summer in the city 「 s.stan 」

DAY 29

— AUGUST 29TH —

Waking up in Sebastian's arms brought you a sense of peace, but not for long. As soon as the two of you moved to make breakfast, the same feeling from the previous day washed over you again – futile sadness and frustration.

"Hey, you okay?" Sebastian asked, grabbing your hand when he heard you sigh.

"Yeah, I'm great," you answered sarcastically, before frowning and immediately softening your tone of voice. "I'm sorry, Seb, it's just—"

"I know," he interrupted. "But listen to me for a second, alright? Remember when you came home from the hospital, and you said that you wanted to make the most of your time here?"

For a moment, you were distracted by the way he said home, as if it was home to you. In a way, it was – he was home, all comfort and warmth and love.

Eventually, you nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah. You want us to go out today, right?"

"I was thinking dinner with our friends? And I... well, I know it's a lot to ask, since you came here to visit them, but maybe we could spend tomorrow together, just us? You don't have to, but—"

Your smile became genuine as you leaned over and kissed him, stopping his doubtful speech from developing. Surprised, he hummed into the kiss, making you giggle when you pulled away.

"I would love that. And Seb?"

"Hm?" he mumbled, gazing at you in a way that tugged at your heartstrings.

"Thank you."

You were thanking him for cheering you up so quickly. But, in a way, you were thanking him for everything else too. Every day that you'd shared together, every joke, every laugh, every tear, every embrace. And somehow, without either of you having to say anything more, he understood.

⋆

Dinner was fun – Sebastian had chosen a family owned Italian restaurant which honestly served the best gelato you'd ever tasted. As usual, your friends were all hilarious, and your table had received several dirty looks from other diners simply for laughing loudly and uncontrollably.

It was a welcomed distraction. To an extent, you felt a little guilty; you were nowhere near as worried about having to leave your friends behind for the rest of the year. However, you could tell that they all appreciated the harshness of your situation – which was why, when you brought up the fact that you wanted to spend your last full day with Sebastian, none of them minded in the slightest.

"You don't need to ask for permission, Y/N," Allie told you, half joking, as you all left the restaurant, waiting for your respective Ubers to arrive.

"I know, but..." you began nervously, suddenly finding that you needed to voice your feelings. You glanced at Sebastian, letting your gaze linger until he nodded, stepping away to give you a moment alone with your friends.

"It's fine, you know that, right?" Luca asked. "We get it."

"I'm sorry," you blurted. "I just feel bad. I mean, I came here to spend time with you guys, but... well, I met Seb. I just feel like I prioritised him."

"You did," Allie spoke again, "it's true. And it's also what you deserved, Y/N, you guys are perfect for each other. Yeah, maybe we didn't get to see you as often as we wanted to, but we'll be here next year, and the year after that, and every other year until we all die, y'know?"

As much as you were grateful for her rare serious show of support, you knew what Allie was suggesting. You hated that she was right – with you on the other side of the country, you couldn't possibly expect Sebastian to wait for you, just as he wouldn't expect you to wait for him. When you stepped onto that plane, you would be letting him go, maybe forever. That's what she meant. Your friends would always be there, but he wouldn't. He couldn't.

Forcing the thought of him out of your mind, you nodded and moved to hug each of them individually. As their ride parked at the curb, it suddenly occurred to you that the next time you saw them, you'd be saying goodbye again.

Sophia climbed into the car first, waving cheerily as Allie followed. You smiled at Luca, expecting him to do the same, but he remained still for a moment.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked softly. That alone was almost enough to make you cry, but you held it together, nodding convincingly once again, until he reluctantly backed away, knowing that you were lying but not wanting to confront you about it, not now.

"Okay, I'm just checking. See you at the airport, Y/N."