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It was a little before 10 p.m., and the whole band was chilling in the living room, winding down after a long day of rehearsals.
Ezreal and Aphelios were huddled around the console, absorbed in a competitive game of Smash Bros. Ezreal, playing as Pikachu, shouted playfully whenever Aphelios pulled off a good move, while Aphelios remained calm and focused, playing as Sheik and close to winning the match. Sett, who had already lost a few minutes earlier, watched the screen intently, cheering for both of them.
K’Sante sat in a nearby armchair with a small keyboard in front of him, fingers flying across the keys as he practiced a melody, humming softly as he lost himself in the rhythm. At times, it almost sounded like he was matching the game’s OST.
Yone, in the corner of the room, sat at the table, alternating between observing everyone with detached calm and scrolling through his phone to answer business emails.
Everything in the air felt perfectly cozy and a normal evening for the boys. That is, until Kayn appeared in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear as he entered the living room, like an excited kid moments away from pulling a prank he’d been planning all day.
Almost like he could feel Kayn’s energy from across the room, Sett’s gaze shifted toward him, narrowing suspiciously. “Oh no. I hate that look, man. What is it this time?”
The match between Aphelios and Ezreal ended and none of them even said anything. They put the controllers down, both looking at Kayn with concern and a little bit of curiosity.
Sett was right, that look on Kayn usually meant bad news for the rest of the band. The last time the band had seen him enter the living room with such a mischievous look in his eyes was when he had invited a fan into their apartment without telling anyone. The fan had been mostly harmless. Completely wide-eyed, shaking from meeting them and being extra polite. Yone had stepped in directly and kept the situation under control. He had hidden anything sensitive and escorted the fan out rather quickly without being disrespectful. But the real chaos hit later. Photos surfaced online within minutes : shots of the band’s living room with captions screaming I MET THEM IRL. The press had caught wind of it immediately and Yone had spent the next two days handling interviews, issuing statements, and reassuring management that no, this was not a planned publicity stunt. Yes, they would be more careful and no, this would never happen again.
That memory in mind, Yone, raised an eyebrow. “Is there any way to prevent whatever is about to happen?”
Aphelios, who was silently listening from the couch, gave a small sigh and slowly adjusted his headphones. You’re going to get us banned from another venue, aren’t you? he signed. Another great memory for the band. They knew it was just Kayn’s way—he lived for chaos, and the more dramatic, the better.
Kayn’s grin only widened. “Oh, come on, guys. I know, you’ll love this one, especially you Sett,” he said, stepping forward as if he were about to reveal the greatest secret of all time. “I’ve found a very special thing, like really special”. He paused dramatically. “And it’s mostly harmless…,” Kayn said, though his eyes told a different story. “I stumbled across some… fan work on Twitter about… us. Written work.”
Aphelios raised an eyebrow, silently signing a warning. Yone pinched the bridge of his nose, already bracing himself and sighing heavily. He too had been online a bit, spent some time researching what fans were receptive to, the expectations they had of the band. He and Alune had spent hours researching mostly forums and dedicated servers but those places were enough to find some pretty intense stuff. Now, knowing Kayn had apparently stumbled across some of the same content, Yone could feel the impending chaos. Knowing Kayn, he probably went right for the weirdest things. Also, it was one thing to research fans and another entirely to get involved in it.
There was a collective silence as everyone processed that for a moment.
Ezreal blinked rapidly. “Wait… fanfiction? About us? I mean… I am curious.”
Kayn flopped dramatically onto the couch, pulling out his phone. “Now, hear me out guys!” He whispered into Ezreal’s ears dramatically “I went down the rabbit hole and some of these are just pure gold. I mean, the creativity! The drama! The—well…” He moved and glanced at Sett, grinning even wider. “Let’s just say they have some very interesting interpretations and theories about stuff.” Sett looked at Yone, confused about what this could mean and whether he should listen to any of it.
“I am not so sure about this…”
“Some of the stuff is wild, but oh, you’re gonna get a kick out of this one. Especially you, Sett, some very interesting bits, for sure.” Kayn sounded like he was teasing something in particular for the redhead.
“Define ‘interesting’,’” Sett said, eyebrow raised, already suspicious.
