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Tick tock. Tick tock.
The clock on the wall was loud in the silence that blanketed the room. Caleb was very tempted to shoot the damned thing, but that would just wake his dear Little Pipsqueak. He had no desire to disturb her rest, not when she was sick. And definitely not when he was also trying to keep her here, safely tucked away and out of harm’s way. She would be angry if she ever learned the truth, but that was okay.
He had to keep her safe. That is all that fucking mattered. Let him be the villain in this story, if that is what it took to protect her.
Her hand was so tiny, so fragile , dwarfed by his own. He always joked that she was his Little Pipsqueak, that he was the older protector, despite the fact that she was actually older by three years. Caleb closed his eyes and inhaled as he brushed his lips over the small crescent moon tattoo on her middle knuckle. She smelled like jasmine and green tea, she smelled like home . He exhaled slowly. He did not want to let go. How he wished he could strip out of his heavy uniform coat and slip into the bed beside her.
Alas, he had a mission.
He sighed and shifted to get up, but she suddenly grasped onto him. He winced as her nails dug into the flesh of his hand.
“Su-” he went to call her name, to see if she was awake or just reacting to her dreams, but she answered for him when suddenly his entire world tilted on its axis. He gasped as he lost his footing, and the last thing he saw before something cold and hard hit him in the head, was her lilac eyes, distant and filled with a silent rage.
‘One more thing, before you go. Beware of Obsidian.’
Caleb paused and crossed his arms, amusement dancing across his features. ‘Obsidian? You mean the supposed legendary spy from the Hunter Association’s supposed Stealth Division that has caused havoc on your servers and interrupted several of your plans since last year? I thought they were just a story made up to scare the new recruits. Like Lumiere.’
‘No, they are real. And we still do not know who they are.’
Caleb filed that tidbit of information away for later and smirked. ‘I will be careful. Besides, I do not think Obsidian will have much to gain from monitoring my activities.’
‘Do not let arrogance blind you, boy. Obsidian has a keen interest in Aether Cores. You will cross paths eventually. Do not underestimate them.’
‘Understood.’
The first thing he noticed once consciousness returned was that his head was pounding and that his hands and feet were bound. He shifted to test the limits of the bindings, and was impressed to discover that Pipsqueak had not used ordinary rope and that she had learned to tie one heck of a knot. He inhaled sharply and reached deep within himself for his Evol, and was surprised to find himself bouncing back, as if a wall had been erected in his psyche.
A suppressor? When and how had she…?
He scanned his surroundings. He was in his room, tied to the chair that usually sat against the far wall by his desk. The curtains had been pulled back and pale moonlight spilled into the room. The bed was empty, which was to be expected, and a quick glance around him revealed that he was alone.
Or at least, she wanted him to think he was alone.
He straightened and rolled his neck to try and smooth out the dull ache that had settled at the base of his skull. She must have knocked him out with her gun. He frowned as he tried to piece together what had happened. She must have been awake while he was wallowing in his misery, pretending to be asleep. How she managed to keep her heart rate low and her breathing slow and reminiscent of sleep was a mystery and honestly impressive. The cold and flu medicine must not have made her drowsy, as he had hoped it would. And her weapons must have been on her person, possibly under the pillow.
He had underestimated her. He smiled to himself, impressed.
Now he just wanted to know why .
Something metallic and cold pressed into the base of his skull. Caleb went rigid as a shiver of fear rolled down his spine. She had made no sound in her approach. He could barely even hear her breathing. He heard her disengage the gun’s safety. His re-attempt at accessing his Evol just bounced him back again. He quickly clamped onto his emotions, desperately compartmentalising until the fear got squashed into something small. He schooled his features back to calm.
“Pipsqueak,” he managed to say without choking on his words. “If you wanted to have some fun, all you had to do was ask.” He wriggled his arms as much as he could to emphasize his point.
“I could say the same to you,” was her soft retort. The gun pressed harder into his skin as she leaned forward so that her lips ghosted over the helix of his ear. “Although, a discussion about somnophilia and safe words first would have been appreciated.”
Caleb closed his eyes and groaned. “I did not mean to-”
“Chlorpheniramine is known to cause nervous system depression,” she said coldly. “I will acknowledge that you did wish to lower my fever and relieve my cough when you offered me the cold and flu tablets, but let’s not pretend it was only coming from the goodness of your heart.”
He sighed. Right, then.
