Rewriting Time

Chapter 3

A/N: Part 1 of Round 3 - Write three chapters with a total of 4.5k words.

Chapter word count: 1.5K

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After that extremely uncomfortable hug from a man he barely knew, Sebastian was more than ready to bolt and never look back. Unfortunately, his damnable curiosity reared its ugly head again making it impossible for him to just walk away. It had taken the older man a good couple of minutes (Sebastian was counting) before he seemed able to realize how awkward the situation had become. Brushing it off with a nervous laugh, he stepped back and steered Sebastian towards a cozy sitting area. From thereon, Sebastian's world was swept into a swirling vortex.

The older man had introduced himself as Solomon Toledano, Tobias' father. Sebastian wasn't surprised by that revelation since Tobias looked like a younger version of Solomon. But other than that, the two were as different as night and day. Solomon was like warm sunshine on a summer morning, while Tobias was as cold as a Siberian winter's night. Whereas Solomon reminded one of an affectionate and kind uncle, Tobias evoked unwanted memories of an undesirable cousin shoved down everyone's throats during family gatherings.

And that undesirable cousin was currently scowling at him like he'd gobbled up all the Christmas pudding and eggnog in one fell swoop. It made Sebastian wonder what he'd done to earn that deadly glare. Good thing he was more interested in unraveling the mystery of Solomon's 'resurrection' more than delving into Tobias' convoluted psyche.

"Mr. Toledano-"

"Just call me Sol, Sebastian," Solomon said, smiling.

"Uhm, okay. Sol, I'm...I'm...Are you the same man that I met in the subway?"

"Is that where we're going to meet?"

"Well, we didn't meet per se. Wait. What? You said, 'we're going to meet'?" Sebastian paused, shaking his head, "I'm really getting confused here."

"What's confusing, Sebastian?"

"Don't you remember bumping into me in the subway?"

Sebastian didn't like how Solomon glanced at Tobias before answering as if consulting him. It made him feel too much like the outsider that he already was.

"Perhaps it would be best if we start at the beginning-"

"Why don't we start with how you came back from the dead?" Sebastian said, cutting Solomon off. He regretted the words as soon as he had blurted them. Solomon had flinched, his face turning ashen. Clearly, being reminded of one's death wasn't something one casually dropped in a conversation.

"Ah, so...I will die during our encounter..." Solomon said in a quavering voice.

Despite his earlier regret at being so callous, Sebastian couldn't help the anger that bubbled inside him. "Why do you keep on talking in the future tense? 'Will meet', 'will die'-"

"Because none of that had transpired yet," Tobias said, unaware that his statement added fuel to Sebastian's already rising temper.

"What? Do you really think I'm that stupid? I'm out of here. You two clearly need to have a new past time," Sebastian said, swiftly rising from his seat. He was just a few strides away from the door when Tobias blocked his path. Tobias was just a couple inches shy of Sebastian's 6'2", but he was much more slender in built. Sebastian knew he could take down the man easily.

"Step aside, Toledano," he said, glaring down at Tobias. Sebastian had to admire his spunk. Or maybe he's just too stupid to know what's good for him, he snarked.