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floufli · 9 months ago

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Your blood on my hands, it warm.

Chapter 1 : Linked (5.3k)

Masterlist

Tagglist: @sniickerdoodles @babygirl-panda19

Summary:

After absorbing the power of the Aether Core and coming back to Sylus's base, you are left with more questions than when you first arrived in the N109. Sylus on the other hand, seems blissfully oblivious to your internal struggle and doesn't give you the answer you crave. But you know, after the vision you had, that the two of you are more than strangers.

He knows things you don't, but if playing along to this little game means finding the answers to your grandmother and Caleb's death, along with the Aether Core secrets, then so be it.

Being forced together for the time being would not bother you if it helped you know him better, and discover who he really was too.

Warnings : a bit of sexual tension, tiny bit of blood mention, but things will get bloody and nasty later MDI

Author note: Finally baby number 1 is here, proofread at 1am so don't hesitate to point out mistakes or weird things. If you wanna be included in the tagglist just tell me I'll add you!

Surrounded by the soft classical melody of the vinyl playing in the background, you sat on the same crimson sofa you had been on for the past hour.

Sitting in front of you was the leader of Onychinus, the man who had kidnapped you, forced you-or tried at least, to resonate with him, and pulled you left and right in a matter of hours into unnecessary danger.

"Do you plan on staring any harder, sweetie?"

His voice was like honey, coating your nerves in a thick layer of soft fluff, calming you fidgeting despite your persisting dislike of the man. You didn't avert your eyes from his relaxed form. Choosing to observe with fake involvement as he lazily polished the gun in his lap.

Your gaze narrowed, a frown quickly taking over your face. If playing violin with your nerves was a form of art, you were sure people all around the world would fight for the chance to witness the scene actually going on. He was so nonchalantly annoying. Nothing seemed to faze him no matter what you had tried before. No smart remarks, no embarrassing gesture or act would even make him blink slightly differently.

Since you had come back to your temporary residence, you had bombarded him with questions. But he systematically refused to answer. “You’re not ready for that Kitten.” “If I told you, your already poor opinion of me that I just managed to up a little bit would sink underground, and I don’t plan on spending whatever time there’s remaining for this to come off with someone treating me like a lunatic.” And when you had kept on insisting despite all his words, he had pulled out the very gun he had made you use on him with the help of his Evol from far across the room, shutting you up immediately.

“Whatever you say, sweetie, I won’t budge. You saw it before on the rooftop, you will see more if we keep resonating.” His eyes, the deepest shade of red you had ever seen, shone in the slightest as they came to rest on you. His face was bare of emotion, but his gaze was intense, leaving no room for lies.

“You will have your answers, but you will have them at your pace and when you are ready for them.”

He ignored you after that. And that’s how the last hour passed by.

Arms tightly crossed on your chest; you felt the lack of the previous adrenaline rush catching up to you. It had been days now since you slept correctly. First because of the excitement of finally going to the N109 zone and possibly finding the answer you craved on your Aether core. Then, because of the stress of finding that damned brooch of his and the apprehension of actually going to the auction.

Your eyes were starting to grow heavier despite the morning being only an hour away. With each blink, you felt your grasp on your consciousness slowly slip away, almost allowing you to fall into a peaceful slumber right here and there.

"Is my kitten so tired that she would fall asleep in front of a starving tiger?"

Well, there goes your sleep. You immediately shot up at the sound of his deep and rich voice, a cold shower on the warmth of your dream that was just seconds away.

Your jolting didn't escape him by the smug look on his face, the smirk you had grown familiar with coming to rest on his lips.

"Oh, did I wake you up?"

The twitch of your eyelid must have been more noticeable than you thought, seeing as his smirk doubled in size and the soft chuckle that escaped him. His crimson, oh-so-vivid eyes met yours for a moment, allowing you to have a glimpse of the teasing warmth hidden behind the layers of red. But just as your eyes met, he broke the contact, going back to admire his handiwork.

"Seems like the tiger lacks intelligence then, raising the guards of its prey when he could have had an easy meal staying silent."

