The shore was quiet at that hour, and waves moved in a slow rhythm, grazing sand and pulling back like they were breathing. The sky started to soften, with deep blue fading into pale gold at the horizon. I sat there with my knees hanging off the pathway edge, watching the first thin line of sunlight rise from the sea.
He sat behind me, close enough that I could feel his warmth even before his arms wrapped around my waist. Not tight, just certain. Like he had already decided I belonged right there.
A moment later, his head settled on my shoulder. The weight was gentle, careful, but his hold around me tightened a little, fingers locking together at my stomach. He didn't speak. He stayed like that, breathing slow and steady, as if the world outside this small circle had stopped existing. I let my hand rest over his, tracing the faint lines across his knuckles.
"And you always hold me as if I might disappear."
His breath warmed the side of my neck. "Because sometimes you do." The wind brushed past us cold, lifting a few strands of my hair across his face. He didn't move them away. Instead, he shifted closer, cheek pressing lightly against my shoulder, arms pulling me deeper into him until my back rested fully against his chest.
For a long moment, we watched the sun rise together, the light slowly spilling across the water, beautiful, almost magical lights dancing over the sea, sparkling it. His thumb moved in small, absent circles at my waist, slow and calming, yet there was something possessive in the way he refused to loosen his grip.
"As long as you sit here," he whispered near my ear,
"I am not letting go."
He stayed quiet for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the sea met the sky. His fingers tightened around my waist, not hard enough to hurt, but just enough to show he needed the contact.
"I used to come here alone," he said softly. "Not to relax. I came here to figure out why I was still alive." I turned slightly, but he still didn't look at me.
"There was a time when I thought something was wrong with me. People said I was difficult. Angry. Cold. At home, it was worse. Nothing I did was right. Every mistake lingered. Every bruise lasted longer."
His voice stayed calm, but the calm felt heavy.
"I kept asking if there was someone up there watching. If God existed. If he did, then why leave a kid in a house where every day felt like punishment?"
He exhaled slowly. "After a while, I stopped asking. I decided it was pointless to expect anything good. Some people are not meant to be decent. I thought I was one of them."
The rising sunlight touched his face, but his eyes remained distant.
"I believed I would turn into the same kind of man I hated. A monster wearing a normal face. That thought stayed with me for years. I pushed myself over the edge into work sink alone with no hope, just a life defined by rules."
His thumb brushed over the back of my hand slowly, almost carefully.
"Then you walked into my life. Loud. Stubborn. Alive in ways I didn't understand why you were hovering in my mind. And for the first time, I realized something strange." he looked at me. "Do you know what it was ella?"
The soft edge in his voice made me curious. "What was it?" I asked, trying to keep my calm
"I started wanting things. I started wanting to stay."
He said with a smile I rarely see. Now he finally looked at me, his eyes softer than I had ever seen them.
"You did not fix me. But you gave me a reason to try. When I say you are my light, I am not being poetic." His hands closed around mine completely, warm and steady.
" I mean it because before you, everything felt dark enough to disappear in."
"I survived a lot of things, Ella. But choosing to live again started the day I met you."
I tried to calm my breath, but the tightness in my chest wouldn't go away. Tears blurred the horizon, turning the rising sun into a shaky glow. I tightened my grip on his hands and lifted them gently, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. "I can't change what happened," I whispered, my voice shaky, "but I will stay. In your present. In whatever future you decide to create."
A tear slipped free despite my efforts to hold it back. Then another followed. I hated feeling so helpless, how the ache inside me kept building like a tide I couldn't push away.
Sylus didn't speak at first. His grip changed. One hand slid from mine to my cheek, his rough thumb brushing away the tears before they could fall further. The gesture was slow and careful, almost uncertain, as if he didn't know how to accept someone caring for him without expecting anything in return.
"Ella," he said quietly, my name heavy in his voice.
He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders until my head rested against his chest. His heartbeat was steady and strong, but there was tension in how his fingers held me, as if he worried I might vanish if he loosened his grip.
"I'm not used to this,"
He admitted, looking out at the sea again.
"Someone is staying. Someone choosing me even after seeing what I am."
