void

“perfect.” josie made quick work of filling each of the glasses before setting the bottle of wine back where he had placed it. “the wine was all i wanted anyway.” she teased as she adjusted herself to allow him more space to get in the tub, head immediately falling back onto his chest when he got in. she reached for one of the glasses, bringing it to her lips to take a sip of the red liquid filling it. “you know, we’re going to have to get in all of this kind of stuff while we can.” she noted, moving to set the glass on the side of the tub again. 

sinking down into the warm bath water, sebastian was quick to pull josie back against his chest, draping his arms around her shoulders and sneaking in to plant a kiss to her cheek. “you’re telling me,” he grumbled, slowly leaning his head back as a deep sigh expanded in his chest. he didn’t want to think about returning to the real world any more than she did, but, unfortunately, it was quickly approaching for the both of them. “what are we supposed to do to occupy our time now?” he questioned playfully, reaching for her hands and lacing their fingers together, “any ideas?”

and that’s how things went for the next little while; passing the bottle in between them, aimlessly throwing dice and playing on in attempt to beat each other out. as if on cue, carmen landed on the jail square, causing her to groan audibly. carmen wasn’t plastered, but the edge had been smoothed out, leaving her feeling warm and slightly loose. “oh, come on. i’m too pretty to be behind bars.” carmen placed the playing dice back in front of him, saying, “take your turns, loverboy.” with that, carmen stood from the bed and went to where her stereo sat on her dresser, not bothering to look at him as she asked, “what are we listening to, huh?” however, she had turned on her phone without a seconds noticed, redbone being the first thing to come on. the woman let out a laugh, fingers sliding over the volume knob to turn it up, loud enough to enjoy, but not so loud they couldn’t hear their thoughts. “are you done yet? i want to take my turn, sinclair, you fucking hog.” as she taunted him, carmen returned to the mattress, crawling back on top of it, once again in front of him.

it took sebastian a few long pulls from the bottle of wine to actually believe that he was genuinely enjoying her company. it had become such a foreign experience that he quickly deemed it to be something out of body. as their game continued, weak insults were shot back and forth, smart ass comments were made, and for the first time since he’d known her, he found himself dreading the thought of things going back to the way they were before. the second she landed herself in jail, he tossed his head back and laughed, the sound rare and completely unfiltered, “your ass would not last five minutes in prison.” snagging the dice for himself, sebastian diverted his attention back to the board as she moved from the bed, making quick work of rolling and moving his pawn. he had just reached out and grabbed the wine when the crooning sounds of childish gambino filled the room. it was slow and heady and definitely wasn’t something he would have picked for their current situation-- but he was not complaining. “what a song,” he commented, rocking his head along to the beat and extending his hand with the dice resting in his palms, “are you always this eager or am i just getting lucky?” 

Alright, it was obvious that Sebastian knew the rules of the game. She watched as he quickly dashed out the supplies, moving his game piece, setting up cards. All the while, Carmen was sipping on the wine shamelessly, allowing him to do all of the work. Her jaw went slack in a feigned awed expression, eyebrows furrowed in faux anger when he snatched the bottle from her. “It will if you don’t inhale it like a pig!” She exclaimed, snatching it back from him and holding it against her chest. She decided on the car as her piece, setting it down next to his before picking up the dice and tossing it. “A whopping eight, wow.” Carmen moved her piece as instructed, landing on a brown piece of land. “Not happening. Not purchasing the projects.” She tossed the dice back at him, rim of the bottle teasing her lower lip as her blue eyes watched him expectantly.

wiping his lips with the back of his hand after the bottle of wine was swiped from his grasp, sebastian couldn’t help the eye roll that followed her statement. “oh, please. do you actually think i went to the frat house without some form of alcohol on me?” he questioned incredulously, pale blue gaze following the movement of her tiny car across the squares. he was so out of his element with this woman. one second he was certain she would be ripping at his carotid, the next they were passing a bottle of wine back and forth, playing a game of monopoly atop her bed. any other day, he would have sworn up and down he was dreaming -- that he had stepped into the twilight zone. these things just didn’t happen between them. her unapologetic statement caused a chuckle to slip out as he took the dice and rolled them for himself, moving his pawn eight spaces forward. “a railroad? yep, i’ll make that purchase.” counting out the proper amount, he paid the bank and tossed the dice her way once more, “hope you’re not a sore loser.”

