Chapter IX

The air outside was crisp, the chill biting against her exposed skin. She should have brought a thicker jacket, but she'd been too focused on, to think about that.

Sebastian noticed. Of course he did.

"You're blushing." he added as always, telling the facts.

Anne's head snapped toward him. "What? No, I'm not."

He chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "Oh? So that's not a blush?"

"No," she huffed. "It's cold."

Sebastian made a thoughtful sound before, without warning, slipping off his jacket.

Anne immediately took a step back. "No, I don't need—"

Before she could finish, he draped it over her shoulders and then—zipped it up himself.

She froze. But not because of weather, but of his actions. 

His hands worked the zipper smoothly, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. The warmth of his jacket instantly surrounded her, and the lingering scent of him—something crisp and clean, like winter air and a hint of coffee—filled her senses.

"There," Sebastian said, stepping back with a smug expression. "Now you're double warm."

Anne stared at him, flustered beyond belief.

And then—because of course he couldn't just leave it at that—he smirked and added, "Still blushing, though."

Anne clenched her fists. "I swear to god—"

"Ah, ah." He held up a hand. "No need to thank me."

"You are an actual two faced demon"

He chuckled, his breath visible in the cold night air. "Sure."

Anne gritted her teeth, determined to not let him win. So, with the most casual tone she could muster, she said, "Fine. I'll keep the jacket. But if I find even one weird thing in these pockets, I'm throwing it at your face."

Sebastian's smirk only grew. "Deal."

They walked in silence for a few moments, the cold night wrapping around them. Anne focused on keeping her breathing steady, not letting her mind spiral over the fact that she was now wearing his jacket.

The game between them was shifting, evolving. And Anne wasn't sure who was winning.

The quiet between them stretched as they continued walking. Anne could still feel the warmth of his jacket, the scent of it lingering too close. She kept her expression neutral, refusing to give Sebastian the satisfaction of knowing just how much he was getting under her skin. But then he broke the silence.

"Tell me," he said, his tone casual but edged with something deeper, "was my tutoring too much for today?"

Anne frowned slightly, glancing at him. "What?"

He tilted his head. "Did I push too far with your comfort zone?"

Anne was caught off guard by the directness. She expected him to just keep smirking, keep playing his usual mind games. But instead, here he was, actually asking. The feeling of him being close to her, her neck mostly, sent her a shiver . She got a little awkward back there but she was teasing him. She did not mean anything bad.

She hesitated, then exhaled through her nose. "You're really asking this?"

Sebastian nodded, his gaze steady. "Of course."

Anne glanced ahead, thinking. Finally, she shrugged. "You are a bit of unpredictable."

He smirked. "That's a yes."

She rolled her eyes. "No, that's a statement."

He huffed a quiet laugh. "So, no regrets?"

Anne hesitated for half a second too long.

Sebastian caught it. His smirk deepened, but instead of teasing her more, he just hummed in amusement. "Noted."

Anne groaned. "You bastard."

"I know."

They walked a bit more before Sebastian spoke again. "Bring the jacket tomorrow."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? You don't need it?"

"Not tonight."

Anne gave him a suspicious look. "You sure? Maybe I should keep it. It's warm."

"Oh, you will keep it," he said easily, "until tomorrow's game. Then, I expect it back With you of course." He again had that smirk. 

She crossed her arms under the thick fabric. "You're making this weird."

Sebastian smirked. "Oh? Says the girl still wearing my jacket."

Anne groaned again. He's impossible.

They reached her place, and just before she stepped inside, Sebastian gave her a pointed look. "Don't be late tomorrow."

Anne scoffed. "I'm never late."

Sebastian's eyes flickered with something unreadable, and then, almost too softly, he said, "We'll see."

The next day, Anne decided to go to the session early. Not too early—just enough to return the jacket before anyone else arrived. She didn't want to deal with questions or any situations.

When she got there, the apartment was quiet.

Perfect.

She stepped inside, slipping the jacket off as she looked around. Sebastian wasn't here yet. She placed the jacket on the back of the chair and exhaled, feeling strangely satisfied with herself.

But then—

"Oh? What's this?"

Anne froze.

The voice wasn't Sebastian's.

