She was there. Up close, face-to-face. Her eyes. Her lips. Her eyes. Sebastian couldn't help but simply have his mind continue to drift back to Hannah Sherwood. It was in fact unhealthy for him, Seb knew that, but he also knew that there was a slim chance things could properly work out. He knew that in the end nothing good would truly happen, so why not make things better now? She had finally opened his eyes, and despite how much they despise each other, something about the moment made it all feel so comfortable and kind, perhaps even loving. Seb shook his head before he had went back into his room, closing the slightly heavy doors as quietly as he could to prevent him disturbing anyone else.

Sebastian had slipped on a pair of sneakers, snatching his phone from his nighstand, and slipping out of his pale white door. He glanced down to the end of the hall where JJ's room was, only to hear the television downstairs and his father's light snores. JJ was always a pretty quiet sleeper, so Seb could only hope he was in fact sound asleep and that Seb wouldn't disturb that. He slipped his phone into his pocket before he slowly stepped down the stairs, again, as quietly as he could before sneaking out of the front door.

He gulped, his gaze immediately heading in the direction of the clearing from earlier on. He looked around for a moment before he had shook his head, his mind telling him now but his gut telling him yes. Sebastian would in fact regret this, but although he knew how much he would, all he could hope is that perhaps in the end, it would all be worth it. She would be worth it.

Sebastian had walked on the sidewalks, the familiarity of Adriel territory disappearing after a certain point. He stopped in his tracks before pulling up his hood on his hoodie, glancing towards a couple of other people walking on the sidewalk. It was rather late, but the city never seemed to truly sleep. Sebastian huffed, realizing this was where the car was and his eyes lit up as he remembered the direction Hannah led him to head to the clearing.

And that is exactly what he did. Sebastian was on in his way for another death sentence, or a chance of one, at least. Sebastian had followed the familiar path before he had finally reached the clearing, the moonlight shining down on him from above and the stars twinkling. For some reason he felt comforted, and he had no idea how to describe how he was feeling. Sebastian had pulled down his hoodie before he had lay down in the middle of the clearing, looking up.

This is so fucking wrong. he thought silently to himself.

Hannah let herself drift further into the water, feeling the sandy bank underneath her feet suddenly drop, the water begins to grow colder around her feet. She closed her eyes, letting her head tip back into the water. Slowly moving her legs just to keep her above the water, Hannah let the water swirl around her as she grew used to the cold temperature. She didn’t know why she had come here in the first place, but she was here now. Trailing her fingers gently in the water, thoughts ran rampant over her, unaware it was drowning her sanity meanwhile. Hannah’s mind raced through the events of the past couple of days, of him. She knew she was playing with fire by even thinking of him, but Hannah had lost control of herself the moment she had first laid eyes on him. She suddenly understood the feeling of wanting somebody dead at your feet, but would die for them. It was risky and mind-consuming, her skin burning at the mere memory of him. Her breath seemingly escaped her grasp, despite how much her brain told her nothing about this was safe, or okay at all. But it was too late.

Hannah snapped out of her trance-like state, feeling the cold sting of the air returning to her lungs. Looking around herself, the water had grown sharply cold against her burning skin. Chuckling nervously, she ran her hand through the roots of her hair. Hannah felt her heart and body heat as Seb found his way back into her thoughts. Shaking her head slightly, she gracefully dived under the water swimming down. Whatever she was hoping to find, Hannah knew it wasn’t there, the one she was looking for was likely off with some other girl, Hannah far from her mind. Feeling the ache in her lungs, she surfaced once more, only slightly disappointed. She swam over to the shore, her legs wobbly the moment her feet sunk into the sand. Looking back over her shoulder, the moon had sunk closer to the horizon, signifying how long she’d lost track of time in the water. It seemed to happen almost every time she came here, Hannah would intend to stay an hour max and be there for hours, thinking only mere minutes had been passing the entire time. She knew exactly why, but it didn’t matter to her, she didn’t care.

