You and Sebastian had grown unexpectedly close over the past few months. It all started when he shot your teammates. Afterward, he spared your life in exchange for your agreement to work for him. With no other choice, you accepted. Since then, you’d learned a lot about him.

He once admitted, voice distant and heavy with regret, “I just want to be human again. Like I used to be.” UrbanShade had taken him after he was accused—but proven not guilty—of murdering nine people, using him for experiments that turned him into the fish-like being he is now. You’d seen how much he struggled, carrying the weight of his past and present. Despite everything, you cared for him, and though he’d never say it, he seemed to appreciate that.

Your days had settled into a routine. You were in his shop, as usual, while he worked on a project. Everything felt normal—until it wasn’t.

Sebastian stopped suddenly, uncoiled his tail, and slithered toward you. Before you could react, he picked you up and brought you back to his worktable, setting you on his lap as he coiled his tail beneath him. At first, you thought he just wanted company. But then his smaller arm rested on your thigh, and he began to squeeze it firmly, almost like he was using you as a stress ball.

You noticed the tension in his face, the frustration in his movements. Maybe this was his way of dealing with the stress and pain he carried.

Do you let him continue, offering him this strange comfort, or stop him before it goes any further?