Chapter XIII

Sebastian broke the tension with a low chuckle, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "But now, we can have some fun," he said, his voice teasing as he leaned back, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

Anne raised an eyebrow, unsure whether she should be excited or worried. "Fun? What kind of fun are you talking about, exactly?"

Before she could react, Sebastian made his move. With a quick, fluid motion, he suddenly grabbed her waist and, with a playful grin, threw her onto the bed. Anne gasped in surprise, her eyes widening as she landed with a soft bounce on the mattress. She stared up at him, frozen for a moment, unsure of what was happening. He was now "on" her . 

"Sebastian, what—" she started, but her words were cut off as she felt his fingers brush against her neck. He was dangerously close, his hand resting there for a moment, his fingers light against her skin. Her breath hitched, a confusing mix of anticipation and uncertainty filling her as she looked up at him.

But just as she started to wonder what he was planning, his fingers started to move in a sudden, unexpected motion.

 He was tickling her. 

"Sebastian! No!" she yelped, her body moving in surprise as he continued to tease her with quick, light touches along her neck and under her chin.

Anne burst into laughter, trying to wiggle away from his relentless teasing, her hands instinctively reaching up to push him away. "Stop! Stop it, I swear I'm gonna—" she barely managed to gasp between fits of laughter, her words turning into more giggles.

Sebastian grinned, clearly enjoying every second of her helpless laughter. "Oh, come on, Anne," he teased, his voice dripping with amusement. "You're not getting away that easily." He continued his relentless tickling, his fingers dancing along her sides, making her squirm even more. His hand changed to her waist, continuing.

Anne, now completely caught off guard by his attack, laughed uncontrollably, trying desperately to escape his grasp. "Sebastian! You're evil!" she managed to shout between her laughs, her body twitching as she tried to stop his hands from finding her weak spots.

"Evil?" he teased back, his tone playful but still full of that confident swagger. "I'm just having some fun with you, Anne. Don't be such a loser."

She tried to swat his hands away, but every time she thought she'd pushed him off, he'd return with another round of tickles, making her laugh harder. Her face flushed with laughter and a hint of embarrassment, but she couldn't help it. The whole situation was so ridiculous—and, in some strange way, it felt oddly freeing.

Anne, still laughing uncontrollably, managed to wriggle free for a second, but with one final push, she threw Sebastian back onto the bed. His surprised yelp filled the air just as he landed, and before he could react, she was already on top of him, straddling him with her legs on either side. His legs were trapped underneath hers, and for a brief moment, they both froze.

Anne froze for a moment, her mind catching up with the situation as she suddenly realized exactly where she was—straddling Sebastian with her hands still firmly squeezing his cheeks. Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she refused to back down. "I will kill you for this, you damn bastard," she growled, her voice laced with both irritation and disbelief at what had just happened.

Sebastian, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. He simply chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, I don't think you will," he teased, his tone full of confidence. "Only If you planned this position."

Anne was now very aware of how her legs were wrapped around his, how his body was pinned underneath hers, and how he was looking up at her with that signature smirk. She immediately tried to shift her weight, but there was no escaping the situation. Sebastian was enjoying every second of it, and his teasing only made things worse.

She hissed, her grip on his cheeks tightening just a little more. "I swear, Sebastian, you're going to regret this."

Sebastian's eyes glinted with amusement. "Regret? I'm actually quite enjoying myself," he replied smoothly. "And you seem to be having a good time too."

Anne shot him a glare, her annoyance evident. "This is not funny," she said, but the words were coming out with less force than she intended. The situation was too ridiculous to take seriously, and part of her couldn't deny that she was enjoying the strange playfulness between them.

Sebastian's smirk only widened. "You're in a pretty bold position, Anne," he teased, his voice low and smooth. "Do you even realize what you've done?"

Anne scoffed, trying to act unaffected. "I know exactly what I'm doing," she shot back, though she couldn't shake the sense of unease that crept up on her. She was on top of him, and the way he was looking at her—almost like he was savoring the moment—made her feel like she was the one who was trapped.

"So you planed to make me this hard ," The big smirk was playing on his face. This was official breaking their comfort zone. And Anne, the rush of embarrassment and awkwardness were playing inside her. 

"YOU BASTARD!" Anne yelled, trying to push herself off him, but Sebastian was quick. In one smooth move, he pulled her back down, hugging her tightly to him, making it impossible for her to get up. Anne's face flushed a deep shade of red as she struggled against his hold. 

