#Roblox Pressure x Reader

[m00nbunny1]

I'M ON THE FLOORRRRRRRRRR!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

This is so spectacular like omg, I love this so much ❤

who i see, looking back at me (ch4)

pairing: sebastian solace x reader

mentions: post-urbanshade fic, no use of y/n or pronouns, u are his partner <3, hallucinations, non-sexual intimacy, yearning the yearning!!, touch aversion, hurt/comfort, self harm (though not outright stated or directly seen occurring, it IS implied for sebastian), implied suicidal ideation in the past (reader), mild panic attack symptoms (sebastian, tho he hides it well)

a/n: i lied again. we r now at 8 chapters. do u guys remember when this fic was supposed to be 2 chapters? bc i sure as fuck do. everyone please manifest that it stays at 8 chapters oh my goddd

word count: 10.7k+

masterlist | part three

ao3 link

Normally, on your days off, you took the time to sleep in as much as you could. There was no call of responsibility, not really, and you could afford to spend however long you wanted in bed until the pull of hunger dragged you out. You needed the rest—your body was more than ready to remind you, constantly—and you were never too reluctant to oblige. You often found yourself blinking awake to the noonday glare peering through your windows, or the incessant urge of your bladder ready to relieve itself after hours of stillness. 

Today, though, proved itself different. 

Waking was like the slow rise of a glass being filled to the brim. You came to consciousness just before it overflowed, awareness slowly mucking its way to your senses as you faintly processed the realization that you were no longer asleep again. Dreams slipped through your fingers like water. With your eyes still closed, you spent a moment just laying in bed. 

The backs of your eyelids were dark—pitch black instead of the warm red they turned when the sunlight slipped past your curtains just enough to caress your face. If you listened beyond the slow breaths you took, there was nothing but silence. No birds chirping. No distant crashing of waves. Just silence. One befitting of a world not yet woken.

It was still early. Way too early.

Yet here you were. Awake.

You inhaled deeply, your chest rising with the motion, then exhaled it all out through your nose. One of your legs shifted slightly under your blanket. You tugged it closer to your face and listened to see if you could hear the sounds of the television still playing from the living room. There was nothing. Your mind wandered. 

And after what felt like hours of you laying there, you opened your eyes to stare up at the ceiling. 

Fake Sebastian stared back. 

His face hovered above your own, a mere foot away as he smiled that unsettling smile at you. From what you could glean, he was standing atop your bed—his legs on either side of your body as he leaned forward enough that the curtains of his raven hair fell just above your face. You blinked slowly up at him, your eyelids feeling as though they were weighed down by bags of sand. 

You watched him. He watched you. His smile widened ever so slightly as the minutes ticked by. 

And neither of you said a word. 

Eventually, you closed back your eyes and resigned yourself to laying in bed. There was this deep-seeded weariness that rooted itself in your very bones. That made it difficult to do anything other than just… lay there. Counting the seconds as they elapsed slowly yet surely. 

You curled up under your blanket and turned on your side to bury your face in your pillow. Dawn came and went. The birds started up their gentle morning songs, dulcet tunes that drifted about in the outside air past your window. The sun’s warm tendrils snaked across your floor and towards your bed, where they warmed the edges of your sheets. 

The hours passed and you stayed in this muddled state of half-consciousness. You could try to muster up the energy to pull yourself up, sure, but there was just no urge to. No impetus of any sort. It felt as though there never would be, for a moment. 

But just for a moment. 

“Hey,” a gentle voice hushed out from somewhere behind you. “You awake?”

It roused you from your dozing, and you hummed questioningly as you turned over in bed to look blearily at the open door. Sebastian hovered just within the frame, his body stooped slightly to fit properly through it. The glow of his teal eyes found your own, taking in your rumpled form with the smallest of furrows to his brows. 

“It’s almost lunchtime,” he said, still in that quiet voice. Like if he spoke any louder it would be the most egregious of actions—disrupting something fragile that made the air feel so utterly still. “Aren’t you hungry? C’mon, get up.” 

You blinked at him, then took in the way the sunlight angled itself throughout your room. Long and thin. You’d spent longer than you’d thought in bed. Maybe it really was time to face the day. 

“Alright,” you mumbled groggily as you rubbed at one of your eyes. You dragged yourself up into a slouched sitting position, blanket all tangled up around your legs. You yawned. “What d’you want for lunch?” 

“I was thinking we could make the completos today,” he replied, squinting at you through the daylight. “Shouldn’t take too long.” 

“Mmkay,” you agreed and disentangled yourself from your bed so you could properly stand up. You stretched out your arms, rolling the muscles in your shoulders and back. “You wanna grab everything we need while I brush my teeth?” 

“Way ahead of you,” he drawled as he ducked back out of the doorframe and slithered his way somewhere out of view. His tail followed steadily behind him—a thick mass that you watched move by your bedroom until it was clear for you to leave. That was going to take some getting used to.

While you brushed your teeth, you used your free hand to type up a quick text to Maria—asking her if she wanted to visit during Lucas’ spring break with him and Isidora. In your last phone call with Isidora, she’d said his break wasn’t until next month—in March—but you would like a specific date to better prepare. So you looked up Lucas’ university’s website and did some digging. It wasn’t all too difficult to find. There was ample enough time between now and then—about a month, if the website was up to date. 

A month. It simultaneously felt like so little time yet so much. 

Once you finished up in the bathroom, you shoved your phone in your pocket and made your way over to the kitchen.

Sebastian was hunched over the table, one of your larger knives carefully pinched between his fingers as he slowly diced a large, white onion. You watched him for a moment—his eyes narrowed in concentration—then turned to look at the stove, where a small pot sat bubbling away atop it. 

You walked over to it and peered into the boiling water. There were hot dog sausages sitting idly at the bottom of the pot—it looked like he’d dumped the entire pack into it. But… now that you were looking at it all… You frowned slightly as you tallied them up properly and glanced back over at Sebastian. 

“Are these enough hot dogs?” you asked him dubiously as you approached his side. Your gaze lingered on his meticulous slicing. “Should I have bought more?” Maybe you should’ve gotten another pack. It didn’t seem like ten hot dogs were enough for both him and you, not really. Even if they were large.

“Nah, they’re fine,” he responded distractedly. 

You noticed he was holding the knife in such a way that his index finger was pressed on the thin line of its blade. To help him properly cut through the thicker chunks, most likely, especially with the awkward way his large fingers held onto the handle. You would worry about him cutting himself, but you recalled the rigid firmness of his hand as you held onto it what felt like ages ago. If anything, he’d probably break the knife before it even had a chance of lacerating his strange skin—not something you ever thought you’d have to consider. 

You hummed lightly, rubbing your fingers over your chin as you pulled yourself away from watching his hands. You didn’t quite believe him, but you weren’t going to push it. “Well, alright. Need me to do anything?”

His head flicked towards you like he was glancing at you from the corner of his teal eye. “Wanna get started on the avocados?”  

“Sure.” You spun on your heel and went to grab the small bag of avocados you’d gotten at the store from their place tucked next to the fruit basket. Holding them in one hand, you gathered up a small basin along with a knife and spoon, then plopped yourself down in your usual seat with all of your things. 

An avocado fit perfectly in the palm of your hand, like you were cradling a blackened heart. With your other, you pierced the tip of the knife into its skin and sliced carefully around the spherical seed. The avocado split into uneven halves easily when you pried it apart with your fingers, the seed stuck in one of them like buried treasure poking out of sand. You regarded the healthy, green flesh surrounding it. 

In your periphery, you could see the steady motions Sebastian made as he diced away. The knife made a thnk thnk thnk sound each time it came into contact with the wooden chopping board he was using. Rhythmic, almost. His clothes shifted slightly as he reached over to pick up a large, juicy tomato from off the side of the board to begin cutting it up as well. Thnk thnk thnk. 

If you listened close enough, you could hear the slow, even breaths he took. Deep and level. Far greater than your own—like his lungs could fill gallons and gallons of air within them.

You could lose yourself in the simplicity of it all, you thought. The tranquility that settled itself over the entirety of your kitchen like a blanket covering a plush bed. Warm and quiet. Addicting. 

As you picked up the spoon to start scooping the avocado’s insides into the basin, you glanced up at Sebastian. The light of his lure that bathed the table and walls in a soothing, golden glow. You then glanced over at the tiny window sitting above the sink—the curtains tightly pressed together like a shield against the sunlight. Just like the rest of your cottage. You made a thoughtful sound, and he responded with his own questioning hum. 

“I was thinking,” you started, your gaze flicking back down to your hands so you could dig the spoon into the seedless half of the avocado to carve out its creamy flesh. 

“Whoa, now,” he interrupted over you, “thinking? In this economy?” His voice lowered into a drawl. “Careful.” 

You snorted and shook your head at him. You didn’t need to look up at his face to know he was smirking at you. “Shut up. I was gonna say that maybe we should get you sunglasses or something.” 

He scoffed. “Sunglasses? For what?” 

You gestured idly at his lure with your spoon. “I mean, not that I don’t appreciate not having to pay a hefty light bill, but wouldn’t it be, I don’t know, better to let some natural light in?” 

“Is my self-sustained luminescence not good enough for you?” he asked flatly, the barest hint of a tease at the edge of his words. 

You puffed out a breath of air. “C’mon, you know that’s not what I meant.” You shook your spoon over the basin so that a dollop of mushy avocado could plop into it. “You can’t spend all your time cooped up in a dark room, y’know?” Not here. Not on the surface, instead of within the treacherous depths of the ocean—where the sunlight couldn’t reach its warm tendrils.

He fell quiet for a moment as he diced away. You worked on shucking the stubborn seed out of the avocado half you were holding, willing to wait for him to speak.

“M’eyes are still sensitive,” he eventually mumbled. Thnk thnk thnk, went his knife. Steady and controlled.

“I noticed,” you said gently. “All the more reason to get protection for them.” The empty avocado skins were set off to the side once you finished scraping them, and you picked up another to do the same thing all over again.  

Sebastian shook his head. “It’s better for them to get the exposure. Takes a hot minute for them to adjust, but they will.” He huffed. “One of these days, anyway.” 

You quirked an eyebrow at him and pointedly looked at the tautly drawn curtains barely letting in a sliver of daylight. “Exposure. Right.” 

“Hey,” he said, sounding a little miffed. “It’s a slow process. I’m trying with the T.V. at least.” 

Ah. That was true, you realized. You hadn’t even considered that the television screen’s light would also be harsh on his eyes. He’d mentioned artificial light was worse for him to handle at one point, hadn’t he? Something twinged inside your stomach. Maybe his tolerance for it would vary, based on the brightness of whatever media you were watching or device you were using. It was something to be mindful of. 

A quiet breath left your lips. Your gaze softened as you thought about him and you, sitting on your couch together. A breadth of space between you.

“I’m just messing with you,” you told him easily, shooting him a little smile. “Have you been trying with sunlight, too?” Surely it would be better than the television. It could get pretty bright outside, though, especially with the light reflecting off the sand or water. But at least it was natural.

He shrugged as he used the flat of his knife to move some of the diced tomatoes out of the way of his chopping. “Here and there.”

“You’re not staring up at the sun while I’m out at work, are you?” you asked amusedly. 

“What am I, an amateur?” He let out a pfft. “That’s not till way later. Obviously.”

You chuckled and used your spoon to scrape up the lingering remnants of green flesh from the avocado skin you were holding. “Well you’re not gonna see much of an improvement with all the windows constantly covered.” 

He scowled down at you. “I know that. I’m just taking it nice and easy.” He grumbled to himself. “It’s actually kinda annoying how careful I still gotta be.” 

“Wouldn’t sunlight be almost like your lure, though?” you asked thoughtfully, trying to ignore the way his admission made your chest ache. “Not factoring in the difference in brightness or anything.” 

He snorted. “You’d think, but no. Sunlight is harsher than my own light. Strangely.” He reached over to steal an avocado from your side of the table and started slowly slicing it. “And besides, it makes everything up here too damn bright. It”—he exhaled harshly, voice lowering to a mutter—“fucking sucks.” 

Your gaze flicked up to his face, at that moment. The disgruntled expression painting it as he focused on the small fruit clasped within his thick fingers. You could only catch glimpses of the weight he had to deal with now—changed as he was—but it never failed to make something melancholy line your lips. 

“Which brings us back to my original point,” you replied, shaking yourself out of your brief stupor. “Sunglasses.” 

He made a motion like he was rolling his eyes. “I highly doubt you’re gonna find a pair large enough for me,” he said dryly. That wasn’t a complete refusal. You’d take it.

You grinned at him slyly. “Well that’s a challenge if I’ve ever heard one. I can always get you those ridiculously sized sunglasses people use at photo booths. Those would work.” 

“Not for this,” he retorted as his free hand gestured up at his third eye hidden by strands of raven hair. 

“If I was able to find you a proper toothbrush, I’m sure I can find you proper eye protection as well,” you said with a little huff of laughter, then looked at him thoughtfully at the reminder. “Speaking of, did you use the sink brush? How was it?” 

“Why are you so obsessed over my teeth?” Sebastian asked flatly instead of answering, side eyeing you disdainfully. “Freak.” 

“What the—” You let out a surprised laugh at his words. “Dental hygiene is important! Did you even have access to a proper bathroom while you were stuck in that facility?” 

He sniffed and turned his focus back to scooping out the avocado he had. “No comment.”

“Am I going to have to smell your breath? Come on, don’t make me do it,” you threatened lightheartedly while you wagged your spoon at him. A surely intimidating display. 

He hummed, cocking his head slightly as he seemed to contemplate your silly jest. Then, he smiled—something mischievous and smug that made you falter ever so slightly. That could not be good.

“Well if you insist,” he crooned out and leaned forward in your direction. 

Your eyes widened, and you looked up just in time for him to exhale hotly into your face. 

His breath fanned out against your nose and cheeks like gentle fingertips smoothing down their planes. And yet you did not process a single thing about it—transfixed as you were in staring up at his open maw. 

Rows and rows of white, dagger-like teeth that jutted out like particularly dangerous stalactites and stalagmites. Dark gums and an equally dark palate that imitated the yawn of a seemingly endless cave. A light blue tongue pressed down against his jaw that glowed like an ethereal path lighting your way into vantablack nothingness. 

He could bite your head clean off your shoulders, you thought to yourself distantly. Incapacitate you for life with a snap of his jaws. The mouth of a dangerous predator. 

Your teeth clenched together.

No, no. That wasn’t what you were supposed to be focusing on. You seized your attention and forcefully brought it back to what really mattered, in this instance. 

“Hmmm.” You sniffed and wrinkled your nose just for show. His breath was minty and fresh, with just the vaguest hint of tobacco and… “You get a pass, but. Did you eat some of the onions?” you asked incredulously. When did he do that? He was sitting right across from you the entire time! 

His jaw closed with an audible click as he grinned down at you. “Guilty, I’m afraid. Couldn’t help myself.” He chuckled while he leaned back and had the audacity to pinch another piece of diced onion to toss into his mouth. 

You shook your head and turned back to scooping out the avocados. “Alright, let’s hurry up and make these Completos then if you’re so hungry.” 

It was quick work with the two of you working together—even if Sebastian’s size meant he had to be extra careful with handling everything. You focused on mashing up all the avocados and salting them, while Sebastian patted the hot dog sausages dry once they were done boiling and prepared the buns. Then, you both worked on assembling the completos. Sebastian pinched each sausage between two fingers as he placed them in their buns and topped them off with the diced onions and tomatoes as best as he could. Afterwards, he handed them to you so you could spread the mashed avocados on top and decorate them with a line of mayonnaise. 

And when all ten Completos were done and aligned neatly on your largest plate, you both sat at the tiny kitchen table for lunch. Finally. You were starving. 

But you waited, for a moment, as you watched Sebastian pick up a completo. It fit easily in his palm, looking more like a bite-sized snack for him. And indeed, he shoved the entire thing into his mouth easily, a hum of delight escaping his lips. 

“God,” he groaned, his tongue darting out to lick at a spare smudge of avocado that somehow escaped his bite. “Just as good as I remember.” 

You chuckled and reached over to grab your own, holding the bun delicately in your hand as you took a bite. Immediately, you were hit with the taste of the avocado and mayonnaise—cold, fresh, and creamy with just the right amount of saltiness. There was a lot of avocado, but not overwhelmingly so. And just under that was a hint of smoky spiciness from the sausages you’d bought, intertwined pleasantly with the softness of the bun. It was perfect.

