Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates-Chapter 24 -

The darkened room snapped into clarity as Aster flipped the switch, light flooding the space with a harsh, unsparing glow. Syn stood rooted, his breath catching as his eyes swept over the scene before him. At the center loomed a drawing canvas, its surface a chaotic swirl of random strokes—half-formed lines and smudges, a restless sketch abandoned mid-thought.

To the side, a cluster of completed canvases leaned against the wall, each one a portrait of him: Syn in sharp profile, Syn gazing forward, Syn in quiet repose. A few captured him with Vera—her arm looped through his, her head tilted close in intimate poses that sent a shiver down his spine. Pinned to the walls were more—childhood glimpses of him, wide-eyed and scruffy, then teenage years with a cocky grin, and, most jarring, two or three canvases of him in the Kingdom's navy uniform, the crisp blue fabric rendered with eerie precision, as if someone had stood mere feet away, watching.

The door hissed open again, a sharp interruption that made Syn flinch, and Vera burst in, her purple hair wild and her chest heaving as if she'd sprinted the length of the ship. "Aster!" she snapped, her voice a whip-crack of anger tinged with a flush of embarrassment that painted her cheeks pink. "Why'd you bring him here? I told you not to!" Her eyes darted to Syn, then away, her panting breaths filling the silence as she braced a hand against the doorframe.

Aster shrugged, her broad shoulders rolling with a casual ease that belied the tension. "What's the big deal?" she said, her tone light but edged with defiance as she crossed her arms. "He asked how we tracked him down, so I figured I'd show him the paintings. If my ship were here, I'd have dragged him to my room instead—got better stuff there." Her gaze swept the space, a frown creasing her brow as she muttered, "Where's that box?" Her hands patted her pockets absently, searching for something lost.

Vera's glare held for a long moment, her lips parting as if to retort, but then she exhaled sharply, regaining her composure with a visible effort. She straightened, folding her arms tightly across her chest, her blush fading as she drew a deep breath. "Enough," she said, her voice leveling into a calm authority. "Go to the control room—Pako and the commander are on call. The exchange is happening. Hurry."

Aster's eyes widened, her arms dropping as surprise lit her face. "What? It's on? That stubborn King actually caved?" Her voice rose, a mix of disbelief and delight threading through it.

Vera smirked, a sly curve to her lips as she stepped closer to Syn, her arm sliding through his with a possessive ease that made his skin prickle. "He didn't at first," she said, clinging to him as she shot Aster a pointed look, "but my boyfriend here swooped in to save the day." Her tone dripped with playful triumph, her grip tightening as she leaned into him, her shoulder brushing his.

Syn stayed silent, his gut whispering caution as he watched the exchange unfold, a spectator in a game between titans. Aster's jaw tightened at the word "boyfriend," a flash of irritation narrowing her eyes, but then her expression shifted, processing Vera's words. "So that means..." She turned to Syn, her voice softening as hope crept in. "You're coming back to us?"

He nodded, a faint, doubtful dip of his head, uncertainty flickering in his chest. Aster's face erupted in joy, her eyes brightening as a grin split her features. With a sudden lunge, she surged forward, shoving Vera aside—"Hey!" Vera yelped, stumbling back—and wrapped her arms around Syn's waist. She hoisted him up, lifting him off the ground with a burst of excitement, her strength a whirlwind as she shook him up and down, his head grazing the low ceiling.

"Okay, Aster—enough!" Syn said, his voice tight with nerves as he flailed slightly, trapped in her grip. "Put me down—I'm gonna hit the ceiling!" His boots dangled, brushing her shins as he tried to steady himself, his stomach lurching with each jolt.

Aster laughed, a booming sound that filled the room, and loosened her hold, letting him slide down slowly, their bodies rubbing briefly as she set him back on his feet. Her hands tightened again as his toes touched the floor, steadying him so his face hovered just below hers, her height a quiet dominance. "This is the best day ever," she said, her voice brimming with joy, and she pulled him into a tight, fervent kiss, her lips pressing hard against his, her breath warm and eager.