She pulled back and and circled around the chair, stepping into the pale moonlight that bathed her in an ethereal glow. Her weapon was now pointed at his forehead. Gone were her pajamas, and in its place was a tight fitting carbon fiber mesh suit, fully equipped with a weapons belt and holster, which currently still housed her second pistol and what looked like a smoke grenade and several kunai. Her silver hair was pulled off her face into a high ponytail, and her lilac eyes were still distant and burning with a silent rage, just like they had when she had knocked him out.
He swallowed thickly and had to shift his legs when he felt a tightness in his trousers at the sight. Gods, she was beautiful. His reaction to her was not appropriate at all, considering the circumstances, but there was something undeniably attractive about the fact that the girl he has always protected was a woman now - who was clearly perfectly capable of protecting herself.
“How did you figure me out?” he asked in a hushed whisper.
She cocked her head to the side. “I’m a nurse. Did you seriously think I would not recognise a drug when given to me?”
He huffed and chuckled darkly. “Okay, stupid question, that one is on me.”
It might have just been his imagination, but he could have sworn the corner of her lips twitched. He blinked and it was gone though, her expression once again cold. She pressed her gun against his forehead, the change in position meant he caught a brief glance of the cat tattoo on her right forearm. He knew she had an hourglass on the other arm, also a new addition. And he was certain he had glimpsed something on her foot earlier in the evening as well, but her wide legged pajama pants and slippers had made it difficult to discern what it was. He did not remember her having any tattoos before the explosion that supposedly killed him.
“What were you hoping to achieve, Caleb?” she asked, snapping him from his musings. He ground down on his molars, frustrated that he still could not access his Evol and concerned that her interference was going to land them both in hot water. Why could she not just leave well enough alone? He was running late to the mission, and he knew the higher ups were probably already suspicious.
They were interrupted by a loud CAW ! Sumire’s attention snapped from him to the large open window, the gun going slack against his forehead, but her grip on the handle was still strong. A crow landed on the balcony railing, its beady red eyes unusually intelligent. It cocked its head to the side and let out another CAW! before flying in and perching itself on her shoulder. Caleb’s eyes narrowed when he realised the bird was not organic.
“You’re late,” Sumire huffed to the bird. The crow pecked at her ear in retaliation. She laughed and swatted at it, but the bird expertly avoided her hand and hopped over to her other shoulder, its gaze now on the gun she was holding with the same hand. It cawed again, this time almost sounding as if it was asking a question. The sound of a vibrating phone echoed through the silence.
Sumire sighed, lowered her weapon, re-engaged the safety and tucked it away in its holster. Caleb found himself relaxing at her retreat, not having even realised he was so on edge. He did, however, remain vigilant as he watched her pull her phone from a pocket and unlock it. While she read the text message that just came through, he took a moment to properly look at the crow. Mechanical, obviously manmade. Likely powered by an AI. He had never seen such a bot, and its intelligent and judgemental stare was putting him on edge again. He knew that while it may seem that Sumire was distracted, the bird would ensure she could retaliate if he dared to take this opportunity to gain the upper hand.
He also did not wish to hurt her. Again, everything he did was to protect her. This was not at all how this evening was meant to go. He wondered how the team was faring with finding Kevi and getting him to Lucius.
A dark shadow crossed over Sumire’s face once she finished reading the message. She looked back up at him, her lilac eyes aflame. He shrunk a tiny bit under the intensity of her gaze, but he tried his best to appear indifferent.
“Alright,” she said softly. “Thank you, Mephi. You can go.”
The crow cawed, pecked at her ear again, and then flew off, disappearing into the darkness.
“What was that?” Caleb dared to ask.
“Hm? Mephisto?” Sumire asked. She shrugged and then stepped closer, slipping between his spread legs and pushing her knee into his crotch. He hissed and then froze. “Why should I tell you anything?”
“Pipsqueak…”
She placed a finger on his lips in a motion to silence him. He narrowed his eyes. She smiled a dangerous smile, then kicked her leg over his and lowered herself onto his lap. He went rigid at the action, a sweat breaking out in the nape of his neck. Everything else, all his questions and concerns, got pushed to the back of his mind, his entire focus shifting to her. Right here. Right now . His cock stirred, and he was mentally chanting at it to calm the fuck down and not fill with blood. A losing battle, he knew.
Sumire seemed to know this as well, because she smirked and rolled her hips. Caleb groaned and closed his eyes as he grew hard against her heat.
“You know,” she whispered seductively, her breath tickling the baby hairs that fell over his forehead. She continued to torture him with slow purposeful thrusts. “Zayne told me something very interesting the other day.”
He frowned at the mention of their childhood friend, but his brain was mush so all he could muster in response was: “Huh?”