Your voice sounded more venomous than you had intended, but for what it was worth, he did deserve some harsh words for what he had done to you in your short stay.

"Oh..." He examined the now shiny and immaculate gun, giving you that same smug glance before continuing where he left off.

"So you agree you are my prey then?"

Huh?

Your face went through a myriad of states in a matter of seconds- confusion, disgust, anger before finally settling on slight annoyance. You didn't- wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing you, for once thankful that his gaze wasn't piercing you, too focused on the weapon in his hands.

"Cat got your tongue?" That tone, the mocking all-knowing way he articulates his every word, pushing your buttons without even trying to. You hated this man, you really did.

Choosing to ignore his pompous behavior, you lifted your hand abruptly, forcing his own to follow your movement. You didn't miss the twitch of his eyelid as the hand holding the cloth let go of the fabric because of the sudden pull. The unknown link between both your hands may have stretched a little between its first appearance and the moment you came back to Sylus' home, but still, you couldn't get more than 2 feet away from each other before the familiar pull stopped you.

"The cat is too busy being bone dry and exhausted to get anything, and with what we went through today, I think following its lead and getting some sleep is more than recommended."

Before I try to murder you again and this time I won't fail. You kept that last part for yourself though, you may be tired, but you were not suicidal yet. And despite him saving you multiple times, when he was the one that put you in danger, you couldn’t forget who you were dealing with.

Onychinus' apparently immortal leader, obsessed with resonating with you and weirdly enough complaining about your demands until now.

You gently turn your head to face the slowly brightening outside, even in the N109 zone, where the sun could barely shine, you could tell when the morning began to show its first rays, along with the clock sitting on one of the many shelves behind Sylus still siting form.

You still couldn’t believe you had managed to resonate with him, thinking back, you had tried to do so by yourself after the shooting at the bar and still, nothing had happened. But on that rooftop, you had been able to see past his usual mask for an instant, and unconsciously…

You had trusted him when taking his hand. Even if just for this moment you had known you could trust him with your life. And you did.

Hands coming down to retrieve the fallen cloth before coming to rest on his lap, yours mimicking his so the link would not activate again, his eyes followed your gaze, seemingly unbothered. The display could have actually fooled you if you didn't already know of his opposite sleep schedule compared to a normal human being.

You were proved right when you witnessed the exhaustion slowing creeping behind his gaze, his blinks slowing at the sight of the beginning of the day. You let him ponder for an instant, your initial energy quickly replaced by your previous fatigue. You only wanted to get a good night of sleep, on a warm bed, oh so far from this man-but ah yes, the link.

Wait, how were you supposed to sleep with that thing?

Your mind raced at the best of its limited capacities at this instant, already dreading the fact that he was probably going to make you sleep on the floor of his gigantic bedroom. The thought alone almost made you regret ever speaking out about going to sleep.

You didn't get the chance to cry on your fate for long before you felt a slight pull on your arm, facing the opposing couch, Sylus was already standing up, waiting for you to do the same. Gently pushing yourself up using your free hand, you approach him calmly. You were too tired to muster any smart remarks right now and you knew he wasn't as energetic as a few minutes before, the events of the day slowly catching up to him too.

The moment you were close enough for the link to start fading away Sylus began walking at a leisurely pace, letting you follow him without needing to sprint to catch up. You thanked him mentally, even if it was certainly because he didn't want to use any more energy before going to rest.

You went quietly through the corridors of the giant manor he, along with the twins, called his home, too tired to really think about where you were heading. Following him blindly.

You should really learn to be more cautious around strangers when tired.

You trailed, half asleep behind Sylus’ dark form. As you take turns you begin noticing some familiarity in the walls, before your brain finally lights up. He is bringing me to his chamber? Your curious gaze focused on his wide back, trying to decipher what he was thinking. Maybe he was really just exhausted and would indeed make you sleep on the floor. You could not remember if he had some kind of cushioning by his bed, it being a bed mat or carpet.

He is way too rich for carpet though, it's probably hardwood or maybe tiles. I should've paid more attention when looking for that damn brooch!