Carmen was happy to see that Sebastian wasn’t opposed to this proposition. Carmen didn’t think much despite that this activity would loosen them up, bring them closer for the night so that they could tolerate each other, and hopefully put them to sleep once the bottle was finished so that they could get this night over with; Which was what they both wanted, right? Carmen had crawled onto the bed, sitting by the foot of it, across from Sebastian who was sitting near the head. “Game on, dark lord.” Carmen grinned, allowing him to begin the setup while she popped the cork on the bottle with only her hands. The woman turned her attention to Sebastian once again, making sure to ask, “Would you like me to get us some cups, or are you okay chugging like a man?” She teased, one eyebrow raised in a challenging manner.

sebastian made quick work of laying out the game board and sorting through the mess of paper money, dividing them evenly into several smaller stacks around him. having played the game so frequently with his friends and family growing up, it was practically routine for him as he counted out the proper amount and handed over her portion. her comment warranted an eye roll as he reached out and took the bottle from her hands, tipping it back and downing a few long swallows. “this isn’t going to last very long,” he commented absently, handing the bottle back over. dropping the top hat pawn on ‘go’, he snagged the dice from the box and extended his hand, offering them over to her, “ladies first.” 

josie was quick to turn the water on, dipping her hand into the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot. she only waited for it to fill a little more before she was undressing herself and sliding into the water, head leaning back against the back of the tub and her eyes falling shut. “i hope you came with wine.” she mumbled, lips curling up into a smile as she reopened her eyes to look at him. she moved her arms to rest on the side of the tub, chin resting on her forearms as her eyes met his. “you gonna take your time or are you just going to join me?”

these were the kinds of nights he had missed the most in their short separation. being able to enjoy each other’s company in the comfort of their own home was something he didn’t realize had become so important to him. shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he took a deep breath before heading down the hallway towards the bathroom, a bottle of his favorite red wine and two large glasses in his hands. nudging the door open with his hip, he couldn’t help but chuckle as he shot a look her way. “i come baring gifts,” he replied, setting the wine and glasses down on the edge of the tub before pulling his damp shirt over his head, kicking his jeans to the floor, and sliding into the tub with her. 

It was safe to say that the two were both extremely intelligent, which was a great factor for a challenge. Carmen removed herself from the bed, then reached an arm down beneath it to pull out a bottle of white wine. She tossed it on the bed in front of him, only to retreat to her closet, pulling out a box labeled Monopoly. “So,” She began, walking back over to where he was. “I don’t have any cash on me to play you in cards, but I’ve got fake cash and a hunger for winning.” She tossed the box next to the wine, adding, “And who doesn’t love playing board games without a little booze?”

sebastian pushed himself into a seated position and snagged the bottle of wine as it bounced atop the mattress, skeptically surveying the label with a keen eye. he was well aware of the fact he tended to make poor decisions when alcohol was involved, but he silently reminded himself to slow his pace and avoid overindulgence. the rattling of game pieces could be heard as she retrieved the box, and he was quick to shoot her look, brows knotted together as he tried to gauge if she was actually serious. “you really want to play me in monopoly?” he questioned, crossing his ankles and lifting the lid to reveal the familiar metal pieces scattered about, “well, let’s set it up. game on, princess.” 

josie slid her own jacket off her shoulders before hanging it next to his to dry, turning to look at him with raised brows. “we’re back at the bath idea now?” she questioned, lips turning up into a smile as a she let out a soft hum. she nodded her head as she moved away from him and toward the bathroom, only stopping to turn toward him for a moment. “don’t forget the wine.” she noted, turning on her heels to continue toward the bathroom.

sebastian hummed his affirmation, kneeling down to unlatch the leash from around cade’s neck before turning his attention back to josie once more, “bath-- wine-- dinner by the fireplace,” he spoke, a grin touching his lips as he watched her move down the hallway. it didn’t take long to dump a few scoops of food into cade’s bowl, and he quickly towel dried the pup before following in josie’s footsteps. he could hear the rush of bathwater as he approached and he was elated to be back in their home, sharing this small bout of time off together.

“It’s funny how you think your opinion actually matters to me,” Heather couldn’t help but laugh before pausing, her smirk a bit tighter than usual. “Los Angeles,” she told him, her voice going pretty much back to normal. “Why?”

sebastian’s gaze narrowed slightly on her face, red flags immediately shooting up at her response. something was not adding up. “los angeles?” he repeated, nodding his head slowly, “is that where the accent came from?”

“Cliches exist for a reason.” She reminded both him and herself. He was right, as always. Molly had to go after what she wanted without overthinking and without worrying about everyone else. She’d made a career out of dodging commitment of any kind and finding the easy way out of most situations, but they both knew she couldn’t that here. Not when other people’s feelings were involved. Puffing out her cheeks, she exhaled nosily and reached for the wine glass she’d nearly forgotten about in all her inner turmoil. After a few shorts sips, and turning to lean her lower back against the counter, she glanced over at Sebastian and his smile. She appreciate the reassuring view. “This is going to be really awful, isn’t it?” She asked rhetorically, knowing whatever happened would be a struggle. “But hey- who knows, maybe you’ll come visit me one day and I’ll have my very own love interest taking a nap.”

