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darlingshane · 26 days ago

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new chapter

Joe Teague x F!Reader

Summary: On his wedding night, before he gets to spend some time alone with you, Joe listens to the conversation you're having with your daughter as you tuck her in. The little girl has some interesting questions regarding him and his new role in her life that you're happy to answer to put her at ease.

CW: +18, explicit, smut, oral sex (f. recieving), p in v sex, fluff, wedding night, pregnancy, dancing, established relationship, mention of past abuse, mention of divorce, set in the late 40s.

Word Count: 2,3k

— Links: AO3 // Joe Masterlist

Joe takes one final look around the first floor to make sure all doors and windows are locked before heading upstairs. The kitchen is a cluttered mess of dirty dishes piling in the sink from the casual reception you hosted right at the brand-new house. Dishes can wait till tomorrow. It's been a big day worthy of celebration and while it's sad to see it come to an end, he can't wait to see what this new chapter in his life with you brings him.

He's excited to see what the future holds, what these walls would tell ten or twenty years from now. This is where he's putting his roots, and he's betting everything on it that there won't be no bail this time. You are it for him. There's no doubt in his heart.

Though it’s neither his nor your first marriage, it feels just like it. The experience is completely different, given that both of you come with your own baggage; and kids in your case from your first marriage. You chose to have a simple ceremony at the courthouse, followed by a small reception at the house, and it couldn't have gone better. He can't get over how beautiful everything was. He knew you were special from the moment he met you, but the sense of pride and love he's felt today comes second to none. Not only did you look stunning in the custom dress you made yourself, but the way you've handled every little detail is something to admire.

He still has part of his uniform on when he steps into the hallway of the second floor to see you tuck Grace, your six-year-old, into bed. He leans on the door frame, listening to your voices through the cracked door.

“Mama, you look like a princess today,” she says as you pull the sheet over her body, folding it carefully at the hem as the little girl gets comfortable on her pillow. Just like Joe, you're still wearing your wedding dress with no shoes on.

“Thanks, baby. Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah, I wish you’d marry every day.”

“Every day? That’d be a lot of work with that many husbands.” She breaks into laughter along with you. “What was your favorite part?”

“The cake.”

“It was a great cake.” You agree, pushing a strand of hair off her face.

“Will you make me a dress like yours for my wedding day?”

“Sure, but first I need to know who you're marrying.”

“Hm, I don't know yet.” The little girl shrugs, holding a stuffed teddy bear in her embrace. “Someone like Joe, I guess.”

“Yeah? You like Joe?”

“He's pretty funny.”

“Pretty funny looking, I'd say.” Joe watches you glance over your shoulder, smiling at him.

“Is he my dad now? Should I call him daddy?”

“Only if you want to.” You sweetly caress her face. “Do you want Joe to be your daddy?”

She nods. “What if he doesn't want to? Is he going to be mean to us like my other daddy was?”

It breaks your heart hearing her express it like that at such a short age. As much as you tried to protect her, she was still aware of how awful her father was to you both. You thought she had forgotten about him after he died a few years ago, cause she was still a toddler. It was hard to explain to her that he didn't come back from war, but somehow your little girl understood that your lives turned for the better the moment he was gone. And surprisingly, she’s never mentioned him until now.

“Baby, I promise you, Joe is a good man. He’d never hurt us like that. We wouldn’t be here otherwise. You might see us sometimes argue, but I give you my word that no matter what, Joe loves us more than your daddy ever did. He’s going to take care of us, and we’re going to take care of him, okay? We’re family now. It doesn’t matter if you call him daddy or not, he’s gonna love you the same.”

Grace hugs her teddy bear tight as you watch her pondering for a moment in silence.

“Do you wanna ask him or do you want me to do it?”

“You do it.” She sticks out her finger and boops your nose.

“Alright, I'll do it.” You turn your head again to nod at Joe, beckoning him to come closer.

He steps into the room and bends down by the bed, propping a knee on the floor and holding his forearm on your lap.

“Hey, Gracie Jo.”

