Inertia; Masterlist

Rotten Apples

masterlist , part two , part three

pairing: caleb x non!mc reader

synopsis: you've always hated her. you live your life free from her and caleb. a stranger helps save you from a date gone wrong.

word count: 5.1k words

warnings: extreme loathing, kinda funny, kinda sad, a good mix of everything! mentions of death. not proofread!

author's note: hi! this is my first lads fic! it's lowkey a mess and is all over the place, but that's okay! i hope you all enjoy! <33 please feel free to comment! i love any & all feedback! <33

edit: part 2 will be coming soon! thank you for all the love on this! i love & appreciate every single one of you!

You never thought yourself to be a hateful person, but whenever you saw Caleb with her, your heart boiled. His smile was always the brightest with her. He always handed her the first water bottle after a run around the neighborhood. His eyes were always on her and not you during study hall. They shared giggles with one another and you were the last to know the joke as you filled out blank homework pages. Whenever she walked into a room, he jumped to her side and aided her with whatever it is she needed.

And she always needed something.

Your friendship with Caleb and the girl you deemed a she-devil blossomed from a young age, having been next-door neighbors with Josephine. You are older than her yet still a few months younger than Caleb, which meant that the two of you had to look out for her.

She was naive in many ways. She always trusts people too easily and is quick to help, not knowing that the world is cruel and is out to hurt her. It’s something you and Caleb bonded over; taking care of her was something you had in common with him alongside planes, absolutely loving apple pie, and always wanting to be the last one tagged during recess.

However, those childhood days have long passed and you’ve settled into a draining routine where you played a background character in someone else’s life.

When you and Caleb reached freshman year of high school, you were sure that he was going to ask you to be his date to the homecoming dance. Instead, you were surprised with the revelation that he was going to stay home and have a movie night with her since she wasn’t in high school yet.

Despite his compliments about your dress, he snuck back inside his house when you asked him if he needed a ride to the dance. She was waving him back inside in the background and he couldn’t have been happier to watch My Little Pony or whatever bullshit she had lined up.

You basked in his frequent compliments when he met you outside your home, when she wasn’t around. Caleb always knew what to say when you had a saddened frown on your face.

“Did James turn you down? I thought he liked you! You’re a catch!” Caleb’s warm words reached your ears and made the butterflies in your stomach flutter. At least he knew then that you were worthwhile. If only he wasn’t so blind to what you had to offer to him.

At least you had a year of high school alone with him. You two even shared a few classes together and had planned study nights to prepare for final exams! Huddled at the desk in his room, you could smell the sweet apple scent of his shampoo and were able to hear through raspiness of his chuckle right next to your ear.

It was fun until she came inside his room, claiming that she wanted to help you two study. That plan lasted for about ten minutes before she whined and complained that she wanted to watch her and Caleb’s favorite show. That night ended up with her snuggled into his side while he stroked her hair. You held the chip bowl, not by choice, and watched as your crush on the boy next door began to deteriorate.

When she finally joined your and Caleb’s high school, you bit your tongue and held back the deplorable comments that shuffled through your mind about his so called beloved. You even held back comments to your new friends about his relationship with her. You knew that if you ever said anything bad about her, he’d come to her defense and shun you for what you’ve said.

It never mattered how you felt. It didn’t matter if you were having a bad day or had just embarrassed yourself in front of your entire gym class when Becky threw a ball right at your face. His attention will forever be owned by her. You’ll never get to know how it feels to always be under his cautious gaze nor will you ever be a recipient of his charming smile.

Truth is, you used to be friends with them. The perpetual third wheel to all of their escapades and adventures. You used to be close to them but as time moved on, they grew closer together and you, well, just didn’t fit into their equation anymore. The funny thing is that they have no clue of their wrongdoing towards you nor did they realize that you had left their group entirely after months of sitting in your room, filled with nothing but discontent as you scrolled through their posted selfies together.

You thought you set yourself free from them. It’s better to watch from afar instead of up close, no? It spares you more heartbreak and it, very selfishly, keeps you away from her.

You can stay away from her smiles. Her laughter. The way her dark hair falls into the perfect messy bun while yours just looks plain erratic. Not to mention the way her hands always lingered on him while you watched, helpless from the other side of the lunch table.

And you can finally break free from that stupid nickname he has for her.

“Hey!” You hear a friend’s voice from over your shoulder. You turn and smile at them, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. “Are you ready for the game against the Rams tonight? I heard you’re starting!”

Before you can reply, you hear a thud behind you. Glancing over your shoulder, you notice that Caleb leans against the metal lockers. His arms are crossed over his chest and he wears that stupidly charming  grin on his face.

“You have a game tonight? Why didn’t you tell us?” He asks. Her smile falters.

Us. That damned word.

“It’s not a big deal,” you shrug, placing your leftover books inside the locker. “You two are usually busy anyways doing…whatever…so it wouldn’t have mattered if you knew or not.”

Okay, maybe there is some venom in your tone and malice in the way you throw your books into your locker. To be fair, you’re so fed up with them ghosting you and never showing up to your games that you can’t help but let some of your anger out.

“Woah!” Caleb pushes off the locker and holds his hands in the air. You roll your eyes and slam the locker shut, walking away. He quickly follows and matches your hellish pace. “What’s wrong? You’ve been so distant lately. Me and—”

“Don’t,” you bark. The two of you pause in the middle of the hallway, your eyes locked on his in a heated glare. “How long do you think it’s been since I’ve hung out with you two?”

A look of confusion flashes across his face. You have to stop yourself from looking at the way his face scrunches up, the way his tongue pokes about between his lips while he thinks.

“Hm…like a month?” Caleb’s words are genuine, you know that, but it shatters your heart to know that he doesn’t even realize it’s almost been a year since you two hung out, let alone were in a room together.

“A month?!” You scoff and look away. A laugh filled with disdain and shock escapes your lips. Your hands drop to your side, tightly balled into fists, as anger washes throughout your body. “Caleb, be real with me right now. Do you truly think it’s been a month?”

You want to give him a chance to redeem himself, for him to own up to the mistake he’s made. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?

“I do, yes…” he wearily says. Your nostrils flare, cheeks heating with irritation.

“Hey guys!” Her cheerful tone scratches the inside of your brain. You sharply inhale and close your eyes just to open them to the side of her attaching herself to his side. “Are you okay? You look angry,” she remarks and gently places her hand on your shoulder. You immediately slap it away. The tips of your fingers tingle from the smack.

“Hey! What was that for?” Caleb steps in front of her, pushing the teen girl behind him.

You cross your arms over your chest, eyes narrowing up at Caleb, who guards her from you.

“Just fuck off and leave me alone!” You snap, pushing past them, your shoulder bumping into Caleb’s bicep. 

“Wait!” Caleb’s voice rings in your ears. A flash of hope makes your heart flutter.

Is he going to chase after you? Will he finally ditch her and see how you’re feeling for a change? Will the old Caleb come back, the one that actually cared about you and your feelings?

Your feet hesitate, pace drastically slowly, still in earshot of the other two’s conversation. You can hear his footsteps coming after you, going from slow to quick, but they suddenly stop.

“She isn’t worth it, Caleb,” her voice shoots any semblance of hope you felt, ripping your heart into shreds. “She’s so mean…she doesn’t deserve your care.”

The hallway in front of you turns glossy. You use the back of your hand to wipe away the tears that brew in your eyes. Your once reluctant pace hastens and you disappear down the hallway, becoming just another face in the crowd.

The year passed and you graduated with a new group of friends; friends that welcomed and invited you with open arms. Your camera roll was no longer sad, filled with empty selfies with her and Caleb not paying attention in the background, shifting to group photos and friends completing the other side of your hand heart. It filled your heart with the joy and happiness that your previous friendships lacked.

And most importantly of all: you were completely over Caleb and didn’t have to spend any more time around her. It’s a relief for you, really, and you’re able to go to the college of your dreams and pursue the career you wanted. 

The saddened memories no longer pained you. They no longer dug into your skin. Instead, you planted them into the soil of your mind, using the special fertilizer (the special ingredient being resent), and grew from them.

So what if they wronged you? You were now free and didn’t owe either of them a damn thing! That is, until Caleb died.

The news nearly broke you. Your mother informed you of the news when you came home for a visit. You were on a much needed break from work and were looking for a chance to relax. Your time of relaxation was quickly turned inside out.

You became a shell of yourself, the last memory of Caleb haunting your mind as you holed up in bed, covers covering the entirety of your body with a small hole for clean and cool breathing air. Your cheeks became perpetually stained with tears, becoming sticky in your sleep before the cycle started all over again.

The day of his funeral was unnecessarily rough. Your mother had to drag you out of bed and help you into the shower, the hot water turning cold from the amount of time you stood there. Once you stepped out, body trembling from the cold air, you stared at the black dress that was laid out across your bed.

It was simple. It stopped mid-thigh and the sleeves ran long down your arms. You paired it nicely with tights from high school, a pair that Caleb complimented you on, and a pair of simple booties.

She was the center of attention, of course, there was no doubt about that. The ache in your chest left you feeling conflicted. She sat alone, head hung low, as people walked by, chuckling as if they weren’t at a funeral reception.

You almost felt bad for her and the way her mascara streaked down her cheeks. She clung to a piece of metal in her hand, occasionally bringing it up to her lips to kiss it.

The distance between the two of you felt like a game of cat and mouse. She took one step forward, you took one back. She entered the hallway you found recluse in, you made sure that there was room in the closet for you to hide in.

You thought that you were able to slip out unnoticed until she called out your name.

“Hi…” your voice falls off. Her fists are balled at her sides, knuckles white.

“What are you doing here?” Her words are sharp, effortlessly slicing into you. “I thought you hated him.”

“I could never hate him…” the words barely come out, just above a meek whisper. She doesn’t say anything else. All she does is stare at you with her heartbroken expression, eyes strained and red from the sobs she let out earlier.

