Katerina's POV
Stepping out of the tub, I pull the plug to drain the water before I wrap my towel around my body and do my lady business before getting dressed.
With a sigh, I walk up to the mirror, attempting to ignore my scars and instead staring at the few tattoos that I have gotten over the years to help cover my constant reminders of everything that I have been through. But even with the ink, I still only see the permanent lines and indentations that mar my body.
Tearing my eyes away from my body, I wrap my hair in a towel and change into a pair of lightweight black camo joggers before yanking a cropped black tank top over my head.
Hanging up the towel to let my hair air dry, I walk back into my room before flopping down on the bed for a few minutes, pulling Jethro into my chest for some cuddle time. After a while, I groan, clutching my stomach as my back and stomach again begin to ache.
After several long uncomfortable minutes, I decided to wallow in pain with Sebastian before he decided to come and remind me that Michele wanted him to stay with me until they came home.
Grabbing my phone and a couple of chocolates from my bag of purchases, I begin walking out of my room, pulling on my hoodie.
Well, Lorenzo's hoodie.
Walking down the stairs, I huff, yanking the hoodie over my head as I try to adjust the jacket, but in the process, I manage to drop my phone, watching it tumble down the stairs.
With a sigh, I reach the final step and pick my once shattered and now destroyed phone off the floor.
I groan before attempting to hold down the power button, and I watch as nothing happens.
Great
The only reassuring thing at this moment is that this was my old phone and not the new phone that Michele got me for my birthday, which is still sitting in its box in a desk drawer.
Although, I do worry about one of my brothers trying to call me right now, since my phone, which was already on its last leg, just bit the dust.
Or in this case, it just took a deadly tumble down a flight of stairs.
Sighing, I continue on my way in search of ice cream since I bought another two tubs when I went to the store earlier.
"What are you watching?" I ask, passing the living room to see Sebastian strewn across the sofa cushions.
As the words leave my lips, his gaze snaps to me. I slowly raise my brow in question as he continues to stare at me with a look of regret. Although, after a moment, he seems slightly unsure of what he should say to me.
"The Walking Dead," he replies, frowning slightly as I only hum in response before turning on my heel. "Wait, where are you going now?" He questions, standing abruptly to follow me as I begin to walk out of the room.
"Relax, Sebastiano. I'm just going to the kitchen," I reply as he hurries after me.
"Can we please talk about earlier?" He mumbles, lightly grasping my arm.
"What exactly do you want to talk about, Bash?" I question wearily, glancing at him with a raised brow.
"I know it was a stupid thing to do, Katerina," he rushes out. "I shouldn't have-"
"What gave you the fucking right to go through my things?" I snap, cutting him off. "What made you decide that it was alright to rifle through my stuff rather than simply asking me what I bought?" I demand, before clearing my throat because my rising tone has now attracted the attention of a few guards, who are watching us with curious eyes. Although, after a hard glare from me, they turn away to resume their patrols.
"I had no right to do what I did," he sighs in defeat. "I know that I shouldn't have touched your things, and I realize that I should have just asked why you had to leave so urgently. I-"
"Do you really?" I ask skeptically, raising a questioning brow. "Do you understand what you did to me by going through my stuff? Do you realize that you hurt me by doing that?" I demand. "Do you understand that my trust in you has now faltered from this? Do you think that I should ever trust you again?" I ask, my voice cracking slightly.
Damn you, hormones.
"Hindsight's twenty-twenty," he sighs, shaking his head.
"Yes, I do realize that what I did was wrong, and I'm so, so sorry that I hurt you, Katerina," he confesses, seeming slightly desperate for me to understand as his grip on my arm tightens slightly.
"I know that I should have simply asked you or let your brothers deal with it. Although, in fairness, I just wanted to make sure that it was um... nothing bad," he mumbles.
"What?" I demand, narrowing my eyes slightly. "Did you think that I went out to buy drugs or something?" I ask, watching as he looks down, pursing his lips slightly.
"And secondly, if I were, which I wasn't, why the hell would I have shared my phone's location with you if I were doing something illegal?"
"I- I didn't know what to think, Katerina," he sighs, dragging his free hand down the side of his face. "All I know is that you left in a hurry and that your brothers asked me to keep you safe. I-"
"It's not your job to protect me!" I exasperate, trying to pull my arm away. Instead, he grabs both of my arms firmly, yet gently, pulling me towards him. "My brothers smother me enough as it is," I grumble under my breath, tugging away from him pointlessly as his grip on my arms never falters.
"I realize that it isn't my job to protect you, Kate, but I want it to be," he declared, meeting my gaze.
