Care for a Round?
cyno x reader
established relationship, angst, no comfort
cyno was your ideal fit for a lover. his gentle touches, the way he’d remember every important date in relation to you and your relationship, he was perfect.
perhaps that’s why this cut so deep.
it had been a muddled past few weeks as cyno’s job as the general mahamatra kept him busy and away from you. but with your birthday coming up you looked forward to spending time together. his sweet smile, corny jokes, and warm touches were all you thought about.
so, here he was, seated in front of you sharing a meal of “duel soul,” of his own creation. you couldn’t help but smile at the sight of cyno’s chews as he shoveled grains of rice into his mouth. you leaned forward across the table, wiping a grain of rice off of the corner of his mouth as he smiled at your gesture.
“ah, i almost forgot to tell you (y/n), a tournament of TCG will be on friday so i’ll be home late.”
your smile fell as you realized what day that was. it was your birthday. you frowned as you picked up your fork, smushing the small pyramid of rice down.
“do you have to go? you do realize friday is my—“
“can’t that wait (y/n)? i understand i haven’t been home much these days but this is very important to me. whatever you wanted to do on friday can wait another day, can’t it?”
you frowned, nodding as you bit on your lip. he didn’t mean your birthday, right? did he even remember? you give him a small smile as you pick up your plate, your appetite gone.
“you’re right, cyno. i hope your matches go well.”
you paused, noticing how he avoided your gaze as he continued to finish his meal. “i think i’ll just go to bed early.” you say quietly as you dump your plate into the trash can, briskly walking to your shared bedroom.
a part of you wanted him to go after you, ask you what was wrong, or even comfort you. but he didn’t. you curled up into a ball under your blanket and wept. you were so very tired of feeling like second to all of cyno’s responsibilities. you didn’t want to be a burden, but you still wanted his time. you didn’t want him leaving you alone on your special day of the year. but you knew he wouldn’t listen to reason, so you closed your eyes and fell asleep with a pounding headache and sore eyes.
the next few days quickly came and went, with cyno’s presence lingering here and there as you’d see him around the city while you did your commissions to help around. you missed him dearly, the most time you’d spend together was sleeping side by side in the same bed, sharing warmth and trying to engrave his scent into your memory as you held him.
but it was short lived once he’d leave early in the morning, no kisses or goodbyes shared as he’d leave. you understood how serious his duties were, but sometimes you still wished he’d stay with you longer, holding you the way he used to at the beginning of your relationship.
you held onto those thoughts until friday arrived. another morning of cyno’s early departure, and the day of your birthday arrived. you softly smiled to yourself as you laced up your boots, already having a person in mind to visit for your special day.
you made your way out of the city and through the lush greens of the forest until you arrived to gandharva ville, spotting the familiar tall ears of a certain individual. you ran up behind him, poking his ear as he yelped in surprise.
“(y/n)! archons.. don’t touch my ears!”
he huffed out as he crossed his arms before looking at you with a confused expression.
“i suppose i’ll let it slide this once since it is your birthday.. happy birthday, my dear friend. what are you doing here? i would’ve assumed you’d be spending this day with cyno.”
you shake your head as you look to the side sadly, your hands playing with the hem of your shirt as you sigh. “cyno said there’s some tournament thing for TCG today so we couldn’t do anything for today. are you not going? i thought you always went.” your brows furrowed as you took in tighnari’s equally confused expression.
“tournament? i don’t recall one being today, and cyno certainly didn’t bring it up to me either.. perhaps he’s planning something for you?”
you nod as you hold your strap of the bag you’re holding. “i hope that’s what it is.” you chuckle as you give tighnari a hug before making your way back to the city. you go to katheryne and do your commissions, helping give out medicine and fetching water for a small garden. it wasn’t hard work but it helped out the community. you exhale as you wipe sweat from your forehead before a young girl approaches you, flyers in her hand.