Hannah got out, the water sliding off her skin, the cool air replacing the water’s warm comfort. She grabbed her towel, quickly drying herself off a little before folding it over her arm and picking up her phone from where she had left it before. Hannah checked the messages that were now there, rolling her eyes, she ignored Scott and Melody’s calls and texts. Sighing, she looked around, the woods becoming warm, replacing the cold sting of her on her skin with the warmth of the night. Hannah walked back through the trail, she swore quietly as she tripped on a root that was sticking out of the ground. She made it back to where the clearing was, and stopped short. Hannah had almost the figure lying on the ground, she hoped it wasn’t, but she knew exactly who it was. Stopping the grin from forming on her face, Hannah walked towards the figure. She leaned against a nearby tree, crossing her arms over her chest. A smirk on her face, she acknowledged him, her voice soft, only a slight hint of her amusement showing through, “Well, well, what do we have here?” Hannah asked him, raised an eyebrow as she smirked.

The quietness seemed to be the only thing to soothe Sebastian's clouded mind. His head was not right. This was all too much. What the fuck was he doing? Was any of this going to be worth it? Why had he come here? Of course he would sit there and deny the entire time that he was here for something normal like a breath of fresh air. No. He was here for something else - someone else. Sebastian closed his eyes for a moment, imagining a scene in which the two were not fighting, but rather looking at one another with no hate. No sharp eyes. No glimpses of wanting to slit each others' throats. Simply happiness.

Happiness.

Sebastian was smarter than that, though. He knew better. He knew that deep down, it could never be like how he imagined it. Like how his father wanted it. How JJ wanted it to play out. He knew that no matter what he did, there could be nothing. Or maybe there could. If they both tried hard enough.

But the thoughts didn't make sense. Sebastian knew nothing about Hannah, and Hannah knew nothing about Sebastian. All they knew about each other was the violence. The hatred. The discrimination. Nothing about them could work together in a way that made sense. Adriels and Sherwoods would never be able to get past their big ass egos and just humble one another enough to realize that none of this really matters. Sebastian never truly understood the importance of the gangs. Land. Pushing products. Ensuring that people stayed out of the police's eye by giving them a better pay than the government could. It wasn't really his interest. Maybe that's why he wanted someone so bad. Maybe that's why he didn't want to admit these lowkey feelings that had develop, but needed to.

Sebastian would manage to prove a point.

His eyes gently fluttered open to the sound of a voice. One that had a familiar ring. One that he had been hoping to hear but not to deal with. At least not right now. He hummed softly, muttering a few words under his breath before he had turned his head. Leaning against a near tree was Hannah Sherwood. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a smirk plastered on her face that only just spoke of trouble. Sebastian sat up, using his hands to support him.

"Mmm, Satan herself," Sebastian huffed, rising to his feet. "You're gonna yell at me for being on Sherwood territory," he added, mimicking her voice with the last two words. Clearly he was trying to get a rise out of her as it was entertaining, but really, he just wanted her to avoid asking why he was here in the first place. He didn't know. None of it made sense. Nothing really did to Sebastian.

Her mind was whirring with thoughts on why she’d found Sebastian here. He had no reason to be here, not in this place. Especially since it was the last place he would be safe. He had the guts to show up here again, knowing that if it were anybody but her wandering around, he’d be dead on sight. And even then, it was still iffy on whether or not she’d kill him or not. Despite the weird gnawing feeling she got in her stomach when she saw him, it just felt so wrong still, to be speaking to him, to be near him.

But there was still a glimmer of nauseating hope in her bones somewhere, that almost convinced her that maybe it wasn’t some coincidence or a death wish; and that maybe he was here for her. To see her, again. It was so wrong that it almost felt right. The thoughts in her mind were whirlpooling around her consciousness, ripping her brain into too many pieces.

But when he stood and looked at her, Hannah prayed he didn’t notice the falter in her expression, the moment of vulnerability that she let slip, and already began to kick herself for. But before it became all too obvious, she regained her composure and settled back into their not-so-friendly game.

“Yell? I should be killing you for being here. The fact that you aren’t already dead, is purely out of the good in my heart” she mumbled out to him, taking a few minuscule steps towards him, her hand sliding to her lower back.

“I don’t know what it is you’re doing here, but this needs to end, now. I’m tired of your games and you.”

Hannah just stood quiet, her fingers tucking under her shirt, closing around the cold object, waiting.

Sebastian could see something in Hannah that he hadn't seen before. Not that she presented herself necessarily different, but there was something that lurked. When she made her presence, the atmosphere changed with her. Not that it was bad, but in the back of Sebastian's mind, he wondered if this would ever become more than just chasing each other around and hating on each other. He sniffled, looking down at her, though he kept his distance.