“Hi,” she says shyly, even though she's usually pretty chatty around him. But this is a big ask, you're aware, and a big step for all of you. “Mommy wants to ask you something.”

“Oh?” he gazes at you with a smile on his face, very aware of what you’re going to ask. It’s something you’ve talked about before, but you didn’t want to force Grace into accepting Joe as her father before she was ready.

“Gracie and I were wondering if you’d like to be her daddy.”

He fondly looks at you and then turns to her to assure her there's nothing he'd love more.

“It'd be an honor to be your dad, sweetheart,” he promises, placing a kiss on her forehead.

It melts your heart to see them both beaming in delight. You have no doubts that Joe would be up for the task to fill that role in her life better than anyone. You and Grace would've been fine with or without him in your life, but you're glad you got the opportunity to meet him and fall in love with him like this.

You curl up with Grace until she falls asleep and then retire to your new room.

You've got the house for a week now, but with all the arrangements for the wedding and the hassle of moving, you haven't had a minute to stop to look at it as your new home until now. There's still work to do, but you're proud of what you've accomplished to make it feel safe and comfortable for your daughter. That's all you needed. You're exhausted, but it was all worth it at the end. Hopefully, you'll be able to slow down in the next few days while everything settles.

When you step out of Grace’s room, you leave the door slightly ajar. Next to it, by the staircase there's your workspace, and a bathroom on the other side. There’s an empty bedroom in front of hers that would soon be filled with baby furniture for the little guy growing in your belly. You haven't told Grace yet, she would have babbled to everyone at the party that she was having a baby brother or sister, which is something she's been asking for years. In a couple of days, you and Joe will tell her and you know already she'll be over the moon.

At the end of the hallway is yours and Joe's bedroom. There's only a light coming from a night lamp when you go inside. There's music playing on the radio while he waits for you, sitting on the chair by the window. He still looks as handsome as this morning, when you first saw him fully dressed in his uniform. Now, his shirt is half unbuttoned, his pants are creased, and the shoes are off.

“Thought you’d be in bed by now, Mr. Teague,” you say as he stands up to meet you in the middle.

“I was waiting for you, Mrs. Teague.” He picks up your hand and brings it up to his lips to print a kiss on your knuckles. “I didn’t get a chance to dance with my bride today, I was hoping we could do it now. Would you like that, sweetheart?”

“I’d love that.” Your lips form a smile as he spins you around in the middle of the room before securing an arm around your waist.

You place your palms on his chest, smoothing the fabric of his shirt across the breadth of his chest, locking eyes with him for a moment before pillowing your head on his shoulder.

Closely tucked in his embrace, you both start moving your feet to the slow cadence of the song playing on the radio.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to dance today. I wanted to do something small, I didn’t think that you’d—” you say softly before he cuts you off.

“Sweetheart, don’t apologize. It was perfect. I wanted something small, too. I told you I didn’t care for fanfare. I like it like this, just you and me.”

You lift your head to look at him. “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met. How did I get so lucky?”

“All it took was a robber. I’d like to thank him personally for bringing us together,” he quips.

That’s exactly how you met. The tailoring shop you work at got robbed about a year ago, and Joe was the lead detective on the case. It was a terrifying experience, but it gave you Joe, so you have to look at it as a blessing. After a couple of follow-up interviews, he started showing up casually around the neighborhood to check in the place here and there until the robber was caught red-handed again, trying to rob a jewelry shop a couple of blocks away. By that time, Joe didn’t have any more excuses to show up, so he started bringing some of his personal pieces of clothing to fix. First a jacket, then a couple of shirts, a pair of pants… Until one day he built up the courage to ask you out for a coffee. Before you realized it, you were falling madly in love with him. It was never in your cards to marry again, but Joe was the odds that changed your luck. He wasn’t only great to you as a boyfriend, but the way he treated your daughter played a major factor on that decision.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart? Is our little buddy behaving today?” He glances down at your still seemingly inconspicuous four-month bump hidden under the loose fitting of your dress.

