The World's Worst Pool Player
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summary: After returning home from touring, the members of Skid Row practically move into the Sabo basement. While the band argues over a pool game and Sebastian insists he's secretly talented, eleven-year-old Celeste Sabo is far more interested in her Care Bears movie than the shit happening around her.
pairing(s): Snake Sabo x little sister!oc
Theme: fluff, age gap siblings, protective older brother, hard of hearing
Warnings: Swearing
A/N: We're back with the 'x reader's' fanfictions! Except this time, I put in names because I cannot STAND when people put 'Y/n' in their imagines/fanfiction (my opinion and personal preference).
However, you do whatever you want if you do. I'm not here to judge.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this little fanfiction I wrote!
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"Let's fucking go, dude!" Sebastian cheered, pumping his fist in the air.
The basement was rowdy around eight o'clock at night.
It was exactly the kind of gathering Mama Sabo pretended not to approve of, yet somehow tolerated anyway. Ever since the guys had gotten back from a short run of shows around the Northeast, they'd practically been living at the Sabo house.
"Bas, you missed the hole!" Rob laughed.
"I did not, Robert!" Sebastian protested, lifting his chin dramatically. "I just… can't hold the stick correctly."
The guys stood around the pool table while music blasted from the record player.
Snake took a drag from his cigarette and glanced over.
"You hit the ball with the tip of the stick, dumbass," Scotti said before taking a sip of his beer. "You ever played pool before?"
"Of course I have."
Sebastian lined up his shot.
The cue ball completely missed.
The room fell silent.
"Oh my God."
"That was awful."
"That might've been the worst shot I've ever seen."
Sebastian pointed the cue stick at all of them.
"You're all just jealous."
"Of what?" Rob asked.
"My natural talent."
Rachel nearly choked on his drink.
Even Snake laughed.
"Yeah, right."
Sebastian looked personally offended.
"Oh, yeah?"
Snake smirked.
"Yeah."
Across the room, eleven-year-old Celeste sat curled up on the couch in front of the television. A bowl of popcorn rested in her lap as The Care Bears Movie played on VHS.
Compared to the pool game, the movie was much more interesting.
Especially since Care Bears actually knew what they were doing.
"Cel."
She looked up.
Snake was standing beside the couch now.
"What?"
He pointed toward her hearing aids.
"You good?"
She nodded.
The music was loud enough that she could feel some of the bass through the couch cushions, but she could still hear well enough.
"Okay."
Snake ruffled the top of her hair.
"Daaaave."
"What?"
"You messed up my hair."
"Good."
Celeste frowned.
Snake grinned and walked back toward the pool table before she could swat his arm.
A few seconds later—
"THAT COUNTS!"
"It absolutely does not count!"
"It went in!"
"It bounced off three walls and hit nothing!"
Celeste sighed and grabbed another handful of popcorn.
The Care Bears had less arguing than Skid Row.
That was saying something.
A loud crash suddenly echoed through the basement.
Celeste jumped.
The movie was forgotten as she turned toward the pool table.
Sebastian was standing frozen.
The cue stick was on the floor.
A lamp had somehow been knocked sideways.
Nobody seemed entirely sure what had happened.
Rachel pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Bas."
"Yeah?"
"How?"
"I don't know."
"You were standing still."
"I know."
Rob looked at Snake.
Snake looked at Rob. Scotti suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.
Nobody had an explanation.
Then—
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Mama Sabo shouted from upstairs.
The entire basement froze.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Even the record player suddenly seemed too loud.
Sebastian slowly pointed at the lamp lying on its side.
"It attacked me."
"Bas," Rachel sighed.
"I'm serious."
"The lamp attacked you?"
"Yes."
"You expect us to believe that?"
Sebastian crossed his arms.
"It came outta nowhere."
"It was a lamp."
"It was aggressive."
Rob turned away before he started laughing again.
Snake rubbed a hand over his face.
From the couch, Celeste nearly dropped her popcorn.
"Don't laugh," Sebastian told her.
That only made her laugh harder.
A second later, Mama Sabo's voice echoed down the stairs again.
"If one of you boys broke something, you're paying for it!"
Sebastian immediately pointed at Snake.
"It was Dave."
Snake stared at him.
"You are literally standing next to the lamp."
"Coincidence."
"You're an idiot."
"That's hurtful."
