Sebastian x Reader: Love and Protection

Demons don’t love. That was what Sebastian told you. You didn’t know if you believed that. They had mates. You would know. You were his. So if they had mates, why wouldn’t they love? Sebastian said it was simply a matter of finding someone that could keep your interest for eternity – as he put it, “similar to marriage.” You didn’t really care. You loved him, and that was simple.

“I love you, Sebastian,” you’d purr fondly. He would give you a smile when you said this. It was a genuine smile too, not the usual smirk laced with his demonic sadism or his own brand of sarcasm and sick amusement. You loved even more that those smiles were only for you. He would never say it back though, and you’d be hurt if you didn’t know that he still believed that demons didn’t love. But you said it because you knew he loved hearing it – a declaration of his ownership over you. You were his and his alone. But as much as you loved him and as much as he was “deeply fond of and intrigued by” you, he was still a butler and had other jobs to do. So you would see him when you could. You worked as a maid for his current master, so your jobs often kept you apart for hours. So it was only natural when you were sent out to town to buy things for your master, and he remained at the manor.

If Sebastian disliked anything about you, it was your oblivious demeanor. You couldn’t pick up on bad vibes. You never noticed the men that followed you through town as you went through shops, hanging back a few feet so as not to alert you to their presence. You were never worried about things like that, but not hearing about them often and not experiencing them for yourself often instilled senses of ease in a good many people. You hadn’t meant to take so long with getting your short list of things, but you loved to look at things. This time it had been being caught up in looking at crystal figurines. They sparkled so prettily in the light. How could you not look at them? You thought Sebastian my like the cat. It had little bits of lapis lazuli where the eyes were, so you bought it with the leftover money you had saved up for yourself and your occasional spending sprees. Then you looked at the baked goods. You wanted a snack, but you couldn’t decide between warm cinnamon buns and jelly-filled donuts. The buttery, flaky bread that had just come out of the oven when you entered the little shop was tempting too. You ended up eating a jelly roll with some tea. As you finished picking up the last of your things, you began your journey home. The sun had already begun to set, the sky had become pale blue and melded into a fiery orange-red and was dotted with deep orange and pink and dark purple clouds. The streets were emptying out more quickly now, and you started off towards your master’s townhouse at a brisk pace, only becoming aware of the presence of others when you were getting to the edge of town – when no one else was out.

You ignored the calls and ignored their presence in general as best you could. But as much as you wished you could escape it, you couldn’t ignore them roughly grabbing your wrist and yanking back into their embrace. You couldn’t ignore the rancid smell of their breath as if they’d only ingested cheese, garlic, and alcohol before pulling this off. You couldn’t ignore their loud guffaws once they had you. You couldn’t ignore their harsh slaps to your face when you offered any form of protests, despite how miniscule your frightened whimpers and pleas were. You couldn’t ignore the pain in your body when your skull hit the cobblestone pathway with a sickening crack of your skull, nor could you ignore the feeling of a little trickle of blood tickling your neck as it wove its way down before staining the collar of your dress. You couldn’t ignore the sheer horror you felt as they lifted your skirts and pried open your legs. And they couldn’t ignore the sheer, nearly inhuman screech that tore from your throat, calling out to the only other person who could hear you. They couldn’t ignore the chill of an unnatural cold that passed through the air in that moment. They couldn’t ignore the unease that bubbled up in their gut that even drunkenness couldn’t take the edge away from. They couldn’t ignore the sheer fury hidden behind cold yet calmly spoken words – the smooth, silken voice sounding every bit as demonic to them as the demon that owned it – as they formed threats that may as well have been promises. They couldn’t ignore the sheer unadulterated terror that shot through them like a hail of bullets at the sight of a beast so grotesque that only seconds later had they lost their sanity and ability to comprehend the danger they were in, and they could only slump there dumbly as they were put to a most agonizing and painful end. You were so in shock that you didn’t see any of it. Did not see the slaughter. Did not register Sebastian’s true form that he bade you to look away from should he ever assume it. Did not hear the inhuman screams of the men who were damned to hell twice – once in their demise on earth and once in the afterlife – when Sebastian had come to your rescue. You only remember about to be taken advantage of and then being carried back to the manor in the arms of your beloved.

“Put it behind you as best you can, my dear,” he purred in your ear, his silken and rich voice putting your nerves at ease a little.

“I had gotten you something, but it broke.” It was the first thing you had said all evening.

“It’s fine. Are you alright?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. What kind of mate would I be if I did not protect the one I loved?” Your eyes widened at his admittance. You looked up at him with wide eyes, noticing the slight smirk that adorned his features.

“I love you too.”