Swallow your pride

Recovery

Omini's Pov

It was summer vacation already. Sebastian continued to visit Yarra on a daily basis, sitting by her bedside and keeping her company as she gradually recovered. Ominis watched from afar, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he was relieved to see Yarra getting better. On the other, it stung knowing that it was Sebastian's presence that seemed to be the driving force behind her recovery.
Ominis tried not to let it get to him, but he couldn't help the feeling of jealousy that clawed at his chest whenever he saw Sebastian laughing and smiling with Yarra. It had been his role to support her, to be the one she could lean on. But now...now it seemed like Sebastian had taken on that role instead.

The days passed by, and Ominis found it harder and harder to hide his jealousy. Each time he saw Sebastian and Yarra together, it was like a knife twisting in his heart. He found himself snapping at Sebastian more often, his usual calm temperament slowly crumbling.

One evening, after a particularly frustrating day of watching Sebastian and Yarra chatting and laughing together, Ominis couldn't hold it in any longer. He stormed over to Sebastian, his face contorted with anger. "Why are you doing this?" he practically hissed.
"Doing what?" Sebastian asked, his voice steady.
Ominis's fists clenched, his jaw set tight. "You know exactly what I mean," he snapped. "Coming here every day, making Yarra smile and laugh, as if you're the one who knows her best. It's driving me insane, Sebastian."
Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm not doing this to hurt you, Ominis," he said quietly, his tone earnest. "I care about Yarra. I want to help her recover. That's all."
Ominis's eyes flashed with anger. "You care about her," he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "More than me, it seems. You've swooped in here, taken my role as her support, and made me feel like I'm just an afterthought."

"I've done nothing of the sort," he retorted, his voice rising. "I'm here because Yarra needs me. You're acting like I'm actively trying to push you out. I'm just trying to help her recover. Isn't that what we both want?"
Ominis huffed in frustration, his hands clenching into fists. "Of course I want her to recover," he said through gritted teeth. "But it feels like you're trying to take over completely. You're not even giving me a chance to be there for her. You're hogging all the time with her, all the laughs, all the smiles."

"I'm not trying to take over anything, Ominis." He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "But you've got to understand... Yarra needs someone right now. She needs support, and if I'm the one who can provide that, then what am I supposed to do? Ignore her? Leave her to suffer alone?" Ominis threw his hands up, his frustration nearly overwhelming him. "I'm not telling you to ignore her or leave her alone!" he protested. "I'm just asking for some space, some time to be there for her too. I'm her hudband, for Merlin's sake. I love her just as much as you do!"

Sebastian took a step back, he exhaled slowly, "This isn't about who loves her more, Ominis. This is about what's best for her right now." He paused, his voice becoming more urgent, "She's still struggling. She's still... she's not well emotionally. She needs someone who can help her through it all. And..."
He stopped, hesitating. Sebastian took a deep breath,"And if I'm the one who can do that... then so be it. I'm not doing this to hurt you, Ominis. But I...I care about her. Deeply. And if she needs me, I can't just walk away."

Ominis's heart sank as Sebastian spoke, the harsh truth of his words striking him like a physical blow. He knew Sebastian was right, knew that Yarra's recovery was the priority. But it still hurt. He took a shuddering breath, struggling to speak past the lump in his throat. "And what about my feelings, Sebastian?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "What about *my* needs?"

Sebastian's eyes softened as he heard the vulnerability in Ominis' voice. "I know it's hard, Ominis," he said quietly. "But Yarra's recovery... it has to come first. Your feelings are important, but right now, hers are more so."  
He took a step closer, his voice becoming more gentle. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Ominis. I'll try to talk to Yarra about it. To make her... more open to you."