“Mmmhm,” you agreed, savoring your bite as you slowly chewed. 

While you nursed your completo, you watched Sebastian work his way through most of the plate. There was no need for conversation, a comfortable silence settling between the two of you broken only by the sounds of chewing or swallowing. At one point you got up to fetch him some cold water, wavering slightly in what to use as a cup for him before eventually just filling up one of your pots to set on his side of the table. 

“Careful not to choke,” you warned him as you plopped yourself back down in your chair to finish up your food. You licked your fingers clean of any lingering remnants of avocado. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do the Heimlich on you.” 

He snorted and took a swig of water, the pot clutched perfectly in his hand like a strange mug of sorts. And when he set it back down—one of his hands wiping at his mouth—he quirked an eyebrow at the plate hosting a few more Completos, then at you. 

“You’re not gonna eat any more?” he asked as his response, lips downturning slightly. 

“Nah, I’m full,” you said easily as you patted your stomach and leaned back in your chair. You sipped at your own drink, refreshing on your tongue. “They’re all yours.” 

That only made his eyebrows furrow deeper. “You only had one,” he said flatly. “I’m calling bullshit. Here, take another.” He pushed the plate towards you with a hand. 

You shook your head and pushed it back towards him. “Sebastian, it’s fine. You can have them.” He needed the sustenance more than you did, after all. You still weren’t entirely convinced that nine were enough to properly satiate him. You could skip out on another if it meant he would be more satiated. 

He frowned at you, looking at you in that quiet way he always did when he was searching for something. Picking apart everything that made you, you. It was difficult to maintain eye contact with him, and you managed for a good while before you eventually glanced away. 

Sebastian sighed. He pushed the plate back and fixed you with a look. “No,” he said firmly, something faintly weary to his voice. “Just take it.” 

It was your turn to frown at him. He was so stubborn sometimes. Your gaze flicked down to the remaining Completos, and you weighed your options in your mind before relenting with a huff through your nose. 

“Fine,” you said reluctantly as you took one. “But I’m only eating half. I really am full.” 

You weren’t sure if he entirely believed you, but he didn’t argue. He just grunted and grabbed the rest of the completos in his hands. You took a bite of your own, and as you chewed you felt your phone give a little buzz in your pocket. 

You fished it out and glanced through the text message notification quickly. “Oh!” you said pleasantly as you swiped to open your phone and reply to the message. Sebastian peeked at you inquisitively as he stuffed a completo in his mouth. “Your mom’s down to visit at the end of next month. Says she and Isidora have been wanting to come down to the coast for a while.” The latter part of her message made you internally wince.

“Cool,” he said in a voice muffled by food. He swallowed and suddenly looked as though he couldn’t quite sit still. His hands fidgeted with his makeshift mug. “Cool cool cool. A month. That works. That works fine.” He shifted in place, and just as you were about to ask him if he was okay, he spoke again—something undefined to his voice. “Have they visited you often?” 

Your lips pressed together as you regarded him carefully. There had been a palpable shift to the air with your reveal. It did not take a genius to figure out what he was thinking. “Not really,” you said slowly, deciding to leave him be when he couldn’t meet your gaze. You looked back down at your completo, clutched tightly within your hand. You had to loosen your grip. “Never was really… able to invite them, I guess.” 

You could blame it all you wanted on not having enough time or not having the means to properly host them. But you knew, deep down, that wasn’t it. They never brought it up anyways. Most likely to give you your space. 

Things were different now, though. Less painful. 

You took another bite, then set the remaining half of the completo back on the plate. You really weren’t hungry anymore. 

“I see,” Sebastian replied quietly, ruminating on your words. And he said nothing else. Only grabbed your half-eaten Completo and tossed it in his mouth. 

A silence lingered momentarily that you broke by stretching your arms and clearing your throat. “Well! That’s not for a while anyways.” You stood up and grabbed the now-empty plate so you could set it in the sink. You turned back around to look at him. “We have the whole afternoon ahead of us. What do you wanna do?” The topic change was not subtle by any means, but you figured he could use it.

He seemed to contemplate your question for a second. “Absolutely anything,” was his languorous response, his smile crooking slightly. “As long as it’s with you,” he added on smoothly with a little wink. Your lips twitched, and you huffed in an attempt to distract yourself from the warmth rising to your cheeks.

And that was how you found yourself binging through a show he’d missed out on for the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. A sliver of space between the two of you that got smaller and smaller as the night went on. Until it almost wasn’t there at all.

Almost.

The days went on, slowly yet surely. 

Having Sebastian living with you now was… something to get used to again. But you managed and accommodated him quite well into your daily schedule, all things considered. You would wake up, he would greet you sleepily, you’d go to work, you’d come home, you’d both make dinner together or have leftovers, you’d watch something with him, and then you would say your goodnights before going to bed. 

Always, always, you’d linger at the threshold of your bedroom. And always, always, he’d hold himself back from saying the words that clearly lingered on his tongue and in his gaze. But that was okay. 

It was okay, you told yourself, again and again and again. 

You wondered, sometimes, if he was bored being at home while you were at work. But he never really complained, so you never asked. He seemed to preoccupy himself pretty well with the television, you thought. Sometimes you saw a few of your books scattered about the living room. 

The both of you agreed on taking it slow with letting sunlight into the cottage rooms. Which mostly amounted to gradually cracking open all the curtains in the living room and kitchen to let in slivers of light. You caught him squinting from time to time, or burying his head under his blanket, but he seemed to be getting better with it. At least, you believed so. He was still a bit irritable when it came to the light, if you were being honest. 

You hadn’t realized how much you’d missed having natural light flood through your cottage until it had been stripped away from you. Not that you would blame him—you were happy to keep him as comfortable as you could. It just made you feel… groggy, on occasion. Maybe a little tired, especially on days where you didn’t go outside. But at least you could let in as much sunlight as you wanted in your room. 

True to your word, you ended up ordering him a pair of sunglasses online—the largest, gaudiest pair you could find. Mostly because you thought it would be hilarious. But you also figured he could wear them if he was ever tired of trying to get his vision to adjust to the outside world and craved a reprieve. Or even if he wanted to go outside for once. 

You mused, faintly, if it was even a good idea to let him roam around in broad daylight. Maybe not. But it wasn’t like there was anyone around to really see. Not that he ever gave an inclination that he wanted to go outside during the daytime anyways.

When the sunglasses arrived in the mail, you had to hold back a grin as you handed him the package so he could tear it open. 

“Really?” It was said more as a flat statement than a question as he dangled the sunglasses in the air and gave you an unimpressed look. 

“What?” you asked, doing your best to stifle a laugh. “I think it suits you.” 

He stared at you, unamused, then at the sunglasses—neon pink and lined with glimmery rhinestones like it had fallen victim to an elementary schooler’s arts ‘n crafts project. 

“I’m going to pretend like you didn’t say that,” was his cool reply, one of his eyes twitching ever so slightly. 

You actually did laugh that time, and he shook his head with a begrudging sigh and set the sunglasses down on the coffee table—next to his closed box of things. You weren’t quite sure if he ever used the sunglasses—you never personally saw him with them on, after all. A shame, really. 

But his slow progress in adjusting his eyesight to the world above wasn’t what you were truly concerned about. Not at all. 

You noticed, each morning when you woke up, that Sebastian was always awake before you. It was subtle, especially with the way he usually remained curled up around his pillow. You used to think he was woken up by you trudging out of your bedroom or tottering around in the kitchen. But he wasn’t. His eyes would always land on you first—and he would always give you that same lazy greeting. 

Except… ‘lazy’ wasn’t quite the right word. Tired, more like. 

At first, you figured he was just an early riser—a world’s difference from way back when—and that he probably took naps while you were at work. But then you started paying attention to him. Really paying attention. The dark circles that were prominent under his eyes. The lethargic way he would move sometimes as he helped you chop vegetables for meals. Even the way he would occasionally doze off while you watched a movie with him—startling awake mere seconds after. 

You tried asking him about it, one evening. Just a simple inquiry if he was getting enough sleep. And he brushed you off easily like your question was just a speck of dust on his jacket. 

“Don’t you worry about me,” he dismissed with a flippant wave of his hand. It made you frown. If only he knew, if only he knew, just how much you did. “My sleep schedule is just, ah, a little out of sorts.” You had a feeling he was toeing the line between lie and truth.  

And eventually, it all came to a climax one night when you were woken up by the sound of glass shattering. 

You inhaled, your eyes snapping open so that you found yourself staring up at your murky bedroom ceiling. You blinked blearily up at it, the sharp, crackling sound echoing in your ears so distantly that you wondered if you had dreamt it. You weren’t entirely sure. You were still stuck in the haze of a groggy sleep—your mind struggling to keep up with the sudden flip of asleep to awake. You exhaled and blinked again, willing the shadows of your room to coalesce into proper shapes as your vision adjusted. 

The distant waves of the ocean ebbed almost silently beyond your cottage walls. If you strained your ears, you could hear a low voice coming from beyond your bedroom door. It was so quiet it was almost nonexistent—barely any louder than your own gentle breaths, even your beating heart. Your head turned to look at your slightly ajar door, the living room beyond dark and stifling in its stock stillness. 

You rubbed at your eye as you slowly sat up. And there was just this feeling in the pit of your stomach. Like ice cold fingers had snagged around your bowels and gave a generous squeeze. You did not like it. Yet it was what spurred you to slip out of the comforts of your blankets and pillows to pad your way tentatively over to your door. 

You stepped out into the living room—a layer of darkness coating it that was broken apart only by thin slivers from the moonlight creeping past the curtains. The low muttering continued, combating the oppressive silence of the night, but you could not make out what was being said. You squinted into the dim. And it took you a moment to process what you were looking at. 

Sebastian’s shadowed body was by the opposite side of the room, hunched over near the front door in a way where you could only see the darkness of his clothed back. You could vaguely see his arms moving in front of him, but you couldn’t tell what he was doing. You stepped closer towards him, the floor cool under your bare feet. Your eyes strained to make out the thick length of his tail looping around the room so that you wouldn’t stumble over it with your impeded vision. Cotton was starting to line your throat. You listened with all the focus of a world holding its breath. 

“Off,” was the word you eventually were able to make out. Repeated over and over and over again. So low and rapid that you felt tendrils of alarm starting to sneak up your spine. 

Your lips parted slightly, hesitance lingering on your tongue. But you pushed past it to hush out a quiet “Sebastian?” 

He immediately froze. And slowly, so slowly you almost felt the urge to step back, his head turned around to peer at you over his shoulder. 

A teal eye pierced through the darkness to land on your form. You didn’t move, didn’t breathe as you only watched him. One second. Two seconds. He stared at you like a lion honing in on an enemy setting foot in its territory. It was all you could do to not dart away. 

You swallowed and spoke again, carefully tentative. “S… Seb?” 

It seemed to break him out of his stupor. His eye lost some of that intensity he’d been nailing you with, and he turned back around so that you saw nothing of his expression. He seemed to curl further into himself.

“…Go back to bed,” he whispered, and it was like a gunshot through the silent air. Fatigue and something else—something thick—coated his voice. “Just… go back to bed.” 

You weren’t going to do that, not when there was clearly something amiss. Closer, you crept. “What’s wrong?” 

He chuckled, but it was not a kind thing. “Nothing at all. Why would anything be wrong? There’s nothing wrong. I got it handled.” 

You frowned, your arms raising so you could wrap them around your chest. And quietly, you replied, “I don’t like it when you lie to me.” 

He didn’t say anything. You lingered for a moment in place, then padded around the couch so you could start to approach his right side. His ear gave a little flick, and he shifted in the opposite direction from you—angling himself away from your worried eyes. 

“You’re not listening to me,” he growled, so low and aggravated that your stomach lurched minutely. “Go. Away.” 

“No,” was your simple response. Leaving was the last thing on your mind at the moment. 

He only grumbled something indecipherable under his breath at your refusal, his tail twitching behind him.

Your lips pressed together as you finally stepped close enough to his torso that you could peer up at his face. “Tell me what—” 

The words died on your tongue. 

The first thing that caught your attention was your mirror. The one that rested on the wall next to the front door—that Sebastian had been blocking with his body all this time as he was coiled in front of it. The teal glow from his eyes reflected against shattered glass that spiderwebbed around a single point of impact. There were shards missing, crevices of darkness scattered about the crystalline surface. 

The second thing that caught your attention—as your gaze darted downwards in an attempt to see where the pieces of silvery glass had fallen—was Sebastian’s third arm. Tucked, in a vain attempt, away from your gaze as his opposite hand pressed against its forearm. And yet that did not stop you from latching onto the way his once-white bandages hung loosely from his arm—utterly torn to ribbons. The way something dripped darkly to the floor from where his other hand was holding tightly onto it. The vague hint of something metallic to the air—more pronounced now that you were closer. 

You inhaled sharply. 

“Sebastian,” you choked out, horror seeping into your skin as you reached towards him so you could take his hand in your own. “You—“ 

But before you could touch him, he lurched back—his tail shifting rapidly underneath him as he coiled away from you. There was the sound of tinkling glass getting crushed underneath unyielding scutes. The motion was so sudden that you nearly lost your balance.

“I’m fine,” he snapped at you. He seemed to bristle, almost, then huffed harshly. His voice was terse, stilted, when he followed with, “It’s fine.” 

Your hand was still extended out in your attempt to comfort him, and you slowly retracted it so you could cup them both near your chest. You have been in this exact position before. And it hurt, of course it did—especially now. Especially after all that time you’d spent together. But you could not blame him for reacting in this way. 

You thought about that sliver of space between the two of you—an infinity residing within it, yet also not. You sighed.

“You’re hurt,” you said quietly. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

He sneered, cruel and unforgiving, as he glared down at his bleeding arm. “It’s not anything you should concern yourself with.” 

“That’s where you’re wrong, actually,” you said mildly and stepped closer to him. You did not dare move too much for fear of stepping on jagged glass. “Let me get the first ai—“ 

“You just can’t leave it alone, can you?!” His teeth bared something fierce, and yet he did not move to look at you. “So— so persistent. It’s annoying. I don’t want your help. Leave.” 

Your lips pressed tightly together. The coldness of his voice sank deeply into your body and lingered there like an illness. And you frowned, hugging your arms around your chest again for some semblance of warmth. Your eyebrows creased together unhappily. 

He didn’t mean it, you told yourself as you watched his shaking hands—so minute it almost wasn’t there at all. The way he breathed like he couldn’t quite take in enough air. He didn’t mean it. You forgave him.

The floorboards creaked under your feet as you shifted. And there was a split second where Sebastian’s head flicked a smidge upwards like he was shooting you a glance. His body suddenly tensed up, grip tightening on his third arm. Then, he groaned.

“God, stop— stop looking at me like that,” he rasped out, voice wavering slightly. His eyes squeezed shut. “Stop, I… I’m…” He swallowed thickly and peeked down at you through the hair covering his eyes. “I’m fine,” he said weakly. 

You exhaled through your nose, your gaze softening. Gently, you replied, “You’re not, and that’s okay. I’m going to get the first aid kit.” You gestured over to the space between the couch and the television. “Go sit by the couch, alright?” 

Sebastian appeared to struggle with himself for a moment, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists. But when you did not back down, looking at him steadfastly, he let out a long, long sigh that was telling of his evident lassitude. His shoulders slumped like he was a puppet cut from its strings. You worried that if he sagged any further, he might not be able to pull himself back up. 

“...Okay,” he murmured, his eyes closing wearily. “Okay.” 

You watched him carefully as he slipped his way over to the couch, then turned to glance down at the glints of mirror shards you could vaguely make out on the floor. Among them were drops of deep burgundy scattered here and there. It did not seem too extensive, thankfully, but cleaning would have to wait until you patched Sebastian up. You were worried about him, you had to admit. And this worry tightened its hold on your insides like it would never want to let you go. 

So you hurried away to the bathroom so you could pull out the first aid kit from the sink’s cupboard. Then, you went to the kitchen to fill up a small basin with warm water and grabbed a cloth from one of the drawers. You hoped he wasn’t too injured. It was difficult to tell with how dark it was. 

Making your way back to the living room, your eyes landed on Sebastian coiled in the space you’d directed him to, his torso positioned so that he lingered a breadth away from the couch’s front. He looked calmer, now, his breathing even. You slipped by him and sat down on the cushions, setting the kit and cloth to your side and placing the basin neatly onto your lap. The heat from the water pleasantly warmed your thighs, a comfort. 