"I... you- what?" I stammer, clearing my now dry throat. "What are you saying?" I whisper, feeling his hands drop slowly as he takes a step away, raking his fingers through his hair.
"I like being around you," he mumbles, meeting my eyes with an intense gaze. "I think about you all the time. Hell," he sighs, "I think about you probably more than I should."
"So... what is it that you want, Bash?" I question, reaching out to grasp his arm so that he doesn't look away again.
"Are- are you asking to be friends or..." I trail off, watching silently as he takes a step forward before he cups my face in his palm, looking at me with hope dancing in his steel eyes.
Running the pad of his thumb over my cheek, he confesses, "In time, I would like to become more than friends if we come to share the same feelings."
"I-" I stutter, not knowing what to do or say at the moment. I mean, sure. I've had other people flirt with me, and I've flirted before as well on missions to help blend in with crowds or even flirted to help lure in a target. But never have I been in a situation like this where I actually reciprocate the same or similar feelings.
I'm nervous as hell because I worry that I will screw something up in the end, potentially causing us both heartbreak. However, I also know that if I don't eventually take this step, I will miss out on something that could have been real.
I also worry about letting Sebastian into my life, and I fear that if he finds out some of the things that I have done and been through, that his opinion of me will change.
Damn, I feel like a broken record.
A part of me is dying to take the next step to see if anything is there, but I also question whether or not I will be able to open up to Sebastiano like I am still trying to do with my brothers.
"Sorry, forget I said anything," Sebastiano sighs dejectedly, pulling away from me. Running his hands through his hair in frustration, I watch as he turns on his heel and begins to walk away from me.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I quickly say his name, watching as he halts his step. Turning back around, I hurry to him and cautiously take his hand in mine.
"I can't promise you anything," I murmur, looking up at him through my lashes. "But I also wouldn't mind seeing where things might take us."
He sighs again, seeming relieved as he cups my cheek once more before leaning forward to rest his forehead against my own.
"Thank fuck," he sighs in relief as his eyes shine a bright steel blue. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you said differently," he smiles, placing a light kiss against my forehead before pulling me into a tight hug that I practically melt into.
——
Sometime later, I find myself sitting on the couch beside Sebastiano after having gotten some ice cream, mint chip to be exact, from the kitchen.
Setting my destroyed phone on the coffee table, I lean back in hopes of finding a more comfortable position on the couch as I ponder one of two things.
Firstly, I know that I will need to activate my new phone along with transferring everything and whatnot. Also, I pray that no one tries to contact me right now, because I have no intention of getting off my lazy ass anytime soon to fix my tech problem.
And secondly and most importantly, is thinking about what Sebastian and I confessed to each other earlier.
I'm not good at any of this. I realize that I have spurts when I warm up to people, but most of that takes time for me to become comfortable enough to confide in someone.
The weird thing is that I already feel comfortable being around Sebastian, but I'm worried about saying and sharing the wrong thing too early and possibly scaring him off.
"What are you thinking about?" Sebastiano questions, looking at me from the other side of the U-shaped sectional.
Yes, I'm already distancing myself.
"I was thinking about needing to fix my phone," I reply, gesturing to where the broken device lies on the table. "And also about earlier," I mumble, shifting to lie on my side as I scrunch my nose as the pain swiftly moves to my lower abdomen.
"Were- were you serious about before?" He mumbles, glancing at me. "About possibly um-"
"Sebastiano," I say, cutting him off with a small, teasing smirk. "Do I make you nervous?" I ask, raising my brow teasingly as he glances away, reddening slightly.
Oh. My. God.
I've never seen him blush before, and now that I have, I want him to do it again and again, knowing that I am the cause of his rose-stained cheeks.
"I'm new to most of this," he hesitantly confesses, slowly meeting my gaze before looking away with another light blush, staining his cheeks a deeper shade of red. "I've never had anyone that I like, and I'm not used to all of these... feelings," he sighs, running his fingers through his disheveled hair.
"I- I'm not entirely sure what to do if things were to progress further, but I know that that isn't going to stop me from trying," he declares, looking at me in determination.
"We'll figure this out together," I say, meeting his gaze. "I've never done any of this either with someone that I like," I mumble, turning away from his cheeky smile as my cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
Shifting in my seat, I groan again as I move to lie down once more.
"Are you okay?" He asks, glancing at me worriedly.
"No," I murmur, whining slightly. "I hurt," I confess, trying to get comfortable.
"Is there anything that I can do?" He asks, frowning.
"No," I mumble, smiling slightly at his concern. Sighing, I say, "I'm just gonna try to take a nap, alright?"
"Okay," he mumbles, slowly turning back to the TV show as I rest my head on a pillow.