“Hm, he’s been an angel. I haven’t been sick all day. Just a little tired.”

“Yeah? You’re ready to go to bed?”

“No. Not yet. When the song ends.”

You lock your arms tight around his neck as he lets his forehead touch yours before letting his lips crash with yours in a firm kiss that almost makes your legs crumble down to the floor. His arms anchor you in place as the sweet undoing of his kiss sends you somewhere closer to heaven.

As the melody fades, your bodies come alive against the other. The magnetic pull of your unwavering love guides your lips to fuse together in a hot frenzy of desire. It hurts so good, you can't help but moan in his mouth. When you grow breathless, you pull back and turn around so he can unzip your dress. You quickly shed every piece of clothing and undergarment to consummate your marriage for the first time as husband and wife. It helps that you've had sex many times before, otherwise you'd be ridden with anxiety. But everything has always been so easy with Joe, and this night is no different. He makes you feel desired in ways you've never experienced before. He evokes something so powerful inside, you can't speak coherently without tripping over your words. So you suffocate him with kisses and hold him for as long as you can.

As your lungs lose the ability to breathe properly, he places you down on the mattress. Your body buzzes with anticipation when he kneels at the foot of the bed. He climbs his way between your legs that he spreads open as far as they can stretch. He kisses the inside of your thigh from you knew up to your groin, making your skin rise into pimples all over. His lips make an urgent stop at your center to bury his tongue between your folds. The eagerness to taste you causes your legs to shake like an earthquake. His tongue collects the essence of your arousal as if he was a starving man. Your core wounds up in an impossible knot made of fire that is almost unbearable to contain. You have to cover your mouth to muffle the sinful sounds that come out of your lips.

“Joe, honey,” you pant, extending your hand to grip at his hair so he would climb on top of you. “I want you inside me.”

Following your request, he slithers up your body, nestling between your legs, letting you feel his hardness against your sex. He deliciously rubs himself on your folds before guiding his cock between your soaked lips.

One of his hands holds your jaw, while his forehead leans against yours. His hips slowly push inside you, capturing the warmness of your walls that contract gently around him every time your hips slant against his moves.

“God, I love you so much, sweetheart,” his voice comes out ragged as he ups the pace of his thrusting.

“Not as much as I love you.” You use your hands to press harder on his ass, so you can feel every inch of him filling you up to the hilt.

Joe presses his mouth open against yours, seizing your breath as he takes you to the final line where your orgasm comes crashing against his own. They merge together for a second, surrounding both of you in a cloud of elation that rushes through the tangled mess of your bodies like thunder. Your legs tremble as the flutter of your opening squeezes every drop out of his seed.

— Credits: beautiful divider by @cafekitsune

#bernthirst tv tribute #joe teague x reader #joe teague #mob city #jon bernthal #jon bernthal fanfiction #fanfiction #fluff #smut #darlingwrites

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slythering-snake-boys · 2 years ago

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It's Been Awhile Ch. 5

Characters: Sebastian Sallow x Reader/MC

Series Masterlist

Words: 4483

Warnings: fluff, some angst, Sebastian being jealous and kinda insecure but also clingy and in love, a bit of cursing, some spoilers for Sebastian's questline, a pleasant surprise (hopefully)

Taglist: @cloudroomblog

"Morning..." Sebastian greeted Ominis tiredly as he sat down on the other side of the table the next morning.

"Good morning, Sebastian. Slept well?" He asked with a hint of a smile and Sebastian only sighed before shaking his head, looking over the mouth-watering dishes piled on the table in thought.

"Not really. Had a nightmare... And Peeves laughing in it only made it worse." The freckled man sighed before starting to gather food onto his plate, deciding that he just needed to eat something to feel better. And maybe seeing you might help him, too. For sure.

"Sorry to hear that. Want to talk about it?" Ominis thought he might get to tease Sebastian, but hearing about the supposed nightmare made him change his mind. He'd heard from the girls that you and Sebastian had been standing rather close to one another the previous night, even holding hands on the stone staircase. But they had fled once they saw Peeves, who was coming straight towards them in his frenzied search for Leander.

