Chapter Text
He passes Sebek an object, a stuffie from Foothill Town. It was meant to be a gift, a thank you for looking out for him for damn-near a month.
Epel told him about how he had invited Sebek over to the Harveston Sled-a-Thon that took place a week before the winter break. Sebek had grown a fondness for stuffed animals and took great care in repairing the squirrel plush. He’s never had a stuffed animal and that made him sad.
He thought about the small collection of stuffies he had back home and the mountains of them that were handed to his sister and brother back home. He thought about the communal stuffie exchange that happened in the plaza between everyone, including the adults, as a means of building a stronger community. Nothing went to waste and nothing went unloved.
The thought of Sebek not having that made him sad.
He found the stuffie and thought of Sebek. It was a decently sized crocodile plush, mint green with patchwork scutes running up and down its back and tail. It had beaded blue freckles and big, brown glass eyes. At first, he giggled to himself over the resemblance and then decided to give it to his classmate as a means of showing appreciation and gratitude.
“I meant to give it to you sooner, but I didn’t like my dormmates calling you names or being rude. It’s not proper and it didn’t make me feel good. You also don’t deserve that kind of harassment from them…
I heard you didn’t have many of these and that made me upset. I figured you needed help starting your own collection. You started with the squirrel and now he has a crocodile friend.”
Sebek took the plush and was, uncharacteristically, silent.
“I just ask you don’t make a big deal out of this. It’s just a token of my gratitude and you don’t have to do anything in return–”
“NONSENSE! I SHALL CHERISH ANY GIFT GIVEN TO ME–!”
“Quiet!”
Jack’s ears splay back and he claps a hand on Sebek’s mouth.
“We’re in a library!” he whisper-shouts.
“Ah. Apologies.”
The Diasomnian and the Savanaclaw sit themselves back down and narrowly avoid getting hit with a ruler by the librarian’s assistant. The Librarian himself was a decent guy, a quiet and avid reader, it was his assistance that caused a big stink over any noise louder than a whisper. They still used the archaic method of slamming down a ruler on a desk, should a person or noise be louder than the faintest whisper.
“I–I probably should get going now. Waka-sama might need me soon.”
“–wait.”
Jack snatched his wrist as he left their table in the library. It was towards the back, where little people would be able to see them, but Jack still kept his voice silent still. It felt akin to speaking in forbidden tongues.
The silence between them stretched out and became awkward. It was wrong to leave Sebek alone without offering him something else. The longer he held onto the crocodile’s wrist, the more he felt his face heat up. Underneath his fingers, he felt the other’s pulse pick up and spike. Jack felt the rough scales on the back of Sebek’s hand and along his knuckles.
The action is gentle, despite the texture.
It would be nice, if it wasn’t awkward after being in the same position for far too long.
He recoiled his hand, he almost forgot he was in Night Raven College. A place where the strong rule over the weak and any scrap of affection will be picked apart and shredded.
“You should join us, in Ramshackle I mean. Nothing I do could ever be enough to repay you for letting me stay around. It can’t be easy being alone in Diasomnia and Yuu’s doors are always open. Just tell them I asked–”
“I have no interest in joining your freshman posse.”
He puts the crocodile plushie in his bag and he straightens out his blazer and vest.
“I appreciate the offer, but I am fine with how things are currently. Consider your debt to me paid off and you now have no reason to be around me anymore. Thank you for your time, Jack Howl.”
Jack will never say it outloud but, out of everything he’s experienced so far, Sebek leaving him alone in the library hurt the most. He could still feel the ghost of his scales along his palms and the way his eyes lit up when they talked about books together. Their little moments during the SDC, before, during and after, left their mark and he thought they truly built something worth lasting.
But, when Jack was left alone in the library, his heart broke in a way he couldn’t describe.
He wiped at his face.
“Damn, the rain is bad today. I should make the journey to Savanaclaw as short as possible.”
( it wasn’t raining that day, or inside the library )
(
the skies were as clear as they’ve ever been on Sage’s Island…
)