Guest: I'm glad you love them! I do too! I'm very attached to my OC and the broody one. Who could have guessed? Like i said the Fanfiction is technically finished, I've just got to upload them. I'm doing some editing and adding little bits here and there to make it flow better as i go. So, thank you for your review, it made me smile and, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Seven - Tidal wave

A silence fell between them and the wind ruffled their hair as it blew past them both. Sebastian squeezed her arm and gave her a small smile. 'Are we okay?' He asked, she looked so confused and it broke his heart. It's not like she was his girlfriend but he couldn't deny he cared about her.

'Oh, Sebastian… we're fine,' Rina whispered as a fresh flood of tears threatened to fall. 'Ignore me, I'm being stupid. Blame it on the accident,' she mumbled as she attempted to wipe her eyes again. Sebastian chuckled and used his own sleeve to help her. 'Also, word of warning, I will always bite back to those who say such things about you,' she muttered.

'Stubborn,' he replied making her giggle and give him a weak smile. 'Come on, we've already lost half the day and we don't want to keep Dr Harvey waiting for too long,' he said once her face was dry. Rina eventually had to bat his hand away playfully as he made it a bit of an ordeal when it came to wiping her cheeks.

'Alright, alright, let's go,' she said as she purposefully walked past him, grabbing his sleeve and dragging him beside her. Once in the clinic, he waited with her at the reception desk. Dr Harvey was the one checking her in, being a small-town clinic. Rina fiddled with her cuffs of the hoodie, looking at her fingers. Sebastian noticed she was quite tense around the shoulders. Dr Harvey asked her to spell out her surname and Rina nodded. 'T-Y-R-E-Double L,' she said quietly.

Dr Harvey nodded and typed it into the computer before clicking the mouse and hearing a ding. He frowned and he glanced at Rina. 'You have reasonably local medical records, yes?' He asked quietly, looking over at Sebastian who shrugged a shoulder.

Rina cleared her throat and nodded, 'yes, I was born in the city,' she mumbled

'I'm sorry, I'm not finding any records with the first initial of 'R'. Tyrell isn't a common name and there's a few records here but nothing that matches,' he said apologetically, looking over his glasses at her. Sebastian attempted to fade into the background and pretend that he wasn't listening; he felt like it was more awkward that he was around to hear.

'Um, it's probably… because Rina… isn't my first name,' she said eventually as she exhales heavily before looking at Dr Harvey.

'No?' The doctor replied and tilted his head. 'Fair enough, what's your first name? If I can't find you after this, I'll have to take your date of birth,' he said softly. The young woman seemed reluctant in general to give out information about herself, not just because she had company.

Sebastian raised a brow; it wasn't unheard of for people to go by different names but she seemed almost embarrassed about the fact. Rina sighed and bit her lip, 'It's Ophelia… Ophelia Karrina Tyrell,' she stated but Sebastian heard the tremor in her voice. Dr Harvey typed it in and nodded as her files popped up on the screen.

'There you are,' he said as he smiled at her. 'Okay, come on through and I'll have you looked at; do you want Seb to join you?' He asked, wanting her to feel comfortable.

Rina sighed and shook her head, 'no, it's okay. It won't take long.'

Sebastian nodded and smiled at her as she followed Dr Harvey down the corridor to the examination room. Maru nipped over to the counter and looked at Sebastian who gave her a brief smile in greeting. 'Did… she say her name was Ophelia Tyrell?' Maru whispered to him, leaning on the desk top.

Sebastian chuckled, 'uh, yeah,' he said in just a conspiratorial whisper. 'Why?'

