H𝒜𝒩𝒩IA

You hated the long walk from your assigned classroom to your office. It was a twelve-minute walk of cardio with at least 12 LBS of belongings being carried at the same time. At least you never wore heels, you did once, and by the time you arrived at your office, you had blisters on your feet.

You truly disliked the long walk from your assigned classroom to your office. Until Professor Rafayel Qi started joining you…

“Why do you insist on making your students take exams on paper?” he asked, walking by your side with a big pile of papers in his hands.

“It’s easier, for me. And I avoid having to download their papers into my laptop”

“Well, at least we wouldn’t have to be carrying this much paper every three weeks” chuckling, you stopped Rafayel.

“Professor Qi, you don’t have to help me. I can carry them…” he rolled his eyes and smirked.

“Nonsense, I like helping you. And stop calling me that… I’m not that older” carrying the papers with one hand, he used the free one to pinch your cheek.

You blushed, heart racing at the instant and a tingling sensation running through your palms and chest.

“You may call me Rafayel. We’ve reached past the colleague stage, no?” Waiting for a reply, you smiled at him nervously.

“Of course…”

As a graduate student, you were able to start instructing a few undergraduate courses while working on your thesis, Rafayel turned out to be your thesis advisor. His office was right around the corner where your little storage room/office was. And he turned out to be so nice, funny, and hot, that a few weeks after meeting him, he was your crush.

It remained a mystery how he could be a recognized and famous artist and lecturer when he was a few years older than you.

Rafayel already knew his way to your office. Sometimes, he’d even surprise you with a little plant resting on your desk. All of them are placed in the window beside your desk.

Once both of you arrived, he placed the pile of papers on the desk and turned to look at you with an amused smile. You couldn’t help but reply with a silly grin, which made you worry for a second that your feelings for him would be sooner or later unveiled by him.

“So, at what time are you leaving today?” he suddenly asked.

“Probably by sunset. I have to grade this, then I’ll get dinner, finish changing a few things in a module for a class, and then I’m out” you answered, not noticing your long sentence, to which Rafayel chukled.

“Perhaps we could have dinner together…”

Your heart nearly stopped. Your eyes snapped open at his sudden, indirect invitation, and you wanted to gasp.

“Uh- dinner? Both of us?”

“Yeah, only if you’d like, of course”

Not wanting to push it, you tried to convince yourself that it was just a casual invitation. So you wanted to keep it that way…

“We could go to the food court!”

“Oh… the foodcourt, yeah!”

“I’ll see you there” you assured him before taking a seat in front of your desk.

With a brief exchange of smiles, Rafayel politely left your office.

You finished everything earlier, just to ensure you would meet with Rafayel.

With a sudden burst of confidence, you gathered your stuff and turned off your computer.

As you approached the food court, you couldn’t help but smile. You knew it wasn’t a healthy decision to think a casual dinner gathering on campus was a signal of mutual development of feelings.

Your steps were precise and slow as you started looking for Rafayel around the food court. The place was usually crowded, full of students, and a few brave professors, such as Rafayel.

You spotted his memorable hair and smiled. But just a step forward after that, you abruptly stopped.

He wasn’t alone. He was with another woman. Sitting, facing each other.

You had seen her before. Unfortunately many times, they seemed like friends but she was kinda touchy.

And then, two students got closer to say hi to Professor Rafayel Qi.

“What a surprise to see you around campus, Professor Qi!” a girl said.

They seemed like newly arrived students, freshman type.

Rafayel turned to greet her with a little smile.

“Well, I wanted to try something different today”

The woman seated with Rafayel chuckled and her hair seemed to bounce as if it were a shampoo advertisement. All while Rafayel watched her laugh and smiled a little.

You wanted to die on the spot.

“And this must be your girlfriend?” the other girl nosily asked.

You couldn’t bear to stand there another second. So you cowardly left without looking back.

By the time you arrived at your place, you had some unread messages from Rafayel. He was asking why you didn’t appear and if you were okay.

You decided to take a shower and answer him in the morning.

…

The following day you are somewhat free, so you decide to take your job under the warm sun. At least an hour passes before you are too concentrated on another excerpt of your upcoming thesis. You should have consulted Rafayel first but after the incident at the food court, you weren’t in the mood to be talkative.

Your replies explaining that you couldn’t get to have dinner with him because a headache fogged your mind were dry.

Yet, Rafayel answered cheerfully and even sent a little chicken with a heart sticker.

You knew who the woman was. His bodyguard, or at least that what he said when he introduced you two months ago.

She was two years older than you, a skilled hunter, and extremely pretty.

Not that you were insecure about your appearance, but the difference was undeniable. She was a literal model, just as Rafayel.

Consequently, they looked perfect together.

But as you type in a record time, you don’t think about the perfect hunter nor the professor who stole your heart.

“There you are! I was looking for you…” You doubt when you hear a voice, not knowing if it is calling you.

Once you turned around, you saw Rafayel entering the wide terrace, with his glasses on, university badge dangling, and wearing an elegant grey blazer.

“Me?” you ask taken aback.

“Yes, you. Now, put that aside for a moment” he pointed at your laptop.

You removed your sunglasses, noticing he was carrying a takeout bag.

As soon as you closed your laptop and placed it aside, Rafayel took out three boxes from the paper bag and gave you a sweet smile.

He urged you to open the boxes. Curiously, you did.

“You remembered…”

“Why wouldn’t I?- “ he answered with a cocky tone. Almost as if he were proud of remembering.

Little did you know, he was very proud of himself. Whenever he made you smile or laugh, he internally cheered.

In the table rested two orders of poke and rice. Buttered spicy mayo salmon, spicy garlic tuna, and a side of chicken katsu.

You had told Rafayel weeks before that you were looking for a Hawaiian poke restaurant that served authentic food, but you hadn’t been lucky yet.

He spent weeks looking for a decent place. Started at Whitesand Bay, near his house, thinking there would be greater chances to find fresh fish. But the place turned out to be closer to Linkon University.

“You couldn’t make it for dinner yesterday and I spent weeks looking for a decent place of poke…” he says, taking a seat in front of you.

“My friend, the hunter… Remember her?” Your ears ring and you have to subtly nod, trying to hide your jealousy.

“Well, she was doing patrol nearby and stopped to say hi. I was waiting for you at the food court and she appeared, I ended up having dinner with her”

“Oh…” It’s all you say, poking at the salmon.

“I told her I wanted to find a poke place for you and she told me to buy you food from here” Rafael added, a slight flush in his face appeared, but you doubted he was getting blushed.

Finally, you tasted the salmon and you had to close your eyes for a second. It was extremely good. The salmon was soft, it literally melted in your mouth, with the rice and the buttery flavor of the spicy mayo, it was almost perfect.

“Oh my god, it’s too good” Rafael smiled, enjoying the view of you satisfied with the food.

“I haven’t eaten in that place, it’s my first time trying it too” After that, he tried the salmon and nodded, approving the dish.

“Impressive fish they have. It’s fresh and tastes great!”

“Great taste of Miss Hunter” you had to admit, Rafael didn’t say anything.

“Hey, next time, I’m taking you there and we’ll eat outside. They had a nice patio and great music playing…”

“I’d like that” you agreed, smiling at him.