Vera watched, her arms crossed again, her smirk fading into a thin line. After a beat, she stepped forward, her hand darting out to yank Aster's blonde hair with a sharp tug. "Ow!" Aster yelped, releasing Syn as she stumbled back, her hands flying to her scalp. Syn wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand, stepping aside to catch his breath, his heart still thudding from the sudden whirlwind.

"What was that for, you bitch?" Aster snapped, rounding on Vera with a glare, her hands balling into fists as she rubbed her head.

"Quit wasting time," Vera replied, her voice calm and cool despite Aster's venom, her composure unshaken. "The control room—they're waiting." She tilted her head toward the door, her purple hair swaying with the motion, a silent command in her stance.

Aster huffed, a sharp "Hmph" escaping her as she turned away, her fingers deftly gathering her loose hair into a tight bun. "I'll be back soon, Syn~," she called over her shoulder, her voice lilting with a playful promise as she shot him a wink, her silhouette framed in the doorway just before the door hissed shut, sealing her exit with a soft thud.

Syn exhaled, a long, slow breath of relief that loosened the knot in his chest. The room felt larger without Aster's towering energy, the silence a fragile reprieve. "She's exhausting, isn't she?" Vera asked, her tone casual as she stepped closer, her arms unfolding to rest at her sides.

"Hmm... yeah," Syn agreed, his voice soft, though a fleeting thought flickered in his mind—Vera wasn't exactly a breeze herself. He kept it to himself, his gaze drifting back to the canvases, their unsettling presence tugging at his focus.

The quiet stretched, an awkward hum settling between them, and Syn cleared his throat, breaking it first. "These paintings... they're good," he said, nodding toward the array of portraits, his tone careful as he sought neutral ground. "You're a talented artist."

Vera didn't meet his eyes, her gaze sliding to the floor, her fingers twisting together briefly before she stilled them. "You don't have to say that," she murmured, her voice low, almost brittle. "I know they creep you out." Her admission hung there, unguarded, a rare glimpse beneath her captain's armor.

"Yeah, they do," Syn said, opting for honesty over platitudes, his tone blunt but not unkind as he stepped closer to the canvases. "Don't you ever draw anything else?"

Vera moved to the central canvas, the incomplete one, her fingers brushing its dry, chaotic surface with a tenderness that surprised him. "Being captain's a pressure cooker," she said, her voice steadying as she traced a jagged stroke. "Painting... it quiets the noise." She paused, her hand falling away as she turned to him, her eyes meeting his with a quiet intensity. "It's strange, though—I can't seem to start one without you in it."

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Syn's brow furrowed, doubt threading through him as he leaned in to study the unfinished sketch—his face emerging from the mess, no background, just the rough outline of his hair. "Have you tried?" he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism. "Drawing something—someone—else?"

"I have," she said, turning fully to face him, her expression softening into something unguarded, almost wistful. "But I lose the spark before the first line's done." Her words lingered, a confession wrapped in quiet resignation, and Syn fell silent, unsure how to respond to the weight of her fixation.

He moved to one of the finished works—a portrait of him in the Kingdom's navy uniform, standing rigid, eyes forward, the angle so precise it felt like a memory captured in paint. "This one," he said, pointing at it, his voice tightening as suspicion coiled in his gut. "How'd you know I was a soldier for the Kingdom? And this angle—it's too real, like you were right there watching me."

Vera's lips curved into a faint, secretive smile, a glint of something unreadable sparking in her eyes, stoking his unease. Her face was a known terror across the Kingdom—an infamous pirate captain, impossible to miss, let alone infiltrate unnoticed. "Oh, that one," she said, her voice lightening as she stepped beside him, gazing at the painting. "You looked so handsome—I couldn't resist drawing it."

"Where'd you get it from?" Syn pressed, his tone sharpening as he turned the canvas over, his fingers brushing its edges until they caught on something—a glossy photo tucked into a corner cranny. He pulled it free, holding it up to the light, and froze.

It was him—recent, unmistakably so—standing stiffly during a Kingdom announcement, his uniform crisp, his stance formal. The detail was uncanny, the angle intimate, a shot that shouldn't exist. Cameras and devices were banned in that hall, security airtight, yet someone had slipped through, capturing him in perfect clarity without a whisper of detection.