"No, it's fine..." Sebastian replied after a bit of hesitation. How could he tell Ominis that he'd dreamt you decided to go with someone else to the dance and even kissed them? He didn't know who the guy was since he couldn't remember anything about him, except that he was taller than you and well-built. He remembered that his rival was holding onto your waist, wearing a high-class suit and whispering in your ear, making you smile and laugh. Sebastian had felt his heart tear apart as he had watched you, wanting to both punch the guy and also turn his back and leave. Peeves' laugh followed him as the poltergeist made fun of him for not being able to get you. He involuntarily shivered at the faint memory of it all.

"You sure?" The blond insisted for the last time. Sebastian hummed.

"I'm good. Thanks, Ominis." Sebastian had decided long before that he'd try his hardest to get you back. But in the end, he wanted you to be happy. And if you decided that you'd rather be happier with someone else...then he was willing to let you go. As painful as it would surely be. After all, why would someone as amazing as you want someone like him? Someone with blood on his hands? Someone who definitely had some sort of darkness harbouring inside?

The brunette heard familiar voices and looked up, just in time to see you arriving and making his day better just with your presence alone. His heart stuttered in his chest just like it did when you two were still students and he'd see you, no matter the time or place. Even after your relationship had ended - when you'd only smile briefly in his direction before continuing on your way as he did the same - he still felt his mood improving thanks to you. And it hurt him, knowing that his unwavering desire to save Anne and learn more about Dark Magic at the same time had driven you away.

Compared to then, you now smiled brightly and waved at him. Sebastian felt his cheeks redden and a wide smile broke out on his face as he waved back.

He breathed out in relief, feeling some of the tension plaguing him disappearing. It had only been a nightmare. This was reality. He was closer to having you back now. He could- no, he would do better this time. He wouldn't let you get away because of his actions ever again. He'd prove to you that he was worthy of you and your affections.

"Sebastian? Do you have a costume for tonight?" Sebastian looked at Ominis, swallowing his food. He'd almost forgotten where he was for a second.

"I do. Why?"

"Could you help me pick one today from Hogsmead? Or worst case scenario, Twilfitt and Tattings, in case we don't find one here? I didn't have the time nor reason to get a new one recently and by the time I arrived, it was already too late." Sebastian tilted his head in curiosity and confusion. He himself had bought a costume just for this. A part of him had hoped he'd meet you and maybe, just maybe, ask you to save at least one dance for him. And now, he was counting his lucky stars for his decision. With a shake of his head, his attention was back on Ominis.

"But wasn't the dance mentioned in the letter or something? Why not have one just in case?"

"I had decided I wouldn't be going with anyone or at all, so I didn't see why I'd get a suit for nothing." Ominis pushed his food around, his eyebrows furrowed. One of Sebastian's eyebrows raised in suspicion before his lips pulled up into a teasing grin.

"Then what changed?" The blond could almost feel the smirk in his friend's voice and his face gained a peachy hue.

"I decided to finally ask someone...and they accepted, surprisingly." The wolfish grin spread across Sebastian's lips stretched.

"And who, pray tell, might the lucky one be?" Ominis shook his head, stabbing his food with his fork.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not? Afraid I might try to steal them away?" Ominis made a face that Sebastian could only define as one of disgust before shaking his head.

"Ew. And no. I already know you're going with MC. Almost the entire school knows. Even the first-years know." It was Sebastian's turn to become red. Hearing nothing else from his friend, Ominis smirked. "Still, that doesn't mean there aren't some who might try to steal her away. After all, you haven't asked her to be yours, so she's still single in pretty much everyone else's eyes, whether you're going to the dance together or not. So I'd be careful of a few of the guys here." Sebastian's hold on his fork tightened and he looked up at Ominis with a half glare. He hated when Ominis was being like this - he seemed almost cruel as he reminded him of this. In his defence, he had tried to get you to be his again, but he'd almost always been interrupted. Sebastian thought himself lucky for being able to even kiss you the previous night.