The coolness of the air made this feel a lot more alive. He could feel everything. The ground beneath him. The slight breeze that pushed what it could around when it got the chance. The light of the moon. It was a clear night, the sky brighter than before and lighting the earth below it in a way that made it feel like the night would forever be young. Sebastian clenched his jaw slightly, making eye contact with the smaller woman.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "Didn't think Sherwoods could have good in their heart," he said. His face relaxed as he got a long look at Hannah, taking her in like the first breath he took as a baby.

"I don't know why I came here, either to be honest. Figured I'd take a walk and well, here I am." Sebastian had looked around for a moment before returning his attention back to Hannah. He shifted his weight slightly on his feet before moving the tiniest bit closer to her.

"I just don't get how you can get so tired of someone as fun as me," Sebastian said, the slightest bit of cockiness in his tone. He smirked out of sarcasm, looking away for a moment. Quickly his smile faded as he looked down. His eyes grew tired for a moment before he regained his composure, looking up at Hannah.

"You can be a fuckin' jerk, but you're still a human being and you deserve better than this." Sebastian had been referring to himself, and in a way, this was an apology. Even if she didn't take it that way, that would be up to her. "I figure if we're going to be marrying each other," Sebastian paused, sighing, "then maybe we can start by proving everyone wrong."

Sebastian didn't know how sincere he was coming off as. He didn't really even know if he meant it. But he could remember JJ telling him about actually talking to her like a person, not like a Sherwood. This could be possible if they both managed. Of course there would forever be that hatred, but fake it 'till you make it, right?

Hannah was taken aback by his newfound kindness almost. It shocked her into a momentary state of speechlessness. The last thing she was expecting was sincerity. A bit of ego stroking, maybe a tiny bit of possible flirting, but that was her expectations met. Not whatever it was that he had just pulled on her.

“It’s not exactly that simple. You begin walking somewhere, you kind of have to have a sense of where you’re going. Otherwise, you end up not leaving your driveway.”

That was a lie. She knew exactly how it was to be wandering with a senseless mind and no clue of where she was or where she’d end up. It was actually how she’d end up finding this place, but it seemed like a better excuse than having to agree with him. No matter how much his words resonated with her.

But the next words that came out of his mouth brought a genuine laugh to her lips. Until she noticed his now changed expression, and her smile faded. Something was wrong. The cold air brought a sudden freezing chill to her skin.

When Hannah heard the words that came out of his mouth, Antarctica would have been warmer than the chill that passed through her skin and into her bones.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Before he’d even had the chance to speak again, she took those steps back, the same ones she’d taken in stubborn smugness only minutes earlier.

“I’m, marrying, you?” she asked, the words coming out as barely a whisper.

The feeling in her stomach had dropped further, right to the pits of her emotion. Unchartered territory. The thoughts that had been whirlpooling her mind had returned, instead with emotion. Was it wrong to be upset, or was it worse that she was a little bit relieved?

For the first time ever, when Hannah’s eyes met his once more, she didn’t see him as her enemy, as a threat she needed to eliminate before she was eliminated first. His emotion was so strong that she could almost taste it. A few silent moments passed before she spoke again, sighing to herself about the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

“Is it wrong that I’m glad it’s you? I suppose JJ would be pretty tolerable as a brother-in-law”

Sebastian shook his head. "It's as simple as it sounds, Hannah," he replied softly.

Hearing her laugh was something that he wasn't expecting. But by the way that she had reacted after told him that she wasn't aware of the news. He would've assumed that maybe someone within the Sherwood gang would tell her. Had he fucked up? Was this all too much? Honestly, what was he doing? Sebastian wasn't sure what to make of her reaction except for just waiting.

Seeing her question him and take a step back made him think that she was going to pull a knife out on him. Which in all honesty, Sebastian would've been expecting that the exact moment she had seen him there in the clearing. That was their rhythm - violence. There was no love in any encounters they'd had. Well, except for that kiss, but Sebastian couldn't bare to recall that, even if he was trying to be sweet on her.

"Yeah..." His voice trailed off, uncertainty in it. He wasn't sure how she was feeling, but from what she exposed, it wasn't something that he had really been expecting. Her reaction instead was something that spoke to Sebastian in a way that let him know that she wasn't going to pull a knife out on him and just slit his throat. Although he liked the fight, that ending wouldn't be pretty for anyone to see or hear about.