A part of your heart broke for her. The other part remained emotionless, knowing how she tormented you in your younger years by dangling Caleb in front of your face. It tormented you to know that you could still hold a sliver of resentment in your heart for something that happened so long ago. You quietly left, leaving her alone in the hallway, disappearing behind a familiar turn.

A year passes. The hatred you held in your heart has dissipated. You’ve watered the flowers you planted in your mind and the petals read off messages of forgiveness and second chances, even though you made sure to never run into her ever again.

Some people can forgive and forget, but you’ll be sure to forgive and keep a distance.

Skyhaven isn’t too bad of a home. Sure, there’s barely any trace of organic life throughout the city, except for the token tree the mayor decided to add about two months ago, but it’s a nice place to live. You’ve made yourself comfortable. The nightlife is great and the rain is even better. You even made some friends at your job and have gone out on a date or two with a guy who is very attentive.

But none of them are Caleb.

You stare at yourself in the cafe mirror, shaking your head. You fix your disheveled hair, wondering how you managed to spend the last ten minutes digging up the past when you’re on a date with a very cute guy. You bite your lip and tweak the last details of your outfit, flattening out a wrinkle in your skirt.

Pushing the bathroom door open, you glide down the hallway, smiling at the other customers who pass by. You can finally go back to…what’s his name again?

Jared? Clyde? Marc, who always emphasizes that there’s a ‘C’ at the end of his name instead of a ‘K’?

You clap your hands together when the name comes back to you. He jumps in his seat, his eyes closing in on you when you sit down. His smile is a little too goofy, missing out on any kind of charm that he can capitalize on, and you can’t help but watch out of the lower half of your vision as he itches his crotch.

“Thanks for waiting for me, George,” a warm smile spreads across your lips. He matches it and leans forward, pushing a colorful mug in your direction. You watch it closely before drawing it closer to you. You don’t take a sip, though, instead letting the whipped cream on top of the coffee melt. You sigh.

You don’t even liked whipped cream on your coffee. You know who would have remembered that?

“It was no problem at all!” George proudly proclaims. His chair scraps across the wooden floor. He inches closer and closer towards you in an attempt to close the distance but you scoot away from him, keeping a pleased smile on your face.

“So, what were you saying you do for a job?” Your question goes straight to his head. Gnawing at the inside of your cheek, you refrain from interrupting him about his long ramble about how he works as a “video game consultant” at a local game store.

The conversation is so painful to sit through. You glance between his beady gaze and the clock on the wall behind him. The ticking hands somehow move slower when he dives into his day to day routine. Maybe the whipped cream isn’t as bad as you previously thought.

An hour goes by and you have barely been able to get a word in. Mugs form into a half-circle in front of you. Your leg bounces up and down, hands jittery. Even your blinking is rapid as you solely stare at the clock.

“That’s enough about me. Tell me about yourself,” George grabs his glass. He ordered a cream soda at the beginning of the date but the cream separated from the colorful soda water, forming into chunky clouds.

“You know what,” you breathe out in a laugh, signaling over your shoulder to the door, “it’s getting late. I have an early start tomorrow so I should get going.” You stand from the chair and snatch your tiny purse from the seat beside you.

The cafe is practically empty now and the sun has set hours ago. You rush towards the exit, the route to the door feeling like it never ends as Greg — oh shit, George! — chases after you. 

The Skyhaven night is nice and crisp. The rain isn’t as hard tonight, just a mere sprinkle, and you rush out into the open, taking a deep breath. The chilled air fills your burning lungs and you’re able to breathe again, that is, until George grabs your hand. You gasp and snatch it back from him.

The raindrops lightly kiss your face but George’s sickening smile makes you want to hurl. He creeps towards you, the moon shining just bright enough for you to see the darkness form in his eyes.

“I have to get home, George!” You nervously chuckle, turning away. You rush towards the nearest bus stop, knowing that there will be other people there to take refuge with. George doesn’t let up though and his movements become more primal and animalistic as the seconds tick by.

“Come on, sweetheart,” George beckons from behind. You can hear his ragged breath from behind you grow close. You brace your body for impact…but nothing comes. Instead, you hear a struggle from behind. You swirl on your heels and stare at the scene behind you.

A tall man pushes George away from you. The moonlight reflects off of the shine of his coat, the top of his hat deflecting the light raindrops. You stagger backward, heart racing inside your chest, as George crumbles to the ground, a blur of red, grey, and blue pushing down on the man.

“She said she’s going home,” the voice growls. It itches the back of your mind, calling to you like a faint memory. “Leave. Or I’ll crush you right here and now.”

The voice beckons to you from the back of your mind, putting it at ease. The voice calls out your name followed by a throaty chuckle. It asks you how you’re doing, if you need help with that week’s math homework. You can also hear his voice apologize to you for forgetting about your plans to go to the movies with your group of friends, making some excuse that she got locked in the attic and needed rescuing.

The moonlight turns dark, the floating rock covered by a cloud, as the figure slowly approaches you. The once soft droplets of rain evolve into hardened projectiles, the wind picking up from all around you. With the weather matching your quickly escalating mood, you march through the rain, the phantom chasing after you.

“Hey! You’re getting soaked!” His voice calls from behind. You pay no attention to it.

The voice sounds exactly like a dead man! A person who is resting in peace six feet under and couldn’t possibly be here in Skyhaven.

You reach the bus stop and hide under the small covering, the rain pounding against the top, rolling off the sides. You hold your arms to yourself and your teeth clatter on the inside of your mouth. You have to tell yourself to not look at the man beside you.

Stranger danger, after all.

“Why are you ignoring me?” The man asks. It’s just the two of you at the bus stop. The stop’s light flickers, adding to the already ominous feeling that forms deep inside your chest. You hug your arms to your body, providing the only warmth in this cold night. “Oh, I get it. You’re mad at me.”

“I don’t even know who you are!” You retort rather quickly, finally looking up at the man.

You gasp and stumble backward. He quickly reaches for you, his large, warm hands gripping your waist, stabilizing you.

He looks down at you with an irresistible and charming smile. His purple eyes seem to glow under the dim lighting. He wears a black and orange rain jacket, black baseball cap sitting on his head. He cocks his head to the side, gaze drifting to memorize your face.

Nausea sweeps over your body. You tear your gaze off of the phantom before you. The cold air pricks the inside of your lungs, rapidly moving in and out of your system.

This can’t be real, right? He cannot possibly be standing in front of you, alive and well, with that damn smile on his face. A single tear rolls down your cheek, your lips parted. Your breath flows out of your mouth in gentle plumes of steam.

“Caleb?” Your voice falters. He chuckles, smoothing down your frizzy hair.

“The one and only! C’mon, you can say it: you missed me!”

You reach out, grabbing his arms, squeezing him. His brows furrow, eyes training themselves on your hands as you poke and prod various parts of his body. You grab his cheeks, pulling on them before squishing his face. He gently takes your hands into his, moving your hands away from his face.

“You done yet?”

“You’re alive!”

“I am well aware of that, yes.” His laugh fills your ears and your heart swells.

Even after all these years of forgetting Caleb, you still end up swooning for him the moment he saves you from Landon.

Or was it David? Eh. It doesn’t really matter.

“How…what…” you stammer, unable to form a cohesive and coherent sentence. Caleb sighs and takes your hand. He flattens your palm against his chest.

How heartbeat is slow and steady…it’s there. You gasp, bottom lip trembling, legs slowly becoming jelly.

Tears freely flow down your face as the realization of his existence sets in.

He’s alive.

He’s here.

He’s breathing.

His last memory of you isn’t you ending your friendship and avoiding him for the rest of your senior year of high school.

You collapse to your knees, hand digging into your chest. A sharp pain slices into your chest as your fingernails dig into your skin in an attempt to grab your heart and to scream at it to calm down. The pounds from your heart makes your ears ring, drowning out the endless pitter patter of rain. Even your lungs feel as if they are on fire, unable to suck in and inhale the oxygen that you need to survive.

Your eyes open and Caleb’s face is right in front of yours. You can hear him speak but cannot make out a single word that he says. He gently helps you back to your feet.

“Take it easy,” his words seep through the sound of your heartbeat, “breathe.”

His hand slides to the back of your neck, warming your body, and his thumb gently grazes the side of your neck. You inhale through your nose, holding it for a few seconds before slowly exhaling until all of the air is out of your lungs.

“Does she know?” the question pops out of your mouth before you can stop it.

How could you even ask that at a time like this? You should be seeing if he’s okay! If he’s in any sort of trouble that you can help get him out of.

Did he fake his death? Has he been alive this whole time? When was he going to come see you?

Caleb sharply inhales through gritted teeth, pulling away from your face. You watch him closely, bottom lip trembling.

You know. You know the answer.

Of course she knew before you! She is his beloved, the one person he will spend the rest of his life with. It’s laughable to even think that you stood a chance against her.

“Actually,” you interrupt him, covering his mouth, “don’t answer that. I really don’t want to know.” Even though every fiber of your being screamed blood murder at you to figure it out.

Is he dating her? Has he ditched her for good? HAs Caleb finally come to the realization that she isn’t some angel that came down from the heavens.

His purple eyes blink at you, perplexed by your actions. Caleb speaks into your hand but his voice is a mere muffle. You sigh and look out at the pouring rain.

You need to get home.

You need to get home and get away from him.

You need to relieve yourself of any memory, item, or scent that can remind you of him because, well, he clearly isn’t yours to have.

If you stay any longer, you’re going to end up crying in the rain, unloading all of your emotions onto him. And Caleb, who has risen from dead, doesn’t deserve to hear any of it. He’s innocent in all of this and no matter how angry and resentful you can feel towards him, you’ll never be able to hold it against him.

“Get home safe, Caleb,” you breathe the words out, slowly releasing your hand from his mouth.

You push away from him and bare the thundering rain on your own, hugging your jacket to your body. You sprint across the street, desperately needing to get away from him.

Caleb watches you with wide eyes, captivated by the woman you’ve become.

