Work Text:
After arriving home from work, you checked your phone again. Sylus still hadn't responded to any of your texts. You hadn't seen Mephisto all day either. But you convinced yourself this was an overreaction. You moved on with your evening.
With dinner finished, and a new episode from a show you couldn't focus on, you started to bug Sylus with texts and calls, to tease him, to provoke him into replying. Still, no response. Your messages hadn't even been read. This was unlike him ever since you two started to date.
After hours of fretting and worrying about your boyfriend's silence, you called once more.
You waited for a while, the call ringing in your ear. Just as you were about to cancel it, the call was picked up.
"Hello, I'm Sylus doctor. He can't respond at the moment as he's resting, but he is fine."
You gasped, mouth wide open. No words were able to come out. That voice… Were you starting to hallucinate all doctor voices as Zayne's? No, there must be a reasonable explanation for this. You were simply tired and worried about Sylus, so when you heard a doctor speak, your mind simply defaulted to imagining Zayne. Even though it had been months since you last heard him in that cemetery.
"Hello?"
The doctor spoke again. You had been caught in your own delirium for too long and failed to respond. Still, your throat felt tight, your mouth dry, speaking felt too arduous to muster with your mind seemingly unstable. Yet, you pushed through, as best as you could.
"I—I'm sorry… I… Uhm, has something happened to Sylus?" Only now did you realize how strange it was for a doctor to answer the Onychinus' boss personal phone.
This time, it was your turn to hear a gasp on the other side of the call. A few seconds passed, before that voice that strangely resembled Zayne's… spoke your name.
You clutched your chest. No… This couldn't be real? Can it? You heaved in air, which barely passed through the knot choking your throat. Tears sprang behind your eyelids. Why…?
"Zayne…?" your voice trembled, as tears ran down your cheeks. You had to confirm it was truly him. Though it made no sense why Zayne would be Sylus' doctor, and answering his personal phone. But logic didn't matter that much right now. For whatever reason, you reached out for Sylus, and it was Zayne who answered.
A few more moments passed, but finally, the other person replied: "Yes, it's me."
The phone almost slipped out of your sweaty hands. With a deep breath of air, held in your lungs for a couple seconds, you decided to finally get answers for the confusion that's been wrecking your brain for the past few minutes.
"Zayne Li, what is happening? Where are you, why are you Sylus' doctor, how is he, why are you answering his phone, how—?" your voice continued to tremble even as you forced yourself to calm down. You furiously wiped the tears still running down your cheeks.
"It is quite a long story, but in short, I'm in the N109 Zone. I met Sylus on the border between Linkon City and the N109 Zone. He was wounded, and I stopped to offer him assistance. We were both transported to his base, and I managed to close his wound. He is resting at the moment, that is why he couldn't respond to you. I wasn't aware… that 'Kitten with a red heart emoji' was you, but I felt bad for whoever was messaging and calling him over and over again. So I answered on his behalf."
Zayne's voice had been utterly calm and collected, like you've always known it to be. You'd expected to hear more shock from him discovering the ridiculous nickname Sylus insisted on using, was directed towards you. The red heart emoji you couldn't blame him for, it was entirely your idea, your own finger that tapped to add it, once the two of you started to date last month. Still, you didn't like the short story Zayne told you. Why would Sylus need a doctor to mend his wounds?
"How hurt is he? Did he not heal himself?"
"I'm afraid his Evol abilities have been nullified before I met him. From what I've gathered, EVER developed some anti-matter weapons that were used on him. His Evol hasn't recovered before falling asleep. I can't give you any more details, but I can assure you that he's stable, his wounds are not life threatening, no organs have been hit, and he's merely resting at the moment."
Even though it was Sylus who he had to treat now, he still spoke with the same care he showed to every one of his patients. As if Sylus wasn't a criminal, the leader of Onychinus, the ruler of the N109 Zone. That is why you appreciated Zayne not only as a professional, but as a person too.
"Thank you, Zayne." You bit your lip, uncertain if you should voice more of your thoughts. Your heart was still beating far too fast, and even with his explanations, you were worried and confused about both of them. "Zayne?"
"Yes?"
"If you knew it was me, would you have answered?"
