Sebastian
Seb tossedand turned in bed after another sleepless night. Pure fright forced him to keep his eyes on the window and the door as he hugged a pillow to his chest and fought off the nightmares. He felt like a total wimp, especially when he started debating whether he should just go knock on Declan’s door and ask to sleep in his room, where he knew he would be protected.
Humiliating. But something deep down in Seb’s gut believed it was the only way he could feel safe. Instead, he went with one of his old tricks, flipping on and mutingOuran High School Host Club, one of his favorite anime series. Ever since he was a kid, Seb had obsessively watched cartoons set in high schools. He might not have had a social life of his own, but immersing himself in the dramatic antics of the cartoons provided some small comfort, with the characters offering an approximation of actual friendship, and the stories so familiar he didn’t even need to turn the volume on to follow along.
Seb curled up under the covers a while longer, then groaned and kicked his legs out of the blankets. Finding companionship from cartoons was one thing, but this burning desire to turn to his bodyguard seemed even more absurd, all things considered.
It must have been sleep deprivation, because a few days earlier, Declan had seemed the opposite of safe.
Like the other morning, Seb caught Declan snarling at his own reflection. That wasn’t comforting, or protective. It was something a rabid wolf would do.
He walked into the kitchen. At least he had lots of experience hiding his feelings. A lifetime surrounded by paid help who were terrified of his father hadn’t really given him a lot of shoulders to cry on.
The lights flashed, and the bell chimed out to announce someone was at the door. Seb’s father had thrown a few extra security guards on the job immediately, so Seb knew he shouldn’t have felt jumpy about the bell ringing. The guard working yesterday hadn’t even been hurt, just tied up.
Still, though, he practically held his breath until he saw who was on the other side of the door.
When he pulled it open, his father stormed into the house, followed immediately by a crew that breezed past Seb and headed to the lab. People in white suits carried buckets, jugs of cleaner, and a massive new window. Seb’s father had promised to repair the damage that was done to the laboratory quickly, but Seb still sometimes forgot exactly how quickly people moved when Horizon Zed was involved.
“Oh, hello, Father.” Seb straightened his back. Like anytime they were around each other, he was immediately self-conscious and withdrawn. His father was an imposing man, with silver hair and steel eyes. He spent every day of his life in a dark suit, and when he spoke, he usually talked in commands.
Seb didn’t think reputation or power were what made him so shy around his father, though. It was simply because the man was a stranger to Seb. Seb’s mother died when he was very young, and his father quickly sent him off to schools where he could pursue his “gift.” The more Seb withdrew into his studies, the harder it was to connect the rare times they ended up in the same place, at holidays and special functions.
Long story short, Seb’s father didn’t really care about his son. But he did provide that son with a home, a comfortable allowance, and a state-of-the-art lab, so Seb tried his best to smile and remain pleasant.
“Thanks for coming by.”
“Your laboratory is fine? Only superficial damage, it sounds like.”
“Yes,” Seb agreed. “Nothing needs to be replaced in that front.” They stood in the middle of the large greeting room by the entrance, and Seb wasn’t sure if he should invite the man to sit or to take the jacket he left partially buttoned.
“That’s good,” his father said, nodding. After a moment, he turned, walking into the kitchen, and Seb followed along behind, wishing he weren’t in his pajamas.
He grabbed onto the fact that his father had asked about the lab, taking some small comfort in it. His support of Seb’s work was the closest they had to an actual bond. A lot of the family genes must have skipped a generation, but Seb did inherit the work drive and intense focus.
“Have you eaten breakfast?” Seb asked. “Or I can put on some coffee.”
His father shook his head quickly. “No, I can’t stay.”
Seb nodded. “I’m doing okay,” he said. His father hadn’t actually asked, but he felt like it should be said anyway. “Just a little shaken.”
“Yes, Sebastian, fine. And we’ve added the extra security, of course.” He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, then handed Seb a business card. “If you need anything, that’s the best assistant to contact, regarding the security of your home.”
“Right,” Seb answered, fingering the card. “If I need anything, I’ll let her know.”
“And you’re sure you want to stay put? We could send you off to London for the rest of the season, or the Florida home.”
“No, this is where my lab is. If you’re confident in the extra security, I’d like to remain with my work.”
At that moment, the doors flew open to the other wing, and Declan wandered out. He had a black thermal shirt over a pair of scuffed-up jeans, and he stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely as he strolled into the kitchen, flashing his gold tooth. “What’s this racket about?” he asked.
Seb caught the look on his father’s face, which hit a middle ground somewhere between disgust and disdain. He blushed, horrified his father was about to say something insulting or hurtful to Declan, or Declan something that offended his father.
“Father, this is Declan, the man who kept me safe during the invasion,” he said quickly. Something inside of Seb grew a bit when he said it, proud to name what Declan had done. It was actually very heroic, he realized, although he got the impression Declan wouldn’t want him to say as much. “And Declan, this is my father, Mr. Peterson.”
Seb’s father squinted, scrutinizing Declan, and Declan stared back, unfazed. Finally, Seb’s father nodded. “Thank you for your work,” he said. “You’re residing in the house here, is that right?”
“And I didn’t even get any blood on the carpet,” Declan said with a grin.
