#I might even think Sylus place in my heart is in danger

[grabby-smitten]

🧍🏻‍♀️.

[harmonyrae]

Power Couple

CHAPTER 6 - Burning Love

One more day. One more day until you meet with Sylus. It’s not that you’re nervous, but your stomach is definitely flipping every time you think about it. You flip through the pages of the contact in front of you, reviewing the changes before sending it to the client. You need their signature before tomorrow. While you’re just changing their delivery date to allow for Sylus’ search for his mystery protocore, you’re worried it will put more strain on the relationship you’ve fought to repair over this past month. 

“Boss?” Dorian’s voice is muffled behind your office door. 

“Come in!” Dorian turns the door knob gently and lets himself in. His expression tense as he approaches your desk.

“I’ve reviewed the blueprints for the house and my team has a plan and route ready if you give the signal.” His matter-of-fact tone is so different to his usual sarcastic demeanor. 

“Thank you. And the team knows what exactly?” You turn your gaze back to the contract.

“Contracted for security of a high-level client. They’re not asking any questions.”

“Good. I’ve finished the contract and I need it delivered as soon as possible.” Dorian approaches the desk and swipes the contract away. If it wasn’t clear that he was frustrated before, it is very clear now. 

“Okay, what? What is it?” You lean back in your chair and cross your legs. Dorian turns on his heel to face you.

“Why are you doing this? Working with Sylus? Meeting with him? Helping him? Having dinner with him? And why is that a part of the deal? It makes no sense and it sounds like…” You stop him in his tracks.

“Dorian, my deal with Sylus will keep the peace. It gives us time to plan. I know this deal won’t keep us safe forever, but it’ll be worth it. You trust me, right?” Dorian sighs.

“Of course I do. I just… I don’t understand why this is the play?” You stand and approach him. His bright green eyes stare down at you. 

“I have questions that only Sylus seems to have answers to. Or rather clues to help me find the answers. You know better than anyone that my evol has always been unstable and my heart’s always been at the center of things. Something about this mystery protocore, it might hold the answers I’ve been looking for for years. I am taking a shot in the dark and I am asking you to trust me and have my back. Now can I depend on you or not?” You try to make your tone harsh, but when it comes to Dorian, you can’t be angry with him long. 

“I have your back. I always have. I’m just…” He places his hands on your shoulders. “This is dangerous. Sylus is dangerous. He whisked you away from base so fast I… How the hell did he even do that?” You smile up at him.

“I intend to figure that out. Trust me.” 

Dorian drops his hands to his sides before looking at the contract in his hand. He looks up at you with renewed confidence.

“I’ll get this to Vivaca Protocores. Yanus will sign, I’ll make sure of it.” He turns to leave, but you grab his arm and pull him into a hug.

“It’ll be okay. I promise.” You try to reassure him. Dorian is reluctant to hug you back. He finally relents and hugs you tightly. 

You’ve known Dorian since you were a kid. He volunteered to help you run Himitsu, even take on the title of “boss” to keep you safe. He gathered intel, made connections and risked his neck countless times to give you the chance to make Himitsu a powerhouse in the zone. You’ve been terrified he will get hurt or targeted. But there’s nothing you can do, he’s as stubborn as an ox. You’ve learned to stop trying to convince him. But you’ll be damned if you let him refuse your hug.

Dorian pats your head, pulling you back to the present. You pull away and cross your arms before looking up at him. He gives you a weak smile.

“I trust you. Just be careful.” With that, he leaves your office with the contract. 

You curl up in your office chair and pull the burner phone Sylus gave you from your desk drawer. You only use this phone to talk to Sylus. You open up your recent messages.

(Sylus) Good morning, kitten.  (Sylus) Are we still on for Saturday? (You) Yes, we are.  (Sylus) Perfect.  (Sylus) Cabernet or Malbec? (You) What? (Sylus) Cabernet or Malbec? Or maybe Merlot? (Sylus) You strike me as a Merlot kind of woman.  (You) And how did you reach that conclusion? (Sylus) While you can certainly enjoy something bold and savory…(Sylus) You appreciate a bit of sweetness. Am I right? (You) Hmm… (Sylus) Or maybe you like something with a bite to it? (You) Why not both? (Sylus) I like the way you think, kitten. I’ll talk to you soon.

You put the phone back in the drawer and slam it shut. You hug your knees to your chest. You place a hand to your cheek and feel the flush. What are you? Twelve? Why are you letting this man fluster you like this? He probably didn’t even mean to be suggestive. No, he definitely did. You remember how he spoke to you when you first met. He was practically striping you with his eyes - not that you weren’t doing the same to him…Why are you even thinking about this right now? You have a business to run. 

And then you hear a low buzz and a muffled song starts playing.

