Soft Spot → Sylus

Unexplainable Symptoms

A/N : There will be footnotes by the end of every chapters.

-

Being a hunter has its ups and downs. While hunters get an abundant amount of insurance and a large salary, the amount of work load the Hunter Association gives can be far from the work-life balance people strive for these days. Especially with the sudden large amount of fluctuations in different areas in Linkon City.

Unfortunately for you, it just has to be one of those days, where after being sent on a field mission, you'll have to continue writing down the paperworks for today's reports. Not that it's necessary to finish it today, but since you've been slacking off since the past week, you have a reasonable amount of work load nearing their due date.

"Ugh, I feel sore all over," you leant back against the office chair, rolling away from your desk. From the corner of your eyes, you notice a mop of brown hair gradually coming closer to your desk.

"You know, you don't have to finish it all today," Tara slides a vacant chair closer, sitting by uour side. "Judging from the bags under your eyes, you seem like you've been having sleepless nights too."

Your eyebrow twitches involuntarily. "Yeah, my roommate keeps me up all night," you had to lie about sharing the same house with the leader of Onychinus - saves you from a whole 'nother storyline.

"What could possibly keep you up all night?" Tara inquires, tapping her chin in thought.

"He's annoying-!" you suppress a stutter. "He's not even home most of the time. But, when he is, he wouldn't let a minute pass without pestering me."

Tara chuckles, "I'm starting to think he's more than just your roommate," she raises her eyebrow suggestively.

"Ugh," granted, you don't blush easily. Even as you bite into the soft melon bread you bought on the way back to office, you can't help but recall some of the nights you spent together.

The bread is fragrant, no wonder it's such a big hit in Linkon. You can't help but stop eating the bread though. There's that strange feeling of bile rising in your throat again. It's been happening for awhile, you're not even sure when it began. Putting down the remaining melon bread on your desk, you lean back against your chair, staring up at the ceiling.

"You're not finishing that?" Tara asks, pointing at the bread.

"I'm full," you try to regulate your breathing, hoping it would ease the discomfort from your neck.

It falls silent for a moment, save for Nero typing away on his computer. Such serenity gives you a moment of peace, which nearly makes you fall into a well-needed rest.

"Well, I'm going home," Tara gives a soft pat on your shoulder, smiling. "You should too. The office is almost empty by now."

You exhale a long sigh, waving off Tara as she walks out of the room. After the bitter taste on your tongue dissipates, you begin to rearrange some of the paperwork due this week. Captain Jenna probably wouldn't mind if you take them home, as long as you submit it on time.

Standing up, you stretch your limbs, relieving yourself from the soreness all over your body. Grabbing hold of all the documents, you start walking out of the room, only glancing back one last time to catch a glimpse of Nero. "See you tomorrow, Nero!"

-

During crucial times when you're walking home, you're usually given two options: One, drive to the apartment near the Hunter Association's HQ, or two, drive a little further towards the border of Linkon City and N109 zone. You'd usually choose the former, but considering the nice weather, you decided the latter for today.

Walking inside the mansion, you can't help but heave a long sigh. Strange that it seems deserted, you would've expected someone to-

"I sense you'd visit," there's that voice you'd expect to hear. "Make yourself at home."

"What a rare sight," you walk over towards the bar, sitting on the stool to face the tall man. "I don't often see you home."

"I'd figure you might just claim squatter's rights¹ if I left a little longer," Sylus slices a triangular piece of the brown cake. Preparing two plates, he places one down in front of you. "I hope you like tiramisu."

Throwing a sharp glare at Sylus, you still gratefully take his offering, given how starving you are. Taking a spoonful of the tiramisu cake in your mouth, you taste the nice balance between the sweetness of the bitterness of the cake's topping. But, somehow, the bitterness takes over the rest of your taste buds, making it less enjoyable.

It's not until you feel the bile rising in your throat did you realize that it's not the cake's fault. Quickly, you stand up, rushing for the nearest bathroom. Lifting the toilet's seat, you let out nearly the entire food you ate all day. Your vision gradually becomes hazy, but you're quick to gather your consciousness before fainting.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Sylus's calm composure quickly dissipates as he follows you to the bathroom. "Was it the cake?" he kneels beside you, rubbing your back gently.

You shake your head, "No," sitting on the tiled bathroom floor, you look down, suppressing the need to vomit again. "Maybe, it was the melon bread..."

It falls silent after that. Sylus pulls you into his arms, both of you sitting idly on the bathroom floor, waiting for your sickness to subside. After 15 minutes, you feel the constricting feeling in your throat dissipates. You lean back against Sylus's chest, listening in to the constant rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Feel better?" Sylus's voice breaks the ice. Looking down at you, his face is blank of any expression, but his eyes tell otherwise.

"Yeah," a small smile paints your face, in an attempt to ease him.

"I'll call a doctor," he gently carries you in his arms, and out of the bathroom.

-

It hasn't even been 10 minutes after Sylus puts you on his king sized bed when a doctor walk into your room with both Luke and Kieran on his tail. The doctor, obviously rushed, has an unsettling expression written all over his face.

With Sylus's permission - which literally just him beckoning his head towards you - the doctor begins to do a basic checkup, with you listing all of the symptoms you've been experiencing. "Have you experienced irregular periods?"

"Not exactly. But, my periods have been very short these days," you reply, confused.

"What does it have to do with periods?" Sylus has his arms crossed over his chest, watching the doctor carefully.

The doctor falls silent for a moment, possibly intimidated. "There's only one way to find out," his hands rummage through the bag he brought along, taking a small, rectangular box out and passing it over to you.

Both you and Sylus have to do a double take at what the doctor gave. "No, I can't be pregnant," you raise your head to meet the doctor's gaze. Anxiety begins to bubble inside of you.

"You might be experiencing cryptic pregnancy. It might not be visible for everyone, but I also notice the slight swelling of your stomach. All of your symptoms also add up."

"Is cryptic pregnancy dangerous?" Sylus piques up, his eyes still glued to the rectangular box you hold.

"It might be, considering that the mother doesn't know that they're pregnant. The mother might be overworking or have an unhealthy diet. As for the baby, due to the lack of nutrition, might be at risk for poor growth or respiratory issues, possibly even born prematurely."

Hearing the doctor's explanation doesn't ease the anxiety clouding your mind. Instead, you tilt your head up to meet Sylus's gaze. He seems deep in thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Don't worry, I'll be waiting here, sweetie."

*

¹ Squatter's rights (also known as adverse possession) allow someone to continue their use/occupation of a property in the event that the true owner or landlord does not take action within a certain time frame.