You’ve lost all the baby fat in your cheeks. Your hair is longer and is styled to perfection.

You’re bolder. Funnier, even, whether it’s intentional or not. Caleb laughed at your jokes in the cafe, particularly the ones that George didn’t find funny.

Whatever. He’s an idiot.

He heard your laugh from inside the cafe and got drunk off of it. He found himself smiling wider than he has before in the past year.

You took his mind off of his stressful job, which he just came back from, and relaxed his body. He didn’t think about how ling he stayed in that damned tunnel nor did he think about his connections with Ever.

Your laugh turned off the fight or flight switch that perpetually stayed on inside his head. It did pain him, though, to know that you were out with other guys. This George fellow is not your match. He’s a Sul-indulgent prick who only talks about himself.

And what the fuck is a video game consultant anyways?

His job is nothing compared to being a Colonel in the Farspace Fleet. You’ll surely be impressed with that.

You did always say you loved a man in a uniform.

His purple eyes flicker with excitement. He steps out into the rain and follows in your exact footsteps. Once he’s across the street, he turns around and stares at the cafe you two once sat in.

She walks out with her friends, umbrellas covering their heads. They smile and laugh with one another, teasing as thunder booms in the background. He chuckles at their umbrellas but his smile quickly fades when he realizes that you didn’t have one.

Silly girl. Now he has to check in on you and make for sure that you don’t catch a cold.

His gaze drifts to her but the spark he once felt isn’t there anymore. She’s…boring now. Caleb tilts his head back and laughs.

How could he have been so blind?

His focus has been on her all along but you…you are something else.

Captivating. Intoxicating. Enchanting. Hilarious. Fascinating.

Your fruity perfume formed a tent in his pants. Have you always smelled like apples and cinnamon? You encapsulate an autumn evening. Suddenly, he loves it when the leaves change colors and fall from the trees. He’ll never let you fall ever again.

Caleb doesn’t know how he let you slip through his fingers so many times. You live in Skyhaven, too, right under his nose. He should have found you sooner.

He should have gone with you to the homecoming dance. He regrets not watching you during the countless games you’ve invited him to. He should have closed the door in her face when she petered you two when you needed to study for the math exam. It was never your best subject. Lucky, he excelled in it.

And he should have fucking gone after you when you told him to fuck off all those years ago.

But now?

Now Caleb’s going to take back the time he missed out on. Surely, you’d feel the same way when he comes back? After all, he does know where you live now.

Six floors up. The fourth room from the left. You have a stained glass butterfly hanging in your window. He’ll see it up close soon enough.

He stands outside your apartment building with a bright smile on his face, staring up at your bedroom. He can see you move throughout the living room, your shadow painted against the far wall. His eyes follow as you slip into your bedroom. You look out the window.

What are you looking at? I’m here. Show me anything. Give me the signal I need to come and save you.

You turn on a lamp. The light points up to the butterfly, illuminating the blue and orange colors from the glass.

You’re so thoughtful.

How did you know those are his favorite colors?

Caleb chuckles to himself, shaking his head. His feet carry him to the entrance of your apartment building, just barely sneaking in as a couple leaves. He thanks them and sneaks to an elevator, stepping inside as he presses the button to your floor.

Thank you for the signal, he thinks to himself, I’ll be there soon.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

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Imagine #1

Sung Jinwoo/Trial Player!Reader

CW: Implied Yandere (If you squint), mild grotesque imaginary of killing a magic beast

Inspired by @circeyoru ‘s “Future Power Couple”

This is now officially a series! You can check "Trial Player AU" here: [Masterlist🦋✨️]

You never imagined your life would take such a drastic turn. One moment, you were typing away on your laptop, and the next, you found yourself in a universe where Hunters, dungeons, and magic were the norm.

As a casual fan of the manhwa, you were more than familiar with the storyline and its characters. But this was real, painfully real, and your heart raced in your chest as you tried to make sense of it all.

Isekai'd into the world of Solo Leveling was unexpected, but this?

This was even more bizarre.

___

Isekai stories were meant to be fun. A fresh start in a different world with cool powers and thrilling adventures, right?

[Congratulations!

You have been selected by the System for an exclusive test run.]

The first time you saw that message, you had no idea what it meant. But after receiving a few more cryptic messages and nearly dying in a lower-rank dungeon?

You would be foolish if continue that thought.

You weren’t just dropped into this world—you were the 'Trial Player'. A glitch, a test subject for the system before it latched onto its true player.

It sounded like a game, a brief test before things returned to normal.

Except now you’re stuck.

___

You didn’t want to interfere, to change the storyline you knew too well.

The system gave you powers once you started leveling up.

Since you weren’t a fighter by nature, learning how to defend yourself have been a whole other story. Healing however, had come to you almost too naturally. You were rather fortunate (or is it unfortunate?) in that regard, as you discovered early on that your specialized ability was more… versatile, than it seemed.

Simply put, they were dual-edged.

Healing and harming were two sides of the same coin—just a matter of intent.

You could heal yourself and allies just fine, but with enemies? The same touch that mended could also cause harm.

A giant serpent once learned that the hard way.

___

The cold wind brushed against your face as you stared down at the monstrous serpent writhing in its final throes. You hadn’t meant to do it that way—honestly, it was an accident.

You had only wanted to defend yourself, yet in an act of panic, you had somehow amplified the beast's venom glands, forcing it to produce venom at an uncontrollable rate to the point of overloading its own internal organs.

The monster literally drowned in its own deadly concoction.

As the hissing faded, you watched with wide eyes as the giant serpent collapsed, dead. A familiar notification dinged in the corner of your vision.

[Congratulations!

You have successfully defeated a C-Rank Venom Serpent!]

The cheerful tone that rang in your ears was far too enthusiastic for your liking.

[System will now place Blue Venom-Fanged Kasaka in its place.]

You let out a shaky breath, still in shock.

[You have just proven yourself to be quite entertaining,

Trial Player (Name)_

Shall we continue with more interesting challenges?]

What the hell just happened?

___

From the start, you’d made the decision to stay under the radar.

At first, it was overwhelming.

The system's notifications, the power you gained with each step, and the dangerous world you were thrust into were enough to make anyone completely lost their mind.

But, despite the insanity of your new reality, you had to admit you’d adapted rather well.

From that day forward, the system acted more like a mischievous partner than a mere overseer.

In fact, the system had seemed delighted by your attempts to remain discreet, since it was more than willing to help you falsify your ranking, allowing you to masquerade as a mere C-rank. Not that you cared much about rankings, but blending in was important, especially since you knew what was coming. You didn't want to stand out when the real chaos began.

The system had its reasons, no doubt, but you didn’t question it. As long as it kept your secret and allowed you to survive without drawing too much attention, you were content.

With your knowledge of the Solo Leveling storyline—albeit you still need to fill in some gaps in your memory here and there—you avoided changing the narrative too much. However, when it came to the protagonist, you found it difficult to completely stay away.

As a fan, you already knew what hardships awaited him, and as much as you tried not to interfere, your heart ached terribly seeing him suffer through his early days as an E-rank hunter.

Even knowing he’d become the world’s strongest eventually, you still found yourself lessening his burden.

You weren’t trying to change anything significant—just minor things. Healing him faster when he was injured and unconscious after dangerous raids, anonymously covering some of his mother's medical bills, leaving useful items at his doorstep. All of it was done behind the curtain, leaving no trace.

You kept your distance; each act was a silent tribute to a hero you believed deserved better.

Or maybe, it was because you saw something in him that reminded you of your own struggle—your own loneliness in this strange world.

After all, this wasn’t your story. It was his.

___

You vowed not to meddle in the timeline.

That was to say, you had no intention of getting involved in the main storyline.

So, when the time came for him to finally accept the system’s offer and became the player, the trial period for you ended.

The screens pop-ups ceased.

The missions vanished.

The system had gone silent.

You could finally step back, let him take the reins. You could enjoy the world for yourself, live your life in this reality.

Or so you thought.

___

It was supposed to be a quiet day, just like any other.

You found yourself wandering through a familiar street in Seoul, lost in thought.

You weren’t sure what it was that tipped you off—the weight of someone’s gaze on your back, perhaps—but when you turned around, your breath hitched.

Gaze locked in with sharp, glowing blue.

And a familiar chirp in your mind, as smug as ever.

[Fancy meeting you here,

Trial Player (Name)_ ]

Damnit, you sly—!

"‘Trial Player’, huh?"

You clenched your fists and bit your lip as his voice cut through your inner turmoil.

Stormy hues, and ebony locks that looked too fluffy not to touch.

Taller, and his voice deeper than the last time you heard him.

There was no way you could mistake him for someone else.

There was no way you could forget him.

Sung Jinwoo

The system hummed in amusement behind him, oddly pleased with itself.

A screen flickered in your periphery.

[Dear Trial Player, (Name)_

Be careful not to spill your secret to Player Sung Jinwoo,

else you may find the penalty quite costly.]

Playful, yet the warning echoed in your mind.

You had no idea what the system’s penalty might be, and you weren’t eager to find out.

“I’ve been wondering about the mysterious healer who’s been helping me. I guess I have my answer now.”

Calm, that tone of his was way too calm, and it sent a shiver down your spine.

You felt your stomach drop. How much did he know? How long had he suspected—

“Don’t look so surprised,” Jinwoo continued with a chuckle, a small, dangerous tilt playing on his lips, “The system can be… revealing at times.”

The insufferable chirps like giggles in your ear following his statement made it clear—there was no escape now.

Sung Jinwoo knew, or at least, he knew enough.

“I’ll make it easy for you,” Jinwoo said, stepping closer.

You instinctively took a step back.

"Join my party."

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words caught in your throat instead.

“What?"

“I want you to join me,”

Jinwoo repeated with the same exact tone, as if that one sentence was enough for your mind to grasp at—whatever situation this had spiral to be.

Your brain scrambled for an answer. You couldn’t. You shouldn’t. “I prefer staying out of the spotlight,” you muttered, trying to avoid his gaze.