K’sante, who had been leaning back casually but listening intently, chuckled. “This is making me curious as well, maybe this will actually fuel our creativity in some ways. What do you think, Yone? Should we have a look at some of the stuff Kayn found?”
The tension was palpable as Yone hesitated. Yone leaned back, eyes narrowing in thought. “I don’t know…” he murmured. “On one hand… maybe this could actually give us some insight. See what the fans are thinking, maybe even spark some ideas.” He adjusted his hair with his fingers. “But on the other hand… I am not so sure Kayn’s selection can be trusted.”
Kayn was pretending like he was completely oblivious to the ambient hesitation, scrolling eagerly, ready to share the first “gem” with a wide smile on his face. Aphelios not buying his act was preparing for what he knew would be a very long, very ridiculous ride, while the others were holding their breaths waiting for Kayn to finally decide on his first story.
“Alright, everyone, prepare yourselves.” Kayn coughed. “This first one is a classic, lots of… panache!” He paused, making sure everyone’s eyes were on him, decided to make it a memorable moment.
Ezreal leaned forward. “Oh, this sounds like it’s gonna be awesome,” he said, practically bouncing in his seat. “What did you find? I’m ready.”
“In this one… we’re the main characters of a video game! Think of it like a battlefield where teams of champions fight to destroy the other team’s base, called the Nexus. There are lanes, minions, towers, monsters… it’s epic.”
Sett tilted his head. “So… it’s like a war game?”
“Like… we get powers and fight monsters?” Ezreal asked.
Kayn nodded and continued “Yeah, we all have different roles. Very fitting I have to say. You, Ez, are the weak twink attacking from afar with powers allowing him to run away easily.” Ezreal opened his mouth to protest but Kayn was already moving onto his next target “Yone is the tragic hero dead for his principles and unable to find rest he continues to fight for what he believes in… Lame if you ask me, but he has badass swords so… I guess that’s something.” Yone rolled his eyes and didn’t even utter a word in response.
“Sett, well… Sett’s basically a giant muscle machine.”
“Wait, what does that mean? What do I do?” Sett asked, almost with enthusiasm.
Kayn looked at him with something resembling disdain “You just punch things.”
Sett looked confused not getting more details but Kayn didn’t miss a beat, he looked like he was unstoppable now, moving once again to another member. “Aphelios, my silent, mysterious sniper guy. You are what they call, uh, a marksman. You barely talk, you have a tragic backstory but hey you have 5 different weapons. How cool is that?” Aphelios rolled his eyes, trying to move away from Kayn.
The showman moved closer to K’sante and with one hand on his shoulder he said, “You, my man, are almost as cool as me. You’re this tank type of character, able to take so much damage, basically impossible to bring down”. He paused for a moment, as if to highlight that he had saved the best for last.
“Naturally, I’m the chaotic rogue-like character”, he said proudly ”sneaking through the most dangerous part of the map: the jungle, causing mayhem, and generally making dramatic plays. Classic Kayn behavior.”
“This story sounds like bullshit already” Sett interrupted, visibly a little mad that his role in this wasn’t more flattering.
“Yeah this is boring actually, I’m not all that interested anymore” Ezreal added, feigning a yawn and leaning back.
Kayn stared at them for a moment and grinned.
“Oh? Boring?” he said slowly, tilting his phone. “Alright, Sett. I know what your problem is. You want to be in the spotlight, right?” He continued, with a teasing voice “Sooo… what about the story where you’re a powerful mafia boss? You run the city, everyone’s terrified of you…”
Sett’s interest seemed piqued. “…Go on.”
Kayn’s grin widened. “But” he continued, leaning in just a little, “secretly, you have a heart of gold. You build orphanages for kids and…”
Sett and Ezreal leaned in, hanging on every word, while Yone shot K’Sante a look that could only be described as deeply concerned. Aphelios had started to listen more intently but he still had his doubts about the information Kayn would deliver and this feeling deepened as he listened to the rest of the story.
“you help our little friend Aphelios, a fallen cop betrayed by the system and his colleagues… ‘Cause our dear Aphelios has big problems so he need a strong guy like you, you know…”
He paused again, letting the tension linger in a dramatic effect. “and you guys fall in love and make out.” Kayn ended his sentence bursting into laughter, unable to continue as he was laughing too hard.
