by Lola Gabriel
“Sad? It’s beautiful,” he corrected. “No matter what life and their relationship put them through, they were always going to end up together. What they had was real.”
“I didn’t expect you to have such a romantic explanation,” Winter commented. “That actually really is a sweet movie. I was a kid when it came out, so I guess I didn’t really get it and just knew my mom was crying the whole way through.” Her words ended in light giggles, the tone of which was warm and musical.
“You’ve mentioned your mom a couple times. Are the two of you close?”
Winter tensed, and guilt immediately sieged Sebastian’s gut. Family was a sensitive topic for a lot of people, much more so within an hour or so of knowing them. He should have known to stay away from the topic.
“No, we were never all that close. She had the best intentions, but not the best execution when it came to being a mom.”
That was putting it simply, and Sebastian knew it. His heart cried out for her, wanting to know all of the injustices which had ever dared to enter her life. They would have time to get to that moving forward. Right then, he wanted to keep things light and positive.
“I can relate to that pretty well,” he said in an attempt to smooth things over. “Oh, I didn’t ask you. What’s your favorite movie?”
The instant relief was evident in the small, genuine smile that brightened Winter’s face. “I kind of want to say something artistic, but I would be lying to the both of us. It’s The Little Mermaid.” As they both chuckled, Sebastian out of surprise and Winter from embarrassment, their gazes happened to meet.
“Why is that? Is the story of escaping the world you live in and starting over in an exciting new one relatable to you?” When Sebastian had first started to speak, he had the intention of asking his question as a joke, but as the words were coming out and he looked deeper into her eyes, he began to see the things that really lingered inside the darkest crevasses of Winter’s mind. Now it was him who turned his face away, nervously scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry, that was meant to be a joke.”
“It’s okay,” Winter said, “I put my foot in my mouth all the time as well.”
Sebastian was relieved to hear her playful digs, fearing he might have weirded her out. When he panned around and took in his surroundings, he was shocked to realize just how far they had wandered off. While they were around one another, it was as if time didn’t exist, like they were the only ones in the city. Their bond was far more overwhelming than Sebastian remembered it being. Was it because of the amount of time they had been apart, or was it because of something Sebastian couldn’t think of and should be concerned about?
“Would you like to go see a movie and maybe have a bite to eat after?” he suggested, trying to steer them in a different direction while also trying to establish that what they were doing was a date. There was still no doubt in his mind about what they inherently were to each other, but he still wanted to try and abide by modern dating customs to help Winter comfortably discover that what she was feeling was real. He couldn’t imagine what was going through her head.
Winter gave him a contented smile. “Sure, that sounds nice. I haven’t been to the movies in forever.”
“It’s a date then.” He grinned, using the phrase in the same charming way he often overheard his brother, Theo, use it. Gaining a rush of courage, Sebastian allowed his hand swaying by Winter’s to brush against it before cupping their palms together. Right away, he could feel her eyes fixated on their hands as he kept his attention forward to act almost as if he were unaware he had done it. Winter’s hand never flinched.
They ventured around downtown as the sun fell closer to the horizon, frequently finding themselves so involved in one another that accidentally colliding with other passerby was not uncommon, and they wound up straying down unfamiliar roads. There was no such thing as time. It didn’t matter how long it took them to find the local theatre, having the best time Sebastian had experienced in centuries. They talked about anything and everything with honesty and selective openness. It was an unspoken agreement that they would share as much as they were comfortable with, allowing them to keep more personal things at bay for the time being. In those moments, when they spoke vaguely to hide their pasts or feelings, neither would push the other to disclose information.
The only way Sebastian could comprehend the understanding they had for one another was to compare it to an old friend who always kept secrets, knew what topics to never ask about, and could tell with one glance whether or not something was wrong with you. That was how it felt talking to Winter, despite just getting to know her. Winter must have felt it, too, and she either accepted it or only allowed herself to get lost in the feeling to forget that she was no longer bringing up walls when they grew too comfortable with one another. She seemed to have trusted him, and that warmed Sebastian’s heart.
Their journey through the maze of roads and alleys in the heart of the city came to an end when a short walk into the park revealed it was movie night.
“We did want to go to the movies,” Sebastian said in a tone that was nothing short of persuasive. Of course, he would have loved to treat Winter out to a movie, but he didn’t want to sit in silence that long. They were having such amazing discussions that he wasn’t quite ready to let it go. At that point in Sebastian’s eternity, he hadn’t been social with others to the extent of yearning to converse in over a millennium.
As if there had been any doubt that Winter would have turned it down, his heart sang with joy as her entire face lit up.
Still a romantic, a thought echoed faintly. Still hand-in-hand, Sebastian and Winter made the trek down a rather steep grassy null. They found a tree nestled near the bottom of the hill and far enough from the other patrons that they could talk without disturbing other moviegoers, but not too far away to the point they had a poor view of the projector. The city employees overseeing the event had the projector rigged to a large, almost industrial-like tripod that sat about one hundred feet from the cinema-sized projector screen. Sebastian found it to be somewhat of an eyesore in the middle of the park’s lawn, but then recalled once overhearing people talk about how the local film students would keep the ugly tripod decorated in meaningful graffiti and posters throughout the school year—like a protestor chaining themselves to a tree, only this was certainly a more proactive approach.