Jinwoo leaned in slightly, his expression unreadable. “Unfortunately for you, I don’t think I’m going to let that happen.”

The system pinged again.

[Player Sung Jinwoo has extended a party invitation.]

“I didn’t agree to—”

The screen popped up again.

[Trial Player cannot refuse this invitation.]

You blinked at the screen, then at him.

Jinwoo kept his eyes on you—glowing in that beautiful, beautiful blue—practically daring you to refuse.

You felt trapped.

___

And that was how you found yourself reluctantly dragged into Sung Jinwoo’s (formerly solo) party.

You were supposed to be a background character at most, but now you were standing beside the future strongest hunter, going on raids, facing dungeon bosses, and… spending far too much time with him outside of said raids.

You don’t know why, but outside of dungeons were even worse. Jinwoo seemed to find excuses to be around you, despite your best efforts to avoid him. Whether it was casual visits to the same cafés you frequented or crossing paths in the market, he always seemed to be there at every turn. It was unsettling how often his gaze lingered on you, as if he was trying to unravel the very essence that made you, you.

Persistent, relentless, and far too observant for your liking. Jinwoo followed you, making sure you never slipped away, sticking close like your own personal shadow.

You might have laughed at the irony, if you were not the center of his attention.

Sung Jinwoo refused to leave you alone.

You weren't sure how he'd managed to pull you into his orbit, but he had, and now you were stuck in the very story you were trying to avoid.

A soft laugh; a rare sound that made your heart skip a beat.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, My Healer.”

___

"Oh, what have I gotten myself into..." you muttered under your breath, feeling the weight of the situation crash down on you.

The system chimed in, always and without fail, far too gleeful for your liking.

[What indeed, Trial Player?

What indeed.]

You really, really, want to kick this damned system to space.

End Note:

Finally, I can sleep now...

Every related imagines I post after this WILL NOT follow any particular/chronological order.

ུᩧ LADS TWITTER LINKS !

৻ꪆ instructions. before clicking, you must be logged into your acc and have twitter open in order for these links to function .

XAVIER. ꒱‎

lazy humping. ⋆ grinding yourself on him. ⋆ missionary w your legs closed. ⋆ freakydeaky. ⋆ thigh fucking. ⋆ kissing & eaing you out. ⋆ to your satisfaction. ⋆ backshots. ⋆ exhibitionism.

SYLUS. ꒱‎

taking it w no complaints. ⋆ handsy when handling you. ⋆ size kink. ⋆ using your throat to his liking. ⋆ backshots. ⋆ cute girl treatment. ⋆ chained & ruined. ⋆ had to add this in.

ZAYNE. ꒱‎

riding him in the bathtub. ⋆ tease me, baby. ⋆ clit rubs. ⋆ lingerie fucking. ⋆ late night heat. ⋆ in the shower. ⋆ undressing & stripping you down. ⋆ blowjob in cute bunny ears.

RAFAYEL. ꒱‎

stay still. ⋆ kitchen counter. ⋆ backshots & the plushies witnessing. ⋆ fucking you into the mattress. ⋆ fingering selection. ⋆ stretching your holes out for fun. ⋆ a wins a win.

✨ NEW STORY ANNOUNCEMENT! ✨

(A Slow Burn, Second Chance, Pilot x Ground Controller Romance)

Summary: Y/N and Caleb once sat in the same classroom, dreaming of the skies. She was the quiet, shy girl with a crush on the golden boy of aviation school—the one who made flying look effortless. Years later, she’s a dedicated ground controller, guiding planes from the safety of the tower, while Caleb is soaring through the clouds as a commercial pilot.

Their paths were never meant to cross again… until their meddling mothers set them up on the same blind date.

But there’s a catch—Caleb doesn’t recognize her.

What starts as an awkward, mismatched date soon turns into something else when fate keeps pulling them back together. Between late-night flights, stolen conversations, and the quiet longing of two people who were always meant to meet again, will Caleb finally realize the girl he overlooked might be the one who was always waiting for him?

Masterlist

💫 Episode One: A Date Written in the Stars

💫 Episode Two: The Past Comes Full Circle

💫Episode Three: A Question Left Hanging

💫Episode Four: A Place to Land

💫Side-Story: A Marriage of Convenience

💫Episode Five: A Love That Lands

💫Episode Six: A Storm Brewing

💫Episode Seven: Under Pressure

💫Episode Eight: Close Encounters

💫Episode Nine: A Night of Realizations

💫Episode Ten: The Ring and the Accusation

🛫 Tropes & Vibes: ✔️ Slow Burn & Second Chances ✔️ Grounded x Skybound Dynamic ✔️ Oblivious Male Lead™ ✔️ Late-night conversations & longing looks ✔️ Fate keeps throwing them together

Taglist: OPEN comment below if you wanna be in the tag list

Masterlist

Just a warning, everything is probably out of order + my first masterlist so PLEASE be patient with me

also my asks are open and appreciated !!

Bug Like Angel

neglectful batfam x spider!reader + spiderverse

P1 P2 P3 P4 P4.5 P4.5 P4.5 P4.5 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10

Show☆Time

neglectful batfam x emu!reader + pjsk

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6

the fridge drawings (FANART!!)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

anons:

🦦, meow meow, 🍰, 🫴🧠, 🪽,🦋, 🍧, yeet

the party walkers

self insert .✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* school bus graveyard

words: 2.21k

next part: a rescue mission

note: hot minute, hey guys, this is my first time writing for school bus graveyard! currently, it's probably my favorite webtoon (that being said, all my other favorites are on hiatus, so, yk. that's that.) if you followed me for genshin one shots, I just wanna let you know I'm NOT gonna stop writing them, permanently at least. I haven't been able to fixate on genshin for a bit because the app is too big for my phone and trying to play on my computer kills me inside. hope you enjoy, also things prooobably aren't gonna be perfect, lol, I'm going off memory of the first chapter/s

content: self insert for sbc, uh, go read that first, I don't think I'll end up including anything (at least, not here) that needs extra trigger warnings. long term, it's a tyler x reader, maybe, idk, but regardless I don't plan on starting that for a bit.

i. a demon inside of my skin

you hadn't been in "the room where it happened", so to speak. actually, you didn't know what everyone else was dealing with for about a week after savannah, because you thought you were having batshit crazy nightmares! your hotel room was a good bit further away from everyone else's that first night, and after making a run for it into a room and barricading yourself in, you thought that would be the end of it. everyone did, didn't they?

and then, you went home. warm bed, soft blanket, box fan running in the background while you scrolled through various social media apps. it was nearing midnight, but that wasn't new for you. the early morning hours were your friend, the moon a sibling by your teenage years. not unique, sure, but that was the reality of that situation. a small shiver tickles your spine as you remember the night mare last night brought you, your fingertips ghosting the spot on your knuckle where you had banged it and broken your finger in that dream. it was even sore when you woke up. sometimes, nightmares were like that though. sometimes people woke up gasping for air after drowning in their sleep, or craving cigars after being a smoker in their dreams. sore knuckles weren't that far off.

it was like a flash; one moment, you were watching a college aged blonde talk about the type of oils she used for her long, silky, soft hair, and the next, the sky from out your window was a bleeding carmine. there was a loud silence, no wind, no rain, no box fan or phone.

then, again, you heard it. click, click, click. chatter, chatter, chatter. okay. cool. another nightmare. fun and fantastic.

shooting out of your sheets, your index finger throbbed, sparing a second and glancing at it revealed purple spots upon green bruises splotched along your hand. curling your finger inward hurt, but was possible. making a fist around your blanket, you threw it as hard as possible off of you, hoping to distract whatever was making the noise. it did not have the desired affect, and flew a couple feet before expanding and landing softly on the floor. that didn't matter, you were already on your feet and they were thudding to your door before you were aware of what was going on, scrambling on the carpet of your bedroom as you heard skitter like movements from where your eyes couldn't catch the gray, uncanny human-like figure making its way toward you on all fours. it was fast. way, way too fast. the undignified squeal you released as you yanked open your door turned into a gravelly scream of both terror and agony when you slid through, slamming the door shut before you, a blackened finger along with it. it didn't fall to the floor, but instead was hanging painfully out of your back, right under your shoulder blade. like a when a plank of wood splinters, but has enough fibers to hang off and out of the main piece and bobs back and forth. except you're not a piece of wood, and you have to not scream right now.

you feel nausea drinking its way into your chest, but adrenaline pushes it to a back burner as a need to survive pulses in your brain. grabbing a random shoe, a picture frame from off the wall, and a small ball which were left on the floor earlier, you throw them in another direction and hope it sounds enough like footsteps that when you get into the bathroom, whatever that thing is doesn't try to follow you in there.

the balls of your feet aren't much quieter than your whole foot, but they'll have to do as you nearly slam the bathroom door, stop yourself in the knick of time to edge it closed instead, and lock it. for the first time in your entire life, you internally thank your parents that you didn't get that house with the skylight in the bathroom.

now, you hold your breath. the creaking of the floors beneath your cheap carpet tells you that that thing, that monster, that whatever-it-is, is passing by. your fingers shake as you cover your mouth with one hand, the other cupping your nose as you try desperately to slow and quiet your breathing. unfortunately, the racing of your heart isn't helping, and neither is the recognition of that wound that craved up your back so nicely. again, your stomach turns. you don't have time to deal with that right now, even if you can feel blood dripping down your back and throbbing which matches your heartbeat.

click, click, thump, thump. the shadow from the light outside darkens, two fuzzy shadows before the door. silence. praying.

click, click. click. it slowly, slowly, drags its hideous feet away from the door.

you can't breathe for another minute, and the instant you do, it comes out as a heave. your eyes go wide as you scramble toward the bathtub, making it just in time to spill your guts. after emptying your stomach, you pull away with watery eyes and a raw throat, coughing a couple times. you feel a little bit better, as you usually do after throwing up, but that won't last. also, you need water, and that means looking in the mirror if you don't wanna be loud. but for right now, you just need to lay down for a moment. just breathe. you're so, so light headed. you had only just woken up, and this all felt so real. the pain in your hand and in your back. the scratchy stinging you feel up your esophagus. the exhaustion pawing under your eyes as you start to lean backward;

except, you can't, and when you try that, you only shoot straight up and nearly puke all over again. thankfully, this time, the finger actually falls out of your back.

"𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯."

you can reach the majority of the wound if you really reach. it won't be perfect, but you should be able to get it properly clean and bandaged with the first aid kit your family keeps in the bathroom. you don't really know how to clean a wound this big, though. will you need stitches? the only real way to know is to look at it, even if you aren't really ready to do so.

"𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? 𝘪𝘧 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭."

the thought came to you before you even moved from your spot on the floor. oh, yeah. that's right. you're asleep.

...

huh. most dreams feel a little more, don't know. dreamy?? if this is a dream, candy is going to start raining from the sky right now.

right now. here.

𝘯𝘰𝘸, you think, looking up at the ceiling half heartedly. alright, if this was a nightmare, it was a really weird horrible one. and also, you'd rather not push your luck at this point. so, mirror it is. ignoring the pit of panic welling in your chest, you push yourself to your feet, and tip toe to the kitchen sink. you stare at the faucet, and then force your eyes upward. your hair is frazzled, and there are white specks along the corners of your mouth. and then, you turn around. your jaw tightens when you see the open wound, your nightshirt torn open and revealing tattered, aggressive flesh beneath it. that thing probably cut you to the bone. hopefully, because there is in fact a bone there, it didn't hit any organs. you can breathe fine, so your lung didn't seem all too punctured. it's just ugly. ugly and painful.

cleaning it is the first step, and you're just thankful that despite the fact that you stupidly, stupidly, stupidly dumped isopropyl alcohol onto it in hopes of doing so (for a second, before the burning, you felt a little uncomfortable. and then it hit, you nearly cracked your tooth from biting down so hard), it's over with.

a week later, you find yourself in class, rubbing sleepiness from your eyes. so, long story short, that wasn't a dream, and something is horribly wrong. you waking up to a long scab running down your shoulder blade told you that much. and things were about to get a lot worse. in the real world, that is.

"sir, please. they do literally nothing. they just sit there all spaced out, rubbing their eyes. it's like they aren't even trying for this project!" brandy, your classmate begs in a hushed tone. as annoying as the brunette could be at times, she wasn't wrong. a pang in your chest as you think of possibly making it so that the other members of your group protect fail because you are too tired to do your part. god, sorry brenda, you're too busy trying to huddle up in a bathroom all night and take care of a wound that isn't healing for some reason, all while praying that the thing that chased you in there and will probably kill you, doesn't murder you. but she's still not wrong. and it isn't like she knows that, because you have something seriously wrong with you. it's not her fault, and she shouldn't have to pay for you being crazy.

"mr. thomas," you quietly call, rubbing your elbow uncomfortably as you stare at the floor. you can see brandy pause from the corner of your eye, and you think there's even a sorry expression on her face. even if she was annoying, she clearly hadn't thought you heard that. and she had a right to be upset.

"I would like to change groups, if, um, possible."

there's a pause, and from your peripheral view, you can see your teacher and classmate motioning at each other, her probably trying to convince him to let you do so. a small thump, and then a sigh. "alright. I'm going to put you with ashlyn's group. "

as a redhead from across the room pops up and looks around, mr. thomas looks through a few pieces of paper, crossing something off with his pen. he didn't say it out loud, and frankly, he didn't have to. that was the group in the class that was also failing, so, you being in it wouldn't have much of an impact anyway. at least you wouldn't sink the whole ship all by yourself. was it smart, as a teacher? no. he probably should have put you with a tutor or something. looking up at mr. thomas as you nod and collect your things from your desk reveals an, in fact, apologetic eyed brandy. she mouths a "thank you", and you nod in return. you would drag your chair to their little group later, first, you should go introduce yourself, and hope they don't kick you out.

the bright blonde of the group catches you with his eyes before anyone else. you can hear him say something, and the rest of them stop talking and turn to look at you as you awkwardly walk over. their eyes are so piercing, it's making you uncomfortable.

"can we help you?" a brunette asks, tilting her head up to look at you. her tone carries no malice, just curiosity. makes you feel a little bit better.

"I'm so sorry to ask this, if you guys don't want me in your project I'll go ask if I can be alone or join another group or something, it's not a big deal. I'm having issues with my part of the project, and it's affecting everyone else's work in my group. so they were wondering if I could join in with you guys."

they all share a really weird look with each other, like they're talking telepathically or something. a tense moment passes, and two members speak up at the same time.

"yeah sure lol."

"fuck no."

"tyler! be nice! besides, we probably need someone who actually knows what's going on in this class!"

"didn't she just say she was having issues with her work? it's not like she's going to add much."

"to be fair, I don't think any of us are doing all too great on the work anyway."

you feel the need to clarify, mainly to get this over with. "I'm not really having trouble with the work. I'm just not doing it. I'm having sleeping issues, again, not a big deal if you don't want me to join."

they all stop, and look at you again. the redheaded one narrows her eyes, letting the braid she was messing with fall to her lap. her and the boy next to the brunette girl who asked you a question - actually, now that you're up close and looking at him, that looks like one of the boys on the baseball team. didn't she call him tyler? like tyler hernandez? huh. you didn't even realize you guys shared this class.

"what kind of nightmares have you been having?" the blonde asks, looking at who you're starting to assume is ashlyn. they have a staring contest of sorts while you start to answer. "oh, just weird ones. like, ones with monsters... and stuff..."

you didn't say anything about nightmares.

he looks at you again, a cat like grin on his face. "I think you should sit down. "

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

next part: a rescue mission

Claiming Something That's Not Yours

NotMC_F!reader x Zayne

May be OOC. Reader is isekai'd into L&Ds, following her heart, she studies medicine to get closer to Zayne. Suggestive. MDNI. 18+ just in case.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

-------------------------------

Part 1

You glance towards the side where he sits, still in disbelief after finding yourself in an otoge for the past 10 years. You sigh and he glances up from his tablet at you.

Zayne. A love interest in Love and Deepspace. Who's live in the flesh in front of you right now. The two of you were sitting on a couch in your apartment.

"Having trouble with something?" Zayne asks you in his regular monotone.

You had worked up the courage 7 years into being isekai'd to talk to Zayne. The person you possessed looked like you from your world and your family was pretty much also an exact copy. So, with renewed determination, you had decided to pursue your dream of becoming a psychiatrist. All for the chance to meet Zayne. Stupid, you know. But to you, it was worth it. And now, you've been dating Zayne for 2 years.

You remembered when you first approached him. You were shy and nervous of course. But you hid it behind a request to study together since you both attended the same med school and happened to both be taking neurology as an elective. You half expected him to refuse, knowing he only focused on school and did not seem to welcome any romantic advances from any of the students. But surprisingly, he agreed. You assumed it was because he happened to be very good at all the subjects and you had mentioned you were struggling. The professor had even recommended you ask Zayne for help, which was in your favour, making your request more credible and less like an attempt to flirt.

You guys became friends after that. Chatting about things you found interesting in your respective fields and finding parallels. A year passed and you found yourself nonchalantly asking him out. And again, surprisingly, he'd agreed. You assumed it's because you guys had good rapport as friends and you guys were at an age where most people would've had a date already and parents were starting to nag you about getting married.

The two of you were not particularly intimate, your affections towards each other not straying from the odd kisses and hugs, cuddling on a movie night, and sometimes sleeping in the same bed. Your first kiss (on the lips) with Zayne had your heart palpitating non-stop you thought you might have a heart attack. But one look at Zayne's face had you knowing he wasn't affected at all. Of course, this had disappointed you, but you were on a one-way track that leads to a break up, so even if he did not feel attracted to you sexually or anything, you cherished all the memories you made with him. Because you love him.

You shake your head and smile, "No. The hospital has already been hiring some more psychiatrists, so I've been feeling a bit more free as of late."

Zayne nods, "I've heard."

You lie your head down on his lap as he continues to review his documents on this tablet. He is used to you doing this by now, only occasionally glancing down at you and giving you a small smile. You smile back in response, content to just lie there and admire him. Again, he did not seem flustered to have you staring at him, though you had gradually built up to this, so maybe he got used to it too.

"Zayne," you whispered.

"Hmm?" He absentmindedly hummed.

"Would you go on a date with me this Saturday?" You asked.

He looks at you now, raising an eyebrow at your formality. Normally, you would just say you'd like to go on a date, not ask with such a formal tone. "Okay, where would you like to go?"

"I don't know..." You pretend to think, "Let's have lunch. Maybe stop by somewhere for dessert before going to see a movie, grab dinner, and finally a walk along the beach?" You smile at him.

"Sounds like you already have the whole day planned," He chuckles. "Alright, let's do that."

"What do you feel like eating?" You ask.

He thinks for a moment, "I'm fine with whatever you want to eat." He gives you a small smile again and you feel a blush rise on your face.

"Come on, pick something." You can't help the smile that crawls onto your face.

"Then... How about bibimbap and japchae? You enjoyed eating that last time." He suggests.

You nod, "Alright. That's for lunch then because I want pasta for dinner."

"No objections." He agrees.

"Then it's decided. The dessert place near the pasta restaurant I want to try is the one that sells carrot cake by the way."

He wrinkles his nose. "Just don't order it."

You giggle at his reaction. You've always found his aversion to carrots funny. It wasn't your favourite vegetable, but it tasted good to you. A lot of soups you made tended to have carrots in them and Zayne would end up piling all his into your bowl. At least he would still drink the soups even though it had been 'contaminated by those dreadful roots' as he so likes to word it.

You pulled up the place on your phone and showed him the menu. "Everything besides the carrot cake should suit your tastes." You also scrolled through the places that sold bibimbap and japchae as well as the pasta restaurant you were looking to try for him to check out the menus.

