Home
Home. Many people probably thought of the place they lay their head to rest each night and grew up, or settled down and established themselves. But for as long as Violet could remember, "home" had been a hollow word, void of meaning or comfort. Even as a child, Violet never felt the loving warmth of a home when her parents were together. She was often stuck in the middle of their petty disputes, their constant arguing a constant buzzing in her ears. Occasionally, Zach would take pity on his little sister and take her out to escape the family drama for an evening, or if she was lucky, an entire weekend. While she and her brother had their differences, they had the same rotten parents and Zach knew first-hand that staying with either of them too long eventually got to a person. Even with all his teasing and acting like a total jerk, Zach was the only family who could provide an escape after their grandparents died.
After their parents split, Violet never stayed in one place long enough to feel "settled." The custody agreement made sure that Violet had to move between residences every week, so neither her mother's apartment nor her father's house were a home for Violet. Her mother would criticize the little blonde girl at any given opportunity and then scoff at the resulting tears or yelling. Violet's father however, said all the right things, but the affect behind the words was always absent. He was physically present, but never quite there emotionally. Violet thought that her father just seemed so worn down by life. The air was thick and still around him, it was almost suffocating.
Violet was grateful when in high school she finally found a group of friends that made her feel wanted, she could cry. That did not discount Bex's devotion as her best friend since junior high and Rebecca's mother always greeted her like her own child. But Violet needed to be able to depend on more than one person for a sorely-needed distraction and emotional support. For the first time, Violet started to feel safe opening up to other people, to that sense of belonging with a chosen family. And yet, like all things, it came to an end after high school graduation and everyone went their separate ways.
Well, almost everyone. Perhaps that's why she clung to Kyle so desperately when he finally asked her out a week after graduation, even when it became abundantly clear to everyone around them that they brought out the worst in one another. Kyle betrayed her trust too many times by seeing other girls behind her back and she used all sorts of emotional blackmail to try to get him to stay. Violet did not like who she was around him anymore and after a long night crying things over with Bex, Violet finally ended things between her and Kyle. It was messy and no one was happy, but looking back at all the signs she ignored, all the behaviors that should have never been okay, Violet did not regret the decision in the end. Unfortunately, most of Violet's former friends sided with Kyle after their break-up. Except for Bex, of course. Sometimes Violet felt like she did not deserve Rebecca in her life...
When she moved to the Valley, Violet felt a bit overwhelmed. Both by the strong sense of community the town touted and the villagers were so willing to accept her. The farmer knew that this place, where she had so many happy memories with her grandparents and had already created new ones in the short times she lived in Pelican Town, was rich with the stuff of life. Violet could feel it deep in her soul that she finally started putting down roots. So, when Sebastian said she should go home and sleep, was Pelican Town as a whole her home, or was it all the neighbors that made this place home? Or... perhaps it was the person who made her feel safest? Was it in those deep, ink-black eyes that she often lost herself in a way that excited and terrified her all at once...?
The gentle tapping of water against the glass of the windows told Violet that it was raining outside. She yawned deeply, stretching her body out in a cat-like manner on the bed. In her drowsy unwillingness to get out of bed, the young woman rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow to her chest. Breathing in, she inhaled a familiar scent, but something was off... Her eyelids fluttered open and Violet found herself in an unfamiliar room.
"Oh, fuck," she said to herself quietly. "I didn't even make it home last night." She swung her legs off the bed to stand and noticed that her feet were now bare, but otherwise she was still fully clothed. The tiny scratches are on arms were mending nicely. They would probably be gone in a few days. Hopefully before Bex arrived this weekend, otherwise Violet was guaranteed to get another lecture.
Looking about the room, Violet found that the walls were grey stone, with the lower half covered in warm, wooden panels. There were some video game posters decorating the walls and much to her delight, a table across the room that appeared to be used for tabletop gaming. Did people in this town actually play RPGs? Violet wondered. It was then she noticed Sebastian sleeping on a black couch near the door.
Sebastian must have lent her use of his room. But how did it come to this? Sure, Violet had been exhausted the night before, but after her nap in Maru's room, she could have made it home to crash in her own bed.