As Kayn’s laugh was filling the room, the rest of the boys were silent, not knowing what to expect from Sett especially.
Sett’s face instantly turned red “Kayn!” he shouted. “You little sh-” he started, then stopped himself as his eyes flicked to Aphelios in a nervous movement, searching his face for a sign, as he wasn’t sure how to take the news. Aphelios noticed and their eyes met. Sett didn’t want to say something that might hurt Aphelios but he wanted to react to Kayn mocking him like that.
“You think this is funny?!” Sett said, finally tearing his gaze away from Aphelios and locking it onto Kayn. “Because I swear, if you say one more word-”
“Oh, what?” Kayn cut in, still laughing, wiping tears from his eyes. “You gonna punch me? That’d be very in character for you, boss.”
Sett took a step forward. K’sante moved subtly closer to Sett, not to restrain him, but rather to ground him. “Easy,” he said, his voice deep. “He’s provoking you. That’s his talent.”
Aphelios let out a chuckle that stopped Sett in his step, his look was soft before he slowly signed to Sett’s attention. I could definitely fall for the heart of gold type. It doesn’t bother me.
Sett relaxed. “…It doesn’t?” he asked quietly, heat flooding his face all over again.
Kayn made a soft oh? noise. Ezreal was holding his breath looking at his friends with excitement. Anyone paying attention to the band would know Aphelios and Sett were close, it was no secret. It was easy to tell especially how Sett felt for Aphelios, wearing his heart on his sleeves most of the time. Yet, based on Ezreal’s knowledge, nothing much had happened between them for now, so Kayn was very clearly poking a live wire.
“Well then,” Kayn said cheerfully, lifting his phone again, “just wait ‘til I read some of these excerpts out loud, because I’m telling you, this story is fire.”
Yone cleared his throat, cutting cleanly through “Kayn” he said firmly, standing up and stepping forward, placing himself just enough in Kayn’s line of sight to break his momentum, “no.”
Kayn looked up, still smiling. “What? I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”
Yone didn’t even blink. “No.” he repeated.
“Okay, okay… Compromise.” He glanced around the room, then zeroed in on Yone and K’sante. “I did find some with you and K’sante, if you prefer.”
K’sante raised an eyebrow slowly. “You did what now?”
Sett snorted, arms crossed. “I guess that’s your turn, guys.”
K’Sante remained still. The tall man didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. He simply crossed his arms and looked down at Kayn. “You’re done buddy.”
Ezreal let out a disappointed noise. “Aww, come on!”
Yone and K’Sante exchanged a long look, silent and wordless, the kind only people who had spent years dealing with chaos together could share. Both were silently asking the same question: Do we stop him now?
Kayn, as usual, continued to pretend he couldn’t notice neither hesitation nor concern. He was far too busy diving deeper into his phone, eyes sparkling with uncontainable excitement. He was showing his bookmarked fics like some kind of treasure.
“Look at everything I found. Hundreds across different alternate universes and you guys are missing out! Mafia AU, high school AU, fantasy AU, sci-fi AU, gladiator AU, video game AU, Corpse bride AU, Phantom of the Opera AU… you name it!”
Ezreal leaned forward, eyes wide as he squinted at the screen. “Wait, what’s this one?” he asked, pointing. “‘Navori Dawn’? It sounds really cool!”
Kayn grinned, barely containing himself. “Oh that one, sweet summer child, it’s actually a series called ‘Moonfall in Navori City’, with multiple parts. Action is packed, worth the read. But I am afraid that you only have a minor role.”
Ezreal looked disappointed for about 3 seconds before moving onto the next title that had caught his attention “What’s… ‘Devoro’? That sounds epic!”
Kayn’s eyes flicked briefly toward Sett, then Aphelios, a mischievous glint still there—but softer now. “This one is not for you, Ez. Probably more of Aphelios’ taste.”
A cold shiver ran down Aphelios’ spine. He wasn’t sure what it was, probably Kayn's tone or the dark gleam in his eyes but Aphelios felt a knot form in his stomach. What now? Even trying to keep some distance with it, it felt like this whole fanfiction reading night could turn bad any moment.