“In fact, we could go there next week. After you come with me to my newest exhibition at the gallery” you stopped chewing on your food.

Could it be a date?… You couldn’t dare to ask him if Miss Hunter was his girlfriend or not. Still, you nodded as Rafael literally cheered.

…

As soon as you stepped a foot outside of the cab, you wondered if your outfit was too simple. Everyone was wearing elegant tuxedos and cocktail dresses. You are in a silk salmon dress, nightgown style, with a pair of rose gold baby heels and a green oversized cardigan falling from one of your shoulders.

It was Rafayel’s exhibition and you didn’t know anyone. Until you spotted Thomas, who greeted you with a smile and a quick hug.

“Hey, you made it!”

“Yeah, I did” you answered softly.

“I know you came for Rafayel but I want you to meet my wife. The baby couldn’t make it here tho…”

“Really? I’d like that…” You knew Thomas was married, and you didn’t need to know his family to confirm he was a great husband and father.

“She’s gonna love your dress, you look amazing” and just as you were about to follow him, a voice stopped you two.

“She looks perfect…” When you turned, you saw Rafayel, eyeing you up and down with a genuine smile.

Your hands started sweating. He looked gorgeous, with an exotic dress shirt and pants that matched.

How could his hair look so perfect even when it was messy and disheveled?

“Rafayel-“ you greeted him, avoiding his gaze.

He stepped between you and Thomas and leaned to kiss your cheek.

He had never done that before…

“I meant it, you look perfect” his soft whisper sent shivers down your spine.

“Thanks…” with a little wink, you turned back to Thomas.

“I’ll be with you and your wife in a bit” the young man nodded, only after glancing back and forth between you and Rafayel.

After the blonde disappeared through the crowd, Rafayel grabbed your wrist and started dragging you away.

“Where are we going?”

“I want you to see my most important piece so far…”

A few seconds later, Rafayel stopped in a secluded room, and a big single canvas rested in the middle.

It was a woman looking at the sea. The sun looked purple, reflecting the orange and pink sunset. The hem of the woman’s dress seemed to mix with the ocean’s shore.

“It’s- beautiful. Very different from the rest of the exhibition…” You added, lost in the view of the painting.

Suddenly you felt his warmth behind you. Just inches away from you, his hands are debating whether to touch your waist or not.

“You think so?…”

His voice in your ear made you gasp. He heard you and smirked to himself.

“Yes…” You answered.

The tension was palpable. The air felt suffocating, you wanted to step back and let your back collide with his chest.

His breath impacted your bare neck and everything seemed close to explode and-

“Rafayel!”

Both of you snapped out, turning around to see a woman standing near the door. Miss Hunter… wearing a red dress, her hair in a braid, and with visible pink makeup.

“I’m so sorry. I swear I didn’t want to interrupt…”

She was looking for him… You suddenly felt small in the room.

“It’s okay… I’ll head back with Thomas”

“Wait, y/n.-“ Rafayel couldn’t stop you, you were already gone. You brushed past the woman so fast that even her hair and dress swayed.

Rafayel frowned, huffed, and looked at Miss Hunter visibly annoyed.

“Did I ruin it?” His friend asked.

“What do you think, Sherlock?” Rolling his eyes, Rafayel huffed again.

“I was this close to telling her. I already had her and-“

“I’m truly sorry, Rafayel” The man shook his head, not wanting to fight with his friend.

“No, it’s okay. Perhaps it wasn’t the moment…”

“I think it was… go find her and tell her no matter who she’s talking to” feeling a sudden rush of excitement, Rafayel sighed.

“Yeah, okay- you’re right”

“Good luck!”

He rushed to get through the crowd and people stopped him to greet him and congratulate him on his work. Rafayel only forced smiles and shook hands with strangers as he tried to look for you.

Until he spotted Thomas.

“Have you seen y/n?” He asked with urgency.

Thomas shrugged, giving one last sip to his drink.

“She just left…“ Thomas revealed.

“Did she say why?”

“Not really, just that she was tired and could feel a migraine incoming”

“That sneaky little liar…” Rafayel sighed with evident stress.

“What?”

“I like her, Thomas. I wanted to confess my feelings for her” Thomas genuinely seemed surprised. He always expected a sassy response from his friend, but he rarely experienced seeing him desperate and anxious.

“Rafayel, relax. Call her and set up with her to meet and talk… she’ll listen” slowly, he nodded.

But when he arrived at his place and called you multiple times, you didn’t answer.

Rafayel got so angry that he deliberately crushed many seashells and had to go for a late-night swim to clear his head.

You didn’t even bother to see his messages.

…

Two days later, you returned to your office. Everything was quiet. And it saddened you how didn’t receive more messages from Rafayel. But it was for the best.

You finished your coffee and sandwich before returning to your computer.

Not even a knock. Rafayel just stomped into your office. Your heart nearly stopped.

“Two days and you haven’t spoken to me”

“And I just noticed I’m no longer your thesis advisor?” Rafayel was visibly angry. His face was expectant, he demanded an answer from you.

Feeling extremely nervous, you sighed, trying to calm yourself before standing up.

“Rafayel, I’m sorry. It’s better this way…” You said to give him a little squeeze on the shoulder.

“Cutie, wait- Did I do something to bother you?…I-“

“I’m busy, I won’t have time to keep working with you. And I don’t want to interfere between you and your girlfriend, it’s awkward” you explained nonchalantly.

Rafayel tried to study your face as you stood up, grabbing a few books, your phone, and a flask. Only to turn and eye him before leaving.

“What?” He couldn’t believe what you just said.

“But truly, thank you for everything you did for me…” finally you added, with an evident sad smile on your face.

Your shoes echoed, the sound fading away as you headed for the elevator. Rafayel remained seated at your desk, a big frown on his face.

Suddenly he got up. He needed answers from you. It wasn’t fair how you simply dodged him.

But when he looked around, there was no trace of you in the hallway. You were gone…

…

After things cooled down, you’d be able to return to your office. It wasn’t that bad working at the university’s library. On the fourth floor, it was mostly empty. Usually an hour before closing, it was completely empty and mostly dark. It was a little scary but comfortable at the same time. The librarian was your friend and was in charge of not letting anyone inside.

You were working nonstop. Books scattered to your right, papers yet to be graded on the left. Your laptop almost died, the battery being at 12%.

And you had to go find a book through the shelves.

The wooden stairs on each shelf had the railings to support yourself. That didn’t matter because you were still nervous about climbing them.

You got high enough to not want to look down. Looking through the lettersT, you quickly found “The Layers of Expressionism Volume III”.

Getting up on the stairs was one thing, but getting down…

“You deceive me, ignore me, and pretend we’re fine”

That voice… it was Rafayel. You got startled, nearly screamed, and tripped, almost falling from the stairs.

“I’m not deceiving you!” you yelled, gripping the railing so hard your knuckles turned white.

“Quiet, we’re in a library” Rafayel stepped closer, you could see he was wearing his usual lecture outfit and glasses.

“It’s empty, for real!”

The man looked up at you and stopped frowning, only to smile, already teasing you.

“And I suggest you come down so we can have a proper talk… You know, professor to professor”

“I’m fine right where I am” you answered, sounding completely nervous.

Rafayel chuckled.

“Don’t you think I deserve an apology and to explain a little more about me?” Expectant and cheekily smiling, you nodded at Rafayel.