Violet remembered being alarmed that she was losing consciousness before she fell asleep, but what had happened right before then? She racked her brain trying to recall. Sebastian suggested she go home and go to sleep. Violet had agreed and started heading for the door and then... darkness.
If Sebastian had drugged her, he probably would not have been so gentlemanly to tuck her into bed and sleep on the couch in his own house. And despite Violet's experience with betrayal from a male friend, Sebastian did not strike her as that kind of creep. What else could have possibly happened? Violet did not think that something like narcolepsy would develop so late and suddenly in life. So why the hell had she fallen asleep while standing? And what was it with weirdly falling asleep in this town? First Sebastian's magical creature-induced sleep and now this!
Was last night somehow related to the first incident? Maybe not a shadow creature, but... perhaps Sebastian inadvertently used magic somehow? No, that couldn't be right, Violet decided. Her new friend did not use a spell, they were just having a regular conversation.
She glanced at the young man asleep on the sofa. Sebastian's features looked so soft when he slept, so strangely vulnerable. His usual down-turned lips rested in a slight upward curve. He had slept shirtless, though his sheets were pulled up to his chest. The memory of when he emerged from the bathroom fresh out of the shower flashed in her mind, and how close their faces had been when he helped her up from the ground at the Egg Festival, his laughter. Violet turned away immediately, feeling somewhat guilty for observing Sebastian in his sleep and having such.. thoughts. Even if Abigail was not there to catch her in the act this time, it wasn't right.
Exhaling her nervousness, the farmer decided she should get home to Bruno and her crops. Since it was raining, Violet did not have to beat the heat of the sun today so that was a lucky break. She spied several doors in the room and tried to find the exit. Near the gaming table, Violet found a bathroom first, which she suddenly noticed she desperately needed to use. Figuring most people would not mind if a guest used their bathroom, Violet closed the door behind her.
As she washed her hands when she was finished, the floral-haired woman could not help but notice there were two toothbrushes in the cup on the counter top. Violet was not sure why her heart sank at first. Sebastian had never specified that he was single, but then why was he pining over Abigail so long if he already had someone? Had he started seeing someone in the last few days? Violet supposed it was possible. He had the basement floor to himself, so guests were probably not noticed as easily, even if Sebastian was still living with his parents. Or maybe Robin and Demetrius were just cool with that sort of thing. Most of the young adults in town still lived with family. It's not like there was any semblance of a real estate market in this town, unless you wanted to move to the city. Maybe that's why Sebastian wanted to move. This person might live in the city, and while Zuzu was relatively close, not living in the same zip code could sometimes kill a relationship in its early stages especially. Boy, do I know how to pick 'em, Violet thought to herself in annoyance.
As much as she hated to admit it to herself, Bex was right. Violet did like Sebastian a lot, but part of her screamed that she repeat past mistakes if she ever dated again. Besides, Sebastian was going to leave town when he finally saved up enough. For all the farmer knew, Sebastian was already taken and would be moving later this year. What was she thinking, crushing on someone so unavailable?
Violet scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed her face, rubbing away the grime from the night before. "Don't be an idiot," she told her reflection. "You literally have a clean slate here, don't fuck it up." Her deepest fear was losing all her friends in a break-up again. Mutual friends always chose sides and she could not afford that in such a small town. Sebastian lived in Pelican Town most of his life. Violet knew she would lose that battle and she knew could not handle that kind of devastating loss again.
Leaving the bathroom, Violet made sure to keep quiet so not to wake Sebastian. The farmer found the door leading upstairs and did her best to close the door behind her as silently as possible. Luckily, the stairs were not particularly creaky and Violet cracked open the door at the top of the stairs.
Robin entered her shop on that rainy Thursday morning to open for business and nearly flat on her face as she tripped over something on the floor. Luckily, the carpenter caught herself and avoided a serious spill. The ginger turned to find a familiar backpack on the floor, though Robin could not figure out why Violet's bag would be there in the first place. She did have a suspect, however. Robin approached the bedroom door and rapped on the door gently, "Maru, sweetie. May I come in?"
"Sure, mom!" her daughter replied. As Robin entered, she saw her daughter tinkering with one of her small gadgets on the floor. "What's up?"