He glances through the menus quickly and nods in approval, "Looks good."

"Then I'll make the reservation." You sit up and head to your home office to make the call. Mainly, a reservation would be needed for the pasta restaurant. It would be fine to just walk in for the other places.

After making the reservation, you return to the living room and Zayne was nowhere to be found. You glance at the clock, finally realizing how late it was. He wouldn't have left without letting you know so he's probably taking a shower and getting ready for bed. Sure enough, you hear the sound of the water as you walk past the bathroom. You head to your room to grab your own pajamas and wait for Zayne to come out so you can shower.

He comes out after 30 minutes in a bathrobe, his chiseled pecs peaking out of the open robe.

Your eyes widen when you see him step out in the bathrobe. "Are you sleeping over?" You can't stop your eyes from dropping down to look at his chest.

He subtly smirks at your reaction. "Yes, where did you put my pajamas?"

"I-I'll grab them for you." You stand up in a hurry and rush past him to the bedroom again but he pulls you to him. The force sends you flying into him and you end up bracing your hands on the very chest you were just admiring. Your hands tense in shock and you freeze. "Z-Zayne?" You stutter, looking up at him.

His eyes roamed your face, studying your reaction. His face was serious, searching for something. You tilt your head in confusion.

"Nevermind, I'll try to find them myself. Go ahead and take a shower." He lets you go and heads toward your room.

You frown but grab your clothes and head into the bathroom anyway. When you finish showering, you find him sitting in your room with the pajamas you bought him on.

He smiles at you and pats the spot beside him on your bed. You shake your head and climb in beside him. You look at him with a smile, "Goodnight." He's staring at you again. You smile falters due to your nervousness. "You're staring..."

His hand lightly caresses the side of your face and then his fingers pinch your chin, gently tilting your head up. Then his lips were on yours in a slow, sensual kiss. One that the two of you had never shared before. It was a bit clumsy, since both of you were not experienced sexually.

He pulls back, leaving you winded and desperately trying to get air back into your lungs. You were sure your eyes had darkened and once again, Zayne seemed to be studying how you react. You felt the twinge of annoyance from how unaffected he was, not even a sign he was out of breath except the slightly quicker rise and fall of his chest. He leaned in again for another kiss and this time, it was more confident, the feeling of his lips pressed on yours and the slight tonguing against your lips brought a moan out of you, giving him access to your mouth. Your arms had wrapped around his neck and he was pressing you against him. You weren't sure what had brought this sudden bout of kisses on, but you felt it filling up a part of the hole in your heart.

However, you knew you would not go further than this. You are both virgins, and to you, that was a sacred thing. As much as you had fought with yourself in your own world about this as many seemed to prefer experienced sexual partners, your view was that it was a precious first time to be shared with the one you love (even if they were not the end all be all). That's why you knew you would not take that moment from Zayne and MC, if they were to get together. Rationally, you knew there are 4 other love interests in the game. Who's to say MC will definitely end up with Zayne or share her first time with him? But you couldn't bring yourself to do it. You already took his first kiss. His other firsts should be saved for the one he loves.

When he dropped his head to plant kisses on your neck, you pulled away. He pauses and his eyes search yours. You finally understood, he was searching for permission, for you to give in to that physical attraction that he could probably see you had for him. You shake your head and he understands that you don't wish to continue. He nods and pulls you in for a hug instead.

"I understand if you're not ready to take this further..." His deep voice comes out as a whisper. He cuddles you and turns both of you on your sides, making sure you're comfortable.

Turned away from him, you feel a familiar yet foreign prick in your eyes. Tears slowly swelled up, but you did not let them fall. You didn't deserve to cry. This wasn't even supposed to be your moment. As you hear his breathing even out behind you, you turn to face him. Gently your hand caresses his face.

"I'm sorry," You mouthed, scared to wake him up. Then you turn back onto your other side, your back once again facing him.

Saturday rolls around and you stare at your closet, trying to pick out the perfect outfit. Not that there could ever be a perfect outfit to break up with someone, you darkly chuckled. Yes, this date will be your final one with Zayne. You intended to break up with him once the night was over. It was approaching the date when he'll reunite with MC and you didn't want to be a thorn in his side when that happens. With your relationship with each other, perhaps you could still be friends. Your laugh is humourless as the thought passes your mind. Your feelings have probably grown too strong for you to continue being friends with Zayne. So, as a contingency, you had already applied for a transfer to Skyhaven. This way, you'll be far from Zayne and the MC. Unfortunately though, the transfer only takes effect in 3 months so you'll still have 3 months time to be witness to their love story. Though you already know what will happen.

You finally pick out a simple carnation pink dress that reaches your knees which you pair with a navy blue cardigan and sneakers.

Right on time, meaning 5 minutes before your scheduled meet up time, the doorbell rings. You smile and brush away the sad thoughts as you answer the door.

"Ready to go?" Zayne's eyes scan over your outfit.

You nod as you loop your arm through your off shoulder bag, "Let's go."

He steps aside to give you room to step out of your apartment. You turn back to lock the door before taking the hand he offers you and walk together towards the elevator. The two of you take his car to the restaurant you picked for lunch, enjoying each other's company along with good food. After lunch, you guys head to the dessert shop, picking out several desserts (skipping over the carrot cake) to enjoy before the movie.

You laugh and point to the corner of your mouth, "You've got some cream here."

Zayne picks up his napkin and wipes at his mouth, "Did I get it?"

You shake your head and hold out your hand. He passes his napkin to you and leans forward. You lightly dab at the corner of his mouth where the cream is.

"There, all gone." You hand him back his napkin to find him staring at you with a small smile. You flush under his stare.

"Thank you."

You avoid his gaze, "No problem."

Then it was time for the movie. The two of you scanned the options before opting for this romance movie that takes place in a hospital. You weren't a medical drama person, but romance in the hospital seemed quite rare. As you kind of expected, the movie ended on a bitter note, almost pulling tears out of you once again. Zayne took notice and gave your hand a squeeze. You gave him a reassuring smile in return.

After the movie, the two of you decided to take a stroll because the two of you weren't quite hungry yet and there was still time until the reservation.

"Zayne, what do you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?" You suddenly ask.

He furrows his brow in thought, indulging your rare quirky questions as always, "Well, still doing my job, maybe with a couple kids to take care of," He sways his arm, swinging yours in the process since he was holding your hand, "married, probably." Your breath hitches as he glances at you as he says that, his hand warm as it squeezes yours.

You just smile softly, "That sounds like you." You glance away off into the distance. "I think that's probably the same for me as well."

You continue walking in silence until it was time for your reservation. You heart was starting to feel heavy and you felt like you couldn't enjoy the food as much as you wanted to. The weight of what you're about to do stabbing at you. Because before you'd even realized it, Zayne was already committed to you. Perhaps he felt responsible, seeing how strong your feelings are for him, but you couldn't allow that. This was the man who fell in love with sweets because a little girl promised him a popsicle. The man who'd been entrusted with taking care of that girl. Of course, that didn't have to mean romantically, but as you thought of the game, of the way Zayne acted around MC, of the way he looks at MC... He didn't look at you like that. You knew you had to step aside for them.

After dinner, the two of you walk along the shore, feeling the refreshing sea breeze and taking in the view of the vast ocean at night. Once you reach a fairly deserted spot on the beach, you pause. Zayne stops with you and turns to face you as you turn to face him.

His eyes are searching yours again, as if he had found something in your gaze and needed to reconfirm it.

"Whatever you're about to do, don't do it." He says with conviction.

You feel the tears well up, "You... Nothing gets past you does it?"

He looks at you with furrowed brows. "Of course things do. I still haven't figured out why you're doing this. I don't understand at all."

You take a deep breath, "I just don't have feelings for you anymore. At some point, I just felt like we didn't have a spark." Your eyes are blurred with tears.

"You're lying," Zayne says softly, bringing a hand up to your cheek.

You shake your head, moving your head away from his touch, "I'm not. It's been hard for me to keep up this façade when I know we don't have romantic feelings towards each other."

Zayne shakes his head, "That's not true. I—"

You cut him off, "Don't." You smile at him through your tears, "Let's break up, Zayne."

"No, I refuse." Zayne grabs your hand. "You can't tell me you felt nothing. That there's no spark. I felt the way your lips moved against mine, the way your body reacted to my kiss that night. You can't deny that." He moves in for a kiss just like that night. You let him, but you remain unresponsive to him. He frowns, pressing you closer. You tremble from the strain of holding back. You push at his chest, and he lets you push him away. He stares at you again with narrowed eyes.

"What can I do to change your mind?" He finally sighs, keeping his gaze locked on yours.

"You can't. I've already made up my mind." You step back.

"Fine. Let's call it a break. For one month. Let's stop seeing each other for a month. If your decision is still the same after that, I'll let you go." Zayne's eyes had a strange glint in them. You'd never seen him look like that.

You nod, "Fine, deal."

His expression had returned to his usual stoicism. "I'll take you home." He walks ahead in front of you.

You slowly follow after him. It was an uncomfortable silence back home.

"Thank you for the ride." You mumbled as you stepped out. But he got out after you. "You don't have to walk me up."

His steps stagnate, "Right. Then I'll see you at work on Monday."

"Yes, have a good night." You bow and take off in a flurry, wanting to escape the suffocating air.

------------------------------------------------

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Love and Deepspace Non MC Reader Fics

(list inspired by: @erisnxxi )

made this collection for myself and to keep track of everything I've read so far. some are crossposted on tumblr and ao3 so I'll try to add both links (though i might miss some so let me know).

