"Olivia?"
"Yep!"
"But... why?"
...
Sebastian found himself stuck in his hazy thoughts for a brief moment, before he realized that [Name] had questioned him out of nowhere.
The look in her eyes was intense. She refused to calm her drumming heart, refused to accept that what she felt was, strangely, some type of anger (jealousy, perhaps?). But then again, she was confused and just... needed to know.
Who is Olivia, and why wasn't her name on that red-tabbed file like Sebastian made it seem?
Struggling to come up with a reasonable response, Sebastian sighed quietly, showing her a look of disappointment before she dropped her head. "Why do you ask of all sudden?"
"Just answer the question," she replied quickly, every word pronounced sharp and firm. Maintaining her gaze fixed on the floor, the hand on the door knob was still tight and shaky, along with her body as she anticipated for an answer.
Sebastian kept on staring at her, blinking unnecessarily in confusion. "I can't... I just don't understand."
How did you even figure it out? That's what he actually wondered behind that blank expression.
"That name...Olivia," she whispered shakily. "Something about that name makes me so... sad. Please tell me who she is."
"Because, Sebby, that name is a symbol of peace!"
A light chuckle caused her to raise her head, finding Sebastian searching his coat pocket for a pair of gloves to begin taking turns on slipping them on his hands. I recklessly used that name.
"I guess... I do owe her a visit," he said calmly; his lips curved up into a smile, pulling the right-handed glove snug against his knuckles. He paid her a glance, keeping that smile, only to twist her face into confusion.
"I thought you said...she..." [Name] cut herself off, swallowing thickly. Isn't she dead? She finished the question in her head, although it's as if Sebastian heard her thoughts in an echo.
He removed his scarf. "Are you ready to go?" he asked as he placed the accessory around her exposed neck. She replied with a single nod of her head, yielding Sebastian the chance to turn around and make his way to the front door. But as soon as his hand grabbed the knob, he paused and chuckled.
"Oh. But first I need to pick up a gift—or else she won't forgive me."
***
It has been a silent, thirty-minute car ride, with only the sound of the motor cutting in and their direction has been nothing but a straight line on the road. Sebastian kept his eyes forward, occasionally glancing to his right to check the side mirror when he just wanted to see why the dark haired girl was so quiet.
The bouquet of red roses sat on her lap, her fingers stroked each petal with care as her eyes admired the pure color of red on every bud. Counting how many flowers stems were bulked up, her lips mouthed each number with a focused, low tone.
...Five, six, seven—
"[Name]," Sebastian called out in a sharp tone, enough to make her wince, interrupting her counting, and slightly turned her head as he continued. "What did Undertaker tell you, besides your age?"
Oh... She shifted on the seat and sighed. "That... I was lucky that you found me." Her nose wrinkled in guilt, but that should be similar to 'we were fated to meet again' or 'we had a special relationship before I died', right?
"Lucky," he muttered, shaking his head with a crooked smile that showed his disbelief. "Undertaker must be ill if he ever used that word before."
"Well, he's right. I am... lucky to be in your care." Those last six words had to be said under her breath, or else her cheeks would burn in hell fire.
"But did you find out the trigger of your transformation?"
And then she tensed up, shutting down in a doom of shyness to realize she had to answer with 'Because I am in love with you', but instead she slurred, "Love." Her lips quivered, hoping he didn't catch it correctly.
"What?" He snickered and she huffed in relief. "What did you—
"Olivia... Do you love her?" she suddenly inquired and clenched the wrapped stems of the bouquet, keeping her burning gaze fixed ahead.
Sebastian frowned, side-glancing the pouting girl. "Don't change the subject." But even with that she wouldn't budge. Inwardly sighing, he steered the wheel to exit the road and remained quiet until he was at the red light to cave in.
"I have to love her."
Eyes widened, [Name] felt a pang in her chest; a spark of annoyance struck her, wanting to snap, when he spoke up again. "Do you even know what it's like to be in love, [Name]?"
Her guard lowered and leaned back on the seat. "Well, I..." She paused and bit her lip; his questions kept cornering her. "I do feel something when there's a plate of food in front of me." White lies won't hurt...
