Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Sebastian
Fire was crackling and flames were dancing on his skin, but they didn't burn him. When he opened his eyes, they withdrew as fast as they appeared. Instead, a cold breeze was hitting him that smelled of salt. It's been a couple of months since he had been at the sea – and years since he had been at this exact place. Slowly, Sebastian began looking around. His expensive designer shoes were sinking in the golden sand underneath him. The waves in front of him were coming closer and withdrew again. Even though it had been over a decade since he had been here for the last time, he recognized it at first sight. Skye was hard to forget, even though he only got to know the beach and the cliffs of that place. Even though he had been a child - seven or eight years old- he had memorized that place forever. Just like that boy Sebastian had spotted that day – lifeless, pale, and between the stormy waves before he had pulled him out.
He turned to the city behind him, although he could hardly call that collection of houses a city. His home Glasgow was a city with so many facets, big enough to get lost in it. But he was sure that everyone knew everyone in that hicktown. He was no stranger, either. At least the members of the five big clans knew who he was. Sebastian grimaced. The clans were the reason for his small visit. Or his dad that had sent him here to negotiate with the remaining Campbells. Just like always, it was about politics and landholding. Yawn, lame…
Sighing, Sebastian started walking, this was going to be so fun. Not. His dad was probably happy to punish his oldest son like that. But he never meant to burn down the barn, really! He just wanted to impress Caitriona, that hot young woman that challenged him. He never would have thought that his little dare got out of hand and escalated in an inferno where the fire brigade was needed. Luckily, all the horses had been on the lawn at that time and no one got hurt, but he still could hear the angry voice of his dad.
With every step, his shoes sank deeper into the sand and he wondered why he landed here when he thought of the island while he used his teleportation powers. Maybe because his strongest memories of the island had to do with that place. And because of that boy… One last time, Sebastian turned around, but the beach was still deserted. But when he turned around, he caught glimpse on something on the cliffs. Up there, he spotted a dark car that hadn't been there a couple of minutes ago. Who drove that close to the cliffs voluntarily? No one – unless that someone had…well…certain intentions. Sebastian hesitated. His impulsive acting had always gotten him into trouble. Maybe, he was just exaggerating because he had already saved someone on that island. But then, he saw someone approach the edge of the cliff – and didn't think any longer. He acted.
Fire was spreading on his skin and embraced him warmly without burning him, because he was the fire. For a split second, he consisted of just heat and destructible forces. When he reopened his eyes, it was over, and he was standing behind that person on the cliffs. Turned out it was a boy his age.
"That's a crappy idea."
The boy turned around- and Sebastian's breath caught. He had that intense glare, Sebastian almost backed away. But there was something else about him. Something that was frighteningly familiar. It was not the school uniform, because he didn't recognize it. The stranger needed to be from here. But that face…those eyes…
"What's a crappy idea?", the boy asked in a slight Midwestern accent Sebastian recognized from his exchange semester in Westerville, Ohio.
"To jump." Sebastian looked to the water. He couldn't see that much from where he was, but he knew about the strength of the water and the sharp stones down there. With a lot of luck, that bloke would survive the jump and break all of his bones. Sebastian knew what he was talking about, after all, he jumped down a cliff because of a dare a couple of years ago and spent the rest of the summer in hospital. Yeah, his mum was right, those dares would be his doom one day.
Meanwhile, the stranger let out a scoff. "I don't want to jump. I don't need a savior or anyone that tells me what to do. I'm so sick of that." Sebastian was pretty sure that this boy's accent got thicker the more he got worked up. Tentatively, he stepped next to the other boy. The edge was quite close to them now, only a couple of inches away. From there, he could already taste the salt of the sea, the wind was so strong it made his clothes flutter. Slowly, he turned back to the stranger.
Even though Sebastian was the taller one among them, the boy didn't look as if he was afraid, it was the opposite. His chestnut hair was ruffled by the wind, his blue eyes were sparkling with anger. Only now, he looked at Sebastian – and his face expression changed. From pissed to disbelieving to – confused?
"I…I know you…", he muttered, his eyes widened.
And suddenly, Sebastian remembered as well. Those eyes that were as blue as the Atlantic that had washed him ashore aggressively, just to pull him back him again. Sebastian smirked his signature smirk. "Long time, right?"
Back then, they have both been children. What were the odds to meet that boy again on that very same island during his second visit here? At the sea, at that. Not that far from where destiny had brought them together back then.
"That's impossible…" His words were just a whisper. "That was you back then!" He backed away and tripped, Sebastian wanted to help him up and took the other's arm. As if his touch had burned him, the supposed stranger ripped his arm away, got up by himself, and came dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.
"Watch where you are going. Unless you want to jump after all", Sebastian warned him in a sassy tone, but was perplexed in reality. Was that the reason his father sent him here? To meet that boy? Did he know what his son had done all those years ago? But why didn't he ever say something? Or did Galen, the leader of the Smythes, have no idea what happened? Was it just pure coincidence?
All those questions were confusing Sebastian until he got distracted by something else. The bewildered face expression of the other boy hadn't changed – but the surroundings had. The sea had been aggressive before, but now, it seemed to riot. The waves were breaking against the rocks wildly and splashing everything that was close. He stepped back, but the other boy stayed where he was. His school uniform was already drenched, just like his hair, but he didn't seem to notice. Just like the dark clouds that suddenly came out of nowhere. One second later, the first drops were falling down, but it was no ordinary summer rain. It was ice.
