Rekindled Bonds

Chapter 9

"Quiet, sweetheart, unless you want someone to hear us."

He froze, his shaking fingers hovering over the doorknob. His face grew hot as he heard the muted moans grow louder from behind the door. He cupped his hand around his ear and leaned into the door. He wanted to be angry but the throbbing in his trousers made that difficult. His body twitched with each rising moan, trembling breath, and lewd sound. He shifted to the side, his back against the wall. He gripped himself over his clothing, finding some relief in the friction.

"Sebastian, stop."

Ominis struggled to make out the urgent whispers over his pounding pulse.

"I think- I think Ominis was listening."

"So let him listen."

"No, Sebastian I- I can't... please just- just go."

Ominis silently scurried away from Ash's door and into the dark corridors of the faculty tower.

He spent the rest of the night in internal conflict. He hated how his body betrayed him. He should have stormed into the room, gotten angry, yelled, anything- anything but... He felt sick to his stomach. He pulled out the crumpled letter from his parents and ran his fingers over the now squashed braille. Ominis's index finger lingered on one intact word... "Betrothed". None of this matters anyway, right? Angry or horny, betrayed or in love- it's all irrelevant now. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, he will need to push Ash out of his mind eventually. But did he want to? He wasn't sure. He could try to get out of the engagement...

Ominis was still deep in thought when he heard the hall clock chime. He pulled out his wand and cast Incendio on the letter. He walked away as the burning parchment floated to the floor in a pile of smoking ash and embers.

* * *

Ominis braced himself as he opened Ash's bedroom door the next morning.

"Ominis..." Ash sounded surprised.

"I came to check on you. I brought you some water." He set a glass of water on her nightstand and turned to leave. "I'll bring some food later so don't worry about getting out of bed. You had quite an eventful night yesterday." He hid his blush as he quickly walked back out the door. He was taking a moment to calm himself when he heard Ash's door open followed by the sound of her voice.

"Sebastian."

Ominis quickly made his way back to stand in her doorway, just in time to hear the two of them kiss. Any lustful feelings about last night appeared to be a fluke, or perhaps it was the brazenness of Sebastian's actions this morning. Regardless, now he was livid.

"Seriously?! You didn't get enough of my girlfriend last night so you had to come back this morning for seconds?"

"Well if you weren't going to please her, someone had to," Sebastian retorted.

The annoyed expression on Ominis's face turned murderous. He spoke in a cold, low voice. "Ash... What exactly did you say to him about us."

"Ominis, you can't blame her for being honest. She couldn't help it."

"Sebastian... What did you do?"

"You mean besides the obvious? I took care of her, where you spectacularly failed to!"

"And how would you know where I 'failed'? You reunite for one day, one fucking day after nearly four years and she's spilling her deepest thoughts to you?"