Shadow Slave - One Shots

Under the shade of a towering tree, the world felt calm. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, casting shadows across the soft grass. The scent of earth and greenery filled the air, blending with the faint aroma of food spread out between them.

For once, there was no looming danger. No threats. Just the five of them, resting atop the hill, watching the clouds drift by. 

Sunny leaned back against the tree trunk, arms folded behind his head. He let his eyes close for a moment, listening to the quiet hum of conversation around him. Effie was saying something animatedly to Cassie, while Kai laughed under his breath. Nephis, suprisingly was social. She often chimed in conversations when wanted to and even laughing a few.

It was nice.

Which made it the perfect opportunity.

Slowly, carefully, Sunny reached out, fingers ghosting over the edge of Effie's plate. She had piled it high, classic, given her bottomless appetite and was too caught up in talking to notice. In one swift motion, he plucked a perfectly golden roll from the pile and brought it to his mouth.

Freshly baked rolls, still warm and soft, paired with cured meats and cheeses were layed out on her plate. There were crisp fruits, their sweetness bursting with every bite, and cool drinks that carried a hint of citrus.

The taste was divine.

Effie continued talking, completely unaware.

Encouraged by his success, Sunny grabbed another bite. Then another.

Kai, ever perceptive, caught on first. He raised an eyebrow, amused, but said nothing.

Nephis, on the other hand, didn't even look at him. She simply said, "You're going to regret that."

Sunny swallowed, feigning innocence. "Regret what?"

Before Nephis could answer, Effie finally glanced down, then froze.

Silence.

A moment of still realization.

Then-

"SUNNY!"

Sunny was already rolling to the side, narrowly dodging as Effie lunged. He let out a sharp laugh, using the tree as cover while she scrambled after him.

"You thief!" she howled. "I knew my plate was looking lighter!"

"Maybe you just ate too fast," he offered, ducking as she swung.

"You little gremlin!"

Kai was outright laughing now, while Cassie covered her smile with her hand. Nephis… well. She was watching with that unreadable expression again. Amused? Fond? Maybe both.

Eventually, Effie collapsed back onto the grass, panting. "You better sleep with one eye open."

Sunny smirked, popping the last stolen bite into his mouth. "Worth it."

The breeze carried their laughter across the hill, mixing with the rustling leaves.

It was a rare moment of peace. A moment that, for once, he allowed himself to enjoy.

-----------

Effie was still glaring at him, her expression somewhere between betrayal and grudging admiration. Sunny, for his part, remained perfectly at ease, stretching out on the grass like a satisfied predator who had just stolen a fresh kill.

Cassie shook her head. "I can't believe you're wasting all that energy over a roll."

"I earned that roll," Effie shot back.

"I fought hard for it. And now? Gone. Stolen. Taken right from under my nose by this shadow-loving menace." She expressed.

Sunny grinned. "You're just mad because I did it right in front of you."

Effie narrowed her eyes, but before she could retaliate, Nephis finally spoke.

"You could've just asked for more."

Her voice was calm, even, but there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in her silver eyes. She wasn't scolding him. She was just… watching.

Sunny suddenly felt like he had walked into a trap.

He scoffed, turning away. "That's not the point."

The breeze picked up again, rustling through the leaves. It was the kind of day that felt almost unreal, the kind that Sunny never used to believe he'd get to have. They sat together on the hill, the grass warm beneath them, their laughter still lingering in the air.

Kai, stretching lazily, let out a content sigh. "You know, it's nice to just do nothing for a while."

Nephis hummed in agreement. "It is."

Sunny didn't say anything, but he had to admit.

He also agreed too.

Effie, however, had other plans.

Without warning, she lunged at Sunny again, aiming to shove him down the hill. He barely had time to react before he was tumbling, flipping head over heels through the soft grass.

From above, Effie cheered in victory. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!"

Sunny groaned, lying flat on his back, staring up at the sky. He could hear the others laughing.

Maybe he had deserved that.

Still.

"Worth it."

Sunny stood up with a groan and headed for the same spot on the tree.

Meanwhile...

*********

"Kai, stop!"

Cassie's laughter rang through the air, light and breathless as she swatted at unseen hands.

"I didn't do anything," Kai said innocently.

"That's a lie!"

Effie cackled. "Oh, come on, Cass. You're so good at dodging attacks in battle, but this? This is your weakness?"