“Alright, enough of the teasers,” Kayn cut with mock gravity, his voice dropping to a near-somber pitch. “It’s time, gentlemen… It’s time we dive into the forbidden abyss…”
“I think it’s time we talk about the Omegaverse now, boys”, the bomb was dropped.
Aphelios’ eyes widened and he straightened his posture instantly. He hadn’t read fanfiction about Heartsteel before but he had been online enough to know the meaning of this word and he didn’t trust Kayn to handle the explanation of what that was with class. Nor did he want to know the fans' interpretations of their role in it from Kayn. His eyes met Yone’s. He quickly signed You should stop him now.
Yone stepped in immediately sensing the potential danger from Aphelios’ reaction. “Kayn” he said firmly, one hand grabbing the back of Kayn’s jacket as he leaned forward again “That’s enough. You’ve made your joke.”
Kayn, feeling that show time was nearing its end, sighed dramatically, flopping back against the wall like a defeated actor. “Unbelievable. I bring art, culture, deep emotional narratives from our fans… and this is the thanks I get? You guys have no taste.”
K’sante joined Yone’s effort “We get it man but that’s enough inspiration for tonight, maybe we should give it a rest for now.” His voice didn’t leave much room for arguing. Everyone in the room could feel that it was time to go to bed.
Kayn held up his hands in surrender though his grin hadn’t faded in the slightest. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop.”
He glanced between Sett and Aphelios, clearly satisfied. “For now.” The satisfied showman started to walk away, smirking.
As he walked toward the door, he shot one last glance over his shoulder at his bandmates, voice lowering just enough for only them to hear. “Cowards.”
Alone in his room, Aphelios kept thinking about what Kayn had told them.
This whole fanfic thing was new to him. Not that he’d never heard of fanfiction, he knew very well most video games, movies and such had fanfictions written about them. He’d just never thought Heartsteel would be fanfiction material. And, based on what Kayn had said, it was to such an extent that there were hundreds of stories about them… The thought of it left him speechless.
The songwriter was amazed that their fans had such a wild imagination and also cared, in a way, about who each of them was as a person and how they felt about one another. To think that in some of these stories, they weren’t just bandmates, they were champions, heroes, lovers, rivals, more fantastical versions of themselves, just about anything. He let out a slow breath, leaning back against his pillow. He was actually curious to read more now. But was that a good idea? And where should he even start? He remembered Kayn had mentioned a Corpse Bride AU, that was a movie he really enjoyed.
Aphelios started searching for the story in his browser. He quickly found out that the website where most of the stories could be found was called AO3. He braced himself looking at his screen in an almost ceremonial way. Based on the results, he’d figured this AU was about Sett and himself mostly… SettPhel was the name the fans had come up with for their relationship, ‘SettPhel Anthology’ was the name of the dedicated fanfiction... His heart thudded a little faster in his chest, the weight of this simple decision feeling far heavier than he expected. It almost felt like he was about to do something forbidden.
There was an unease he couldn’t quite shake off, and it wasn’t just the stories themselves. It was the freedom these fans had to imagine without boundaries nor consequences. A part of him envied it. The way they poured their hearts into something, a world that wasn’t bound by the limitations of their reality. He always wanted to feel that free in his creative writing, but part of him always felt restrained. He wasn’t sure why that was.
Their first song Paranoia had been a hit for sure and the lyrics he’d written were part of the reason for their success. But since then, it had become harder for him to write without second thoughts. Writing music for a living wasn’t that easy, he constantly felt the pressure to write something that would please their fans, their labels, get Alune’s and Yone’s approval, make Sett’s eyes light up, something he could be proud of… With so many constraints, it was no surprise he didn’t feel as free as he used to. Aphelios reminded himself fondly of the days where he was simply composing for himself. Maybe that was exactly what he needed actually, to simply indulge in something that made him happy.
He finally clicked on the title ‘SettPhel Anthology’. To Aphelios’ surprise, those were actually multiple short stories. Okay, first one, then. Aphelios couldn’t help a smile reading the first lines. A ball of smoke had changed Sett into a child. The thought of it was endearing, Aphelios almost immediately became invested in the story, worried what would happen to this little Sett. He was also rather fond of the way his sister was portrayed.