“I guess so…” sighing, you carefully got down, finally exhaling in relief as your feet touched the ground.

Rafayel stepped in front of you, clearing his throat.

“You implied I have a girlfriend…”

“Miss Hunter stopped being my bodyguard a while ago. She’s a great friend. Who’s well aware of my likes and dislikes” The more he stepped forward, the more you wanted to run away. Your heart was beating rapidly and your cheeks were on fire.

Nothing prepared you for such an embarrassing moment.

“And I’m well aware of what I’m doing and what I want” he added, finally cornering you between the stairs and his body.

“Rafayel…” his slender hand softly pressed against your mouth, making you go quiet, your eyes opening at the sudden touch.

He eyed you deeply. And you discovered a hidden fondness and obsession behind his unique eyes.

“But the truth is… that I’m- nervous. What I want might be out of my reach” You clutched the edge of the table harder, catching on his words. Nervous about what else he was going to add.

“She’s adorable, always being my perfect companion. But she’s clueless and avoidant… Do you actually think she enjoys my attention? Because…”

“I really like you, y/n” Rafayel confessed.

Gasping, you stared at him in shock.

“And I need to know if you feel the same”

“This is the reason why I ran away every time, you… I-“ you sighed, ready to spill the next words out loud.

“I like you too, Rafayel” A shy smile slowly appeared on his face.

“Really? We could’ve already had a dozen meaningful memories together, y/n. You delayed ages of affection between us!” Sensing his dramatic tone, you chuckled.

“I’m sorry, I really am. I should’ve been mature enough to tell you how I felt since the beginning”

“Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve…” Both of you smiled at each other.

In the middle of the darkness of that section in the library, everything was quiet. But you could only hear your heart beating.

Rafayel leaned closer, just like the night at the exhibition.

This time you wouldn’t run away. You had him face-to-face, inches away from connecting your lips with his.

“Kiss me, Rafayel”

And so he did.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and allowed yourself to relax in his warmth. The kiss turned sloppy and the burning sensation quickly made you addicted.

You heard him whimper and you immediately felt on fire. The kiss slowly trailed down to your neck and it was your turn to sigh, almost moaning.

Until the lights of the whole floor of the library were turned on and the librarian was standing near the principal door, looking at you and Rafayel completely mortified.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry, Marina” you quickly moved away from Rafayel and started gathering your stuff.

“Apologies, miss. We got a little carried away…”

The young woman ended up chuckling.

“When I let you in, Professor Qi, I thought you said you had some thesis stuff to work on with y/n” Rafayel babbled.

“Yeah… uh- her thesis is about the romance and tragedy of a kiss in medieval time so-“

“Just turn off the lights and lock the door when you’re done. Bye, lovebirds” and with that, Marina left.

You let out a long sigh and then eyed Rafayel, who scratched the back of his head.

“Was it good at least?”

“It was perfect…” You soothed him, kissing his cheek and handing him some of your books so he could help you.

“May I take you to dinner, finally?”

“You may…”

You two walked out of the library holding hands, when a thought rang in your head.

“Rafayel… shouldn’t we keep this private? I could get you in trouble…” Sensing your worries, Rafayel caressed your hand with his thumb.

“You’re already faculty staff, cutie. Perhaps you should make your thesis advisor again and I’ll make sure you get a new office just in front of mine”

“I sense persuasion?”

“Only a little…” he smiled as both of you reached your car.

“Come to my place tonight. I’ll cook something and we can have some drinks by the beach…” Slowly, you nodded at him.

“Alright…”

“Until later, Professor Qi”

“See you later, girlfriend” rolling your eyes, you playfully pushed him and kissed his cheek.

________________________________

This was supposed to be better and detailed but I wanted to post it asap since I have college work to do, sorryyyyyy

There were no official plans for the day. But you wanted to go out, you craved a little casual eating with your boyfriend. And maybe, then the two of you could go to a library or go with him to see if his next event was ready at the gallery.

Rafayel had just returned from his overseas exhibition tour. Almost two months gone, he left you in charge of his house and the galleries since he didn’t trust anyone besides you, his aunt, and Thomas. And the whole time he was gone, it wasn’t that bad.

Upon his return, you wanted to spend all the time you could together. Without being suffocating, because Rafayel was already clingy, needy, and dramatic. But he was your favorite person… until a day and a half before Valentine’s.

You had been so good to him since his return, like spending hours at his giant bathtub until your fingertips looked like raisins, or ordering seafood despite your poor attempts to enjoy it besides poke and sushi. You even posed for him, FOR FIVE HOURS!!!! Just because baby Rafayel missed you so much that he needed to paint you for the twelfth time.

So you went to the living room where he was sketching something in a notebook.

You went behind the couch and leaned to kiss his temple.

“Raffieeeeeeee...” He chuckled and tilted his head to kinda snuggle with yours.

“Yes, cutie?” You started massaging his shoulders just because. And somehow, you earned a little sigh from him.

“Don’t you feel like going out? To get some noodles? Or maybe poke again? Or sangrias and bread?” You kept kissing the left side of his face. And every time, Rafayel smiled more and more.

“And there’s this new book I want to pre-order too, now… can we go?” He turned to see your fluttering eyelashes and felt like a little fish swimming in circles from excitement.

Rafayel was obsessed with you. In a healthy and unhealthy way, he was bad bad bad bad down for you.

But, in that obsession also lay his worries for you. He wanted to make things easy and safe for you no matter what. So he knew he had to turn down your offer.

“With tears in my eyes, I have to decline, cutie”

“Okay… why, though?”

“Remember my bodyguard?” He asked and you nodded, moving around the couch to face him.

“Oh, yeah, the hunter. I like her, but I don’t like where this is going…” Rafayel quickly stood up, forgetting about his sketch.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m going with her to Hat Island, she wants to investigate a few anomalies and I need pigments. This is my chance…” you believed him, you didn’t think that hunter was a problem. She was always nice to you, knew you were Rafayel’s girlfriend and even invited you to hang out with her and other friends before.

“I will be back before sunset. It’s only midday and I’m seeing her in an hour. If it’s not a bother, you could go to pre-order the book, buy a nice dress for this weekend, and get some food to eat for dinner tonight” he added, sliding his hands under your sweatshirt, simply feeling your waist and back.

“What are we doing this weekend” he shrugged, feigning disinterest and kissing your neck.

“I can’t tell you that, cutie. But get a dress, maybe a long silk one, with boots and a coat, golden jewelry, and a sequined purse” you cackled.

“I knew someone else was logging into my Pinterest” you accused him with a gentle punch.

Rafayel chukled, pulling you closer towards him.

“I want to know your style to always match with you”

“Before you go, take my card, cutie. Please…” Rafayel suggested, you simply rolled your eyes.

“Nuh-uh, I don’t like using your card”

“Oh, so you hate me” you kissed him to shut him up, and quickly his little tantrum seized.

“Fine, I’ll use your card. But only for dinner”

“But!-“

“Shut up, Rafayel. Or there won’t be any sex tonight” your boyfriend hid his face in your neck, returning to caress your waist under your clothes.

“You’re so mean to me, cutie. Good thing I like it…”

“Something’s wrong in your head” you said while chuckling and stepping on your tiptoes to kiss him again.