“Hand,” you said expectantly, holding out your own with your palm facing up. 

Sebastian grunted, his gaze focused on anything but you sitting in front of him. “I can do it—“

“I’m sure you can,” you cut across him, just a tad coolly, “but I want to help you. So—hand. Please.” 

You could tell he wanted to argue. But this, you would not relent on. And he seemed to realize that after a moment of observing you from the corner of a glowing, teal eye. 

“Fine,” was his short response. 

He shifted, lowering himself a bit so that he didn’t loom ominously over you. Then, he extended his third arm—releasing the grip he had on it with his other hand. Carefully, he set it in your hold. Your fingers curled slightly along the posterior surface of his forearm. It was cold. Your gaze lingered on the darkness that stuck to the palm of the hand he’d been using to hold his injury, barely visible in the dim lighting. Sensing your gaze, he curled it into a fist and tucked it away. 

“Light?” you asked him as you peered down at his forearm. That metallic stench was thicker than ever, now, and you could vaguely see the way his blood threatened to spill over onto the floor from the flimsy confines of his ruined bandages. 

You grabbed the cloth and dipped it into the warm water as he reached up with his clean, unoccupied hand to tug on his lure. The sudden brightness made you squint slightly, blinking rapidly in an attempt to get your vision to adjust. And once it did, you put all your focus into cleaning up his arm. 

It took a while. His arm was still bleeding once you removed the shredded bandages hanging from it, so you had to staunch it as much as you could before you worked on getting rid of all the blood. Red, red, red blood. The very same that ran through your own veins. The cloth was dipped into the water and wrung out with each gentle rub down his arm. It was a rhythmic process. You lost yourself in carefully tending to him, holding onto his arm a smidge tighter when his fingers balled into a fist to stop their minute trembling. 

A swipe down the length of his arm. His muscles tensed under his skin. The cloth was warm and damp in your hold. Another swipe. A twitch of his tail. The cloth was soaked in the basin and squeezed in one hand, water rolling down your fingers to plop back into their little pond. A gentle rub at a spot on his wrist. You both breathed quietly together in the tranquil night. One, then two, then three, and more. 

And the entire time, he did not look at you. A small glance up at his face showed he was pressing the palm of his clean hand to his face—covering his mouth in its entirety. He stared off at a point in the distance, his gaze narrow and grumpy. You thought he wasn’t going to say anything for the rest of the night. 

But eventually, he did. 

“M’sorry for snapping at you,” he mumbled, so low into his palm that you almost had to strain your ears to hear it. His voice blended in with the air, not disrupting a single beat of soothing silence.

Your gaze flicked up to him—the way he stared resolutely off to the side—then back down at his arm. “It’s okay,” you told him, running the now-stained cloth down his arm again. “I know you didn’t mean it. I already forgave you.”

He made a noise. “Fuck, I—“ He inhaled sharply at your words and blinked a few times before closing his eyes entirely. His words were miserable, almost, as he said, “I don’t”—he exhaled, swift and shaky—“I don’t deserve you.” 

You squeezed his arm, shushing him gently. “Of course you do.” It was said with all the kindness you could muster. 

He only made another sound in response—agreeing or disagreeing or maybe even just absorbing. You weren’t quite able to decipher it. 

You hummed as you did a final swipe down his arm and set the cloth into the basin. The water had turned a ruddy color, and the basin would need to be soaked and properly sanitized in the sink before you would consider using it for food anytime soon. 

The basin was set carefully on the floor. Then, you took a moment to observe the wounds on his arm—clean as they now were. 

There were long lines of angry red—not too deep, but deep enough for the extensive bleeding. They ran parallel and jagged down the length of his arm. Scratches, almost. Like someone had taken a rake and scraped it harshly across his skin in a frantic manner. They disrupted the pale pink of old, rough scarring already etched in his skin, distorting them and causing them to reopen as well.

Your lips pursed as your eyes flicked discretely over to the hand he was still holding clenched in a fist—keeping you from looking at the sharp tips of his claws. 

You turned to the first aid kit and popped it open with one hand. Carefully, like you were approaching a startled animal, you asked him, “Want to tell me what’s wrong now?” You were sure to keep your voice as nonjudgmental and calm as possible. 

Sebastian didn’t say anything for a good, long while. You applied an antiseptic cream to his wounds after determining they wouldn’t need stitches, running your fingers delicately over the raw lines mildly congealed with blood. 

It wasn’t until you’d started to wrap his arm in thick, white bandages that he finally let out a little chuckle. 

A little chuckle that quickly evolved into breathless laughter, high-pitched and borderline hysteric. He laughed and he laughed and he laughed. You shot him a concerned look, your brows creasing, but he’d moved his hand to press against his eyes even as his body shook. His teeth glinted with his laughter, bared and sharp. Cruel, almost. Though not necessarily directed at you. 

“Wrong?” he wheezed out eventually. “Sweetheart, just look at me. Look at— at all of this.” His free hand—the one still clenched in a fist—gestured down at his body. Scales, and frigid skin, and sharp claws. “What’s wrong? Fuck— everything. Do I really need to spell it out?” 

You stayed quiet, meticulously winding the bandages around his forearm. He swallowed heavily, his body stilling as he breathed. In, then out. Weary and aggrieved. 

Slowly, he shook his head, still hiding his face in his palm. 

“How can I face them like this?” he whispered throatily, an admission pinched tightly between two fraying points. “Just… how?” 

Ah. Your gaze softened, a bleeding sorrow seeping its way through your heart. A sympathy. An ache. You knew he couldn’t have been alright after what he went through, but this… You exhaled through your nose, feeling all the worst for it. 

You mulled over a lot as you finished wrapping up his arm, fixing the ends of the bandage neatly into place with some medical tape. Your own thoughts, your own feelings. His own thoughts, his own feelings. A cauldron of emotions bubbling up and up and up—fit to overflow.

You moved to hold his third hand in both of your own—gripping reassuringly at his fingers. You squeezed them. 

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

“I won’t ever be able to understand what you went through,” you started softly, staring down at his too large fingers in your too small hold. You could feel the weight of his gaze upon your shoulders. “What you’re going through. But… We grieved you, you know? We mourned, every day, it felt.” You chuckled humorlessly. “Sometimes I…” Your voice got caught up in your throat, but you cleared it. “Well. Sometimes I wondered why I just… kept going. Why I didn’t just…” 

You had not planned on telling him this. But it was okay. 

You cleared your throat again and looked up at him. He watched you like you were the only thing keeping him afloat—infinity reflected in the radiance of his gaze. You squeezed his hand again. Delicately, he squeezed back. 

“But you’re here now,” you told him purposely. “You’re here and you’re alive. And— shit, this is stuff I’ve only ever dreamed of.” Your voice cracked midway, but you pressed on. You needed him to hear this just as much as you needed to get it off your chest. “You’re changed, yes, but that’s okay. It’s okay. Because what matters is that you’re with us again.” 

His hand was brought up to your mouth so you could lightly, tenderly, press a kiss to his cool fingers. He honed in on the action, intently staring at the point where your lips met his fingers. They twitched, and you offered him a smile—a bit watery, maybe, but a smile nonetheless—as you whispered, “Why would we ever reject you for that?” 

You believed it. You believed it, you believed it, you believed it with your whole heart, you told yourself.

It was him, Sebastian. 

You know, the love of your life.

And he was yours; scales, claws, and all.

“Besides,” you added lightly with a little chuckle, “you did it for me. You can do it for your family as well.”

You said your piece. Now it was up to him to take it or leave it.

“...When did you get so good with words?” he eventually mused after a long moment of the two of you just sitting there—processing and ruminating. Basking in the careful quiet. His gaze was soft and low as he watched you, blinking slowly with his torso sagged down so that he hovered just over you. 

You snorted and released his hand so you could rub at an eye. They burned, faintly, from tiredness or raw emotion—maybe a mix of both. “A lot can happen over the years.” You shrugged halfheartedly. He hummed thoughtfully in response. 

You sniffed slightly and glanced over at his still-clenched fist. You pointed to it. “Do you want me to clean your hand for you too?” 

“Nah,” he said, looking down at it as well. He released his fingers, slowly cracking them open so he could scrutinize the partially dry blood painting his palm. “I got it.” 

“Alright.” You stood up and stretched your arms and legs out. You’d been in the same position for a while, and you could feel the stiffness that had burrowed itself into the muscles of your limbs as a result. “I’ll clean up everything else in the meantime.” 

Sebastian mumbled some kind of affirmation as you grabbed all the supplies from the couch and floor. You scurried off to the kitchen to trash his old bandages—and the bloodstained cloth, honestly, there was no saving it—and tossed the water down the sink’s drain. Once the basin had been scrubbed and set to soak in some cleaner, you put the first aid kit back in the bathroom and grabbed your dustpan and mop from the small closet housing the laundry machines. 

As you carefully swept up the glass littering the floor by the front door, Sebastian snaked his way over to the kitchen—taking the golden glow of his lure with him—and you soon heard the steady sound of the faucet running. You listened to it for a moment or two, then finished sweeping up the last of the glass and wiping away the drops of blood that’d dried to the wooden boards. 

When you stood—your hands carefully holding up the dustpan so that it wouldn’t spill everything onto the floor again—you found yourself looking into the shattered mirror. Your reflection was fragmented, divided like you were pieces of a complex, broken puzzle. You regarded the dark circles under your eyes, then moved to look at Sebastian when he reappeared a distance behind you in the mirror. His light painted the living room in warm hues that the mirror—with all its cracks and fissures—reflected back. 

He only watched you—waiting for you to say something, you realized.

You turned away from the broken mirror. You’d have to get rid of it in the morning. Maybe buy another one. But for now… You offered Sebastian a smile. “Tired?” 

He shrugged, his main hands clasping themselves together as he coiled around the couch. “Eh.” 

“That wasn’t an answer,” you said amusedly while you ventured over to the kitchen to dump the glass into the garbage can. And before he could retort, you called out a “Hang on.” 

After putting away the cleaning supplies, you skittered over to your bedroom and bunched up your blanket and pillow in your arms. But you hesitated, for just a single moment, as you turned around and stared at your ajar bedroom door. The glimpses of Sebastian you could see just beyond it. Your lips twisted in thought, not quite frowning but not quite certain either. Then, you decided fuck it. 

“What are you doing,” Sebastian asked flatly, eyeing you as you looped around his body and dropped your pillow unceremoniously on the floor somewhere in front of the couch.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” you asked him with a little snort. You sat on the floor and wrapped yourself up in your blanket, then looked up at him to give him an expectant look. You beckoned him over wordlessly. 

“...That won’t be very comfortable, you know,” he said in a rather dry manner that had you rolling your eyes. 

“It won’t kill me,” you huffed out and made a show of fluffing up your pillow. “Either join me or don’t, your call.” 

A small wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. He lingered just beyond the couch’s back, one of his hands tucked in his pocket as he seemed to fidget with something within it. It was his turn, now, to be hesitant—etched in all the lines and angles of his body. 

And yet, and yet, there was this look in his eyes that made him lean towards you like his body wanted to gravitate around you—pulled into orbit. One that he eventually conceded to as he carefully made his way towards you. 

You watched him quietly as he paused for a split second near you, then started to wind around your body in a large oval of sorts—just big enough that if you were to lay straight on your back and stretch out your toes, you would brush his tail. Your head moved side to side as you followed him with your gaze, the hairs on the back of your neck raising ever so slightly at the sight. When he came to an eventual stop, his torso was somewhere to your left—resting parallel on top of his tail. He propped his head up with his arm on it, close enough to you that if you reached out you could poke his chest.

“Well this is cozy,” he drawled as he tugged gently on his lure to turn the light off. Darkness washed over the room like water abruptly spilling over pavement. 

You snorted, casting him a glance as your eyesight adjusted. The soft glow of his eyes was lowered as he blinked slowly at you, giving his face an almost airbrush-like appearance. 

“Very,” you replied smartly and finally laid down properly on your back. 

Your hands folded together atop your stomach as you stared up at the shadow-filled ceiling. It was quiet once more, though it was a comfortable sort of quiet. If you listened close enough, you could hear the deep breaths coming from Sebastian. Steady and rhythmic. You could feel the edges of sleep poking at the corners of your mind. And yet, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to truly close your eyes and succumb to it. 

Your breathing slowly matched his. In, and out.

…Okay this wasn’t that comfortable at all, actually. 

You squirmed around a little, then ended up turning on your side so that you were facing Sebastian. You looked up at him, unsurprised to find he was already watching you with half-lidded eyes. He’d moved to use one of his arms as a pillow, his other two wrapped loosely around his stomach. Your gaze lingered on his third arm’s bandages. 

Your lips parted, and when you spoke, your voice was hushed. “...Does it still hurt?” 

He hummed, his arm moving so he could bring it closer to his face to observe its bandages. 

“A little,” he replied, just as quietly. “More of an ache, really.” He lowered his arm back down.

“If it ever gets too bad, let me know. I have painkillers somewhere,” you told him. 

Your mouth opened again once he hummed his assent, but you hesitated and closed it with an audible click. You wanted to ask more—had questions poised on the tip of your tongue about his third arm. The old scars that already marred it, pink and raised. The torn bandages you’d had to replace. What it was even like to have an extra arm. But you couldn’t ask him all of that. Not after what had happened earlier. Not now, when it was still so raw. 

It seemed like he had read it all in your expression, though—focused as he was on your face. 

“Sometimes,” he said in a voice no louder than a whisper, like he did not want you to hear him in the first place, “it feels… uncomfortable. Itchy, especially after I injured it a while ago.” He chuckled, then, but it was a self-deprecating, humorless thing that made your chest ache. “Doesn’t help a damn thing that it takes ages to heal up.”

You hummed, paying close attention to the minute changes in his expression. “Sounds awful.” 

He snorted. “‘Awful’ doesn’t even begin to describe it, babe.” 

You didn’t quite know how to reply to that, not in your sleepy state. You did your best. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of… that.” 

He laughed lowly under his breath, sardonic. “Me too.” 

There was a silence that followed—settling over the both of you like a thick layer of snow. You looked up at him. He looked down at you. And neither of you said a word—you just held each other’s eye contact for what felt like a long, long time. Your eyes flicked over his face, memorizing all the little details, and vaguely you wondered if he was doing the same with you. 

You broke the silence eventually, spurred on both by the late hour and by Sebastian not giving any indication that he intended to close his eyes anytime soon. “You should get some sleep.”

He exhaled, not even blinking as he continued to stare at you. “That’s easier said than done.” 

“I know you haven’t been getting enough sleep,” you told him with a small frown. “It’s obvious how tired you are.” 

Sebastian sighed. He seemed to be deliberating something; it was evident in the way the skin around his eyes creased. You waited patiently, blinking slowly up at him even as it felt like the Sandman was blowing his golden sand into your eyes to encourage you to sleep. 

“I just…” Sebastian trailed off uneasily, expression scrunching. “I just— I can’t.”

There was something about the night air that made people susceptible to murmured admissions—you and Sebastian were no exception. 

“...Why not?” you dared to ask tentatively. Gently. 

“Don’t like the feeling, I suppose,” he said quietly, then swallowed heavily. “So I… can’t.” 

You regarded the way some of his hair covered his eyes to mask his expression. His gaze lowered like he was looking down at himself, and you saw his hand was idly flexing its fingers. That ache in your chest only grew. Sometimes, it felt insurmountable.  

“You’ve been through a lot,” you murmured as you reached your arm out. But you did not make the move to take his hand. Instead, you let your open palm hover in the air between the two of you. “It’s okay. Things will be hard, but… I’m here now.” You gave him a small smile. “I’ll help you however I can. I promise.”

“Big thing to promise,” he tried halfheartedly, reaching out after a pause to delicately take your hand. 

You were struck, suddenly, with the difference between his and yours as his entire hand swallowed up your own. It was more of him holding you than you both holding each other—imprisoning you in a cage of cool, thick skin. And like this, with his arm hanging down and your own moving to rest somewhat on the floor, you were connected in a way that was not too arduous on your muscles. Your arm went slack, but his hand retained its hold on you. 

“Nothing is ever too big when it comes to caring for you,” you told him with all your heart.

He looked like he’d been caught off guard. “Shut up,” he groaned. His free hand moved to cover his face, but you saw his cheeks darken. “It’s too late to deal with this.” 