“Swiftly brother, Mister 'Phelios” Alune and Sett’s words in the story echoed in his mind and brought him a sense of comfort. The setting was so far from their daily life but the story still sounded familiar. The whole read was so entertaining, Aphelios barely realized he had reached the end already. That was… so good, he thought, though part of him wanted to know what happened next. He clicked to move to chapter two, but chapter 2 was a different story entirely. He remained still for a moment, feeling disoriented and taking in what he had read. He was left with the need to see pictures of Sett as a child.
Aphelios switched apps and sent a quick text to Sett without even thinking about it.
“ Do you have any pictures of you as a kid?”
The story gave him an impulse he wasn’t used to.
He set the phone down and the stillness in the room felt heavier than before. His heart beat a little faster too.
Should I read more? He picked up his phone again.
Just one more, he thought. It would make him wait for Sett’s answer. “Okay, Corpse bride AU… that was chapter 6, I think”, he said, talking to himself. Aphelios chuckled with excitement. He really liked the style, it was so easy to read, and quickly the mood was set. Oh, Sett is Victor…, his mind was racing, he knew the beginning of the movie almost by heart. And… I am Emily. he was pleased, he liked the character. How the hell did that person guess that he liked moonstones? That was uncanny. Had he ever mentioned that in an interview? He searched his memory and came up empty. He was fairly sure he hadn’t. Could fans who truly cared really infer things like that so easily? The thought lingered, strangely touching.
Aphelios held his breath during the whole thing, would that story give them a happy ending? He found himself wishing it did.
A notification from Sett popped:
“Sure, why you asking?”
As an answer, Aphelios simply sent the link of the first fanfiction to Sett. Would he like it? Aphelios thought it was very funny.
He resumed his reading, Sett would probably take some time before answering. Would he read the whole fic? Aphelios finished reading the Corpse Bride AU faster than he’d thought possible.
He wanted to share that one too with Sett, but was that too much? Intrigued, Aphelios looked at the author’s profile, western AU, art Student AU, Dead by Daylight AU, Cyberpunk 2077 AU... Kayn was right, their fans really were creative and it looked like almost anything he could think of might have been written.
The young artist started opening tabs with stories that sounded like he’d want to read them. ‘Dashing Moon Soldier Aphelios’, that one has a nice ring to it, he thought. Wait is Alune a cat in this? With a large smile on his face, Aphelios copied the link of the fic and sent that one to Alune.
“Looks like you’re my Luna, Lunie.” he wrote. Aphelios was pretty sure Alune had watched Sailor Moon as a kid and loved it. Did their fans guess that too or were they just Sailor Moon enthusiasts too?
High on the feeling of discovering these universes, Aphelios was jumping from one fanwriter name to the other, looking through people’s bookmarks. He had so many bookmarks opened, how long would it take to read all that? Some stories were thousands of words long, had their whole dedicated fanbase and people were debating in the comments. Aphelios was in awe. Some titles were really poetic while others were more direct. ‘Fvck You Alpha Boy’, did Kayn read that one? Aphelios looked at the tags and his eyes didn’t miss the important detail of one of them being ‘Ezreal/Shieda Kayn’. Of course, he failed to mention that. Aphelios thought.
As he was about to open yet another tab, a text from Sett arrived. It was a picture of him as a child in what looked like to be his mother’s shoes, he looked tiny compared to the shoes and to the Sett Aphelios knew. Sett had it captioned "What'm I boss of?". Aphelios chuckled, that was a reference to the story he had sent him. That meant he had read it. But did he like it? Aphelios wanted to know his thoughts.
Another text from Sett arrived before he could answer “Wanna read more together?”
Aphelios didn’t need to be asked twice, he jumped from the bed, took his phone and Sett’s Choncc plushie with him and headed to Sett’s room.
As he walked toward Sett’s room, Aphelios glanced at the many tabs he had open on his phone. There were so many. Some he couldn’t share with Sett like this… He closed the tabs with tags that seemed a bit too wild or Explicit rating just to make sure things wouldn’t be too awkward. He really wanted to know what Sett was thinking. Aphelios knew they were both somewhat aware that they liked each other, so the whole shipping thing probably wasn’t too awkward. Still, they hadn’t said anything out loud yet, and that meant things could get awkward pretty fast.
