After Sebastian came back to himself—though still looking pale and exhausted—we both knew we couldn't just sit there in the middle of the street. The tension from what had just happened still clung to the air between us, thick and suffocating. Neither of us said much after that—too many questions, too many emotions, too much unspoken.
We walked towards the car, side by side, though something between us had changed. Not broken, not fixed—just... shifted.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Are you okay?" My voice came out softer than I intended.
Seb let out a breath—half a sigh, half a chuckle, but it lacked his usual playfulness. "Depends. Are we talking physically or mentally?"
I frowned. "Both."
He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more than usual. "Physically, yeah, I'm fine. Mentally?" He gave me a look that was too damn tired for someone our age. "Let's just say I've had better days."
I stopped walking, making him pause too. "Sebastian," I said quietly, watching him carefully. "What happened back there?"
His lips parted slightly, as if he was about to say something—something real—but then, just as quickly, he shut down. I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way he shoved his hands into his pockets like he was physically holding himself together.
"It was nothing," he muttered, looking away.
I scoffed. "Yeah, because people pass out from 'nothing' all the time."
That earned me a small smirk, but it faded too quickly. "Drop it, Olivia."
I studied him for a long moment, my chest tightening. Whatever this was, whatever ghosts haunted him, he wasn't ready to share them. And I wasn't about to force him.
"Fine," I said finally, looking away. "I'll drop it."
But that didn't mean I'd forget.
We reached his car, and he unlocked it with a click. I slid into the passenger seat while he got behind the wheel, the soft rumble of the engine filling the quiet between us.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The air felt... charged. Like there was something waiting to be said, but neither of us could find the words.
Then, completely out of nowhere, Sebastian sighed dramatically and turned to face me. And just like that, his usual smirk was back.
"Alright, sweetheart," he drawled, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "Now that we're out of the tragic-wounded-soul phase, can we please talk about something else? Maybe about how utterly stunning you looked today?"
I rolled my eyes, thankful for the shift but still feeling the weight of everything beneath it. "You're unbelievable."
"Unbelievably charming, yes," he said, flashing a grin. "I'm glad you noticed."
I crossed my arms, leaning back against the seat. "Are you always this full of yourself, or do you just do it to annoy me?"
He hummed, pretending to think. "Honestly? A little bit of both."
I shook my head, but I felt the corners of my lips tug upward. Somehow, even after everything, he still managed to make me smile.
Sebastian pulled out of the parking lot, the streetlights casting flickering shadows across his face. I turned my head slightly, watching him. His expression was relaxed now—casual, easygoing—but I wasn't fooled.
Still, I didn't push.
Instead, I just let myself enjoy the ride, the warmth of the car, the quiet hum of the radio in the background.
For now, that was enough.
After Sebastian dropped me off, I went through my usual nighttime routine—dinner, mindlessly flipping through TV channels, brushing my teeth—all the things I did every day without thinking. But tonight, something felt different.
Or rather, I felt different.
There was this energy buzzing under my skin, a restlessness I couldn't shake. My thoughts kept circling back to him—his smirk, his teasing, the way his voice dipped when he spoke. And worse? The way he had looked at me, like I was something worth noticing.
I threw myself onto my bed, grabbing my phone and scrolling through my messages. My thumb hovered over his name.
Sebastian.
I bit my lip. Would it be weird to text him first?
Before I could second-guess myself, my fingers moved on their own.
Olivia: Should I be concerned that you're actually a vampire? Only appearing at night, brooding, and full of secrets?
The second I hit send, regret settled in.
What if he didn't reply? What if I just embarrassed myself?
I groaned, shoving my phone under my pillow like that would erase the text.
Then—BZZZ.
My heart did a stupid little jump as I scrambled to check.
Sebastian: If I were a vampire, darling, you'd be the first I'd turn. You'd look ridiculously hot in all black.
I blinked.
What the hell kind of response was that?!
My stomach flipped in a way I absolutely did not want to acknowledge.
Olivia: First of all, wow. Second of all, that's the most cliché vampire line I've ever heard.
Sebastian: Excuse me, I make clichés look good.
Olivia: I'd rather stake you right now.
Sebastian: Oh? Didn't take you for the type to be into rough play, Liv, but I'm not complaining.
I choked on my own breath, my face instantly heating.
Olivia: WHAT THE HELL.
Sebastian: Hey, I'm just working with what you give me.
Olivia: I meant it in a murder-y way!
Sebastian: Mm, sure you did. But now I can't stop picturing you pinning me down. Care to elaborate on the details?
I stared at my phone, my brain short-circuiting.
Olivia: You twist words for a living, don't you?
Sebastian: I prefer the term "creative interpretation."
