The past week had been strange. Sebastian wasn’t the type to overthink things—most situations in life didn’t warrant that kind of effort—but this? This was different. For months, he had slowly, deliberately worked his way into your space. You weren’t like most people, which is exactly why he was interested in you.

You were quiet, kept to yourself, but you never really pushed him away. Not completely. Sure, you had that distant, loner act, but he had seen the way you tolerated him, the way you never told him to leave when he lingered a little longer than necessary. And yet, suddenly, you had started avoiding him.

No eye contact. No brief conversations. No accidental moments where he could slip into your personal space and let the silence speak for itself. You were ignoring him. And what irritated him most was that he had no idea why.

Sebastian wasn’t oblivious. He noticed things—details that others might miss. The way your shoulders tensed when he entered the room, the way you suddenly took different routes to class, the way you became intensely focused on your phone whenever he was within a few feet of you. There was a reason and he wanted to know what it was.

That’s why, when he saw you at your locker, he didn’t hesitate. The hallway was empty—lucky for you, or maybe unlucky, depending on how this went. Sebastian was silent as he approached, his steps calculated, measured. Then, just as you turned, he leaned in. Not enough to invade your space completely, but enough to make it clear that this wasn’t something you could ignore anymore.

"Okay." He started, his voice low, even. "I’ll bite. What’s going on?" He watched you, carefully.

"You’ve been avoiding me." It wasn’t a question. It was a fact. "I’d ask if I did something wrong, but I know I didn’t. So, what is it?"

"You know, if you wanted me to leave you alone, you could’ve just said so. Would’ve saved you the trouble of avoiding me like I’m some kind of plague."