As he entered the room, Aphelios was greeted by Sett wearing a wide grin, already seated at his computer.
“Phel!” he called out, looking like an excited puppy.
The readhead pointed at his screen where multiple tabs were opened. “Look at what I found Phel!”
Aphelios' eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Sett to be as invested as he was. Usually, when it came to online stuff, Aphelios was much faster at finding things but this time, it seemed Sett had been just as quick.
“Look, look— in this one, you’re a tattoo artist, Phel, and I come to you to get a portrait of Ma. That’s so cool, Phel, I could totally picture you doing that.”
Aphelios was taken aback by Sett’s enthusiasm; the words refused to come.
“I mean,” Sett added with a laugh, “if you weren’t already a talented songwriter for the best band in the world, that is.”
Aphelios blinked, then let out a small, almost disbelieving huff of laughter. He lifted a hand to his mouth, his fingers brushing his lip as if grounding himself. Sett’s excitement was so communicative and it felt like pure warmth.
“You…” Aphelios shook his head then tried again. “You really… read all that already?”
Sett was suddenly a little bashful despite the grin still tugging at his mouth. “Well, I have actually mostly been reading summaries but there are so many I wanna read. I mean, I found one where you are a ‘High Priest of the Aurora’” Sett emphasized the title in a theatrical way.
He quickly rushed to add more explanation. “It’s like- this really cool priest with magic powers granted by some kind of winter deity or something. And… I come to you to save Ma, and damn, Phel, you’re so cold at first. It reminded me of how you were when Heartsteel first started. Such a perfectionist and so hard to please. ”
The redhead paused for a moment. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” he added quickly, clearly catching the shift in Aphelios’ expression. “It’s just that you cared. A lot. It’s one of the things I…” He cut himself off, clearing his throat. “One of the things that made me take you seriously.”
Aphelios looked at him for a while then at the wall in an attempt to hide that Sett’s words hurt him a little. He signed slowly. I was scared.
Aphelios paused for a moment. Trust had built between him and Sett over the past few months, enough that he knew he could safely confess just about anything—but it was still hard to let go of thoughts and feelings that personal.
Of messing it up. Of not being good enough. Of letting people down, he admitted. I still am.
Sett’s expression softened. He rolled his chair back just enough to stand, closing the distance between them. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “That makes sense…” He paused, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. “Sorry for making you carry that weight for Heartsteel, Phel. I mean, thank you for carrying us.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Sett’s words made Aphelios feel seen. They meant Sett was aware of the pressure he carried and somehow, just knowing that, just sharing that weight, felt like enough.
“You know,” he said, attempting a lighter tone, “in that fic, the High Priest version of you eventually lets me help. Takes a while, but… he does.”
Aphelios’ lips curved into a shy smile. “Does he?”
“Yeah,” Sett nodded. “Turns out even divine, emotionally distant winter priests need help sometimes.”
A soft, breathy laugh escaped Aphelios before he could stop it. “I mean,” he added, voice gentle, “if it’s a gorgeous, heart-of-gold mafia boss offering help, how could they refuse?”
Sett froze for half a heartbeat like his brain needed a moment to catch up with his ears. Then his face went red, not just a little, but completely red, creeping up his neck and cheeks. He opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again.
“Phel,” he said softly “If you keep talking like that, I might start believing those fanfictions are onto something.”
Trying to hide his embarrassment, Sett gestured awkwardly between the chair and the bed.
“Sit down… How about we pick one to read together.”
Sett returned to his chair and started browsing through the tabs.
“Okay, stop me when a title sounds good to you, alright?” He glanced over at Aphelios, ready to start listing their options. “An Assassin, a Weapon, and a Pit Boss…”
“Sounds good,” Aphelios chuckled. “Which one are you? The boss, I presume?”
“Yeah, looks like it-” Sett paused, eyes widening as he leaned closer to the screen. “Wait, Phel, no. No, no, this one has Kayn in it. Absolutely not.” He closed the tab immediately, leaving Aphelios no time to react. “He was so annoying tonight. The last thing I want to do right now is read about him.”
Aphelios laughed softly. “That’s fair. What else do you have in stock?”
Sett shot him a complicit smile. “Songs After Si- wait…” He closed that tab just as quickly, his cheeks tinting red again.