The woman paused, trying to discern the best way to ask her question. Instead she decided to start with a statement, "Violet's backpack is in the shop. Do you know anything about that?"
Maru looked puzzled, "I thought she went home last night after I looked her over."
"Looked her over?"
The scientist nodded, "Yeah, Violet passed out in the mines and Sebastian found her and brought her here," she informed her mother. Upon seeing the worried expression on Robin's face, Maru added, "She was fine, just exhausted.
"So, she either forgot her bag, or..." Robin trailed off. She's still in the house, the red-head thought gleefully. "Thank you, dear!" The woman returned to the shop and scooped up the bag, which was surprisingly heavy, and plopped it behind the counter so no one else would trip over it. The woman smiled to herself as she leaned on the sturdy wooden counter to wait, glancing over at the basement door expectantly. Oh, my Sebby might finally have a girlfriend!
Violet peeked out from the basement and nearly fell backward down the stairs when Robin chirped, "Good morning, Violet!" with a bright smile to greet her.
The farmer was embarrassed to be caught leaving a man's room by his mother, even if nothing happened between them, there were always assumptions made. "Oh, uh... What a fine morning it is, Robin," she replied awkwardly. Who the hell talks like that? she yelled at herself internally. Play it cool!
"Are you feeling alright today, sweetie? Maru told me you passed out in the mines," Robin asked with the concerned tone of a mother. "I'm so glad that Sebby found you. He did the right thing bringing you here." The ginger looked so proud of her children for handling the situation, Violet noticed. Maybe this would not be as painful as she thought.
Violet nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I was lucky. I feel much better after some rest," she assured Robin. "Sebastian was very gentlemanly and let me borrow his bed while he slept on the couch." Even if the farmer recognized that Robin seemed okay with Violet spending the night in her son's room, the young woman wanted to be sure to set the record straight. "I... am missing my bag, though. Do you know where it is?"
Robin chuckled, "I nearly tripped over it, but I've got your stuff right here behind the counter." The carpenter hoisted the grey bag up to hand off to the farmer.
The younger woman paled, and her dark blue eyes widened in horror. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I hope you weren't hurt!" she stammered as she accepted and shouldered her backpack. The last thing Violet wanted was for someone to get hurt due to her negligence.
The carpenter waved off the apology. "No harm, no foul." She leaned over the counter with a serious expression on her face and locked eyes with Violet. The ginger decided to use an old tactic her mother used on her when she was young and unattached. "So word around the village is you have a crush on someone..." Robin said with a wink.
Violet's mouth hung open wide. "Wh-what?" the short woman felt herself panicking. "Who - who told you? All I said to Leah and Elliott was that Sebastian was attractive!" Violet replied defensively. She knew the word vomit was coming, but the farmer could not stop herself. "And sure I get nervous around him sometimes and every once and a while his words catch me off-guard and fluster me." Violet could feel the heat of embarrassment rise in her body as Robin's face stretched into a smile.
"Oh, Violet!" Robin responded, withholding her laughter behind her hand. "I was only teasing, I'm so sorry!" She had no idea her mother's tricks would result in an actual round-about confession. It had never worked on her, after all.
But the young woman could not stop herself there, she needed to add her caveats so that Robin would not get the wrong idea. "B-but Sebastian is seeing someone anyway and my last relationship was terrible and I regret it all the time. And I just moved here, so no matter how often I think about him-" she covered her mouth to silence herself, and her crimson face went white as a ghost. There was no fixing this now, in Violet's attempt to remedy the situation, she said too much! The young woman's stomach turned as she realized that Robin now knew she had a crush on her son. Sebastian's mother knew! Mortified, Violet spun on her heel toward the door and fled the carpentry shop as fast as her legs could carry her.
Robin did everything she could to contain herself until the farmer was out of sight. "Oh, poor girl," she sighed, but the red-head did not regret her actions in the slightest. The carpenter was ecstatic that Violet admitted an attraction to Sebastian. Now if only Violet would say something! Her son might have a chance with this young lady. Sebastian could use a bit of confidence and Violet was absolutely adorable. After her brain finally processed the last few things the farmer said, Robin puzzled over one comment in particular. "Why in the world do you think that Sebastian has a girlfriend already?" she asked aloud to no one, since Violet was already well on her way home.
