Swan Song • Sebastian Michaelis

» holiday special «

THIS JUST IN: THE AUTHOR ISNT ACTUALLY DEAD – only incredibly distracted and busy lately.

Welcome to the holiday special, which has nothing to do with the actual story besides the names and personalities. I love holiday specials and I'm dying to write romantic/adorable scenes between Aurora and Sebastian, so feel free to read, feel free to skip, it really doesn't hurt if you don't read. This doesn't have any foreshadowing or links to the future of this book, ffs just trust me pls.

[ THIS DOESNT PRETAIN TO THE ACTUAL PLOT OF SWAN SONG ]

Winter, cold as it might get, was a favorable season for Aurora. She had a certain niche for the pristine white snow that coated the outside world and the cloudy, overreact skies that loomed above, forcing a welcoming cozy atmosphere to fall over the Phantomhive Manor. Aurora felt an odd peace in the space of time between Christmas Day and the new year – it was colder than it usually would have been and there was more snow.

With a soft yawn, Aurora pulled her new cloak tighter around her body and drew her knees up to her chest as she watched the other servants toss snowballs at one another on the back garden of the manor. They invited her to play at first, but when she declined, they simply invited her to come outside and watch them for a time. It was just around midday and working into the evening time, meaning that the already cold weather was getting colder and snow was falling a bit faster. Christmas had passed the day before, but there hadn't been any present exchange.

"Are you sure you don't want join us, Miss Aurora?" Finnian asked, tossing a snowball from one hand to the other.

"It's quite all right Finnian, it's much more amusing to watch you three than to join your little game." Aurora replied with the wave of her hand. "Enjoy your fun now."

The servants had always interested her, she never quite understood why. They each had their individual stories to tell, ones much different than what hers was, but they were interesting nonetheless. And they all very clearly enjoyed the winter weather in a different way than how Aurora found herself enjoying it.

"Ah, there you are." Sebastian's hands gently fell over her shoulders as he approached from behind. "You seemed to have disappeared into thin air for the last hour or so."

"Those three asked if I wanted to have a little fun with them, but I declined." Aurora told him, then leaned back onto his legs. She looked up at him from where she sat, the ends of her long hair slowly falling and skimming across the snow covered ground. "I would much rather enjoy the weather than toss snowballs around at them."

"It would be quite uncharacteristic of you to do."

"That's very true. However, I declined because I do not want to spend the rest of the evening in a damp dress."

Sebastian hummed in a short response and crouched down beside his cloaked partner. He enjoyed these moments, the ones where everything seemed to be going on around them at once but there was this unspoken peace and serenity between the two. She was much different now, someone that had changed a great deal and learned to care for those around her. He thought it was merely the Christmas spirit, however after knowing her for so many years, it became apparent that it was simply her.

It was only a few minutes more before their peace was interrupted by the sound of small footsteps. A child, no older than six, stumbled and ran through the snow, a gleeful smile stretched out across her small face. A giggle escaped her lips as she pushed herself between her parents and leapt into her mother's embrace.