Page 18 of To Cuddle A Gremlin (Monsters in Love Side Stories #1)
EPILOGUE
Crash: Did you see the new creatures that came out?
Kazmier: Of course, I follow them on social media. I thought I showed you the website.
Crash: It’s not the same as seeing them in game
Kazmier: Right. Because different pixels and all that.
Crash: I like the surprise.
“ W hy are we arguing online? You’re right beside me.” Sebastian dropped his iPad on his lap and glared at Isadore.
"Because it’s fun.” Isadore leaned forward and kissed Sebastian lightly on his nose. The touches of affection from Isadore were sweet and warmed Sebastian to the core. He stroked the fat cat lying between them before returning his attention to the game. Minutes later, Sebastian received a notification that he received a present. Growling, he ignored the way the screen lit up and the shit-eating grin on Isadore’s face.
“I don’t think I like knowing you’re Kazmier.” Sebastian grumbled. “I can’t ignore you when you do stuff like this.”
“You couldn’t before.” Isadore set his own device down and lifted Tiger to the couch top, where he settled into a ball. Tiger and Isadore had become fast friends. The cat willingly put up with Isadore’s manhandling, much like Sebastian. Isadore pressed his back against Sebastian’s side, his legs sprawled across the length of the couch. “Does my gift really bother you?”
Sebastian kissed the top of Isadore’s pointy ear as he tried to articulate his feelings. The idea of spending real-world money on a friend seemed so wasteful.
“Sebastian, you’re not gonna be punished, and I’m not going to fly out of here in a huff. What’s annoying you?” Isadore swung his legs around and faced Sebastian. His expression had changed to something more serious.
“I don’t think I’m worth the effort.” Sebastian dragged the words out. “I can’t give you what you want, so why?—“
“Hey, hey, get all of those thoughts out of your head.” Isadore gripped Sebastian’s chin and made eye contact. Sebastian wished he could duck away, but Isadore’s determination forbade hiding. “I love you. You are the dearest person in my heart. You give me everything you can, and that is the most important thing. When you feel the urge to go beyond your boundaries, amazing. But I will not be the one who pushes you.”
“But that’s not how—“ Sebastian started once more. He’d stopped watching the Hallmark movies and reading romances at Isadore’s request. He’d become so entangled with how the relationships in book-world behaved compared to the real world that he became stuck in place. Nothing Isadore could say or do was able to reassure him.
“Fantasy, my love. Romances are all pure fantasy. Yes, sometimes they fuck with your head with how you wish life could be, but they show you one aspect of a long-lasting love,” Isadore interrupted. “Come on, let’s go to the bedroom.”
Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know, but I worry that?—“
“Come on, bedroom time,” Isadore hauled Sebastian to a standing position and dragged him to his room. The space was dim with a bedside light on to illuminate. The big bed with its dark comforter drew a person’s eye when they stepped foot into his room. This was Sebastian’s hideaway, and Isadore took advantage of his knowledge every time Sebastian became squirrely about their relationship. “Top clothes off and then hop in.”
“This is ridiculous.” Sebastian complained, but he took off his shirt and pants anyway. He slid under the covers, and Isadore followed, tugging the comforter up over their heads. Sebastian was in a warm cocoon of cozy darkness. He couldn’t see Isadore’s face, but his easy breathing and the heat from his body reminded Sebastian he wasn’t alone.
“Feel better?”
“We were going to go out to the park tonight? A band you like was playing.” Despite his grumbling, the wretched anxiety loosened its grip on Sebastian’s heart and lungs. He could see where everything had gone wrong and how Isadore’s intuitiveness helped. “I don’t get how this works.”
“But it does.” Isadore rolled to his side and squirmed up against Sebastian. “Come on.”
Sebastian fitted himself along Isadore’s back and buried his face in the silky strands of Isadore’s hair. The scent of baked goods and Isadore soothed even more of Sebastian’s needles. He kissed the bare shoulder and released some of the building tension.
“See? I’m not going to pounce on you and ravish you. I like this cuddling bit. So fucking nice.” Isadore laced their fingers together and kissed the tips of Sebastian’s fingers.
Lying here with Isadore in his arms was perfect. The odd silkiness of Isadore’s skin against his own comforted Sebastian. Skinship had been something he’d heard of but had never considered to be real. To be a part of this moment was heaven. “I like it too.”
“I’m glad.” Isadore wriggled against Sebastian until Sebastian had curled completely around him. In the romance books, this was when their activities became steamy, though Isadore kept still other than a few gentle pecks on Sebastian’s hand.
“I read about this in a magazine article,” Sebastian whispered. The moment required less volume, as though he was telling a secret. “Not enough people get this close. They think cuddling isn’t… it’s less than physicality. Like sex is more important. But that’s not true, is it?”
“Intimacy is always the answer, but it can be both soft and quiet or sweaty and loud. Our definition can be whatever we want. We dictate how we do intimacy, and no stereotypical novel will tell us what to do, right?”
“We take all the information and sort out the chaff, so we keep the stuff that makes sense to us?” Sebastian said aloud. Why had it taken so long for Sebastian to find Isadore or even accept him once Isadore noticed him? Everything had clicked in his head. They worked because of communication, acceptance, and genuine affection toward each other. “You make me—I can’t even think of the word.”
“You do the same for me.” Isadore turned around and kissed Sebastian. “We are the best couple ever. Nothing can steal that from us. Not even your nervous doubts.”
“Hey.” Sebastian dug stiffened fingers into Isadore’s side, making him giggle and squirm. “I’m getting better. I talk to you before letting my anxieties swamp me, right?”
“You do, but stop tickling. I’ll pee my pants.”
“Better not.” Sebastian marvelled at the ability to hug Isadore while teasing him. And in his head, he could picture more moments like this.
Playing their mobile games together with a cat between them, hanging out with Harry and Charles at the café. It was all there in his possible future. And because of Isadore’s belief that Sebastian wasn’t cursed, Sebastian hadn’t had any more incidents. He wasn’t jinxed.
Cuddling gremlins was the best gift he could ever received.
The End.