Settling onto the cold ground and dying grass, Sebastian wished that he could have foreseen this happening so that he would have had a blanket for the two of them to lay on. However, they would suffice, and the cold was surprisingly refreshing against his warm skin.
“Have you come to this park before?” he asked as he glanced over to watch Winter zip her jacket and fold her arms. A concerned frown forced his lips to curl down. “Are you cold? Do you need my jacket?”
Before she had the chance to react with an answer, Sebastian was sliding off his suit jacket and holding it just above her shoulders, making sure not to fully act before receiving feedback. When Winter nodded in agreement, he draped the silk-lined Armani layer carefully over her frame.
“Won’t you be cold, though?” Winter frowned.
“Definitely not. I’m hot-blooded. It feels nice like this to me. Cold, but more refreshing than not.”
“More power to you, crazy,” she laughed lightly. “I was always the kid in school who wore jackets year-round, even indoors.”
“Welcome, everyone! Thank you all for coming out on such a chilly night to spend some time together as a community. This week is our fan pick, and the raffle winner from our last event has chosen a family favorite, The Blind Side. So be ready to get inspired to want to make a difference—and get out your tissues, folks.”
The disembodied voice came over the strategically placed speakers in nearby trees throughout that section of the park. The Blind Side? Sebastian had been hopelessly wishing that it would have been a movie to match the theme of their day. Love, destiny, suspense.
“I don’
t think I’ve seen this one,” he commented as he leaned back on his hands.
“He was kind to remind people to have tissues handy,” Winter dryly joked.
“So you’re okay with this? We can go to the theatre, if you’d rather see something else.”
“You can relax. This is a good movie. Yeah, it’s sad, but I’ve seen it dozens of times. This is still just as nice as when we made the decision to come.”
There it was again, that crystal clear communication with minimal verbal or facial cues that only dear old friends could achieve. The emotional shift in that evening alone was astounding. The more they talked, the more they opened up and grew comfortable with one another. The speed of their willingness to embrace what they were feeling was new to Sebastian. To that day, he didn’t think he had been in an argument as ugly as the ones that Lucia and he had leading up to her accepting they were soulmates. She had wanted nothing to do with a soldier and tried to force herself to hate him. Justifiably, Sebastian had made that an easy goal to achieve by being a cold, heartless vessel of violence and hatred.
You’re doing it again, he scolded himself. Sebastian didn’t like thinking of Winter as Lucia. Admittedly, for the first hour or so of being around her, it had been almost impossible to not synonymize the two. He was working on it, though. Winter deserved to be treated as her own individual in the era she was born into. Yet when he would catch those small glimpses of her, and especially at certain angles, he had to stop himself from reaching for Lucia’s face. Trying to sort out how he was supposed to feel about the situation was beginning to ignite a tender aching that seemed to manifest itself in the center of Sebastian’s head. All of it was not relative to the moment, and the time he and Winter were spending together was the only aspect that held any importance.
When the movie began, they sat in a peaceful silence and would occasionally talk lowly to one another. Sebastian’s fingers combed through the dry, dying blades of grass to slip Winter’s hand into his. Only, he wasn’t anticipating just how chilly her touch would be. Taking in the sight of her, Sebastian cursed himself for suggesting they settle for the movie in the park. It was too cold for a human to sit comfortably in the winter chill without blankets and warm beverages. Another observation was just how little good his coat was doing, Winter’s entire body shaking like a rattlesnake’s tail.
Without thinking about what it was exactly he was doing, Sebastian closed the small distance between them and pulled Winter into his side. She gladly leaned into the embrace, resting her forehead against the crease of his neck. To warm her up faster, Sebastian wrapped both arms around her and kept his hands placed on top of one another against her side. It was in no way a “move” of any kind, but simply an act of compassion.
“You’re so warm,” Winter yawned contently.
“Hot-blooded, remember?” he teased. “Not getting tired, are you?” Winter adamantly shook her head while letting out another small yawn.
“No, no. Just been a long day.” Then her head snapped up to look at him, a blush taking over her cheeks. “I didn’t mean that my time with you has dragged on or anything. I got up really early to work the morning shift, then school and—”
The words caught in her throat as Sebastian’s index finger caressed her chin, and his thumb gradually traced her lower lip. His gaze held hers, wanting to see her reaction. He wanted so badly to kiss her, to be able to melt away all the mundane stress in her life. The most painful part of the entire process with Winter was the waiting. His heart burned to show her the love, passion, and support that came with their bond right away. Except that he didn’t want to scare her off—even if she knew in her heart that it was real, she would deny it because it wasn’t logically feasible. Being soulmates was not a force that could be boiled down to hormones and statistics. Sebastian was going to have to be patient and ease her into all of it when the time was right.
“You don’t have to apologize. I know what you meant,” he huskily said. His eyes grew dewy as he saw the acceptance and nervous excitement glistening in Winter’s. Sebastian boldly brushed his fingertips against her cheek, taking in the shape and committing it to memory. Winter’s eyes were screaming for him to kiss her already, and the temptation was almost too much to bear. He dropped his hand from her face, however, and calmly asserted, “We should probably get you home before it gets too late.”