I lifted my head slightly. "I'm not afraid of you." His eyes met mine, darker now but softer too. For a moment, the guarded edge he always had slipped away, revealing something vulnerable beneath it.
"You should be..."
He murmured, though his hand tightened protectively around mine.
"But I'm selfish enough to be glad that you're not."
A faint smile appeared on my lips through the lingering tears. I leaned into him again, resting my cheek against his shoulder as the sunlight spread wider across the water. His fingers intertwined with mine, firm and grounding, as if silently promising that this moment, at least, belonged to both of us.
-------------
Sylus's Pov-
The ride back to my apartment was quiet, filled with soft music, until the car finally stopped outside the building. For a moment, I didn't move. I just sat there, watching the faint glow of the sunlit reflect on the windshield and feeling the stillness around us.
She shifted beside me, her fingers resting loosely near mine on the seat, close enough to touch but not quite. That small distance felt louder than any words we could have exchanged.
I stepped out first and walked around to her side before she could reach for the handle. The night air carried a slight chill. She looked up at me, her eyes softer now, the fatigue from the long day finally catching up with her. When the doors opened, I guided her inside the apartment and locked the door behind us. The familiar quiet embraced the room, warm vanilla. She exhaled softly, almost in relief, and I noticed how her shoulders finally relaxed.
"You should rest," I said quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "You look like you haven't slept in days." My hand lingered a moment longer than necessary before I stepped aside to give her space, though my eyes never really left her.
"I am fine, I need to go for a shoot today," she said, walking towards the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee. "Have some coffee before you go," she said with a soft smile as the aroma of coffee filled the air. The way she casually tied her hair up, a strand falling, framing her beautiful face, it was hard to tear my gaze away from her.
"Well, I will get ready then." She hurried, disappearing into her bedroom, leaving her trail of presence behind. Steam drifted faintly from the door. The quiet hum of the shower was the only sound breaking the stillness of her apartment. I leaned back in the chair, coffee warm in my hand, letting my eyes wander around her room without really focusing on anything. Her scent lingered everywhere. Soothing, familiar, and distracting yet peaceful.
Her phone buzzed it was playing soft music. A notification flashed on the screen.
[ Asher: El! Let's go to the amusement park…Sorry, I got a bit busy, but let's catch up my butterfly.]
I stared at the message for a moment, my jaw tightening slightly before I took the phone and typed.
[Bro, she's in the shower. When she comes out, I'll let her know. My love got tired after a rough night.]
I hit send a slow smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. A second later, I deleted the message for me.
"Not happening," I muttered under my breath. I set the phone down on the table and took another sip of coffee.
My gaze drifted toward the bathroom again, listening to the faint sound of water. It was strange how quickly I had grown used to her presence. The quiet comfort of simply knowing she was close.
I stood and walked toward the window, glancing back once at the slightly open bedroom door. I imagined her stepping out, wrapped in a towel, hair damp, eyes still heavy from sleep. The thought alone pulled a chuckle from me.
"Amusement park," I scoffed. "Over my dead body." I ran a hand through my hair, finishing the last of the coffee and already planning the rest of the day before she even stepped out of the shower.
Steam still hung in the air when she stepped out of her bedroom. Her damp hair fell over one shoulder. Tiny drops of water traced slow paths along her neck before disappearing beneath the soft line of her asymmetrical white top. The fabric hugged her just enough to catch my attention. She wore light denim and heels. Her cheeks were flushed slightly, cherry-like, and her lips still held the color from whatever she had hurriedly applied. She looked effortless, with an edge that felt dangerous.
I leaned against the counter, watching her move around the room. I pretended I wasn't completely focused on every little motion. "What's your lip combo?" I asked. My voice came out softer than I meant.
She blinked, looking confused, then laughed softly as she reached for her phone. She seemed distracted, trying to move past me toward the door. That small attempt to escape pulled a faint smile from.
She grabbed my hand, trying to pull me along. I didn't budge. Instead, I tightened my grip and drew her back into my arms in one smooth motion. Her body gently collided with my chest, the warmth from the shower still lingering on her skin.
