"You don't care for anyone but yourself!" *slamming fists on table, chanting* SEB AND CARI ANGST! SEB AND CARI ANGST!
Caroline’s lips pressed softly against the corner of his mouth, as she tilted her chin up ever so slightly. One hand on his chest and the other on his neck, the distance between them all but nothing. His hands were on her waist, instinctively pulling her against him as he turned his head to meet her lips with his own, eyes fluttering shut.
The sound of metal against stone, a stark clatter, interrupted the blissful moment, and Danse’s eyes shot open, as he pushed Caroline away from him. She stumbled back, dazed slightly, but when her dark grey eyes met the soldier’s, he was staring at a third figure instead of her.
A few choice, foul words stung at the woman’s tongue as she took in the situation. She’d kissed Danse - kissed Seb’s boyfriend. And now things took a turn for the all-time worst; Seb had seen it.
At the shorter man’s feet was a knife, beautifully carved from the bone of some wasteland creature. A gift for her, Caroline realized. She stood, frozen still, unable to summon words from her throat. A tentative step forward sent Seb reeling back, jaw set in a hard line and eyes darker than a radiation storm.
He turned on his heel, swallowing thickly, denial hitting him like a freight train despite the evidence he’d just witnessed.
Caroline glanced at Danse, who looked as shocked and - oh god, angry - as he could possibly be. His head whipped around, but the moment he met Caroline’s eyes, a silent sob choked her and she turned, leaving the man to himself, behind the house.
Even after a day had passed, the tension hadn’t let up in the slightest. Hancock had come to talk to Caroline; apparently, he’d found out what had happened from Seb. The situation was sticky at best, and downright awful at worst, but they were working things out.
The same could not be said for Seb, who was bitterly sulking, with every right to be angry. How dare she do this to him, he told himself. How dare she! He trusted her, trusted Danse! And this was how they repayed him!
Another day passed in bitter silence, but the calm before the storm had reached its end.
His boots crunched against radiation-torn ground, as he stalked across Sanctuary, a 10mm pistol in his left hand. A tremor rushed up his spine as he spotted Caroline, sulking in front of her power armor, apparently giving it a once over after the rain the night previous.
She heard him approach, because she turned as he reached for her shoulder. Seb caught Caroline by the throat instead, and heaved the taller woman away from her armor, pinning her with an arm against the wall. As she choked out a startled cry, he gritted his teeth and hissed into her face.
“You don’t care for anyone but yourself!” he all but spat at her, voice dripping with venom as he pushed the barrel of the gun against her stomach. Cari stiffened, eyes wide as she felt the cold metal through her thin shirt.
“Seb…” she whispered, a tremor of fear in her voice as she stared at him. “Seb I’m sorry!”
He pressed his arm tighter against her throat, but didn’t move otherwise. The safety of the gun was still on.
“I don’t give a damn.” he grumbled, as the air escaped Cari’s lungs as she struggled to breathe, too scared to move. “You idiot!” His hand shifted, and the safety of the gun clicked off.
Cari’s eyes widened and she lifted a leg, butting his stomach with the heel of her right foot. He was pushed violently away from her, and she gasped, dragging air into her lungs. Seb aimed, pulled the trigger, and a bullet whizzed past Cari’s shoulder as she ducked out of the way mere milliseconds before it caught her in the neck.
She hissed a curse under her breath, racing in the opposite direction. Seb took aim again, but by now he was shaking with anger and missed by a few inches. Knowing he had one bullet left to spare but too upset and angry - she betrayed him and was getting away - he shot haphazardly.
The gurgling cry that reached his ears snapped him from his rage and he looked up suddenly, eyes wide.
By now, people were staring. Settlers, traders, his friends even - staring at him, standing down the road with a smoking gun in his hand, as Caroline slid to her knees and slumped forward, his last bullet lodged in the nape of her neck.
The sense of satisfaction that washed over him sent Seb reeling, as he wretched. His stomach heaved, threatening to empty itself of its contents as the man dropped the gun. He ran towards her, but was intercepted halfway by Hancock.
The ghoul’s dark eyes were expressionless, but he was baring his teeth at Seb in a silent snarl. He shoved Seb back, and turned, kneeling next to Caroline’s body to assess the damage. Despite seeing the bullet in her neck, the blood beginning to pool around her throat, he still tried weakly to wake her up.
Feeling numb, Seb took a step forward, very aware of the stares boring into his skin. Was it worth it? he wondered, reaching for Caroline’s body. Could it have been resolved some other way?
His hands were batted away from the woman - the corpse, he thought bitterly, of his best friend - by the ghoul at her side, but he reached out for her anyway, taking her hand in his and feeling the last fleeting shreds of warmth escape her skin. He squeezed her hand - could he have forgiven her? - in a vain attempt to keep that subtle heat there.
With a thick swallow, he stood up, post-shock exhaustion washing over him like an inviting, warm blanket. He was vaguely aware of Danse’s arms falling around him, leading him away. Seb wiped at his face, trying to keep tears from falling, and felt a warmth on his cheek, sticky but not like tears.
He wretched, staring at the blood on his fingertips. You only care for yourself! But was it really true?
((You asked for angst, I hope I delivered. Sorry lol if this is hella ooc I got myself going and just kinda went with it. I love your son so much, I promise.))