Lord Almighty Feel my temperature rising

Your eyes widen and you scramble to search your desk for the source of the sound.

Higher an’ higher It’s burning through to my soul

Then it hits you. You fling the drawer open.

Girl, girl, girl, girl You gonna set me on fire

The burner phone is ringing. Sylus’ name lights up the screen. He set a custom fucking ringtone. And it’s ELVIS FUCKING PRESLEY?? You grab the phone and you don’t have a moment to think or take a breath before swiping to answer.

“Hello??” You can’t hide your breathless and frantic tone. A low rumbling laugh greets you.

“Everything alright kitten?” Sylus has certainly caught on to how flustered you are. 

“Yeah, everything’s peachy. It’s perfect. What do you need Sylus?” You pinch the bridge of your nose trying to ease the headache building behind your eyes.

“Really? Perfect? Interesting.” Your eyes widen as you realize how you said that.

“No, I just meant, it was a surprise. I didn’t expect… It doesn’t matter.” You clap a hand over your mouth to try to top your word vomit.

“No no, please continue. I’m curious what you thought of my song choice.” You can hear the smile in voice.

“Elvis Presley is great. An icon. Great, amazing. Are you going to answer me now?” Not that you wanted him to hang up, but you just… you were floundering and Sylus could hear it. You were sure your cheeks were the brightest shade of pink.

“I told you I’d call the day before. Well, it’s the 19th isn’t it? I’m checking in.”

“Ahh, right. Well, I’m fine and I’ll see you tomorrow.” You hang up, drop the phone in the drawer, slam it shut and press your palms onto your desk in a huff. This man. What is it about him that gets under your skin? You barely even know him. 

Ding

The muffled ding of the phone in your desk brings you back to reality. You open the drawer slowly and open your messages. Sylus sent you a picture. You hesitate before opening it. Holding your breath. The picture is of Sylus with a bottle of wine. Specifically, a vintage bottle of Le Macchiole Messorio, a premium red wine that you know costs a fortune. Along with the picture is a short message.

(Sylus) I’ve had this before. It can be intense, but you can handle it.

You slam the door shut again, swallowing hard. He looked so fucking good in that picture. Smug, like you expected, but well dressed and the light reflecting in his eyes. The wine choice, how he described it… You definitely feel your temperature rising.

Tag List (comment if you wanna be added!): @trishiepo0

Chapter 1: https://shorturl.at/Bx95C Chapter 2: https://shorturl.at/3PwTi Chapter 3: https://shorturl.at/a7xnF Chapter 4: https://shorturl.at/fKYgX Chapter 5: https://shorturl.at/7YtTh

[mandalhoerian]

What are your thoughts on Caleb now that he’s back? Quite frankly, I’m obsessed and did not expect to be WHY ARE THESE MEN SO FINEEEE

i cannot deny it anymore... he's SOOOO MY TYPE 😭 i love my fictional men obsessed and on the yandere spectrum i LOVE IT

i have not yet consumed everything about him beyond the main story like i've only gone through his bond, but HE WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID HE'S ALWAYS BEEN "LIKE THIS". caleb is the embodiment of the guardian/protector trope, like he's never been anything else. but what happened is he got more and more paranoid over their lives going in different directions as they got older (family exclusivity is the bane of his existence and the best excuse he could stay by our side -- but like we're nothing more than two unfortunate kids taken in by the same woman) & us choosing a very dangerous path, and being the one who "remembers" is like a ticking time bomb in terms of caleb losing it about just how he can keep us safe. bro hears "i don't need you in my life" whenever we say "i don't need your protection like that please chill" like. that's what he's been doing his entire life and his sole role/objective and what he thinks he can be in our life for and it's just amplified a thousand percent more with the threats lurking around in every corner and IM JUST.

i'm a firm believer everything caleb has done and is doing is because of that reason and not bc he has a secret agenda. i might be wrong about this since i'm not up to date with everything, but there's the idea that he was "uninvolved" in just what was happening around us before the explosion and willingly inserted himself into the heart of ever later. even calling us "broken little thing" when speaking to the professor is an act. he wants to take our place so we'll be safe and not even be considered as a choice for whatever plans they have, but he acts a certain way to be perceived how he wants to be. like he's not evil and not 100% on cohorts with ever as he was questioning the professor about mia's death

but what makes him so OOOOAAUUGHHHH is that you'd never guess just how fucked up he's in the head by looking at him like people thinking sylus was it from the appearances alone (when it's the opposite) is just chef's kiss. caleb looks very disarming just boy next door type when the uniform is not on and IM SOMEONE WHO EATS THAT SHIT UPPPPPPP HHHHHHHH ANON I COULD TALK FOREVERRRRRRRR