Perhaps the question was too harsh, but you couldn't ignore it, after months and months of Zayne keeping his distance from you. If he had the choice, he would keep this painful distance between the two of you. That's what you came to realize.
Long moments passed without any answer from your ex-physician. The silence was loud enough, you understood why he hesitated to answer truthfully. But you were done avoiding him.
"I understand. I'm coming to the N109 Zone, don't you dare leave." This time, you made sure your voice was steady. For once, he needed to listen to you, to trust you.
"Yes, ma'am," was all he said, and you were grateful.
The call ended, and you sprinted across your apartment to pick up your helmet, coat and bag.
***
It's been a long time since the N109 Zone learned to fear you, and avoid pursuing you. Whispers must have reached all depths of the lawless zone that you were Sylus' woman. Only someone with a death wish would dare to try and harm you. As you raced down the chaotic streets, you hoped this unofficial law still stood. You hoped no one found out Sylus was stripped of his Evol at the moment, forced into a vulnerable position that he wasn't used to.
Thankfully, you reached the underground parking of the Onychinus base without any events. Your heart was still racing as you hurriedly turned off your motorcycle, pulled off your helmet and shook your sweaty hair. With trembling fingers, you pressed the penthouse button as soon as the elevator doors closed in on you. Leaning against one of the walls, your eyes closed, still trying to understand how EVER managed to create weapons that could disarm Sylus in such a way. You had to see for yourself what state he was in.
And you had to meet Zayne. For the first time in months. Somehow, your heart failed to calm down thinking of it, choosing to race even more worryingly.
The elevator bell dinged, doors opening inside the spacious, opulent apartment that was close to becoming your second home. You struggled out of your boots as you tried to hurry and find the two most important men in your life, the helmet slipping out of hands onto the carpeted floor. At this point, you couldn't care anymore to keep this place tidy. As soon as your socks hit the carpet, you ran towards Sylus' private wing.
You didn't even have to run for long, as he stood there in the hallway, waiting. Waiting for you. Dressed in all black, the same suit he wore the last time you two met. Your feet stopped a few meters in front of him, a little distance that still seemed too sudden to close. Zayne. The second half of your heart (the first was dedicated to Sylus). After almost half a year, he stood only meters before you. And still, he made no movement to reach you.
Taking a few moments to reacquaint yourself with his face, you couldn't help but frown. He looked —to put it kindly— barely alive, in a much worse state than you last saw him. His face was tired, cheeks slightly sunken, heavy, dark circles sat beneath his eyes, and a messy, unshaven stubble covered his jaw; overall, the look of a man who didn't care of his appearance anymore. Even his hair was longer, strands falling past his jawline. It wouldn't have looked bad on him, if it had been an intentional haircut, and the strands would have been healthy. But it was simply his usual style that grew out, and he didn't bother to fix it.
It hurt you to see him in such a desolate state. You hoped these months of forced separation would help him, that he'd find the answers he sought, that he'd get better and come back into your life. But almost six months have passed, and he looked worse than when you left him.
If this unfortunate situation wouldn't have happened, how long would it have taken for him to seek you out on his own? A few more weeks? You doubted that. A few more months? Possibly. A year, or more? You were scared of believing it. And even now, when Sylus will no longer need the assistance of a doctor, would Zayne withdraw again, leaving you heartbroken once more?
Before you could continue to hesitate, your feet moved you forward, as Zayne carefully watched every step you took. Standing before him, both of you stared, uncertain what words would be appropriate.
"You— Is that blood on your clothes?!" You noticed as you looked away from his weary face. The black waistcoat and shirt he was wearing were darkened with shed blood.
"It's not my own," he replied simply, his voice icy.
"Sylus'?"
He nodded.
"That doesn't reassure me." You staggered in place, disturbed by the amount of dark splotches on his clothes. He must have noticed the uncomfortable expression on your face, as he took a step back and cleared his throat.
"I assure you, the blood loss is not life threatening. He will probably feel weaker once he wakes up, if he does not regain control of his Evol, but he's out of danger. You can check on his condition for yourself," he tried to calm you down, already clutching the door handle to Sylus' bedroom.