You had to stifle a small grin, but ultimately decided to show him some mercy. He could dish it out, but couldn’t take it himself—not always, anyways. It was amusing. 

“Maybe I can get you melatonin or something,” you tried as a rather weak suggestion. You weren’t sure if it would even help him. Maybe, maybe not. This was a rather tricky situation to deal with, and you were wholly unprepared. But by god you were going to try. For him. “Some Ambien, though that would require a prescription.” 

“Not sure if that would even do anything,” he grumbled dubiously, squeezing onto your hand. 

You shrugged. “Worth a shot.” 

You nestled back down into your pillow, a large yawn escaping your lips as that fatigue you felt earlier made its presence more evident than ever. “M’gonna try to sleep now,” you mumbled, closing your eyes. “You should too. Or at least pretend to,” you added in a sleep-addled attempt at a joke. “Good night.” 

The backs of your eyelids were painted in blue blue blue.

“Good night,” he whispered, soft like a summertime breeze. 

And like that, you fell asleep, him still holding tightly onto your hand.

part five

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Can you please do a part two of the Sebastian fluff where he lets his thoughts get the best of him and gets anxious that reader now sees him as a monster because of what they read on his document so he prepares extra good items and plans to give them heavy discounts and even some free but reader barges in like

"MANTIS SHRIMP??? PUNCH SOMETHING RIGHT NOW"

And after a bit of reassuring(possibly some punching too bc reader is too starry-eyed for him to say no to em) Seb realizes he trully never had anything to worry about and just, generally grows fonder of reader?

Ps. Adore your writing, keep up the awesome work!!

"God, why did I let them take it? Stupid, stupid, stupid.."

Sebastian couldn't stop beating himself up, even though he knew he shouldn't care about the opinion of any human sent by Urbanshade--especially one of the "expendable" class.

Yet because it was you, specifically--who was currently in possession of his document--he began to wonder what you'd think of him once you found out the truth:

That he was nothing but a horrible monster. Plain and simple.

If not the knowledge that he was a hideous chimera of several sea creatures' DNA...then surely the revelation that he caused the lockdown of the Blacksite would ultimately make you resent him.

He released all those creatures, who stopped at nothing to prevent you from reaching the crystal and had you running, fighting, or hiding for your life.

He was responsible for all the injuries you've sustained while crawling into his shop, desperately needing a medkit and a place to rest.

He would understand if you'd never want to visit him again after what they documented about him..but the image of your furious expression and overthinking the words you'd possibly say to him left him feeling incredibly anxious.

Suddenly, Sebastian found himself gathering more supplies. Medkits, code breakers, and every light source he had currently in the shop, trying to market down whatever he could. He was even willing to let you take batteries for free...which was something he'd never normally do.

Would it be enough to make up for everything horrific you discovered about him and the terrors he indirectly put you through? Absolutely not.

Was he willing to try it anyways just for the small chance that you'd keep visiting him? Maybe.

No other human has shown him a single ounce of kindness or gratitude for his services. Nobody except you, of course, and he refused to lose that.

-thump, thump-

"Shit.." He froze, hearing movement in the vent duct, hands trembling for his light to shine brighter. Part of him wishes he could stay in the dark, as he didn't wanna see your face and whatever hurt expression it could possibly hold.

But he knew it'd be rude if you actually needed to buy something, so he forced himself to look as your familiar figure crawled out of the small opening. You seemed out of breath, like you were just running from something, and stood up to dust the dirt off your pants.

"Sebastian..I need to know something, and you need to be 100% honest with me."

The moment you pulled out his document, the shopkeeper could feel his heart sink.

"Wh..What did you want to know?" He asked, already bracing himself for the worst.

You sounded dead serious, and he was convinced you were finally going to let him have it.

You were going to force him to explain himself and his actions, and tell him what a monster he truly was. Literally and metaphoric-

"Its it true that you have mantis shrimp DNA????"

Silence.

Of all the possible outbursts he expected from you, that certainly didn't cross his mind.

Sebastian just stared down at you, utterly dumbfounded. He blinked several times, unsure if he was truly seeing the wide smile and starry-eyed look on your face.

He had been waiting for a deep scowl, eyes full of anger and betrayal and sadness that he wasn't the "friend" he claimed himself to be when you first visited his shop.

Yet now? He saw nothing but pure delight in your expression.

"Um..yes. But of alllll the things you read about me, that shocked you the most?" He was still treading carefully.

"Well, it sucks that you were an innocent guy who got thrown into a shitty situation." You gestured to him, frowning a little. "And I'm sorry you never saw justice, but...it's just SO cool that you're part mantis shrimp!" A grin returned to your face. "They've fascinated me for years! I used to watch videos of them all the time. Did you know the velocity of just one of their punches is equal to a .22 caliber bullet-?"

"Stop." He put a hand up, huffing. "At least some part of you must resent me. I mean...helloooooo, did you skip over the bit where I'M the reason those monsters are after you?! There's no way you could've ignored that..unless your brain turned off the moment you read "mantis shrimp"."

"I read everything, Sebastian." You huffed back. "Look, if I ever had to go through what you did..I think I'd wanna rebel, too. And as much as those monsters scare me, they've probably endured the same experiments as you. They probably felt just as trapped and afraid. You must see at least a few of them as your friends, right?"

"Eyefestation and the PAInter are the only ones I consider "acquaintances"." He answered after a long pause, shoulders slumped. "The anglers are primitive, but they recognize me as the one who freed them, so they don't bother me or my shop. The only creature that tends to be an issue is-"

-thump-

-thump-

Tensing, you looked over your shoulder to see a Wall Dweller emerge from the vent behind you, its mouth split open and drooling with hunger, standing on two legs.

"-that." Sebastian glared at the creature; and before it could run away, he blocked the entrance with his tail fin. "Oh no you don't." He swooped over to grab ahold of its head with his third hand, causing it to shriek and kick its legs as he held it up high. "You seriously need to stop eating my customers when they're trying to BUY SOMETHING!!"

The Dweller just growled at him, to which he ignored it and glanced down at you. "What should I do with this thing?"

"Punch it!" You grinned, your fists balled up in front of you as you hopped up and down. "I wanna see how fast you could throw one!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Pleeeeaaase?"

"..ugh, if it gets that stupid puppy-eyed look off your face, fine." He looked back at the Dweller, grinning widely as he cracked his knuckles. "You wanna eat something so bad? Try this."

"....grahh-?"

In a blinding flash, his fist went through the creature's skull, effectively turning its head into dust. Then he dropped the whole body onto the ground with a grimance. "Eugh..never done that before.."

Then he looked down at you again, seeing your smile brighten. "Hope that made you happy."

"It did, that was amazing!" You laughed, kneeling down to rip off a chunk of the Dweller's flesh. He eyed you strangely, his expression changing to a look of horror as you shoved a piece in your mouth.

"What the f...why would you eat that?!"

"It's okay! I've had this stuff before." You swallowed, feeling rejuvenated already.

"B....Before?! What you're eating is clay and acid-"

"Actually, it's fresh meat. Reminds me of poultry, almost. I found a document somewhere saying that it has regenerative properties." You explained to Sebastian, whose eyes only widened the more you talked. "I didn't believe it at first until I saw the Angler kill one. I was hungry and...eating it healed my electrical burn somehow."

".......why was that not in its actual document?" He muttered.

You shrugged, ripping out another piece and offering it to him. "Care for a bite?"

"I'll..pass. But thanks." Lowering his body closer to you, he frowned. "Are you absolutely sure that-?"

"I'm sure."

"..you didn't even know what I was going to-"

"You were worried about my reaction to your file. I could tell from the discount signs and how you were scared to even look at me."

"............."

"But I promise it doesn't change anything, okay? We're still friends, Sebastian, and I'll still swing by to do business with you." You reassured him, smiling as you patted the back of his hand, before noticing the bandage on his third arm seemed bloody. "Um..when's the last time you changed that?"

"...oh this? Erm..it's fine." He attempted to hide it behind his back. "Nothing you should be concerned abou-"

"Too late. It's my concern now. Let me repay you for saving my tail."

He had no time to protest, as you were already on your feet and running for the medkit that was on the table. You weren't worried about getting to the next zone right now.

Not that Sebastian planned on kicking you out anytime soon.

No.

Now that he was able to confide in you, he was genuinely beginning to enjoy your company--especially as you asked him to rest his arm across your lap. From there, your gentle hands went to work changing the bandage out for a fresh one, using an alcohol spray to keep the wounds from getting infected.

He hissed and cursed a few times at the stinging pain, but not once did he try to get you to stop.

Suddenly, it all began to hit him in this exact moment.

You were willingly playing nurse to a giant sea monster that has killed a man and was responsible for the terrifying things you had to witness down here.

He couldn't understand..but at the same time he felt relieved that all along he had nothing to worry about.

"Th-That's fine..thank you.."

Hearing a sniffle, you glanced up as Sebastian hastily took his arm away, "standing" back up and turning away from you. You just smiled and patted his tail comfortingly, not saying a word as you waited for him to collect himself.

For once, that snarky and sarcastic fish you've come to know was gone, and he was letting his walls down, finally realizing he could trust you.

Eventually he fell silent, and you wondered what to do now. You bought everything you wanted to earlier, so you didn't wanna overstay your welcome-

"Do you mind staying for a little bit longer?"

The question surprised you, but you smiled and nodded. "Sure. As long as you don't mind, shrimpy."

There was a pause, and he slowly looked back at you, pouting. "Big talk coming from someone as tiny as you, friend." He playfully sneered.

You just laughed and shook your head, glad to see him in better spirits.

Thanks to that scrambler on his back, you didn't have to worry about HQ getting on your ass about continuing the mission or threatening detonation.

You could definitely stay awhile and ramble about more mantis shrimp facts to Sebastian...if he was willing to hear them, of course.

[solacefish]

always on my sebastian purring agenda btw. you scratch under his chin and he leans his head out slightly like a hat , his ear fins flutter and his chest rumbles in such a deep tone that you can feel it in your own.

you scratch behind his ear fins and he leans into the touch, he's crawling onto you without even mumbling so much as an apology . a big weighted blanket . he coils around you, you can use his tail as a pillow. he keeps his head in your lap and wraps his arms around your hips.

the sound helps you sleep now. it's like a white noise. it's so low and deep, and he'd kill anyone else if they ever heard it.

[aventurineswife]

Player, admiring a sleeping Sebestian: You’re so cute.

Sebestian , sleepily: I could beat your ass.

Player, lovingly: I know.

[party-snake]

hi…. could i perhaps request a small one shot in which sebastian immediately develops a crush on some poor diver who just crawled through his vent? and he’s like all shy and shit? thank you :)

Certainly! Thanks for requesting :)

Cupid's arrow

Sebastian x Fem! Reader

Tw: The request and reponse will serve as your warning. Idiots in love.

❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀

oh... oh no. Sebastian promised himself he wouldn't get attached to any expendables. They're just prisoners. Some of them annoying pests who just want to flash him with that damn light beacon.

But you. You were different. The moment you stepped in his shop, you never flashed him. You even bought all his items. You never dared to say anything mean or degrading to him.

He chuckles as he slides the file over to you. "That wasn't exactly a staring contest. What were you doing?" The chair creaks as you slump foward, putting your head in your hands and pouting. "I wanted to look at the pretty shark." That made his heart skip a beat.

He scoffs and leans foward, tapping a claw on the bit of text. "Are you just ignoring the part where she is hostile to all humans?" You huff. "But I wanna look at her!" He rolls his eyes at that. "Look. Don't tell anyone this, but i'll give you a freebie."

You look taken aback for a moment before he frowns. "Take it before I change my mind." You nod quickly and were gone as soon as you came. he takes the moment as a second to breathe. 'Holy shit. So cute.' Thoughts race through his head, mostly of you.

A few minutes pass and he's back in his shop, adjusting his items. "Hi Seb." You say suddenly, catching him off guard. "Jesus- don't scare me like that. How'd you... you were so quiet." You simply nod. He straightens out, weaving his hands together. "Well, uh. What are you here for?" Browsing his wares, you spot a blacklight.

"Blacklight?" You ask. The shopkeeper nods. "Not many of those left. It doesn't anger the squiddles." You make a 'ohhh' face and pick it up, examining it. He chuckles at your cute face and just kinda... stares at you.

He snaps out of it when you wave your hand infront of him. "Seb? You okay?" He shakes his head. "Huh? Wha- Yup." He stutters horribly, cursing at himself. You smirk. "You sure?" You put your hands behind your back and step foward. He puts his hand over his face to block you out.

"Yup. T-Totally fine." You decide to drop it. "How much?" He looks down at you. "Huh?" You snicker and point at the blacklight in your hand. "For this." He looks dumbfounded for a few seconds before responding. "How about... 250. A discount, just for y-you."

"Really?" Stars form in your eyes and his brain stutters for a moment. "Yup." You fork over the data and stuff the blacklight in your bag. "Thanks Seb!" The only sound left in the shop was the thumps from the vent as you made your way out. He puts a clawed hand over his face as breathes, trying to calm his racing heart.

Your laughs, Your manners, the way you didn't immediately try and insult him. It meant more than you thought. He takes a deep breath and sighs, running his hand through his hair. He promised himself he wouldn't get attached, wouldn't grow crushes. But everytime he thinks of you, he smiles like an idiot in love. Oh well...

Sorry this is really short! (at least to my standards) my brain refuses to work apparently, so I forced it. Also sorry if it's shit. I'm tired. 😔

[starlitiris]

MORE POLYAMAROUS HEADCANONS NEOW!!!! /lh /nf

GULP. SIR YES SIR!!!!! o7

More Sebastian x Reader x Painter Headcanons

To feed the hungry fish & puter smoochers

And its actually headcanons this time instead of a fanfic of how you started dating! Forgive me if this is little rushed :,)

I was gonna add my shitty divider again but i’ll spare you this time

Living Arrangements:

So. It’s probably worth mentioning that in this silly little au, you and your significant others share a nice house near the ocean. It’s a safe house, hours and HOURS away from the nearest town. You get food sent to you every couple weeks courtesy of Innovation Inc, and they keep your utilities and such running as well. All of those assets you three provided to them were very appreciated and was enough in their eyes to warrant such a freedom (even though you guys deserved it anyway), but they still asked that you do some work for them. It’s mostly all remote work that you three do from home, but it keeps you all busy.

With that boring stuff out of the way, though- you guys love visiting the beach! It smells amazing, it looks beautiful, and with all of you being there together… it’s just perfect. You try to mostly go after the sun starts to set for the sake of Sebastian’s eyes. Especially with all the bright ass sand all over the beach, the daylight is BLINDING. But the sunsets on the beach are beautiful, and it never gets too cold out there.

Sebastian likes to just soak in the water. It’s cozy. Sometimes you’ll go out and swim with him, but for the most part, you and him try to stay on the shore or in the shallow end of the water. Painter isn’t waterproof. He cannot swim 😔. You guys are thinking about asking Innovation Inc if they could maybe fix that.

Your house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a big living room, and nice kitchen, another room you guys turned into an office, and a big and beautiful back porch with an amazing view and a nice awning that covers it. Sebastian loves the porch because he can fit on it, and he loves the awning because owie ouch the sun it burns his eyes. The bedrooms aren’t really used since, well… you only would’ve needed one anyway, but Sebastian doesn’t exactly fit in either of them – comfortably, that is. So one of the bedrooms became Painter’s are studio, and you all turn the living room into your bedroom at night. Which leads me into other more specific (and hopefully shorter) headcanons.

Sleeping Arrangements:

You all sleep within the coils of Sebastian’s tail. You and Painter are always cuddling, and Sebastian will be either snuggling into one of your guys’ sides, or he’ll just lay down with his large upper body laid out on top of the both of you. Sebastian doesn’t often find himself in need of blankets or pillows, but if you and Painter are using them, then so is he. He likes to be under the blankies on top of u two to leech off of urs and Painter’s body heat :)

As for pillows… well obviously you guys are his pillows duhh

And you would think with Painter being a clunky robot that he wouldn’t be that comfy to snuggle with, but his snuggles are actually pretty cozy. He’s warm because of his running machinery, but he usually doesn’t get too hot. As long as he isn’t covered in a heavy blanket while the house is warm or whatever.

If you’re the type that loves weighted blankets then I’m sure you LOVE this sleeping arrangement. Sebastian’s size and weight is the perfect amount of crushing and Painter is always latched onto you like you’re his lifeline. If you’re opposed to this, then… well. You can try to shimmy out of the suffocation and maybe make some compromises with your significant others, but those two are too clingy to let you escape. I’m sorry. This is your life now.