She turned her head slowly and saw Nathan, leaning against the far wall with a raised eyebrow.

Oh, shit.

Nathan crossed his arms, an amused smirk forming on his face. "Did you just... return Sebastian's jacket?"

Anne immediately went into damage control mode. "No?"

Nathan let out a laugh. "Yeah, that was convincing."

Anne huffed. "Shut up."

Nathan stepped closer, eyeing the jacket draped over Sebastian's chair. "So, what's going on between you two?"

Anne refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer. "Nothing."

Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure. And I suppose he just accidentally lent you his jacket last night?"

Anne crossed her arms. "It was cold."

Nathan grinned. "And Sebastian, out of the kindness of his heart, decided to be a gentleman?"

Anne narrowed her eyes. "Why are you even here this early?"

Nathan shrugged. "Because I live near here. And sometimes, I like to get settled in before everyone else." His smirk widened. "Guess I wasn't the only one with that idea today."

Anne clenched her jaw. "I swear to god, if you say one word to Sebastian about this—"

Nathan laughed. "Oh, I don't need to." He nodded toward the door. "Because he just got here."

Anne turned just as Sebastian stepped inside, his gaze immediately landing on her—and then shifting to the jacket on his chair.

His smirk was instant.

"Well," he said, stepping closer, "looks like someone's been in a hurry to return my things."

Anne groaned, rubbing her temples. This is a disaster.

Nathan, of course, was having the time of his life watching this unfold. "Oh, don't mind me," he said, smirking. "I'll just—be over here. Observing."

Sebastian ignored him, his attention fully on Anne. He reached for his jacket, lifting it slightly. "You didn't have to come this early."

Anne scowled. "I didn't want an audience."

Sebastian chuckled. "A shame. Because now Nathan knows."

Nathan raised a hand. "Oh, I suspected something was going on, but this? This confirms it."

Anne shot him a glare. "You're enjoying this way too much."

Nathan grinned. "Absolutely."

Sebastian, ever composed, simply took his seat, draping the jacket over his chair. He was clearly pleased. "Well, this is interesting."

Anne exhaled sharply, sitting down across from him. "Let's just start the game."

Sebastian smirked. "Oh, don't worry, warlock. The game never stops."

Anne wasn't sure if he was talking about the campaign or whatever the hell was happening between them.

Either way, she was in trouble.

As soon as Sebastian stepped into the bathroom, Anne moved fast. She crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed Nathan by the collar, pulling him close.

His eyes widened in amused surprise. "Oh? Getting aggressive already?"

Anne tightened her grip. "Listen carefully," she said, her voice low and threatening. "If you breathe a word of this to the others, I swear, Nebesty might accidentally get your character killed."

Nathan blinked, then let out a quiet chuckle. "Wow. Cold-blooded, Anne. I'm almost impressed."

She yanked him closer. "I'm not joking."

Nathan smirked. "Alright, alright. I won't say anything... if—" he paused for dramatic effect, "—you tell me what's actually going on between you and Sebastian."

Anne's grip tightened slightly. "Are you serious?"

Nathan grinned. "Dead serious. I just need one word. Just one."

Anne hesitated, her mind racing.

Then—a knock on the bathroom door.

She panicked. Without thinking, she hissed out the first word that came to mind.

"Dating."

Nathan's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, what—?"

But before he could process it, Anne shoved him away. He lost his balance and fell back into his chair just as the front door opened, and the rest of the group stepped in.

Eric and Liam walked in first, followed by Sebastian, who emerged from the bathroom, adjusting his glasses. His sharp gaze flicked to Nathan on the floor.

Nathan scrambled up, coughing. "Uh. I—tripped."

Eric gave him a weird look. "Dude... how?"

Anne calmly sat in her chair, pretending nothing happened. "He's just being clumsy," she said smoothly.

Nathan shot her a look, but she kept her expression neutral.

Sebastian, however, was watching both of them closely. His lips curled slightly, as if he knew something had just happened—but he didn't say a word.

Instead, he just smirked. "Shall we begin?"

Anne exhaled, trying to focus. But she could still feel Nathan's eyes on her.

Shit.

She just hoped he wouldn't actually hold her to that one word.