Love & Deepspace (One Shots)

the best you ever had, pt. 1. 🐦‍⬛ (f)

Yet another laugh track echoed out from the TV in response to something funny a character had said, but it felt like they were mocking me and my current situation. I had been sitting on the sofa in Sylus's living room for the last hour, though while he worked out in the gym and took a shower, I had been staring at my lap and twirling the same envelope in my hands. I'd already looked at what was inside and had been debating the entire day whether to accept or refuse... or, more importantly, whether to mention it to Sylus.

The sound of footsteps in the hall caught my attention, and just as they rounded the corner and entered the room, I hurriedly folded the letter and stuffed it into my hoodie pocket. I slowly looked up to see Sylus standing in the doorway, running a hand through his still-damp hair; I could already tell he knew I was hiding something, but for whatever reason, he didn't question me about it.

"Not interested in the movie anymore?"

"What makes you think that?" I innocently asked, tugging on my hoodie's front to straighten it out.

"Well, you told me it was one of your favourites, but you've hardly looked at the screen five minutes since I put it on." He took a few steps toward me, stopping just in front of the sofa. His expression didn't say much, yet his eyes made me feel as though he was staring into my soul in an attempt to reveal my secrets. "Besides... you seem more interested in your reading material."

I opened my mouth to respond but instantly closed it again once I saw him glance at my pocket; there was no way I could pretend I wasn't hiding something, and even if I did, there was even less chance of him believing me. Sometimes it seemed as if he knew me even better than I knew myself, which despite being sweet was very frustrating.

As Sylus moved to sit beside me, I shifted in my seat and crossed my legs, then ever so slowly pulled out the envelope and unfolded it. "Are you going to tell me what's in the mysterious envelope, or do I have to find out myself?"

He reached out as if he was about to take the letter, but I pulled away. "It's nothing important..."

"If it bothers you, it's important to me," he said, a hint of sweetness in his voice. He playfully nudged my shoulder. "So, what is it?"

I took a deep breath and rolled my lips together. "My childhood friends invited me to a reunion — to catch up since we haven't seen each other in a couple of months."

"Ah, that's nice... then, why do you seem so worried?"

"Well, it's not just me they've invited..." Sylus adorably tilted his head, brows slightly furrowed. "They also want to meet my boyfriend."

The mention of my friends wanting to meet him made his eyes light up, and he sat up a little straighter in response. Even so, to maintain his cool composure, he turned to face me and rested his arm across the back of the sofa.

"And that makes you anxious because...?"

"Because you're you."

The words left my mouth quickly and without thought, causing me to hurriedly bite my lip once I realised what I'd said. Even though I was being honest, I hoped to word it in a much nicer way than I had.

"Obviously," Sylus hummed, looking rather unamused. It wasn't surprising; not only had I blatantly insulted him, but rather than giving a genuine reason for being worried, I'd just stated the obvious. "What does that mean?"

I shifted in my seat again, feeling myself shrinking under his intense gaze. "Well... you're the mysterious leader of Onychinus." He raised his eyebrows, prompting me to continue. "You're big, strong, and you don't smile much. You intimidate most people just by looking at them." In a sarcastic response to my words, the corners of Sylus's mouth curled up into a smile. "The constant sarcasm doesn't help your case much, either."

"Says the Queen of Sarcasm herself," he quipped, seeming rather pleased with his remark. I kept a straight face regardless, hoping he would at least try to understand my point of view. "Are you really blaming me for others feeling intimidated? It's not my fault if they lack self-confidence." Although Sylus spoke in his usual nonchalant tone, there was a hint of arrogance in his voice which wasn't exactly surprising; the man has boundless confidence. "Is that all?"

I slowly blinked and looked up, meeting his scarlet eyes. "There's also the fact that you're like an entire foot taller than me... you literally tower over me."

"...doesn't everyone?"

My jaw dropped upon hearing his reply, but I couldn't help rolling my eyes and scoffing. "Oh, haha, very funny. Yet another short joke. Your comedic repertoire truly is expansive, isn't it?"

"Indeed. It's one of the things about you that I find cute... another is how frustrated you get whenever I call you short."

Furrowing my brows into a frown, I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from Sylus; I was certainly frustrated, but more so about the fact that he could make my entire face flush red just by calling me cute. I wanted him to take me seriously as I was genuinely struggling to come to a resolution for the reunion, and yet here I was hiding whilst he watched me, looking smug as ever.

Once I was facing away from him, Sylus reached out and gently placed a hand on the small of my back; the soft warmth of his fingertips seeped into my skin. "You know, I am capable of being nice... especially to those important to people I care about."

I struggled to fight back a smile and hesitantly glanced over my shoulder, surprised by the sudden tenderness in his gaze. "It's not just you I'm worried about — my friends are very honest people... some might say too honest."

"And you're worried I'll get upset if they don't like me? You know me better than that, sweetie."

"Okay, then..." I turned to face him once again, my movement causing his arm to fall loosely around my waist. I allowed myself to settle into his embrace as I sighed, preparing myself to ask, "Sylus, would you like to come to the reunion and meet my old friends?"

"I would love to," he replied, wearing the most genuine smile I'd seen from him all day. Something was hiding in his eyes, though — a mischievous glint that I didn't understand until he opened his mouth again. "If my little kitten wants to explore the big, wide world, I need to make sure she doesn't get lost."

"I—!" My eyes widened then narrowed in an instant as I flipped over and sat so I was straddling his legs. I knew my frustration wasn't exactly helping my case, but in that moment, I didn't care. I angrily punched his shoulder. "I am not that small. I'm perfectly normal-sized!" To emphasise my point, I threateningly made an 'I'm watching you' gesture and lowered my voice. "You'd better sleep with one eye open."

As if he had ignored every word I'd said, Sylus chuckled and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer until my head rested against his chest. "I always do, kitten." His hand cupped the nape of my neck, and the sound of his strong heartbeat filled my ears as he trailed his fingers through my hair. "Just so I can look at you."