Your half-formed thoughts were once again stopped when Sylus back came dangerously close to your face, causing a small gasp to leave your lips as you quickly corrected yourself to the side to avoid running into him. You almost stumbled down, thanks to your tired muscles and the soreness starting to settle in your bones.

"What are you...oh." Before you could come up with the rest of the sentence you realized you had in fact arrived at the doors of his bedroom, the sense of familiarity now making sense as your eyes came to view the heavy double door leading to his quarters.

"Sleeping while walking Kitten? Is this one of the other hidden talents you have yet to show me?" Sylus right hand was resting on the right door, his palm sitting next to the handle without really making any move to open it. Walking up so you would stand closer to his left, you gave him a glare. The mocking smile he harbored didn't falter though, only growing until his eyes creased in the slightest, making the deep of his eyes dimmer in the barely lit space.

"Are you planning to stay here and mock me in my state of so grand weakness and exhaustion or are you going to open this door so we could get some sleep?" The sound of your voice only helps in the slightest keep you awake, as you were slowly but surely falling asleep while standing.

A scoff.

A scoff? A fucking scoff? You were going to kill him, for real this time.

He opened the entrance to his suite just as your hands became fists, avoiding swiftly the avalanche that was about to unfold on him as he stepped in. You followed a bit behind, enough for the link to reappear more clearly but not so the pull would be noticeable. If he noticed it, which you were convinced he did, he didn't feel the need to speak up about it.

Entering the even dimmer room, the smell of Sylus cologne intensified, and you felt out of place. You had been here before, but it was different, you had a mission: find the brooch no matter where it was even if it meant snicking into his room in the dark of the night while he was taking a shower. Now, however, it was no matter how you saw it, something more intimate, him actually inviting you into his space instead of throwing you out. It was out of convenience but still.

You felt awkward now, unsure of what to do with yourself, thankfully Sylus had kept walking so for now following him again would buy you the time to figure out what would happen next.

Coming up to the night table by his king-sized bed with you following closely behind, he put away his gun in the upper drawer before turning around and passing by you returning near the entrance.

Your confused look deepened when you followed him once more. Wasn't he tired of running left, and right? And even if he wasn't, it's getting late for him, what is he doing?

"I thought we were going to sleep Sylus; don't tell me you have some other business to attend because that’s out of the equation for me."

"Oh, don't worry about that sweetie, I won't tire you any more, but I'm not going to bed like that - and neither are you."

"Like what? You mean you can't sleep without your pajamas or-?" With a sway of his hand, a tendril of red smoke appeared, pushing against your mouth - not harshly enough to suffocate you or completely stop you from talking, but combined with the sudden act, it was enough for you to become silent.

Your eyebrows raised as you saw him quickly go through some type of dressing, only sparing you a few glances from time to time. Not even a minute later, the red tendril disappeared back into nothingness as he held out a bunch of items to you.

"What? Whatever things you are into I'm not putting anything on. I’ll just take the couch and put it closer to the bed."

His brows furrowed in irritation, his hands pushing the items into your chest, forcing you to hold on to them before they could fall onto the floor.

"Could you stop being so hardheaded for a moment, you are doing both of us a disfavor acting like that." His eyes don't meet yours as he goes back to scour through the closed for clothing you guessed.

You scoffed at his remarks, looking down to finally examine what had been shoved into your arms. Separating the items as best as you could without losing your grip, you quickly made the list, a t-shirt, along with a pair of new boxers and trousers all of them a deep shade of black and way too big for you.

Except maybe the boxers, looking at the fabric, it seemed to be made to fit closely to the skin. Your eyes poked up through your lashes, looking at Sylus as he finished retrieving his desired clothes for the night. More precisely you quickly scanned his waist, the man was huge, both in height and width, that you had quickly known the very day you two met. But his waist, as if the gods themselves had decided to bless the guy, had been made slim enough to make your eyes catch on it multiple times during your previous escapade. And you knew you weren't the only one who looked at him like this, but at least you did it while his back was turned.

Which meant that the boxers would probably be the only good fit, the t-shirt and trousers? You would float in them but considering their purpose for the night-day, you didn't complain.

