Chapter Text
When Sebastian woke up, the first thing he noticed was the pounding headache he had, concentrated in the back of his head. When he opened his eyes, however, he realized that it was the least of his worries.
Above him were standing the Guardian and Obscura, respectively giggling and moaning.
"Oh, shit!"
He tried getting up, but fell flat on his face as a wave of nausea hit him. He could see Obscura looming over him, reaching over to him with her hands...
This is it, he thought. This is how I die.
However, instead of the pain he thought would accompany his death, he felt two large hands gently getting him off the floor and back into... a bed, he guessed?
"Thanks... Obscura..." was all he was able to mutter in his current condition, but for the creature, it was more than enough.
She moaned with joy and sort of hugged him before going away along with the Guardian, only to leave the door open for Stefano to enter the room, dressed as usual save for his jacket. He had an apologetic smile on his face.
"Sorry about... you know... screaming."
"Speaking of which, what the hell was that all about? What's gotten into you?"
The artist's smile faded, and he stayed silent for a few moments.
"I am... simply... sensitive about that particular spot on my face, and you just... touched me without any warning. I just..."
Stefano sighed, unable to complete his sentence, and his chest tightened. Of course Sebastian thought he was weird. He had difficulty to speak, fumbling over his words, overcome with anxious thoughts. He could count the times that had happened on the fingers of one hand, and yet...
Yet he turned his head away from Sebastian, overcome with guilt.
"It's fine, it's just... Damnit, Stefano, I could've died! Be a little less sensitive next time, okay?"
"I'm sorry..."
Stefano's choked up voice made Sebastian turn his head towards him, only to see a tear rolling down the artist's cheek before suddenly being wiped off by the latter. Sebastian tentatively called out Stefano's name before gently putting his hand on his left shoulder. Said hand was abruptly shoved off, though, and small sniffles began being heard in the large room.
"This was the first time I told anyone about this, you uncomprehending neanderthal..."
Stefano got up and wiped his hand across his left cheek, signaling that more tears had streamed down his face.
"Stefano, wait..."
The Italian stopped, hesitated, and finally turned around with newfound anger to mask how hurt he actually was, even though that didn't fool Sebastian.
"Are you just like all the others? You think that I'm a freak, an un-untalented monster who shouldn't be allowed to live a happy life? Huh? I bet you think I deserved what I got, don't you? That I had it coming? IS THAT IT?!"
The pain in Stefano's voice was tearing Sebastian's heart to shreds. Was this really what little self-esteem the artist actually had? Is this what he thought of himself? What he told himself when he was alone with his thoughts?
"Stefano, I'd never-"
"LIAR! YOU LYING WHORE!"
Stefano's hands wrapped around the ex-detective's throat, choking him.
"Ste... fa... no..."
"You said it yourself, Seb!" Stefano spat out the other's nickname, filled with venom. "As soon as you saw my art, you said it was sick! You didn't appreciate it, Sebastian!"
"I... appre... ciate... you... Stefano..."
Sebastian felt the grip around his neck loosen. Stefano opened his mouth to speak, but a tear fell from his cheek unto Sebastian and the only sound that came out of his mouth was a sob. He buried his face into Sebastian's heaving torso, his hands tightly grabbing the coughing man's shoulders.
"I'm sorry... I am so... so sorry..."
"It's alright", said Sebastian in-between coughs, "I've suffered worse, believe me."
When the artist didn't react to his words in the way he wanted to, Sebastian gently put his index under said artist's chin, making him reluctantly lift his head so that their eyes could meet.
"Hey. I know what a mental breakdown is, Stefano. It wasn't your fault. Your anger, pain and sadness overrode your brain and took control of your body. There's nothing you could have done, okay?"
Stefano whispered a nearly inaudible "Okay... okay..." while shakily nodding. His lips were rewarded with a chaste kiss, after which his whole body, including the hands that were still weakly grabbing Sebastian's shoulders, relaxed. His head dropped back onto the middle-aged man's torso, although this time it fell sideways, as to listen to the other man's beating heart. The steady rhythm calmed Stefano, who, exhausted by all the yelling, crying and general mental exhaustion he had just gone through, fell asleep in his lover's arms.