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Ariadne hadn’t intended to stop by Zayne’s place after work that evening, but she needed to drop off a book she had borrowed from him and had also gone to get some things from the new seasonal drop at her favorite local bakery. Of course that meant sharing them with a certain sweet-toothed doctor, so she figured she would do both at the same time. Zayne had been so busy at the hospital lately, she thought he deserved a little treat.
However, upon reaching Zayne’s house, no one answered her knock on the door. Zayne’s car was parked on the street, meaning he must be there, right? Maybe he had gone out for a walk or to do some shopping? She knocked again to be sure, but when there was still no answer, she decided to punch in the lock code Zayne had given her. If he was out she would just leave the book and treats with a note. She was sure he wouldn’t mind.
As she stepped inside, she was instantly aware that the place was not empty. The sound of low voices came from further in the house, punctuated every once in a while by a muffled grunt and clink of metal. Was it the television?
“Zayne?” she called, a little cautiously. “Sorry to barge in, but I brought something for you.”
Following the sounds, she stepped into the kitchen and dining area. As soon as she rounded the corner, she froze.
Zayne was sitting in a pulled-out chair, sleeves rolled up, an array of medical supplies laid out neatly on the table, crimson glistening on a metal tray that held several objects looking suspiciously like bullets.
But that wasn’t the most surprising thing because, slumped in a chair in front of him, was Ariadne’s boyfriend.
The leader of Onychinus. In Zayne’s house.
Sylus’s hand was resting in a fist against the table, shoulders tight as Zayne maneuvered something out of his body with a pair of forceps.
“Hah—you have no concept of bedside manner, doctor,” he grunted, shoulders tensing.
“Perhaps you should be more cautious, then. This is the second instance of Evol suppressing bullets you’ve been shot with in two months. Sit up straight.”
Sylus’s spine stiffened. A sharp inhale preceded Zayne finally pulling the bullet out and setting it with the others in the tray before pressing a wad of gauze to Sylus’s side.
“The N109 Zone has become more restless—outside influence,” Sylus grunted.
“Well, I didn’t offer this so you could be more reckless.”
“Apologies for holding your precious time hostage, doctor,” Sylus said as he reached for a glass of what appeared to be brandy on the table before Zayne gave a disapproving look and pushed it further away from him.
Once Ariadne’s initial shock wore off, she found herself stepping into the room, clutching the book and box of pastries tight.
“What the hell,” she demanded, “is going on here?”
Both men froze as if caught in some illicit act. Sylus started to turn around to see her before Zayne hissed at him to stay still. Both had a slightly guilty expression though neither seemed apologetic.
“Ah, well, I was hoping this arrangement would last a little longer without discovery,” Sylus sighed.
Ari dropped the book and pasties onto the table with a definitive thud.
“Why is Zayne digging bullets out of you?” she demanded. “Since when did you both become so buddy-buddy?”
Sylus pursed his lips and his eyes slid over to Zayne. “Doctor, care to explain?”
Zayne cleared his throat, leaning back briefly to exchange his soiled gloves for new ones, pushing his glasses up. “Sylus and I have a certain…agreement.”
Ari folded her arms over her chest. “Okay. An agreement to keep secrets from me? About injuries?” The scent of Sylus’s blood was making her chest tighten, bringing back all-too-fresh and unwanted memories.
Sylus sighed and reached out a hand for her which she declined, staying where she was. He gave her a longsuffering, yet fond look. “After you had a panic attack over my condition three months ago, sweetie, I—”
“Because you showed up at my apartment bleeding out instead of going to a hospital like you should have?!” Ariadne snapped.
Sylus pursed his lips, wincing as Zayne continued cleaning his injury, nudging his chest slightly to force him to straighten. Ari didn’t give him the luxury of walking around to face him. She would stare at the back of his head.
“Exactly, kitten, I made a mistake—I’ll admit it. At the time I didn’t realize how bad it was.”
Ari chewed her lip, remembering all too well the horrific scene. Sylus with a literal hole in his chest, lung filling with blood, just barely standing long enough to wait for her to open her door before collapsing in a puddle of blood across her threshold. The only thing she could do was call an ambulance as she fought to hold the blood in his body. He’d lost so much by the time they got to Akso that Zayne had had to step in to keep his heart beating. Ari had never seen Sylus hurt so badly, hadn’t even know it was possible. But the antimatter weapons were no joke.
She hadn’t realized she had been experiencing a panic attack until Yvonne found her sitting against the wall in the bathroom where she had intended to go wash the blood off her hands. The kind nurse had helped her wash up and calm down, taking her to rest in Zayne’s office until she got news that Sylus was out of surgery and stable.
“So, your complete lack of self-preservation is a ‘mistake’?” she asked blandly. “Okay, Sylus.”
Zayne finally pulled the swatch of gauze away and started to bandage the bullet wound. “He does have a deplorable lack of self-preservation. Hence why I extended a…truce of sorts.”
Sylus huffed. “Yes. An…arrangement.”
Three Months Ago
Zayne ended his rounds at Sylus’s room. His chest tightened slightly as he saw Ariadne curled up on the small couch next to the window, asleep from pure exhaustion. He selfishly went to check on her first, tucking a blanket over her without a single sign of her stirring. He exhaled slowly, remembering the state he’d found her in in his office once the surgery had concluded. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her that distraught and it still made his chest tight.
He selfishly wanted to blame Sylus for it, but the man himself had looked desperate enough as consciousness slipped from him to tell Zayne this was something neither of them were used to.
He exhaled slowly and turned to check on his patient, only to find a pair of crimson eyes staring at him.
Zayne straightened, picking up his tablet to input readings from the machines.
