group
"I'm sure you didn't try what I did," Sebastian said in a cool voice. Which was true; they probably never one thought to actually be nice, to treat Bryn like he was at least alive.
"And I don't hand over my techniques."
The man let go of Bryn with an amused smile, ignoring the way he shivered and practically hit behind Sebastian. Bryn could still feel those slimy hands on his chin and in his hair. His jaw ached sharply from the way he'd been pulled. He could feel other hands, grim and cold, settling all over him and this time he let himself whimper, soft and anxious in Sebastian's ear.
The auctioneer looked like he was about to say something, but the comment was cut off by the arrival of the assistant. She held two large boxes in her hands, a smaller one in held in her left hand. She glared at the auctioneer and Sebastian, offering Bryn a softer look. "I have your packages, sir. Would you like me to walk them out to the car for you?"
group
"Yes," Sebastain said, still feigning boredom. On the inside, he was furious. How dare this man treat Bryn like that. Bryn's whimper made him even more furious. He turned, walking back to the front of the store.
Bryn stayed close behind, trying and failing to stop the shiver wracking his body. The assistant kept shooting him these warm, apologetic little looks but it only made him feel worse and worse. He didn't want her damn pity. If she felt so bad she should just fucking do something about it! But, of course, she wouldn't. Because she saw him as a mistreated puppy instead of an actual person.
She set the boxes inside the car, patting Bryn on the head the way you would an affectionate dog before she walked away. He whined a little louder, pressing close to Sebastian in distress.
group
Sebastian slid into the car, bringing Bryn with him. The moment the door was closed, Sebastian pulled Bryn onto his lap and held him tightly.
"I'm s-sorry, I'm so sorry. I- I swear, if I had known th-that man worked here, we would have never c-came." Sebastian's lips quivered and his voice shook as he fought back his tears.
Bryn frowned, hands rising shakily to cup his face. Things felt better when he had Sebastian holding him, those awful cold hands banished back to the deepest parts of his memories. He tilted Sebastian's chin until they were eye to eye. "No, no, no, you can't blame yourself, Sebastian. You didn't know. You got us out of there as fast as you could."
group
Sebastian looked into Bryn's eyes, his own glassy.
"I- I could have stopped him for hurting you. I could have done something." He hugged Bryn, burying his head in Bryn's hair.
"Could you? Was there anything you could've done that wouldn't have made him suspicious? Or was it just a bad situation that ended up hurting both of us?" Bryn kissed him, sweet and soft. "You love me, just like I love you. If there were a way to keep me away from him, you would've used it."
group
Sebastian kissed Bryn back with quivering lips.
"I- I just-" He put his head on Bryn's chest, sighing. He wiped his eyes with his sleeves, then wrapped his arm around Bryn again.
"I know. It's hard." Bryn wrapped one arm around Sebastian. "Just let it out, you'll feel better afterward." He petted Sebastian's hair gently, the way his mom did for him when he used to get nightmares, and hummed one of the few soothing songs he could still remember.
group
Quietly, Sebastian's tears began to fall. He wasn't a noisy crier; the tears simply fell onto his and Bryn's laps. He leaned into Bryn slightly; he liked Bryn rubbing his hair like that, and the song was comforting.
Bryn just kept petting him and humming and looking down with a strange mix of sadness and affection in his eyes. He wanted to make this better. He wasn't strong enough to change anything big, so he focused on the small. On pulling Sebastian closer and making him feel supported and listened to and loved.
group
If Sebastian had been in a state of mind to think, he would have noticed the sudden role change; how now Bryn was the one comforting Sebastian, making Sebastian feel like everything would turn out all right in the end. Of course, Sebastian was not really capable of thinking such complex thoughts. Instead, he focused on how Bryn felt so nice, how Bryn made him feel like it would be okay.
"I love you…" he said quietly, letting it trail off as he put his face at the base Bryn's neck.
(I gtg, I'll be back around 8)
Bryn smiled at the statement and at the way Sebastian was starting to relax in his arms. It felt strange to comfort someone else instead of being the one breaking down. He liked it though. Liked how easy it was for Sebastian to calm down while he was around. For once in his life, he felt… useful. Wanted. "I love you too. More than I could ever express."
group
(Okie)
group
The tension that had been building up in Sebastian's body started to go away slowly. The sickening feeling in his stomach of helplessness seemed to dissolve. He sat back slightly, pulling Bryn with him.
"I never want to lose you."
Bryn followed easily, snuggling contentedly into Sebastian's chest with the satisfaction of a job well done. Sebastian felt good again, and Bryn had helped him do it. "I don't want to lose you either. You're… you're very important to me."
group
Sebastian held Bryn tenderly, moving a hand up to hold Bryn's cheek. He smiled.
"You're very important to me," he echoed, kissing Bryn lightly. He felt so much better, and it was all thanks to Bryn.
Bryn had just started to kiss him back, a pleased blush on his face, when the car jerked to a stop. He could hear the driver walking down to open the door. His eyes met Sebastian's, wide with panic.
group
In a moment, Sebastian pushed Bryn away in panic; he set Bryn down on the floor, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He fixed a bored expression on his face, unable to get into an app when the door was opened.
Bryn let out a soft yelp when he was pushed, surprised and more than a little freaked out, but he quickly calmed and snuggled against Sebastian's legs. He was on his knees, head resting lightly on Sebastian's knees. The chauffeur didn't give him more than a cursory glance before he turned to Sebastian and offered him a hand to help him out of the car.
group
Sebastian took it, picking Bryn's leash back up and tugging it very, very lightly.
"Let's go," he said, tone bored to match his face.
Bryn felt a little flutter of affection in his belly when he noticed how very careful Sebastian was not to hurt him, but he squashed it down quickly. They didn't have time for this, not right now. "Ah… um… yes master." It was awkward to scramble out of the car without help, but he managed and soon he was hoovering behind Sebastian.
group
Sebastian turned to the driver.
"Get someone to carry our things," he instructed. With that, he turned and walked towards the house, not bothering to wait for an answer. He did his very best not to pull at Bryn's collar at all, but he was occasionally forced to. Every time he did, he had to fight back a flinch.
The driver nodded and summoned a maid from the house, the two trailing Bryn and Sebastian as they walked up to the house. Bryn followed as close as he dared, hands jolting forward to hold Sebastian's every time he flinched and stopping themselves a few seconds later. The house was still a maze, but it all seemed to blur by until they were standing in front of Sebastian's room.
group
Sebastian opened the door to his room, having the two servants set the boxes inside and dismissing them before he and Bryn entered. He closed the door behind them, immediately unclipping the leash from Bryn's neck. He finally let himself hold Bryn's hand.
"Thank god no one can interrupt us here," he said.
Bryn pressed himself up against Sebastian's chest with a hum of agreement, fiddling weakly with the latch on the dog collar. "I…I can't get it off. Please."
group
Sebastian reached up, carefully unclipping the latch and tossing the collar to the side.
"Better?" He asked, wrapping his arms around Bryn.
Bryn relaxed as soon as the collar was gone, collapsing into Sebastian's arms like a puppet with its strings cut. His neck was slightly chafed from being dragged around in a collar not made for his slender neck, skin red and irritated. "Much." He pecked Sebastian on the lips. "Thank you, I feel a lot better with that thing off of me."
group
"I can see that," Sebastian said, looking down at the marks on Bryn's neck. He pulled Bryn closer. "Does it hurt a lot?" He asked, rubbing Bryn's back slightly with his thumb.
