When Storms Collide

~8~

"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you."

—Game of Thrones

~~

My eyes followed his every move.

Sebastian was sitting on the living room sofa and I watched him from the kitchen.

I swallowed.

This is wrong Angelica.

You shouldn't be checking out a man while he bandages his shoulder.

"Well, it's not my fault,'' I muttered to myself.

How on earth Sebastian managed to make bandaging his own shoulder look sexy was beyond me.

He finally finished up and I averted my gaze just in time to avoid getting caught.

He finally headed towards the kitchen. Towards me. And my heart did a little flip.

He wordlessly reached to open the cabinet and took out two plates and mugs before setting them down on the kitchen island.

We had developed an easy routine. Every morning I made breakfast and he set the table. We ate together. He didn't talk much but he always complimented my cooking which had me jumping with joy on the inside.

We settled down and started to eat.

I'd made a cheese omelet with sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes, topped off with a hint of garlic.

Like usual Sebastian finished every last bite silently.

"Delicious." He murmured before giving me a grateful smile.

He patiently waited for me to finish before taking the plates and mugs to the sink. I watched the muscles of his back flex as he washed the utensils.

I sighed.

He even made washing the dishes look sexy.

"Angelica?" I nearly jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Y-yes?" I responded weakly.

He turned to look at me.

"You are a woman right?"

I scoffed.

"You're just noticing?"

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, his cheeks flushing. "No of course not, I did not mean it that way. Apologies."

I fought the smile tugging at my lips.

He swallowed. "I was wondering if you could help me. I need to get a gift for someone, and since you are a woman I thought you would know what kind of gift to get for a woman since I am completely clueless when it comes to such things." He stumbled over his words. It was the first time I'd actually seen him flustered.

I grinned. "Sure thing."

~~

Sebastian drove us to the mall. The drive was about an hour long.

We didn't talk in the car but the silence wasn't uncomfortable or awkward, which was strange because I was the type of person who always found silence nerve-wracking. I was the person who always felt obligated to fill silence even if it was with unnecessary babble, but Sebastian was the first person who made me feel comfortable with silence.

"We're here." He announced softly.

I was pulled out of my trance and I took in my surroundings. We were in a parking lot, there were people everywhere carrying shopping bags, talking and laughing.