“good day miss, there will be a performance in Zubayr Theater tonight. we hope you can make it.”
she hands you a flyer before scurrying off. you glance at the flyer and see a photo of nilou along with the other dancers of the theatre. you were acquaintanced with nilou through tighnari and cyno, but you didn’t know her well personally. she was an excellent dancer, no doubt about that.
you shrug it off as you stuff the flyer into your bag before heading to the market stalls, looking for something sweet to have to celebrate your lonesome birthday with.
as you examine the padisarah puddingsyou hear a familiar voice.
“hey! you’re going to use up all my mora, you know i need that to buy more rare cards with.”
you smile to yourself as you realize it’s cyno. you turn around, ready to scold him for being so wasteful on his cards but your eyes widen at what you see in front of you. nilou’s was hugging his arm as he stood very close to her. his smile looking sickingly loving, the same way he used to smile at you.
your breath caught in your throat as you watched him lean into her, his headpiece covering most of the scene but you knew what was happening. you felt sick. how could he betray you like this? and on your birthday? did he truly feel no remorse for the 4 year relationship with you?
you choked back a sob as you left the puddings, running back to the ville where you knew tighnari would be.
tighnari’s hand raises as he gives you a slight wave before you throw yourself into his arms, clutching him tightly as you sob.
“h-he’s cheating on me, with nilou. i saw them in the market together, all gooey and close together as if they were lovers! oh tighnari, i don’t know what to do.” you cry out as you sob into his chest.
tighnari’s eyes widen at your words. you had to be mistaken, right? cyno would never do those things, not to you.
“are you sure of what you saw (y/n)? that’s unforgivable, of course, but that doesn’t sound—“
“i saw them kiss tighnari. i saw the way she hugged his arm. it was real.”
tighnari nods as he strokes your back gently, mumbling that he’ll help you with whatever you decide. you sniffle as you tell him that you want to leave him, move out that very day as he simply nods, saying he’ll help you and give you one of the unoccupied places in the ville.
tighnari helps you take all of your belongings to a new place to call home, making sure to take every trace of you and your, now past, relationship with you. you place a photograph of you and cyno together at the annual lantern rite festival face down as you take one last look at the place you had called home for the past 3 years. you leave with tighnari, leaving your keys on the side table, never looking back as you two return to the ville.
hours later, cyno makes it home after watching nilou’s performance. it had been another stunning, flawless performance from her once again. he couldn’t help but smile at the memory of her wink as she danced across the stage with the other dancers.
as he opens the door he notices the lights are off, which isn’t usual but perhaps you had just gone to bed early again.
“i’m home (y/n).”
he calls out into the empty home, looking in the kitchen if you had left him dinner, but was greeted with an empty stove and the gentle hum of the refrigerator. he shakes his head as he makes his way to the bedroom, softly turning the knob as he looks at the bed, expecting to see your sleeping form. but you weren’t there.
his blood runs cold as he looks around, tossing pillows and other items onto the floor. just where had you gone?
he takes in the scene as he realizes some of your things are missing. he runs to your shared closet, throwing the doors open as he sees your side completely bare.
something happened to you. you wouldn’t just up and leave him without another word.
panic sets in as cyno runs around the house, calling your name and opening every door, hoping he would see you behind one of them. once he realized you weren’t there he took off to the ville where tighnari resided. he pounded on the door, only to be greeted with a yawning tighnari with an annoyed expression across his face.
“do you realize what time it is”
“(y/n)’s missing! i need your help to find her—“
“you don’t know, do you?”
cyno looks into tighnari’s eyes, begging for an answer silently.
“(y/n) knows about you and nilou, so she left.”
cyno shakes his head, looking to tighnari with fear.
“no that wasn’t—“
“it’s too late cyno, she’s gone. you can’t blame anyone but yourself for this.”
tighnari scoffs as he shuts the door at cyno’s disheveled expression.
cyno’s heart clenched as he stood there, tears slipping from his cheeks. he knew deep down nilou wouldn’t be worth it, but it was all in exchange for you?
“i choose you, (y/n). please, return to me.”