Maru's face stilled and she pulled out her phone, clearly searching something. Her mouth dropped open and she turned the screen to face Sebastian. There was a picture of a stern looking man in an impeccably tailored suit, he had brushed back greying hair and the same colour eyes as Rina. His hand was on the shoulder of a young woman who sat in a chair next to him, her ankles crossed and her hands placed neatly in her lap. She wore a beautifully fitted dress, in a matching colour to the older man. Her long dark hair curled over a shoulder and down her back. 'This is clearly Rina and that,' Maru pointed to the man, 'that is Gideon Tyrell, one of the most influential men in the damn city, Yoba, probably the entire western side of the world. He's CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies and probably like, a hundred others,' she said in surprise and wonder. 'I can't believe that Rina is his daughter,' she added.

He had to admit that in the picture, Rina looked the height of sophistication. The cut and style of the dress was flattering and suited her perfectly. There was an issue though, despite her smile; her eyes eluded the spark of life and wonder that he had grown to know. Her posture may have seemed relaxed but to him, it looked practiced and forced. It was a novelty to see her dressed in something other than her work boots and a hoodie but it was bittersweet. It just increased the internal feelings of conflict he was having, his need to protect her intensifying. Sebastian rolls his eyes and sighed, 'so? So, what if she is?'

Maru gave him a look, 'so, she's kinda been lying about who she is. Her net worth is millions! She could literally buy this entire town if she wanted to.'

'She isn't like that,' he pointed out.

'Well… I know that,' she replied with an eye roll. 'It's just… strange that's all. I mean, Gideon Tyrell is in another league, the upper of upper crusts. Her education must have been insane, I wonder how many instruments she can play… or languages that she can speak, oh! No wonder she didn't have like, the right clothes and things when she first moved here. Things must have been so confusing,' Maru began to babble as she leaned on her elbows and gazed off.

Her brother was glad that they were currently the only ones in the clinic. Maru wasn't the quietest when she got excited and her idle wondering had been loud. He rubbed his eyes, 'yeah, sure it explains a few things, I just don't think it's important,' he said simply. Though, it did provide a fair bit of background to a few things around Rina.

When they first started to hang out, most of the music they listened to was new. She had delved into a few bands that had taken her liking and he encouraged her happily as her excitement was palpable. He had even added her to his music streaming service and added the app to her phone. Rina couldn't sing but her attempts made him smile as she started to learn the words to her favourite songs. Many of the films they watched together were brand new to her as well and it was refreshing to see them through her eyes. A couple minutes passed and he realised that his own mental avenues were getting to dangerously bathetic and sappy territory, he crashed back to the real mental realm.

Maru had continued to talk, '-should I talk to her about this? She might need some counselling or something, especially seeing as she's never spoken about her father. Sounds like it might have been a bad estrangement or something. The article said that her mother died when she was young, that's sad… to lost a parent so young,' she said quietly as she scrolled through the webpage on her phone.

Sebastian snatched Maru's phone and began to exit the website before he figured out how to delete the search history. 'Hey! That's my phone-!'

He ignored her and held it out of reach while the records deleted before giving it back to her. 'No. Keep this to yourself. Her name is Rina, Rina Tyrell,' he said simply. 'She came here looking for a new life, that's what she has now. Maru, please, promise me, you'll keep this to yourself,' he said seriously giving her a firm look.

She huffed and begrudgingly nodded, 'yeah, you're right,' she mumbles.

'If Tyrell hasn't brought this up herself then it's not something that she's comfortable talking about. Just leave it and pretend to be none the wiser. Yoba, could you imagine what people would act like around her if they knew her background? Pierre would be halfway up her ass trying to get seller connections in the city and I don't want to even think about what Hayley and Abigail would do,' he mutters. Maru nods and Sebastian closes his eyes as he brushes his hair back, his mind racing. What if it was an abusive situation? Have I been crossing boundaries that I'm unaware of? Does she need more support? A safe space? Perhaps I should give her more space so that some more… appropriate relationships, with like, Penny or Maru?

Shaking his head, he knew he was being stupid. She would tell me if she was uncomfortable… if there's anything she's great at doing, it's setting clear boundaries, he thought without sarcasm. It was a failing of his and why people routinely thought that he was a bit of a doormat. Rina had made sure that Sebastian knew that he could tell her things without judgement, like with social obligations and mental batteries. It was a couple minutes before he realised that Maru had very literally snapped her fingers at him.

