Page 6 of To Cuddle A Gremlin (Monsters in Love Side Stories #1)

CHAPTER 6

Crash: Stop sending me expensive gifts

Kazmier: You deserve it, so no.

Crash: You told me you couldn’t afford it, so please…

Kazmier: You had a sh*tty day, and I’m fixing it as best I can.

Crash: But I don’t know how to reciprocate. . It’s not fair

Kazmier: Be my love slave. I’ll accept that.

Crash: Dude, that’s like weird, isn’t it?

Kazmier: Not unless you make it weird.

Crash: But…

Kazmier: Let me do this. I have to do this. You are so sweet and so adorable that I hate seeing you upset. I must fix it.

I sadore sat in the chair in his brother’s office and spun around. He regretted leaving Sebastian to walk home alone, but the determination and stubbornness in Sebastian’s stance warned Isadore to back off. Stars, how the hell had his date with Sebastian gone downhill so fast? Were the fates working against him?

Tony leaned on the doorframe to the office and cleared his throat. “Your guy is a jinx. Becks broke a whole set of dishes. She seems to do that while he’s around.”

“Why is Sebastian to blame? We were sitting down, having a pleasant conversation,” Isadore snapped. Jinx wasn’t a word a person threw around lightly. It did terrible things and caused a true mischief maker to show up. “He was so adorable, wasn’t he?”

“Izzy, he’s a spaz. Why would you want to be around him?” Tony grumbled. “He barely gets any sentences out when he comes here.”

Isadore counted to ten in his head before speaking. He had thought they had discussed this and everything had been resolved. Why was Tony still stuck on this? It wasn’t his life; it was Isadore’s, and he was excited to be a part of something sweet and amazing.

“That’s because you intimidate him. Make him nervous. If I can get Sebastian to relax, I think I’ll find the real person behind the "clumsy” persona.” Isadore dragged out Sebastian’s name with a delicious hiss. “I chased after him, you know. He was so upset. But I managed to set up a second date.”

Tony groaned as he came into the office and pushed his brother off the chair. “You are such a sap. Get out of my office and stay out. You can’t use it for your nefarious deeds. This is my space.”

“Fine, I’ll leave.” Isadore elbowed his brother lightly in the stomach as he passed Tony. As much as he bragged about getting a second date with Sebastian, Isadore worried that he might have pushed Sebastian too far too fast. The poor guy had a shocking experience and here was Isadore asking for another.

Harry and Charles were in a corner of the café, hidden from the world. Dungeons & Dragons manuals and character sheets filled the table, leaving a small empty space for mugs and plates. Isadore peered at the sheets and wrinkled his nose. Campaign creation time. “What’s going on?”

“New game session is starting at the comic shop next week,” Harry murmured. For once, his attention was on something other than Tony. “If I do this at the store, people will ask questions, and I can’t get any work done.”

“You know Tony hates it when you block a table for the whole afternoon.” Isadore sat and studied a hand-drawn map. “What sort of campaign are you playing? This looks like an all-out battle.”

“Charles asked nicely, so we’re good for a while. And as long as we buy coffee and snacks, we’re paying customers,” Harry answered, his attention on what he was doing. His perfect hair was messed up as he ran his fingers through it. Isadore rolled his eyes. Why did Tony always give him shit when these two did the same thing all the time? Likely because they were brothers, and irritating each other was what they did.

“I heard Becks caused an international incident at lunch. What happened?” Charles asked, lifting his head to meet Isadore’s gaze. Sympathy filled his bright blue eyes as Isadore shrugged. Charles’s big eyes were his best feature. Isadore would have dated Charles at some point if he didn’t analyze everything Isadore did.

“Becky tipped a full tray of food down Sebastian’s back. Broke all the dishes. Worst mess since she started. Poor Sebastian ran out like the hounds of hell were on his ass. He was so upset. Managed to catch up with him before he left the library. I should have walked him home.”

“Did he ask you to?” Charles asked.

“No, and I asked. Still said no.” Isadore didn’t think he had done enough, but the wounded look he’d seen had him biting off anything else he’d try. Going out again had to be Sebastian’s decision. Isadore couldn’t railroad him into making that choice. “How can I get him to like me if I can’t show him that I’m trustworthy?”

“By listening to him.” Charles rolled his eyes. “He’s a grown man, Iz. Like a true adult. You have let him come to you.”

“Listen to the psycho, Isadorable. He’s being smart. Your Sebastian likely needs to lick his wounds, and you sort of require privacy for that. It’s not a first date activity.” Harry glanced up from the critical hit chart he was creating. His eyes were unfocused as he spoke to Isadore. “You chasing after him is like chasing after a cat after you step on its tail. You know how they react.” Harry mimicked the actions with comical flair. “Let me love you!”

“I’m not that bad.” Isadore ran a hand through his hair, untangling knots with his fingers. “Did you see before hell broke loose? He lit up the room.”

“He’s in love,” Harry whispered loudly across the table to Charles, who grinned. “Definitely in love. It Isa-dorable.”

“Oh, shut up.” Isadore tossed a crumpled napkin at his friends. Their joking and teasing nature broke up some of the fears Isadore had about letting Sebastian go home without him. “At least I have a chance with the person I’m interested in, Harrison.”

“Hey, now you’re being cruel. I am trying, okay? Anyway, I found someone else who might be better. He’s on this gaming forum, and he’s decent.” Harry scowled. Ribbing Harry about his all-consuming crush on Tony was automatic. Harry was human and had fallen for Tony the minute he had stepped through to the Granite side of the dimensional portal. Tony, on the other hand, was adamant about not having anything to do with Harry. Isadore hadn’t been able to pick apart Tony’s reasons. Someday, he’d figure it out. “Anyway, why aren’t we bothering Chuck? Have you noticed his secret smiles when the phone toodles?”