The carpenter then realized she had forgotten to pay Violet for finding her axe. Hm, maybe she should just start a fund toward Violet's house upgrade? The middle aged woman took out a pen and paper to write down a reminder for Violet's credit of two-hundred fifty gold toward her house upgrade.
Sebastian woke up with a crick in his neck. Sitting up, the drowsy man rubbed the sore muscles and glanced around the room. He found his bed empty, which meant Violet had already left without saying good-bye. Why was that so disappointing? He would see her tomorrow at The Stardrop Saloon anyway and it's not like he was looking for her to thank him again. He sighed and got up. Well, either way, Sebastian could reclaim his bed.
Flopping over, he shut his eyes and lie still, trying to allow the rain tapping on the windows lull him back to sleep. After a few minutes, Sebastian heard the clicking of his bathroom door open and he realized that Violet had not left after all. Oh, shit. She's going to think I'm a creep, he thought, dreading when Violet would come back to bed. But, instead of that, Sebastian heard the opening of a second door and gentle footfalls heading up the stairs. Relief washed over him, but as soon as the tenseness passed, Sebastian noticed he felt a bit sad that Violet had not tried to wake him to say good-bye. Maybe he could offer her some breakfast before she left for home so they could talk about comics or something.
Ascending the stairs, Sebastian heard Violet's voice speaking without taking breaths in between her sentences. She sounded panicked. The door was already ajar and he paused at the top of the stairs to assess the situation. "... My last relationship was terrible and I regret it all the time. And I Just moved here, so no matter how often I think about him-" Sebastian could hear Violet's hand clap over her mouth before she turned heel and left the shop. His mother stood behind the counter and watched the floral-haired woman leave. "Oh, poor girl," Robin said to herself.
Sebastian, having heard enough, retreated back downstairs to his room. So Violet's hung up on some ex-boyfriend, huh? Sebastian scoffed. She did not seem like the type, but then again, it's not like he knew everything about her yet. At least the guy doesn't live anywhere near here. He hated the idea of having any former flame of Violet's within reasonable distance. Just the thought of some other guy holding her made him - Ugh, stop that, Sebastiantold himself. The man tried to think back to previous conversations he had with Violet. Had she ever mentioned the guy? Violet definitely mentioned a brother at one point. Sebastian assumed he was an older sibling based on Violet's level of annoyance in her tone of voice. The programmer wondered if Violet's brother was the overprotective type or not. Maybe this brother of hers drove off this ex-boyfriend? Nah, that didn't make sense. Violet said she regretted the relationship so Sebastian doubted her brother had to intervene. Either way, it sounded like trying to start anything with Violet anytime soon was a bad idea. Not that he was anywhere near ready to ask her out. If Sebastian was going to act on his attraction toward Violet, it would not be out of jealousy towards some dumb ex of hers. Sebastian was going to have to play it cool. Oh, who was he kidding? He was a giant nerd. Since when was he "cool?" Still, maybe Violet was into that. Sebastian found himself hoping that his new friend might be into his brand of weird the way he was into hers.
For now, the dark-haired gamer decided it would be best to just focus on trying to be a good friend and if something happened along the way, there was nothing wrong with that. No pressure made things easier, right?
After putting some distance between herself and the mountain of embarrassment she created, Violet realized she had not completed her main objective yesterday. Today, however, was Thursday and she could finally get her new backpack. Continuing her way south, the farmer arrived in town and entered the shop. "My precious!" she announced a bit too loudly as her dark blue eyes landed on the ruby backpack on the sales counter.
Pierre was pleased he did not have to make a sale pitch to get Violet to make a significant purchase. "Would that be all for today?" he asked, ringing up the item in his cash register.
Violet nodded in confirmation. "Yes, thank you, Pierre." She clutched the new bag to her chest and grinned, muttering about fewer trips back and forth due to a shortage of space.
"Hey, Violet!" Abigail's voice called from behind the shelves. The grocer's daughter waved the farmer over. "Emergency girl talk. Now!"
"Uh, sure..." Violet agreed, following Abigail to her room and perching upon the stool while Abigail sat on her bed. "What's up?"