You nodded, scared your voice will tremble. You've never known Sylus without his Evol. EVER tried to hurt him with such weapons during the Zoion Hunt, but it didn't seem to do much damage. He's been hurt before, when he couldn't immediately heal himself, but he's never been knocked out because of a wound before. For crying out loud, he forced you to shoot him in the chest, and he shrugged it off as if you merely pricked him with a sewing needle, of course you were overcome with worry in this moment when he couldn't just shrug off a serious injury!
As soon as Zayne opened the door, you burst in the room, sitting down on the chair placed beside his bed. A heart monitor was beeping steadily on the other side of his bed, just beside an IV pole that slowly trickled fluid down the tube connected to his elbow veins. Zayne had created a mini hospital setup in Sylus' bedroom, and that only worried you further. He's never needed a hospital before.
You touched his hand, larger and heavier than yours, and grasped it in both of your own. He was still warm, as you knew him, and even looking at his face, he seemed to sleep normally. Were it not for the medical equipment and the fact he didn't even stir from his sleep as his bedroom door opened, you would think this was just a normal scene. Your thumb caressed the back of his palm, hoping your gentle touch could be felt as comfort in his deep slumber.
To see such an undefeatable man —a person who was always ten steps ahead of the idiots who dared to take him on— in such a vulnerable position where he could not defend himself, it made you silently cry. Warm, beady tears spilled down your cheeks, as you looked at Sylus. Never before have you sneaked into his bedroom and touched him without him noticing you immediately. At most, he'd pretend to sleep soundly, lying like a predator trying to trick its prey into a false sense of security, before he'd catch you being naughty.
You'd never thought that one of the first nights spent with him, when you tried to capture his brooch and tie his wrist with a useless pair of handcuffs to the headboard, would feel so nostalgic, so comforting. You wished he'd peek an eye open and catch you by surprise, grasp both of your wrists into the hand you're still clutching onto. But no, he remained still, deep asleep, with a heavy frown etched between his brows. Was he experiencing pain even in his sleep?
Quiet steps scared you, flinching, as Zayne approached and knelt in front of your chair. He held out a tissue, expecting you to take it. You managed to pry one of your hands from holding Sylus', to grab the tissue offered by Zayne and dab at your trailing tears.
"I know it is difficult to see a person dear to you in such a state, especially when it is not characteristic of them to be in a vulnerable position. But trust me, I made sure he will be fine. His body simply needs to rest after dealing with a wound it is not used to. That said, I will not tell you to stop crying or worrying. Your reaction is natural. But, I do want you to tell me if my presence here is not wanted. I can wait in the hallway and give you two a moment alone."
"No!" You grabbed onto his collar before Zayne could have any chance to move. His eyes bulged out at your bold initiative. "Stay. It's been so long since I've had you near, please, just stay…" your voice trembled as your sobs could not be calmed down.
Zayne regarded you quietly and nodded, placing a cold hand above your own, still desperately clutching onto his collar. He said no words, and let you pour out your sorrow. Your tears continued to fall, as your heart took in the devastating scene before you once more. Sylus, hurt and exhausted, robbed of the power that has always kept him strong, and Zayne, weary and depressed, seemingly a ghost of the cardiac surgeon you knew him as. Even though you reunited, the state he was in disappointed you. And… who knows for how long he'll stay here until he decides to distance himself once more?
You stayed like that for a while, watching over Sylus' sleeping form, feeling Zayne's weary presence kneeling by your side, with the constant noise of the heart monitor breaking through the eery silence. At some point, your tears dried, no more able to fall down. You had to get used to the current situation. You trusted Zayne, if he said Sylus will be fine, then you believed it. There was nothing to be done before he wakes up on his own.
Instead, there is plenty you can do about Zayne.
"Zayne, will you listen to me tonight?" you asked, voice weak and tongue dry.
"I will."
Your eyes glanced down at him. For how long had he stayed there, kneeling beside you? You felt bad now that it didn't even pass through your mind to tell him he can bring a chair and sit on it beside you. But it was clear from his eyes that followed each of your movements, he was worried to disappoint you further. For now, he was tired, and obedient. All the fight in him was gone. Perhaps he too enjoyed this wretched moment of having you close again, craved to break free from his self inflicted punishment. You wholly trusted him, that tonight, everything you asked, he will obey.