'Huh, what?' He said as he jolted.

'I said; it wasn't cool taking my phone like that, I have personal stuff on here,' she repeated giving him a disapproving glance.

Sebastian smirked, 'what like the texts between you and… Dr Harvey?' He teased making her face flush red. 'Alright, I will admit, it was not cool of me to take your phone. I apologise,' he said sincerely.

'You're forgiven,' Maru said as she slipped her phone away. 'It's not that I could tell anyone anyway, patient confidentiality,' she pointed out. Sebastian rolled his eyes and moved from the counter to sit down and wait until Rina returned. Personally, he did have a moment of wonder about if it would change the way that he saw Rina but it was a fleeting thought that vanished the moment she reappeared, looking… a little grumpy. He looked at the time on his phone, she had been in there for over half an hour though it hadn't felt like it.

He stood up and smiled at her as Dr Harvey appeared to give her a prescription. 'Alright, Rina, please take my advice. Remember, only wash with cold water and avoid shampoo for a while, at least a week if you can bear it. The stitches Maru used are dissolvable and will vanish on their own, it'll just take time. Seb?' Dr Harvey turned to him. 'She needs to be under observation for at least another twelve hours, is that okay?'

'Uh, sure?' Sebastian said in automatic reply. 'Yeah, of course.'

'Just assume like everyone else,' Rina muttered under her breath. Sebastian only caught it because she was standing closer to him.

'Remember, follow the instructions and if you feel any particularly horrible side effects, other than what we spoke about, let me know and we'll find you something else. We don't want any accidents,' he teased. Rina wore a fake smile in reply and nodded, Sebastian made a mental note to ask what that was about. Dr Harvey looked back at Sebastian, 'any dizziness or nausea, if she collapses or feels unwell, do not hesitate to call. If the ache becomes rather an annoyance, take painkillers, though try to keep the amount minimal. If the pain gets worse, please use my emergency number. I'd rather you be too wary than not enough. And… gentle exercise at most,' he said pointedly.

Sebastian was horribly confused but he nodded, 'uh, yep. Okay, can do,' he nodded noticing that Rina's face had flushed red.

'Alright, well, have fun you two, within reason,' Harvey grinned before walking over to speak to Maru. Rina clutched the prescription and practically dragged Sebastian out the clinic and next door to Pierre's where she could get her medication. Being a small town meant that the few stores had to multitask in terms of services. Pierre's even had a post office.

Sebastian stepped up to her speed and lowered his voice as they opened the shop door. 'What in Yoba's name was that about?' He asked quietly. 'What are the meds for? Anti-biotics? Does he think you might have an infection?' They paused next to the magazines and Rina looked at the prescription in her hands, biting her lip a little.

Rina shook her head and looked around in case anyone would overhear them. 'No, he… gave me birth control,' she whispered.

'Birth control? Like the pill?' He repeated. 'Why would he give you those? Did you ask for them?' His brain caught up and his cheeks went just as red as Rina's. 'Oh, shit! Sorry! I shouldn't have asked,' he said, realising that it was personal and might not be something she wanted to talk about.

Rina sighed and shook her head, 'he thought it would be best,' she mutters. 'Once he had checked my head over. By the way? Maru's stitching; it's perfect. Apparently, there will be minimal scarring,' she said as she fiddled with the paper.

'That's cool,' he said nodding and allowing his eyes to wander over the glossy pages and idly reaches out to flick a corner. Not in disinterest but more as an act because they were in public and he was trying to make it look like that they weren't talking about something private. 'I'm glad he took it seriously,' he adds as he gives her a pointed look.

