Candles and Starlight

Darling

"Merlin's beard! What is this?" a voice shrieked, pulling you out of your dream.

Who thought it was acceptable to yell in the dorm this early in the morning? Well, whoever it was, you were going to give them a piece of your mind.

You nuzzled your face into your pillow, trying to rub the sleepiness away. Why was your pillow so hard? Actually, why was your bed so firm? Had it always been like that? You placed your hand on the strange-feeling mattress, hoping to push yourself up to figure out just who dared to yell in your dorm so early in the morning. You did not expect your mattress to groan as you pushed against it.

Your eyes snapped open. The brightness blinded you as you sat up, covering them to shield them from the harsh lights. Your dorm was usually dark as night. Where the hell were you?

You forced your eyes open. The large serpent fireplace and green wingback armchairs of the common room came into focus. Your mind raced. You had been in the common room in your dream. Did you sleepwalk? The "mattress" groaned again. You looked down. You hadn't been lying on a mattress at all. It was Ominis!

He had propped himself up on his elbows on the cold stone hearth. He wasn't wearing his robe, but you noticed it was rolled up as a makeshift pillow. He looked amazing. His usual slicked-back hair was slightly messy, with a few pieces hanging down in front of his face. His dress shirt pulled at his shoulders, making it tight across his chest. His smile was warm and aimed directly at you.

The kiss.

Oh, Merlin. The kiss. How could you forget that actually happened? That wasn't a dream this time. It was real. Heat rose on your cheeks, and you looked down at your hands fidgeting in your lap.

"Ahem! I repeat. What in the name of Merlin is going on here?"

"Sebastian!" you exclaimed. You had nearly forgotten about the voice that woke you up in the first place.

You looked up at him. He was standing behind the chairs, his arms were crossed, and a look that was somewhere between horrified curiosity and bemused interest was plastered on his face. You scrambled to your feet, smoothing out your skirt and robes.

"Ah, well. This isn't what it looks like," you explain, voice shaking. You never were a good liar.

"Oh, really?" he asked, walking around the armchairs to stand near the fireplace now that you and Ominis had untangled yourselves. "Because, to me, it looks like you two had a snog and then fell asleep by the fireplace.

Well, yeah... that was what happened, but you didn't want to admit that to Sebastian. It was none of his business. But if Sebastian had woken up and seen them on the floor... who else did? The thought terrified you. The last thing you wanted was to be this week's gossip, especially when it came to something as scandalous as snogging boys.

"So, tell me, Ominis. Is that what I had the pleasure of walking into this morning? Or will I be hearing tales about your male prowess in the halls later today?" His tone was playful. Never take anything too seriously. That was his motto.

You were silent. Panic had started to settle in. You looked over at Ominis to try to get a sense of how he wanted to handle the situation, but he looked completely unbothered.

"You're exactly right, Sebastian. Do you have a problem with that?" Ominis asked cooly, sitting up fully.

Ominis had never been the type to be overly dramatic, but his total lack of panic shocked you. Somehow you had expected him to regret the previous night. The kiss. The kisses. There were multiple... several... so many you'd lost count. You blushed scarlet just thinking about Ominis's soft lips and gentle kisses, the warmth of his body next to yours, and the feeling of his hands around your waist.