Abigail sighed, "So Sam and I are dating now..." she began. "As of Monday."
"Why don't you sound happy? Is something wrong?"
"I'm worried how Sebastian is going to react..." the younger of the two admitted.
The farmer perked up upon hearing those words, realizing why Abigail wanted to speak with her. "Sebastian doesn't know yet, does he?"
The woman with gem-tone hair grimaced. "Yeah..." Abigail's face contorted in anguish and she started to talk with her hands as well. "And I don't know what to tell him 'cause we definitely were not a thing before the whole fight after Vincent's birthday party, but now it looks like we were..." She dragged her hand across her face, raking her fingers down toward her chin. "It's a mess," she groaned.
"Well, you literally just told me that you and Sam got together on Monday, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Abigail questioned.
"So you're fine." Violet shrugged, "He might already be seeing someone new anyway, so what does it matter?"
Abigail flashed a smile, "Violet!" she shouted in a mockingly scandalized tone. "I thought you said you weren't-"
"It's not me!" the farmer insisted immediately, balling her fists in her lap. "But I think he might be seeing someone."
The paler woman looked at her friend incredulously. "You're kidding, right?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What in the world makes you think that he found someone so quickly?"
The farmer avoided looking at her. "I... H-he had a second toothbrush in his bathroom," she admitted, slightly embarrassed. Now that she said it aloud, an old toothbrush being her only evidence sounded ridiculous.
Abigail burst out laughing, "He could have just been too lazy to throw out the old one!" she reasoned. The vest-clad woman smacked Violet on the back, "I dare you to ask Sebastian about that toothbrush, please. If only so you can laugh at how dumb you both are being!"
Violet bristled slightly at the teasing, but even she could recognize she had let her imagination run wild. "So... you don't think he's seeing someone in Zuzu City? I thought maybe that's why he wants to move there..."
"I know Sebastian likes somebody, but she doesn't live in ZuZu City," Abigail said confidently. "He just wants to get out of this small town away from his family." She stopped to consider for a moment, "But I think lately things have been improving and he's got his eye on someone else that will keep him around for a while."
Violet's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh..." Abigail could not possibly mean her, right? It had to be someone else in town. "I hope it works out for him."
A hand slapped onto the Abigail's face. She could not believe that Violet could be this dense, but the light-eyed woman was not about to interfere more than she already had. "I hope it does, too. But something tells me they are on two different planets right now." The woman slipped a finger under her choker necklace to adjust the ribbon. "Now," Abigail said, refocusing their discussion, "Any suggestions on how to explain Sam and I to Sebastian?"
"I can't say I would be of any use in this situation..." Violet admitted sheepishly. "The only serious relationship I had with someone who I friended first ended terribly and I lost all my other friends after the breakup."
"What?!" Abigail replied. "You told me not to worry about it and just go ahead and date Sam!"
The farmer shook her head, "I told you not to focus so much on the infinite possibilities where the grass is always greener and focus on what makes you happy!" Her dark blue eyes glanced at her friend, "Well, are you happy with Sam?"
Abigail sighed, and slumped onto her bed. "Yes!" she moaned.
"Then what's the problem?"
The reclined woman stared at Violet, "Sebastian," she said. "He had a huge crush on me for years and I start dating his best friend literally less than a week after I rejected him."
"And that's your responsibility... how?" Violet wondered aloud. "Sam is Sebastian's friend, too. And as much as it sucks for Sebastian, he's going to have to deal with it." Resting her heels on the cross-bar of the stool legs, she shrugged, "Sebastian is tough, he'll get through it just fine. He might be a grump about it for a while, but I have faith he'll come around."
"You're awfully confident for someone who has only lived here for such a short time," Abigail complained.
Violet gave a shy smile, "Sebastian's a good guy, he just doesn't always know how to deal with bottled up emotions sometimes." The farmer wrapped her arms around herself that made Abigail think she was trying to protect herself from something, "I get that..." The floral-haired woman chuckled softly under her breath, "Besides, he knows when he should apologize for being a jerk. I've known a lot of people who refuse to admit that. So as childish as he can be sometimes, I think Sebastian's heart is in the right place." Violet shook her head and looked up at Abigail, "Hey, this is going to sound weird, but... Has anything you could not explain ever happened around Sebastian?"