"I hate it when you turn my teasing against me..." Ominis grinned, back to eating happily.

"I know. That's why I do it. So, anyway, will you come and help me?" Sebastian looked at you, seeing you animatedly talking about something with Poppy, Natty and Garreth. He'd wanted to spend the day with you, but he couldn't let Ominis go by himself. Not when they were back on friendly terms again. He had missed his best friend.

"Sure."

"Great."

The rest of the day was spent in Hogsmeade, at Gladrags Wizardwear and Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. With Sebastian looking and Ominis trying dozens of dress robes and costumes, both men decided on one made out of dark blue, almost black velvet, and a white dress shirt that had a cravat decorated with a sparkling, precious red gem. Ominis insisted on the colour, much to Sebastian's confusion, but he decided not to question him.

The blond tried it for a bit, walking around to get the feel of it as his cane thumped against the wooden floor. But both men thought it looked good on him and Ominis felt good wearing it, so he ended up buying it. They were both relieved to not have to travel to Diagon Alley as they exited the shop. Sebastian was itching to go back to the castle and be around you for as long as possible before the dance that night.

"Well, we still have some time left until tonight. Shall we go to Honeydukes, then the Three Broomsticks?" Sebastian agreed and they both went to the two locations, feeling like little boys again. They felt good talking so freely as if they were back to the time before Sebastian decided to go down his chosen dark path.

"So...are we friends again?" Sebastian finally asked, wanting to know for sure if he had his best friend back or not. Ominis smiled as he looked down towards his mug. They'd already scarfed down two boxes of Chocolate Frogs and a few Sugar Quills, along with at least three mugs of Butterbeer each. Sebastian's teeth already hurt from all the sweets and he would never understand how Ominis could eat so many sweets without any issue.

"If you promise you're not attempting to involve yourself even more with the Dark Arts anymore, then yes."

"I'm not, I swear." He was silent for a couple of seconds. "MC said the same thing... Did you two talk about this beforehand?"

"I figured as much. And no, not really. We were both really worried for you though. And we knew you regretted what you'd done. Still... I told MC to give you space. Until we all went through everything that happened and healed as much as possible." He had had more than enough space to reflect on his words and actions. Hopefully, you and Ominis had both healed enough to forgive him. Maybe there was a slim chance that Anne might forgive him as well one day. At least write him once in a while, just so he could rest, knowing she was in good hands and still alive. Sebastian stared at Ominis, licking his lips nervously.

"Before this... Did you know she'd break up with me?" You had told him that no one but you and him knew. But Sebastian was aware of how much Ominis knew and found out. Probably faster than most of your mutual friends who still didn't know too much about what the three - four if he counted Anne as well - of you had been through during your fifth-year.

"No." Ominis shook his head. "I only found out from Imelda. She told me that she found MC crying in the girls' restroom the day you two broke up and told her you two had broken up." Sebastian ruminated over the blond's words and thought of that day.

He'd left you behind and didn't even look back, going to the library to look for books about the relic he'd found with you to drown out the dark thoughts about his life at that time. He felt the regret coursing through his veins at the thought of how much he'd hurt not only you, but Ominis as well. Anne had been affected just as much, if not more, especially being his twin sister. He didn't blame any of you for distancing yourselves from him.

"Are you alright, Sebastian?" Ominis asked, concern evident in his voice while his eyebrows pinched in the middle. It had been too quiet for too long, especially when it came from someone like Sebastian.

"Yeah, fine... Just thinking." The brunette replied quietly before taking a sip of his Butterbeer. He was tempted to order some Firewhiskey. But drinking his sorrows away had never had much of an appeal to him. He'd seen plenty of men doing the same and couldn't help but be bothered by the idea of ending up like that. He just...had to keep his head held high and continue trying his best to make amends for the pain he'd inflicted in his youth. Plus, it would be uncalled for, especially since he'd be dancing with you in a matter of hours. Sebastian wanted all his senses to be there in the moment, savouring the feel of you in his arms.