"I'll bring you a set of pajamas and a new set of clothes for tomorrow. Then you'll go and take a shower. You'll eat what I'm going to prepare you. And then you'll go to sleep, and rest for at least a few good hours. Tomorrow, you're not leaving until Sylus wakes up and I dismiss you. This may be Sylus' home, but you only listen to me, not him. I'll stay to watch over Sylus tonight, and you," you pressed your pointer finger in the middle of his sternum, "rest. tonight. Have I made myself clear?"
Zayne blinked a few times, and then with a soft voice replied: "Yes, ma'am. I'll honour every moment of kindness you're willing to grace me with."
Through all the current distress, his regretful demeanour almost made you chuckle. "Zayne, you don't have to talk to me as if you're a sad, little puppy who's been kicked, and I was the one to rescue you," you added with a soft pat to his prickly cheek.
Hearing your response, even he seemed to relax a little. You swear you could see a bit of tension leaving him as his shoulders dropped. "I don't think I've ever been compared to a sad, kicked puppy before. I don't particularly like it."
"Then stop acting like one," you said, giving him one last pat, which he tried to lean into but it far too late. You stood up, and helped him out of his uncomfortable, kneeling position. "Take my seat, I'll be back in a few minutes."
And with that, you were gone out of Sylus' bedroom.
***
You returned in just a few minutes with two changes of clothes for Zayne, then guided him towards a bedroom and bathroom that were going to be his tonight.
While he showered, you went to the kitchen to find something easy and fast to cook for Zayne. But you had to face the fact that a rich man like Sylus, truly did not keep his fridge well equipped. He had a more peculiar taste, you knew how picky he could be towards certain foods, and how he had a propensity for strange combinations, so he probably relied on his chef for most meals. While the twins, they probably ordered take out most often, if they were not included in the meals alongside Sylus.
You settled for the little you could find, some vegetables for a salad (how ironic it was that the vegetables in the largest quantity were carrots, which were outright forbidden for any meal destined for Zayne), two burger patties that you could fry quickly, some bread you could toast, and a bit of butter you could spread over it. If you were to ever take Sylus' offer to join Onychinus and move in, the first thing you'd take control over, will be the sorry state of this fridge! Good thing you managed to eat your dinner before Sylus' lack of communication started to worry you.
After chopping the veggies and dressing them up for the salad, you started to fry the frozen patties. That's when you heard footsteps behind you, and were hit with the fragrance of a deep, refreshing, woodsy and spicy smell you associated with Sylus' body wash. For half a second, you thought Sylus might have woken up and followed you into the kitchen, but you quickly realized it was Zayne who finished his shower. You turned to look at him. It was so strange to see Zayne in front of you, but smell Sylus.
"That doesn't seem to be a very balanced meal," he spoke, glancing at what you were cooking from behind you.
"Blame it on the sorry state of the billionaire's fridge," you said, pointing to the offending household appliance.
Zayne moved away from your side to peek inside the fridge, and you instantly heard him let out an annoyed sigh. He noticed the carrots.
"Indeed. There is far too much space overtaken by frozen pieces of carrots," he spit out the last word as if it had been a curse. Good to know he was feeling well enough to hate on the poor, orange vegetables.
You giggled, and flipped one of the patties. He heard your amusement, and moved back to your side, leaning against the counter. The pajamas you gave him, a cotton set in black and red, fit him decently well. The too long sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, showing off his scarred forearms. Were there more scars than you've previously seen? You were afraid to look longer, scared you'll notice scars not yet fully healed.
"Kitten?"
"Yes?" you answered, not even fully realizing it was Zayne who called you that. Your cheeks started to heat up the moment you responded, and you bit your lip in frustration. Sylus' body wash was really throwing you off.
"Oh, so he uses this nickname often enough you respond to it," Zayne concluded, and you decided to close your eyes against this onslaught. If the patties were going to burn because you couldn't see them, then so be it, he deserved them burned. "I didn't expect the leader of Onychinus to use such a… cutesy nickname. And for you nonetheless."
Still with your eyes closed, you breathed out slowly. You did not need to be confronted about Sylus' affinity for stupid pet names by Zayne of all people!