Olivia: I prefer the term "you're insufferable."
Sebastian: And yet, here you are, still talking to me. Interesting.
I groaned, but I couldn't stop the smile tugging at my lips. He was absolutely impossible. And yet... I kind of liked it.
Then another message popped up.
Sebastian: And before you ask, no, I wasn't ignoring you. Just got caught up in... stuff.
I frowned at that. Stuff?
Something about the way he said it felt off. Like there was more to the story. But I knew if I asked, he wouldn't answer.
So I let it go.
Olivia: Smooth save. But I'm still not sure I'd want to be stuck with you for eternity.
Sebastian: You wound me, sweetheart.
I smirked.
Olivia: I'll keep you around, but only if you answer a very important question.
Sebastian: I'm terrified.
Olivia: As you should be.
I hesitated before typing.
Olivia: I think we should know each other more.
I stared at the message, wondering if it sounded too serious. Too... much.
His reply came fast.
Sebastian: Oh? Are we moving that fast, sweetheart? Should I start picking out baby names?
I groaned, shoving my face into my pillow before quickly typing back.
Olivia: God, you're insufferable.
Sebastian: And yet, you're still talking to me. Interesting.
I huffed, trying to fight the smile tugging at my lips.
Olivia: You know what? Never mind. I take it back. We can stay strangers.
Sebastian: Too late. You piqued my curiosity. Let's play—truth for truth.
I hesitated. Truth for truth.
This was dangerous territory, but the late-night quiet made it feel safer—like anything we said here existed in its own bubble, untouched by reality.
Olivia: Fine. But if you say anything remotely obnoxious, I'm blocking you.
Sebastian: Noted. But we both know you'd never block me.
Olivia: Debatable.
Sebastian: Alright, first question—favorite movie?
I grinned. Easy.
Olivia: Harry Potter.
A pause. The typing bubble appeared, disappeared. Then—
Sebastian: Never seen it.
I sat up in actual horror.
Olivia: Excuse me???
Sebastian: What? Some people read, Liv.
Olivia: No, no, no. You're telling me you've NEVER seen Harry Potter? The absolute cultural phenomenon??
Sebastian: I mean, I know the gist. Magic, wands, a dude with no nose.
I clutched my pillow, feeling personally attacked.
Olivia: I don't think we can be friends anymore.
Sebastian: Liv, no—
Olivia: It's too late. My heart is broken.b
Sebastian: Alright, drama queen, calm down. I'll watch it.
I narrowed my eyes at the screen.
Olivia: You better, or I swear I'll hex you myself.
Sebastian: Oh? You got a wand hidden somewhere? Do I need to be worried?
Olivia: You should always be worried. But let me educate you, you poor, uncultured soul.
Sebastian: Oh, this should be good.
I sat up straighter, suddenly in full lecture mode.
Olivia: So. There's this kid—Harry. Parents? Murdered. Raised by absolute garbage humans. Turns out he's a wizard. Gets a letter to Hogwarts—a badass magical school. Meets Ron and Hermione, aka the best trio ever.
Sebastian: Let me guess—Hermione is the hot one?
Olivia: She's smart, gorgeous, and would NEVER tolerate your bullshit. You'd be terrified of her.
Sebastian: Damn, Liv, just say you want to be her.
Olivia: I DO. Now, shut up and let me finish.
Sebastian: Go on, professor.
Olivia: So Harry goes to school, learns magic, flies on brooms, fights a troll, and oh—turns out the dude who killed his parents is kinda... not dead.
Sebastian: Sounds like a bad case of unfinished business.
Olivia: It gets worse. This noseless bastard—Voldemort—tries to come back to life like every damn year, and Harry has to deal with it. He nearly dies, like, constantly. But he's got friends, a badass godfather, and the most emotionally damaging storyline ever.
Sebastian: Hold on. You're telling me this is a kid's book?
Olivia: It's SO much more than that! It's about friendship, bravery, sacrifice, and found family. It will make you laugh, cry, and reconsider your entire existence.
Sebastian: Sounds like an emotional trap.
Olivia: It is. And you're walking straight into it.
Sebastian: Okay, but answer this—why doesn't anyone just shoot Voldemort?
Olivia: ...WHAT.
Sebastian: I'm serious. All this magic, all these problems, and no one thought to just, you know... take him out the Muggle way?
I groaned.
Olivia: Sebastian. It doesn't work like that.
Sebastian: Sounds like a plot hole.
Olivia: I hate you.
Sebastian: No, you don't.
I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly left my skull.
Olivia: Fine. If I watch your pretentious classic films, you're watching Harry Potter.
Sebastian: Even the long-ass ones?