Love Languages:

I can’t speak for you on what your love language is obviously, but I will happily explain the other two!

When it comes to expressing love, I imagine that Painter’s love languages are mainly acts of service and gift giving. He loves to do things for you and Sebastian and see you guys smile and be happy about it!! It fills him with so so much joy. He even took up cooking because he wanted to find other ways he could do nice things for you two. Thankfully him being a silly puter makes him decent at cooking. He did a ridiculous amount of research to make sure he would do it right. And of course he paints for you guys!

As for receiving, words of affirmation and quality time really show him that you guys love him dearly. ESPECIALLY words of affirmation. Please tell him you love him and cherish him and appreciate everything he is everyday it makes him feel so very loved.

Sebastian’s love language when it comes to expressing is mainly quality time. Just being in yours and Painter’s presence is enough for him most days. Whether you’re sitting in silence doing your own things, chatting his ear off, chatting with him, or doing anything together, it’s how he shows that he loves you. Sometimes he’ll follow you and Painter around the house like a lost puppy. To be fair, Painter does that with both of you too on occasion, but I think it’s safe to say that Sebastian does it the most.

Sebastian is a little distant. He isn’t one to ask for affection, he rarely opens up about things when he should, and overall he’s still trying to get used to… everything. Freedom, safety, some semblance of a domestic life, and having people around that love him and that he can be himself around. He’s still trying to learn that he doesn’t have to fight to stay alive anymore. So he’s distant. He knows he is. He tries to make up for it by doing things with you and Painter that he knows you both enjoy, and being around you as much as he can. Though, the following you around like a lost puppy thing is moreso him being clingy and traumatized and not wanting you out of his sight for too long. He loves you both and loves seeing you and watching you do things.

Anyway, when it comes to receiving, Sebastian’s love language is probably also quality time. And, on occasion, physical affection. He can be iffy about touch sometimes, understandably so – but there are moments where he’ll let you and Painter touch him, and it feels

Safe.

It feels safe, and right, and okay, and he won’t want it to end. He is severely touch starved and knows you and Painter would never hurt him.

I’m sorry I didn’t mean for this to get a little sad but I’m The Angst Author™️ and I can’t help myself LMFAO

Jealousy:

It’s okay to have jealousy arise in poly relationships. We are human (Painter is human enough in my book and Sebastian still counts) and jealousy is normal. What’s important is how you go about it. I just felt the need to say that before continuing with my fictional poly headcanons. Anyway!

Just like with the love languages section, I cannot speak for you and how jealous you get or how you deal with it. But the other two teehee

Painter gets jealous the most. It’s mostly when he sees you and Sebastian being affectionate with each other or having a good time without him. When he does get jealous, he doesn’t really… communicate about it so much as he comically inserts himself into whatever you and Sebastian have going on.

“Dooon’t mind me, just gonna squeeze in here!” He’ll say as he wedges himself between you and Sebastian wherever you’re cuddling or whatever

It’s cute. You don’t need Painter to say that he’s jealous for you two to know when he’s feeling that way. He’s a little obvious. So, whenever you guys see that he’s feeling jealous, you make sure to shower him in love to make him feel better and let him know that he’s always welcome to be included. :)!!

Sebastian is the exact opposite of Painter. He’s quiet about it. He tries not to let on that he’s jealous. But he also becomes a little more reserved when he gets jealous, so you and Painter can usually tell something is up. It took a little while for you and Painter to get him to start admitting to getting a little jealous sometimes, and during that conversation Sebastian said he knew how stupid it was that he ever gets jealous at all – but of course, because you and Painter are amazing partners, you were quick to reassure him that it was okay and showered him in love <33. The both of you eventually learned how to catch on to when Sebastian gets jealous, even if it’s a little hard to notice sometimes. But the more time goes on and you and Painter reassure him that you’ll never leave him behind, the easier it gets for him to open up about it, or not feel jealous at all.

And then there’s you. As I said, I can’t speak for you and how you get jealous, BUT. If you ever do get jealous and Sebastian and Painter catch on, they’ll be sure to drag you into whatever they’re doing and remind you how much they love and adore you. And they’ll be annoying about it, too. They’ll get excessively corny and affectionate on purpose and tell you how you’re the most beautiful person in the world and don’t know WHAT they would do without u ☹️!!!! Ur just so perfect and they’re soo lucky that an angel like U!!!! Loves THEM!!!!! And ur just so great and amazing and adorable and attractive!!!!!

“Sebastian, I can’t breATHE-” You would shout while your fish boyfriend is crushing you to death with his body weight.

“Neither can I when I’m around u” He’ll say dramatically, with a very dramatic and very fake sad look on his face.

Painter is also contributing to flattening you like a cute little pancake.

“Get OFF” you demand.

“We can’t!!! We just love you SOOO much, separating from you would be too unbearable!!” Painter says. Dramatically. While nuzzling you with his screen.

“Urgh- at least turn down your brightness, your screen is burning my eyes!” You complain.

Painter complies. “Oh, I’m so sorry honeybunches, I didn’t mean to!! How could I do such a thing to your beautiful gorgeous eyes :(!!!!” DRAMA QUEEN!!!

“You did not just call me ‘honeybunches’,” you say.

“He did,” Sebastian confirms.

“I did,” Painter also confirms.

“I hate you both,” you sigh.

“Nuh uh,” Painter retorts.

“You love usss,” Sebastian teases.

They’re a pain in the ass.

But they’re your pains in the ass, and you’re not actually as bothered by these situations as you let on.

They know that. That’s why they keep doing it.

[satori-runa]

—SOLACE

Summary: Your life with your boyfriend goes into the next level.

Tags: Established Relationship, Female Reader, Fluff, Romance, Angst

Words: 8,9k

MDNI IT CONTAINS NSFW ELEMENTS

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧��‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

“Guess who.” A familiar, teasing voice whispers close to your ear, sending a pleasant shiver down your spine. The words are followed by a warm body pressing into your back, enveloping you in an embrace. Gentle hands cover your eyes, playfully robbing you of your vision as you stand at the counter, finishing the last touches on dinner.

You can already smell the distinct, savory aroma of Sebastian’s favorite meal wafting through the kitchen—a hint of garlic, herbs, and roasted flavors blending into a comforting scent. The anticipation hangs in the air, the food waiting to be served, but now there’s something much more important occupying your attention.

“Hm, perhaps my wonderful boyfriend?” you hum back, leaning into the touch and making no attempt to pull away. There’s a soft giggle from behind you, the kind that melts away any lingering stress from the day. It’s a sound you’ve come to love, filled with genuine affection and a trace of mischief. His hands slide slowly from your eyes, drifting down to rest on your hips. You can feel the way his fingers trace small, lazy circles through the fabric of your clothes, a comforting and familiar touch that sends warmth spreading through your chest. He’s not in a rush, savoring the contact as he pulls you a little closer.

“Right on the first try, good job,” Sebastian murmurs against your ear, his voice low and playful. You can feel his breath ghosting over your skin, and the way he tilts his head, nuzzling into the crook of your neck. His hair brushes against your cheek as he lingers there, pressing a gentle kiss just below your ear.

You’d never expected to find yourself in a relationship like this, one that seemed ripped straight from the pages of a corny romance novel or, as you and Sebastian liked to joke, a scene from a Korean drama. It had all started so randomly, in a way that neither of you could have planned even if you tried.

It was a late summer evening, the kind where the air still clung with warmth from the day, and the sky painted itself in deep shades of purple and pink. You were making your way home after a night out with friends, the alcohol buzzing pleasantly in your veins. The streets were filled with the sounds of distant laughter and cars passing by, but all you could think about was how much your feet hurt and how desperately you needed an Uber to take you home. You fumbled with your phone, trying to order a ride while your vision swam a little from the drinks.

At the same time, nearby, Sebastian was also looking to get home. He’d spent the evening crammed into a quiet coffee shop, buried under textbooks and highlighters, his study session running longer than he’d planned. By the time he packed up and stepped outside, the sky was already dark, and he sighed, knowing the buses had stopped running. He pulled out his phone, searching for a ride back.

Unbeknownst to you both, fate—or maybe just the Uber app—decided to pull you together that night. The two of you ended up standing at the same corner, eyes glued to the little car icon on your screens as it approached. When you noticed him, you raised an eyebrow, confusion muddling your half-drunken state.

“Uh, are you waiting for this one too?” You asked, swaying slightly on your feet. The alcohol made everything a bit fuzzy, your usual filter dulled by the night’s drinks.

Sebastian looked at you, equally confused, but then a smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah, I am… seems like we ordered the same ride.”

You blinked, staring at him as if you were processing the situation in slow motion. Then, without much thought, you shrugged. “Well, there’s room for two. You wanna share?”

He chuckled softly, nodding. “Sure, why not? Looks like the universe wanted us to meet tonight.”

You slid into the backseat together, and as the car started moving, you leaned back, letting out a content sigh. The city lights blurred by outside the window, casting a soft glow on Sebastian’s face. He looked relaxed, his hair slightly messy from running his hand through it too many times while studying. You, on the other hand, felt talkative and loose-lipped from the drinks you’d had earlier. Before you knew it, you were rambling about anything and everything—your favorite movies, a funny story from the night out, even some existential musings on the universe that made him stifle a laugh.

“You’re really something.” He said, amused. His eyes sparkled with a kind of genuine interest that you weren’t used to seeing in strangers.

“I’m not something,” you replied, dramatic and slurring your words a bit. “I’m everything.” You pointed at him with a sloppy grin. “And so are you. We’re all stardust, you know?”

Sebastian gave a playful sigh, shaking his head. “Yeah, stardust… sure.” But there was something about the way you spoke, the unabashed honesty in your drunken state, that made an impression on him. You were a mess, but a charming mess, and it was enough to spark something in him.

When the car finally pulled up in front of his place, you were half-asleep, your head lolling to the side. He glanced at you, contemplating whether to wake you or let you rest. In the end, he gently nudged your shoulder. “Hey, this is where I get off. You alright?”

You blinked awake, rubbing your eyes like a sleepy child. “I’m fine,” you mumbled, even though you clearly weren’t. Before he could say anything more, you leaned closer, squinting at him. “You have really nice eyes, did you know that?”

He laughed softly, cheeks tinged with a hint of pink. “You’re definitely not going home like this.”

You didn’t remember much after that. The next thing you knew, you were waking up in an unfamiliar bed, the sunlight streaming in through pale curtains. Your head throbbed, the telltale sign of a hangover, and as you blinked the sleep from your eyes, you realized you were fully dressed, shoes neatly placed by the door. There was a folded note on the bedside table, written in neat, slanted handwriting.

Good morning! You looked too tired (and drunk) to make it home safely, so I brought you here. Don’t worry, you were a perfect angel. There’s water and aspirin on the nightstand. I’ll be back soon with breakfast—Sebastian.

You couldn’t help but smile at the sweetness of the note, even through the pounding in your head. It felt like a scene straight out of a drama—the handsome stranger, the shared ride, the note left behind. When Sebastian returned with a coffee and a bag of pastries, you were sitting up, still clutching the note.

“You’re awake,” he said, smiling as he stepped inside. “Feeling alright?”

You gave him a look, holding up the note like a piece of evidence. “Alright and not drunk, you're really a gentleman for leaving a note.“

He laughed, setting the coffee down in front of you. “What can I say? I aim to impress.”

From that morning on, it became a running joke between the two of you, how you met in such a cliché way. But as weeks turned into months, the jokes turned into real feelings. What started as a funny story to tell your friends became the foundation of something genuine. And now, here you were, dating Sebastian—the boy who shared an Uber with a tipsy, rambling stranger and decided to keep them around.

“Spacing out again?” Sebastian’s voice pulls you back into the present, his nose brushing against your ear as he nudges you gently. He’s still holding you close, his hands tracing idle patterns along your hips, almost as if he can’t bear to let you go just yet. You hadn’t realized how long you’d been standing there, lost in your thoughts and the warmth of his embrace.

“Hmm, maybe.” You reply, leaning back into him with a soft smile. “Just thinking about how lucky I am.”

He chuckles, the sound vibrating against your back, and you feel the way his chest rises and falls as he breathes. “Lucky, huh? I was about to say the same thing.”

He presses a kiss to your temple before finally releasing you, letting his hands slide away reluctantly. You turn to face him, catching the playful glint in his eyes as he takes in the sight of you, still standing by the stove with a dreamy look on your face.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” you say, gesturing toward the simmering pots on the stove. “But if you keep distracting me like that, we’re going to end up with burnt food.”

“Oh no, we can’t let that happen,” he teases, raising his hands in mock surrender. “After all, it’s my favorite. I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

You roll your eyes fondly and turn back to stir the pot, feeling Sebastian’s presence lingering close by. He watches you for a moment, then reaches around you to grab a spoon, sneaking a taste of the sauce simmering in front of you. He hums appreciatively, savoring the flavor.

“Mmm, perfect.” he says with a satisfied smile. “But it needs one more thing.”

Before you can ask what, he’s leaning in again, pressing a kiss to the side of your neck, soft and sweet. It’s barely a peck, but it sends a shiver down your spine nonetheless. You can’t help the giggle that escapes you as you swat at him playfully.

“Sebastian!” you scold lightly, trying to hide your smile. “You’re impossible.”

He grins, unrepentant. “Impossible? Or irresistibly charming?”

“A little of both,” you admit, shaking your head as you reach for the plates. “Alright, Mr. Charming, if you’re going to be here, at least help me set the table.”

Sebastian nods, slipping easily into a domestic rhythm that the two of you have fallen into over the past few months. He takes the plates from your hands, setting them down on the small table in the corner of the kitchen. It’s a cozy spot, just big enough for the two of you, illuminated by the warm light of the pendant lamp above. He lights a small candle in the center, the flame flickering softly, casting a golden glow that bathes the room in a romantic light.

You bring over the food, setting the dishes down as Sebastian pulls out a chair for you with a flourish, bowing dramatically. “Your seat, my dear.”

“Why, thank you, good sir,” you reply, playing along with a grin as you take your seat.

He settles down across from you, and for a moment, the two of you just look at each other, a soft silence settling between you. It’s the kind of silence that feels full, not empty—a shared moment where words aren’t necessary.

“You really outdid yourself,” Sebastian says after taking his first bite. His eyes light up with genuine delight, and it makes your heart swell with pride. “This is amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it,” you say, watching him enjoy the meal you prepared. You can’t help but feel a rush of affection for him in this moment—seeing him so relaxed, savoring the food with that boyish smile you love so much.

The two of you fall into an easy conversation, talking about your day and sharing little stories. At one point, Sebastian leans back in his chair, looking at you with an expression so soft it almost takes your breath away.

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week since there's barely time with work and studies,” he admits quietly, his voice tinged with a kind of vulnerability he doesn’t show often. “Just… having dinner with you, like this. It feels like home.”

You reach across the table, taking his hand in yours. His fingers curl around yours, warm and secure. “Me too,” you say, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s the best part of my day.”

For a while, you just hold hands, the candlelight flickering between you as you finish your meal. There’s a sense of contentment that wraps around you both like a blanket—cozy, intimate, and full of love.

After dinner, Sebastian insists on helping with the dishes, despite your protests. You end up standing side by side at the sink, elbows bumping playfully as you wash and dry. He steals kisses every chance he gets, brushing his lips against your cheek, your temple, the tip of your nose, making you laugh.

“You’re going to make me drop a plate,” you warn, though you’re smiling so much it’s hard to sound serious.

“Then I’ll catch it,” he promises, pressing a kiss to your temple.

By the time the kitchen is cleaned up, you’re both a little breathless from laughing, your cheeks warm from the shared closeness.

After the dishes are done, you’re both standing side by side, your hands still damp from the soapy water. The kitchen is quiet now, the only light coming from the small candle still flickering on the table, casting a warm, golden glow that dances across Sebastian’s face.

He turns toward you, reaching up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear. His fingers linger there, brushing against your skin, and when you meet his gaze, there’s a different kind of warmth in his eyes—something deeper, a tenderness that makes your heart skip a beat.

“You’ve been amazing tonight.” He says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for this.”

You smile, leaning into his touch. “You don’t have to thank me, Sebastian. I loved doing this with you.”

