blame the champagne || s. sallow one-shot

part 1: blame the champagne

"force of habit." his excuse came, quickly trying to backpedal.

hen was a relic of their past, something he'd used to call her when things were simpler, before everything had gotten tangled and messy. she would always mock him for using such a twee nickname, but there was always something in her expression when he said it, a brief flicker in her eyes that made him wonder if, deep down, she didn't mind it as much as she let on.

but to his surprise, she just smiled, the curve of her lips soft, almost fond. she didn't mock him, didn't even raise an eyebrow. no judgement. no laughter at his expense.

there was a quiet in her gaze, one that lingered longer than usual. recognition, maybe. nostalgia. the kind of thing that shouldn't have been there, but it was. and it echoed in his chest, so painfully familiar.

she hummed, the kind she used to make when she was content, and turned back to the night sky, as though the way she looked at sebastian didn't just send him reeling right then and there. as if she knew that that one look would make him more flustered than she would if she'd just mocked him.

"so, what's been keeping you busy these days?" she asked, her voice softer now, a hint of genuine curiosity underneath her teasing tone. "the world's still spinning, i presume?"

"ah, you know. work, as usual," he replied, his tone flat and yet cautious at the same time.

if it were anyone else, he'd have launched into a long-winded spiel of his latest case. after all, his work had become the one thing he clung to, the only thing that made getting out of bed in the morning feel necessary. but with her? the words didn't flow so easily. even back then, it had become a touchy subject between them—something that both defined him and drove a wedge between them.

okay, so maybe it wasn't his work that drove them apart and more so his obsession to it. or rather, his obsession to prove himself. his obsession to be part of something larger, something better. but that was a thing of the past, and there's no point dredging it up now when they're supposed to be celebrating the future.

"of course, still married to your job, i see. i mean, i get it, you've always been a workaholic." she nodded, a knowing yet bittersweet smile playing on her lips. "i even heard you took down yet another beast trafficking ring. well done, sebastian."

sebastian's brow arched involuntarily. had she been keeping tabs on him? the idea that she might still be keeping track of him, that he's still running around in that mesmerizing clutter of a mind of hers? he wouldn't dare say it out loud but it tickled him pink. it was both absurd and somehow thrilling. maybe she had asked around—natty, perhaps? he had worked on a handful of cases with her over the past few months—there was no reason natty couldn't have mentioned something about the work they've been doing. or maybe she'd been watching him? he wouldn't put it past her to do such a thing, sly little witch she is.

"oh, would you wipe that look off your face?" came her voice, the playful edge in her voice obvious. "i know what you're thinking, and no. i just happened to read about it on the daily prophet."

sebastian couldn't help the slow, satisfied smile that crept across his face. she could feign ignorance as much as she liked, but the flush on her cheeks told a different story. and it sure as hell wasn't just the rouge she wore. it spread slowly, a warm pink creeping up her neck, staining her cheek.

"is that so?" he said, trying to sound nonchalant, but it came out a little softer than he'd intended. "i guess i make the news more than i realized."

"i'll have you know the daily prophet reports on anything these days. they even had an article on what the best flavor of bertie bott's beans is." she rolled her eyes, her lips twitching with barely contained amusement. "beans, sebastian. on the very same page of your ring-busting article. i guess that's the kind of highly important news they decide to prioritize."