"Zayne, don't you think this salad would be tastier if I added some pieces of carrots?" you asked, sarcasm rolling off your tongue in the most obvious threat you could launch.
He didn't respond to your teasing, instead picking up a fork and taking the bowl of salad away from your grasp. He rounded the kitchen island and sat down, taking a bite of what you prepared. "No, it only needs a bit more olive oil."
You groaned as you rolled your eyes. For such a serious, calm person, Zayne could also be a very annoying man.
"And let me take over here," he added, having moved slowly behind you. He grabbed your spatula and gently pushed you aside. "You're burning the poor meat."
That was the point! That was supposed to be your punishment!!
With another heavy eye roll, you relented, and moved to the other side of the kitchen to start loading the toaster. "You are very ungrateful to the person feeding you, doctor Zayne," you huffed over your shoulder, before returning your attention to the toaster.
"I believe I am grateful enough. After all, was is it not Miss Chef who threatened to poison me?" Zayne replied, with that smarmy, level tone of his. He finished frying the patties and passed them onto a plate.
"Carrots are not poison, Zayne!" The toaster dinged behind you as you turned to glare at Zayne.
"Truly still a mystery why they are not categorized as such."
He sat down at the kitchen island again, finishing his salad dressing, and cooling down the meat patties enough for him to be able to eat. In the meantime, you picked the two pieces of toasted bread and spread a layer of butter over them, placing them beside the meat for Zayne.
You started to clean the kitchen as Zayne ate, the two of you sitting in silence. For a moment, it seemed peaceful, reminiscent of familiar scenes spent at your apartment or his house. But Zayne decided to break the nostalgic moment.
"Initially, based on the nickname and emoji, I assumed Kitten❤️ to be Sylus' significant other." Zayne's pause lingered for a few moments before he sighed and continued. "Was I… correct in my assumption?"
You stopped wiping the counter, your head and shoulders dropping. It was hard to admit the truth to Zayne. Although you were happy and fulfilled with Sylus by your side, there was still the lingering thought that Zayne might have occupied that space if he hadn't abandoned you. Because of his distance, you had the opportunity to get closer to Sylus and notice how important he became for your life. It was Zayne's own decision that led to you finding solace in another man's embrace.
"Yes. We… are a couple." You had to swallow around the lump in your throat. Your eyes couldn't connect with his. "We started dating last month."
Zayne cleared his throat, but did not respond. When you finally became brave enough to look at him, you watched him glance away, blinking rapidly. Did it hurt, to know for certain he lost you? You were almost convinced he must have held tender feelings for you for a long time. He dedicated his career to find ways to heal your heart. But did it not hurt you too, when he quit being your doctor, when he distanced himself and left your heart broken? When you needed him most to mend your fragile heart, he became unreachable.
Maybe he should hurt now too, knowing that another man fulfilled you in ways he couldn't. That you were happy, and in love with someone else. It was cruel, and you realized that, but still, he can't blame you for falling for someone else. You've already put your love life on hold for him for too long. Since you were a child, who barely knew what a crush meant, to the teenager that still longed for her childhood friend that you lost contact with, to the young woman who found her path in life, and reconnected with him… It was still Zayne who pulled away again.
How can you be certain it won't repeat and you'll end up heartbroken again?
At least Sylus promised that he'll keep you bound to him, that your connection transcends this place and this world. At least Sylus won't abandon you, like everyone else in your life ends up doing. Whatever wretched existence you live, he won't let go, he'll fight everything by your side.
At least you physically have a way to keep him bound to you. For as long as your soul wants.
"Congratulations," Zayne finally said, quietly, breaking you out of spiralling thoughts.
It was a hollow word. You nodded simply to acknowledge it.
You didn't want to linger on this topic any further. There was no point of punishing him further. After all, what else were you supposed to say? How happy and relieved you were to be in a stable, official relationship with Sylus? That'll break him. That Zayne could have been your partner if he didn't leave during that night in the cemetery? He's already aware.
So you switched subjects, trying to understand more of what he went through for these past months.
"Have you found any of the answers you were looking for? Do you know what's causing you to become Dawnbreaker and lose control of your powers?"