Your eyes then rested on the final item, and your eyebrows rose.

"Sylus why the towel we-"

"You seriously don't think I would allow you to dirty my bed after the events of tonight, or did you think being tired would make me forget basic hygiene Sweetie?"

" Well, no but I thought tonight would be an exception. You know considering this." You tugged your hand holding the towel away from him while looking at him expectantly. And surely the orange hue of the link appeared. Sure, sleeping with the vestige of your battle on your skin would feel gross but you could manage for one day. You were a Hunter, long missions where you were forced to sleep on concrete or dirt without showering for days weren't that common but not really rare either. It was something to be prepared for, and the bath when returning home was so heavenly that you almost immediately forgot the pain it was.

You thought you would quickly pat yourself with a wet towel to preserve some intimacy, not a full-on shower.

Guess he disagreed, looking at the way his lips stretched in a judgmental scowl.

"Your view on this, and your surely exhausted mind maybe didn't make you consider that even if we skipped it tonight -tomorrow, and the day after exist." He raised one of his hands to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. You really felt like a toddler who was being taught common sense. It was infuriating.

"Well excuse my poor fucking self-sir," Oh you didn't miss the way he tensed at that. “My stupid brain thought that the link would have loosened up enough by tomorrow so you know, we could shower separately?" Your hands were going wild, swaying up and down to accentuate your mocking tone.

"Because be sure of that one thing Sylus." You paused, pointing at his with hand holding both the towel and the link, the other coming the rest on your hips while holding the rest.

"I'm not putting myself naked in a closed and small room with you, sick bastard. Over my dead body." Your gaze was serious, although embarrassment at the words had made a sweet blush appear on your cheeks.

His smile darkened the moment the words left your lips, his right eye glowing in that sickening red hue that made your mind play tricks on you.

"Stop that." Anger lingered in your tone, accentuated by the exhaustion. You could've gone to bed 10 minutes ago and still, you were there, unclean, tired, and on the brink of snapping Sylus' neck.

"I'm the sick bastard and yet you are the one suggesting perverted acts Kitten, I never said we would shower together, you did that yourself." The glow in his eye subsided and he turned his back to you, closing the distance between the glass door of the shower.

You took a few steps but stopped before the transition into the shower and observed as Sylus put his own clothes on a shelf by the door, close enough to still be in range, but far enough for the shower head to not risk being drenched.

"Sylus how-"

"Easy, just stay by the door right where you are, and I'll stay right here." He said as he positioned himself to be just under the shower head. From where he stood, the link was clearly present, even beginning to pull on your hand, but if he kept his left hand facing you then there would be no problem.

“Okay, you got me on that one.” Sigh, you just hoped he wasn't taking forever when he showered. Giving him a last warning glare yo-

"OH MY! OH, MY-" The door handle slipped in your desperate hands as you struggled to close the door.

"DON'T JUST UNDRESS WHEN SOMEONE IS STILL TALKING TO YOU DAMMIT, PERVERT!"

You heard him chuckle, his deep voice just slightly muffled by the thin layer of glass. Thin enough, you realized, that if you really tried and came close enough with the glass it was almost as if there was nothing separat-

You turned away before you could do or see the irredeemable.

The sound of water hitting the tiles of the shower tensed you as much as it soothed your mind, a very corrupted mind by the way. You kept your linked hand near the entrance, taking the towel with a little bit of struggle into your other almost full one.

Gosh, I must look so stupid right now, standing almost pressed onto the glass while he is having the time of his life in there.

At least you could tell the hot water had made the glass blurry enough for his frame to be just beyond recognizable.

I was envious when he went in there first, but it was maybe for the better. I can't imagine him being able to keep his eyes for himself.

Yet that didn't stop you from taking a few glances, not that you could actually see anything.

Shameless. Truly, where is my self-respect?