Status: Unedited & Incomplete tags; More fics to be added soon

symbols (will use soon):

✧ - smut

♡ - yandere/possessive/obsessive

☆ - angst

✴︎ - isekai/reincarnation/transmigration/reverse isekai

☁︎ - fluff

𖥔 - self aware au (technically counts as nonmc)

Caleb:

Rotten Apples by hcntrcss: (ao3) (tumblr)

Echoes in Space by feralaffection: (ao3)

Live, for Me by kat_the_cat: (ao3)

Psychosomatic by minamidwinter: (ao3)

The Colonel's Keeper by saintobio: (tumblr)

Weightless Paradise by luvl3ss: (ao3) (tumblr)

The Engineer's Gravity by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

back to friends by hxlxnaaa: (tumblr) (ao3)

keeper by "anonymous": (ao3)

mine by captivating-flavors: (tumblr)

best friend's brother au by mandalhoerian7: (tumblr)

Caleb's Spitfire - MC Twin AU by lily-jaxk: (tumblr)

fake dating by militaryapple: (tumblr)

Caleb becomes a wet rat (and gets unpixelated?!) by 4-the-l0ve-0f-art : (tumblr) (ao3)

Sylus:

Rewriting Fate by feralaffection: (ao3)

when love arrives-- and when she leaves. by cainis: (ao3)

Inside an Otoge: Mister Dragon, Let Me Love You by writerclaire: (ao3) (tumblr)

A Second Life for Strays! by stupidboy: (ao3)

Error 404 by ittybittyfanblog: (tumblr)

Impartial Hearts by ladsonlads: (tumblr)

surprise encounter by kitimeq: (tumblr)

calm and serenity by blueivyy99: (tumblr)

breaking my heart, 'tis the season, i guess by cainis: (ao3)

the sin & the sinner by saintobio: (tumblr: 1, 2, 3)

heartbreak anniversary with sylus by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

hurts so good by comatosebunny09: (tumblr)

merry christmas, mr. sylus by comatosebunny09: (tumblr: 1, 2, 3)

sensitive by comatosebunny09: (tumblr: 1, 2)

a curse between us by eelliotss: (tumblr: 1, 2)

Fourth Wall by always-just-red: (tumblr)

Onychinus' Finest by always-just-red: (tumblr)

Emptiness by antaresr: (ao3)

ikigai by lighting_and_shadow: (ao3)

maybe by captivating-flavors: (tumblr)

enough by captivating-flavors: (tumblr: 1, 2)

Sylus' Darling - MC Twin AU by lily-jaxk: (tumblr)

Zayne:

Nocturne of Twilight by chuloyi: (ao3) (tumblr: 1, 2, 3, 4)

My Wedding Vow Is To Divorce You by kira-loves0905: (tumblr)

lost among the pages by lazylattedgleam: (tumblr)

just give me your forever by shaiyasstuff: (tumblr: 1, 2)

heartbreak anniversary with zayne by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

Gymnopédie no. 1 by deltachye: (ao3)

giliw ko (my dear) bybarefootindecember (ao3: 1, 2) (tumblr: 1, 2)

date by captivating-flavors: (tumblr)

Rafayel:

jealousy in the game by melkar: (ao3)

Intimations of Immortality by thyrd_pardie: (ao3)

When you suddenly wake up in Linkon City by irandial: (ao3) (tumblr)

heartbreak anniversary with rafayel by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

Fourth Wall by always-just-red: (tumblr)

Rafayel's Muse - MC Twin AU by lily-jaxk: (tumblr)

a blessed bond, broken by time by yuansie: (tumblr: 1, 2)

ocean memories by yuansie: (tumblr)

burning hearts by maddamoiselle: (tumblr)

Xavier:

Meet Me at the Edge of Time by oeggchi: (ao3)

three hours past midnight by savouringmidnights: (tumblr)

glass half full by shaiyasstuff: (tumblr)

we can't be friends by kitimeq: (ao3) (tumblr)

Multi

Insatiable by Aceecee: (ao3) (tumblr)

Fake by urlulugululueverythinggoessmoothulu: (a03)

Wildest dreams by tactfulao3: (ao3)

Cats & Deepspace by thxforthemmrs: (ao3)

on the sideline by rqyup: (tumblr)

they forget your anniversary by yeosatinyngz: (tumblr)

Hugs are Mandatory by whosashan: (tumblr)

Sneakyyy by whosashan: (tumblr)

Bitter by whosashan: (tumblr)

Borrowed Time by eelliotss: (tumblr: 1, 2, 3, 4)

I am in love and deepshit by amethystheartsx: (tumblr: 1, 2)

tempatio by morningstarfirstsin: (tumblr) (ao3)

A Hymn to You by lapetitecafe: (ao3)

✈ — weightless paradise

transmigrated non-mc!reader x caleb

series masterlist. | ao3

01 — "first" meet

02 — experiment

03 — regeneration

04 — helplessness

05 — countdown

06 — name

07 — dream

08 — fear

09 — distance

010 — playtime

011 — moving

012 — onward

013 — destroyer

014 — gravity

015 — stay

016 — walk

017 — home

018 — necklace

019 — departure

020 — life

021 — sightlines

022 — lecture

023 — vacation

024 — ???

025 — ???

026 — ???

027 — ???

028 — ???

029 — ???

030 — ???

the first time he met you, your evols resonated so well with each other — it leveled an entire building to the ground and three others. the clean up was a mess but at that time his lips quirked up in a slanted smile. “I guess you’re mine now.”

———————————————————————

you do not agree with his territorial claims. in fact, if anything, a part of you is busy rolling your eyes at the audacity of men to not give you a say. but it was nice, to unleash that much power, and to know you hold it. that here is someone able to make you feel good about your abilities and someone who gives a clear guide as to where you stand in their life: an asset, valuable. secretly, you’ve always loved the rush of feeling powerful and here is a man who hands it to you. 

a part of your mind labels him as worth sticking around for.

———————————————————————

you strike an unlikely friendship with him. he tells you about his search for his reincarnated soulmate. you listen even if it sounds like a fantasy to you — to be around someone who is pretty much proof that reincarnation and past lives exist is difficult to grasp but you also have an open mind — and it’s nice, you think, to watch him reminisce even if you can read the melancholy in his eyes. you don’t push him for answers, content with what he’s willing to share and recognize it when he wants to pull back. it’s nice to know he has a weakness; it’s nice to know he’s the type of person to relentlessly go after what he wants. 

it’s another mark on your book to keep sticking around him. you like people that inspire you to do more in your life. you hope he meets her soon. 

when he asks you jokingly if you’ve met your soulmate, you tell him blankly you have no idea. shouldn’t it be evident enough from the way you stick around him instead? 

it’s the first time you hear him laugh.

———————————————————————

so you help out when he tells you he has an inkling he’s found her. a hunter with a protocore for a heart based in linkon. 

you object at his stupid and idiotic behavior of stalking her. this is why he’s single all these years, you think. no tact whatsoever and is the poster child for terrifying your crush instead of being normal around them. you tell him as much. he looks so offended you can’t help but laugh and feel bad enough you give him pointers instead.

like, let you do the scouting and snooping to get to know her. secretly you also want to know who she is — you’re a bit nosy like that when it comes to the lives of the people around you. you want to know if she’s worth his attention and weigh the change in dynamic between you and him if she’s in the picture. 

did he let you? yes. you get to know her absolutely terrible skills at kitty cards and her refusal to admit defeat. it’s fine, you get it, pride is all one tend to have and you also are a sore loser sometimes; you just mask it well. weekly, you’ll meet up to play them in the card cafe if both of your schedules align.

did he ignore your advice? yes. because men, you learn, sometimes love loopholes. so off he goes making the mechanical crow he names mephisto to which you point out what a terrible name it was: it’s too clunky, you say to justify yourself.

he stares at you unimpressed. “it means not lovi—“ 

“—ng light,” you continue, “i know. had to google it and everything.”

“so?” as if it proves his point of being a skilled namer of things.

you shrug, “sounds like you’re trying too hard.” you refrain from saying it doesn’t sound like him at all even if the meaning does sound like him.

“you’re such a hater,” he grouses.

“i’m not,” you insist, extending a finger to… mephie. that’s cuter in your head. “you’re hurting his feelings for naming him something awful.” 

“he’s a robot.”

“a robot doesn’t need a custom stand perch in every room in this house.” mephie shuffles towards you and nudges your hand with his head. “don’t listen to him sweetheart. you’re the sweetest,” you coo to the crow. you’ve always liked animals most would associate with omens: crows, snakes, black cats. 

you give him the stink eye when he sends mephie to stalk his beloved. an absolute spoilsport. 

———————————————————————

when she stayed at the manor and your lives collide, you keep out of their way and stay in your assigned wing in the base. both of you have agreed you’ll tell her about you knowing him at a different time — maybe an orchestrated visit by him to your weekly kitty card cafe game and then she’ll ask of how you are acquainted. luke and kieran have been giggling nonstop and you send them your thoughts and prayers for their next prank. it’s a reunion you don’t wish to intrude upon and you’ve told him off when you hear how he treated her at first sight. you hope he’s making it up to her as mephie nudged your fingers for more pets. 

a robot, my ass, you think. the clinginess is worth studying even as you indulge its every whim. animals have never harmed you; it’s why you find it easy for them to love. once, a palm reader in linkon stationed at the card cafe stop you and tell you you’ve saved animals in your past life. you take it in stride, knowing what you know about reincarnation from sylus. you are impressed and starting to consider maybe there’s really truth in past lives as the first dream you had growing up was a field you get to roam in. it was also where you administer first aid to beasts and gazelles injured in the wild, like a field doctor, no matter how improbable that is logistically. 

you await the gossip session come sunrise, or the weekend or whenever their honeymoon ends.

———————————————————————

“she doesn’t remember.”

he tells you this in his office without prompt. miss hunter has left the premises two days prior and you were happy to not pry. if he wanted to tell you, he would. 

you recalibrate your response. sorry is too trite and you personally don’t get heartaches and the melodrama of a heartbreak. to act otherwise would be insulting and not maintain your integrity and yet even you know it’s callous.

sylus sends a wry smile your way, “no tears for me?” 

