Risk // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 65: I'm Ready*

Warning: Smut ahead... this one is special 😉

I squeezed my eyes closed. Then open. Then closed.

I don't know what was worse. The darkness or the constant state of bleariness from my tears pooling along my lash line.

"Liv, open them. Come on." Sebastian soothed me, his index finger drawing soft lines down my cheek.

I listened to him and I opened them. Then I blinked and when the tears finally spilled and rolled down my cheek, my vision became clear again.

Sebastian looked disheveled. His shirt was wet from sweat, the collar sticking to his neck area and looking transparent. His hair was a mess, tufts sticking up all over the place.

I suppose it's probably fair given he'd be subject to the Cruciatus curse. Again.

"How... how are you feeling?" I managed to choke out, my voice sounding anything like my normal one.

"I'm fine. Truly. Don't worry about it. I've been through much, much worse." He assured me with a small smile as if he was trying to hide the pain he was so clearly in from me.

"That doesn't make this any less important, Sebastian." I scowled.

"You're right. But I am truly okay, trust me. Come on. We need to get you to to bed. We will sort everything else out tomorrow."

I nodded and let Sebastian pull me onto my weary feet and lead me to our bedroom. He helped me change out of my clothes and slipped a night gown over my head, simply opting for a plain pair of pyjama pants for himself. He slid back the covers on our bed and helped me slide inside, climbing in beside me and pulling my head onto his bare chest.

His hand traced patterns down my spine, attempting to soothe me, but it almost tickled. And I found my own fingers tracing the lines and scars on his body, suddenly riddled with guilt again remembering they were all from me. The scar down his side from being sliced by Diffindo. The large one right down the middle of his chest from being cracked open to repair his broken ribs and lungs. I'd caused so much harm in his life.

It was all my fault. And now, he's been subjected to the cruciatus curse again.

"It's not your fault." He whispered into my hair, his eyes still closed

Fucking mind reader.

I feigned sleep, though I had the feeling Sebastian did the same, neither of us wanting to drift off until we were sure the other was. But being in the safety of his arms calmed me enough to at least rest a little.

My eyes hurt.

My lungs hurt.

My chest hurt.

"Did you sleep at all?" Sebastian asked me as the first hints that sunrise was approaching was drifting through the window that Sebastian had forgotten to draw the curtains on last night.

"No." I said softly, taking his alertness as an opportunity to snuggle in closer to him.

"Me neither. At least we tried." He said with a yawn.

Then he cuddled me harder and pressed a kiss to my hair, sighing so hard some stray strands were blown down onto my forehead.

I mumbled something incoherent back, I wasn't even sure what I'd attempted to try and say.

"We should go back to Walters first. Let her know what happened if Ominis and Lawson haven't already. Then we should probably pay a visit to Harris' mother."

Fuck. I felt even worse. Ill even. Having to face her again with news her son was dead was not something I was particularly fond of doing. Especially with no sleep and especially when it was I who caused his demise.