"Good."
Footsteps pounded across the floor overhead.
Everyone immediately stopped breathing.
The basement door opened.
Mama Sabo stood at the top of the stairs with her hands planted firmly on her hips. The room was dead silent. Even Sebastian had enough sense to keep his mouth shut.
Her eyes swept across the basement.
The pool table.
The empty beer bottles.
The band members.
The overturned lamp.
She narrowed her eyes.
"…What happened?"
Nobody answered.
Sebastian looked at Snake.
Snake looked at Rachel.
Rachel looked at Rob.
Rob looked at Scotti.
Scotti looked at the floor.
Mama Sabo's expression somehow became even less impressed.
"Well?"
Sebastian pointed at the lamp.
"It attacked me."
The room collectively groaned.
Mama Sabo closed her eyes.
"Sebastian."
"I'm telling the truth."
"You knocked over a lamp."
"It was self-defense."
"It was sitting there."
"It knew what it did."
Celeste buried her face in her popcorn bucket to hide her laughter.
Mama Sabo noticed immediately.
"Celeste."
The girl peeked over the rim of the bucket.
"Yes?"
"Were you involved in this?"
"No."
"Did you see what happened?"
Celeste glanced at Sebastian.
Sebastian was staring at her with the most hopeful expression she'd ever seen.
She considered this carefully.
Then—
"He lost a fight with a lamp."
Rachel immediately doubled over.
Rob nearly fell against the pool table.
Scotti started coughing into his beer.
Even Snake lost it.
Sebastian looked absolutely betrayed.
"Cel!"
"You did."
"I thought we were friends."
"We are."
"Then why would you say that?"
"Because it's true."
Mama Sabo pointed toward the fallen lamp.
"Pick it up."
Sebastian sighed dramatically.
"Nobody ever believes me."
"Because you're an idiot," Snake said.
"See? This is the hostile work environment I'm always talking about."
"You don't work here."
"That's not the point."
Mama Sabo shook her head.
"I leave you boys alone for one evening."
"We didn't break anything," Rob offered.
The lamp wobbled slightly as Sebastian picked it up.
Mama Sabo stared.
Rob immediately corrected himself.
"Anything important."
"That's what I thought."
With one last look around the basement, she started back upstairs.
Halfway through the doorway she stopped.
"And turn that music down."
A chorus of groans filled the room.
"I mean it."
"Yes, Mama Sabo," they all answered as Snake said, "Yes, Ma."
The basement door closed.
There was a long pause.
Then Sebastian pointed at the stairs.
"She's scarier than our security guys."
"Way scarier," Rachel agreed.
"Not even close," Rob added.
Snake nodded.
"Absolutely."
From the couch, Celeste smiled and grabbed another handful of popcorn.
Snake raised an eyebrow.
"What are you smiling at, Twerp?" he asked.
Celeste shrugged.
"You all got in trouble."
"We didn't get in trouble."
"You did."
"We got a warning."
"That's trouble."
Rachel snorted into his drink.
Snake pointed at him.
"Don't start."
Rachel looked offended.
"I haven't done anything."
"You've got that look."
"What look?"
"The one that says you're about to team up with my sister."
Rachel immediately pointed toward Celeste.
"Too late."
Celeste smiled innocently.
Snake groaned.
"Fantastic."
A few hours later, the guys had migrated from the pool table to the couch area.
Empty pizza boxes sat on the coffee table alongside a few soda cans and crumpled napkins.
The Goonies played on the television while everyone lounged around the basement.
Sebastian had swapped the VHS tape a few minutes after the credits of The Care Bears Movie started rolling while Celeste was in the bathroom.
The second she walked back into the room, she stopped.
Her eyes narrowed at the television.
Then at Sebastian.
Then back at the television.
"This isn't The Care Bears."
"Nope."
"I was watching that."
"The movie was over."
"The credits were still playing."
"Nobody watches the credits."
"I do."
Sebastian blinked.
"…Why?"
Celeste shrugged.
"I like the music."
Rachel nodded.
"Fair."
Sebastian looked around the room.
"Am I the only normal person here?"
"Yes," everyone answered immediately.
Sebastian looked offended.
Snake grabbed another slice of pizza.
"You walked into a lamp tonight."
"It walked into me."
"See?" Rob said. "That's why nobody believes you're normal."