You stayed pressed onto the door for a few more minutes, and the fight against sleep was beginning to turn into your disfavor. The warmth of the glass pressing softly into your back combined with the sweet, who would have thought, the scent of his body lotion or shampoo and the trickle of the water began to lull you into a semi-conscious state. Just Awake enough to not slide down the door and fall asleep. You tried to distract your mind by taking the room more in detail, letting your eyes roam every interesting thing you could find. Surprisingly, they found the perch of Mephisto, you had been so much focused on getting some sleep that you hadn’t noticed the dark pile of feathers silently sitting just a few feet away. The mechanical bird seemed to be in some sort of sleep mode, so you couldn’t even look at it preening itself to keep you awake.

When your blinks began to last a few seconds each, the sound of the shower stopped, pushing you back into full, more or less, consciousness.

You take a look, only to see him approaching the door, your breath itching at the proximity yet how far away he was. You could barely see but by the sound of ruffling and the blackness surrounding his frame, you easily guessed your time waiting was almost up.

The door slid open the next second, and you stepped aside to let Sylus step out of the shower. The moment the door had slid all the way, the scent of his lotions became ever more powerful, completely engulfing you. I'll have to take a picture of whatever he has that smells so good, and it better not cost thousands.

He took a few steps to allow you the space to enter the now warm shower, a towel thrown over his shoulder while the same crimson robe hugged his frame.

"You can use my shampoo and lotion, just don't use all of it I just replaced them, and I don't like wasting that kind of thing."

You only acknowledged him with a small hum, almost jumping into the warmth of the shower the moment you could. You put your clothes where he had just minutes before, before turning to begin unbuttoning your top.

Sylus silhouette by the door frame made you stop your movement, the door still very much wide open. But before words could escape your lips, Sylus' hands had already done you the favor of closing the door, letting you exhale a breath you didn't know you held.

"Now, look at who is the perverted one. Have you truly got no shame little Miss Hunter?"

" Oh, shut it, I forgot now let me shower in peace." He was silent after that, good.

A small thud accompanied the last of your garment off your body, leaving you bear on the tile floor. You didn't lose much time relaxing in the warmth of the water or the sweet notes in the air, the shadow of the man by the entrance wouldn't allow you to. You quickly turned on the water, surprised to see the temperature was in fact perfect for you. You had showered after male colleagues or some of your ex-partners, but men and their lower body temperatures often left you shivering when you tried to shower after them.

Moving quickly before the warmth of the water lured you into the sleep you had been fighting off for hours, you made quick work of the dirt embedded in your skin. The clear water was now tainted with the brownish color of dirt and sand, along with a faint rosy taint from the small cut and dried blood you had accumulated tonight. The sting of the stream helped staying awake though, so you didn't mind it much.

Sitting on shelves embedded in the wall stood a variety of hair and body products for your choosing, but you didn’t waste much time looking at the labels. One at a time, you opened the lid and smelled its content, searching for the delicious scent. It only took you a few tries, the bottle still in front of the others following its recent use.

Seems like I found my new shampoo, and even if it does cost thousands, I'll just borrow this one, I'm sure he'll live.

Taking another bottle of random soap, you cleaned yourself thoroughly, paying extra attention to not tangle your hair in your haste. After rinsing and repeating to make sure all the shampoo and dirt were out of your hair you turned off the water.

Immediately, a chill ran up your spine, and you almost jumped on the towel resting on the track. You patted yourself dry before roughly gathering your hair into the towel and throwing it over your head when you were sure it would hold on its own. Sleep was only a boxer, T-shirt, and a pair of trousers away.

Although, you couldn't stop the blush creeping on your cheeks as you held the boxers. Your hesitation only lasted a moment, and you put the thing on without looking. The rest followed swiftly, along with your watch, even if it was waterproof, you wouldn’t bet your last communication device on your current luck, and the next thing you knew you were standing by the door.

" Careful I'm opening." You let a second pass before sliding the door open, sure enough, Sylus stood exactly where you had, looking at you with half-lidded eyes. His frame leaned gracefully on the glass, his arms crossed over his chest, he looked you over before pushing himself off the wall.

"You're taking the left side I'm taking the right."

Being careful not to slide and fall because of your wet feet, like seriously doesn't he have the budget for a bathmat, you looked at him confused but still mechanically followed him after closing the door.

