#sebastian.

"this is a big deal. a huge party with all your cast and crew... space rented out, cash bar... and you're paying for my drinks? god, i hope they have wine." sebastian slings an arm around mason's shoulders and gives his left arm an affectionate squeeze, leaning in to kiss the top of his head. "that'll make it easy for you. every time i need a refill, it's a simple pour. uncork and pour it. no mixed drinks for me." rubbing mason's shoulder now, he laughs, and the sound is full and vibrant — alive with feelings only displayed post-treadstone and post-life on the run. "maybe that's why you're offering to pay. i'm a cheap date. i don't complicate things. maybe that's why you married me." with his other hand, sebastian pulls out his phone, checking the date on the calendar. "looks like i've got my dentist appointment in the morning, but the evening's free and clear. lucky you. you get to bring a date to the big theater party. are you excited?" another kiss lands on mason's temple, and sebastian hums. "thanks for treating me to a night out. you'll have to run through all the names and faces i'll need to remember beforehand, like the director, your costars... and i promise i won't go too crazy with the wine and embarrass you by, like, taking my shirt off or something. now that would be a cast party..."

Sebastian as a child.

                              ❝      you're      not      listening      to      me      ...      this      was      all      fake.      i      lied      to      you      ⸻      quite      literally      about      everything.      ❞      purposeful      in      the      way      he      maintains      distance,      admission      rolling      off      of      his      tongue      only      because      he      could      no      longer      stand      it.      being      within      her      presence      every      day,      keeping      up      a      façade.      &      perhaps      it      would've      been      easier      if      he      hadn't      actually      grown      to      feel      for      her.      he      could've      completed      his      job,      and      moved      on      without      another      thought      about      it      entirely.      it's      how      he'd      operated      his      entire      life      thus      far      ...      it      was,      undoubtedly,      different      with      her.      ❝      i      was      hired      to      get      close      to      you      ⸻      and      thus,      get      close      to      your      father.      don't      you      understand      it      now?      nothing      about      us      meeting      ...      or      falling      in      love      ...      was      accidental.      ❞

gentle touch is a foreign thing to sebastian. in his world, such a thing simply does not exist. growing up in the randolph household, there were no comforting hugs after scraped knees, no soothing words after a reoccurring nightmare. there was only dismissal, an ever-present expectation to be tough, cold, emotionless. feelings were a weakness, a useless thing meant to be eradicated. for his older brother, that'd always been easy. for sebastian, there was always a hidden sensitivity beneath the outward exterior of superiority. lyanna has always been the glimpse of softness in his life, and so her touch shouldn't feel so unexpected, yet it does. catches him off guard. he holds his demeanour, but his breath hitches in his throat at the feel of her lips on his skin, the press of kisses upon bruising knuckles. she has the ability to make him want to pour out every thought he's ever kept in, every feeling he's ever pushed down. she makes him want to do better, be better. but there's a fear, something that stops him every time. his fathers voice echoing. " i'm fine, " he insists, can't bring himself to look her in the eyes, hesitates before he moves his hand away. it's dangerous territory — he's spent years denying the evident feels that linger between them, but moments like this make it increasingly difficult to do. " you should go, it's getting late. i'll call you a car. " there's no doubt his father will be calling soon, angry at him for causing such a scene at such an esteemed event. but what was he supposed to do ? one bad word had been uttered about lyanna and he'd lost his cool, saw red. punched the guy without second thought, and it'd escalated quickly. but no matter the fallout that may be about to come, he'd do the same again in a heartbeat. / @svftlove

" when did you plan on telling me that you're fucking my dad ? " words echo coldly, followed by a laugh of sheer disbelief. everything about the situation making him feel sick to his stomach.