Sitting up, Abigail pondered for a moment, "Nothing comes to mind. What's up?"
The newcomer explained her mysterious and sudden sleep that came about as she was about to head home the previous night. "I was tired, sure," Violet admitted, "But not that tired."
Abigail's forefinger rested on her chin, "What were the exact words he said to you again?"
Violet closed her eyes and tried to listen to the words in her head as she remembered. She could hear Sebastian's soft tone echoing in her mind and she repeated the words as she remembered the way his face had looked so bashfully concerned as he turned his face away. "Go home and go to sleep."
Her companion thought for a moment. "And you suspect this might be related to Sebastian's magic?"
It sounded silly when someone else said it, but Violet had no other way to explain what happened at this point. "Maybe?"
The amethyst-haired woman pursed her lips, "Well, what did you say afterward?"
"I didn't, I just agreed that it was a good idea," Violet informed her new friend. "Then... darkness."
"Ooooh, consent magic," a playful voice chimed in. "That sounds sexy."
"SAM!" Abigail shouted angrily, whipping her head toward the door to her room. "I know we're dating now, but you can't just barge in like that. Violet and I were having a private conversation!"
The blond held up his hands above his head to signal his surrender and flashed his teeth in a charming smile, "You're right, babe. My bad. I'll be sure to announce my presence and ruin any chances we have at figuring out Sebastian's mysterious powers."
Violet smirked at Sam's antics, but spoke up, "You think it might be magic, too? 'Consent magic,' you said? What's that?
"You know how in RPGs some spells require the target to be willing?." He gave a quick example, "Like dimension door. Or status buffs."
"Nerds!" Abigail interjected in annoyance.
The former RPG player nodded, and thought she understood where Sam was going with this. "So you think because I agreed it was a good idea, the magic worked?"
"There's only one way to find out," the skater stated, cracking open a can of Joja cola and taking a quick swig. "We could have Sebastian test out his skills on us and see what happens."
"You two are forgetting a key component here," Abigail pointed out. "Sebastian told Violet to 'go home and go to sleep.' She wasn't home yet!"
Sam tilted his head, as if doing so helped him think. "I mean, Violet lives in the Valley now, right?" He gently helped Abigail up from off her bed and wrapped his arms around her, "Besides, I feel at home whenever I'm with you, Abi. Maybe the magic isn't so specific?"
Violet averted her gaze to give the two a little privacy. Abigail, realizing that her friend was a bit uncomfortable, blushed and shoved her boyfriend away from her, "Violet's literally sitting right there!" she complained, though only halfheartedly. "Control yourself a little."
"Sorry, V," the blond apologized to Violet, removing himself from Abigail's personal space. "I don't wanna make you feel like a third wheel."
"It's fine, I get it," the farmer assured her friends. "You two just started dating, it's natural to be so lovey-dovey." She glanced at Abigail and Sam apologetically, "I should get going, though. Bruno's been home alone long enough and I have some crops to harvest today." While it was true Violet wanted to check on Bruno, the latter half of her excuse was a white lie. The new farmer did not have any crops mature enough to uproot today, but she wanted to leave the two alone to spend some quality time as boyfriend and girlfriend. "I'll see you both tomorrow," Violet said in dismissal.
As she walked home, the farmer felt a twinge of sadness. Sam and Abigail were clearly happy together and she wished them the best. Violet wondered if she would ever have someone look at her the soft, adoring way Sam looked at Abigail. The young woman felt like she had invaded such an intimate moment when he saw the manner Sam gazed at Abigail, she flushed simply remembering it. Part of Violet hoped that her parents were in love like that at some point in their lives, even if that spark was gone by the time she came into existence. The other half of her doubted they ever really loved each other, but then again, Violet herself never saw any evidence. Hell, Zach already seemed jaded by the idea of love for as long as Violet could remember. The young woman felt sorry for her older brother that way. At least she had him as an older sibling. Zach had to face it all alone until Violet was born, even if she was a clingy little sister.