Aphelios didn’t comment, but he had a pretty good idea why Sett had closed it, considering he’d done the exact same thing before entering the room.
“Okay, sorry, Phel, I think I got the one we need : ‘Steel Your Heart, I'll Be Your Guide’”
“Sounds great,” Aphelios said. “Would you read it to me?”
“Sure thing,” Sett replied softly. “I’ll read it for you, Phel.”
Sett’s eyes started going over the notes, just reading Aphelios’ and his name like that made his heart beat faster. He was so excited to read about them.
“Hey, that’s good, the first chapter is about me so I get to read my part. Okay, Phel, I’ll do my best impression of myself, just you listen!”
Aphelios pointed to his ears and gave him a thumbs-up.
Boosted by that little gesture, Sett started reading, diligently to please his favorite listener. The singer got into the story quickly, the words really sounded like things that could have come out of his mouth so he was amazed how easily he could read it.
“They nailed it, Phel. They even included that piece of shit Beedie.”
Aphelios laughed. Sett had told that story a hundred times in interviews, he was pretty infamous for the incident before Heartsteel. Everyone knew what had gone down between him and his label, but it was hilarious to see it from a fan’s point of view, especially how perfectly they’d nailed Sett’s character, right down to the insults he’d throw during a fit of anger. The songwriter grew curious about how he would be portrayed.
Sett resumed reading, fully invested in his role as narrator. The experience was immersive for Aphelios. All the places and people mentioned so far were familiar, he knew them, so it felt a bit like revisiting a memory.
After a few minutes, his character appeared in the story.
“Should I voice you too, Phel?” Sett asked.
Yeah, Aphelios signed, a hint of mischief in his eyes. I’m curious to hear your impression of me.
Sett winked and continued reading.
“Well, I’ll be damned, Phel, they nailed your sense of humour too.”
After a while, Sett’s voice grew hesitant. He had seen that he was close to reaching a part of the story where Aphelios’ surgery was mentioned. The redhead didn’t know if he should read that part. He wasn’t sure how sensitive Aphelios would be on that topic and how the fanfiction would bring it up. He could laugh about his argument with Beedie now, but that subject had been painful for a long time. Because of that, he wasn’t sure how Aphelios felt about his own vulnerable moments being written into a story.
Sett hesitated, fingers hovering over the screen. Then he swallowed and finally stopped reading altogether. The room felt quieter without his voice filling it.
“Hey…” he said softly, turning his chair just enough to look at Aphelios instead of the screen. “There’s a part coming up that talks about your surgery.” He hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I can skip it. Or…” He gestured vaguely. “I can keep going. I just wanted to check that you’re cool with it first.”
Aphelios blinked, surprised not by the question itself, but by the care behind it. Sett was always respectful of his boundaries, and with every one of these careful attentions, Aphelios’ trust in him had only grown. He took a moment before finally signing, slowly and deliberately. You can read it.
Sett’s brows knit together. “You sure?”
Aphelios nodded. I want to know what they wrote about it. After a pause, he added, And… I trust you.
Something in Sett’s chest tightened at that. He nodded once, quietly. “Okay. If it ever gets uncomfortable, you tell me. Yeah?”
Aphelios smiled, soft and genuine. “I will.”
As Sett read, Aphelios listened closely. Once again, the words hit close to home. The mention of his voice, of the surgery, made his chest tighten instinctively, but it wasn’t the painful kind of tension he’d braced for. It was quieter.
Selective.
That word echoed in his mind.
He hadn’t ever put it that way before but there was indeed some sort of an unspoken rule for him, the author wasn’t wrong. Speaking had become something deliberate for him, something he rationed. Not out of bitterness, not even always out of discomfort, but because words seemed to carry more weight now. Because he couldn’t use songs anymore and conversation was all that remained, it felt much heavier than it used to. Silence, most of the time, felt safer.
The truth tucked between the lines made him smile. He was more generous with his words around Sett. He hadn’t noticed when it started but he had known for some time now. He could feel it every time he was with Sett, speaking felt less like a cost and more like a choice worth making. That writer was so clever, Aphelios couldn’t help smiling at how he had been read like an open book.
