Archive of Our Own

“I'm headed home! I'll keep you updated on all the episodes I catch up on. See you Monday, Tara.”

You tap the button to end the call on your phone and drop it in your coat pocket. The sun is setting over Linkon’s horizon, the sky mostly clear of clouds. It’s almost the perfect end to the work week. Two glorious days ahead of rotting on your couch in your brand new pajamas, finishing up the newest season of the show you’ve been watching with Tara. You silently celebrate the arrival of the weekend as your boot heels rap against the sidewalk. A soft summer breeze blows and widens the smile on your face. 

The walk home should’ve been uneventful. It should’ve been enjoyable, even. You had decided to skip the train and possibly grab a bite to eat from one of the street vendors. But after a block or two, you couldn't help but notice a very sleek looking bike seemed to be following you. Not close enough to get your attention right away, but not far enough to lay low. The next crosswalk you come to, the bike finally inches into a standstill at the nearby curb. You roll your eyes as you press the “walk” button on the pole. 

“You’re following me now? Don’t you have something better to do, Boss?” You shout. 

You can't hear him but you can see his shoulders shaking slightly. He responds with a very loud rev of the bike. It earns another eye-roll from you, and a snort as you shake your head. To tease him, of course. 

Just as the sign ahead changes to green, signaling it’s safe to cross, your phone begins to ring. You can't hide your grin when you fish the device from your coat and see Sylus’s contact picture on the screen. You tap to answer as you step out into the designated crossing area, effectively leaving the bike behind a little ways. 

“Come with me,” Sylus says through his helmet comms system. He's watching you walk away, your hips swaying masterfully. He eyes the red traffic light ahead of him and revs the engine of the bike again, as if it might threaten the light to change early. 

“You can't scare the traffic lights, Sy,” you giggle. The melodic sound fills his helmet and he bounces one of his legs anxiously. 

“Correct. They won't stop me from kidnapping you, though.” 

A little gasp graces his ears and he sees you turn your head back now that your across the street safely. The cars are beginning to move along again and it’s almost his turn. 

“You wouldn’t,” you scoff.

The light flashes green.

“Better run, little kitten.”

The bike’s engine roars as Sylus blows through the light, doing absolutely nothing to lay low. Adrenaline rushes through your body, sending your feet bounding forward, one after the other. An odd, tremendous excitement bubbles up from your chest in the form of a laugh. You shove your phone in your breast pocket and leap up onto a nearby concrete partition with ease. Your eyes scan all the possible routes and you’re  immediately drawn to a hidden entrance that’s still a few blocks down. Determination hardens your gaze and you take off with cat-like reflexes. You leap around obstacles and people, weave through the bustle of the city streets and duck quickly into the alleyway, the sound of his motorcycle following not far behind.

Your heart pounding, you listen closely as you press your back against the nearby building. It takes several seconds but you hear the bike go zooming past and you smirk, letting out a relieved breath. 

It wont take him long to redirect and come back for you. You know how much he loves the hunt. You catch your breath for a moment and then run to hastily cross the street at the closest light. You’re careful to weave in between buildings, keeping your eyes ahead on the roads with every decision you make. 

Twenty minutes goes by like this before you start to wonder if he ran into some sort of trouble.  You kept expecting to hear the bike but it never reappeared. Your brows knit together while you check your phone, pouting—there’s no missed calls or texts. Where’d he go? 

Just another five minutes and you’ll be strolling up the drive to your complex, no Sylus to be seen. Surely this is some kind of trap, right? It isn’t like him to change his mind so abruptly. You sigh and your shoulders slump. If you weren’t so disappointed, you’d probably be a little peeved. And on top of that, you still worry that by some chance, maybe someone had caught him off guard. It was hard to believe, really, but it could happen. Even Sylus wasn't perfect.

The apartment complex comes into view and you check your phone again. Still no calls. No texts. You decide to dial him once, just to see. The phone rings. 

And rings.

And rings. 

Finally the line connects, just as you were ready to give up.

“Coming, kitten.”

Your eyes go wide and you turn so fast, you almost make yourself dizzy.

That familiar bike is racing up the road towards you, Sylus’s helmet reflecting the late evening sun. You gasp and take off in a sprint, your eyes on the apartment complex doors. But the bike, of course, is too fast. It takes him no time to bring the bike screeching to a halt in front of you. Before you can stop, you find yourself crashing into his toned body and his boisterous laugh sounds from his helmet as he wraps an arm around your waist firmly to steady you. 