Sebastian let out a laugh, beaming at the flattering compliment. "Thanks, but that's not the same, unfortunately."
Obviously, she thought with a roll of her eyes. Her current condition tags her as naïve, but she was well aware how this emotion worked. Just as Undertaker said, she may have zero memory of Sebastian but every recorded reaction towards him—flushing at his smile, racing pulse at his touch and a very aggressive heart beat, plus a case of the stutters when she's pressed against him like the first night she slept in his bed—were all so natural to her...
Now averting her attention to the passing landscape, she had to fight back to urge to confront him about her findings in his case folder. Not yet, at least. If her name and age were in there, does that mean she used to be a patient of Sebastian's long ago? But if she were, wouldn't there be a condition written on it with written notes like on the other patients' reports? Or was there another person with the same name and age by coincidence?
Many questions marched in her mind, but all she spun back to was the over-circled date underneath the picture: November 2nd, 20XX. What year was it anyway?
"We're here," Sebastian's gentle voice woke her out of her analytic thoughts. She looked out the window, lifting a brow to see a tall, broad fence stretching along green scenery of trees with many... gravesites?
[Name] turned back around to point out, "This is a cemetery, Sebas—" but came short to see he had exited the car already.
"I'm aware it's a cemetery, silly."
Startled, she jumped and whipped back around to find her door opened. Sebastian was bent at the waist, waiting for her to take his offering hand and helped her exit the car, too. Wrapping her arm around his, they walked through the gates, keeping quiet as they stepped along the stoned path.
Where are we going? She thought to herself. [Name] glanced at every tombstone with a sullen expression, reading their corresponding names and carved dates of when the person lived before their death. The gloomy atmosphere was thick, especially with that chilly wind pinching her cheeks; she couldn't help but act when her heart began to race.
Wait, wait... I know this place, she thought with a furrow of her brows. Her feet began to pick up the pace, slightly bouncing the bouquet of roses on his hand.
"Where are you going?" Sebastian asked when she unhooked her arm. But her lips pursed, paused to grab his hand and pulled him behind her.
"Bassinet," she whispered, and she had no idea why. That word kept floating in her head, picturing a baby cradle with a hood. "We have to hurry."
Look for the bassinet tombstone, her inner voice directed and she obeyed, now stomping ahead in a rush. To Sebastian's shock, [Name] was actually going the right way—every turn on the path was exact. They went past the gothic architecture, under the bridge, past the cracked angel fountain until they reached a grassy hill, and stopped.
I'm here, darling...
"We're here," she panted out and released his hand. But as soon as she caught her breath, [Name] lifted her head and slowly turned to Sebastian, utterly clueless. "Where are we?"
He blinked, impressed, yet thrown off by her puzzled expression. "You... just guided us to Olivia."
Gasping, she flipped around to look up at the hill. "I-I don't..."
Sebastian walked past her, beckoning her to follow. She hesitated for a moment, fiddling with her fingers before running behind him; although it was odd that she felt a hint of connection to this site.
Once she caught up at the top, she halted a few feet away from Sebastian, who was standing still under an olive tree. Curious, she quietly walked up and peered around to see what he was staring at. Before them was a marble tombstone... shaped of a bassinet.
Her eyes fell on the carved writing next.
Too beautiful for Earth.
Before she could see the next detail, Sebastian spoke up. "She died the same day she was born, before she could even take her first breath."
"We did everything possible... but she's gone. I'm sorry."
[Name]'s eyes suddenly widened, her eyes pooled in tears and lunged herself at his back, wrapping her arms around his waist to press her cheek at his back. The impact caused the bouquet of flowers to drop right in the bassinet, under the nameplate and date.
Olivia Michaelis
November 2nd, 20XX
Sebastian closed his eyes, smiling at her manner of consoling. A sudden gust of wind brushed away her black hair, exposing her quivering mouth. She didn't need to see the rest of the tombstone, because her clutter of emotions let her know somehow...
"She..." he said softly. "Olivia was my daughter."
She nodded, as it didn't surprise her. Instead, [Name]'s grip tightened around him when, in her head, she heard a faint flat line sound of a heart monitor. Gone.
I know, she thought. Because I named her.