Stunned, Sebastian put forth his hand to catch a hailstone, and looked back to the boy. No…that was impossible. The waterclan didn't exist anymore. It had been exterminated years ago – or at least the members that had water magic. But if he was no member of the waterclan – what the hell was he? An outcast? Hastily, he scanned the stranger, but couldn't see any signs. No powers that would break free any seconds. No cracks in his skin. No colored iris. Nothing that would indicate that he would turn into something all of the clans hated and feared the most: an elemental.
To his surprise, the other boy looked at Sebastian with the same distrust. He looked stunned, yes, but most of all, wary. And he didn't look like he knew who was responsible for the sudden change in weather.
"Who are you?" The boy's voice sounded as frosty as the sleet that rained down on them.
"Sebastian Smythe", he introduced himself.
The waves got stronger and stronger. Despite the rain, a layer of frost started spreading on the ground. Dammit. So he really was a member of the waterclan. There was no other possible explanation. All those years ago, he saved the last member of the Campbells of all people, without thinking, he had been running into the water to pull his lifeless body out of the sea – and now, he was the reason his powers awakened? It took a shock situation to awaken dormant powers. Sebastian experienced it himself when his four-year-old self climbed out of the window as soon as his mother had looked away. A normal person wouldn't have been alive after that, but just in time, his powers kicked in and instead of breaking his neck during the impact, he had been teleported to his room thanks to his firepowers. That moment of shock not only activated his powers but also saved his life. And led to an unhealthy fascination for danger and thrills of all kinds.
But not even Sebastian liked thrills that much to fuck with his own clan. And that was going to happen if his dad ever learned that he was the reason the waterclan still existed. God-fucking-dammit.
"And you are…", Sebastian started, only to look around perplexedly. Wow. He was fast. One second, he was standing next to the edge, the next, he had already reached his grey car and retrieved a sliver blade. "…armed", Sebastian ended his sentence calmly.
The other boy didn't say a word, he only came closer with his dagger and didn't look as if he would hesitate to put it to use.
"Hey…" Slowly, Sebastian lifted his hands. "I just kept you from jumping, remember? And I fished your little arse out of the sea."
The boy ignored this comment. "And now you show up and we have a sudden start of winter."
As if on cue, a couple of snowflakes were floating around. Sebastian shook his head. That was insane. That was just impossible. That gayface didn't look as if he had a clue about all that. If he didn't calm down and keep his powers in check, other people would notice that strange weather phenomenon as well. Which would entail grave consequences. Cause if there were still descendants of the Campbells with abilities on that island even though they were presumed dead long ago, none of the other clans could claim those lands for themselves and Sebastian would return home as a failure. Again. Not that he wasn't already used to it by now.
Dammit, he needed to talk about this to someone. Someone that knew what went on here. He couldn't return to Glasgow before he didn't find out what the matter with all this was. And whether he had unwillingly destroyed all the expansion plans of his family because he had saved a little boy's life ten years ago and also woke up his powers.
"I have nothing to do with that." He tried staying calm to not upset the other boy even more. Maybe the stranger would notice that Sebastian was no outcast. He needed to know something about all that or else he would be more scared now. But he was not only scared; Sebastian could tell by looking in his eyes. Skepticism, anger, disbelief were other emotions he could recognize behind those blue eyes. And panic, but he was good at hiding it. Too bad exactly that worsened the tempest.
"Oh, really? Who else is supposed to be responsible for that, if not you? I don't see anybody else." The boy looked around demonstratively.
They were the only ones on the cliff, the beach as well as the street that led to the city were still deserted. Every person with common sense had already searched for a roof over the head.
"Didn't it occur to you that you are doing that, genius?"
His lips smiled at Sebastian sneeringly. "I'm no elemental."
So he knew about them. Sebastian needed to find out what else he knew. "But maybe a clan member?"
The boy's smile vanished and was replaced by a frown. It didn't look fake; he was genuinely oblivious. "What in the world is that supposed to mean?"
"Clans. Elements. Centuries-old wars." Sebastian looked at him blankly. "How can you know about elementals but not about clans?"
Could it be? Did the Campbells leave him in the dark about elemental clans all the years? But why did he know of outcasts and elementals? Why was he used to using that dagger? Suddenly, Sebastian's phone was buzzing in his trousers' pocket. Great. Why now? It was probably his dad that wanted to know how things were going and whether he already had found anything useful.
Yeah, dad. Everything fine. I just encountered the last survivor of the waterclan and it's my fault his powers have been awakened. So you cannot claim the western islands for yourselves anymore like planned. You happy?
When he thought about that, Sebastian felt sick to the stomach. But ignoring that call was no option either. If he didn't take it, his dad would send someone to find out what's wrong and whether his oldest son had failed again. Galen would never dare to enter that island without the official invitation of its ruling clan. That would equal a declaration of war. The Campbells may not have water magic anymore, but the islands still belonged to them. And as arranged by all the clans long ago, no chief may enter the land of another clan without invitation. But that rule didn't apply to Sebastian as the son and heir of the Smythes' leader. He was allowed to come and go whenever he pleased. And that's what he was going to do now: Go. And turn to the only ones that could probably help him: the Jones.
"Sorry", he muttered loud enough so that the other boy could hear him and put down his hands. "You're not going to like that."
The other male opened his mouth to say something, but Sebastian didn't hear that anymore because his vision turned blurry when the flames took him away.
Oh, and Sebastian is bisexual in this lol