There’s a beat of silence, where neither of you moves, just holding each other’s gaze. Then, in a single, smooth motion, he steps closer, his hands sliding to your waist. He pulls you against him, the sudden press of his body igniting a spark of heat between you. You can feel the way his fingers tighten on your hips, firm yet gentle, as if he’s anchoring himself to you.

You tilt your head up, your breath catching in your throat as he leans in, his nose brushing against yours. He’s so close now that you can feel the warmth of his breath fanning across your lips, and when he finally kisses you, it’s slow and deliberate, like he’s savoring the taste of you. It starts sweet, almost tentative, but quickly deepens as the hunger between you both grows.

Sebastian’s hands roam up your sides, tracing the curve of your waist before sliding under your shirt. His touch is warm against your skin, sending a shiver through you. He pulls back just enough to look at you, his pupils blown wide with a desire that mirrors your own. “Is this okay?” he asks, his voice husky, almost breathless.

You nod, your own hands slipping under the hem of his shirt, feeling the hard planes of his stomach. “More than okay.” you murmur, and that’s all the permission he needs.

He kisses you again, deeper this time, his tongue parting your lips as he presses you back against the counter. The edge digs into your hips, but you barely notice, too caught up in the feel of his mouth on yours, the way he’s holding you like you’re the only thing in the world. You gasp against his lips when he grips your thighs, lifting you up onto the counter with surprising ease.

“Sebastian.” You whisper, your voice breaking with a breathy moan as his lips trail down your jaw, nipping gently at the sensitive spot just below your ear. He hums in response, his hands squeezing your thighs as he settles between them, the hard press of his body making your heart race.

You thread your fingers through his hair, tugging lightly, and he groans, the sound vibrating against your skin. His kisses grow more heated, almost desperate, as if he can’t get enough of you. He pulls back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark and filled with lust. His forehead rests against yours, and you can feel his breath coming out in short, uneven puffs.

“You drive me crazy,” he admits, his voice rough and raw. His hands slide up your thighs, fingers dipping under your skirt, hooking on the waistband of your underwear. He pauses there, teasing, the pads of his fingers tracing small circles just beneath the fabric. He’s taking his time, savoring the anticipation and the shared intimacy of the moment.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” you manage to tease, though your voice is shaky with desire. You wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him closer, and he lets out a low chuckle, the sound sending a shiver down your spine.

“It’s definitely not a bad thing,” he murmurs, capturing your lips again in a kiss that leaves you breathless. He presses himself harder against you, grinding his hips into yours, and the friction sends a wave of heat coursing through your body. You could feel his growing errection between his legs, pressing between your legs and you had to hold back not to rush it. It’s overwhelming in the best way, the feeling of his firm body fitting perfectly against yours.

His other hand slips further under your shirt, fingertips brushing over your bare skin as he tried to unclip your bra under your clothes and he certainly enjoyed it way too much the way he teased you with his slow delicate movements. He then cups the side of your waist, his thumb grazing just beneath your ribs, tracing gentle patterns. When he looks at you, it’s with an intensity that takes your breath away.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, his voice filled with a raw, unfiltered honesty that makes your chest ache. He lowers his head, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses along the line of your throat. His hands move with purpose now, sliding down to push your skirt up. He glances up at you, silently asking for permission, his expression almost reverent.

You nod, your breath hitching as he kneels in front of you. The sight of him on his knees, his hands gently spreading your legs appart, is enough to make your head spin. He takes his time, pressing soft kisses along your inner thighs, his eyes never leaving yours. There’s something worshipful in the way he looks at you, like he’s savoring every moment, every inch of your skin. Before you knew it, he took the piece of fabric of your lace panties between his teeth, pulling them down your legs, putting them in his own pockets.

“Sebastian…” Your voice is barely a whisper, your fingers tangling in his hair as he hooks your legs over his shoulders, pulling you closer to the edge of the counter. He grins up at you, a teasing, almost playful smile, before lowering his head.

The first touch of his lips against your most sensitive spot makes you gasp, your back arching involuntarily. He’s slow and deliberate, tasting you with gentle licks that have your entire body trembling. It’s a different kind of intimacy—one that’s both intense and tender, filled with an unspoken love that takes your breath away.

He takes his time, his tongue moving in slow, deliberate strokes, savoring the way your body responds to him. He holds your hips firmly, anchoring you in place as he explores every inch of you, finding the spots that make you shudder and moan his name. You can feel his hot breath against you, the soft hum of pleasure that escapes him as he loses himself in the moment.

Your fingers curl tighter in his hair, tugging him closer as you struggle to keep your voice steady. “Sebastian… please.”

He groans against you, the vibration sending sparks of pleasure shooting through your core. He pulls back slightly, just enough to look up at you, his lips glistening, eyes heavy with desire. “I love it when you say my name like that,” he murmurs, his voice low and thick with need. „Keep your eyes on me, darling.“

You’re panting now, your entire body trembling as he dives back in, his tongue moving faster, more insistently. The pleasure builds steadily, a wave of heat coiling low in your belly, making you feel like you’re on the edge of something wonderful. He watches your face as he works, taking in every gasp, every moan, as if it’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard.

You can’t hold back any longer. Your body tenses, your thighs clamping around his head as you reach your peak, crying out his name. He doesn’t stop, riding out your release, his tongue gentle now, coaxing you through the aftershocks.

When you finally come back down, your chest heaving, he presses one last soft kiss against your thigh before standing up. He looks at you with a boyish grin, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Was that okay?” he asks, though his smirk tells you he knows exactly how good it was.

You let out a breathless laugh, pulling him into a kiss that’s sweet and grateful, tasting yourself on his lips. “More than okay,” you murmur against his mouth. “You’re incredible.”

He wraps his arms around you, hugging you tightly, his nose nuzzling into your neck as he plants a soft kiss there. “I love you,” he whispers, the words like a quiet promise against your skin.

You smile, pressing a kiss to his temple, your fingers gently stroking through his hair. “I love you too.”

Without another word, he scoops you up effortlessly, his hands strong and sure as he lifts you off the counter. You let out a surprised laugh, clinging to him, your arms looping around his neck as he cradles you against his chest.

“Taking this somewhere more comfortable,” he murmurs, pressing a quick, teasing kiss to your forehead. The look in his eyes is smoldering, filled with an unspoken promise of what’s to come. He carries you through the dimly lit hallway, each step deliberate, the anticipation building between you both. Your heart races, beating in time with his, the air thick with the shared desire that crackles like electricity.

As you reach the bedroom, he nudges the door open with his foot, the soft light from the hallway spilling in and casting a golden glow over the bed. He sets you down gently, his hands lingering on your hips as he leans down to kiss you again. It’s slower this time, a lazy, lingering kiss that’s filled with a tenderness that makes your chest ache.

“You’re too good to me,” you whisper against his lips, your hands already slipping under the fabric of his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your fingertips.

He chuckles, low and sweet, as he pulls back just enough to tug his shirt over his head. “I’m exactly as good as you deserve,” he replies, his voice husky. He tosses the shirt aside carelessly, and your eyes roam over his exposed chest, the play of light and shadow accentuating the muscles there. He looks at you like he’s drinking you in, savoring every detail, every expression on your face.

Your fingers find the button of his jeans, working it open as he watches you with a hooded gaze. He helps you, shrugging out of his pants and kicking them aside, leaving him in just his boxers. The sight of him—flushed, breathing heavily, and looking at you with a mixture of adoration and want—makes a wave of heat wash over you.

You lean back against the pillows, propping yourself up as he climbs onto the bed, his knees sinking into the mattress. He’s on you in an instant, his hands gently prying your shirt off, his lips trailing soft kisses down your collarbone as he peels the fabric away. When you’re bare before him, he pauses, taking a moment just to look at you. The way his eyes drink you in makes you feel cherished, like you’re the most precious thing in the world to him.

“Perfect,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. He leans down, pressing a kiss to your sternum, then another lower, right over your heart. You can feel the heat of his breath against your skin, the press of his lips sending shivers through your body.

His hands trail down your sides, fingers close between your legs. He raises his eyes to yours, silently asking for permission once again. When you give a small, eager nod, he pushes them in, toying with you, his gaze never leaving yours.

He presses closer, his bare chest flush against yours now, skin against skin. The warmth of him seeps into you, grounding you even as your heart feels like it might burst from the intensity of the moment. You can feel every hard line of his body, the way he fits so perfectly against you, like you were made for each other.

“Sebastian.” you whisper, his name falling from your lips like a prayer. You reach up, cupping his cheek in your hand, and he turns his head to press a kiss to your palm.

“I’ve got you.” He murmurs, his voice filled with love and a gentle promise. He dips his head down, capturing your lips in a kiss that’s slow and deep, his hand, pulled out of you, sliding down your side to grip your thigh, pulling you closer. His other hand roams up your body, fingers splaying out on your chest as he squeezed the skin.

You shiver as he shifts, settling between your legs, the press of his body sending a wave of warmth through you. He grinds against you slowly, the friction delicious, and you gasp into his mouth, your nails digging into his back. He groans, a deep, guttural sound that reverberates through his chest, and you can feel the restrained need in the way he moves.

“Tell me what you want,” he breathes against your lips, his forehead resting against yours as he gazes down at you with an intensity that makes your breath hitch.

“You,” you reply, your voice barely a whisper. “I want you.”

He kisses you again, hard and fervent, his hips pressing into yours in a slow, rolling motion that has you arching up against him, seeking more. You can feel his smile against your lips, a soft, tender curve that’s full of love.

“I’m all yours,” he whispers back, his words like a promise. “Tonight and always.”

He moves slowly, unhurried, taking his time to explore every inch of your body with his lips and hands, like he’s memorizing every curve, every shiver. The room is filled with the sound of your shared breaths, the soft sighs and gasps as he touches you, holds you, loves you.

„Promise I always will.“ Those where his last words before you were able to feel him close to your entrance, his tip stroking you gently before he pushed in.

The next morning came in silence, but it wasn’t the kind you loved. It wasn’t the quiet murmur of the world still asleep, or the gentle hum of life waking up slowly. It was the kind of silence that felt heavy, almost suffocating. The kind that made you realize something was missing before you even opened your eyes.

You shifted, reaching out instinctively to the other side of the bed, expecting the familiar warmth of Sebastian’s body curled up against yours. Instead, your fingers met cold, empty sheets. Your heart sank a little, the small knot of disappointment tightening in your chest.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Mornings were your favorite time together, the one part of the day where you could both be unguarded, lazy, and wrapped up in each other without any of life’s distractions pulling you apart. You loved waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the sound of the kettle whistling in the kitchen as Sebastian made you breakfast, or the soft kiss he’d press to your forehead before you were even fully awake. It was the sweetest part of your life—those quiet, precious moments that belonged only to the two of you.

But today, there was none of that. Just an empty bed and a lingering chill where his warmth should have been. You opened your eyes, blinking at the soft light filtering through the curtains, half expecting to see him standing there, smiling at you like he always did. But the room was empty.

You sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around your waist, and glanced around as if he might suddenly appear. The pillow next to you was still dented from where he’d slept, but it was cool to the touch now, the scent of him fading away. You pressed your face into it anyway, closing your eyes and inhaling deeply, trying to hold on to that small piece of him for a moment longer.

„Sebastian?“ You called out, hoping for any kind of reaction, your voice filling the room.

It didn’t make sense. He hadn’t mentioned leaving early. He hadn’t said anything about having plans today. Your mind raced with possibilities, each one leaving a hollow ache in its wake. Maybe he’d just stepped out for a bit, you told yourself. He’d be back any minute, you were sure of it.

But as you swung your legs over the side of the bed, the cold floor beneath your feet seemed to echo the emptiness inside you. You wrapped the blanket tighter around your shoulders, trying to chase away the chill. It wasn’t just the cold of the room—it was the cold that came from waking up alone when you’d gotten so used to waking up together. This felt oddly strange.

You couldn’t help but remember the way it usually was. How he’d pull you closer, mumbling half-asleep compliments against your neck. How his fingers would trace lazy patterns on your skin, making you feel like you were the only person in the world. How you’d both lie there for as long as you could, wrapped up in the warmth of each other, talking softly or just sharing comfortable silence.

You glanced at the clock on the nightstand, hoping you were wrong. Hoping maybe you’d just woken up before him, and he’d be back any second, slipping into bed beside you with a sheepish smile and a kiss on your cheek. But the clock told a different story. It was already late—later than he’d ever leave without saying something.

You took a deep breath, forcing yourself to stand up, your legs feeling shaky beneath you. The house felt colder without him here, and the empty quiet of it pressed in on you. You padded out into the hallway, calling his name softly once more, half expecting him to pop his head out from the kitchen, teasing you for being so worried.

But there was no answer. No kettle boiling, no clink of mugs, no smell of coffee in the air. Just the empty echo of your voice.

You leaned against the doorframe, closing your eyes and letting the silence wash over you. The ache in your chest felt heavier now, settling like a stone. It was a small thing, really—waking up alone just once—but it felt like a shadow of something bigger. A reminder of how much you needed him, of how much his presence had become a part of your mornings, your days, your everything.

You pulled the blanket tighter around yourself, rubbing your hands over your arms in a vain attempt to warm up. He’d be back soon, you told yourself again. He had to be. He wouldn’t just leave like this, not without a word. He wouldn’t take away the part of the morning you loved the most—the part where you woke up next to him and felt like everything was right in the world.

But as you stood there, staring at the empty hallway, you couldn’t help the small, creeping worry that maybe today was different. Maybe today was the start of a morning you’d have to face alone, a morning without him to hold you and make you feel whole.

And that thought made the quiet feel so much colder.

The quiet stretched longer than it should have, and with each passing second, the doubt in your mind grew. You couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, but you tried to brush it off. You told yourself it was nothing—Sebastian had probably just gone out to grab breakfast or coffee. It was a Saturday, after all, and the world outside was just starting to wake up. But as you moved through the house, something felt off.

You made your way to the entryway, half-expecting to see him standing there, pulling on his shoes or grabbing his coat. But the spot where his jacket usually hung was empty. The shoes he always left by the door were gone too. You frowned, the empty space making your stomach twist in a way you couldn’t quite explain. Maybe he had left early, maybe to pick up something for breakfast, or maybe to run an errand.

You convinced yourself that’s what had happened. He’d just stepped out. He’d be back soon. You had to believe that. You turned away from the door and walked back through the house, glancing around for any sign of him. The stillness pressed against you like a heavy blanket, and despite your best efforts to remain calm, you couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at you.

As you entered the living room, you caught sight of the bookshelf against the wall. Your eyes narrowed, and your heart began to race. The shelf was slightly askew, the way it was when Sebastian had been messing around with it. But it wasn’t just the shelf that caught your attention—it was the hidden compartment behind it. Your safe. It was slightly open.

You had always hidden it carefully, knowing it was the one place where you kept the money that had become so important to Sebastian and you over the past few months. But now, standing there, you felt a cold shiver race down your spine. You walked over to it, and as you opened the compartment fully, your stomach dropped. The safe was empty. Your heart skipped a beat, and panic surged through you. The money—everything you had been so careful to keep safe—was gone. The only explanation you could think of was that Sebastian had taken it. He had taken everything. Your mind screamed at you, but your body felt frozen, unable to move.

Your breath quickened, and the room around you began to spin. A knot twisted in your chest, suffocating you, and your mind started to race with the worst possible thoughts. Had he really done this? Had he taken everything and left me? Your hands shook as you backed away from the shelf, your mind still desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. You had trusted him, believed in him, and now all you could think of was how everything had felt too perfect—like it had all been a lie. Any kind of trust was lost as you couldn't come up with a single good reason why he should take the money and disappear.

You moved quickly, heart pounding in your chest, darting around the house as if searching for something, anything that would prove you were wrong. You tore through the living room, the kitchen, even the bathroom. But there was nothing—no sign of him, no explanation for what had happened. The silence pressed down harder, and the walls around you seemed to close in, suffocating you with the weight of your thoughts.

Suddenly, the house felt too big, too empty. Every sound, every small creak, seemed amplified in the stillness. You felt like you were drowning in your own panic. Your chest tightened, and your breathing became shallow, erratic. Your vision blurred as the tears began to well up in your eyes. It was all happening too fast, too overwhelming.

You collapsed to your knees on the floor, hands gripping your hair as your mind spiraled. No, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. The thought that Sebastian had taken the money, that he had left you with nothing but confusion and betrayal, shattered something inside you. Everything you had shared—the late-night talks, the laughter, the mornings together—it all felt like a cruel joke now.