“Be careful, take care of yourself and her as well” he nodded.

“But I’m paying her! She’s taking care of me!” You gently smacked his head.

He was perfect for you. And still there was always something about your boyfriend that made you wonder. You weren’t sure what it was. He was too many things, but he wasn’t one of secrets. And yet, you felt that something was missing.

And it didn’t make sense how you always associated his mysterious side with the ocean.

…

It was eight o’clock and Rafayel hadn’t called. You were so hungry you ate the food you brought and now the half left was cold and tucked in the fridge.

You were worried. For a minute you thought about going to look after him and his bodyguard but that’d be stupid, you needed help.

So you called Thomas.

“Hello?” He answered after a few rings.

“Thomas, it’s y/n…”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know where Rafayel is. I’m so worried, Thomas. He said he was going to Hat Island with his bodyguard, returning before sunset and it’s already late… I-“

“Breathe, y/n. Let me check around the area, we’ll find him, you know how reckless Rafayel can be” despite being in a call, you nodded.

“But he’s also smart and miss bodyguard too. Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Now go and make some tea to help you calm down and wait for my call, please”

Letting out a long sigh, you nodded again.

“Thank you, Thomas. I highly appreciate it and sorry for bothering; just Rafayel and his bullshit” the man chuckled.

“Yeah, I might need a higher pay” both of you chuckled and then you hung up.

Yet, you still felt anxious. And you had a lot of questions. Two hours later you ended up sleeping in the living room, where your boyfriend's unfinished canvas remained waiting.

The phone rang and you woke up in a hurry, knowing it’d be Thomas.

“Thomas?”

“Rafayel and Miss Bodyguard were stranded and a patrol is going for them, a bonfire was detected. It’s them” you sighed, a little less worried than before. But anger started to take over.

How could Rafayel be so reckless and not call you? He always carried his phone.

His bodyguard had the best technology in her hands and couldn’t let you know either?

“Are you still there, y/n? I’m at the beach, near the main parking, waiting for the patrol to arrive” Thomas let you know.

“I’ll see you there” you answered coldly.

You grabbed your bag, phone, and keys, not without turning off the lights. In case you didn’t return with Rafayel.

…

When you arrived, the patrol was also descending from the boat. The siren lights were still on. Thomas was talking with an officer, visibly stressed out, probably trying to bail out Rafayel from whatever had happened. You wrapped your arms around you, feeling the cold breeze chill your cheeks and chest. There were no ambulances, so he was okay. Your steeps digger further into the sand, voices sounding louder.

The sea shone with the blue and red lights and soon you found Rafayel wrapped in a towel, laughing beside her bodyguard, who for some reason hugged him abruptly in the sand.

You stood there speechless.

Hours spent worried, wondering what had happened, only to find him laughing with another woman, like you weren’t the reason why he was back in mainland?

Your eyes got teary out of nowhere. So many emotions bubbled up in a second, worsening when Rafayel finally spotted you a few steps away from him.

Turning to leave, you heard him calling your name. Your steps felt heavy and clumsy because of the sand, he was closer and your heart started beating faster than ever.

You didn’t want to hear him. Even if everything was a misunderstanding, you still had a feeling, suggesting that Rafayel had never told you the whole truth about something. Perhaps it was related to her bodyguard or the ocean like you suspected.

But the moment you reached the parking lot, you literally started jogging.

“Cutie, stop!” You heard Rafayel yell.

You did the opposite, you pulled backwards and then you pressed the gas to leave the parking lot.

Rafayel cursed as he saw you driving away.

“Why is she so mad?”

“Because she was very worried, Rafayel. Your girlfriend was expecting you home before sunset. She was so scared that she called me. I told you to rent a boat, I also told you to be careful” Thomas said appearing behind him. Rafayel sighed, looking up at the sky.

“Are you lecturing me, Thomas?”

“For the first time, yes, I am. I told you to call her the moment you stepped off the boat and you decided to stay and have a talk with Miss Bodyguard. It’s not my business, but y/n is a friend. And as your friend as well, I’m telling you to go now and talk with your girlfriend before she thinks of something worse than just you and her bodyguard talking”

Damn he’s right, I’m an asshole, Rafayel thought.

“It pains me to accept how right you are. I’m gonna get hanged or even worse, ghosted by my own girlfriend” Rafayel admitted.

Thomas patted his back and handed him the keys to his car. Rafayel simply stared at him confused.

“Miss bodyguard can give me a ride” nodding, Rafayel left in a hurry.

But when he arrived at his own place, it was empty.

There was still a familiar smell of garlic bread and vinegar. When he opened the fridge, he saw two boxes of food. Then, he walked towards his room, hoping to find you in bed or showering, finding it also empty.

And there he also found two bags. He saw pink silk and lilac lace.

His heart sank, knowing you had been expecting him. He made you worry, and when you found him, he wasn’t running to your arms, he was with another woman.

Rafayel hated himself for a moment. But no matter how many times he called you that night, you didn’t answer.

Nor the following day… he went to your place and found it empty. After calling your parents, they told him you were spending the day with them.

46 missing calls, 21 messages and you weren’t ready to forgive him yet. But at least you answered his messages.

╰┈➤ After Thomas runs over you with his car, you can go with her to GO F YOURSELF AVENUE, good night, Rafayel.

He knew he had to hurry, he didn’t want to spend Valentine’s Day with you mad at him.

…

On the day of love and friendship, you woke up in a better mood and somehow, you missed Rafayel. You wanted to call him and talk but you were still hurt.

Even miss bodyguard sent you a text apologizing for not letting you know, she also wished you a happy Valentine’s Day along with Rafayel, like wishing you two to make up.

So Thomas must’ve told her about your outburst at the beach.

Maybe you were afraid of asking Rafayel the truth. Because you didn’t even know what you were asking for, but if there was a truth… You were unsure about the implications. You did chicken nuggets, coconut and almond flour pancakes, and fruit for breakfast. Everything was heart-shaped.

As you were about to start eating, you spotted the duck with dumbbells plushie eyeing you from the couch. Another reminder of Rafayel and the empty seat in front of you.

But there was a knock, you quietly stood up and decided to open, thinking it was a package you had been waiting for.

And once you opened the door, you realized there was no package, just your boyfriend looking like a wounded puppy.

He was wearing elegant clothes, carrying a bouquet and two bags. One was the clothes you had bought the day before.

“Cutie, I’m so sorry!” He literally dropped to his knees.

“Rafayel, what the fuck?” Your elderly neighbor, who was watering her plants look over the street and frowned at the sight of a man on his knees, hugging you as if you were to disappear.

“Please forgive me, I know I hurt you and was stupid and ignorant and a disgrace of a boyfriend”

“Okay, okay, I forgive you, but stand up” he did it in a second and was about to hug you but you just picked up the bags and bouquet, then you pushed him inside your apartment.

Rafayel stood inside, awkwardly looking at the untouched breakfast you made.

His stomach growled.

“I know you haven’t eaten. Grab a plate…” you told him.

As he served some food on his plate, he sighed.

“I’m truly sorry”

“Why couldn’t you call me? Even after you came back, you didn’t call me…” you said slowly, with a face showing how much it had hurt you.