Sumire wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed their foreheads together. The scent of jasmine and green tea invaded his senses. “Hmhn. Apparently you two made a promise when we were children. Neither of you gets the girl, lest she ends up hurt.”
He opened his eyes and seeing her so close, feeling her against him, nearly destroyed all his willpower and resolve. He knew what she was talking about, and remembered the day he and Zayne had shaken on it as if it happened yesterday. Never did he think that the deal would end up being broken - by cold and serious Zayne of the two of them. Caleb was pathetic when it came to Sumire, that was a given, but Zayne? Zayne was supposed to be the sensible one.
His frustration must have shown on his face, because Sumire laughed and pulled back far enough so she could look at him properly. “You were supposedly dead, Caleb. Zayne did not betray anything or anyone.”
Her next thrust was different from the others, more methodical, a surprising amount of strength behind it. The moan that escaped him was obscene. She laughed in delight and buried her left hand in the hair on his nape, tugging at the strands. “Besides, you never had to make such a stupid bro code promise to begin with.”
His fingers were itching to touch her, and it felt like his cock was on fire. The bindings meant he couldn’t do anything to sate his desire. He tried to thrust up whenever she would pull away, but his movement was severely limited. And the suppressor was still working, his Evol still far out of his reach. The small voice at the back of his head was screaming that he had to take back control, that this was getting way out of hand. However, this was also all of his dreams finally coming true, and the warmth between her legs was so viscerally real, that he could not stop himself.
“Why is that?” he asked, breathless.
She leaned forward, her breasts pressing against his chest, her lips ghosting over his, their breaths mingling. She smirked, her expression all predator. “There is enough of me for both of you. Always has been. And well, my girlfriend and three other boyfriends don’t mind sharing either.”
And after dropping that bombshell, she finally slotted her lips over his. She was greedy with her kiss, all tongue and sharp teeth. She practically devoured him.
His brain short-circuited.
The hand not buried in his hair moved to his chest, slipping under his coat and long manicured nails dug into his skin through the material of his shirt. He whined into the kiss, pushing back with equal hunger. Once again the frustration of not being able to touch her bubbled within him, and he rattled against the bindings. She pulled away, again , and he whined at the loss, but she chuckled before trailing kisses from the corner of his mouth and across his jaw. Her hand also moved, fingers slipping over a nipple and then lower across his belly.
“Ngh,” he grumbled once the small fingers he had admired earlier brushed over his erection, and he bucked violently when they wrapped around his clothed length and squeezed. He was not going to last long, not with how worked up he already was, not with how he has wanted this for years, not with all the pent up longing leaping from within the dark depths of his being and bursting at the seams. It was actually embarrassing. He rutted into her hand, chasing the euphoria, desperate for release. He pressed his nose against her cheek and inhaled her sweet scent.
“ Riri ,” he moaned, the nickname slipping out without him even realising it. She squeezed him harder in response. He hissed and bucked wildly, the precipice so close, right there , oh god he was going to come in his pants like a fucking teenager.
CAW!
The noise was like a slap in the face. It sucked the pleasure right out of the room, and her searing touch disappeared almost immediately. He whined when her weight on his lap disappeared and his release fizzled. He opened his eyes, frantically scanning the room to see what was going on, and sure enough, the bloody mechanical bird was back. It sat on the balcony railing, looking almost smug . Sumire had retreated to the window, attention on her phone, looking completely composed and not all like she had just dry humped him into oblivion. She looked up and stared at the crow for a moment, then sighed.
“Okay,” she whispered. Mephisto flapped his wings and then once again disappeared into the night. Sumire sighed and unholstered her gun. Caleb felt his stomach drop as she pointed it at him again, the heat and lust fading from her face and her expression morphing into something unreadable.
“Why does Ever want the children, Caleb?” she asked, voice cold. “Is it not just the Aether Core fragment they want?”
Ice tore through him, and a heaviness settled in his chest, tight and compressing against his heart. He frowned as Lucius’s warning from several weeks ago flashed through his mind.
‘Obsidian has a keen interest in Aether Cores. You will cross paths eventually. Do not underestimate them.’
No.
No.
No.
Surely not?
He swallowed thickly as he stared at the love of his life. At the girl who had suffered immeasurably, who had died over and over again. Who he had been helpless to protect at first, having to watch as the people who wronged them destroyed her, piece by piece. Who remembered nothing of those days, so he had to remember for both of them. Who was scared of thunder and always sought him out when there was a storm. Who cared too much, who had become a nurse and midwife, and later also a Hunter, because she wanted to help people.
