The First Rule

Chapter 23a: Winny

You know the last name's Winters, right?

It kind of.. works like a curse.

Why? Yeah, well—because every man in our family? Always born in the Winter. My grandad arrived in December, my dad made a grand entrance in January—my uncle was born in February.. It's like Mother Nature herself is in for the joke. And the result? They're all stubborn assholes. I'm not excluding my dad, sorry God. Oh, and RIP grandad, uncle.

But what I really can't fathom.. is how Tyler's so invested in our last names. You see, ever since we were young, he had a peculiar.. fondness, towards my surname—even to the point where, in fact, he gave me a nickname from it.

Just like that.

You know, his favorite 'Winny'. And.. just like how I'm the only one who can call him Tyty, only he can call me Winny. So, pals, imagine my stress, when I hear Dominic—

"Winny!"

Hunt spots you as you enter the cafeteria, calling out your nickname—correction. Tyler's nickname. Startled by his sudden outburst for God only knows how many times, you give him a nervous grin. But even your nervous grin fades as you sense a sudden drop in temperature. The weather's already cold, so imagine how cold this became. Your eyes immediately dart around the room.. until they land on Tyler's icy glare, sending chills down your spine..

Tyler walks down the hallway, hands tucked in his pockets when he overhears an annoying.. familiar voice calling you. Closing his eyes, Tyler's steps falter as the word slices through the air. His hands clenched into fists in his pockets, jaw tightening. A surge of possessiveness courses through him when he snaps his head and turns.. to see Dom, approaching you with a broad grin, saying, "Winny baby, wait up!"

Your one and only nickname, the one he thought only he could use.. He scrunches his face in irritation as you scuttle away despite Dom's call. You're seen glancing left and right in haste, seemingly wanting to get as further away from him as possible—and you turn the corner and disappear from his sight with Hunt trailing behind you. Tyler can't help but unleash his silent rant. "Winny—and now he—Winny baby?! Is this f*****g dude for real—"

"WINNEH!!!"

You're on River vs Cardinals baseball game—and as it's Dominic's turn, he calls you by Tyler's nickname, boldly.

"THIS ONE'S FOR YOU BABY!"

His declaration is met with cheers—doesn’t matter—because you notice Tyler on one of the bases. Wrapped in his white and red gloves, his fists clenched together tightly, glare fixed on Dom. But what scared you the most is not the fact that he looked like he's about to punch Dom right then and there—it's the fact that you can see fire in his eyes from afar.. and all.. the things he might do—

"Why the f**k does he call you Winny now?"

Gaping nervously, you stand there—staring wide-eyed like a lost Nemo. Feeling helpless as his eyes bore fire into you, you rub your temples carefully. He hovers over you like a hawk as you stutter, "I—I don't know.. H—he asked me what my name means, and well, you know—I told him the story—and then he asked me why you call me Winny—a—and now—sometimes he.. calls me Winny too.."

"Hah, yeah right, sometimes. Sure. Not like he calls you Winny all the time now. You know, for someone who's said to have such artistic flair, he can be so un. creative."

Cavill scoffs, a smirk forming on his lips. His glare fixates on a single individual across the room who seems to be blissfully unaware of the brewing tension happening over here. Disdain paints his expression as he lets out a harsh breath. You're about to reach out to calm him down before—

"Ty—"

"Only I can call you that, Emilia!"

But it's too late.

He explodes. The words bursting forth as if all the pent-up emotions have finally found the surface. Frowning, he shakes his head in frustration, his jet black hair ruffled by his hand as he runs it through. He knits his eyebrows and stares at you—jaw clenched tight—until finally, he averts his eyes and exhales.

Shit, he's using first names. This is serious.

He's mad, mad.

As for you—on one hand, there's.. fear of causing further tension if you address it to your boyfriend.. You want to assert boundaries.. but you despise the thought of creating any drama. On the other hand.. you can't lie. There's just this.. discomfort, of hearing someone else—

Heck, ok I know it's my boyfriend. But still, hearing him use Ty's nickname for me.. It's like—a.. a breach! A violation of.. of something.. sacred, you know? Don't laugh at me. Of course I'm still abiding by our rules! The rules are there for a reason, right? Well, look at us now—

...

Shit.

Shaking your head briskly of the immense pressure, you stand there with a grimace, your eyebrows drawn together in a helplessness. A slight pout painting on your lips, you cast your gaze downward, turning your head sideways in contemplation. After a moment of internal struggle, you finally gather the courage to meet his gaze again—exhaling in frustration.

"What am I supposed to do, Tyty..? Tell him not to call me that? You know how weird it'd be—"

"It's even weirder, that it comes out from his mouth! It's even weirder, that you allowed him to—"

"Ty! Please, I really don't know how to—"

Helplessly, you plead. You snap your head away from him, unable to hold back your frustration any longer. When you bring your eyes back to him, he can see the glossy sheen in your eyes as tears well up, "I'm sorry.. but I don't know how to—" midway through your sentence, you look down slowly, resting your head against his chest.

Pursing his lips, Cavill falls silent. His gaze lingering on your head for a moment before shifting them to Dominic with a calculating look—when a subtle smirk surfaces. He brings his hand behind your head and gently pets them, muttering under his breath,

"Guess I'll make a press conference then."

Bad. s**t, this is—

Turning your head sharply towards him in alarm, you're only met with a devilish smirk.

"W—wait—Ty, what—"

By the time you open your mouth, with lightning speed, he pivots—firmly grasping your shoulders, and pulls you with him into a tight embrace.

"EXCUSE ME EVERYONE MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE."

In a sudden rush of panic, you whisper urgently, "Ty—!"

But it's too late. The King has spoken, and everyone has already gathered around you like eager bees awaiting their Queen's signal. Feeling even more nervous than before, you grip the edges off his shirt tighter.

Catching your eye for a brief moment, Cavill glances at you, silently checking in—before briskly stroking your left arm. Perhaps.. assuring you to trust him. But maybe, it's more like.. preparing you, for what comes ahead.

"First of all, I'd like to thank all of you. Teammates, and friends, for coming here to celebrate The River's win," he pauses for a moment, closing his eyes and c***s his head smugly, then he clucks before giving a lopsided grin just to boast, "ehhh, maybe for the 10th time this year—"

"Thanks to you my man!" somebody shouts from the crowd. When you look over, you see Brad lifting his glass in the air—grinning widely. His encouragement elicits roars from the crowd, and you can't help but let out a proud smirk. You take a glance at Tyler, feeling all the tension from before dissipated.

However, Tyler's smug face softens as. "No, no. It's all thanks to the team. We've worked tirelessly, practicing day in and day out—pushing ourselves to our limits.. And every win is not just ours alone. It belongs to every member of our team—to the coaches, and of course to our Rivers, cheering us on from the stands.."

Briefly, he glances at you from above. As your eyes meet, the two of you exchange a sweet.. encouraging smile before he mouths a 'thank you’—you squeeze him in response.

"Each and every one of you played a crucial role in our journey—and for that, we owe you one hell of gratitude! We’ve hit some logs and it felt f*****g good!"

Everyone cheers and claps. You let out screams of victory. However, your enthusiasm wanes as you notice his now subdued demeanor. Looking up, you realize how his determined gaze is back—fixed on one.. target.

"However, I have something else to address."