“you don’t need it,” you say, then, choose your words carefully because you do consider him as a friend. “all i know about love is people leave even when you don’t want them to. so i find it hard to imagine being sad that they don’t stay.” 

he frowns. “you don’t believe that.” a statement. he knows you a bit too well for your liking sometimes.

“no,” you agree, “it’s what i learned.”

a silence passes between you, too heavy for your liking, so you wave it away, “what i’m trying to say is i can’t promise she’ll remember one day or that she’ll be who she is in your memory, but anyone worthwhile would appreciate the effort you’ve put into finding her.”

“so long as you don’t terrorize her,” you add as levity.

he snorts. “i’ll try not to.” 

“i’m serious,” you start. “you can be…” 

he raises an eyebrow.

charming, sincere, lovable 

“…passable: not terrible to be around.”

“passable,” he repeats.

“i mean i haven’t killed you,” you say. “yet.” 

“a stellar review.”

you roll your eyes. “it is. you should be grateful about that.”

he huffs a laugh.

“i’m also giving you full permission to mope for five business days.”

“only five?”

“you won’t stop moping after five days. i’m just giving you a heads up as to when i will stop pretending not seeing you cry and be obnoxious about it.”

“duly noted. shall we sign an agreement for that as well?”

“i don’t know. is your memory deteriorating that quick?”

“are you calling me old?”

“you did. i never said that,” you stand up and head towards the door, considering your job done when you spot the amusement in his eyes. “now i’m going to go see what luke and kieran want for lunch. you want anything?”

“the usual’s fine.”

you give him a thumbs up in acknowledgement, leaving him to brood.

———————————————————————

life goes on. you let him wallow by distracting him with offers to spar so you can brush up on your self defense skills. unlike miss hunter, you have abysmal fighting skills. a sword feels too heavy on you, a gun feels too detached, and you never like the idea of hurting anything. you’re interested in self defense even before meeting sylus so that’s the one concession you are willing to learn in an effort to arm yourself. it’s why sylus never sends you out for missions often, which suits you just fine. you like your limbs in tact, thanks. you’re content to being brought out only when he needs backup to resonate with you or information you can gather posing as a civilian. 

in return you learn how to heal, how to suture, keep compression on wounds. in a twisted way, you fulfill your mother’s lifelong dream of seeing you be a doctor, though it’s not like she knows what you really do far away from home.

not that sylus gets injured often, you’ve seen his skin knit itself back together. you’re not too worried though it does make you wonder if your treatment is even needed and why sylus would indulge you. he indulges luke and kieran’s pranks so if you’re bad at your medical skills, it’s probably his version of indulging you. nothing to get so worked up about, you decide. sometimes you think despite a tough life that turns many to cruelty, he’s still kind. maybe that’s just how some people are: inherently good with compulsions to do good. you wish you had that kind of integrity. maybe you’ll be more successful then. fulfill your potential the way people expected you to instead of playing house even if you’re content with where you are.

———————————————————————

on a fine day, miss hunter takes you out for shopping. gifts! she cheerfully announces as christmas looms around the corner. you follow her around the mall after your weekly kitty card game. it’s been three weeks since the last one; she was stationed for a mission out of town and you’re glad she’s returned back just fine. 

you see her picking up gifts for her coworkers, the childhood friend turned doctor, an artist she complains about often, even sylus is on the list along with luke and kieran. what a full life, you think, to shop for so many people. 

the crow household — as you like to name it in your head — occasionally does celebrate in their own way, but crime doesn’t wait for anybody and since you’ve been with them, there was only one instance where the four of you shared dinner together on christmas night. gifts are not a tradition solely on christmas in the household so there was never any import on holiday shopping sprees. maybe things will change with miss hunter after all.

she tugs you to a craft store and a red pattern catches your eye, calling out to you. 

“it looks like the flower you like to doodle,” miss hunter says from behind you. 

you hum, filing the fact she’s observant enough and has good enough memory to remember the one time you doodle on a notebook waiting for her even when you quickly snap it shut once she makes herself known. truthfully, you doodle the flowers without thought — the same way someone would doodle clouds or spirals or hearts absentmindedly. you didn’t think the flower you doodle about would be based on a real one. you figure it was just your brain’s way being creative to draw the kind of basic flower outline everyone learns to draw as kids and you trying to change the petals to something much sharper like shards. maybe you’ll look up what flower it is later at home.

you grab the wrapping paper as an impulse buy. 

———————————————————————

in the end you give a diffuser set to miss hunter at the end of your shopping trip. you get sylus a pair of onyx cufflinks and matching hoodies monogramed with their names for kieran and luke to replace the ones that got busted during their latest mission. 

you place the gifts in their respective rooms when they’re out of the mansion and go to bed.

when you wake up and head to the breakfast bar, the twins are lounging and lazing about with unrestrained glee in their countenance. it’s nice to see them not wearing the masks; kieran’s scar treatment is going well. you elect to maintain your peace and ignore their eyes trained on you. it’s probably another harmless prank.

 “we love the hoodie,” luke says, all delight conspiracy lacing his voice. 

you hum in acknowledgment as you pour hot water for your morning tea. “i’m glad you like them.” you’re feeling chrysanthemum. now where did it go? you rummage through the cupboard and ask if they know where the flowers are, not paying attention enough to puzzle out kieran’s cryptic whisper to his twin, “i told you so.”  

there’s the sound of someone slapping someone’s arm — probably the boys play fighting again — and luke calling out, “chrysanthemum is on the left. bottom drawer.” 

“thanks, luke!” they’re sweet to you and occasionally, they’ll rope you in on their schemes so there’s never a dull moment around. when sylus first welcomes you, one of the twins will always keep you company. probably as a surveillance measure from sylus.

 “boss is away,” kieran, the more sensible one says though the mischief in his voice is still very much present. 

“he should be back soon,” luke adds.

you give a sound of acknowledgment. they like to tell you where the boss is all the time and you’ve always taken it in stride as their habit to inform you even if it’s obvious when sylus is not present sometimes. it’s an indulgence you make for them — to not dismiss their announcement outright especially when you’re aware of said fact and pretend each time that they’re delivering some grand news you don’t know. you suspect it’s now more of a tradition than anything else, knowing how sharp they are. you watch the flowers bloom under hot water and blow on the cup, impatient for a sip even if it’s still a weak brew. 

“in about 2 minutes, i reckon,” kieran says, which is new. they don’t normally give you sylus’ eta. you eye them warily.

“no, a minute and 47 seconds. i tracked his bike.” 

“that’s cheating.” 

“only cuz you didn’t think of it first.” 

kieran throws his hands up and grumbles about not wanting to pay up for the bet.

further down the hall, the front door swings open. 

“well, none of us win then,” kieran says. 

“i’m still closer so i win.” 

“no,” kieran explains, patiently, and hauls his twin up. “we never said it should be accurate on the dot.”

“oh look at the time,” luke feigns ignorance to his twin and starts making his way towards the exit. “it’s our cue to leave. bye miss!” 

“have fun!” kieran tells you as he chases his twin with arguments as to why he owes him nothing and the bet is a bust.

you raise your hand in a wave to empty air, wondering what that is all about before chucking it to their typical shenanigans. it’s a crisp winter morning so you decide to spend a bit of time leaning on the kitchen island with your tea and a sudoku puzzle on your phone. heavy footsteps alert you to sylus heading your way and when you feel his presence in the room, you greet him without looking up, counting the number of 4s on the board. “welcome back.” 

you pen a 7 on the upper right hand box and put down the phone when there’s no response. maybe he wants to talk? he’s not moving nor did he acknowledge your greeting. it’s then when you see the cufflinks on his sleeves. “oh, you found the cufflinks! did you like it?”

there’s a perplexing look on his face as he approaches you— one you’re not familiar with. you wonder if maybe he doesn’t like it and is coming up with a way to ask if you have the receipt still to do a full return. you know he doesn’t wear long sleeves often or he does but the sleeves are usually rolled up, but you have seen him with the full get up with a suit and everything once in a while when meetings are set up and events where formal wear is required. you didn’t expect him to wear it so soon… maybe there’s a defect you didn’t spot? you decide to save him the trouble, “if you don’t like it, it’s fine! i can return them if you want.” 

“no,” his voice like gravel. “it’s a great gift.”

“oh,” you reply stupidly because now you’re not sure why he looks so… solemn? sad? it doesn’t fit him at all. “well, i’m glad you like it.” 

“i do.” 

“okay.” 

his eyes search yours. never had he look at you this way, this… reverent wistfulness you’re not sure you’re meant to see, like he’s memorizing the features on your face. “sylus,” you say, softly, afraid to break this moment you’re not sure is yours to keep, yet is still fragile all the same. “what’s wrong?”

he smiles something awful, all rueful and wrong. “nothing,” he says and it’s starting to worry you — this odd behavior of his. lying so awfully, no comeback to distort the truth somehow. you wonder what happened when he was out. a new threat? 

“you’re not going to die are you?”

he chokes out a laugh, “no, no i’m not.” 

“okay. then, can i help with this ‘nothing’?”

he looks subdued again, all forlorn with regret. slowly, he raises his hand and tuck a stray hair behind your ear. you hold your breath at the sudden touch, all gentle and careful and again, confusion freezing you in place because yes, friends can touch and tidy your hair, but shouldn’t this only be reserved for miss hunter? it’s also the first time he has ever touched you this gently. you know it’s wrong. he belongs to someone you consider a friend. you’ll berate him tomorrow and come clean to miss hunter tomorrow too. you should stop it, but he looks like he needs it. “don’t worry about it,” he says, and whether he read your mind or he’s refusing your help, you choose to believe him as you always do, savoring the warmth of his hand and a touch not tainted with cruelty.

———————————————————————

end notes:

alexa play: but if you hold me without hurting me, you'll be the first who ever did.

in case it wasn't clear: reader is not mc in the current timeline, but reader is the myth mc, just with no memory of it. sylus mistakes game mc as his counterpart. and so the present timeline of sylus meeting game mc exists just the same here.

part 2 | part 3