Why couldn't you just hate me?

"His spell"

The library is as silent as it can be. Occasional noise from students who are doing group studies, some talking portraits and occasional swish and swoosh from the different books flying all around the big library. By the corner of the library, near a fireplace, sits Jacob and Garreth together studying, but near them behind a bookshelf the floor board creaks slightly as Sebastian leans in, trying to hear what they are talking about. He leans against the bookshelf, taking out a random book and flipping trough the pages, acting like hes reading. He hears some laughter, and his chest tightens again, that uncomfortable sharp pain. What are they laughing at? a memory of a prank? an inside joke? maybe,.. him?

Then, he hears

"I've been meaning to ask you something"

Sebastian freezes, his jaw tightening, that uncomfortable sting becoming even sharper now.

"Yeah? what is it" Jacob answers

"You've been weirdly distracted lately, how so?" Garreth says as he leans in

"Don't start" Jacob says as he rolls his eyes, huffing annoyingly.

"Its about Sallow isn't it?"

Sebastian leans in as close as he can without showing himself from behind the book case

"Shut up. i just.. hate how smug he is all the time, acting like he's so much better than everyone"

A beat of silence pass,it feels heavy. Sebastian closes his eyes for a second, and lets the words settle down in his chest. Jacob turns his book to the next page as he shakes his head in a tired like matter.

"He pisses me off so much, but i cant let him know that. Then that smug prick will think hes 'won' or something"

He shakes his head once more, trying to stop thinking of Sebastian, and that stupid smile of his.

" ..Anyway.. question 34, what did you get there?"

"i got knotgrass spring, and you?"

Garreth says, leaning in with a smirk.

"I didn't answer that one yet." Jacob says as he writes down the answer that Garreth gave him

"Maybe if you weren't buy thinking about Sallow all the time you'd get it right"Garreth says teasingly

Sebastian's breath hitches, hes thinking og looking around the corner, but the risk of getting caught is not worth it. A mischievous sparkle appears in his eyes, most like if hed had an ideeea. almost.

"I do NOT!" He says rather too quickly and to loudly, he then looks around to see if the librarian noticed the noise, she luckily didn't. He tones down his voice and looks at Garreth in a rather serious matter.

"How many times do i have to tell you, there isn't a 'secret love thing' in between me and that snobby prick. I genually get pissed off by being near him"

A sting in Sebastian's chest appear, but this one feels different. Almost feels like bittersweet relief. He smiles to himself, rather weirdly happy that Jacob's frustration is as genuine as his own

"Oh i know, i know.. Hes got you totally under his spell" Garreth answers teasingly as he leans inn and chuckles, loving to bother his friend.

"I swear to merlin. if you keep going on im gonna stop helping you with your homework"

Jacob pauses. then he looks around and he leans in to Garreth and whispers. Sebastian tries his best to understand the whispers and mumbled words.

"Beside... you know i have someone in my eye already.."

Jacob clears his throat as he sits back up again

"okay, question 35. What did you get there?"

"Cmon, tell me more about this mysterious somone.. is it someone from our class?" Garreth says in a slight whining tone.

Sebastian puts his book down, fully emerged in the conversation, he has to know who this "someone" is. Hes now desperate to know this, how he holds his breath in excitement and even slight terror. He knows he deep down knows he should be doing something else. anything else, but his full attention is given to this moment, and he hates it. Hes too busy letting his mind wander off to notice a certain someone standing behind him, shaking their head in a disappointed like matter with a facial expression that says "i don't know what you're doing, but i really don't want to know"

"Oh hi there Ominis, care to join our studies?" Jacob says as Ominis appears from behind the bookshelf. Garreth turns his head and waves at him with a bright and friendly smile

"Oh, hey, Ominis! join us by all means, the more the merrier right?" Garreth says as he starts clearing desk space for Ominis to join them. Ominis chuckles lightly as he accepts the invitation and sits down beside them. Jacob looks around for a bit, as if searching for somone

"and uhm.. Have you seen seb- i mean, Sallow around ?"Jacob adds, with a hit of hesitation on his face

"No i haven't seen him since lunch, he said he wanted some 'alone time'" Ominis shakes his head and takes out his books and parchment scrolls

"I see.. well, lets get on with the homework then" Jacob says clapping his hand together. All three of them start to write down their homework, chatting, laughing and distracting one another, meanwhile Sebastian is reading a book behind the bookshelves, the words floating away as hes trying to listen to their conversation. He stands there, holding his book tightly, envy filling his veins, and deep deep down, he wishes it would have been him who were welcomed in to the studies.