"Wait," He continued to walk towards the bed. " You mean to say we are going to sleep together?"

" Are you going to say something indecent again?" His ironic tone was letting you know that, yes, this was actually happening.

"Sorry your Highness, I thought a peasant like myself would be forced to sleep on the bare floor."

"Yet look at me, gracious enough to share my bedding with said peasant."

Your mouth moved in unspoken injuries, taking advantage of his back facing you, but you knew he had good ears when he wanted, so you didn't push your luck actually speaking them out loud.

As he came by the frame of the bed, he took a moment to glance at his phone put on the nightstand. I didn't see him put it there, he must have done it when he put the gun away. Seemingly satisfied with whatever he saw, he put the phone back on the stand, and without wasting a moment more, slipped under the covers. With his tall frame, he almost didn't need to reposition himself, only slightly moving away from you.

He laid there, body flushed against what you knew to be the most fluffy and soft mattress you had ever had the luck to try out, his head resting on the pillow you bet was going to make you curse your own tomorrow. His white hair became just the slightest bit wilder against the bed, cupping his face beautifully as his red eyes locked onto yours, almost drowning you in their lazy intensity.

The corner of the cover was still lifted in an unspoken invitation to join him, the gesture too intimate, too banal for your liking. It made your heart ache for something. Something that you had possessed but that was ripped from you, leaving you longing for a familiarity long forgotten.

"Come on now, peasant, you don't want your lord's kindness to run out, do you?" His voice was too soft and lacked the previous taunting and teasing you had played into. Everything seemed like a dream, or maybe he had bashed his head, and this was the result of a concussion left untreated.

"The peasant would want more space, so hop your ass away."

You joined him behind the covers, taking the corners he held into your hand. The feeling of your fingers brushing against each other didn't make you shudder in the slightest. It didn't.

"Greedy."

"Annoying, move."

"You're acting as if I was the one at fault here." He began, his right arm coming to rest on the covers. He moved his body away to give you the space you requested. "But correct me if I'm wrong, I wasn't the one who put the leash on both of us."

"If you're so mad about the thing, cut your hand and just heal it back and stop nagging me." You threw daggers at him despite the sigh escaping you when you found the perfect position to sleep in. The bed truly felt like a cloud.

"Throwing me back my own words? I expected more from you kitten." He looked truly unimpressed, only faintly giving you a glance before closing his eyes. How easily he always cut the discussion short when things didn't go his way or bored him never failed to infuriate you.

Taking the pillow lying in between the two of you, you raised it above the covers to make sure it was big enough, prodding him to look at what you were scheming.

"Are you already going to try and murder me again?"

"You wish. But not today, I'm just making sure nothing happens." You said as the fluffy and plumb pillow came to rest between your body, separating them as best as you could with the means available.

With the barrier in between you and him, you felt the nerves that kept you awake starting to dissolve, finally letting you revel in the softness of the covers and the plushness of the mattress.

“Am I really this untrustworthy in your eyes? I feel offended.” Trust. Your exhaustion had left little room for anything other than short remarks and glares since you returned from the auction, but did you trust him?

You had learned that he wasn’t Grandma and Caleb’s killer, but nonetheless, he still wasn’t a good person. He was the leader of the most dangerous organization you knew of, and there were so many things you didn’t know about him that it honestly scared you. He, on the other side, seemed to know you to your very core, and that simple thing stirred something buried away in your memories.

At least before you could technically try your luck and run away, but now, even if he would let you, it wasn’t even physically possible.

You will have to trust the fact that he hadn’t killed you yet and that it meant he didn’t want to, he must have plans for you. That’s the only answer, that, or he wants to torture you before he gets bored of this cat-and-mouse game. Maybe you pulling the trigger when he told you to bore more consequences than you thought at the time.

Turning your back to him, you bathed in the soft glimmer of the fireplace you had forgotten existed. The soft swaying of the flames and their gentle orange shade reminded you of the sunset you often witnessed back in Lincon City.

Eyes closing on their own accord, you let your body relax, the sound of the fire cracking and Sylus' already soft and regular breathing lulling you to a well-deserved sleep.

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