Zayne pondered for a few moments how to respond. "I have found some answers. Though I can't say they're satisfying, or helpful in my pursuits. It's… not a particularly easy problem to fix, I'm afraid."
You waited for a more thorough explanation of his research, but he didn't elaborate. For whatever reason, he chose to keep that information from you.
"I'm sorry."
You raised your head to look at Zayne, to see the pained expression on his face. The frown of his brows, his hazel eyes wet and sparkling, the deeply regretful expression he was vulnerable enough to show you, left you unable to respond. At least, in a satisfying matter.
"I know." It was too simple of a response. It was all you could give.
"I don't want to hurt you. I did it to protect you."
Zayne stood up from the island stool, walking towards you. More than half of his meal was still uneaten.
"I know."
"But I hurt you still."
He was standing right in front of you, but you kept your head hung low. Another knot was forming in your throat. You nodded, scared that if you spoke, you'll cry.
"I never meant to hurt you, physically or emotionally. I know I failed both. I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me."
You swallowed, your saliva thick and sticky down your constricted throat. This was all too much to take in, to even think about rationally, while you were still tempering down the incomprehensible worry in regards to Sylus. You were frankly too tired to deal with this problem now. You cared too much for Zayne to give him a simple answer, that you knew he wouldn't buy.
"It's not a matter of forgiving you, Zayne. Please, you don't have to ask me about that!" You choked on the words you said, finally glancing up at him. You shouldn't have done that. You've never seen him this close to tearing up before. "It's late, for both of us. Let us speak about this when we both have clearer minds, when we're rested. I can't do this tonight."
As much as you tried to abate them, tears still escaped your water line. Zayne, probably without thinking, wiped them off with his fingers. His touch, sudden and cold, startled you. Your stomach twisted, uncomfortable with how much you still craved his skin against yours. Everything was wrong tonight, and you had nothing left to give.
"I'm going to watch over Sylus. Go to sleep," you said as a final note, moving away from the kitchen. You didn't look back at him, you didn't wait for an answer, you didn't want to know how he reacted to your words. Just in front of Sylus' bedroom door did you stop walking to wipe the remnants of your stupid tears.
You pushed the handle, and slipped back inside, where Sylus was still sleeping, and his heartbeat was monitored with stable beeps.
***
Your body was sore. The upper half was bent over a bed, head resting on your forearms, while your lower half was still sitting on a chair. How did you fall asleep in such a strange position? Your spine will complain about this absurd decision the moment you decided to move. But you still couldn't. Far too sleepy to open your eyes, especially as your head was being gently petted, a heavy, large hand combing through your tresses.
It took a few seconds for you to remember where you where. But when it did…
Your head whipped instantly, heart beating a million miles a second, eyes widened to truly take in the scene in front of you. Sylus, his hand raised in front of your face, was awake, sporting that everlasting smirk you've always seen plastered on his face. He woke up!
"Kitten, the bed's big enough for both of us. Why sleep like a deformed shrimp? I don't have a king-size bed just for it to go to waste, when I could have my beloved sprawled out beside me."
Oh, his voice was just as snarky as ever, tone level and low, strong. There was no weakness to be perceived from his voice, the expression on his face or his stature. He truly did look fine, normal. You couldn't be more relieved.
"Sylus!" You shouted with joy, kissing the palm that used to card through your hair, before jumping on the bed to hug him, tighten your arms around his neck. "You're awake."
"That's what usually happens after someone finishes sleeping," he replied at ease, his muscular arms encircling you. They were so heavy and warm, you never wanted to let go.
You kissed him, slow and tender, and heard his soft groan as he melted into the touch of your lips. Over the past few months, it became unbearable to go through even a day without his presence by your side. Even if he couldn't be present in person, you two always texted, heard each other's voices through phone calls. Yesterday, you didn't have him at all, and it broke you. To arrive at his house, to barge into his bedroom and sit by his bedside, and for him to not notice you, it was a foreign, disturbing sensation. All of it melted away now, when you could hear the low rumble of his voice, when you could rest in his embrace, when your lips could mold around his own. When every breath you took was one shared between you two. When there was no space separating the two of you, that's when you felt bliss and peace.
