Chapter 3
"Hi," he says and you had to will yourself to keep upright at the gentle lilt of his voice.
The entire hall felt like it was drifting away, leaving only you standing there and him seated on the stage. Cliché, you thought to yourself, but there was no other appropriate way to describe the moment.
You have had your fair share of encounters with very good looking people AKA people you clearly thought were out of your league. In the office, you even met an Andrew Garfield look alike who sat with you as he watched you work, outside of, you've met one of your most favorite singers multiple times but nothing in your treasure trove of experiences could have prepared you for seeing him for the first time. This wasn't even in the realm of possibility for you a year ago when you finally had the guts (and to be honest, the money) to submit a US visa application.
He looked slightly taller in person, even when seated, the thighs of betrayal that had been lusted over by too many women (and men) in full display courtesy of his skintight jeans. His outfit was as nondescript as it could be, just a graphic tee and that trusty old brown leather jacket you've seen one too many times. No matter what he wore, he always looked good and today was no exception. "Hi," you finally squeaked out, your voice sounding tinny to your own ears. You had to clear your throat, and the sound reverberated through the entire hall making everybody laugh.
"HUG HER! SHE CAME ALL THE WAY FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO SEE YOU!" Geri shouted from the back which was echoed by her friends and soon, the rest of the people in the hall. In the corner of your eye, you could see a few of the con staff egging him on to go for it.
The next few moments seemed to pass by in slow motion; he was finally jumping off the front of the stage, sprinting to where you were standing until he finally got to you to envelop you in a bear hug, lifting and spinning you off the floor for what felt like forever. "I want to see you. Please tell me you have passes to the meet and greet later," you hear him whispering in your ear, sending shivers down your spine. You clutched on to the sides of his jacket, breathing him in and in shock at his words.
It seemed that Sebastian was in the same predicament, as he found himself staring into nothing an hour after the panel had ended. Anthony Mackie made a brief appearance which made him momentarily forget the brashness of his words to you, but as the session ended and he was back in his holding room, he was wondering what the hell made him say, or rather, beg for you to see him at the meet and greet.
"Earth to Sebastian, hul-lo?"
It didn't register that his assistant was rapidly snapping his fingers in his face until Kayla poked his nose.
"Oh, um…yeah...what's up?" he fumbles distractedly. Kayla looks at him funny but ignores his momentary distraction before speaking up.
"Meet and greet's been moved up to half an hour from now. Do you need anything before that?"
I need to get my head straight, that's what. He thinks to himself wryly. He just shakes his head in response before picking up and fiddling with his phone.
"Oookay then," Kayla says slowly before finding a place to sit. They do so in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she speaks again.
"You said something to that lady at the panel earlier, didn't you?"
Sebastian's head whips up to her so fast he felt a tinge dizzy. "W-what?"
Her eyes widen in surprise before grinning as if she found out a tightly kept secret. "Oh my god, Seb, you totally did!"
He opens his mouth to try and say something but it ends up sounding like a groan of pain. He clears his throat and recomposes himself. Kayla was still looking at him with a shit eating grin.
"Aw fuck you, K. What makes you think I did?"
Kayla giggles. "Don't peg me as stupid, Stan. She was blushing like hell after you scooped her up. She was shaking like a leaf when she returned to her seat."
Sebastian was speechless once more, something that was a rarity for him.
Where the fuck did you go, Geri? Your brain screamed out. You needed someone to talk to after that.
You waited until most of the crowds had left before leaving the hall yourself, mostly so as to avoid another panic attack and to calm your nerves racing like it was competing in the fucking Indy 500.
"There you are!" Geri squeals and when you turn around, you see her running towards you excitedly. You slowly stand up but she barges into you for a hug, nearly knocking you both down in the process. You can't help but smile feeling her happiness radiating from her to you.
"Oh my god," you breathe out to her as you both walked out of the hall. "What the fuck just happened?"
"He totally said something to you did he? I'm sorry I couldn't get back right away, another friend I haven't seen in a long time wouldn't let me get back," Geri says apologetically. You just nod at her in understanding. She squeezes your arm. "So what did he tell you?"
You recall the sound of his voice in your ear, low and pleading and somehow it makes you feel confused yet excited at the same time. Your brain is questioning why he said what he said but your poor fangirl heart feels like it would explode.
"I…he said he hoped to see me at the meet and greet," you opted to tell Geri the simple truth. The redhead's eyes widen in disbelief.
"No way…"
You just nod and softly say yes to her. She smiles at you excitedly and was about to say something but you beat her to it. "But I only have day passes. I don't have enough money for photo ops or meet and greets."
"Aw hun…" her expression sombers together with her tone. "I wish there was something I could do to help, but I'm broke as a twig."
You shake your head and pat her hand on your arm. "It's okay…I--I already am super lucky beyond expectation when he hugged me. That's something I'm gonna remember for the rest of my life."
You explored the rest of the expo in the con for about an hour more before finally deciding to call it a day and heading back to your hotel. Social media handles were exchanged so you and your newfound friend Geri can keep in touch.
Despite feeling tired, sleep was evading you that night. Your brain was still buzzing and your heart was still aflutter as you kept replaying Sebastian's hug in your brain for hours. It was kinda disappointing that you couldn't be at the meet and greet but eventually you had to console yourself with the possibility that he might have totally forgotten about you already. By the time you did that, it was already past 3 in the morning.