“I don’t know… the adrenaline or simply my stupidity. I’m not trying to brush it off, but I’m truly sorry, cutie. I won’t ever do something like that to you. I know you were so worried, not gonna do that again” slowly, you nodded at him.

“Fine, you’re forgiven, fishie” patting his head, you gestured to take a seat.

“Thank you” Rafayel loudly sighed, like resting, then he kissed your lips and remembered how badly he had missed you.

Even if it had just been a day and a half.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, cutie”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love” you answered back, with an adorable smile that made him kiss you again.

…

When breakfast was almost over, Rafayel spoke again.

“The dress I asked you to buy, please wear it today”

“Wait, where are we going?” With a proud smile, Rafayel smirked at you.

“I’ll take you to the Dior exhibition of dresses. Then we’re going to pick a charm bracelet for you, and then we’re having lunch at this terrace that we like so much. Lastly, we are taking pictures near the bay and seeing the sunset before going to my place to have dinner. Of course, if you don’t make me choke on those chicken heart-shaped nuggets before!”

“Rafayel… you remembered about the Dior exhibition and the bracelet! And you made a whole plan based on things we both like! And you just got on your knees to make me forgive you” you felt like you could cry.

He truly loved you. Not only because of the material things he could do for you. Because of his ability to listen, to make you happy despite never asking him to buy you stuff. And his silly ability to make you laugh and squirm out of nervousness at the same time.

“I love you, I would lick the floor if you asked me to. I’d even-“

“Okay, I know it, fishie. You’re utterly in love with me as much as I am with you”

“Ohhh, please say it. Let me hear it, cutie!” Rolling your eyes, you made him stand up.

“I love you, Rafayel” you were about to kiss him when he stopped you.

“Wait, cutie” you frowned, still holding his hands.

“I’m also telling you everything about me. Things that I kept from you because… well- I thought I was protecting you, I want to share it so you can… see who I am”

“Rafayel, you are scaring me”

“NO, PLEASE DON’T BE SCARED! I promise you it’s not bad, just… promise me that you’ll at least try to understand”

“I promise” you answered without thinking about it, you just kissed him.

…

At the Dior exhibition, Rafayel told you that his bodyguard and he had a bond, that she didn’t remember it and never would because he broke it, because of you. The moment he kissed you, the bond broke and Rafayel stopped thinking about her. You technically brought him peace again and a deeper connection with his roots.

At the jewelry shop, Rafayel picked a bracelet with little charms around it. His and your initials, a jellyfish, and a merman. When you asked why, he simply smiled at you and went to pay for the expensive but symbolic piece of jewelry.

At lunch, he told you about the people he eliminated. His connections with The Nest and his desire to avenge his people. When you asked who were his people were and what were his roots were, Rafayel sipped on his kombucha and pointed at the height of the terrace.

During the peaceful walk on the beach, you allowed him to take your hand. In silence, the two of you passed some people who were also walking, the sunset attracting people while it lasted and leaving pink tonalities in the sky.

Rafayel looked at you and smiled. He felt comfortable, completely safe, and light by your side.

“I’m a Lemurian” he said out of nowhere.

You stopped walking, visibly confused.

“What?”

“That ancient civilization you learned about in history sometime, was real. I’m a lemurian…”

“So, uh- you… you have a tail. You are a mermaid?” You promised him to not be scared, but Rafayel sounded high as fuck.

Then he chuckled, stepping closer to you.

“Yes, like a mermaid… Do you believe me?”

“I want to. I can’t send my sexy boyfriend to a psychiatrist” he rolled his eyes and then grabbed your cheeks, gently forcing you to look at him.

“Don’t be afraid” and then, his eyes sparkled, in a mixture of blue and purple, pulsing scales appeared around his neck and you swore you felt the tide waves coming closer.

You gasped in shock.

“Holy shit”

Slowly, you reached for the scales in his neck. Soft and pretty, your touch was setting him on fire. It was the first time he showed you part of his true form. And it felt nice. Actually, veryyyyy nice…

“So that bond with her was… from centuries ago” he nodded, enjoying your touch with his eyes closed.

But then, he stood straight. He gulped and held you closer, sneaking his slender hands behind your back, pulling you close.

“She means nothing more than a friend to me. It’s only you, forevermore…” he promised you.

Rafayel looked you in the eye.

“Cutie, you’re mine” it wasn’t a realization, merely just a reminder. So you smiled, leaning to rest your head in his chest.

“Yours to hold against my will in the bathtub for hours” kissing the top of your head, Rafayel chuckled.

“So that’s why you always buy seafood. Why are there so many pearls in your house. OMG, CAN YOU FIGHT WITH DOLPHINS? YOU KNOW I HATE THEM AND KILLERWHALES”

Your boyfriend sighed, took your hand, and encouraged you to keep walking on the little trail by the sand.

“Dolphins are loyal, but yeah, there’s something a little evil about them. And killerwhales, I haven’t seen one in a long time, they usually stay in the cold regions”

“Hmm, just keep me away from them”

“Now you know how I feel about cats” both of you chuckled.

The sea looked clean, the sunset was almost gone and the moon was starting to take over the beach.

“So… you’ll show me your tail?” Rafayel shrugged.

“You want to?”

“In fact, I want to leave now to get in the bathtub with you and see it” you stated pulling him away, towards the parking lot.

“But- our pictures and the dinner waiting for us at home” Rafayel protested.

“We can take the pictures at home and we can enjoy dinner after a bath!”

“Cutie, what-“

“I need to see your tail, which color it is, how slimy or itchy it is, and oh-“ you abruptly stopped a few steps away from his car, turning to look back at him.

“Does your dick disappear when the tail appears or-“

“CUTIE!” He chuckled, holding you by the waist to pull you closer.

“Are you really not afraid?” He seriously asked. And you shook your head.

“You are the only person I trust the most in this world” you promised him.

He gave you a peck and nodded. After a few moments of silence, he sighed.

“You see, I- I actually have two while, uh-“

“TWO COCKS?” He placed his hand on your mouth but you licked it.

“Shut up, shut up” He let go of it, annoyed and already pouting like a toddler. So you hugged him.

“Rafayel, that is so hot. I’m getting so wet right now. Please show me your tail and fuck me with your two cocks” he almost creamed in his pants. His annoyance turned into a mixture of arousal and shyness.

Your favorite attitude of Rafayel to be honest.

“My dick twitched right now” he confessed with a sigh.

“We really are two freaks” you were pushed inside the car and Rafayel rushed to drive home.

…

After a few hours of having class: Lemurian anatomy and the meaning of pleasure 101, you discovered how it felt to be bruised by two cocks.

One was human-looking and the other was giant, dark blue with a lilac tip half of it covered by soft shiny scales. YOU HAD TO DIG TWO FINGERS IN A SLIT TO MAKE THEM COME OUT!

He also discovered you were insane.

Rafayel Qi had a slit in his Lemurian form. You brought up whether it was possible to kinda scissor with him. Rafayel pinched your nipples and bit your lip to shut you up.

“Next time, please take me to the beach and fuck me on a rock, please” Rafayel caressed your tummy and he prepared two towels with his free hand.

“There’s something wrong with you”

“Let a gal become obsessed with his little mermaid boyfriend and his two monster cocks” he blushed.

“Monster? I was a sea god…” pretending to be offended, he crossed his arms and looked away from you.

