her crib, before tucking your head under his chin and pulling you close.

"I've got this, baby" He pulls back to look at you, and those crimson orbs that all your children shared had come from this wonderful man, with his glowing eyes and wicked mouth. The love of your life "I'll make sure he's being careful"

With a final kiss to your forehead, he's pulling away to join his son when you call out behind him "Stay safe!"

Your parting words are still keeping him warm by the time he reaches the basement garage where his son is waiting by his bike, parked next to Sylus' own. He's already wearing his helmet, in clear hopes that this will help brace for impact of the storm that is his father.

Wordlessly, Sylus puts on his helmet and gets on his bike. Every moment stretched thin without a single word from his dad has your son nervous as he watches him rev the bike once, the engine roaring.

Sylus turns to look at his son once before he pulls his visor down and takes off. Your son's right behind him, the unspoken command to follow clear.

Both of them tear through the city, driving at a much lower speed than what they would usually, cruising past neighbourhoods and districts as the sun follows them into the sunset.

Your son is intently watching the back of his Dad's head, trying to figure out what exactly is going through his mind. Contrary to what most people deduced, he wasn't a mama's boy. He always felt closer to his dad. Like he didn't need a lot of words to express what he felt and Sylus just knew.

Even now, as they climbed around a hilltop, he could tell that just because he'd taken him out for a drive, everything wasn't back to normal. No, his clearly veiled threat that he didn't want you to hear earlier still rang clear in his head. This wasn't a way to help you calm down. Sylus needed the drive probably as much your son did.

After all, your son had inherited the love for riding from your husband.

They parked their bikes by a viewing spot that was blessedly empty, watching as the sun faded into hues of orange and blue over the city. Sylus takes his helmet off, hanging it over the rearview mirrors before turning to look at his son who was doing the same.

Unlike the older Qin, his son wasn't as good at acting aloof and unbothered. His foot tapped nervously on the tar before he caught himself, found himself knocking anxiously into the side of his bike and stopped abruptly, ran his fingers through his hair and looked around apprehensively before his gaze settled on the way the lights around the city lit up one by one. When he finally turned to look at his father, he found him already studying him quietly.

"You don't know the horrors your mother has faced to be able to give you this life. If you can't be grateful for it, unlearn that bullshit and do right by her yourself before I feel the need to step in"

Your son sighs. He screwed up big time. He lied.

He was a mama's boy.

Sylus tredges into your bedroom a couple hours later when you're sitting at your vanity and doing your skincare after a shower to calm yourself down. The twins caught wind about their eldest brother being in trouble and answering their questions on top of worrying for your son drained all your remaining energy out of you.

"Well?" You ask, going over to where Sylus is pouring himself a stiff drink and downing it in one go "What's the verdict?"

Sylus falls back into the couch and takes you with him, hugging you close to his body and sighing like he felt the entire world's weight on his shoulder "He lives"

"Sylus!" You pull back and smack his shoulder which breaks a chuckle out of him.

"He's fine. He handed over his keys himself and is serving his sentence by baking your favorite cookies before he comes up here to apologize again" That makes you smile as you wrap your arms around his neck, sinking into his warmth again.

"You did good" You praise, playing with the short hair at his nape "What did you say to him?"

Sylus' attention strays from where he'd been drawing mindless patterns into your skin, taking on a faraway look "Nothing too serious. He's a smart kid"

At your unconvinced look, Sylus complies "If it helps, I didn't scold him. He heard an earful for the way he talked to you but.. he's been cooped up at home all these weeks and that translated into today's episode" As an afterthought, he adds "Plus, the twins are not easy"

You groan "I sympathize with him, I really do"

Sylus laughs before he's quiet again, tightening his arms around you, lips resting against your temple "Told him that if he needed to go on a ride, he knows where to find me. And he'll only get his solo riding privileges back once I clear him safe"

"When will that be?" You muse, because you knew your husband.

"Never" You laugh quietly into his shoulder, knowing he's half kidding but also half serious "I should take away all his privileges simply for having talked to you that way"

Your fingers have stopped playing with his hair now, sinking deeper into the tufts of his hair and scratching his scalp as your hot breath whispers into his ear "Because no one disrespects your wife?"

You can feel the smirk spreading on Sylus' face as he pulls back to look at you "And lives to talk about it" At your evident frown, he amends "Unless they're blood related, in which case we concede with minimal punishment"

"What do you do to these...perpetrators?" You're not being slick at all, especially as your hand unbuttons his shirt with ease.

"Bad things" His lips ghost over your pulse before he's peppering kisses along your neck and jaw.

"What kind of bad things?" Your hands pull away at his shirt to feel his burning skin beneath your palms, running your fingers over the ridges as his stubble rubs against your skin.

"What was that saying about curiousity and a kitten?"

"It was a cat" You correct, moaning when his lips covers yours to reprimand you mouthing off to him with you hastily pulling away because you're far from done "There's not the full saying"

Sylus is simply humoring you now as he helps you out of your night slip, baring you completely for him "Is that so?"

"Don't you know satisfaction brought it back?" The innuendo is not lost on him, especially as your hands go to his belt buckle "Are you up for the challenge, Mr. Qin?"

Wordlessly, Sylus lifts you in his arms and drops you on the bed, very much up for the challenge as he simply rolls up the sleeves of his unbuttoned shirt. And because you're a glutton for punishment, you can't help but push his buttons "Yes? No? Maybe so?"

Sylus foregoes playing into your bait by grabbing you by the calves and dragging you to the edge of the bed as you squeal, throwing your legs over his shoulders, getting ready to show you how good he can satisfy this kitty.

"Fuck around and find out, Mrs. Qin"

🜼