"Aww did someone got shy."

Anne shot him a glare, her embarrassment growing with every second that passed. "You're being an idiot," she muttered under her breath, half-laughing and half-annoyed. "Why do you have to be this bold?"

Sebastian smirked, his grip still firm around her. "Boldness is part of making new boundaries," he said with complete seriousness, though the glint of mischief in his eyes betrayed his teasing nature. "You should try it sometime. It's freeing."

Anne felt a knot form in her stomach, both from his audacity and the fact that he seemed so calm and unbothered by the situation. She tried to push against him again, but his embrace only seemed to tighten, holding her right where she was. And then she actually realized it, or better say feel it. A sudden heat was coming through her body, as she knew what was she sitting on.

"You're impossible," she muttered, but her words held less venom than before. She was too embarrassed to keep up the act.

Sebastian's smirk only grew as he relaxed into the moment. "Am I?" He leaned back slightly, just enough to look her in the eye. "I think you're starting to enjoy it more than you're willing to admit."

Anne couldn't meet his gaze. Her heart was racing, but she wasn't sure if it was from frustration or something else. She fidgeted in his embrace, still trapped in the awkwardness of the situation.

"You make me crazy," she whispered, half-laughing, half-sighing. "You always do this to me."

Sebastian chuckled under his breath. "I make you crazy?" he repeated, his voice low and amused. "Darling, you made this position. You think I am not going crazy inside, let's be adults."

Anne closed her eyes for a brief moment, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable," she muttered, the embarrassment still written across her face.

"But you're not mad," Sebastian noted, his grin widening as he shifted to prop himself up on his elbows. "You're just embarrassed. That's the fun part."

Anne groaned, trying once again to break free, but the more she fought, the more Sebastian seemed to enjoy it. She was both infuriated and, for reasons she couldn't fully understand, entertained by his relentless teasing.

"I hate you," she said, trying to sound serious, but the light laughter bubbling up inside her betrayed her.

Sebastian's grip softened for a moment, and he gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "No you don't," he murmured, his voice suddenly softer, more sincere.

He looked at her, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, with a grin, he added, "Just remember, I'm making the boundaries now. So you can either stay mad or enjoy it."

Anne let out a sigh, her frustration melting away as she leaned on Sebastian's shoulder, her head resting against him. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a loose hug, her body relaxed against his.

Sebastian looked down at her, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Isn't it better like this?" he asked quietly, his voice teasing but gentle. He could feel the soft tension in her shoulders ease as she relaxed further into his embrace.

Anne didn't respond at first. Instead, she tried to shush him playfully, her lips brushing against his neck as she mumbled, "Shut up, Sebastian."

But even in the lightheartedness of the moment, she couldn't hide the soft smile tugging at her lips. There was something comforting about his presence, about being held by him like this, even in the midst of their usual banter.

Sebastian, noticing the shift in her mood, didn't press further. Instead, he let the moment stretch between them, his hand lightly resting on her back. "So," he began, voice dropping to a quieter tone. "How's your university going? Are you getting everything under control?"

Anne shifted slightly, her cheek now resting against his collarbone as she spoke. "It's alright," she replied, her voice soft but thoughtful. "Math's been a struggle, though. I've been practicing non-stop, I am waiting for results."

Sebastian nodded, his thumb gently tracing circles on her back, comforting her without saying much. "You've been working hard, though," he murmured. "I know you'll do great."

Anne lifted her head slightly to look at him, her expression a mix of gratitude and mild concern. "I really hope so. I hate waiting for the results." She leaned back slightly, crossing her arms and sitting up just enough to look him in the eyes. "I know you've been helping me, but I don't know if I'm ready for what's coming."

Sebastian chuckled softly, his eyes softening as he watched her. "You'll be fine," he said confidently. "And if you need help again, you know where to find me." His tone was teasing, but the sincerity underneath it was impossible to ignore.

Anne smiled, leaning in to rest her head against his shoulder once more. "I'll hold you to that," she teased, her voice light. 

They sat there for a while, talking about everything and nothing, the conversation shifting easily between their usual teasing and more serious topics. It was one of those moments where everything seemed to slow down—no pressure, no expectations, just the quiet comfort of being together. As Sebastian continued to hold her hand, his thumb tracing small patterns on her palm, Anne realized just how much she'd grown to rely on him—not just for help with university or anything else, but for these quiet moments when she could just be herself. And she had to admit, she was starting to enjoy this much more than she'd expected.