Sebastian Crab

Sebastian huffed as he shoved the last of the boxes into the truck of his red VW bug. Clad is a black tank-top and jeans, he smiled at the figure beside him. “Thank you again for helping me move all this stuff. It’s the first night for the community centers first jam session, and I just want to make sure things go right.” Wiping the few beads of sweat off his brow, he let out a sigh. “Are you coming tonight? Even if you don’t play an instrument, you can still hang out and enjoy the music.” 

“Well - I can’t say I got the best sleep in Japan. By the time my body adjusted, it was pretty much time to come back here…and now I can’t sleep all over again.” He chuckled before looking down at the drink in his hand. Lots of caffeine. Lots of sugar. A college student’s dream drink. “Ah, you know - I’m…not going to make it a habit. But I can’t just go to sleep at 12pm - then I’ll never get used to sleeping in America again. Got anything else that might keep me awake?”

Thomas pretended to fall back dramatically, grinning at his friend. “I better.” He teased, sitting back up and biting his lip as he looked his friend over. “Y’know ‘m always willing to share… as long as I get ya on the bad nights.” He shook his head, nudging his friend gently. “Dulcie’s great but… she asks too many questions sometimes. Worries too much… not to say that you don’t, but…. you know when I need to just… not talk about it.”

His expression fell for a moment as he watched his friend. “You know I’ll always be here for you. Good and bad. But, you should tell Dulcie that sometimes words just aren’t going to explain how you’re feeling.” He tried to point out. “But, even if that doesn’t work, you know to call me whenever you want or just show up at the house I’ll be here for you pal.” 

“I can’t even remember the last time I went to Scat Cat’s. Maybe we should go there and I can eat that subpar bowling alley food while you jazz the place up.” She suggested as she turned toward the pathway. “I’m Anya, by the way. Anya Romanov.”

“Romanov?” Sebastian repeated before letting a smile grace his lips. “Sebastian Crab, at your service.” Following along side her the man started to hum softly. “I feel like I’ve seen you around once or twice before, where do you work? You know, when you’re not out harassing musicians on the street.” 

Sebastian was passionate. It wasn’t something that Tiana hadn’t expected, what surprised her was the way his hand tangled in her hair and how much she was liking it. The hand on his neck moved, wanting to memorize the way his skin felt. The other one rested on his chest, to keep herself steady. If they moved to a bed or a sofa, she wouldn’t feel as if her body and gravity were working together, waiting for her to move so she would fall thanks to her trembling knees, damn you, Seb. 

She let out a low hum and nodded, “couldn’t have said it better”. She licked her lower lip and smiled, hoping nothing would interrupt this moment, “You know, I should…”, she began, her hands moving to his arms, his wonderful arms. “We don’t have to move yet, but we do need sleep at some point”, she was enjoying this and planned to keep this moment going as long as she could. 

Anya blushed deeper when he commented on her verbal blunder. “I mean, you can go to the Clowder, it’s a popular place or to McCrea’s because the shakes are magical, or even, like, the beach? Or maybe, if you’re trying to be musically inclined, you could go to Sunnyside’s unique combination karaoke bowling alley.” She shrugged her shoulders, glancing around awkwardly. 

Tilting his head slightly, Sebsatian chuckled. “And where is it that you’d like to go? Seeing as how you have all these ideas. Might as well make this a group adventure?”

“Oh God, nothin’ like that.” Thomas’s eyes went a little wide at the idea of marriage. Sure he was falling in love… but actually settling down? Getting married and having his own family? That had never been on his to do list before. He sighed softly at Sebastian’s words, glancing up at his friend and biting his lip. “That how ya feel ‘bout me?” He asked playfully.

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian reached out and shoved at his friends arm. “You know you will always have the number one spot in my hear, you big dumb idiot.” With a shake of his head, the man un curled himself from his spot on the couch. “But you know, I’m willing to share you with Dulcie. As long as you’re willing to share me one of these days.” 

Thomas sighed quietly. He hoped Sebastian was right, that he was giving Dulcie the best he could at the end of the day. He was trying at least. “I just… I dunno man. I definitely know how I feel ‘bout her… I hope she feels the same way at least.” He murmured. “I uh… think I might be fallin’ for her. Y’know like… head over heels kinda thing. Think I fell for her when I met her and just… haven’t stopped.”

“So should I go get my good tux pressed now, and start preparing my best man speech. Or is it still too soon for that?” He started to tease. Sebastian’s gaze softened a bit as his friend continued to speak. It warmed his heart to see how much he truly cared for the woman. It was a new side of Thomas that Sebastian was starting to love. “You’ll never stop falling man. You’ll start to notice new things every day that will make you just fall even harder.” 

Sunnyside had once been her summer vacation destination, once the home of her father and half her heart. Now it was a foreign land to her, and the people just blurry memories of people she used to know. She had just finished moving the boxes of her things into her father’s old house and realized that she had, literally nothing to eat besides a granola bar that was already half eaten. After driving downtown, she began to wander downtown. Once she realized that she was hopelessly lost, she stopped someone walking by her. “Hi, I em was wonderin’ if you could show me to the market, or grocery store or hell even a pub?? ‘m new and can’t find shit.”

@sunnysidestarters

Sebastian’s motions stopped for a moment before he made a quick spin around to get his own bearings. “Oh yeah, I’d be happy to help ya out. Which would you rather see first, the kind of open air market is back down that way. The grocery store and the nearest bar are in the same direction right over there.” He stated pointing just behind him. Furrowing his brow a bit, he looked the person before him over. It wasn’t often that they got new comers into Sunnyside, but it was always to see new faces around. “The name’s Sebastian by the way.” 