“Very handsome and cringey by the way” he was about to keep “arguing” but you kissed him instead.

“Thank you for today. I loved this Valentine’s Day with you, Rafayel” he could never be mad at you for more than a minute, so he smirked, like an idiot, utterly in love.

“I have one last surprise for you before we have dinner” frowning, you allowed him to take you out of the bathtub.

Rafayel knew your favorite cream, deodorant, perfume, and pajama style.

So he had it at his place. He dressed you and brushed your hair while you yapped about a show you started watching the other day.

“So I started watching it after the seatuationship day” you said looking at him through the mirror.

“Seatuationship?”

“Yeah, figured out it was our first big fight or whatever and decided to give it a silly name”

“Our first and last fight, please”

“Of course, fishie. But I will still complain every time you take me to that smelly crab bar”

“IT’S EXPENSIVE AND ELEGANT!” he finished your hair with a moisturizer cream and turned you around.

“And it smells, that’s why they hand out gloves and face masks”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, let me take your pretty ass to my last present for today” you chuckled, pushing him away as you stood up, taking his hand.

He passed his room, his studio, his gym, and stopped by the last door of the hallway.

“Your storage room?”

“Not anymore, cutie” Rafayel answered.

He pointed at the door hand and you opened it.

It wasn’t a storage room anymore. The boxes with canvases, paint, and brushes were gone. A vintage and elegant couch that he had was also gone.

It was a room for you. With a big bed, a vanity, two giant bookshelves, exotic carpets, posters of singers and movies you liked. Fairy lights and neon lamps that looked extremely cool in orange and pink tonalities.

It was completely decorated in your style, with everything you wanted from Pinterest.

Your eyes almost watered.

“Rafayel…”

“Surprise, cutie” he came over to hug you from behind.

“Whenever you’re ready, you can move in with me. We both have our spaces but are still together, I just want you closer, always within my radar. I’m that obsessed with you”

You turned to kiss his face all over, squishing his cheeks and hearing a little “ouch” from him.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rafayel”

“For you, I’d do anything” he whispered in your ear.

“Let’s eat here and have more sex after that”

“It’s already 10:00 pm, cutie” he reminded you.

“So? We have all night long to keep celebrating Valentine’s. It isn’t over after midnight for us…”

“Alright but don’t ruin the new sheets, they are imported and beaded by hand” he pointed out, smacking your ass before going to the kitchen to re-heat dinner.

Rafayel smiled at the fridge, covered in pictures of you two. Some of them also included Thomas and his wife, his aunt, your family, and friends. But Rafayel grabbed one specific picture.

One he took the day he asked you to be his girlfriend. You were in a botanical garden, seating in a bench, dying from the heat, but Rafayel took the picture, thinking you looked naturally beautiful and so unique.

He knew he couldn’t have picked a better partner than you.

“RAFAYEL, WHY DOES IT SMELL LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING?” He heard you yell from upstairs.

_______________________________________

✎ I'm at the supermarket

About to flip

'Cause I can't even decide what damn conditioner to get

Crying in the shop like an idiot

How'd I let a man make me feel like this? ᯓ★

── .✦

Fresh, brand-new relationships can be the beginning of something beautiful and everlasting. Or- they could be a literal Pandora’s box, full of regrets and doom.

When your father warned you that an outlaw was threatening his business in the N109 Zone after escaping prison, you didn’t know if it was going to be an actual issue.

Days later, after getting out of your last class of the day in college, as you walked peacefully with your headphones on and the winter offered you a warm temperature for the day, your vision was blurred. And as soon as you turned to an empty hallway, thinking your blood pressure was dropping, someone knocked you out.

Your captor was named Sylus, he was the new terror of the N109 Zone. To be a nobody at the time, he wasn’t a rookie, he knew what he was doing. His confidence almost made you worry, but luckily you charmed his minions: Luke and Kieran.

Eventually, your father made a deal with Sylus, offering to train him and give him a job. Without your father, Sylus would’ve never founded Onychinus.

A few years after turning twenty, your father decided to join your lifestyle of alternating between Linkon and the N109. He wanted a peaceful life with your mother, so he allowed you to take full control of his operations and officially merged his achievements with Onychinus.

It was safe to say Sylus and you were already utterly flooded by lust and passion.

Steamy were the days when he picked you up from college and fucked you in his leather car seats before arriving home.

Happy were the nights of drifting and full dinners.

He knew where you came from and was glad to be a suitable companion for you.

Despite your connections, you always doubted a man like Sylus would ever look at you. But the more time passed, the more you accepted he genuinely loved you.

It was your handwriting in the deals he made, it was your lingerie scattered in his room. It was your name in every certificate of ownership he had.

You had a tall, muscular, devoted, and raigebaiter boyfriend that loved you with his whole heart.

And peculiarly, had a cheesy taste for romantic movies and books to look at and read together.

You made popcorn and nachos, and he made strong cocktails for the night.

The movie was somehow better than you expected.

A sci-fi movie about two humans turned into experiments and falling in love together.

Cheesy? Yeah… but with Sylus? You thrived on his cheesiness.

You moved your hand to grab some popcorn, eyes focused on the woman in the screen about to touch a stone that likely, would turn her destiny upside down.

Your hand didn’t find popcorn, only a thick, warm, and hard bulge.

“SYLUS!” You screamed and he started chuckling, almost laughing out loud.

“YOU PERVERT!” He placed the popcorn bucket on the table nearby and went straight to wrap his big arms.

“Aww, sweetie. You can handle it…”

Flipping the script, you took advantage of his embrace, so you ended up straddling him. That made him shut up, his eyes were completely focused on you and eager to see what your next move would be.

“Oh…” he teased you, tilting his head with a mocking smirk.

“Yeah, you’re the one with a throbbing situation” Whatever the reason was, every expression of Sylus ended up as the hottest sight to see.

“Mmm… thought you’d be eager to show some concern a little more, kitten” Rolling your eyes at him, you placed your hand back at his crotch.

“Well, seems like tonight you’re the one who needs me” he knew you were joking, but he never failed to show you how much he disagreed.

Flipping you against the couch, he started wandering his hands across your belly, lifting your oversized shirt, only to find you weren’t wearing a bra.

“Dirty little liar, you know we both need each other in the same unhealthy ways” Shivers ran through your spine as you felt his hot breath approaching your chest.

His big hands took all over your breasts and sooner than later, his tongue picked the left one to cover it with precise licks.

Immediately, you were also a guest of his throbbing situation. Your legs opened wider by themselves and you could only attempt to comfort your big boyfriend by caressing his silver hair, pulling it only to make him growl.

“You are threatening to cancel tomorrow’s meeting”

Ugh... that damn meeting with some moron gangsters.

“They’re ignorant enough not bother about it” he smirked in agreement with you.

“Cancel it” he muttered, already out of breath.

Your cheeks flushed and a naughty smile appeared on your face as you allowed Sylus to strip you naked.

…

You didn’t know if it was better to know about Sylus and her or not.

He naturally threatened and had to put zero effort into getting a yes to anything. With you, he always listened, always waited, always obeyed your commands.

Even though you hated giving orders.

But when the subject was her, you never pried, you doubted if Sylus would get awkward, even threatening. Almost as if you feared that his Onychinus leader persona would come out.

She was a hunter, was somehow special, something related to an aether core.