“Got you.” 

You pound your fists against his broad chest, which only encourages his laughter. It’s like music to you, despite your defeat. 

“You cheated! You can’t hide with your evol!” 

“So there’s rules to kidnapping now?”

You huff, pushing against his chest in an attempt to put distance between you. 

“You. Cheated.” 

Sylus reluctantly lets you go and kicks the stand down to steady his bike, pulling off his helmet. You watch him from the corner of your eye; shaking out his hair and running his fingers through it to push it back. 

“I did not cheat. I simply used my…resources.” 

You scoff and cross your arms over your chest, stomping away towards your building. 

“It doesn’t matter, I guess. You never finished the job anyway,” you throw over your shoulder. You let it settle in for a few steps. Without looking back, you break into a run once more with a nervous giggle. 

His incredulous scoff can’t be heard, as you're too far ahead already, but he lets out a low hum to himself. 

“Ha. Practically begging for it, isn’t she?” He murmurs under his breath, a smirk plastered on his face. His heart rate quickens as he watches you slip inside the building doors. 

Five. Four. Three. Two. One. 

Sylus disappears into red mist, floating through the cracks of the door so as not to alert you where he’s coming from. To his surprise, however, you've already managed to make it safely into an elevator headed up.  No matter. 

Without making a sound, he seeps his way into the elevator shaft and follows closely beneath the giant metal box. He knows you're inside. He can feel the pull of your bond. 

It would be easy to sneak in next to you— wait for the elevator to open up on your floor and materialize in the hall just as you step out. But his idea was more interesting. 

He travels around the little moving room, digging his evol into the mechanisms and safety features, looking for a failsafe. It doesn't take much to trigger one and he watches as the whole thing jerks to a stop. 

Inside the elevator, you just about jump out of your skin when the lights cut off and you realize you’re no longer moving. Your heartbeat quickens. Your eyes move all around the space. While you were sure he’d use his evol to an unfair advantage again, you definitely weren’t expecting such a dramatic move. But then again, this was Sylus. 

You aren’t surprised when he materializes next to you soon after, but it does little to calm your nerves. He nonchalantly examines his overly expensive watch in the shadows, his low chuckle sending a shiver up your spine. For a moment, it almost felt like that day you first met him. You find yourself biting your lip—whether out of nervousness or something else, you’re not really sure. Maybe a little of both. 

“You do love being cornered, don’t you?” He asks smugly.

You press yourself against the wall as he crosses the gap between you in two short strides. His spicy cologne fills your senses and clouds your mind. Everything is cloves and whiskey and darkness. You shiver at his warm breath as he leans down to kiss your neck. You close your eyes, letting him put his weight against you. It’s so incredibly welcome after the several weeks he'd been gone.

“Are you gonna claim your prize then?” You ask quietly in the dark. You can hear his smile when he responds. 

“Don’t move.”

You know this demand well. You still your body and he wraps his arms around you, burying his nose in your hair. Before you both disappear in the mist, you feel his eagerness to return to privacy press against your thigh. Within seconds, you’re whisking down the hall and on the other side of your locked apartment door. Sylus wastes no time. 

“I’m starving, kitten. Famished.” 

He doesn't beg directly, but you’re familiar with his tone. You both stumble into the living area, barely taking the time to catch breaths between long, hungry kisses. 

“It’s not been…that long, Sy,” you tease, but you’re both equally eager to get out of your clothes. His leather jacket and his tight shirt are on the floor just as your uniform begins to come off. Sylus takes a moment, as he always does, to appreciate every inch of you once it’s revealed to him. It’s something that's never gotten old about being with him. 

“Long enough,” he grumbles as he fights with the desire that builds within. His own, as well as his protocore. 

In the heat of the moment, he lets his impatience win. He scoops you up into his arms and walks you effortlessly into your bedroom where he lays you down gently on your bed. 

The scene, to some, might look a little odd. This grown woman, laid out in her bra and underwear—a set that he purchased for you recently—amongst her numerous plushies and patterned throw blankets. But to him, it was a meal fit for a king, lavishly laid on a comfortable platter. He swallowed hard, his erection aching in his trousers. But his lady comes first. Always first. 

His evol moves like a whisper to rid you of your panties, while he frees his erection with his hands, purely for the sake of comfort. He can't help the groan that escapes him, looking down at you. 

“May I?” He asks in a gruff tone. 

“You may.”