Work Text:
Sebastian Solace was an interesting person. This was something that was becoming more and more apparent, the longer you knew him. It had become part of your routine to stop at his shop and stay half an hour or so each run you did. As much as the two of you bantered and bickered, you were becoming closer and it was nice to have someone you could trust in this hellish situation. Plus just having someone to joke with and talk to was nice.
Today as you pulled yourself out of the vent, Sebastian greeted you. “There’s my favorite angler chew toy. I was beginning to think they’d gotten you for good.”
You rolled your eyes and sat near him. “It hasn’t been that long, Sebastian. You’re getting clingy. You can just say you missed me.”
He scoffed and started fiddling with the batteries on the table next to him. You expected a response but he didn't say anything. Silence fell between the two of you for a bit and then you looked at him and smirked. “You did miss me.”
He wasn’t facing you so you weren’t entirely sure but you think his face flushed a bit in response. “Miss you? No,” he said after a second, still not looking at you. “The research you bring me on the other hand…” He finally turned back to you, once again looking composed. “Speaking of which, I have a medkit for you. You don’t look injured but you do tend to throw yourself into danger so I assume…”
You frowned. “Just because I want a medkit doesn’t mean you're right.” It made him laugh and you smiled. He had a really nice laugh when it wasn’t mocking. “Also, you’re telling me if I came and didn’t buy anything you’d kick me out?”
“Immediately.”
You leaned back against his tail and almost immediately he curled it around you. You glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. “Careful. Someone might think you care.”
“You’re talking an awful lot today,” Sebastian muttered. He was flushed again. “If it bothered you, you’d move.”
He was right, you were both very aware of that fact, and now you were both flustered and avoiding eye contact. There was a very long silence and you started tracing your fingers up and down the end of his tail. He twitched slightly and when you glanced at him, he seemed to be holding back a smile. You grinned. “Sebastian?”
“If you touch me I will strangle you,” he said immediately and your smile only widened. His tail quickly unraveled from around you.
“You’re ticklish,” you accused, reaching back towards his tail. You barely moved before he grabbed you, picking you up seemingly effortlessly and suspending you in a makeshift air jail.
“You’re imagining things.” He was blushing hard and you couldn’t help but admit he was cute.
Of course, your next move was to tease him. “No need to be embarrassed, Sebby. I won’t tell your secret. You’re lucky you’re stronger than me, though, I bet you’d look so cute if I tickled you.”
He all but threw you across the room in response. You’d bet money that his face would be steaming if that were possible. “Get out.” He probably meant to sound threatening but in his flustered state it just sounded like he was whining. He tossed the medkit at you.
“Don’t I owe you for this?” you asked, taking a few steps closer to him.
“No, it’s fine. One time discount. Get out. Now.”
It was starting to look like he’d explode if you stayed there any longer so you decided to give him a break and take your leave now. “Alright I’m going. Don’t miss me too much, that’s how we got here in the first place.” You duck back into the vent, leaving Sebastian to wallow in his embarrassed puddle. Giggling to yourself, you continued your run, excited for the next time you got the chance to invade his shop.
The second you’d left the shop, Sebastian buried his face in his hands, feeling the heat radiating off his face. Your words echoed in his head and it only made his face burn hotter. As much as he wanted to deny any feelings, it was clearly way too late for that. He dreaded the teasing that he was sure would come the second you were back in his shop but that was an issue for future Sebastian. Current Sebastian had wanted you out before he exploded.
He imagined that in another universe the two of you could have grown closer together outside of the confines of this horrible facility but he struggled to see a way it would work with your current situation. He sighed, shaking off the residual embarrassment and began reorganizing his shop. As much as he liked you, which he did… a lot, it probably wasn’t anything serious. But he could hope and he most definitely would.