By the time the two arrived back at Hogwarts, it was time to start getting ready for the dance.

Sebastian's suit was simple, but classy, showing off the way his towering frame had changed into the attractive man he now was. He checked himself in the mirror, arranging his cravat that also had a precious gemstone of your favourite colour pinned to it. He styled his hair as best as he could before staring at himself in the mirror. He looked good and he knew it. He'd been working out plenty, wanting to feel and look strong - be someone people could look up to and know they could trust, even with their lives. But would it be good enough for someone like you? After all, people like you and Ominis were in another league altogether: Ominis because of his Slytherin heritage and money, and you thanks to your Ancient Magic.

"Sebastian, how do I look? Is something out of place? I feel like there's something out of place. Oh, Merlin... Does my hair look good?" He turned towards Ominis, admiring how posh his friend looked. However, the blond also looked like he was ready to up and run from his nerves. Or maybe suddenly combust. His cheeks were a bit too red. It all made Sebastian infinitely more curious about the blind man's date.

"Let me see..." He came closer, inspecting his clothes and his hair, but there was nothing. "You look good, there's nothing wrong. You look fine."

"That's a relief. I...want to look good for my date." Sebastian smiled fondly at his best friend, watching how uncharacteristically nervous he appeared. His date must've been someone very important to him. Ominis was a good guy and he deserved the best, especially when it came to people. The brunette hoped his best friend's date was a decent person who'd treasure him, even if it was just for the night.

"I'm sure whoever they are, they'll love the way you look and even compliment you." Ominis twisted his cane nervously as he looked at the ground.

"I hope so..." Sebastian clapped his back, almost pushing his blind friend forward from the force of it. His friend only glared at him somewhat playfully. Now that was more like the Ominis he knew, he thought with a wide, teasing grin.

"Sorry, don't know my own strength sometimes." Ominis continued glaring at him and Sebastian only chuckled, squeezing his friend's shoulder. "Seriously though, stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine. Now, let's go."

"Eager, are we?" The blond man smirked, obviously pleased with teasing his best friend and knowing the tables had turned.

"Shut up..." Sebastian deadpanned, making Ominis chuckle as they both left together. They reached the Entrance Hall, already seeing different couples, arm in arm, entering the Great Hall with wide smiles on their faces. They sat back to allow them through, waiting for their dates close to the main staircase.

"Sebastian, stop fidgeting so much. I can almost hear your suit starting to wrinkle." Ominis hissed quietly, making the brunette glance at him before breathing in and out.

"I'm nervous." Ominis sighed and smiled fondly, squeezing his best friend's arm reassuringly. The only other time he remembered hearing and feeling Sebastian acting like this was right before he had asked you out. The blond almost strangled his best friend from how much he was pacing and questiong himself and whether he should confess to you or not. He smiled at the memory.

"Don't be. MC is going to arrive any second now and I know she'll be overjoyed to see you."

"I sure hope so, mate... I sure hope- Oh, shit..." He cursed quietly as his eyes widened. There you were, wearing a dress that was made just for you. It had to be because you looked ethereal. Sebastian gulped when your eyes scanned the crowd before they landed on him, a beaming smile overtaking your lips. You waved and he subconsciously smiled widely, his heart beating at the speed of what felt like a hummingbird's wings.

"Is it MC?" He vaguely heard Ominis ask him, unable and unwilling to hear the teasing tone in his voice. He was entranced and rooted to his spot. Even if a throng of Hippogriffs would've come barelling through he probably wouldn't move or take his eyes off of you.

"Yeah..." He sounded breathless and Ominis smirked but felt truly happy for his friends. After all, you two deserved to be happy after the events you'd been through. Hopefully, you'd be happy together.

"She looks that good, huh? I've only ever known you to be this speechless when you singed our eyebrows off as we were learning Confringo and I asked you how it went." If he would've paid proper attention to the blond's words, Sebastian would've definitely laughed at the memory. But he was still staring at you, mouth agape and set into a speechless smile at how beautiful you were. Then, he did a double-take when he saw you turn and motion someone forward.

