Warmth [Sebastian X Reader's POV]

Warmth

It has been an hour since the lights were turned off. Here I am, lying restless in this king-sized bed. The moonlight showers the room in illumination. This night is pretty calm, the sound of insects singing throughout the rose garden outside. The other servants have already retreated to their rooms for a good rest. Nothing is out to kill me.

However, that is not what bothers me. You see, what bothers me right now is the fact that I am still wide awake. I do not feel even an ounce of sleepiness nor do my eyes have been drooping at all. I have been restless for awhile now. Every time I close my eyes, they will open on their own accord. I tried changing my sleeping positions.

From right, to the left then up on the pillow area and of course down on the foot area of the bed.
But nothing seems to work. For every single time I get to the edge of sleep, my heart starts to beat erratically. The beat turns into uneven patterns. I feel like my breath is always cut short. My toes start to tense up against each other in frustration.

Finally, I resign defeatedly as I realise that sleep is a lost cause for me. Feeling a little curious and adventurous, I pull on a scarlet robe and decide to leave the straps undone. I open the door to my room slowly as to minimise sound. It is useless to be discreet really, the mahogany door creaks open anyways. I just sigh and step out of my room.

Feeling a little blurred out, I leave the door slightly ajar and begin to wander forward through the empty hallway. The pictures on the wall look slightly different in the shower of moonlight. Wrapping the robe on my body, I walk up the steps towards the highest part of the mansion. I have not been there ever since the day that my predecessors died.

Frankly, I cannot think of anything as to why I decided to wander off into the top floor of this mansion. "I guess not being able to sleep is taking a slight toll to my conscious state." I conclude in my mind as I run my fingers through my hair. The wall along the path of the staircase is lined up with paintings of Greek mythology and a few drawings of flowers. "There's still a long way to go, huh." I sigh as the thought enters my mind.

     ~~~~Author POV~~~~

The shadowless figure creeps forward as the young lady exits the bedroom. The figure watches closely as the young lady walks aimlessly through the moonlit hallway. The young lady seems a bit agitated. "My....My... It seems that this is going to be an interesting night." the figure chuckles as he follows the young lady discreetly. The young lady seems to be examining the paintings on the wall and other art pieces that adorn the hallway.

Suddenly, the shadowless figure startles a little as the young lady stops walking. She seems to be looking towards the staircase. Surely, she looks forward and start to climb up the dimly lit stairway. "Oh my, young lady. Feeling a little adventurous, are we." the figure thought in his mind as he also climbs up the stairway but not near enough to have the young lady suspicious.

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, I exhale deeply as I reach the final steps to the top floor of the mansion. My nose starts to feel really itchy and I have to brace my hand on the wall as I start to sneeze. "Achoo! Urgh... This is so not fun." I whine a little as my nose gets a little runny. Approaching the nearest arched glass window, I sit on the edge to compose myself. As I touch my cheeks, my hand freezes a little as I come I contact with something wet.

"Wha..." I trail off as tears start to trickle down my cheeks and land on my palm. "Damn it." I curse as I wipe the remaining tears with the sleeves of my robe. I look around the hallway and stand up abruptly. I head backwards rather than forwards this time. Memories start to filter through my mind. The scent of roses, the feeling of warm hands cupping my cheeks and the ghost of lips on my forehead. "Mother... Father..." I whisper silently in my mind.

Then, I realise that the direction that I am currently walking in is the direction to my mother's drawing room. My steps hasten a little as memories starts dancing in my mind. The hymns that my mother used to sing plays softly, accompanying the lost memories dancing in my mind. My heart beats a little faster. My breath gets a little shorter.

Suddenly, everything stops. The hymns and the memories fade away. Here I am now, standing in front of a door. My trembling hands twist the knob open and I enter the room with a heavy heart. The room is bathe in moonlight. Books still neatly stacked on the shelves. The bed from where I used to sleep in when I spent time with mother.

Looking out the window for what felt like an eternity, I tense up slightly as slim fingers gently place something on my shoulders. "You shouldn't be up this late, my lady. It is not good for your health." Sebastian's voice resounds throughout the room. "I can't sleep." I reply without looking. "I see. Then, perhaps a glass of warm milk would help." he says softly. I pull the robe that he placed back on my shoulders tightly around me.

After a moment, I smell a sweet scent coming from the door. I turn and see Sebastian carrying a tray with a glass of milk and a jar of honey. He approaches me and place the tray on the side table. He stirs some honey into the milk and hand the glass to me. I nod in gratitude and take a sip of the milk. "Sebastian." I say a little loudly. "Yes, my lady." he replies. "You vowed to serve me, right? You will do anything that I order you to do." I inquire in a soft tone.

"Of course, my lady. I will serve you till the day your soul is mine." he states without a shadow of doubt. I nod and gulp down the rest of my drink. The milk was already lukewarm so I did not feel any burns on my tongue. I hand the glass to him and he vanishes the glasses along with the tray with a flick of his wrist.

"Good, now I need you to do something for me." I tell him. "And what shall your order be, my lady?" he asks with a bow. "Sit down on that bed and close your eyes. Whatever happens, do not peak at all." I order while pointing at the bed. Sebastian looks a little confuse but proceeds to do as ordered. After that, I slowly approach him until I stand directly in front of him.

His facial expression is totally blank. His long eyelashes flutter as my breath touches them. Sighing a little, I crawl forward and place myself on his lap. I feel him tense a little. I place my head on the crook of his neck and inhale deeply. The sickeningly sweet scent of darkness filters through my lungs. "Umm, my lady? Are you..." he trails off. "Hush, I didn't tell you to speak." I whisper. I snuggle even closer to him to chase the warmth that he is radiating.

Once I manage to get in a comfortable position on his lap,  I sigh tiredly. I can feel my eyes drooping. "Ne, Sebastian." I call out sleepily. "Yes, my lady." he inquires. "Do not move from this position until I am completely asleep. That's an order." I say the last sentence in a whisper as my eyes close completely. The last thing that I hear is "Yes, my lady"  and a ghost of lips on my cheek.