Sebastian cleared his throat. He chuckled lightly at her remark about JJ. He raised his eyebrows, though, hearing her say glad. For some reason it resonated with him for a short moment. Glad? That was something that he never thought he would be hearing come out of her mouth. Glad it was him - Sebastian Adriel, heir to the Adriel gang, not wanting this position of power anymore, marrying Hannah Sherwood, who he was pretty sure would take any chance she could get to simply watch him bleed.

"Figure we already have chemistry. JJ's about the best it can get for anyone in this fuckin' world." Sebastian smiled slightly, keeping the distance that she had created moments before. "But you didn't know? I figured someone would've had the decency to tell you," he questioned.

“No, they didn’t tell me” Hannah muttered with a hint of disdain, her eyes leaving him to mindlessly search around her, mind whirring.

She could think of no reason she hadn’t been informed of who exactly they expected her to marry, as Sebastian had been, apparently. But that didn’t change much. It didn’t change the small level of interaction they’d already had. The introduction to his charm, or lack of it. Hannah wasn’t going to deny the fact that there was definitely some chemistry between them, likely just confused for tension, but still. Nothing was going to change.

The change of heart that she had seemingly decided on, once more, flipped. Her fingers unashamedly found their way to the blade that remained hidden, now warm to the touch.

“No, no, no. What is wrong with you? This doesn’t mean jack shit. Whatever agreement was made, doesn’t change the fact that you’re a pompous asshole who should have been bleeding out on the floor by now” she snapped at him.

Hannah needed to reason about this. She knew what she had to get done, but the how was going to be the problem. First of all, she needed to deal with him, and then her family.

She’d always been told she takes grudges too far, but this was the first time she’d ever agree with that. She’d work on that, after this one.

The moment she brandished the blade, the moonlight bounced off it, casting moving light beams on the trees around them. The short distance between them allowed her to aim a quick slice over his shoulder.

“You really need to leave”

"Oh," Sebastian huffed softly. He itched the back of his neck, looking down for a moment before he looked back up.

Sebastian had prayed for a change of heart. For a moment, there was a glimpse of that in Hannah. Maybe if she had acted like that this entire time they had their small interactions, nothing would be mistaken as hostile. But most things were, and like most things, it didn't end well for Sebastian. He knew how his life would end, but it was just a matter of time before that happened.

But suddenly, Hannah had done a switch. Sebastian could feel the atmosphere flip alongside with her. He clenched his jaw, sighing softly and looking down for a moment before hearing Hannah speak. Sebastian shook his head.

"You make me a pompous asshole. And if you want to change the agreement, you can go talk to my dad. You don't think that I maybe don't want this? You think that I already haven't been wondering what the hell we are supposed to change?" Sebastian stated, holding his ground before he noticed the blade that Hannah had brought.

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. He closed the gap more, feeling the blade on his shoulder. "Or what? You gonna kill me? Go ahead, but just know that if you do, you will never be able to sleep without one eye open. You'll never live without having to have your head constantly looking over your shoulder. You kill me, you start something way worse than what's going on here."

Hannah was quiet until he seemingly finished his little rant and took a few slow steps towards him, almost eliminating all the distance between the two. Her eyes were unwavering from his, temper rising in turn to match him.

She had very few options on what she could do now. The first thing that she wanted to do was castrate him. It wasn’t fair. He had had plenty of warning and had known the entire time they’d had their little interactions, that they were to be married. The respectful thing for him to have done would have been to tell her the moment he’d realised who she was, not wait for her to find out this way.

It was cruel and humiliating to have put her in this position, and if she knew anything, it was that she was going to make him regret his decisions.

"Kill you? No. I won't, but don't be upset when you find yourself wishing I did." She practically hissed at him, her words like venom. Without giving him even a moment to register her words, her wrist flicked, allowing a shallow cut to form on his lower stomach.

“But you do make an interesting point. I kill you and I start something that will be much worse than it is now. But maybe that’s a good thing, it’s about time you guys start to learn your place in this world; far away from us. And who knows, maybe I’ll spare JJ, maybe not. We’ll find out” Hannah sneered at him, the threat in her voice clear.