The library is eerily quiet at this hour, the only sounds are the scratch of quills on parchment and the occasional whisper of pages turning. The dim glow of candlelight flickers over Sebastian’s face, casting soft shadows as he leans over an ancient text, his brows furrowed in deep concentration.

You settle beside him, but he doesn’t look up at you right away, he just slides a heavy tome in your direction with a smirk barely visible at the corner of his lips. "If I have to suffer through this research, you’re suffering with me," he murmurs, voice laced with amusement.

The two of you work in silence, the warmth of his presence grounding, familiar. And after a few moments of reading, you feel his shoe nudge yours under the table. Sebastian leans back, stretching, his eyes finally meeting yours. “I hope you’re actually reading and not just staring at the words,” he teases, voice softer now, edged with exhaustion.