Bittersweet - Sin Autumn AU Scenario (Patreon)

The sun is brighter than it should be considering it’s autumn—a shining ball of molten metal that covers the lake in a lustre of gold so dazzling that I have to glance away until the light has dipped further down below the horizon.

My legs feel heavy as they dangle over the cliff edge, and I lean back on my hands to give my lungs more room to breathe in the scent of dewy pine and rich earth.

Autumn offers a feeling like no other season. A season where, even when alone, you’re never without company, the colour and scents of nature so strong that they are almost a physical presence.

But it seems I’m not long to remain alone.

A wash of air sweeps over me as a large figure hovers in the air, crowned by the dying light behind him.

“I would advise any human against sitting so precariously at the edge of a cliff, but especially you.” Sin’s deep voice draws an instant shiver from me.

I keep my casual stance but meet his imposing metallic gaze. “And why particularly me?”

His wings beat strong behind him to keep him steady in mid-air, large feathers shimmering with as much dazzle as the lake.

He hesitates. “Because you are…unique.”

I snort out a breath. “Something I’m starting to tire of hearing.”

“And yet it does not stop it being the truth.”

I draw my legs into me away from the edge. “Better?”

He twirls with elegant precision in the air and settles to sit beside me, nestling the ends of his wings into the lush grass around us. We stare at the setting sun, a slight chill beginning to bite at the lingering warmth of the sunny autumnal day.

“It has been some time since we have seen each other,” he states.

I rub at my arms against the cooling dusk, but he seems more than content sat without a shirt as always. “You left.”

“I had little choice.” He swivels to look at me, gaze boring into mine as though able to read my every thought. But the intense weight of his full attention leaves little more than a jumble in my mind. “Your Agency would have attempted to contain me.”

“I wouldn’t have let them.” The words shoot out of me before I can stop them, but we can both hear the truth in them.

A smile pulls at his lips, and I think it’s one of the first times I’ve seen the expression. It’s beautiful, just as he is.

“Going against your allies for the sake of someone you barely know seems inadvisable,” he comments. He tries to sit straighter, but the weight of his massive wings arcs his spine into a natural curve. I watch the muscles ripple beneath his skin as he adjusts his position further to compensate.

I drag my gaze away back to the sunset, which isn’t anywhere near as captivating as he is. “You’re advising me on a lot tonight. Perhaps you should stick around and help convince me to listen to that advice.”

“And how would your Agency feel about my presence at your side?” He draws in a deep breath, clasping his hands together. “How about your vampiric friends?”

I chew at the inside of my cheek. Sin didn’t leave the best impression on the rest of my team as he seems to have on me, so he’s probably right about him staying not being the best idea.

My hand falls into the small gap between us, brushing his thigh. He drops his own hand to rest against mine. The slight contact is enough to send a thrill shivering through me with such strength that I have to catch my breath.

“Why did you come back if you’re not planning to stay?” A sudden swirl of sepia leaves dance in front of our view, whirling about in the breeze before gently falling away out of sight to the ground hundreds of feet below.

His fingers twine into mine as he replies, “How can a moth resist the light? How can Summer resist chasing Autumn?”

I look at him with a slight frown.

“They cannot. Just as I cannot resist the draw you have over me,” he admits.

My throat turns dry, words suddenly an impossibility as my tongue is a tangle at the confession. I do my best to hide my fumbling and clear my throat. “So, what happens now?”

“We enjoy this moment,” he replies simply.

If it’s all we get, then I suppose I don’t have much of a choice.

Our bodies draw naturally together, leaning against each other as our hands twine together further.

The autumnal sunset bathes everything in a wash of ochre and maroon, and the lush scent of the season envelops us, as though understanding the need for the perfection of this moment together.