WULFRIC thought [The Sleeping God] with its hidden romantic subplot between Aster and Lauren's characters was bad enough. Hell, there was even that guest role Aster took in that one show where his character was a brief romantic interest for one of the leads—that was awful, too. But this? A full-blown movie where Aster was blatantly the other half of a love story? Wulfric had only watched a glimpse of the trailer, and he already felt like shit.
He knew he shouldn't feel this way. Logically, he understood it was all just acting—scripted lines, rehearsed gestures, and emotions that weren't real. It didn't an anything. But knowing that didn't stop the sharp pang in his chest every ti he saw Aster look at soone else like that, even if it was just for the caras.
It was infuriating, really—this jealousy that coiled in his gut like a wild animal he couldn't ta. He wasn't the kind of person who got hung up on things like this. Or at least, he used to think he wasn't. But then Aster had co along, turning his world upside down without even realizing it. Now, here he was, letting a damn movie trailer ss with his head.
Wulfric leaned back in his chair, raking a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated sigh. "It's just a movie," he muttered to himself, the words tasting hollow even as he said them. Because deep down, he knew the problem wasn't the movie—it was him. And the fact that no matter how hard he tried to shove these feelings down, they kept clawing their way back to the surface, refusing to be ignored.
He couldn't begin to imagine how much worse he'd feel after watching the full movie, considering how much the trailer alone had already ssed with his head. And the worst part? This wasn't going to be a one-ti thing. Aster was a rising star—there'd be plenty more roles like this in the future, plenty more love stories where he'd be cast as soone's romantic partner, looking at them with the sa tenderness Wulfric selfishly wished was ant only for him.
How the hell was he supposed to handle that? Was he just going to sit there, torturing himself every ti Aster played a role like this? How would he fare when it wasn't just a fleeting trailer but scene after scene of Aster wrapped up in so fictional romance, gazing at soone else like they were his whole world? Wulfric swallowed hard at the thought, his chest tightening. It wasn't a question of if it would happen again—it was when. And the truth was, he didn't know if he could take it.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the torrent of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He knew he was being unreasonable—childish, even. But what could he do? He loved Aster that much. He knew, without a doubt, that he'd never be able to love anyone else with the sa intensity or fervor. Aster wasn't just soone to him. He was the one. The only one.
But that didn't give him the right to interfere. It didn't give him the right to stop Aster from pursuing the thing he loved most—acting. Wulfric knew how much that ant to him. And he knew, too, that Aster would never forgive him if he tried to get in the way of that just to soothe his own insecurities.
So, where did that leave him? Completely and utterly screwed, that's where.
"Wulf?"
Aster's voice pulled Wulfric from his own swirling thoughts.
"Yeah—sorry," he said quickly. "I just... got lost in thought for a second."
Aster raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "It looked more like you went to another place instead of just being lost."
When Wulfric stayed silent, offering no response, Aster pressed on.
"So, what's on your mind? Did the trailer we just watched have sothing to do with it?"
Wulfric bit the inside of his cheek, weighing his options. Not answering would only make Aster more suspicious, but lying wasn't an option. Aster would see right through him anyway, and the thought of being dishonest with him didn't sit right. In the end, he decided to just man up and admit what he was thinking. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire
"Alright, I'll just say it. I didn't like what I saw in the trailer. I know it's just acting. I know it's part of your job, but seeing you with soone else like that… it got to ."
He paused, running a hand through his hair as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I guess… I'm jealous. And I hate that I feel this way because I know it's unreasonable. But I can't help it, Aster. Watching that, I couldn't stop thinking about how this won't be the only ti. There'll be more movies like this, more roles where you're soone's love interest, and I don't know how I'm supposed to handle it."
He swallowed hard, his voice lowering. "I don't want to be that guy who can't handle watching the person he loves doing what they love. But sotis, it just feels like I'm fighting a losing battle with myself." He paused, exhaling slowly. "This is my problem. I'll deal with it, sohow. I don't know how yet, but I'll figure it out. I promise."
When Wulfric didn't hear a response, he lifted his head, glancing at the virtual screen. Aster was just sitting there, blinking and staring at him, seemingly at a loss for words.
A faint, self-deprecating smile tugged at his lips. "You probably think I'm being ridiculous, don't you?"
His question seed to jolt Aster out of his stupor. Shaking his head, Aster replied, "Actually, I think you're being kind of adorable."
Wulfric blinked, certain he must have heard wrong. He felt his face heat up, the warmth creeping across his cheeks and up to his ears. It took him a mont to regain his composure before he finally muttered, "You really should stop calling adorable. Didn't you get the mo? I'm supposed to be the scariest general in the Empire."
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