"You're very affectionate this morning, sweetie. What has gotten into you? Not that I'm complaining, of course," his husky voice murmured against your lips as you two broke apart.
The steady beeping of the heart monitor started to speed up, and you were pretty sure you were getting his heart far too excited for a patient who lost a lot of blood yesterday. You decided to show some restraint, and tried to back away. Sylus didn't let you.
"You're the one who started this, and yet, you're still the one running away? Be more merciful towards your prey, kitten, won't you?" he inquired, voice still low and close to purring. His eyes roved over your face, your neck (he spent a lot of time there), over your collarbones and the collar of your T-shirt.
"You're injured, I don't want to worsen your condition. I'm just happy you woke up and you look fine. Has your Evol come back? Do you want Zayne to come check how your wound is faring?"
Sylus sighed, and let his arms loosen around your waist. "Sweetie, have you forgotten who you're dealing with? I can assure you, whatever toys EVER comes up with, they're not going to outmatch me. I've suffered worse." He didn't give you a time to absorb his words, before he promptly flicked your forehead. "And don't bring up your doctor while I'm still thinking of kissing you."
"Hey!" you flinched, smoothing a hand over the spot he flicked. "You still haven't answered if your Evol returned, big boss! Might I remind you, you were out cold for like half a day because of 'EVER's toys'? And be nicer to Zayne, he helped you when you needed it most!"
"My Evol will be fine. I've dealt with weapons that did worse, and it still recovered. You don't have to worry that much about me, the N109 Zone won't greet a new ruler for a very long time, I can guarantee you that." He leaned closer to you, his fingers tracing a strand of your hair. "And I have been plenty nice to your doctor. I let him into my territory, does that not speak enough of my gratitude?"
You rolled your eyes, and relaxed. To be fair, he did treat Zayne better than you expected. Perhaps because he was no longer a valid rival, Sylus accepted him? Hard to say what Sylus' true reasoning was for tolerating Zayne, if it was simply a decision based on a moment of weakness when he needed help, or something else. Even now, Sylus' motivations and true feelings were hard to decode. You decided to simply be grateful that a fight between leader and doctor did not occur. Especially because Sylus always knew you held feelings for Zayne first.
Sylus pushed his thumb between your brows, and you were prompted to focus on him again. "Where did your mind go to, sweetie?"
"Nowhere. I was just thinking."
"You're doing far too much thinking for this hour." Sylus leaned back against his pillows, and opened his blanket. "Come. Rest with me properly."
"Are you sure? I don't want to disturb your wound."
"I'm only wounded on my left side. My right side is available for you. Actually no, it is craving you, so come rest with me." He patted the spot next to him, drawing his arm away to make space for you.
You conceded, tired and aching, and deeply needy to be closer to your Sylus. So you crawled in after him, settling in the space he created for you. As soon as your head hit the pillow, his arm tightened around you, and his head turned so his chin could sit above your hairline. Content, warm, and safe in his embrace, you let your eyes close.
Slowly drifting into an exhausted slumber, you felt his lips leave a soft kiss on your forehead. His voice, tender and almost distant, whispered above your head.
"You don't have to worry so much about me. My treasure already made sure only she can grant me a true death."
His voice drifted as sleep overtook you. You curled tighter against Sylus, as a barren valley, covered in black fragile petals came into your dreams. You tried to grasp a petal, but it disintegrated as soon as your fingertip touched it.
"Sylus… I curse your soul… to never fade away!"
***
You were out for a long time. Finally able to rest in a comfortable bed. Sounds started to come in slowly, something about 'an incessant beeping that was grating', and consequently, the stop of the aforementioned beeping. You were aware Sylus was speaking beside you, but with who? Zayne?
Oh yeah, Zayne was here. You almost forgot that. The two of them seemed to be talking about Sylus' wound and his sprained ankle. Did he have a sprained ankle too? Neither of them mentioned that before. Surely Zayne noticed earlier than right now? Then why weren't you made aware? You tried to pay attention to their conversation, but it was hard to follow as you were slowly brought back to sleep…
"You love her."
Well, that certainly woke you up. Still, you kept your eyes closed. After Sylus' statement, silence dawned in his bedroom. Although you knew it wasn't fair, you faked still being asleep, too curious on what Zayne's answer would be.
