<span style="font-family: 'Georgia'"><span style="font-size: 15px">Sebastian froze at Ayaan's violent reaction to the hand reaching for his face. It was a practiced sort of flinch, like he knew where he needed to be so that the strike missed his most vulnerable places. It made Sebastian's gut roil, almost painfully. He wanted very much to hurt whoever was responsible for this trauma, whoever had done this to him. Even more angering was Ayaan's apparent need to apologize, as though he'd done something wrong by having emotions. <br/>
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Sebastian sighed and let his hand sink back in the water. Which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. He wanted to linger, trail his fingers upwards into that silk-like hair, to follow that blush down his neck to see just how far it went. But he knew, especially after that reaction, that he couldn't have what he wanted. At least, not right now. <br/>
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"You've no need to apologize. I'm only curious, not angry," he assured him, softening his expression as much as he knew how. Which was, granted, not very much. But he figured it was better than nothing. </span></span>