He exhaled loudly. “You’re Obsidian.”
She blinked, then rolled her eyes and snorted. “No, shit, Caleb. The children. What the fuck does Ever want with them?”
She was a spy. A fucking spy. The Hunter Association’s top agent, if rumours were to be believed. She had prevented Ever from hacking into Akso Hospital’s database multiple times, their firewalls growing more and more sophisticated with each attempt. He had a suspicion her employment as a nurse and midwife at the hospital was not a coincidence.
He could hear his blood pumping in his ears. His emotions were a mess, and he could feel the telltale tingle of the Toring chip under his skin, crackling and poising itself to strike. He had to calm down. He had to regain control. He could not afford to clock out now, to lose several hours and set everything back.
None of this should have happened.
He took a few deep breaths and schooled his features. “I think you already know the answer, Sumire.”
She scowled and the two of them seemed to have reached an impasse. He, unwilling to share much more, her, unwilling to just let it go. She really wasn’t the little girl he remembered anymore.
Finally, she sighed and lowered her weapon. He watched warily as she approached him and knelt by his side, her fingers deftly untying the bindings. The minute the bindings were gone, he felt the wall that had been pressing against his psyche crumble, and he could reach his Evol once more. He lifted his arms and massaged his bruised wrist, violet eyes following her every move as she briefly contemplated reaching out to him, but she paused midway and pulled back. She probably thought her touch was now unwelcome.
It was the farthest from the truth.
A whine escaped from his throat and he surged forward to grasp her tiny hand and lace their fingers together. She froze, lilac eyes widening as he pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on her knuckles.
“Don’t go,” he whispered against her skin.
Her facial expression morphed into something softer, almost sad. She sagged. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. No. She did not have to apologise. Never that. He nuzzled against the soft skin of her hand, like a cat. She smiled softly at the sight, but a few moments later that smile faded again. She cupped his cheek with the hand he was not holding hostage.
“You have to go,” she said, voice soft.
He frowned. “What?”
“Your mission,” she replied. “You have to go.”
Caleb narrowed his eyes. “Were you not trying to distract me so that I would not go?”
Sumire’s eyes darkened and she pursed her lips. She shifted awkwardly on her feet, then sighed. “Yes. I was going to go find Kevi. Take him to Zayne. I still want to.”
“Why aren’t you?” Caleb asked. He knew that Lucius wanted Kevi, that the retrieval of the boy was his mission, but this was Sumire. She always came first. Maybe he could come up with a convincing lie? He would be punished, but he would gladly suffer if it meant keeping Sumire happy.
“Letting you take Kevi to Ever means I can track them,” Sumire said. She sounded disgusted by her own words. “Believe me, the thought makes me fucking nauseous, but I haven’t gotten this close before.”
“I’ll look out for the boy,” Caleb promised, the words leaving his mouth before he could even think about it. “And I won’t tell them about you, either.” The surprise on her face also made it clear that she was very well aware of what he had just inadvertently revealed to her by making such a promise.
She leaned in and gently brushed her lips over his. “Okay.”
He leaned into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed. Too quickly she pulled away. He huffed. She chuckled and patted his cheek.
“Go,” she whispered.
“What about you? I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“I’m never alone,” she responded with conviction. “Mephisto is just outside.”
Caleb blinked and briefly glanced at the balcony. No sign of the crow. She noticed and laughed.
“He is out there, believe me.”
“A robot bird isn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
She laughed again. “Alright, do you want Sylus to come instead then?”
He frowned. “Who?”
Sumire shook her head and pulled out her phone. She started typing. “Mephisto’s owner. Leader of Onychinus. Boyfriend number four. Stubborn handsome idiot. Surprisingly good informant. Take your pick.”
Caleb gaped. “Did you just say the ‘Leader of Onychinus’?”
She looked up at him through her lashes, a dark smirk on her lips. “I thought you knew I went to the N109 Zone?”
“They failed to mention the Onychinus part,” Caleb muttered with a pout. “Also, boyfriend number four? Seriously ?”
Sumire finished typing her message and giggled. “Hmhn. There is no ranking or anything, he just was the fourth man to join.”
Caleb had no idea how to feel about that. A part of him, a loud ugly part, was seething. The jealousy bubbled in his gut. Another part, albeit smaller, was intrigued. Curious. Fascinated .
“Who was first?”
“Simone. You’d like her, she’s fiery. And hot.”
He pouted. “First man, Pipsqueak.”