"My feelings towards any person are my business, and my business alone. Now, if you don't need anything else, again, I will leave you two alone." His voice sounded grounded, but you knew he only used this deeper tone when he was vexed.
"No, in fact I do believe it is my business what feelings a person such as you has for my beloved." Sylus' arm tightened around you, and you almost blew your cover as you were startled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" His deep tone became even icier.
"Don't tell me a genius man such as yourself, Dr Li, would be so oblivious as to not realize his childhood sweetheart had feelings for him?" Oh, Sylus could be so condescending when he wished to rile someone up.
You heard Zayne groan. It was bizarre how quick of an effect Sylus' words had on him. "What do you want from me? You two are already in a relationship. She chose you. Are you afraid she might leave you for me if we were to mend our prior relationship?"
Sylus let out a mocking laugh. "I assure you, doctor, I am very confident in my relationship. Unlike you, I don't depend on fate for my desires and happiness. We already chose each other long ago. I can't be afraid of a man who disappeared because he feared fate instead of trying to defeat it."
"You do not know my motivations, so stop talking as if you do. All I've ever done, was to protect her."
"Hmm, did you? You're a cardiac surgeon, or rather, you used to be. You've dedicated your career to developing methods of treating Protocore Syndrome. You took her on as a patient, because you're the number one specialist in your field. And yet, even though she still suffers from Protocore Syndrome, she has a high risk job that forces her to use her Evol on a constant basis, which raises the chances of her exhausting her heart, you resigned. If her heart needs to be operated on, where will you be?" Sylus' accusatory tone was well defined.
The air inside the bedroom started to turn colder. If this conversation were to escalate, you were prepared to jump in and break the tension. Zayne probably didn't even notice his Evol reacted in accordance to being riled up.
"You have no right to judge me. I have colleagues I have worked with for years, who know my methods, who can continue my work. I distanced myself to protect her; in case I lose control, she will not be a victim."
Sylus didn't answer outright, but you felt his chest rumble underneath your palm.
"A lesser man would have thanked you for this distance you chose to enforce. After all, shouldn't I be grateful? Because of your decision, we were able to get closer. But you still don't realize how much you did hurt her by leaving. And I can't deny I hold disdain for your actions. How can you be so certain you love her, when you let her suffer alone?"
Your heartbeat increased, tense from the ongoing conversation. But you still debated if you should let them know you woke up.
Zayne didn't give you time to think further.
"Still, as I said from the beginning, that is not your business. This will be a conversation held between the two of us. I don't need to give you any of my reasons for my actions, and neither do I care about your feelings towards me or my decisions. I will only tell you this: if there was a higher destiny at play, that took away your mind, and forced you to kill your beloved, would you not do everything in your power to eliminate yourself from her life?"
The air grew colder still. Sylus did not respond. He didn't even groan. All he did, was hold you tighter, cradle your head against his chest.
Silence settled over the room, and the temperature rose back up. You heard footsteps leaving the bedside.
"Fight that destiny and break it," Sylus growled after some very long moments. "Don't you ever dare hurt her again."
You didn't hear Zayne respond, only the door as it opened, and closed behind him.
***
The rest of the day was filled with both good news and bad ones. Sylus' Evol started to manifest again. Although it was weak, he managed to fix his ankle and ensure his abdomen wound won't reopen. He was able to move on his own again, but both you and Zayne recommended he stay home for a few more days, and spend most time in bed. Sylus acquiesced as long as you were going to stay at Onychinus. Frankly, you weren't even thinking of leaving.
Sylus and Zayne didn't speak much for the rest of the day, but kept a civil and polite tone with each other. Neither of them seemed to want to open the can of worms previously opened and closed, especially in your presence.
You also did not find a good moment, or courage, to have a deep conversation with Zayne. It didn't feel particularly right to deal with it at Onychinus' base. Not in Sylus' presence, who managed to inflame the doctor.
Towards the evening, as Sylus was feeling and doing alright, you let Zayne go. Your boyfriend didn't need the assistance of a doctor anymore.
As you closed the door behind Zayne, you hoped this was merely a 'goodbye', and not a 'farewell'.