The blind seer twisted away, but Kai and Effie were relentless. They weren't even tickling her properly, just the occasional light touch to her side or a poke to her ribs, but the anticipation made it worse.

Cassie curled into herself, fighting back another laugh. "This is cruel," she managed between breaths.

"Cruel?" Kai repeated, mock-offended. "I prefer 'tactical.'"

Effie grinned. "And I prefer 'hilarious.'"

Sunny watched the chaos unfold from a safe distance, smirking as Cassie attempted to retaliate, only for Kai to easily evade her grasp. It was nice, seeing them like this, just being away from the nightmares ahead of them.

Then, Nephis sat down beside him.

His smirk faded.

The warmth of her presence was immediate, even in the shade. She was quiet for a moment, watching the others, before finally speaking.

"You're too tense."

Sunny scoffed. "That's just my face."

Nephis didn't argue. She simply observed him, silver eyes steady, before asking.

"Do you think love is a weakness?"

He stiffened.

His jaw clenched as the answer slipped from his lips before he could stop it.

"…It depends."

Nephis tilted her head slightly. "On what?"

Sunny exhaled through his nose, glaring at the distant horizon as if it had personally offended him.

"On who you love. On what it does to you. Love can make people foolish. Reckless. But…"

His fingers tightened around a blade of grass.

"It can also make them stronger."

A breeze rustled through the leaves, filling the silence between them.

Nephis's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she turned back to the meadow.

"That's a good answer," she said softly.

Sunny let out a quiet breath, only to tense again when she spoke once more.

"What did you think about my outfit today?"

His mind went blank.

No.

He clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to throw himself off the hill.

"It was…" He gritted his teeth. "Unfair."

Nephis tilted her head, clearly waiting for more.

He exhaled sharply.

"…Devastatingly unfair."

Her lips twitched, for what it seemed to be curling into a smile. Her eyes shone with... amusument? 

Before he could dig himself into a deeper hole, she leaned in. Just slightly. Just enough.

A moment stretched between them, delicate and fragile, before her lips brushed lightly against his cheek.

Soft.

Warm.

Was all he could feel.

Nephis pulled away, satisfied, and turned her gaze back to the meadow.

Sunny, meanwhile, sat frozen, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Cassie's laughter still filled the air. Effie and Kai were still teasing her. The sky was still blue, the breeze still cool.

But for him, the entire world had tilted.

And Nephis?

She smiled, just a little.

Sunny exhaled, closing his eyes.

Damn it.

He had lost.

'I won't allow that.'

Sunny tilted his head slightly, opening his eyes just enough to glance at her. Nephis sat beside him, perfectly composed, her posture relaxed on the tree as she watched the others.

She wasn't gloating, not outright, but there was something in the way the corner of her lips threatened to curve upward, in the way her silver eyes shone with just a hint of satisfaction.

She thought she had won.

'Fine.'

If he was going to suffer, so was she.

Casually, he shifted his position, leaning in ever so slightly. Just enough for her to notice. Just enough for her to feel it.

He could see it happen.

Nephis's breath catching, the tiniest flicker of awareness passing through her expression before she changed it back into neutrality.

But he had seen it.

Good.

"…Sunny?"

He hummed, acting completely at ease. "Mm?"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. "You're close."

"Am I?"

His voice was light, deliberately nonchalant (dreadhead sorry had to add that). He tilted his head again, letting his gaze flicker down for just a moment before meeting hers again.

Nephis blinked, and there it was.

A tiny, almost non visible to the naked eye, crack in her perfect composure.

Victory.

Before she could respond, Sunny moved.

A shift. A breath. And then-

Soft.

For a single, fleeting moment, his lips brushed against the corner of her mouth, warm and deliberate. A ghost of a touch. Barely there.

But it was enough.

Enough for her to freeze. Enough for her eyes to widen just slightly in surprise.

Enough to make her the one flustered, for once.

Sunny pulled back, keeping his expression impassive despite the roaring in his ears. He leaned back against the tree again, utterly unbothered.

"There," he murmured. "Now we're even."

Nephis stared at him.

For a long, tense moment, neither of them spoke. The world around them continued as if nothing had happened.

Effie still jealously guarding her food, Cassie and Kai still bickering in the distance.

But here, under the shade of the tree, it felt like something had shifted.

Then, slowly, Nephis blinked.

"…You're playing a dangerous game, Sunny."

He smirked, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.

"So are you."