Celeste climbed back onto the couch and pulled a blanket over her legs.
"I liked The Care Bears better."
Sebastian pointed at the television.
"This movie has pirates."
"The Care Bears had bears."
"Pirates are cooler."
Celeste shook her head.
"Bears."
"Pirates."
"Bears."
"Pirates."
"Bears."
"Pirates."
Snake groaned.
"Jesus fucking Christ…" he muttered to himself.
Rachel was already laughing.
Rob looked like he was trying not to.
Scotti wasn't even pretending anymore.
Sebastian pointed triumphantly at the television.
"See? Even Dave's tired of this."
"No," Snake replied. "I'm tired of you."
The room erupted.
Sebastian clutched his chest.
"That was hurtful."
"Good."
Celeste nodded.
"Very hurtful."
Snake pointed at her.
"Don't help him."
"I'm not."
"You literally just did."
She grinned.
Sebastian immediately pointed at Celeste.
"See? She likes me."
"I didn't say that."
The grin disappeared from Sebastian's face.
Rachel nearly fell off the couch laughing.
"Kid's brutal."
"She's learning from you assholes," Snake said.
"Sounds like a parenting issue."
"I'm not her parent."
"Could've fooled me."
Snake flipped Rachel off.
Celeste looked between them.
"Can I have more popcorn?"
Snake immediately stood up.
"Yeah."
Rachel pointed after him.
"See?"
"Oh, shut up."
"Didn't even hesitate."
"Rachel."
"Dave."
"Rachel."
"Dave."
Rob sighed.
"Now there's two of them."
Scotti nodded.
"God help us."
A few minutes later, Snake returned with a fresh bowl of popcorn and handed it to Celeste.
"Thanks, Dave."
"You're welcome, Twerp."
Sebastian stared.
"You got her more popcorn?"
"Yeah."
"I asked for another beer twenty minutes ago."
Snake sat back down.
"Go get it yourself."
"Favoritism."
"Correct."
Sebastian looked offended.
"Wow."
"You'll survive."
"Barely."
The movie continued playing as the guys settled back into their spots around the basement.
For once, nobody was arguing.
Well…
Nobody was arguing loudly.
Rachel and Rob were quietly debating something from across the room while Scotti was focused on finishing off the last slice of pizza.
Sebastian was still muttering about favoritism.
Snake ignored him.
About twenty minutes later, Sebastian sat up.
"Okay, but seriously—"
"Nobody cares."
"I wasn't even done talking."
"I know."
Sebastian opened his mouth.
Rachel immediately pointed toward the couch.
"Shut up."
The room went quiet.
Sebastian looked over.
"Oh."
Curled up beneath her blanket, Celeste was asleep.
One arm was wrapped around the popcorn bowl while her head rested against the arm of the couch.
The movie continued playing softly in the background.
Snake glanced over from his chair.
His expression softened immediately.
"How long has she been asleep?"
Rachel shrugged.
"Few minutes."
"Maybe ten."
Carefully standing up, Snake walked over to the couch.
The popcorn bowl was still balanced precariously in her lap.
He carefully lifted it away before it could spill everywhere.
Celeste didn't even stir.
"Told you," Rob said quietly.
Snake rolled his eyes.
"Shut up."
"You got the look."
"What look?"
"The big brother look."
"There is no look."
"There absolutely is."
Snake ignored him.
The blanket had slipped halfway onto the floor at some point, so he pulled it back over her shoulders.
Sunny, who had been stretched out nearby, lifted his head for a moment before settling back down beside the couch.
The basement suddenly felt a lot quieter.
Even Sebastian had enough sense not to start another argument.
Snake returned to his chair.
"Turn it down a little."
Scotti reached for the volume knob and lowered it.
"Better?"
"Yeah."
For a few moments, everybody simply watched the movie.
No yelling.
No pool games.
No near-death experiences involving lamps.
Just a quiet basement.
Rachel glanced over at the sleeping eleven-year-old.
Then at Snake.
Then back at Celeste.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"You're such a sap."
Snake didn't even look at him.
"Fuck off."
Rachel laughed quietly.
"See? Sap."
Snake flipped him off without missing a beat.
The room chuckled.
But nobody got any louder.
After all, Celeste was sleeping.
And nobody, not even Sebastian, was brave enough to wake her up and deal with Snake afterward.