“You’re awake? Good. How are you feeling?”
Sylus’s eyes dragged from him to Ariadne, and over to the multiple IV lines feeding him nutrients, blood, and medication. He let out a labored breath that looked like it pained him.
“Worse than usual,” his voice was rough, raspy.
The honesty surprised Zayne slightly. He adjusted his glasses and typed on his tablet for a moment.
“Considering the antimatter weapons directly combat your Evol, it will take time for you to be able to heal yourself,” he said glancing at the stubborn man over the rim of his glasses. “I would also highly suggest not attempting to do so. You’re currently coming off of Evol suppressors administered during surgery and, frankly, I don’t think your body can take the strain right now.”
Sylus huffed a breath, brow furrowing in pain.
“I’m told I have you to thank for my life.”
“Do your best to keep it then.”
Sylus gave an infuriating smirk. “Nice of you to care, doctor.”
Zayne pointedly glanced toward Ariadne’s sleeping figure. “I won’t bother to spell out my reasoning.”
Sylus’s eyes landed on her as well, and they softened impossibly, a look of genuine regret turning the crimson into something less sharp. More like roses or red wine than blood.
“I didn’t intend to hurt her.”
Zayne sighed, tucking his tablet back into his coat and taking his glasses off. In the moment he was not a doctor. He was simply Ariadne friend.
“I know you lead a dangerous life. We both do—as does she,” Zayne said. “But for her sake, I only ask that you do not take risks unnecessarily.” He pursed his lips. “And if you do…you may come to me directly. As long as you are not actively dying, my door is open for discreet treatment.”
Sylus’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. “You’re offering to be my personal physician?”
Zayne folded his arms over his chest. “I know you don’t want to spend time in a public hospital. If the lesser of two evils is you bleeding on my floor instead of hers then I will accept it.”
Sylus glanced again at Ariadne’s sleeping figure. “She doesn’t have to know?”
Zayne shook his head. “No. I take doctor-patient confidentiality seriously.”
Sylus lifted a weary hand from the bed and Zayne shook it. “Then we have a deal, doctor.”
~~~~~~~
Ariadne stared at them as they finished explaining. Anger at being kept in the dark fighting against the urge to be impressed that they were actually getting along.
Zayne silently started to load all the soiled instruments onto the metal tray and snapped his gloves off, standing up.
“I’m going to go clean up.”
Ari finally moved to face Sylus, taking Zayne’s previous seat as she saw the resigned expression on the Onychinus leader’s face.
“You can take it out on me as much as you want,” Sylus said simply, almost daringly. “But I wasn’t unconscious enough to not hear the way you screamed my name.”
Her heart dropped, swallowing hard as she was instantly back there on that night in the ambulance, monitors screaming as the paramedics pushed her aside, ripping her hand from Sylus’s as his fingers went limp, a sickly gurgle in his throat as blood leaked from between his lips.
He reached out and took hold of her chin gently, lifting her face to look at him. “You know I’m not going anywhere, sweetie. It would take more than antimatter weapons to put me down.”
“I’m not sure I believe that,” Ari replied, settling her hand over his, nuzzling her cheek into his calloused palm.
“Then at least believe that I will always do everything I can to come back to you,” Sylus said softly. “Which is why I allowed the doctor to help instead of doing it myself.”
Ari sighed, leaning forward and reaching out to start buttoning his blood-stained shirt over the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. “You promise to keep going to Zayne?”
“Yes.”
“And you promise that if it’s more than just stitches you’ll let me know?”
“If I’m physically able.”
“Sylus!”
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in between his legs, gazing up at her. She couldn’t help but settle her hands in his hair, running her fingers through the slightly disheveled strands.
“You’ll know,” he promised. “Dr. Zayne will enjoy rubbing it in my face. And you are my emergency contact.”
She sighed, then leaned over to kiss him softly. Sylus hummed against her lips, tugging her a little closer.
The sound of a voice being cleared behind them caused Ari to break away, flushing a little.
Zayne stepped over to the table, ignoring them, as he placed a bag down. “Here are some extra strength pain killers if you need them as well as some instructions on caring for your wound. I expect you to follow them.”
“Don’t worry, he will,” Ari said pointedly, grabbing the bag as Sylus grunted.
“I would also suggest putting him under observation for the night to make sure there are no other side-effects related to the Evol suppressing bullets.”
“I’m sure she’ll keep her eye glued to me, doctor,” Sylus muttered as he pushed himself up. Ari slipped an arm around his waist.
“Thanks, Zayne,” she said sincerely. “I should have brought you more pastries.”
He smiled a little, glancing toward the forgotten bakery box. “That will suffice. Sylus has been kind enough to send some extra donations to Akso hospital for my trouble.”
Ari laughed a little at that as Sylus rolled his eyes.
“Thanks doc. See you next time.”
Zayne nodded. “Let’s make it a little bit longer this time, shall we?”
Sylus shrugged with a smirk as he wrapped an arm around Ari’s shoulders and leaned on her as they made their way out of Zayne’s place.
Sylus started toward his car, but Ariadne dove her hand into his pocket and snatched his keys.
“Nope. You’re my prisoner tonight. You’re staying at my place so I can properly look after you.”
“Mm, I suppose I have no choice,” Sylus muttered, not seeming to be upset in the slightest. “Does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”
“Oh, I’m still mad,” she replied as she helped him into the passenger seat. “Which is why I’m going to make sure you don’t do anything for the next couple days without asking me first.”
He sighed. “My prison guard is quite cruel.”
She started the car and reached over to thread his fingers into hers. “Yup, but I also promise rewards if you behave.”
Sylus took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Hm, well, then, I suppose I leave myself in your capable hands.”