Flufftober 2022 - Sebastian x Reader

Day 6 - Candles, Lanterns, Fairy Lights

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Fuck these Yoba-forsaken mines!

It's been two hours. Two hours. You haven't even gotten down five floors yet! You curse yourself for not listening when the TV's fortune teller warned you about the spirit's displeasure, but you figured that was just superstition. You can't help but second guess now as you slash your blade into yet another slime, trying to clear out this infested floor before you can adventure deeper.

You're caught off guard when a slime approaches you from behind, throwing its entire body forward into a lunge that nearly knocks you off your feet. You swing your sword toward the slime, but it's just out of your reach, and you see it rearing back to leap again. You already feel weak, but you know that you have to make it down one more floor if you want to reach the next elevator and turn its power on. Otherwise, you'll have to make up all of this progress again.

You dodge out of the way as the slime lunges again, recovering quickly to thrust your blade into the slime. It leaves a deep gash that starts to leak the goo-like substance that makes up the inside of the slime (is it blood? You're not really sure), but you know that one hit won't be enough to take it down. These things are shockingly resilient.

The slime leaps for you again, and this time you aren't able to dodge, so the slime hits you full force and knocks you back several feet. You stumble and try to keep your balance, and even though your feet remain under you, you can feel the damage that the slime did. You'll have heavy bruises for the next few days, at least.

Your vision sways a little and you feel an unpleasant pounding in your head, a sure sign that you're going to pass out soon. But you refuse to give up. You will not be giving these damn slimes the pleasure of defeating you, even if you faint because of it.

The slime moves to charge you again, but this time, you stare it head-on, and when it starts to jump you swing your sword with expert ability, causing a large gash to form across the slime's entire body. That same goo starts to pour out of the large cut and the slime soon crumples to the ground, melding into the ground and forming a ladder to the floor below. Well, that's some weird-ass magic.

You use your last remaining strength to push yourself down the ladder, then head over to the elevator and switch the breaker next to it on. That supplies power to this part of the elevator shaft, making it operable again. You feel around the wall in your dazed state to find the elevator button, and when it's located, you wait for the elevator itself to descend to your floor before stumbling into it and letting it carry you back to the entrance of the mines.

When the elevator dings and the grated doors slide open, you step out into the large cavern and collapse against the wall, finally allowing yourself a moment to just breathe. The dim light of the lanterns posted around the walls is the only thing illuminating the area, but it's nice. You don't think your eyes could handle anything brighter.

"You look like you're in rough shape." You look up, completely startled, having not even realized that you weren't alone. Even though your vision is still black around the edges, you can make out Sebastian standing next to the cave's entrance, a cigarette held between his pointer and middle fingers.

You don't even have the energy to respond, you just shake your head up and down in a pathetic nod. Sebastian smirks knowingly.

"Here, take this, I think you need it." Sebastian reaches into his pocket with his free hand and pulls something out, tossing it across the cave towards you. It isn't until you catch it that you realize what it is: an energy bar. "Eat up."

"Thank you," you mumble weakly, tearing the corner off the wrapping with your teeth and then cracking off a piece of the bar to put in your mouth. As soon as you've swallowed the first bite, you already feel a little better. The darkness has left your vision and your blinding headache has reduced to a gentle throbbing.

Sebastian pushes himself off the wall he was leaning on and makes his way across the cave to sit next to you. A subtle scent of cigarette smoke wafts off of him, but it isn't necessarily bad. It just smells like Sebastian. A mix of smoke and cologne that you sort of love.

He lowers himself to the ground next to you and snuffs out the cigarette on the floor of the cave, which you do appreciate. Though you don't much mind the smell, you're not sure if your damaged body could handle straight smoke right now.

"What are you doing in here?" you ask once you've finished off the energy bar. It really did work wonders for you. You still feel incredibly drained, but no longer in danger of passing out with one wrong move. It'll be enough to get you through the rest of the evening, at least. "I thought you usually smoked over by the lake."

You're also not sure why exactly you have Sebastian's basic schedule memorized. You've started to take note of where you see him and when lately, and you guess that your brain has started subconsciously keeping track of it, for some unknown reason. Though it is nice to know whereabout he'll be, if you ever do need him for something. Partner in crime, remember?

"I do, but it's pouring rain," he replies. It's only then that you notice how right he is. Sheets of rain are thundering down to the ground outside, and it's honestly a miracle that the cave is as dry as it is. A little bit of water has started to seep in from outside, but storms this heavy usually didn't last super long, so you figure you're safe to stay in the cavern for a little while. "Can't exactly smoke in this, and Mom won't let me do it in the house."

"I don't know why you smoke in the first place. It isn't exactly good for you," you point out, but you don't realize exactly how rude it sounds until the words escape your lips. Sebastian doesn't seem to mind much, though, but a small sigh does escape his lips.

"I don't know what to tell you," he admits. His face looks shallow in the low light of the cave's lanterns, and it makes him look more solemn. "Maybe it's an escape. Maybe I do it because I don't care if it kills me. Maybe it's just something that feels like a small rebellion. I really don't know."

You purse your lips together. That's not the answer you expected. "Well, you at least shouldn't do it just because you don't care if it kills you. There are lots of people here that would be sad if you died."

Sebastian doesn't respond, but he has an almost shamed look on his face, which makes your heart pang with guilt. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad, just... there are a lot of people here who care about you. Myself included."

"You barely know me." He doesn't say it like it's an accusation, instead there's a bit of humour to his voice, like he thinks you're joking.

"Yeah, well, I know enough to know that I'd be sad to lose you. Just think about that, okay?"

Sebastian stays quiet, but after a few moments of silence, he responds. "Okay."

His smoke breaks by the lake seemed much less frequent after that.

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