She blinked, then smiled darkly. “What? Is the girlfriend not a threat? I don’t do monogamy or vibe with jealousy, Caleb. So, if this is going to be a problem-“
He spluttered and cut her off. “Not what I meant!”
She tilted her head to the side. “Ah, just curious then? You won’t punch him in the face when you finally see him?”
Caleb groaned. Well, fuck. That answered that question. He sighed. “I won’t punch him. I suppose I’m actually kind of relieved it was him.”
“He might punch you,” she stated absentmindedly just as her phone vibrated. She looked down at the screen. “After all, it is not everyday that your childhood friend comes back from the dead.”
Caleb scrunched his nose. “Does the Popsicle even know how to punch?”
“Oh, he packs a punch, alright,” a smooth male voice interrupted, followed by a rumbling chuckle. It came from the balcony. Caleb felt his hackles rise, while Sumire rolled her eyes and turned on her heel to face the newcomer.
“Normal people use the front door,” she huffed. “Oh, and knock .”
Another rumbling chuckle followed, smooth as silk, and then from the shadows emerged a tall figure with hair the colour of moonlight and eyes the colour of blood. He was tall, possibly even taller than Caleb (albeit only just), and dressed in an expensive black suit, the blazer hung over his shoulders like a cape.
“Since when have I ever been normal, Kitten?” the man asked. Amusement was dancing on his face, but Caleb shifted uncomfortably when he recognised the other more subtle expression on the man’s face. His gaze was sharp, but had a touch of softness to it. He looked at Sumire as if she had hung the stars. The man hid it well, though. Caleb suspected he only picked up on it because of how familiar it was. Like looking into a mirror.
Sumire playfully landed a soft punch on the man’s pectoral. “Behave, Sy.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Sylus asked, the corner of his lip twitching. His blood red eyes then shifted to Caleb, who was still sitting on the chair, looking lost and a little pathetic. “Hm, I think you have a type, Princess.”
She huffed in exasperation and punched his pectoral again. “Oh my god, shut up !”
Sylus laughed and grabbed her fist, his long fingers intertwining with hers. He brought her hand up to his lips, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles. Caleb had to swallow the lump in his throat and fight back the surge of jealousy that swept through him. She had literally made it clear not even five minutes ago that she was not monogamous and she does not allow for petty jealousy.
Caleb bit his lip as he considered. Could he do this? Share her with four other men and at least one woman? Were there more? Would he be able to cope if more came along after him? Did she expect him to also be in a relationship with the others? How was Zayne okay with any of this?
“Mission first, then you can ask your questions, Soldier Boy,” a deep voice interrupted his spiralling thoughts. He snapped from his reverie and looked up into the deep red eyes that belonged to the Leader of Onychinus. He blinked, letting the words sink in. Then he briefly glanced at Sumire, who nodded at his questioning gaze. He swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat.
“Right,” he croaked as he stood up. “You two better behave while I am gone.”
Sylus snorted, which earned him another playful punch. He grunted in response this time. “Jesus, woman.”
“We’ll behave,” Sumire promised. Sylus grumbled something under his breath, which earned him a lilac coloured glare. Caleb had to fight back the laugh that wanted to bubble. His Little Pipsqueak had this giant dangerous man wrapped around her little finger, and she knew it. Some of the uneasiness faded and he straightened.
He understood. He was the same. Sharing her could work, after all. Why else did so many love her so dearly as he did? Sumire was special . It warmed his heart to know he was not the only one to see it.
Caleb wrapped his arms around Sumire’s waist and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. She was blushing prettily when he pulled away. They smiled at each other before he moved to retrieve his hat.
He was halfway to the door when he heard Sylus ask, not at all subtly: “So, is he also a clueless and closeted bisexual like the doctor? Do I have to up my charms again, Kitten?”
Caleb briefly stumbled at the question, but quickly recovered and continued his approach. Zayne ? With a man? Holy shit . The image of naked bodies that flashed across his mind, reminiscent of fantasies he used to have years before, was too sinful and hot to be allowed to exist.
“Nah,” he heard Sumire’s amused response. “He used to mutter Zayne’s name sometimes in his sleep. Oh, and made out with Gideon at that one party once. We just have to get them naked together.”
Caleb did stumble this time, and nearly choked on his own saliva. He could feel the blood rush to his cheeks and ears. Holy shit, how did she-?
Oh, right. Spy . Observant Little Pipsqueak.
He straightened, cleared his throat and opened the door while putting up a front that he was not at all aware of what he just overheard.
He swore the two silver haired menaces were giggling as he closed the door after stepping over the threshold.