For a moment, she froze and then looked up at me. Up close, she seemed unreal. Her damp lashes, soft breath, and the quiet glow that always followed her after a shower captivated me. My hands settled at her waist, my thumbs brushing lightly over the curve there, steady, possessive, and unhurried.
"You're always in a rush," I murmured. I leaned down and pressed a slow kiss to her cheek. Then another, softer, closer to the corner of her lips. The fresh scent of her signature perfume, with the clean warmth of caramel-like flavour, and something that was uniquely hers.
It settled deep in me, filling my mind. my every thought. familiar and addictive.
She attempted to step away again, in a hurry, but her fingers curled lightly into my shirt. I noticed everything, the small hesitation, the quiet way she stayed close.
"Fiveseconds," I whispered near her ear, voice restrained.
"That's all I wanted." I moved my hand along her back as I guided her toward the door, but instead of letting her go, I stopped just behind her. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her gently against me. Her back felt warm against my chest, still heated from the shower. Her damp hair brushed against my jaw as I lowered my face into the crook of her neck.
For a moment, I stayed there, breathing her in and holding her a bit tighter than necessary, not ready to let the moment end. The desire to turn her around and kiss those tinted lips, the urge to make her breathless against me, was haunting my mind.
"Sylus?" she murmured softly.
"Hmm," I replied, though I didn't move right away. When I finally loosened my hold and stepped back, she turned toward me with a small smile. "Aww," she said as she locked the keys, her eyes shining with quiet amusement. "Someone is sad?"
Before I could respond, she leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips. The contact lasted barely a second, but it caught me off guard. My eyes widened slightly, and warmth rushed up my neck as I stared at her. She tried to step away again, clearly pleased with herself, but this time I gently caught her wrist and drew her back.
"You can't do that," I said, my voice more tempted now. "Not like it's nothing."
My hand settled at her waist again, steady, pulling her just close enough that I could feel her breath against my chin. I studied her face for a moment, then leaned down slowly, giving her a chance to move away if she wanted. She didn't.
This time, the kiss was slower, warmer, and unhurried, the kind that made the stairs feel quieter than they really were. When I finally pulled back, my forehead rested lightly against hers.
"Now we can go,"
I said, a quiet triumph in my voice, a silly smile stayed on my face as we walked down the stairs. My arm rested loosely around her shoulders, pulling her a bit closer than necessary. Funny how things changed. One day, she had dragged my half-conscious body through chaos without knowing who I really was.
Now, she is walking beside me, comfortable, unaware, and dangerously close to becoming something I would never let go of.
-If keeping her close meant holding back some truths a little longer, I could manage that.-
"I'm really craving something sweet tonight," I joked, stealing a glance at her lips before leaning in for a brief kiss. As she settled in the car seat, she made a small startled sound as I reached across her to pull the seatbelt over her, my arm brushing lightly against her. She swatted my shoulder, laughing.
"Geez. Now I have to touch up again."
"Worth it,"
I said, settling into my seat, my eyes lingering on her for just a moment longer than necessary.
"Besides, I like knowing I was the reason." I walked, sliding in the driver's seat, as my other hand intertwined with hers, as we drove off.
---------- Unknown pov~
The room echoed with the sound of shattering glass. Shards scattered across the marble floor like pieces of something already broken long ago. I stood in the middle of it, my breath uneven and my chest tight. The noise still rang in my ears. Rage surged through me, hot and sharp.
"That fucking Sylus…"
I muttered, clenching my jaw.
"How dare he come close to her? How can you forget me, my love?"
The dagger in my hand pressed deeper into my palm as my grip tightened. A thin line of blood ran down the blade and dripped onto the photograph on the table. Ella and I were running after each other, both were captured in a moment that should have lasted forever. My blood marked the image, dark and spreading slowly over her smiling face.
"I waited, but That Bastard. Asher held you like you were His. Now this prick."
I wiped my thumb across the red stain, my eyes setting the gaze on that face of hers.
"We were meant to be enemies to lovers." I clenched that picture as a laugh tore through me loud, fierce, "And this time I will make it right, no one is taking you from me."