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Raindrops slid down the skin of his cheeks, soaking into his black hoodie like a sponge, the weirdly sticky feeling of the saloon tables still on his hands and the smell of beer in his hair that replaced the regular scent of cigarettes and motor oil. All he could see was the nauseating image of sam leaning into Annie’s sage polyester cardigan as he kissed her and the way Annie looked at him as he walked out the pool table room muttering about needing a smoke. wilted autumn leaves crunched beneath his feet when he trudged to the beach, the sound of the waves pulling him back to the present, he was on the dock. Their dock. The dock where he held an umbrella over Annie’s head as he opened up to her, about his past and what he saw in his future, how he saw her in his future, he felt stupid. It was the wrong time of year to be at the beach, the cold wind from the winter season approaching lingered in the breeze being provided by the crash of the waves, he couldn’t tell if the salt on his lips was from the splash of the sea against the aged hardwood or the salt of his tears spilling out his ash coloured eyes. “Sebastian..” A voice croaked, he already knew who it was, Annie, she would know where he was since the dock is where he felt the safest, the dock where she gave him the frozen tear she dug through the mines for, the dock where she held him as he cried about missing his dad. “You don’t need to say anything, Annie” he said through gritted teeth, his voice thick as he tried to cover his hurt. Annie moved forwards standing next to Sebastian, “He was drunk, seb. There isn’t anything more than that.” Annie whispered trying to look into his eyes. Sebastian took a long drag from the newly lit cigarette that was rattling around in his pocket all night. “Did you at least enjoy the kiss” He quipped blowing rings of smoke into the dark clouds painted on the night sky. “I..” Annie trailed off in thought. Sam was sweet, fun, ADHD as a person. But Annie didn’t know if she loved him, before she could continue Sebastian stiffened. “Guess that’s my answer” He spat throwing the cigarette into the water “See you around, Annabeth.” Sulking down the dock, starting to walk back home. Annie’s eyes welled up, he hadn’t called her ‘Annabeth’ since she moved to the valley last Spring. She sank to her knees watching the water move in a steady rhythm before too getting up to walk home.
[The next day]
Sam, Abigail and sebastian were sat in sam’s room, Abigail was throwing a gridball in the air and catching it while laying on his floor, her purple locks spread out like tree roots. Sebastian’s fingers slid over the keyboard softly, thinking of a tune in his head. He had been more frosty than normal, his jealousy still simmering inside his heart thinking back to Sam carelessly kissing Annie. “I left Annie a note this morning” Sam said casually, Abigails mouth hung open for so long you’d think someone had pressed pause. “I.. What?” Sebastian asked the stranger wearing his best friend’s face. “Yeah! I left a note in her letter box asking to meet here tonight, im gonna ask her to be mine.” Sam said with a sheepishly unaware grin, Abigail’s eye caught Sebastian’s as they sat in silence, the hollow expression on his face, he could feel Annie slipping away from him. “That’s.. Wonderful sam,” Abigail wearily congratulated being cautious of what to say. Sebastian let out a huff as he stood up, “I just remembered I need to get some wood from cindersnap forest from my mom, sorry guys” He said straightening his hoodie, heading towards the door, “Goodluck Sam.” His tone bitter, Abigail waved goodbye trying not to let her smile falter, the smile didn’t reach her eyes, she felt stuck in the middle. Sebastian opened Sam’s front door to be greeted by a rain storm, rain drops pitter pattering down the quiet path that Sam’s house, Emily and Hailey’s house were built next too. Sebastian groaned, “What did I do to piss off Yoba recently?!” He muttered under his nicotine scented breathe before he started to run to Annie’s ‘Honeysuckle farm’.
Annie sat inside her farmhouse, hearing the newly fixed roof, graciously done for free by Robin, have rain flooding off it. She was curled up by the fireplace with her cat Butter by her side purring like a lawnmower. Annie’s heart was still aching after last night, still fresh in her mind the sight of Sebastian walking away, she knew she’d hurt him, Sam was his best friend for Christ’s sake and he saw him kiss her. She hadn’t left the house all day since she knew the rain would of watered her plants and her animals had enough hay for the day, so she was surprised when she saw Sebastian running to her farmhouse in the rain, his hair’s normal loose black waves and small curls were drooping down his face dripping wet. Clearly his hood has kept slipping and he just gave up, she got up from her armchair and made her way to the door to open it before he could knock, when she did open it there he was. Sebastian, he was trying to keep up his tough demeanour, but his cheeks were flushed a rosy pink and he was panting, Annie muffled a small chuckle as she held the golden doorknob of her front door. “Sebastian-“ Annie started to say before he looked her in the eyes after he caught his breath and cut her off “Break my heart, Annie.” He stepped forward, Annie felt her heart doing flips as her mind was spinning in circles “break it into a thousand pieces,” her body was mindlessly moving towards his, stepping out from her doorstep into the downpour of rain, feeling her hair start to absorb the water. “Because my heart is only yours to break, Annie.” He ended stepping towards her again, they were close, close enough for Sebastian to smell Annie’s scent of Cedarwood and some unknown floral, “And I understand if you want space I was a complete asshat last night and I..” He whispered to her, “I don’t want to loose you.” Annie was lost of words, all she could do was look him in the eyes, she’d known Sebastian since she moved her months ago, she knowns the horrors he’s been through and the emotional torment he deals with from Demetrius, but she’d never seen him look so worried, she put her palm on his cheek, wiping away the raindrops slithering down his face. He took her hand in his, feeling the warm of her skin pressed against his cold hands. “Annie I want to be yours,” she let out a small gasp of surprise, gently, she pulled him down and kissed him, she didn’t have to say anything else. He just knew that she was his, and he was hers, they had eachother.
Eventually they went inside to dry off and sat together in comfort, listening to the fire crackle, Butter still Purring, Sam’s note still tucked away in Annie’s unopened post box, Sebastian let himself relax with Annie in his arms as they sat on the floor with two mugs of coco, sipping them inbetween laughter and chatter. They had found eachother, it’s all they needed.