Echoes of Emotion (Sebastian Sallow x OC)

Chapter 13 - Friendly Competition

I laid on my back, watching the clouds pass by.
If he didn't show up, at least I had a moment of peace.
With everything going on, it felt like I could barely get a second to myself.
I could barely process my own emotions.
Specifically what I had been feeling recently with Sebastian.

With everything going on with my 'family', it seemed trivial to think about something as mundane as this, but at the same time it felt all the more frightening to face.
With Sage and Hunter, I knew what I felt. I knew what happened. It was all in the past, so nothing could surprise me.
But with these feelings, they were new. And that scared me.
I didn't know what they meant, I didn't know what they would lead to.
I could even lose him.

Yet, as I thought about his eyes, his smile, his voice.
I couldn't help but let those worries melt away as I fantasised about what could go right.
I found myself wanting to be close to him every time he was around, wanting to hold his hand as we walked together, wanting to hold him close as he told me his every thought.
I wanted to be closer than we are now.
I wanted him to be happy.
I wanted him with me.

The thought made my face heat up.
I had never felt that way about someone.
I didn't even know how to go about it.
But I knew that the last thing I should be doing right now was thinking about this.
The weight of the world was practically on my shoulders.
Yet, I still yearned for more.

"See anything interesting?"
I shot up, the sudden voice scaring me as I was pulled away from my thoughts.
Sebastian stood there, broom in hand, grinning as he watched me.
I laid back down, trying to hide my flustered expression, all these thoughts still fresh in my mind.

"You're late" I stated.
I heard his footsteps slowly approach me, before hearing him sit down next to me.
I looked at him from the corner of my eye, seeing that his smile had dropped.
"Sorry. Seems like that damn Poltergeist is the same as always, and Scribner is always up for punishment." he sighed.
To my surprise, he also laid on his back, gazing up at the clouds.
"You were in the restricted section again?" I wondered, to which he nodded.
"Haven't you read all the healing books there yet?" I laughed slightly, trying not to dull the mood with the topic.
But he still seemed to have a frown tugging at his lips.

"I wasn't looking for that." he answered simply.
"Oh?" I questioned, his blunt response only sparking my curiosity.
"I was looking for stuff on ancient magic." his voice was quiet, like he was reluctant to admit it, but he still said it nonetheless.
I sat up, looking down at him now.
He glanced at me, his eyes taking in my shocked expression.

I was going to ask why, I wanted to scold him for getting in trouble for something like that.
But I knew what the reaction was going to be.
I knew how it would end.
And it could wait.

"Are you ready then?" I sighed, getting up and grabbing my broom.
I looked back at him to see that he was the one looking shocked now, clearly preparing himself for the response I avoided.
"Ready for what?" he wondered, to which I pointed at the course.
"It's time to see how you handle yourself on a broom, Sallow." I teased, twisting my broom in my hands cockily, taunting him.
A small smirk appeared on his face.
He grabbed his broom and bounced onto his feet.
"You're on, Black."

Within moments we were both in the air, allowing our brooms to take us as fast as possible.
For a while we remained by each other's side, both struggling to overtake the other.
Eventually a smirk made its way onto my face as I looked at him.
I leaned forward to gain speed, just like Everett taught me.
I watched as Sebastian looked at me, bewildered as to how I suddenly had such an advantage.
I took the lead and closed my eyes for a moment after zooming through a hoop.
The cold breeze against my face as it danced between the lines of Autumn and Winter felt so refreshing.
The feeling of flying was just so freeing.