Always || Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 20

When you woke up, you had a letter sitting in your mailbox. It was a tall stand where your snowy owl, Luna, perches delicately. You roll out of bed, stretching tall as she shrieks at you.

"Easy now," your voice is husky from sleep. Her wings flap frantically, her eyes larger than life itself. You grow increasingly wary as you approach Luna. A thin envelope lays haphazardly in the copper tray. A neat veridian wax seal pinches the envelope closed. You widen your eyes, snatching the message from the tray, and rip it open. You yank out a letter, dropping the envelope on the floor. Thin and neat, yet rushed script paints the page.

"Meet me at the north exit at sundown,"

"-S"

You exhale deeply and run a hand over your forehead.

"You practically scared me to death, Luna," you stroke her feathers softly as she glares at you sideways.

By the time that sundown came, you were sweating bullets. In the midst of Winter, your skin was scorching hot, and your palms managed to stay sweaty. You loosen your scarf around your neck, steadying your breathing. You were early, as usual, but there was nothing wrong with being overly punctual. It gave you time to think.

You find yourself pacing back and forth for a few minutes. You chew on your nails to distract yourself. Your dress shoes skid across the snow as you drag your heels. Small depressions form in the ground. The sun just barely peeks over the horizon now, the sky filling with darkness. You shove your hands into your pockets as you lift your head, analyzing the stars.

"Sundown, huh?" You ask yourself as you kick more snow out of your way, your nose beginning to burn.

"Precisely," you hear from behind you.

You look up at him, his eyes meeting yours. He lifts an eyebrow as you survey him, your lips flipping into a frown.

"What?" His face drops as he approaches you. His scarf is wrapped neatly around his neck— a milky brown shade with faint strips of ivory woven throughout. His hair is unruly as per usual, and his lips shine a faint shade of pink. His cheeks are already rosy from the cold, and his freckle hides beneath the stars above him. Sebastian's steps are muffled by the snow. He draws nearer to you, his gloved hand tilting your chin up to his face.

"Did you think I had forgotten about you?" He whispers, his breath freezing in the air. You can feel it building in your stomach, something uncontrollable. You stare intently, leering at his eyes. You feel as though you're going to burst as your pulse begins ringing in your ears.Your lips stretch into a smile, and you slam your hand over your mouth.

You begin to giggle silently, unable to take the moment seriously. His seriousness immediately contorts into confusion.

"Oh what now?" he pulls his hand from your chin abruptly. You double over, grasping your stomach. Sebastian grabs your shoulders and pulls you upright. He cups both of your cheeks in his hands, squeezing your face ever so slightly.

"Have you gone mad in the weeks I was gone?" He asks, a low chuckle arising from his throat. You begin to burst into a fit of laughter, mixing in a few coughs of course, but it's laughter nonetheless.

Christmas without Sebastian or Ominis was dreadfully uneventful. The sun rises late and sets early, and the days cut themselves in half. Studying for your O.W.L.s was becoming increasingly boring, and playing gobstones with Zenobia was barely fun either as you always managed to lose. You would walk dazedly around the castle, imagining how sweet a holiday with the boys would have been. Ominis was kind enough to send you a letter with a small parcel alongside it.