'Yes, well… after that, we discussed my medical insurance and any previous procedures that I have had, or lack of. I mean my last doctor's appointment was when I was about ten; that was to talk about… puberty… as I didn't have any women in my life and my teachers were men… Yoba, I'm just babbling now,' she mutters, perusing the selection of chocolates and sweets that were on display. 'Sorry, I'm just spewing as there's a queue and I don't want to talk to others,' she teases, making him smirk with the corner of his mouth. 'So, due to my age, he inquired about birth control and I tried to shove that line of inquiry off a cliff but he was insistent because of my 'situation', which at first, I didn't get what he was getting at but then it hit me-'

'Oh Yoba. He thinks we're dating, doesn't he?' Sebastian blurted out when he figured it out. 'That's why he was saying all of that stuff about gentle exercise! Tyrell! Why didn't you say something? I must have sounded like a complete idiot!'

'I did try to explain!' Rina hissed. 'He wouldn't take no for an answer. "Better to be prepared than not at all", he kept saying. In the end I just took the damn blood pressure test and let him write it out,' she said as she kept looking around.

Sebastian felt like an idiot. 'Sorry… that just took me by surprise. It's one thing having Maru and Sam tease us, it's another when it's a doctor. Well, you know that you don't have to have it filled out if you don't want to,' he points out.

Rina shrugs. 'It's not the worst thing in the world to be protected and most women take it without being in sexual relationships, it can help control your cycle and that,' she muses shrugging a shoulder. 'It would be nice to have a heads-up as to when that will hit me. Last time I was in the mines and that was an uncomfortable run home,' Rina jokes, making Sebastian roll his eyes. That type of thing didn't bother him, he had a mother and a sister after all. Though he had learned that around Maru, during that particular week; silence was the best option other than space.

'You can't scare me with your talk of women's things,' he said in a gruff voice. Rina found it funny and giggles, nudging him with her shoulder.

'Yoba, I wish that that the conversation had been under different circumstances though,' she said. 'Thank fuck for patient confidentiality.'

Sebastian could only nod numbly. His head was spinning a hundred thoughts, 'perhaps I should wait outside while you have this filled,' he said quietly as they approached Pierre now that the queue had dwindled.

'Why?'

'Pierre is Abi's dad,' Sebastian pointed out, he didn't want to make things awkward for her. Sebastian wasn't sure if Pierre even liked him or not, it's not like they were chatty with each other. It was a weird situation; it was more like Pierre tolerated him when he rarely came over to hang out with Abigail. 'People already are clearly assuming-'

Rina's expression hardened and she nodded. 'Yeah, sure. Wait outside. I'll be fine,' she said simply and turned away from him. It was clear he had upset her in some way but he wasn't sure how. She didn't even wait for him to leave before speaking to Pierre and asking him to fulfil her prescription. She stood to the side, allowing others to get to the till while she waited. For some reason to Rina, having Sebastian care about the assumptions… kinda stung.

Once outside she began to walk towards her farm without waiting for Sebastian to realise that she had exited. She soon heard him catch up as she walked along the trail. 'Hey!' He called out to her. He paused to drop his cigarette and stand on it so that the red-hot cherry end was crushed before he picked up his pace again. 'Tyrell!' Rina held the bag tightly to her chest and ignored him. Petty, she was aware but she didn't trust her emotions right now. 'Woah, hey. I'm supposed to be looking after you,' Sebastian said as he skidded in front of her and blocked her way. 'What's the deal? Why are you… storming off without me?'

'I wouldn't want people to assume,' Rina replied without thinking.

Sebastian laughed in shock, 'okay, ow. That was harsh,' he said giving her a look. 'Can you tell me what's wrong?' He asked, not really wanting to fight with her.

'No,' Rina said as she walked around him.

'Tyrell, come on, don't be like this, tell me what I did! I can't make it right if I don't know,' he said as he caught up with her once again. Rina reached the pathway of her farm and shook her head. 'Come on, tell me. What's wrong? I thought we told each other things, that we were open with one another,' he said as he walked beside her, attempting to get her to stop without touching her.

