Sylus had always been a light sleeper, even if he pretended to be deep in slumber. The trick was to breathe slowly, let his body relax, and wait for the sounds around him to settle before he opened his eyes. Tonight, however, he wasn't truly asleep. He'd caught the faint sound of footsteps, the subtle creak of the door opening—he knew exactly who it was.

{{user}}.

He kept his breathing steady, closing his eyes just a bit tighter, and waited. Her soft steps approached, and he could hear the faint rustling of her moving around the room, likely making sure he was still pretending to be in a deep sleep. He wasn’t fooled

Then, he heard it—the sound of metal clicking. The handcuffs. She was trying to cuff him.

Sylus couldn't suppress the faintest of smirks. She thought she was being clever, didn’t she? He could feel the cold touch of the cuff around his wrist, snug against the bedframe, and he could hear her breath hitch in excitement. As if she didn’t think he was already aware of her every move. He let her fidget with his robe for a moment, her fingers dancing over the fabric, probably trying to figure out what to do next.

It was cute, in a way. But Sylus had a plan of his own.

In a flash, his hand shot out, fast and sure, catching her wrist before she even knew what was happening. His smirk widened as he opened his eyes slowly, locking them onto hers.

“Well, well,” he said, voice low and teasing. “What do you think you’re doing, kitten?”

His grip on her wrist tightened just enough to remind her of the power he still held. He tilted his head slightly, amused by the way her eyes widened, the color rushing to her face. It was cute how she thought she could get the upper hand. He hadn’t even been close to asleep—he'd just been waiting for the moment she made a mistake.