“I’m doing what’s best for my restaurant“, she shrugged with a smile. “You can have two bowls and of course I’m going to pay”, this probably wasn’t the best offer for her, but still the idea of them bargaining over a restaurant that didn’t exist yet got her excited. “Shut up, there’s nothing”, she whined with a laugh, wrinkles meant getting old, getting wise her Mother said, but she didn’t feel wiser than a twenty one year old. She felt the atmosphere shift as she walked closer to him, she was starting to feel lightheaded, and yet the calm feeling that seemed to come with Sebastian was still there, maybe she was just imagining things. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and smiled, “Of course I do, you’ve been nothing but nice to us”.

His touch was the same and yet it felt new. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, she wondered if he could feel it under his fingertips. This wasn’t the first time they flirted and she knew it wouldn’t be the last, but they hadn’t gotten to this point, to that sweet but awkward moment when you kept looking at the other, wondering who would be brave enough to make to make the first move or walk away. She cared for him, there was no doubt about that. Her hand moved to his neck, she moved his head so her lips could fully kiss him, softly, afraid that this was all a dream and soon the alarm would sound and wake her up. 

This certainly was not how he expected his night to go. Their lips seemed to fit together so well. Her’s were softer than he had imagined they would be, also warmer than he’d anticipated, but he just accounted that to the fact they’d each just finished a bowl of gumbo. His free hand moved to wrap around her waist, while the other moved to tangle in the hair at the nape of her neck. 

Thomas sighed at Sebastian’s observation. He was right of course- usually the men and women he slept with were just pieces of tale, arm candy. Dulcie was never that. “She’s just… God Bassy, she’s so good.” He told his friend quietly. “She’s soft and she’s nice and she’s a ma and she just… she deserves so much better than me. I know it, half the town knows it… but I don’t think she does.”

“That’s why she’s a keeper.” He pointed out with a bit of a chuckle. “She cares about ya’ Thomas. Don’t let what others may think she deserves cloud what you think. Yes, she deserves the best and you’re giving that to her. That’s all that matters. How she feels about you at the end of the day.” 

“I’m sorry to inform you that you are banned for life at the restaurant“, Tiana tried to keep a straight face as long as she could, but the remaining alcohol in her system made her giggle after a few seconds. She got up to rinse her plate and set it in the sink, she could worry about that tomorrow. “What are you talking about? I don’t have a line”, she furrowed her brows, touching her nose, just to be sure there wasn’t anything forming there. “I’ll set up the pull out couch, you can put your plate in the sink, I’ll wash it up bright and early”, she walked closer to him, resting a hand on his cheek. ”Did I say thank you for bringing me and Ma home? I gave you gumbo, but I don’t remember saying thank you, so thank you”, 

“Oh come on Tia, don’t be like that.” Sebastian whined putting a hand over his heart. “I promise I’ll have a bowl a day, and I’ll even play music in your place for free.” He tried to barter as he watched her move around the kitchen. Reaching out to poke at the bridge of her nose Sebastian hummed in content. “Yeah you do, it’s real faint. But it’s there.” As she stepped closer to him, Sebastian felt a warm feeling in his chest once more. It always seemed to happen when he was around people that he cared about. Slowly reaching up toward her temple, Sebastian brushed a stray hair behind her ear. Following the lock down before letting his hand settle at the soft spot just behind her ear.  “You know you don’t have to thank me. I’m always going to watch out for you both.” 

“Sometimes people leave. It’s not anyone’s fault.” Thomas shook his head, frowning as he looked Sebastian over. “Ya can’t keep this guilt all pent up Bassy. Ya gotta move on.” He told him gently before shaking his head. “Hopefully it won’t come to that. I like this place, I don’t wanna leave, and I don’t wanna make her leave either.”

“I can say it’s not my fault all that I want, but it still hurts none the less.” Patting his friends hand gently, Sebastian cleared his throat. “You can always come back. We’d just need to get you out of here for a short while if need be.” Scratching a bit at the back of his head, the man hummed. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you protective of a woman like this before.”

“If you ask me, every balanced diet should include gumbo“, she smiled and took a bite of bread. “My restaurant hasn’t even opened and I already know the gumbo may run low thanks to you”, she joked, sipping the last of her soup from the bowl, leaving her etiquette aside. “I know you’re a big strong man”, she had eyes and she had looked more than once. “But things are tense and Ma would be worried”, she swirled the water in her glass, “I would worry too”, she breathed out, not confident enough to look him in the eye. 

“To be fair, I’m still in the mindset of eating nothing but gumbo for the rest of my life. Well, gumbo and maybe those pastries you make so well.” Finishing off his glass of water, Sebastian stood to get himself another. His jaw seemed to tick slightly as he rested up against the counter. Being in Tiana’s home made him forget, at least for a little while, what was going on outside the warm colored walls. Glancing up at her comment, Sebastian smiled softly. “Alright, alright. I’ll stay the night. If only to not have you get that little worry line on the bridge of your nose.” 

“Oh you’re one of Sunnyside’s plethora of musical geniuses, huh?” Anya questioned, raising a brow. She didn’t know what it was about the odd little town but Sunnyside, especially, seemed to draw the artistically-inclined out from the woodwork. She knew it was a city thing but Sunnyside never really felt like a city to her. “Oh, you’re gonna go sing in the park like an asshole?” Anya teased, blushing when she realized that that probably sounded bad. “I mean, y’know, in a funny way and not in a way that leads to you socking me in the jaw… “

“Like an asshole huh?” He repeated with a bit of a smirk. Sebastian had only played in the park one other time. When he was younger. Mind it had been a different park, in a completely different place. But, he’d recieved enough money that day to cover a few meals for the week. “Well then, what do you suggest I do with my night then? If playing in the park would just make me an asshole.”