"Anne...?" Now Ominis seemed nervous as he straightened up at the sound of his best friend's sister's name. "W-What..." Words had never failed him the way they did then.

He watched you and Anne descend the stairs, arm in arm. His twin sister seemed nervous and a little unsure, her eyes going from her brother to Ominis. She was wearing a rich, beautiful green dress that made her stand out thanks to her pale skin which looked healthier than ever. As soon as you two were in front of them, Sebastian and Anne stared at one another in silence - one stunned, the other nervous and apprehensive.

"Anne..." He glanced at her, then at you, his face a mix of confusion, sadness, regret, happiness and shock. "MC? What's going on?"

"How about we go and sit somewhere where we can talk quietly? I'll explain everything." He barely nodded before you let go of Anne. You grabbed her brother's muscular arm, getting close to him as he watched Anne and Ominis do the same, both of them smiling and talking in hushed tones while blushing. All four of you entered the Great Hall and found a table in the corner where it was quiet enough to talk. Everyone else was already mingling, drinking punch or dancing, with a few sitting at various tables.

When you were all seated, silence fell upon you all. You breathed in before smiling, seeing both Anne and Ominis doing the same. Only Sebastian was left confused, looking from one to another.

"Okay then... Sebastian?" He looked at you, eyes wide and pleading for an explanation. His mind was in a state of confusion that almost had it reeling. "Anne is okay now. The curse has been removed." He looked at his sister again, noticing that it was true - she looked so much better now, almost as if she'd been reborn. She looked like her old self, though her hair had grown longer and she appeared to be full of life, her eyes sparkling.

"But...how?"

"MC..." Anne spoke, making his head snap towards her. He hadn't heard her voice in years. "She found a way using her Ancient Magic." Sebastian turned to regard you with wide eyes and parted lips.

"But, Isidora..." He knew how dangerous it was to use that sort of power on someone. The risk of removing not only the negative feelings but also all emotions was higher than he could've ever imagined. You had told him that much, even after he'd pestered you to ask the Keepers to teach you the necessary spell in order to help Anne. And following your fight with Ranrok, after which you spent almost an entire month at St. Mungo's because of your extensive injuries... He had wondered if it was even worth having so much power if it could cost you your life. He didn't want to lose you again.

"I've been researching what Isidora did, but with the Keepers' help and guidance. And I've developed a way to remove limited amounts of curses." Sebastian blinked, unable to properly comprehend what he was hearing. All of his emotions were running rampant, making his thoughts muddled.

"How do you mean?"

"Say, Anne was 100% cursed. I could only remove 20% at a time. Thing is, that curse would fester and grow back in time. So when I'd removed 20%, she was left with 80%. This 80% would then grow to 90% in those few months of rest for both of us. So, I'd remove that 20% once every few months until it was all gone. This way, none of us would get hurt or worse." He looked at you as if you were from another planet altogether.

"For how long have you been doing this?" He asked quietly.

"Um, it must've been..." You looked at Anne, not really sure how long it had been.

"Almost 4 years. She removed the curse once every 5 months." Anne responded, reaching across the table and squeezing your hand as you did the same, smiling at one another. Sebastian's mind was at its most extreme point. He couldn't believe that you'd done what he had been trying to do for years. You - smart, sweet, beautiful, amazing you!

"Now, I want you two to stay and talk things out. Come to Ominis and me when you're done, okay?" You looked at Sebastian with a tender smile before kissing his cheek. He blushed right away before he saw Anne squeezing Ominis' hand as he got up and you both left. The twins looked at one another nervously.

"Are they still talking?" Ominis asked you, nursing a glass of Firewhiskey. Since there were barely any students left and only the alumni and teachers were invited, you all were allowed to consume alcohol for the night. Responsibly and in moderation, of course.

"They're smiling. I think it might be our cue soon. You'll finally be able to dance with Anne." He smiled and blushed, obviously excited at the prospect.

