This was a spur of the moment addition and isn't as long as a normal chapter, hence the .5.

Chapter 3.5 - Tease

It was the middle of summer and all Rina could hear were insects, for the lack of a better word, screaming. Screaming into the stifling heat. In order to beat the heat, Rina made sure that her dress was flowing and past her knees; where the style was strappy, she had rubbed plenty of sunscreen into her pale skin, not wanting to risk a nasty burn. Her hair was up in a very high ponytail and she was out scavenging the bushes around the mountains for berries for hopefully some jam or wine, come winter.

After tackling a rather reluctant bush, (it fought back and gave her a bit of a scratch), she continued along the high rise to where she knew there was some decent shade and a rock to rest on. With a heavy sigh, she sat down and leaned back against the tree that was happy to provide support. 'Oh, Yoba, it's unbearably hot,' Rina moans to herself as she fanned her forehead with her hand.

She took a moment to take stock of what she had already collected and then allowed herself to browse on her phone while she cooled down. Internet connection was bare up in the mountains and she didn't have the income to use any data, so she mostly relied on the free WiFi at the Stardrop. Rina had had the foresight to download a few e-books for moments like these. Enjoying the brief reprieve of stress and worrying; the thought of money, sustainability, and sufficiency was always dominant in her mind, she instead indulged in a guilty pleasure, reading about a woman who was whisked off her feet by a handsome stranger.

The hero was a dark and brooding creature, only showing his vulnerable side to the heroine and was devilishly romantic. Something that Rina would loathe to admit she secretly loved. As cliché as it was, she couldn't help but lose herself in the idea of such a fantasy. She used her finger to swipe and turn the 'page', revealing that she had gotten to a rather… naughty passage of the story. It was graphic and she could feel her cheeks begin to flush.

... Her breasts heaved as she breathed, causing her nipples to brush against his chest with every inhale. While licking her lips, she looked deep into his eyes, her mouth now glistening, drawing him in closer. His fingers wound through her hair as he pulled her tight against him, pressing his throbbing arousal into her…

'Hey, Tyrell!'

Rina yelped and almost threw her phone as she jolted at the sound of Sebastian's voice. She inhaled deeply, making sure to lock her screen before she sat up more, looking around for the interruption. She spotted him walking up the trail with a backpack. Tilting her head, she cleared her throat and adjusted her dress as she stood. 'Hey!' She replied as he got closer.

'Didn't think you were coming?' He said as he stopped next to her, breathing a little heavier in the heat. She looked him up and down, despite it being summer, he was of course, wearing a dark top and jeans.

'You do know that there are other colours in the spectrum, right?' Rina teases as she playfully pulls at his sleeve, which was short, to his credit. 'Wouldn't kill you to wear white or perhaps even a blue, or green,' she added.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and gave her a look, 'black hides stains. Besides, I cut my hair, that helps in this weather,' he pointed out as he ran his hand through his noticeably shorter style.

Rina giggles and shakes her head, 'that you did. Looks good,' she admits. 'Did your mum do it?'

He nods and gives her a scrutinising glance, 'hey, where's your stuff?' He asks. When Rina gives him a blank look in return, he sighs. 'You really didn't get her texts, huh?' Sebastian mutters as he rubs the little bit of stubble on his jaw that was beginning to grow. He drops his bag and leans against the tree. 'Every year, Abi, Sam and I, we all come up into the mountains and camp out for a couple of days. Sam and I suggested that we invite you and Abi said that she sent you texts, we didn't want to do it because well, it sounded kinda suggestive,' he said awkwardly.

She grins at him, just to increase his uncomfortableness. 'Wanna ride?' She teases, referring to a conversation that they had had earlier in the year.

'I thought you knew about my bike!' Sebastian retorted, a slight blush on his cheeks. 'I didn't mean it to sound dirty or like I was coming on to you,' he adds.

'Shame,' Rina continues to tease and gives him an over exaggerated wink. They both knew it was pure banter and spent a moment grinning and enjoying the ease of the moment. After a minute or two, Rina decided to tackle the problem. 'I didn't get any texts,' she admits. 'I might have been in the mines; I don't get signal down there. Or, maybe she has the wrong number,' she adds as she pulls her phone out her pocket.

'Yoba!' Sebastian swore. 'Fucking hell, Tyrell. What do you do, throw coal in that thing?' He asks as he takes the rather sturdy mobile out her hand. Rina protests and tries to grab it back but he easily holds it out of reach and ignores her attempts to get it, despite that she was pressing herself against him. 'This thing has got to be at least ten years old!' He mocks, turning it this way and that.

Rina scowls and shoves her hand into his jeans pocket, causing him to jump. 'Ah, ha!' Rina said in victory as she pulls out his cigarette pack and steps back, grinning at the flush on his face at her touch. 'Now I have leverage,' she points out. 'Gimme back my phone,' she said in a deadpan phone.