Just once, Sylus told you that she was just a friend. And their closest relationship had been when they tried to resonate together.

MC was no threat, until…

“Excuse me?...” You questioned out loud.

Even Luke and Kieran turned to look at you. Sylus sighed, dropping his revolver onto the table.

“I need to take her to the auction with me…” he said again, now quieter, completely analyzing your expression.

“Don’t you think people will say something is off if you appear with a new woman by your side and not me?” As much as you tried to sound calm and nonchalant, the tone of your voice sounded a little worried. And you knew Sylus had already noticed.

“Is not that I care what people might say about my personal life, sweetie”

Your eyes snapped open, the twins let out a little “oh” and the whole room went into an awkward silence.

So Sylus didn’t care if people thought he was no longer with you. You bit the inside of your cheek, swallowing the weak bundle of tears threatening to spill.

You stood from your chair and respectfully placed it in its place.

“Alright, Sylus”

“Sweetie…” you heard him sighing and following your steps.

He hated seeing you down, he couldn’t remember the last time you two argued…

“I said it’s alright, Sylus” you bickered with a dry and confident tone.

Your boyfriend simply stood there, not knowing what else to do or say.

Probably it was better to let things cool down…

…

It’s our Onychinus’s…

You read one of the messages Sylus had sent you a couple of weeks ago.

You were certain that he meant it, there shouldn’t be any doubts.

The love could be felt, could be seen. By everyone, then why were things still weird?

You had tried to ignore the little argument regarding the auction. And suddenly, Sylus was the one acting weird. His messages started being shorter, dryer and distant.

The days turned into two weeks and one morning, expecting to feel his arms around your waist, you woke up with the sensation of loneliness and no trace of your boyfriend in bed.

A text message was expected, but there was no recent activity.

So you had spent at least half an hour reading old texts from him. That morning you had to accept there was no point in denying that something was wrong between you and Sylus.

It was the day of the auction and you knew it was important for him. So you got out of bed and grabbed a nightgown to see if Sylus was nearby.

The place was cold, despite the warmth outside. The black leather furniture only accumulated more coldness.

As you paced through a long hallway, you distantly heard his voice. When you got closer, you finally understood he was talking on the phone.

“I expect you to be on time. We can’t have the people waiting, right?…”

Oh, he was talking to her.

“I sent two options for a dress and you’re not complying, huh?…”

“I picked a special person to choose the perfect gown for you”

Your blood boiled as you heard him chuckle.

“Better hurry up. I look forward to seeing you tonight” and then, he hung up.

Sylus turned around and saw you standing by the door frame with watery eyes.

“Sweetie…” he dropped his phone on a couch and took a few steps towards you, but you backed away.

He froze in his step.

“I know it sounds odd. So let me explain-“

“Do whatever you want Sylus” you cut him off, turning to leave.

“You’re mad and not letting me talk to you” he sounded too calm, it bothered you more.

“I don’t want to talk to you right now!” You snapped, facing him again.

Voices were never raised between Sylus and you.

He stared at you, trying to hide his surprise.

“I didn’t mean to raise my voice” he nodded, slowly at you.

“We’ll talk eventually. But now it’s not the time…” he followed you to the bedroom and inside your closet.

You started filling bags with your clothing, skincare, and shoes.

“You’re leaving?” he noticed the piling bags near the door of your closet. Sylus took a peek and was saddened at the sight of it being slightly empty.

“I’m going back to my place in Linkon. I’ll send any news on the job with Luke and Kieran” you muttered with a broken voice.

“You don’t have to do this” he pleaded.

“Yeah? Well, you didn’t have to be an asshole for the past weeks” you spat out, carrying your bags and leaving him behind.

Sylus sighed, throwing his head back before looking at the shiny bracelet that fell from one of your bags. A gold thin chain that he had gifted you at the beginning. Sylus kneeled to grab it and smiled at the memory of that beautiful date.

You were still in college, a different mindset and less muscle compared to the woman who had just left him.

…

After being away from your house in Linkon for so long, you had run out of necessities.

So you took a quick run to the supermarket almost by midnight. The aisles were empty, not even cashiers, just self-checkout open. Bread, garlic butter, vegetables, chicken breasts, and three bottles of vodka of different flavors; tamarind, apple, and berries.

And still, the supermarket was also the place for a young couple.

You heard them laugh, and upon turning to the spicy spices section, you saw them.

A blonde woman, short and dressed in pink sweatpants. The man was ridiculously tall, with raven hair and a beard.

They picked a few products and disappeared while he was pushing the shopping cart and she hugged his arm.

You stood there watching the empty spot where they had been.

And out of nowhere, you started crying.

A pang in your heart shattered the strong image you wanted to portray to the world.

Sylus was cheating on you, the relationship was broken and soon you’d have to break up with him.

You allowed yourself to cry freely as the supermarket was empty. You placed everything in a bag and waited for your receipt to be printed, only to end up blurring the total as your tears were uncontrollably rolling.

In your car, you sighed, taking a big breath before something worse came; your father called.

You greeted him and convinced him that you were fine.

“Then why are you back in Linkon and Sylus is at N109?” your father questioned.

He had eyes everywhere…

“I wanted to check on the house. He was too busy with the auction from yesterday”

“Ah, yes. I bet he told you but that friend of his was suitable for the occasion because we didn’t want to put you into the spotlight…”

You frowned, your hand just about to touch the steering wheel.

“What?”

“Oh dear, Sylus didn’t tell you?”

“Dad, what the fuck are you talking about?” You heard him sigh.

“The organization giving us info; Centella… they are remnants of my past… they don’t care about Onychinus and Sylus. We realized you are their target because of what happened to me years ago. Perhaps the leader is the son of the man I got rid of…” processing the information, you sighed.

“So Sylus refused to take you to the auction, knowing they’d be there. His friend agreed and the first deal was closed without inconveniences”

But why Sylus couldn’t said that from the beginning? He was still guilty and you still felt hurt by his actions.

“There’s more, you said the first deal was closed”

“Yes, they are urging us to finish the exchange of material and information but with you present. They want to trick us, thinking we don’t know you are their target, but…”

“My sweetheart, I can’t make you go and close that deal. It’d be too dangerous” he added.

You were made a mess of emotions, but a certain thrill to feed your ego grew within you.

“Dad, I’m closing the deal. Let Sylus step aside this time. He’s done enough already…”

“No. You’re not risking your life. Let Sylus and I-“

“Sylus can’t always be protecting me!”

“Is everything alright between you and him?”

“We’re good” you lied.

And sooner than later, you hung up. Your father wasn’t convinced, but rather worried about you going solo to seal a deal with people who specifically wanted you dead.

Still in the supermarket parking, you didn’t notice a pair of twins lurking in the shadows, ready to run and tell their boss his lover was at the supermarket crying for him and taking reckless decisions because of him as well.

But you didn’t see it that way yet. You had been in the business before Sylus even escaped prison. You were the heir of an empire, the daughter of a legend in the area; you didn’t need to cry in supermarkets for a man. A deal was a deal and so you would close it.

So you picked a nice dress, boots in case something happened, and loaded a fine polished gun.

Not bothering to check on the missing calls from Sylus and his possible attempts to prevent you from going.