"Honestly, thank you. When you told me about this years ago... I was sceptical and honestly scared that either or both of you might get hurt or even worse."

"Heh... Something did happen, actually..." You huffed in slight amusement and looked at the ground, remembering one of the last few times you went to Anne to remove a part of the curse. "I remember how excited we both were when there were only two more parts left to be taken out..." Only you and Anne knew about that incident.

"Hmm? What do you mean? What happened then? Oh, Merlin, please don't tell me..." Ominis' voice trailed off and his hazy blue eyes widened in panic, sensing something wrong about the way you were wording your confession. His heart was drumming quickly, praying nothing too bad had happened. Had you somehow gotten cursed as well? Were you alright? Had you been lying to him? Surely Anne would've told him if there was anything wrong with you, right? Merlin, he wished he could see right now.

"I'm okay now. But I was careless at that time." You sighed deeply, unaware of Sebastian and Anne coming over until they were within earshot. "I was extracting another part of Anne's curse... Something distracted me, I can't remember what... Something breaking or someone's voice... And the curse, it... It just...slipped from my wand and got inside me." Sebastian stopped, watching the back of your head before he turned to look at his sister in shock. She was looking at the ground, feeling guilty, despite it not being her fault.

"I went through exactly what Anne had for the next year or so. Because when those 5 months were up for her, only then was I finally able to take the rest of her curse out of her. Then I spent the next few months waiting until I could extract it from myself." All three of them were quiet, with Anne still feeling guilty, although you had reassured her it hadn't been her fault at all.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sebastian's disappointed and shocked voice made you look back, only to actually see him looking at you worriedly. You smiled at him sadly, not liking how worried he looked.

"I wanted to surprise you with Anne's recovery. She was the driving force behind my research, after all. I knew that there would be risks and I fully accepted them. No need to worry, though. I completely took the curse out of both of us. And it's safely stored so no one will ever suffer because of it. It was a nasty thing, really. But it's gone now." He said nothing, feeling a multitude of emotions trying to come up to the surface. The brunette wanted to hug you, chastise you, kiss you, ask you if you were alright, thank you... But he didn't. He didn't know what to do first. How could he encompass all those emotions and actions into one thing?

"MC... I think you broke him." Anne pretended to whisper, making you, Ominis and herself laugh. She had to try and lighten up the mood somehow. She didn't expect Sebastian to find out about your incident so suddenly. But she knew that he'd worry anyway. After all, it was clear her twin was still deeply in love with you.

"I didn't mean to! Honestly!" You looked up at Sebastian, smiling reassuringly at him. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. I didn't mean to worry you. I just didn't think you'd want to talk with me after everything and... I wasn't sure it would even work as it was supposed to. I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up for nothing." You shrugged and Sebastian had the sudden urge to pick you up and kiss you silly. But he refrained and even stepped back when Natty, Poppy and a few others and their dates came over. You all got to properly meet Robert and Samuel, who turned out to be great guys. And Imelda...

"You're married?!" She laughed in response to everyone's outburst, a dozen questions following up.

"Yup! For the past 6 months. This is Alexey, from Durmstrang. He's a Dark Arts teacher there." The man in question smiled as he held Imelda by her waist. She looked up at him, feeling smug about being with someone who she obviously thought was powerful and attentive enough to be by her side. "And I also teach martial magic and sometimes train the Quidditch team." He completed, Imelda looking up at him proudly. He looked equally as proud to be by her side, which made you smile. It was weird to see Imelda being in love. But it was cute.

Sebastian's arm was also around your middle, holding you against his side, though you knew he was holding himself back from actually clinging to you to show everyone you were with him. But the way his arm snaked around you, with his fingers barely digging into your side as he towered protectively over you, made you smile and glance at him. He was breathtakingly handsome, those freckles of his almost seeming to sparkle like faraway stars while a smile lit his face when he gazed down at you.

#bomi's stuff #iba series #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow x you #sebastian sallow x reader #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy x mc #hogwarts legacy x you #hogwarts legacy x reader

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