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blinking your eyes open, you had to repeat the motion a few more times and take in your surroundings. this is not my bedroom, your half-sleepy mind thought. turning your head to the side, your nose caught a familiar scent from the pillow beneath you. a smokey, rich scent that immediately put a smile on your face as your brain finished putting two and two together.
you curled up under the warm flannel cover, his scent engulfing you even more. you continued basking in the warmth for another minute until your mind began to wonder about his whereabouts. instinctively, you glanced at the nightstand and saw that it was already half past five. but being in the N109 Zone, there would be no sunrise as an indicator of a new day.
sitting up, you stretch your limbs as a big yawn escapes your lips. exhaustion - from both yesterday's mission and your period - is still evident in your bones and muscles, but somehow they don't matter as how they usually do. with a smile tugging at your lips, you left the bed and walked over to the mirror. your reflection stared back at you, her hair messy and eyes heavy with sleep. but what caught your attention was the oversized black satin shirt covering your body, all the way down to your mid-thigh.
you had fallen asleep in your hunter uniform last night, refusing to change into a pair of pajamas he had somehow prepared for you. "my tummy hurts. don't wanna move," you argued. you remember him chuckling, muttering "my, my. you're spoiled rotten, that's for sure."
and indeed you were.
after giving you a cup of ginger tea, tucking you to bed with a new vinyl he bought based on your recommendation playing in the background, he lets you sleep for around an hour.
"kitten," he called softly, his hand rubbing the top of your head softly. "you need to change. your sleep will feel much better afterwards," he reasons.
being a hunter makes you a light sleeper, so it wasn't hard for him to wake you up. you groaned, but nodded nonetheless. your uniform is starting to feel to tight on your body, your skin feeling kind of clammy and you feel gross.
"one minute," you mumbled, nuzzling into the soft pillows. he chuckled, the sound low and comforting in your ears. "you're playing a dangerous game there."
his hand moved to comb through your hair, the movement so gentle that even in your sleepy state your mind starts asking if this was Sylus talking to you. or is this just a dream?
the past few months was... like a rollercoaster, to say the least. him and you went from supposedly enemies to 'business partners' to whatever this is. none of you has brought anything up, let alone talk about it, but the actions were as clear as day. the most recent example being him suddenly showing up after your mission yesterday, as you struggled to stand up due to your cramps. like, do business partners even do that?
"Sylus," you called, finally opening both eyes to stare at him. he was sitting beside you on the bed, carmine eyes stared back into yours, his gaze so soft it reminded you of that one snowy night. "is this a dream?" you asked, reaching out and poking his left arm.
he slightly raised his brows in amusement, usual grin plastered on his face. "why would this be a dream?" he taunted.
"because why would you be taking care of me like this?" you mumbled, slowly burying your face back into the covers. you peek at his expression, to find him smiling, like genuinely smiling and you felt like your heart skipped a beat.
"silly kitten," he mused, ruffling your hair. "why would I need a reason to take care of you? can't I just do because i want to?"
your brows furrow, and this time you know this isn't a dream because he is returning to his usual teasing self. you huffed, and slowly sat up on the bed. your lower back still hurts, but not as much as earlier.
"I'm going to change," you announced, changing the topic. "hopefully there's some of your clothes I can borrow, preferably-"
and he cuts you off by scooping you into his arms wordlessly, carrying you bridal style just like earlier.
"I can walk now," you argued. he shakes his head, "I know."
too tired to continue, you let him take you to the bathroom where various items were already organized neatly by the sink.
"I'll leave you to it. I'll be just outside, so if anything just call me."
he carefully lets you down, and you would be lying if you said you didn't like being carried around like that. being with Sylus was.. easy. he sure made you put up your guard the first time. but as you spend more time with him, the more you feel at ease. he brings a sense of comfort you didn't know existed, from having to fend off for yourself for such a long time. and being in his arms? you felt safe. which was weird; shouldn't you still be wary of him?
sighing, you decided to put those thoughts aside as you felt your cramps coming back. you made quick work of cleaning yourself, and only then you noticed that Sylus had prepared a set of pajamas for you. at first you thought that it was his, but no, it was actually a pair for woman.
again, do business partners do this?
as you began to put them on, your eyes darted to a shirt hanging by the rack near the door. it was hung alongside his bathrobes, and an idea popped into your head. the pajamas Sylus prepared was obviously expensive (there were no tags, but knowing him, you just knew), but the pants had rubber waistband and although it wont be constricting as much, you had a better option right in front of you. casually you picked his pajama shirt, and felt grateful when it was long enough to cover your bare legs.