Winter peeled back with a nod and began to stand, letting her curls fall in the way of her face to hide her flushed complexion. When he towered over her, Winter initiated taking off his jacket, but Sebastian stopped her with a hand planted firmly on her shoulder. “Keep it on, okay? I’m perfect without it.”
Reluctantly, she hugged it closer to herself. Sebastian walked by her side, noticing the silence that had befallen her since their intimate yet innocent embrace. Sebastian did his best not to worry over why that was so. Honestly, he wanted to just shut off his mind for a while. His thoughts had been running circles around one another and occasionally spiraling into memories and thoughts that he didn’t need to be reliving. Not to mention that he had been pouring over every detail of what could be, whether positive or negative. Perhaps he would use that night to read and give meditation another try.
During the walk to find Winter’s apartment, Sebastian had eventually gained the courage to loop an arm around her shoulders, wanting to protect her from the prickly breeze wafting through the city. Much to his relief, she once again leaned into his touch. When they approached her door and Winter stepped out from under his arm, Sebastian opened his arms to offer a hug. Winter answered with a lopsided grin, a guaranteed sign that she was past the point of exhaustion. It touched him to think about how she must have been fighting off sleep the entire time they were in the park in order to spend time with him.
Properly hugging her for the first time, Sebastian melted into a puddle of his own atomic matter. It was a conscious effort that kept him from burying his face in her hair and lifting her into his arms, to feel what he had been missing for so long. Chanting to himself that he must practice patience and self-control for the two of them to ever have a shot at being together, Sebastian kept the hug casual and pressed an airy kiss to Winter’s temple. Stepping back from one another, Winter found her keys in her bag and placed a hand on the doorknob.
This was the part Sebastian should have been preparing himself for but had not thought of it in the slightest: saying goodbye. Every fiber of his being begged him to charm his way into staying the night or convincing her to go out for a late-night coffee. It was his own selfish thoughts speaking for him. Winter had her own life and things to do. Sebastian was going to concern himself with only one thing, and that was establishing a line of communication, a way for them to contact one another.
“I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you for accepting my invitation. I think you’re perhaps the most fascinating company I have ever had. I mean, everything today was… was…” Sebastian struggled to find the word he was looking for.
“Surreal?” He nodded.
“Yeah, that.”
The tension between them, which had lingered from when Sebastian was holding Winter’s face in the park, returned. He couldn’t begin to differentiate their energies. The day was wearing on him as well. His heart was thumping low and slowly, his palms growing moist from sweat. Why was Sebastian so nervous to ask if Winter would want to exchange numbers? It was because of the conversation to follow, which was that he wanted to see her again. He was inwardly kicking himself for not having mentally prepared something during their time together.
“Listen,” Winter blurted out before taking a small, calming breath. “I don’t really know how to say this, but… Today was unlike anything I have ever experienced with another person. I’ve never ever in my life trusted a stranger the way that I trusted you today. Talking to you was anxiety-inducing at first because you are, you know, a little older than me and seemingly a lot more sophisticated. Then… I don’t know; it was as if I kept forgetting I had only m
et you today. While I may not know much, I do know you don’t just let the special ones walk out of your life.”
Winter’s head was turned toward the ground, and her bouncy curls further distracted from the sight of her face turning beet red. It put into perspective that Winter didn’t open up to people a whole lot, and so her willingness to do so, especially with a complete stranger, meant that much more. She was being vulnerable and putting what she perceived to be so much on the table.
“You may not believe me, Winter, because you’ve just said all of that, and it could come off that I’m trying to appease you,” Sebastian said. “I feel the same way you do, and I would love to have the opportunity to explore this with you a bit more. Explore it in a way that goes at the speed you need and are comfortable with.”
Winter let out a massive sigh, a hand flying to her forehead as she was overwhelmed by the relief of his statement. “I’m so glad you were feeling something, too. All day, I was so convinced that I was going mad, that I just gave in. Figured the guys in white coats would show up at any minute.”
Sebastian’s grin, stretching ear to ear, could not reach his tired eyes. What had taken over them both? “You’re not crazy, I assure you. Even if you are, I won’t take your word for it and would like to find out for myself.”
“So, talk soon?” she pondered bashfully.
“Most definitely. You have a wonderful night, Winter.”
“Same to you,” she called as she disappeared behind her front door.
With a sigh of his own, Sebastian found his way out to the road and dug his phone from his pocket. He called one of his cousins for a ride back to his car, too drained to make the walk all the way back to headquarters, where he had left it so long ago. Once he hung up the phone, Sebastian gaped at the realization that he and Winter hadn’t switched numbers. Then, when he made the decision to go to give her his, he attempted to slide his phone into the breast pocket of his jacket and smirked.
Winter still has my jacket. He knew for a fact that he had a stack of business cards in one of the pockets. He then debated whether or not he should go retrieve and simply hand her one of his business cards. It would save her the moral dilemma of deciding to go through his jacket.