"Sebastian!" you screamed, the word ripping from your throat, raw and desperate. "Where are you?"

But there was no answer. Just the emptiness, the silence stretching longer and longer, pulling you further into a dark pit of fear and confusion. You curled in on yourself, hands over your face, tears streaming freely as the weight of it all pressed down on you. How could you have been so wrong? How could you have let yourself trust him so completely, only for him to take everything away in one cruel moment?

The house felt like a prison. Every corner, every empty space reminded you of what you had lost, what had been stolen from you. And as the panic surged, all you could think was that he had left, and you were alone, with nothing but the aching hollow in your chest to show for it.

You cried, helplessly, uncontrollably, the sobs shaking your entire body. Nothing made sense. Nothing could bring you the comfort you craved. And all you could do was scream, hoping for some kind of answer that would never come.

Sebastian woke up first, the quiet morning light filtering through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room. His gaze immediately landed on you—peacefully asleep beside him. The sight of you, tangled in the sheets with your hair messy from the night, made his heart skip a beat. There was something about you, something that made everything else in the world fade away when he was with you.

He could still feel the warmth of your body against his, the weight of your presence next to him, and the quiet intimacy that seemed to wrap around both of you. The night had been perfect, full of laughter and closeness, but in that moment, as he watched you sleep, something more profound settled in him.

He realized, with a clarity that shocked him, that he didn’t just want this—this closeness, this joy, this love—he wanted all of it. Forever. It was like a light bulb turning on in his head, and it was undeniable. He wanted to spend his life with you. The idea of waking up to this—waking up to *you*—for every day to come filled him with a warmth that he couldn’t ignore.

Sebastian’s chest tightened with a mix of excitement and nerves, the weight of the realization both exhilarating and humbling. He knew, deep down, that this wasn’t just a fleeting thought or a momentary rush of emotion. It was real. He wanted to build a life with you. He wanted to promise you forever, no matter what.

Carefully, he slipped out of bed, trying not to disturb you. The sheets rustled gently as he moved, and he paused, watching you for a moment longer, a soft smile tugging at his lips. He admired how peaceful you looked, how safe and content, lost in dreams. He didn’t want to wake you yet. This moment, this quiet, was just for him.

Sebastian stood, stretching his limbs and glancing around the room. His heart still pounded with the weight of what he was about to do. He knew he had to do it. He had to show you that he wasn’t just saying the words when he said he loved you. He was going to prove it.

Moving quietly to the dresser, he pulled on his clothes, careful not to make any noise. His hands trembled slightly, the excitement of the decision making his heart race. He knew what he had to do, and nothing was going to stop him.

His eyes flicked toward the shelf where you kept your safe, his heart skipping. He had always known about it—he respected it, and he knew it was important to you. But today, today was different. He didn’t hesitate for a second as he opened the shelf, taking out the safe. The contents of the small box—money that had been saved for a future you’d both been dreaming of—meant something far more than just savings now. It was a way for him to take the first step toward that future. The life he wanted to build with you.

Sebastian swallowed hard as he pulled the money out, placing it carefully in his pocket. His chest tightened, but it wasn’t from nerves about what he was doing—it was from the overwhelming realization that he was making the choice to move forward, to ask for forever. He knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with you, and that thought was everything.

He turned, quietly making his way out of the room and into the hallway. The city outside was just beginning to wake up, the soft hum of the early morning a comforting backdrop to his racing thoughts. His mind was focused on one thing now: making sure the ring was perfect, making sure it was everything you deserved. He’d save the money for the rest of your life together later.

But today, today was the start of everything.

Sebastian made his way to the jewelry store, each step feeling more like a confirmation of what he had known all along. He was doing the right thing, and no matter how many details needed to be perfect, all that mattered was the love he felt for you. He had to make sure that the ring was just as unforgettable as the way you made him feel every single day.

As he stepped into the shop, his eyes immediately scanned the selection, his mind fixed solely on one goal. He didn’t need to search for long. The moment his eyes landed on a beautiful, delicate ring, a diamond set against a simple gold band, he knew it was the one. He imagined the way it would look on your finger, how it would symbolize everything he wanted to say but didn’t always have the words for.

With a deep breath, he picked it up, his fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the box. He paid, his hands shaking slightly with anticipation, excitement thrumming through his veins.

All he had to do now was get home to you. To show you how much you meant to him, how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.

The entire time he was gone, his mind was consumed with thoughts of you. He knew when he returned, it wouldn’t just be another ordinary morning. It would be the start of a new chapter. A chapter that began with love, and ended with forever.

But he never returned.

The metallic scent of the Hadal Blacksite hung thick in the air, its sterile walls casting a cold, lifeless atmosphere around you. The labyrinth of vents you crawled through felt like a maze, twisting and turning with no end in sight. Your knees scraped against the jagged metal, but you didn’t stop. You couldn’t stop. Every inch of your body screamed in exhaustion, but your mission kept you moving. The crystal—the one thing you needed to find—was somewhere within this forsaken facility. But you had to survive long enough to retrieve it.

The deeper you went, the darker it became. The vents barely let any light in, and the only sound you could hear was the echo of your own breathing, shallow and frantic. You couldn’t afford to think about how you got here, how everything had spiraled out of control, or the faces you had once known. All you could focus on was the present, the objective. The crystal.

Your life had been shattered after Sebastian’s betrayal. You had fallen so far, so fast, that it felt like the very ground beneath you had disappeared. Now, here you were, crawling through the grim, unforgiving halls of the Blacksite—nothing more than a shadow, a criminal. Desperate. The crushing weight of debt and hunger had driven you beyond what you once thought possible.

Money had been the catalyst for your descent into this hellish place. The lack of it, the constant struggle to survive, had broken you down piece by piece until you were willing to do anything—anything—to escape the suffocating grasp of poverty. Your morals, your dignity, everything you once held dear, faded into the background as you scraped together whatever scraps of hope you could find.

And then you crossed the line.

It was never supposed to come to this. You had promised yourself you wouldn’t risk it all, but desperation had a way of warping your sense of reason. You had stepped into the Blacksite’s underbelly, risking your life, hoping the payoff would be enough to turn everything around. But all you had now were regrets, each one more suffocating than the last.

You had never imagined it would end like this.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed when you finally reached an access hatch, a simple vent. You didn’t hesitate, swinging it open and slipping through into the dimly lit room. Your eyes scanned the space, still disoriented from the crawl, but something stopped you dead in your tracks.

It was a shop.

A small, oddly shop tucked away in the heart of the Blacksite. The walls were lined with shelves—an assortment of strange, vintage devices, dusty trinkets, and knick-knacks. In the corner, a glass display case held a collection of unmarked items, their importance completely unknown to you. It was surreal, this oasis in the middle of a place so cold and hostile.

But what made your breath catch in your throat wasn’t the strange setting or the items on the shelves.

You froze, heart pounding in your chest as your eyes locked onto him. Sebastian. But he wasn’t the man you had once known—he wasn’t even close. His appearance was twisted, distorted, as though the years had been unkind, carving deep lines of pain into his face. His eyes, once warm and familiar, now held a cold emptiness, an unrecognizable void inbetween the fluorescent glow. His skin was pale gray, unnatural, like something out of a nightmare, and his presence felt wrong, as though he had been reshaped by something dark and uncontrollable. The shock hit you like a physical blow, your stomach churning as you tried to pull back, your legs shaking with the instinct to flee. You didn't even dared to comment the rest of his body. This wasn’t the man you loved: this wasn’t even someone you could recognize. A wave of disgust washed over you, mingling with the terror that gripped your throat. You couldn’t even process it—your mind couldn't make sense of the grotesque transformation. All you could do was stumble backward, every inch of your body telling you to get away, to escape this horrible, unrecognizable figure before you.

You took a slow, cautious step backward, your breath shallow and erratic. Every movement felt like an eternity as you tried to distance yourself from the nightmare standing in front of you. You couldn’t take your eyes off him, the twisted version of Sebastian, but at the same time, you couldn’t look at him. The terror in your chest made your limbs heavy, your mind clouded with panic, and your heart ached in a way that made it hard to breathe.

You moved quietly, silently, as though retreating would give you the space to think, to make sense of this madness. Your feet stumbled awkwardly, barely making any sound against the cold floor—until they didn’t. Your foot caught on something—an object, a piece of debris that you hadn’t noticed before—and in a split second, your body was crashing to the ground.

The impact sent a sharp pain through your limbs, and before you could even react, you froze, utterly paralyzed by the noise. The sound of your fall echoed through the room, and in an instant, you felt his presence shift. His breathing grew louder, and then he turned.

For a moment, everything stopped. You couldn’t move. You couldn’t breathe. Every muscle in your body locked up as you lay there, immobilized by fear.

And then he saw you.

His eyes, once hollow, suddenly flickered with recognition. His face—so alien just moments before—shifted into something you could hardly process. A look of utter shock and joy crossed his features, his mouth parting in disbelief, displaying his sharp teeth. He moved toward you cautiously, his voice hoarse but filled with an overwhelming sense of relief.

“Y-You...?” His voice trembled, almost in awe. His eyes darted over your face, his expression softening as the pieces of recognition fell into place. “No way… is it really you?”

A rush of emotion flooded through him—something you hadn’t seen in a long time, something raw and vulnerable. His face broke into an unrestrained, radiant smile, and for the first time, you saw the man you once knew beneath all the horror. It was a moment of pure, unfiltered joy that made your stomach twist in confusion and disbelief.

You could barely move, still too stunned to comprehend the sight before you, but his reaction was enough to make your chest tighten, a jolt of emotion hitting you like a wave, not in a good way.

He was happy to see you. And somehow, in this strange, twisted reality, that felt even more terrifying.

Sebastian moved closer, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for the pocket of his coat, pulling something out with an eager grin. The object glinted in his hand, and for a moment, the sight of the small box made your heart skip with fear. But you couldn’t process it, couldn’t make sense of the words he was about to speak.

“I—I can’t believe this… I’ve missed you so much,” he rambled, his voice a mix of relief and confusion. His gaze never left you, his eyes soft but filled with an almost frantic urgency, as though he couldn’t believe you were really here. “I thought I’d never see you again, after everything—after how much I messed up. I don’t know how you ended up down here, I don’t understand, but… I don’t care.”

His words poured out, faster than he could catch them, like he had been waiting for this moment, this reunion, for so long. He seemed out of breath, his chest heaving slightly as he spoke, the joy barely contained in his voice. His behaviour felt so off on so many different levels, not lovingly like you knew him back then, but obsessive in the worst way.

“I’ve been waiting for this… for you,” he continued, a wild light in his eyes. “I told myself I’d come back to you, no matter what. No matter what happened or what I had to go through… you were always on my mind. I never stopped thinking about you. I—" His voice caught, almost as if the words were too much to handle.

He paused for a moment, his face suddenly serious, as if weighing something. Then, with a flourish, he opened the small box in his hand, revealing the engagement ring nestled inside, covered in some dry blood and dirt. His smile stretched wide, a mix of pride and happiness in his eyes. “I was going to ask you... I wanted to ask you... I’ve been saving for so long. I—” He glanced at you, his expression filled with an almost childlike excitement. “I wanted to give you this. I wanted to promise you everything. I know things were messed up, but you *are* everything to me. And I—I need you to know that.”

But you couldn’t hear his words anymore. They were distant, muffled, as if the world around you was closing in. Your chest felt hollow, and despite the tears that had begun to fall silently down your face, your body felt numb. The shock of seeing him again, the confusion, the betrayal—it was too much to handle. You didn’t know whether to scream or to run, but your body refused to move.

His words—so full of joy, so hopeful—made everything worse. The engagement ring, the smiles, the words of love—they all felt like knives in your chest. Your throat tightened, and the tears came harder, spilling down your cheeks in a silent torrent as you stared at him, completely incapable of responding.

He kept talking, his words becoming a blur. He didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he didn’t care, that you weren’t saying anything back, that you weren’t moving. His smile remained wide and genuine, as if he was living some dream he had longed for. But for you? It was a nightmare that you couldn’t escape, not even if you tried.

You were deadly terrified of him.

You don't know who was standing in front of you anymore.

„GET AWAY FROM ME!“

[hiddenpng0]

if we get out of here together..maybe,

We can draw together?

...

But not here.

Maybe in another..universe.

[Oh no, P.AI.nter got too attached to one of the expandables!

Expandable:💥🔫👈/jk I'm sorry yall :(( ]

[feastingonyoureyes]

Synopsis; How THEY treat you as their (—) lover

Pairing: EYEFESTATION x (Scientist/Mutant) Reader

CW; OOC on Eyefestations' lore, Spoilers, both Eyefestation and reader are GN, rush×not proofread.

How THEY would treat you as their lover, if you were one of the scientists:

Well for starters you and them must've gotten along way before they were experimented on. Possibly even knowing them before it had all even started, or were just one of the few who're nice to them when they were still considered a "human."

Typically, if you were the only one nice to them, they'd be very clingy to be by your side at all cost; becoming restless when you weren't in the sams team of scientists that came to examine them. Throwing a fit and becoming enraged.

If you were on the same team though, then they'd be a lot more docile. Your team urging you to be the one carrying out the more physical examinations that require you to be up and personal in Z-317 space since, well, it's clear there's some sort of attachment it has to you.

In regards to being attached though, you'd most definitely be under careful watch by Urbanshade; to make sure you weren't planning on also getting attached to Z-317 and consider breaking them out. That, would be far too risky for the company to let slip.

So while you and Z-317 might've bonded, it wouldn't — or moreso, couldn't, become a romantic relationship. Unless you want Urbanshade to ... "take you out," whether it's literal or not.

Or you might just end up being experimented on as well.

How THEY would treat you as their lover, if you were one of the mutants/experiments:

(continuation from ^) Let's say you do end up risking it all for love. Causing Urbanshade too many problems to handle, so they had you personally dealt with; separating both you and Z-317 during this period.

While you were absent from Z-317, your lack of presence might've caused them to lash out even more. Thrashing against their glass tank and causing more deaths that weren't ideal whatsoever to Urbanshade. Probably soon was going to be dealt with as well but... Then the lockdown occured.

Sebation setting Eyefestation free from their confinement and while they were given the opportunity to escape from this place, they chose to stay. 1. to take revenge on the humans for what they've done, and 2. was to well... look for you.

No matter how different you look now from how you did back then, Z-317 would definitely recognize you. After all, your presence was the most comforting feeling they've felt in a long while — so they should be able to connect dots son enough.

Again, they'd be a lot more docile when you're with them. (Either walking in the hallway while they swam, or you both swimming together.)

But end up also being hostile as well, far more when you're with them. like y'know how when painter traps you into a room and Eyefestation is immediately red? Well it's something like that, but forthe scenario in mind where Z-317 is being protective; they'd be blue. Trailing and edging close to the window in the next few rooms afterwards, chasing the poor expendable.

[zombiec4ke]

Can't take my eyes off you....(Part 1)

eyefestation x hard of seeing reader... summary (I suck at making these): as you were charged of a crime that you didn't do you were sent to ###### high security prison on a death row, but you were given a chance to live free of charge if you retrieved a crystal. How was you supposed to know that it would be better to just die? warnings: some swears here and there nothing too bad...yet...

a/n: uhhh so yeah...I made it...yippe?

(Ps y/n is hard of seeing in this fic, not entirely blind they have glasses but without their glasses they're as good as blind, also gn pronouns)

##-##-20##.

you are an inmate of ###### high security prison..

your crimes are irrelevant.

whether or not you were falsely charged is irrelevant.

you have served 93 days of your # year sentence.

Today, three men from Urbanshade Corporation, being escorted by heavily armed guards, arrived at the prison.

They were searching for volunteers to help them retrieve a crystal of sorts, a highly important asset they were unable to secure during a major security breach in one of their facilities.

they stated the risk of death was high but whoever could retrieve the asset return to them would be pardoned release with cleared record and receive ##### in cash

many of your fellow inmates signed up....

you signed up as well

you are expendable....

You are not expected to return...

the submarine hummed softly in the depths, the sound echoing throughout its small surface area

you were the only inmate on the sub, the others....well, uh let's just say they couldn't make it.

So the sub was eerily quiet without the usual chatter and arguing from your cellmates. You leaned your head on the wall letting the cold metal cool the back of your head.