"Sylus, I'm borrowing your shirt. thank you for the pajamas but tonight I don't want to feel constricted by the pants," you announced, casually walking out of the bathroom.
he was sitting on the sofa, reading something on his tablet with his glasses on. if he was surprised by your appearance, he made no comment of it. instead, he smirked.
"no worries. it looks better on you,"
you rolled your eyes, "why thank you," you glanced at the tablet, "not gonna sleep soon?"
"the day has just began for me, kitten. you should sleep." he was about to stand up when you dismissed him with a polite wave, "I can walk to the bed, don't worry."
his raised a brow, and stood up nonetheless. "I know."
he followed you to bed, glancing elsewhere when you climb onto the bed and tuck yourself under the covers. when the rustling sounds dissipated, he leans down and patted your head.
"sleep tight, kitten."
and that was how you ended up sleeping in his clothes, in his bed, in his mansion. you shook your head, taking your eyes off of the mirror. now where would Sylus be? shouldn't he be in bed by now? or maybe he slept in the guest room because his bed was occupied?
you walked to the door, and as always, the mansion was quiet. safe for Luke & Kieran and sometimes Mephisto, it is mostly void of sounds. therefore it was easy to hear the faint cling-clang from the kitchen.
you tip toed on the carpeted floor, peeking into the kitchen. his mop of silver hair was the first thing you saw, with his back to you as he reached for something from the top cabinet. he then took a jar, and continued to do whatever he was doing. as you got closer, you can smell the sweet scent lingering in the air.
you watched his figure from behind, moving swiftly from the stove to the counter to mix whatever he had inside the bowl. amusement was evident in your face as you smirked, whistling playfully to get his attention. "didn't knew you could be a morning person," you teased.
he glanced in your direction, having already noticed your presence when your quiet steps rounded the vicinity. "for a certain kitten, there is so much more I am willing to do."
you were taken aback by his answer, meanwhile he announced it with no hesitation while making pancakes.
you wanted to ask him the big question, demanding answers, but you yourself know you aren't ready if he were to ask you the same thing. this thing you two have.. is complicated. while you know Sylus won't avoid the topic entirely, he still would tease you here and there. unless you actually demand answers, of course.
but it was only half past five in the morning, and you just woke up to find him making pancakes oh so casually in his kitchen, with a knowledge you assume he took from your conversation about a week ago. he had called you in the morning as you get ready to leave for work, munching pancakes as you answer the phone.
"what are you eating for breakfast, kitten?" his husky voice fills the kitchen as you put it on loudspeaker. "pancakes. I've been craving them lately." he even asked if you used chocolate or honey on top.
so you decided to put the question aside, for now, and enjoy this moment with Sylus. you walked to stand beside him in front of the stove, watching him bake the pancakes.
"careful, the kitten might get spoiled afterwards." you replied mindlessly, and all of a sudden his voice rang in your head.
"my, my. you're spoiled rotten, that's for sure."
"that would be a mission accomplished for me." he flipped the pancake, smirking at you.
averting your gaze from him, you pray he doesnt notice the blush creeping up on your cheeks and ears. you decide to set the table to avoid his gaze, and sat down to calm your thoughts. so much for putting these thoughts aside.
you must've been too caught up in your head again, because you didn't notice him putting the plate of pancakes in front of you from behind your back. only when he leaned down, and rest his chin on your head were you shook out of your trance.
"it's too early for you to think too much, sweetie. eat up,"
he moved to sit beside you, leaning on his palm on the table while staring at you.
you let go of a breath you didn't notice you were holding, and nodded slowly. you take back your words from earlier. being around him felt safe? no. I can't count the amount of times my heart almost stopped beating around this man.
"you should eat too." you cut the pancake into smaller pieces, sliding the plate over to him.
"feed me." Sylus said, his expression taunting you once again. wordlessly you took one piece with your fork, and offer them to him. he ate them with no hesitation, but as you retract your hand, his left hand caught your wrist gently.
"do you feel better?" he asked softly, and for a moment his gaze turns soft as his thumb rubbed the skin on your wrist.
"yeah." you mumbled, your eyes staring at the pancakes. you take a deep breath, and turn to him fully.
"thank you, Sylus." for being here. for everything you've done so far.
"anytime, kitten."
as Sylus placed a delicate kiss on your hand, your breath hitched in your throat. his carmine eyes stared deep into you, and this time you couldn't look away. not when you can feel his emotions just from his eyes alone, washing away your worries oh so easily.how can he feel so familiar?
but you can ask questions later. right now, your whole being just want to indulge in this moment. so you tried your best to return a genuine smile to him, one that Sylus had bear witness to millions of times before and oh, how he will never get tired of it.