“oh-- i fully plan on double dating sometime in the future,” sebastian chuckled softly, shaking his head back and forth as his expression grew serious once again, “there is no rush for you to sort out your feelings. when you find someone that is willing to wait until you’re ready for that sort of commitment, you’ll know you’ve found the right one. don’t rush into things, but also recognize that you have to take a leap of faith every now and then.” pushing away from the counter, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her, seeking solace in the familiarity of the gesture, “everything will work out the way it’s supposed to,” he reassured gently, “and i’m always here if you need me.”

Heather instantly turned bright red when he started laughing, realizing that she had messed up somewhere in her last sentence. Why is English so confusing? “Among other things, I’m sure,” Heather spoke in a lower voice, a smirk appearing on her face and her accent seeping through the cracks as she licked her lips.

“you’re certainly not wrong. there is something so satisfying about giving you grief,” sebastian replied with a grin, watching with amusement as her cheeks flooded with color. every so often, the slightest hints of her accent would come out-- but he had yet to pinpoint it’s origin. “will you ever tell me where you’re from?” he questioned, arching a brow in challenge.

josie tossed her bag over her shoulder and had his bag in her hand, stomping her feet on the carpet when they entered the building. “all very tempting options.” she noted, doing her best to act as if her mind hadn’t already jumped to other places. “might have to go for the wine.” she noted, turning her head to look over at him in the elevator. it wasn’t long until the elevator beeped to indicate they were on their floor and she was quick to step out. “we’ll need to feed him, too. gotta keep our boy fed.”

exiting the elevator and heading down the hall towards their door, sebastian managed to dig the keys out of his pocket and quickly unlatch the lock, granting them entrance inside the warmth of their home. setting cade to the floor, the pup immediately shook the snow out of his fur, sending droplets of water all over the kitchen. “home sweet home,” he sighed contentedly, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on the hook to dry. “you run the bath-- i’ll feed cade,” he murmured, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head, “then we can get warmed up.”

“Nothing worth having comes easy, right?” She hummed, a hint of knowingness in her tone. She wasn’t blind to the irony of her statement. It hit a little bit too close to home for her to be comfortable but she wasn’t sure there was anything she could do about at that point. On second thought, maybe she was jealous of what Sebastian had solely for the fact that he’d actually been able to make something out of his feelings. With a huff, she leaned into his touch on her shoulder, the gesture comforting and needed. “If we’re honest, I probably have some growing up to do as well if I thought keeping whatever was going with Logan a secret was a good idea.” She muttered. “I wish it were easier to just act on how I’m feeling.”

nodding along to her words, sebastian lifted the glass of wine to his lips once more to quickly finish off the remainder of the merlot. he understood where she was coming from. he had spent many years trying to decipher his feelings for josie-- unsure whethere they lied along the lines of love or hate. it was not a pleasant position to be in and he would never wish it upon her. “i know this is going to sound cliche, but you have to go with your gut. don’t stop to think about other people’s thoughts and opinions. be selfish for once in your life. you deserve that much,” he murmured quietly, offering her a genuine smile. he would always care about molly and he wanted the best for her. 

While her heart longed to be called Helena, Heather was a close second, and she smiled when he referred to her like it. “That’s much better,” she said, an amused look on her face. “You just like to crack my chops, don’t you?” she used the idiom wrong, something she did quite often, even after living in the US for almost ten years.

a laugh burst free from his lips at her statement, and instead of correcting her words, he just nodded along. “i do rather enjoy-- er-- cracking your chops,” he stifled his laughter with the back of his fist, “plus, giving you a hard time really brings me great pleasure.” 

josie let out an overdramatic scream as the snow dropped on top of her head, only adding to the snow that was sticking to her hair. before she could protest, she was being pulled down with him and her arm was snaking around his neck. “so are yours.” she mumbled back, lips pressing a quick kiss against his once more. her mind was entirely focused on him and not on the fact that they were both sitting on the freezing cold ground right now. “i’ll carry the bags in if you start the fire.” she made no effort to move yet. instead, her lips were pressing against his once more. 

“okay, deal,” sebastian mumbled against her frozen lips, somehow managing to push himself to his feet whilst carrying cade in his arms. the small pup had begun to shiver and he knew they would all need to defrost in front of the fireplace as soon as possible. waiting for her to retrieve their bags from the backseat, he clicked the lock into place and followed her into the building, leaving a trail of fluffy white snow in their wake. “i have some hot chocolate in the cabinet if you wanna heat some up,” he offered as they stepped in the elevator, “there’s also coffee-- or wine. whatever you’re in the mood for.”

“I have a name, you know,” Heather couldn’t help but chuckle. For some reason, when she came to America, Heather became very adamant about the usage of her name. Part of her knew that it was because it wasn’t her real name, and hearing it enough from other people made it sound more real to her.

“oh really?” he shot back, blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he pinned her with his gaze, “you would think that after all the classes we’ve shared, i’d actually know to use your real name. maybe i just use the pet names because i know you don’t like them, heather.”