Rekindled Bonds

Chapter 12 (Pt 2)

Ash plopped down into the booth next to Ominis. From across the table, Sebastian slid her a bottle of Firewhisky and a clean glass. She hastily poured herself a generous helping and gulped it down. At least if she was drunk, Sebastian may not be able to tell if her reddened face was due to inebriation or mortification.

He chuckled slightly at the sight of her greedy gulps. "Should I be offended that my mere presence requires copious volumes of alcohol to tolerate?"

Ash wiped at the alcohol dripping down her chin with the back of her hand. "Don't start feeling special, Sallow. You know that's not the reason for my discomfort."

"Ah, so you were listening," Sebastian smirked. "I knew you two weren't discussing– what was the excuse you gave again?"

"Eucalyptus..." Ash replied sheepishly.

Sebastian leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Eucalyptus? That's a curious choice. What does it mean in the secret language of conspiratorial friends?"

Ominis, who had been quietly observing the exchange, interjected with a playful smile. "Is it a code for something, or are you two just making up plant-related excuses now?"

Ash felt the heat of embarrassment creeping up her neck. "I didn't come here to be teased by the two of you."

"Didn't you?" Sebastian leaned forward and regarded her with a playful gaze that sent a chill up her spine. Fully aware of his implications, her sharp inhale prompted a small laugh from Ominis as he poured himself another drink.

Ominis took a lazy sip and set the glass back on the table. "I never expected eavesdropping to involve botany. So tell me, Ash, how much of our conversation did you hear?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Not a lot..."

"But just enough?" Sebastian teased, still maintaining his intense eye contact. She wasn't sure what it was about his current expression, but it felt as if he was peering into her brain and digging through her shameful thoughts.

She averted her eyes in an attempt to shield herself from Sebastian's scrutinizing gaze. "I suppose you could say that."

"Care to enlighten us on what bits and pieces of our riveting conversation managed to capture your keen eavesdropping ears?" Ominis asked.

"I might have overheard a few things, but it wasn't intentional. I was just trying to enjoy my drink, and your voices happen to carry, you know?"

The two boys regarded her with an expression that strongly conveyed that neither one of them believed a word she said.

Ominis placed a firm hand on her thigh. "Ash, darling, it's not good to lie."

All of the blood in her body was fighting between rushing to either her head or between her legs. Unfortunately, her internal struggle manifested as an odd choking sound and squeezing her thighs together. Sebastian attempted to hide his amusement behind the back of his hand. The air in the booth seemed to thicken, and Ash's cheeks burned crimson. Clearly, subtlety was not her strong suit. She wished she could melt into the seat and become one with the lifeless furniture.

"Enlighten us, which part of our conversation did you have the pleasure of enjoying?" Sebastian probed.

Ash's continued silence only led to Ominis's grip on her thigh tightening slightly. "There's no need to be coy, my dear. Next time you eavesdrop, be prepared for the consequences."

She blurted out her rushed explanations. "I wasn't trying to– I wanted to leave– Poppy made me!" Blind or not, it seemed like Ominis was staring straight into her soul. He sighed and his hand slid further up her thigh as if it was some cruel incentive to prompt her to answer their questions. "Alright, fine. I may have overheard you telling Sebastian about your dreams and something about if an opportunity arose, and I was okay with it– if Sebastian would want to..." Ash trailed off.

"Want to what?" Ominis demanded.

"Want to... share me," she squeaked out.

Ominis leaned back in his seat. "And?"

She shook her head in confusion. "And what?"

"Is that something you would want?" he asked nonchalantly.

Ash looked around the bar, silently praying for some type of diversion that would prevent her from having to answer him. Sadly, no giant ogre or angry goblin came bursting through the doors to save her from the mortifying fate of confessing her thoughts on the matter.

"I... have entertained the idea before and I admit it was somewhat appealing," Ash confessed quietly.

The atmosphere in the booth was charged with a blend of tension and curiosity as Ash's confession hung in the air. The dimly lit tavern seemed to amplify every heartbeat, every hushed breath shared among the trio. Sebastian's eyes flickered between Ominis and Ash, his playful demeanor momentarily replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"Well, well, it seems our dear Ash has some hidden desires of her own," he mused, a hint of amusement lingering in his voice.

Ash fidgeted in her seat, acutely aware of the weight of their scrutiny. "Look, it's not like I've made any concrete decisions or anything. It's just a passing thought, a what-if scenario."

Sebastian's playful demeanor returned, and he raised an eyebrow. "What if, indeed. Well, Ash, since we're baring our souls here, what are your reservations? What holds you back from turning a passing thought into a shared reality?"

She hesitated, her eyes darting between the two friends. "It's complicated. I mean, we've been friends for so long, and introducing... well, a dynamic like that– even for just one night– could change everything."

"You do realize that you have already slept with us both, right?" Ominis asked.

"Yes... I realize that. But that was separately, not together."

"Exactly." Ominis leaned in, his nose dragging along her ear as his Firewhisky-scented breath danced off her neck. "Aren't you curious? Don't you want to explore my fantasy a bit more... intimately?"

Ash laughed nervously and resisted the urge to fan her burning face. "You're drunk, you don't realize what you're saying."

"I'm not drunk. I'm not entirely sober either but I've been thinking about this ever since you and Sebastian... ever since the day I left you. It's haunted me; plagued my thoughts. I can barely function because every time I find myself in silence I can only hear you."

Ash was certain that even in the noisy bar, her racing heartbeat could be heard resounding off the walls. Ominis's thumb traced small circles over the back of her hand. Between his touch, his words, and the alcohol, a wave of heat was sent rolling through her body.

Sebastian, sensing the tension, intervened with a smirk. "As much as I'm enjoying your interplay, perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere a bit more private."

Ash's eyes widened, torn between the intrigue of the proposal and the fear of the unknown. Ominis's gaze held a glimmer of anticipation. "What do you say, Ash?" he murmured, his breath warm against her ear.

With a mix of nervousness and curiosity, she nodded slowly. "Alright, let's go back to Hogwarts."

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