Sebastian knew he had taken it too far, 'here,' he said without any teasing or humour. 'I wasn't going to unlock it, I hope you know that,' he said seriously.

Rina took it from his hand gently and smiles a little, to ease the rather tense atmosphere. 'Thank you,' she said quietly. 'Sorry, it's just… this is mine. It's old and shit but I bought it and… yeah, it's a little basic but it does what I want it to,' she mumbles.

'Does it even connect to the internet?'

'…Eventually,' she admits and refuses to look at him.

'Does it do the whole; skreeee, hisssss,-' Sebastian begins to mimic the old dial up noises making Rina snort. 'Or do you really have to throw coal into it?' He teased. A breeze causes them both to pause in their conversation and Rina holds down her dress. Sebastian flicks his hair out of his eyes and thinks for a moment. 'I have plenty of old phones, a couple of years out of date at most. You're welcome to one-'

Rina looks horrified, 'oh, I couldn't, really Sebastian. I just… that's too much. You might as well just sell them or something.'

'They're hacked, so unless I wanna spend ages redoing all the factory resets and other shit, I really can't be bothered,' he said honestly. 'Think about it,' he adds, making her nod. She leans down and picks up her basket. Sebastian holds out his hand for his cigarettes and Rina sticks out her tongue before dropping the packet down the front of her dress. 'Oh, come on,' Sebastian said as his shoulders dropped and he gives her a look. 'Don't make me go in there,' he adds.

She rolls her eyes and holds out her phone, 'number,' she said simply as she unlocked her phone.

Sebastian chuckles and takes it from her to type in his contact info but pauses before he does, 'throbbing arousal into her, huh?' He reads. Rina's eyes widen in horror and she gasps, snatching her phone back.

'That's nothing! Just a book!' She practically yelled at him closing the app and desperately trying to force herself not to look as embarrassed as she felt. 'Oh, Yoba,' she wanted to just die. It was bad enough that she actually enjoyed that type of content, it was worse for someone else to know. Sebastian gave her a look and crossed his arms. With a sigh she passed him the packet of cigarettes from down her bosom. He smirks and takes one out, lighting it easily.

'And?' He said simply, tilting his head at her.

She moved her jaw in annoyance and gives him a sidelong look, 'I'll come over when you're back so you can upgrade my phone,' she mutters.

'That's my girl,' he teases. Rina gives him the middle finger making him chuckle as he pulls out his own phone. 'Here, put your number in and I'll text you,' he said softly, lightening the tension.

Rina mutters the whole time as she does as he asks. Playfully, she saves her number under the name of 'Tyrell', knowing that he would have done the same. 'I'll hide my old phone somewhere in your house to haunt you,' she said causing an expression of faint disgust to cross his features. 'You won't know where but it'll be there. Haunting. Watching. Waiting,' she joked.

He takes back his phone and smiles at her fondly. 'I'll fear the thought,' he said, still smiling, then it fades. 'So, you really didn't know about today?' He asks.

She shook her head and adjusted her basket. 'No, sorry. I would have loved too. To get away from it all, even for a night would have been great. But, I, uh, I don't have the supplies or like, the tent and things, so it's just not feasible,' she said with a shrug. 'I wouldn't want to suddenly drop the burden of my needs on everyone either, so don't worry about it. We can go another time, now that you have my number, you can just ask me yourself,' she said with a smile, trying not to feel rejected about being left out.

'Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure Abi wouldn't mind sharing her tent with you-'

'That's what I mean, I don't want to make a hassle about it. It's not her fault that this thing is so old I didn't get her messages,' Rina said smiling, with force. Sebastian could tell and they could both hear Sam and Abigail coming up the trail. 'Well, I'm going to go,' she said quietly. 'I don't want to make her feel bad just by being here by coincidence,' she added.

'Yeah, understandable,' he said quietly. Sebastian stubbed out the cigarette under his boot and stepped closer to her, 'till next time, Tyrell,' he said softly, holding out an arm. Rina smiles at the offer and leans forward to hug him. The embrace was sweet and comforting, it spoke volumes between them both and Rina felt safe and grounded for almost the first time since moving.

'Thank you, Sebastian,' she whispers.

'Be safe going home, Tyrell,' he replies as they part. She nods and with a quick glance to the trail, where she could hear their voices getting louder, she began to walk the other way; back down the mountain. She was almost at the bottom of the trail when her phone pinged.

She pulled it out and opened the text from the unknown number:

Unknown: The sequel is much better. Next time you need to go somewhere, ask me and I'll give you a ride.

Rina couldn't help but laugh as she saved his number and was halfway through replying when another text came through.

Sebastian: I didn't mean like that.

Rina grins as she sent back her one-word reply.

Rina: Shame.