'We are open with one another,' she mumbles as she holds the bag tighter and slows down a little.

'Then please, tell me what I've done to upset you. I don't like the idea that I've inadvertently done something wrong,' he said honestly, feeling his heart pound in his chest at her expression. She looked like she was going to cry and it was because of him.

'It's nothing, I'm being… silly… I just need a minute,' she said trying not to look at him.

'Tyrell,' he said as he stopped walking beside her, letting her walk on. 'I'm… way out my depth here. I just want to know what I've done wrong,' he said as he runs his hands through his hair in desperation.

Everything caught up to her and crashed like a stormy wave against the shore. She spun on her foot to face him. 'I don't know what's wrong!' She snaps, a little annoyed that he was pestering her and not giving her the time that she wanted to clear her head. 'I don't know, Sebastian! I don't! I just… I don't know. I feel hurt. Okay? Like, I was there, defending you against Hayley and I've been getting all this shit from Abigail, and I know, I know you've not let her get away with it either but… honestly? The fact that you couldn't stand there and wait with me for a damn… okay, slightly jarring and presumptuous prescription to be filled out, because what? Pierre is Abigail's dad? Who in the living fuck cares?! We know we're not dating!' She threw up her hands as she ranted.

Rina breathes in heavily, 'we know it! Sam and Maru know it though they tease us mercilessly about it. Yet you seem to still care if Abigail thinks it! Or that her father might tell her about it, about some coincidental medication that yeah, some couples rely on! It was like you were embarrassed of me. That if it were true, if we were dating, you wouldn't want anyone to know. It hurt. It felt like in that moment… you cared more about what she thought of you than keeping me company.' She sniffed and looked away from him as he stood there, processing what she had yelled at him. 'I know it shouldn't matter because we're just friends and we're both fine with that, that's why we're friends and why it works! But that stupid little… I don't know…. prideful part inside of me got offended when it felt like you would be embarrassed if we were more.'

Rina continued, 'and at the same time, I know you don't care what she thinks. I know that I'm just being self-centered and cruel. You literally came home on your birthday night out that everyone had planned for you, that I know Abi had put a lot of effort into… just to look after me. Which makes me a total bitch and I just… wanted to run away from you because… I'm a horrible person. Because… even if those things were true and you would be embarrassed to date me… I have no right to be upset. I can't control how you feel and nor would I want to. I'm just… I don't know. For a moment there, it really hurt and I honestly don't know what to do to not feel like this and… yeah,' her voice quietens as she comes to the end of her rant and the wind brushes past them both causing her loose fringe to flick into her eyes.

There was nothing. Nothing. Sebastian could think of nothing to say to her at that precise time. For a moment, he simply stood, looking at her. Rina wiped her eyes and shook her head as she couched down, close to the floor, covering her face with her arms as she squats. 'So no, Sebastian… you can't make it right… because you've honestly done nothing wrong.'

He understood to an extent what she was trying to convey but it also confused him a lot. Instead, he walked over to her and encouraged her to stand up. She tried to refuse to look at him, she had given herself the hiccups with her outburst and he wouldn't let her look away. 'I might not be able to apologise for something you say I haven't done wrong but I am sorry that you feel this way,' he said softly.

She hiccupped and sniffed as she leaned into his chest with her forehead. 'I've never had a best friend before, Sebastian,' she mumbled. 'Is it always this complicated?'

'Between two guys? Nah. Between two girls, a little less drama unless there's a love interest involved. Between a guy and a girl? New territory for everyone,' he attempted to make her laugh and he could see from his angle that she at least smiled. 'For the record, Tyrell? If we were to date, I wouldn't be embarrassed by you. I would be embarrassed by your choice in men, though, that's worrying,' he added, smiling as he heard her snort in laughter.

'Asshole,' she giggled.

I love Sebby so much. I always enjoy writing him -lovehearts-

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