Olivia: ALL of them. And no complaining.
Sebastian: You're a menace, Liv.
Olivia: And don't you forget it.
Sebastian: Alright, alright. I'll watch. But only because your nerd rage is kinda hot.
I huffed but couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face.
Olivia: You're insufferable.
Sebastian: And yet again, you're still talking to me.
I let out a dramatic sigh.
Olivia: Guess I have no choice.
Sebastian: Exactly. Now, tell me—do I get bonus points if I memorize spells?
Olivia: Oh, you have NO idea what you just signed up for.
Sebastian: Can't wait.
I exhaled, feeling victorious.
Sebastian: Alright, my turn. Favorite band?
I thought for a second.
Olivia: I listen to everything. But if I had to pick one? Probably The Lumineers.
Sebastian: Not bad.
Olivia: And you?
Sebastian: Pink Floyd.
I smiled.
Olivia: A classic. "Wish You Were Here" is my favorite.
Sebastian's reply came almost instantly.
Sebastian: "How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year..."
My breath hitched.
I could almost hear his voice saying those words. And suddenly, it didn't feel like just lyrics. It felt personal.
Too personal.
I hesitated before typing.
Olivia: That song—it's kind of heartbreaking, isn't it?
A few moments passed. The typing bubble appeared, flickered away, then came back.
Sebastian: It is. But it's also honest.
Honest.
I let that word sink in.
Olivia: What part gets you the most?
Another pause. When he finally replied, I wasn't prepared for it.
Sebastian: "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year."
I exhaled slowly.
Olivia: Yeah. That line feels like... being stuck. Like the world keeps moving, but you're trapped in the same damn loop.
Sebastian: Exactly. Like no matter what you do, you end up back in the same place.
His words weren't flirtatious now. They weren't teasing. They felt raw. Unfiltered.
I bit my lip, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. It wasn't like me to talk about this kind of thing. Not with people who weren't already deep in my life. But something about this felt different.
Olivia: Do you ever feel like that?
A long pause. The dots appeared, disappeared. My heart pounded.Then—
Sebastian: Every damn day.I stared at my screen.
The weight behind those words settled deep in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
Olivia: You're not alone, you know.Another pause.
Sebastian: Neither are you.
My throat tightened.This felt different.
Olivia: Do you ever wonder if you're meant for more than... this?
The moment I sent it, my heart clenched.
Sebastian took longer to reply this time.
Sebastian: All the time.
My throat tightened.
Olivia: And?
Sebastian: And I try not to think about it.
Something about that answer made my chest ache.
Olivia: Why?
Sebastian: Because sometimes thinking about what could be makes what is feel worse.
I let out a shaky breath.
Olivia: That's kind of sad.
Sebastian: I told you the song was honest.
My fingers curled around my phone. I didn't know why, but I wanted to reach through the screen, shake him, tell him he wasn't alone in this. That I understood. That I felt it too.
But I couldn't.
Instead, I went for something softer.
Olivia: I think you're meant for more, you know.
This time, the pause was so long I thought maybe he'd fallen asleep. But then—
Sebastian: You really think that?
Olivia: Yeah. I do.
A minute passed. Then another.
Then finally—
Sebastian: Maybe you're right.
Something inside me settled. Not in a neat, perfect way, but in the kind of way that makes you feel seen.
I smiled a little, letting my head sink into my pillow.
Olivia: I'm always right. Get used to it.
Sebastian's reply was instant.
Sebastian: That I highly doubt.
I rolled my eyes, but the weight between us had lightened.
Olivia: Okay, my turn. Do you like chocolate?
Sebastian: Hate it.
I gasped, clutching my imaginary pearls.
Olivia: I have never been more personally attacked.
Sebastian: Chocolate is overrated.
Olivia: Take that back.
Sebastian: Never.
Olivia: Our friendship is hanging by a thread, Sebastian.
Sebastian: I like testing limits.
I shook my head, still smiling like an idiot.
Before I knew it, I glanced at the time and nearly screamed. 4 AM.
Olivia: We should probably sleep Its late.
Sebastian: You say that like it would be a bad thing.
Olivia: It is. I need my beauty sleep.
Sebastian: Impossible. You already look perfect.
I stared at his message for a solid ten seconds before shaking my head.
Olivia: Smooth.
Sebastian: I try.
I bit my lip, trying to suppress my stupid smile.
Olivia: Goodnight, Seb.
Sebastian: Goodnight, Liv. Sweet dreams. Dream of me.
I rolled my eyes.
Olivia: You wish.
Then—
Sebastian: I really do.
And just like that, I fell asleep, heart hammering, stomach full of butterflies I couldn't swat away.