Twenty minutes later, I'm still awake and unable to sleep as the aching continues. I slowly reposition myself again, grunting slightly as it puts too much strain on my aching back. I groan at the thought of shifting too far onto my side as I worry that it will make the pressure worse in my lower abdomen and pelvic region.
In other words, I'm completely screwed.
Continuing to search for a better position, I hiss as stabbing pain courses through my pelvic region as I adjust the angle of my hips. Grumbling profanities under my breath, I begin to rub the side of my stomach in hopes that it will relieve some of the aching.
"Are you alright, Katerina?" Sebastiano asks worriedly, standing from his seat to kneel in front of me.
I sit frozen for a moment as I take in the level of concern dancing in his eyes.
"My back is killing me, and I can't get comfortable," I mumble with a slight whine in my tone before scrunching my nose at the thought of telling him why.
"I don't mean to pry, but are you um..." he trails off slightly, seeming unsure if he should finish his question.
"Yeah," I sigh, shifting again slightly with a wince.
"Okay," he says, seeming unfazed. "Do you want me to get you anything?" He asks, placing his hand on my knee and drawing small circles with his thumb.
"Do you have a heating pad or anything? I know that's what Sam uses, or do you want-"
"Can you um..." I mumble, cutting him off. "Can you lay by me and maybe rub my back or stomach?" I question as he looks slightly hesitant for a moment before nodding his head in determination.
"Of course," he declares, standing from his squat and moving to lie behind me on the couch.
"That's what I would normally get D to do, and most of the time it also helps me sleep," I confess, watching as his jaw ticks slightly at the new information.
As he lays down, he gets comfortable and says 'Come here' before pulling my back flush with his chest.
"Is this alright?" He questions, pulling a blanket over our bodies as he slips his hand between us to rub his palm along my spine and lower back.
"Mm hm," I hum, snuggling into his chest as he moves his hand to my side after a few minutes.
"Was D," he sneers, "your boyfriend?" He questions, wrapping his arm tightly around me for a moment and pulling me closer to his chest.
"Ew gross," I frown, suppressing the urge to gag at the thought of having any sort of romantic thought about Dimitri. "We're just friends," I correct, feeling his hold soften as his muscles untense at my words.
"Thank you for doing this," I sigh, feeling some of the pain subside at the warmth that his body is offering.
"It's no problem, Kate," he assures, moving his hand off my hip to rub soothing circles on my stomach before placing a light kiss on my shoulder.
"You know what's a load of bull," he suddenly grumbles, huffing slightly before continuing.
I turn slightly, confused at his sudden mood change.
"I've done this a few times with Samantha as well when she had some of her worst cramps and also once when her heating pad's cord broke," he says, tightening his hold on me slightly.
"And yet I didn't know about something that I could have actually prevented," he snaps slightly.
"Sebastiano," I sigh, glancing behind me for a moment to see his side profile, along with his ticking jaw. "It's not your fault," I sigh, regretting taking my anger out on him yesterday. "You didn't know it was happening."
"But I should have," he snaps, slightly exasperated. "I should have known what was going on with my own sister. She and I talk every day. Did you know that?" He demands. "I thought that we shared everything, but I guess I was wrong," he murmurs, resting his chin on my head.
"She didn't want to worry you about it, Bash. I don't know her reasons, but I'm guessing that she didn't want you to have to fight any more of her battles."
"Yet, I wish that she had," he mumbles in defeat, tightening his hold around me. "I felt so stupid when she was explaining what she has been going through on the campus. Honestly, I felt ashamed that I didn't realize what was going on sooner," he notes with a small crack in his voice before he clears his throat.
I sigh, grasping the back of his hand against my palm before interlocking our fingers.
"You. Didn't. Know," I enunciate, tapping his hand against my side as I say each word.
"You can't blame yourself for something that you knew nothing about," I note, turning slightly to see his expression once more.
"We'll handle what's going on at the school with Samantha and those Plastic bitches, and if I have anything to say about it, I'll make sure that those girls never bother any of us ever again. They are honestly one of the biggest things that I hate about high school," I grumble, turning back around to lay my head on a pillow. Although, I feel slightly relieved after watching Sebastiano's facial expression calm some as he took in what I was saying.
"We'll deal with those girls when the time comes," I mumble, feeling Sebastian press another light kiss against my shoulder as I close my eyes.
"Thank you, Katerina," he sighs, rubbing small, soothing circles on my side. "I definitely needed to hear that."
I hum in response, leaning into his side more as my eyes droop.
"Are you tired?" He whispers, tucking the blanket around me.
"Mm hm," I hum, slowly drifting off as he follows soon after.
—————
Word Count: 3,051