As if summoned, Violet's phone rang and her brother's name flashed on the screen as she retrieved it from her back pocket. "Zach?" the woman said questioningly. "What are you doing calling me? You never do that!"
Her older brother feigned hurt, "Violet! Can't a man call to check up on his baby sister without an ulterior motive?" Violet could tell from the tone of Zach's voice he was pouting on the other end of the line, even if only to play up the theatrics.
"You're a lawyer," his little sister shot back, "You're at least 50% ulterior motives."
"Thirty tops," Zach countered humorously. "Now, on to business: I am coming to check up on you and the state of the old farm soon. I need to know what accommodations to expect."
Violet laughed, "I have a trundle bed and the studio apartment equivalent of a house. No kitchen." She smirked, though her brother could not see, "You won't last a day out here."
Her older brother sounded appalled, "I know that place used to have a kitchen and an upstairs with guest rooms. Granny and gramps did not modify the house in any way before they kicked the bucket. Their estate explicitly listed -" Violet could hear Zach drumming his fingers on the desk, "Something happened between then and you claiming the inheritance. And it reeks of Lewis," he informed his baby sister. "Give me two days, tops. Toodles, sis."
Before Violet could ask what was going on, or when exactly Zach planned on visiting, her brother hung up. Typical. Her brother was a whirlwind incarnate if anything. Clearly he was on some sort of mission and Violet worried it would result in someone being extorted or blackmailed in some manner. The woman tried to comfort herself knowing that usually Zach only did these sorts of things to people who deserved it. Usually... Violet acknowledged that was where she and her brother disagreed on a lot of things. The farmer sighed. She was exhausted and just wanted to go home and back to bed. Her own bed!
So, Violet returned to her farm house and made sure Bruno was doing well before she tidied up around inside for a bit, just in case her brother decided to make his visit sooner rather than later. Then, after a filling meal and allowing Bruno to steal the rest, Violet changed into her pajamas to have a lazy rest of the day reading in bed. As she read, the woman felt herself falling asleep, so she snuggled down into her blankets and placed her book down next to her. Inhaling deeply, Violet caught scent of the spring rain outside and something else... It was faint, but Violet recalled she had definitely smelled it earlier that day... "It smells like... Sebastian," she realized slowly. Like mountain air, pine needles, spices, and the faintest traces of tobacco smoke. Why had that scent clung to her? And how did she know that's what he smelled like? Sure, he slept in his bed, which probably smelled like its usual occupant, but that was not really enough, was it?
She closed her eyes again and the vague memory of being carried gently filled her mind. "Don't you give up on me," a voice pleaded. Sebastian's voice. "Look, I know we hardly know each other, but you're the first person around here to get me. And... and I wanna get to know you, too." He sounded so desperate... Had he been crying? "So don't you go dying on me, Violet. You're not allowed to die." Violet's fingers brushed against her face. Had Sebastian really been so frightened? And yet, the way he scolded her last night for being so reckless. Then there was the way his body language softened when he saw her cry. He had been worried for her life.
Violet clutched her blankets to her chest and recalled what Abigail told her earlier during their talk. He's got his eye on someone else that will keep him around for a while, her friend told her. Her cobalt eyes dilated as she put the pieces together and she bit her lower lip, glancing down at the shirt she wore. Of course it smelled like him, even if only a little bit. No wonder it did not look like it was Maru's style, it was her brother's! This was Sebastian's shirt. This explained so much. That is why Sebastian seemed so surprised that Violet had his shirt and why he was the one who told her she could keep it. This was the scent she breathed in every night as she went to sleep. This shirt smelled like home. And assuming that Sam's hypothesis was correct, that's why when Sebastian told her to go home and go to sleep, she did right then and there! Sebastian was made her feel protected, free to be herself, cared about... "Oh, fuck," she whispered to herself as the gravity of the situation fell on her. The woman lowered her head to rest on her knees and gripped her head on either side with her hands.
It was one thing to have an unrequited crush, but Violet now knew that at least one of his best friends thought he might return that infatuation. "It's just a crush," she told herself, "It doesn't have to mean anything." And yet, Violet knew if she could not get her head and her heart to agree to stay away from any romantic entanglements, she was in deep trouble.