The sub began to ascend, and soon enough it came to a stop, and you heard the creak of a hatch opening, you lifted your head off the wall and headed to the open hatch

as you stepped onto the concrete (?) floor you heard a man from urbshade on a speaker talk about retrieving the crystal blah blah blah ect you didn't really care to listen to the low quality pre recorded message.

you crouched under some boxes and got a key card that goes to the first door and made your way to insert the key card, when a 'click' noise is heard the doors open and shows a room that is very plain besides a few drawers here and there. you walked across the room to door 2.

the next 10 doors nothing really happened...unless you count spending 10 minutes trying to find a damn key card then stuff happened.

door 12 opened to show a hallway like any other but what was different was that the lights started flickering...that confused you, at first you just thought it was electrical problems but then you heard a high pitch scream so you dove in a locker just in time before a...how do you even describe that horrible monster you saw go past from the crack of the locker....

After the coast was clear you walked out the locker and tried to steady your queasy legs that felt like they were going to give out any second...

"What the hell was that...?" you mumble to yourself even though there was no one there besides yourself and maybe 5 cameras pointed at you from all angles

the next 5 doors were the same as through the occasional flicker of lights, although you found the monster to be a bit easier to hide from the more you met it.

it felt weird calling it an 'it' but you didn't want to call it a he if it's actually a she but then again maybe it's nonbinary...do monsters even have genders?!...*cough* ok enough rambling...

*30 doors later ig; I'm already tired and I don't think you wanna hear me talking about going through more doors*

you stood in front of room 47...you felt tired and hungry...when was the last time you ate? slept?? (it's only been 7 hours)

if the monsters didn't kill you then the exhaustion sure will...you took in a deep breath and put the key card in waiting a bit before the door opened annnnddd..

Pitch. Fucking Black.

You sure are glad you found a lantern! Surely there are no monsters that hate light and will hurt you if you flash them with light!

so rather than trying you go through the door just straight through without needing a light you choose to use a your lantern, luck be told there was a damn Squiddle and it lunged at you knocking your glasses off your face

"fuck" you hissed under your breath as you took a step back not noticing you stepped on your glasses until you hear the crunch of glass

"goddammit..." you say as you try and see but the world is a blurry mess...also you're still in the dark-

well this is gonna be fun... a/n: sorry if it's not long I'm going to make a part 2 where stuff really happens so think of this as a prologue or smth like that

[dexr-jan9am1]

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

[obbystars]

Writing may be a bit slow (as if it already isn’t…) for a bit cause I wanna draw

gonna try to put out this next one I’m working on first though

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

What about the Doors/Pressure shopkeepers trying to pretend they aren't giving their crush special treatment when in groups. Like, special inventory, discreet discounts, all that jazz

Jeff (Doors)

"Oye, I see what you're doin', Jeff. Thought you weren't one for giving out freebies."

*shrug*

"Don't play dumb! I saw you sneak the skeleton key into their bag! Even Bob's a witness!"

No matter what El Goblino says, Jeff will just wave off any accusations of him giving you "special treatment" whenever you stopped by the shop with your group.

While none of them donated to the tip jar, you were the only one who ever did...and even when you came back again and again, it was always you who showed him charity.

The rest of your group would just argue over what to spend their money on, try to rush ahead, mess with his radio, etc. etc.

But you trust Jeff, and he trusts you <3

So you get small discounts on his wares, and despite him not being able to speak, you could tell he's only looking after you.

The goblin jokes about Jeff's little "crush" on you...then he sees the entity's eyes widen and realizes "wait amigo,,I wasn't being serious do you actually like them?????"

He just shoos him away and will deny it to kingdom come, but it is true.

The moment you realized his feelings for you was when Rush attacked the shop once, and you thought you were done for-

When Jeff instinctively pulled you behind the counter and slammed the shutter down, keeping you uncomfortably close (yet somehow you've never felt safer).

When it's all over, he blushes and lets you go free.

You thank him with a small kiss on the forehead(?) and promise to see him again soon.

The next time you get duped by Dupe, or attacked by Eyes, Timothy, Screech, or a snare and need to heal...you discover a few bandaids in your pocket that weren't there previously...

Huh.

Wonder who gave you those?

Sebastian (Pressure)

Normally, Sebastian doesn't care to make personal connections with any of the expendables.

He's just there as their supplier before seeing them off on their journey, hoping they're putting his resources to good use.

But recently he's been seeing you more often, coming by with a new group or by yourself, trying your best to survive long enough to reach him.

Ofc, you've died to stupid things before (or maybe you're just trying to get all the monster documents..in which he's convinced you're some masochist), but you did have the most common sense out of your group and didn't try to annoy him.

The others just waste flash beacon charges on trying to blind the poor guy and stick the keycard in a medkit they couldn't afford...and for what?

Why do your "friends" do that? Are they stupid or something?

You tell them to stop, and it's...actually kinda nice to hear somebody willing to defend him.

People usually don't give a shit about the giant scary fish's feelings, yet for some reason you do.

Of course, Sebastian was reasonably suspicious about it.

"Are you acting this way just to get a freebie?" He assumes. "Because if you are, then you're definitely as stupid as-"

"No, I'd never do that to you." You shake your head. "You're here, helping us survive out there, risking a lot to get us those supplies...is it wrong for me to appreciate that?"

"......"

He goes quiet for a minute, but after the rest of your group leaves, he asks you to stay for a moment.

"You were looking at this Necrobloxicon for a while...you must reeeeally want it, huh?" He grins, flicking his tail where the book was strapped. "It's a rarity."

"I...can't afford that. I'm fine with this dingy flashlight-"

"It's yours for 70% off. Take it or leave it."

You do a double take. "Wait, wha-"

"70% off. Take it. Or leave it." He says through gritted teeth, impatient, only to smile when you accept the deal without further question. "Good. Now don't go telling anyone I'm offering discounts. That's your only one unless I feel generous. Capiche?"

"Gotcha. Thank you, Seb. This means a lot. I hope to see you again soon." You smile back, holding the spooky book tightly, and leave him alone with his thoughts.

And a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest-

Wait.

"Oh no....what the fuck am I doing????? That's it! NO more discounts for anyone, Sebastian!" He scolds himself.

Little does he know, he's gonna keep giving them out, but only for you.

[hellishv4mp]

Sage Reference

[aventurineswife]

Can you do a swap au of pressure Sebastian x reader?

“Good Luck Out There”

The cold, damp air pressed against the walls of the makeshift shop. The flickering light from the overhead bulb cast eerie shadows across the piles of strange and dangerous items that lined the shelves. You leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

A muffled, distant thud echoed through the corridor outside. Another prisoner, probably desperate for a scrap of hope, was about to stumble into your shop. The constant flow of new faces, always grim and weary, had become a tiresome routine. Your tail twitched, flicking slightly at the sound, the pouches on it jingling as they shifted.

You opened the vent.

Sebastian, clad in a dark prison jumpsuit, crawled inside, the weight of his knees scraping against the vent, echoing louder. His expression was as hardened as the man you'd once heard about—a criminal—no, a prisoner—who had been wronged in the eyes of the system, even if you weren’t certain whether he actually deserved it or not.

You eyed him, your eyes narrowing. "Another one." you muttered, a smirk playing on your lips.

Sebastian didn’t flinch. He stood still for a moment, scanning the dimly lit room, eyes betraying no hint of fear. "I need supplies," he grunted, his voice heavy but cold, betraying nothing of the deeper pain he'd no doubt buried deep inside. "If you can help with that, I'll make it worth your time."

You snorted. "Worth my time? Now that is a laugh." You uncrossed your arms. You were irritated, but you didn’t exactly mind helping him, either. "What’s it this time? Looking to arm yourself or something?"

Sebastian hesitated before replying, his eyes flicking over your tail before meeting your gaze once more. "I need anything that'll help me get out of here." He clenched his fists, a subtle tremor betraying his words.

You snickered. "Trust me, I get it. The feeling of betrayal... the promise of freedom that never comes. It eats at you, doesn't it? What I don't get, though, is your apparent faith that this little shop of mine will make all your problems go away."

Your gaze swept over the various items laid out for purchase: Batteries, Hand-Cranked Flashlight, [Name]'s Document, Medkit, Flashlight, Code Breacher, Flash Beacon, Lantern.

"Alright," you grinned, tail swishing. "You’ve got yourself a deal. But remember," you added with a cold, toothy smile, "don’t flash me, or I won't hesitate to kill you myself."

Sebastian tensed, his brows furrowing, but he didn’t respond right away. You could see the wheels turning in his head, weighing the situation carefully.

Then, he spoke again, his voice low, almost like a whisper meant only for you. "You should know, I've got my own enemies here."

You chuckled darkly, your voice smooth as it slid from your throat. "Enemies? Who in this hellhole doesn't have enemies?" You leaned in, your eyes gleaming with an eerie, unsettling glow.

The moment hung in the air, thick with tension between you two. Sebastian regarded you with that unreadable expression, his own thoughts veiled as well. Despite your differences, there was a shared sense of betrayal in the air. You had both been cogs in Urbanshade’s hands, you both had been manipulated by them.

Before Sebastian could respond, a noise came from the corridor, signaling an entity awaiting him.

"Get ready," you said softly. "Things get ugly around here."

Sebastian took a step back, eyes alert. He nodded, his mouth set in a hard line. "I can handle myself."

You smirked again, this time more genuinely. "We'll see. We'll see."

"Hey," you called out just before he made it to the vent, "you missed the keycard. Don’t bother trying to leave without it. You won't get far."

I need to freshen up my memory because I clearly have forgotten everything about pressure :')

[party-snake]

could you make Sebastian from Roblox pressure being touchstarved and praise of smut for his lover female reader that came the shop due to forced of being a prisoners isolated in underwater place and Sebastian just being touchstarved due to being alone along with just seeing random prisoners that visit his shop. As he have a relationship with female reader in his human self before his "death" of turning the monster we know <3 (sorry if my grammar is ass since English is not my first language but love your work <3)

I'll try my best 😅

Okay, what I got from this is:

- Reader and Sebastian had relationship before he got taken away.

- Sebastian is touch starved (poor bb)

- You want smut w/ praise

I hope that's right... anyway. Here we go!

Unearthed~

The request and response will serve as your warning. Minors DNI.

❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀--❀

"This isn't a charity you know." Sebastian rolls his eyes. The prisoner in front of him desperately tries to pick the flashlight off his tail. "Yeah... no." He draws out the word, annoyance seeping into his tone. The prisoner huffs and walks over to the table, grabbing the keycard and leaving. He pinches his nose and sighs.

Picking up another file, he skims over it. Trying to kill time between prisoners wasn't always easy, or fun. But what other option was there? He couldn't go scavenging, what if someone showed up? Hm. Files it is then.

-thump-

-thump-

-thump-

The sounds of someone crawling through the vent echos through the room, and he looks over at the vent. 'Another prisoner' He thought. He expected just another expendable who didn't even have enough data for a battery. What he wasn't expecting however, was you. He set the file down on the table.

It had been about 4 years since you guys had seen eachother. Urbanshade had been quite vocal about his so called "death" so you had thought he was dead. You walk over to his tail and look at his items. "W-Welcome!" Fuck. His brain stutters for a moment as his tongue tries to formulate words.

You look up at him and smile. His cheeks would heat up, if it wasn't for the DNA making him cold-blooded. His mouth opens and closes a couples times before gives his formulated response of "I'm not going to hurt you," and, "Help yourself to my items as long as you have enough data."

You nod silently and pick up a blacklight. "Not very many of those left down here." He chuckles. Handing him the data, you turn around for the vent. "Wait." He says suddenly. You turn around and stare up at him expectingly. "Do you... not recognize me?" You tilt your head, a confused expression crossing over your features.

He smiles nervously before spreading his arms out wide. "No?" You say, confused. He shrinks slightly. "Sebastian? Does that name ring a bell?" Studing him for a couple more seconds, realization shadows your confusion instantly. "No. My husband Sebastian?" He nods frantically. You flinch and drop the blacklight. It hits the floor with a crack.

The light is forgotten as you run over to him. He bends down and you collide with him, sending your bodies back into the wall. Warm tears spill down your face as you look up at him. "Is it really you?" He nods. So many emotions are running through your head. The adrenaline making you slightly dizzy.

He leans down and kisses you, putting a hand on the back of your head. Warmth pools in your gut as you kiss back just as feverishly. "Seb... missed you so much." He does nothing but nod again, not wanting to ruin the bittersweet moment. Your arms wrap around his neck and hug him more closely. He sighs, the hole in his heart finally being filled with your presense alone.

"Seb-" He cuts you off with another kiss, his hand traveling down to your hips. "Did someone miss me?" You giggled. A hand comes to his face and he smiles, putting a claw to yours and leaning towards your palm to kiss it. Your cheeks heat up and you laugh.

"Poor baby. You must've been so lonely, huh?" A frown replaces his smile and he nods. "Nons of that love, i'm here now." His eyes close and he sighs, so much emotion pouring out in a single action.

"Please, I need to... can I?" You tilt your head. "Do what?" He whimpers and his hand comes to rest between your legs. The hand makes you flinch slightly but you nod anyway. "Thank you." His claws unzip the prisoner suit and pull it away, taking off your pants and underwear in quick succession.

The belts come next, slipping then down his tail and out of the way. A thump from behind you steals your attention away for a second. The noise being his whale end blocking the entrance to his shop. You return your gaze to him, his eyes holding so much desperation and pure need.

Being alone for so long definitely didn't help. His cock comes into view from his slit, a slick substance coating it. You gasp lightly, he had for sure going... bigger, since you last had gotten intimate. He licks his lips, his eyes staring down at you, almost pleadingly. "Go ahead, gonna be a good boy?"

He shuts his eyes and groans, nodding. His grip tightens slightly, lifting you up and setting you over his length. "Just, give me a minute to adjust okay?" He groans and slowly lowers you onto him. The head of his cock spears you open and you almost cry. You clench around him, desperately trying to adjust. "So... so tight." He grunts, leaning down into your neck.

Your nails dig into his arm, trying to distract yourself from the pain of being penetrated. He makes it halfway and stops, allowing you time to breathe. 'Deep breathes through your nose' you tell yourself, taking in greedy gulps of precious air.

He mets your eyes questioningly and you nod, motioning him to keep going. He continues his previous movements and you hiss. Sharp teeth, ghost over your skin as he nuzzles closer into your neck. Slowly, the pain is replaced by overwhelming pleasure, his long cock hitting spots that cause your vision to go foggy.

"Heh, go ahead Seb." Your voice comes out shakey, the words almost refusing to form in your mouth. He lifts you up and slowly pushes you back down, using both hands to grip your waist. Your eyes roll back into your head, electric pleasure zapping up your spine.

You clenched around him as he repeated the motion, using you as a toy. He groaned into your neck, kissing up the side to under your ear. "Good b-boy Seb, making me feel so good." His tail starts thumping again the vent, making an hollow echoing sound that your sure could be heard outside.

Your back arched as he grinded into you, filling your walls and stretching you apart. The tip of his cock hits all the right spots and you could do nothing but moan against him. His light flickers next to your shoulder. Your core tightens as you reach your end. Fingers wrap around his head, curling in his dark locks.

He grinds into you and the coil snaps, shaking as you cum against him. He groans against your shoulder, feeling your juices coat him. You slump against his shoulder. Exhaustion creeps into your body, your legs sore from the abuse. He growls and reaches his end, bottoming out and cumming deep inside you.

No-one moves for a few moments, snuggling up against eachother. He looks down at you and you return it, smiling softly at him. You peck him on the lips and lay against his chest. "I'm glad you're here love." He says. "Me too sweetheart." Sleep clings to your words.

He had been so lonely. Only seeing a few scientists a day for new injections of DNA. After being taken away from you, he had made a promise. He would do whatever it toke to get you back. He would kill, just be back with you again. Fortunately, he only had to do that once just to have you in his arms.

You hadn't faired much better to be honest. All those nights, lying in your bed and looking at the pictures you had together. Your heart ached reliving the memoried of you guys' happiest moments, knowing you'd never be able to relive them.

Eventually, you'd gone completely mute. The grief and pain had stolen your voice. They taunted you every day, the voices in your head growing louder, and louder, and louder. And it almost destroyed you.

But even through all that, you held out. A spark of hope deep in your soul, kept you going. Like a bonfire in a deep forest, you warmed your hands and sharped your tools. Not knowing what was in the forest scared you, but the fire was eternal.

And man you were glad as hell that you kept going. And so was he.

I hope you liked it! Sorry if it's shit, it's late where I am but I wanted to get this out for you. hope you like ☺️