A few hours later, the plan had just started. You entered the club and waited a few minutes to blend in, unbeknownst to you that Sylus just walked in behind.

Even when your father had reassured him, Sylus didn’t care, he tracked you down to the infamous “Dahlia Club” in the N109 Zone.

Fear of losing you or having you injured was something he couldn’t afford. And even though things were complicated, he would be there; present.

He followed you and noticed how you stopped to lean forward and whisper something to a man.

Sylus got filled with jealousy, he didn’t like the way the man eyed your cleavage. But after a few words, you made the same man follow you upstairs.

Your boyfriend grew worried, knowing things could turn dangerous. There could be twenty men with their guns pointing at you upstairs.

But as soon as you closed the door, a few seconds passed, words were exchanged then and a gunshot was heard.

Sylus held his breath and ran to reach the door but it was opened again before he could reach it.

Stepping back into the shadows, Sylus waited only to see you coming out of the room as if nothing happened.

You went downstairs again and Sylus took a peak of the room.

A big smile appeared on his face.

Inside the room, at least twelve men were dead. Sylus inspected them and concluded they were poisoned, aside from the last one that you had shot at.

Sylus knew he had underestimated you.

You were someone by yourself, not only his sidekick.

And when he remembered Luke and Kieran telling him that you were safe but found crying in empty supermarkets, he felt awful.

So Sylus decided to take you home, to talk and fix everything.

But you had different things in mind.

There was an exotic dancer trapped inside your body, breaking through your skin and allowing you to flow along the music.

After getting rid of the pest, you knew more would come eventually, but a warning was issued. You were also smart and capable.

So you took a little freedom and enjoyed the club. Even when a few people whispered and pretended that they didn’t see you.

You took some drinks and kept dancing.

Half of you were relieved, and the other was dreading what awaited with Sylus.

You didn’t want to think much about him. But how could you not?

And you would never cheat back, but you allowed a man to be flirty and dance with you.

Didn’t care about his name, age, or anything.

Until he stepped closer and touched your neck.

“That’s enough” said a known deep and sultry voice you knew too well.

Sylus had entered the scene, sliding a hand to wrap around your hips and push you against him.

Your eyes snapped open and you almost ran out of breath. His sudden appearance made you incredibly nervous and left you in shock.

The man’s face turned pale, his hands raised in defeat and despite the chaos of music and people yelling, you two could hear the man gulp.

“I- I… I didn’t know she was taken!” The poor man babbled.

Sylus grinned, his fingers adding more pressure on his grip.

“The whole N109 Zone knows she’s mine” Sylus proudly pointed out while looking down at you.

“I swear I didn’t know. Fuck off, I’m leaving!” And with that, the man literally ran away.

Sylus placed a hand on your shoulder and brushed it, making you shiver.

“Let’s go home, sweetie” he whispered.

You then remembered why you were angry at him and huffed.

“I’m going home, by myself. Thanks…”

Knowing very well your temper, Sylus rolled his eyes and followed you outside the club.

“We have unresolved issues and we miss you a lot back at home” he added as you waited for your chauffeur.

“I don’t care. I don’t want to listen to you!” You yelled exasperated as you turned around to leave again.

“Oh, but you will…”

Sylus allowed you to take a few steps before throwing you on his back.

“SYLUS, WHAT THE FUCK? PUT ME DOWN!”

“Hush, sweetie. I’m done with your neglectful attitude…”

“Fuck you…” It didn’t offend him in the slightest, he simply chuckled.

“I intend to do so, yes”

You blushed and got wet.

The whole ride was silent. You felt Sylus’s gaze every once in a while before he retracted to look at the road.

The N109 Zone was awfully calm, no explosions, no shootings, just silence.

When Sylus left the last exit of the city, you knew he was heading to Linkon, to your place.

That’s when it clicked to you that he chose his most subtle car to avoid unwanted attention.

Once on your doorstep, he offered his hand to help you get out of the car, but you refused, ignoring his manners.

Sylus watched you in silence as you opened the door, as you stepped out of your heels and removed your earrings.

He found himself smiling, savoring the normality of watching you simply existing. As you disappeared into the kitchen, Sylus had to admit he had missed you so much. He never intended to make things more difficult, never wanted to hurt you and push you away.

“I’m going to take a shower and then to bed. You can sleep in the guest room” you said, coming out of the kitchen.

Sylus shook his head, coming back to reality. He stared at you, admired your serious and cold gaze.

Sylus couldn’t keep going like that…

You walked away and rolled your eyes. Part of you had been expecting him to apologize, to admit how badly he needed you. As you reached for your bedroom, you felt tears building up as you realized you’d have to break up with him.

But Sylus wasn’t the kind to let you go so easily…

As you opened your door, you felt his arms. And in a second he made you spin and embraced you warmly.

Confused, you gasped, not knowing what to do…

He simply hid his face in your chest, you didn’t even have to look at him to know he was terribly embarrassed. Immediately, a little smile appeared on your face. So you brushed his hair, feeling all your worries finally disappear.

“I’m sorry” he admitted, still hidden in your chest.

The tears fell freely and you sighed in peace, feeling a weight drop from your shoulders.

“Me too, I should’ve been communicative about my worries”

“No, you have nothing to apologize for. My actions could easily be interpreted as suspicious, and I did nothing to explain until now. I see that your father told you...” You nodded, whimpering.

“Don’t cry, kitten. Please…”

Sylus kissed your head multiple times before finally letting you go.

“But I won’t deny that she makes me slightly uncomfortable” you admitted, wiping your tears away.

“My sweet little kitten, you have nothing to worry about. She’s happily taken, dating another hunter” he shared with a calm gaze, taking your hands and offering you an understanding look.

“I know I shouldn't worry. I trust you, but-“

“I spent centuries waiting for her…” he whispered, leaning closer. “Thinking half of me belonged to her. Just for it to be you…”

Your eyes dropped, a smile of awe appeared on your face as you walked closer towards him, placing your hands that looked small across his broad chest.

“Sylus…”

“You’re the real tamer and owner of my soul” he promised, taking your hands.

“But I don’t want to tame. I refuse to own your soul…” You interrupted him.

“I wish to create a bond, where naturally, our souls seek refuge within each other’s. Not by taming or owning”

Yeah, you were the one for him.

Sylus smiled and hugged you again.

“I’m gonna kiss you” he said looking down at you.

You had missed his sultry and confident voice, his ways of ragebaiting you, his big hands.

And then he grabbed your cheeks and leaned into your lips to seal his words with a passionate kiss.

“I don’t want to ever hear again I made you cry in supermarkets, kitten”

“What? How do you know?” You questioned.

“A bird told me. Well, actually two birds… twins to be exact” you rolled your eyes.

“You sent them to spy on me? Sylus, you idiot” he kissed you again.

“If I can’t keep an eye on you while I’m not around, I’ll do it. Over and over again…”

Heartwarming words left his mouth and you were already too drunk in his love. So you kissed him back, allowing your tongue to step in and tangle with his.

It was known when Sylus was getting hard, he started huffing amid kisses, he grabbed your hips and started getting handsy with your ass.

You chuckled, noticing how impatient he was getting.

“Okay, tonight I’m gonna let you put in raw” he stopped kissing you, chuckled, and stared at you in awe.

“I love you” he promised.

“I love you too, Sylus” you whispered back.