Sett, relieved to see Aphelios’ reaction returned the smile, then cleared his throat, trying to lighten the mood. “Alright. After that, it goes back to me being an idiot, so we’re safe.”
Aphelios huffed a quiet laugh, leaning back against the bed pillows.
Sett continued the story, occasionally adding little comments about how much he enjoyed the writer’s choice of words or how spot-on certain moments were.
“Thank God, Heartsteel, and you, gave me back my light, Phel. This fanfiction is right on the nose. I used to be so lost… and angry.” Sett clenched his fist. That damn anger… he and the band had turned it into something else. Heartsteel gave him a place where he could be himself and let go of that anger, but it used to devour him. He had felt so misunderstood, like he didn’t belong anywhere… Phel, K’Sante, Yone, even those two idiots, Kayn and Ezreal—they’d helped him shake that feeling entirely.
But reading it from the fans’ perspective, Sett felt strangely moved. His eyes watered.
“Damn, Phel… they’ll get me crying. How the hell did they get me like that?” He paused, no longer reading out loud, but his eyes continued scanning the words. “I guess they really are listening.”
Aphelios got out of the bed and started to move closer to Sett, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, a soft caress meant to ground him. Surprised, Sett flinched at first, caught off guard by the gesture, but didn’t pull away. Instead, he let out a shaky breath. “I… I don’t even know why this hits me so hard.”
The vulnerability in his voice made Aphelios’ chest tighten. He traced a thumb lightly over Sett’s shoulder, careful, reverent before he signed softly, Because they see you. You are seen.
Sett’s eyes flickered up to meet Aphelios’, fully opening, vulnerable. Aphelios couldn’t help but think how hot Sett looked in that moment, willing to show this vulnerable side of himself. “Yeah… I guess I am,” Sett whispered. “Thanks for seeing me, Phel.”
For a long moment, they just sat there, side by side until Aphelios slowly welcomed Sett’s head to rest against his chest, wrapping his arms gently around him. Sett hesitated for only a heartbeat before leaning in, letting himself be held. The soft rise and fall of each other’s breathing became a rhythm, grounding them both in silence.
Finally, Sett cleared his throat, a small, wry smile tugging at his lips. “Alright… I know we haven’t even finished chapter one, but I think I need to lie down for a while.”
Aphelios tilted his head gently, his voice almost a whisper. “Do you want to listen to music together on the bed?”
Sett nodded. “Yeah… let’s do that,” he murmured, letting Aphelios guide him back onto the bed.
It wasn’t the first time they’d shared music like this. Over the past few months, it had quietly become a ritual of theirs. They had a habit of spending evenings in each other’s rooms. Sometimes they’d watch a movie, sometimes they’d play games, and other times, after long rehearsals or chaotic days, they would sit together, letting the music fill the quiet spaces between them. It wasn’t just listening, it was a way to really unwind and share things without words. That felt most welcome now, after what they had experienced through fanfiction. They both needed some time to process and music could offer just that.
Aphelios slid into the bed beside Sett, careful not to jostle him. Sett shifted slightly, arranging himself so his head rested just above Aphelios’ arm. Aphelios adjusted accordingly, careful to keep them both comfortable. He felt a small thrill from the familiarity of the ritual. He could hear Sett’s steady breathing and it brought him a quiet sort of peace.
Once they were both settled, Sett leaned back just enough to glance at Aphelios. “You pick the first song,” he said softly, his voice low and relaxed.
Aphelios picked a soft song he had recently discovered and had been dying to share with Sett ‘The Garden of Everything’.
With the music, Sett’s breathing grew slower, more even. It seemed as if sleep was beginning to claim him. Moments before he fully drifted off, he murmured, “Phel… make sure we have more nights like this… Fanfiction nights.”
Aphelios whispered back, his voice barely audible “Sure”.
Sett let out a soft, contented sigh, finally surrendering to sleep while Aphelios brushed his hair back from his forehead in a gentle, soothing gesture.
For a few additional songs, Aphelios stayed still, listening to the music and the steady rhythm of Sett’s breathing. The black haired man was simply enjoying how peaceful the night was, before a small thought drifted into his mind: What if he found another fic to fall asleep to? He smiled softly and brushed the thought aside. For the rest of the night, he’d surrender to his own imagination.