“Don’t bring me into this. I offered my advice. You leave your love interests alone, and maybe, possibly, they’ll return your affection,” Charles lectured, eying both Isadore and Harry. “Honestly, though, Iz, he’s out of his element when he visits, but he comes for you. Let him show you what he wants. Let him lead you, alright?”

“Yeah, I got that impression as well.” Isadore sighed before dropping his head back on the chair. “So, what’s the game here?”

“Which game? The one we’re planning or the one you are?” Harry blinked innocent eyes at Isadore. “Because I need more of a lead-in than what you’re asking.”

“Fuck off, Harry. I’m talking about yours.” Isadore waited a beat before speaking. “Have you made any progress with your forum friend?”

“Not sure. He runs so hot and cold. Always asks me about dick pics and such.” Harry scratched a mark on his document before continuing. “But then he gets on these epic long rants about shipping characters from comics or movies.”

“Don’t be a snob now, Harry. People are allowed to like who they like,” Charles chastised, not even looking up from his task.

“But, Charles, he was telling me things, awful, awful things,” Harry whined, leaning forward. Isadore rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee. He half-listened to Harry complain about his friend while contemplating the best way to woo and win Sebastian, his pretty librarian.

Isadore’s will broke after two days. He had given Sebastian space long enough. As much as he wanted to be a fly on the wall of the library or even Sebastian’s home, Isadore respected Sebastian’s wishes. Of course, it helped that Adam at the Cryptid Centre needed a shit ton of work done on their website and social media presence. That was neither here nor there. Now was about Sebastian. Isadore gazed into the warm library and strengthened his resolve. He liked the idea of being outside until Sebastian left his post. It was his schtick. Sebastian made such fun, soft noises, though if Isadore waiting in the cold truly freaked Sebastian, Isadore would stop.

Shifting on his feet, because holy fuck it was cold, Isadore killed time with the farming adventure game he had discovered. Someone on the same server reminded him so much of home and peace. He had memorized when Crash logged in and tried to be on whenever Crash was. Keeping an eye on the door to the library, Isadore spent some real money on the game and gifted his friend an animal he had missed out on during a previous event. Of course, Crash would complain, but he’d forgive Isadore. All Isadore had to offer was a little sweet talk and distractions. What was it about Crash that made him giddy? Isadore bit his lip. These feelings toward Crash were similar to what Sebastian did to him, but there was no way they could be the same person. What would happen if his instincts were wrong? Could he give up either one? God, what a mess.

Isadore shook his head and smiled brightly as the library door slid open. Sebastian was buried deep in a soft grey scarf, and his hat was pulled down over his ears. His attention wasn’t on the street before him but his bulky crossbody bag. Isadore witnessed the exact moment Sebastian noticed him. His movements slowed, and his eyes became big and excited behind the black frames. Soon, the bright emotions were shuttered behind stoicism and worry.

“Hey, Sebastian. I was wondering if I could join you for a walk?”

“Shit. Isadore. You came? Why?” Sebastian stammered. He glanced at the library before looking at Isadore. “You do realize the library is open to the public and is much warmer than standing out in the dark and cold?”

“Crossed my mind, however, hanging around outside for you is so much more entertaining,” Isadore answered, bouncing on his toes. “I like catching you unawares.”

“But it’s freezing out. How is it fun waiting and getting frostbite?” Sebastian asked. His scowl was endearing as well as his desire to keep Isadore safe. The concern melted some of Isadore’s cheekiness.

“Sweets, it just is.” The endearment slipped out. “Anyway, I wanted to give you space, and now I have to make sure you’re okay. You had a terrible day, and I should have walked you home. I am sorry.”

“It was–I was… Everything was more gross than painful,” Sebastian admitted, ducking away from Isadore.

“It looked uncomfortable. But you could have been burnt or cut. And I just let you go.” Isadore ignored the human societal rules and grabbed Sebastian’s hand. He tugged on him until Sebastian was glaring at him. “I should have stayed with you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. I told you no.” Sebastian huffed in frustration. His expression was so put-upon that Isadore leaned forward and bussed Sebastian’s cool lips. The touch was lighter than a feather, but the taste exploded within Isadore. His heart thumped wildly, and Isadore knew with one gentle kiss Sebastian was more than anything he had ever expected. As he pulled back, Sebastian’s eyes were bigger and darker than ever.

“Why–you–why you kissed me!” His stammer was more pronounced, and his cheeks had grown to a deeper shade of pink.

“I couldn’t help myself. I am so sorry, but you deserved something good,” Isadore confessed. “I won’t do it again. I promise. At least not until I have your permission.”

“No! That’s not it.” Sebastian twisted away before facing Isadore once more. “It’s embarrassing. I haven’t prepared or anything.”

“You think me kissing you is embarrassing?” Isadore had no idea where Sebastian’s train of thought was taking him. “I thought… well, I hoped it would lighten the mood. I’m sorry.”

“No! Please don’t apologize. I didn’t mean it that way. I never expected I’d be the type of person who someone would kiss to help.” Sebastian sighed. “This is why I don’t talk to anyone.”

“Don’t say that. I like listening to you. We’ve caught each other at a bad time, and we don’t know each other quite yet. So trying to find good things to chat about is hard. Please don’t give up.”

“I won’t. However, I need you to understand I will be okay if you don’t–”

Isadore, not wanting to press his advantage, set his gloved finger against Sebastian’s mouth.

Sebastian scowled and spat at Isadore. “Eww, gross. Now I have the taste of wool glove in my mouth.”

“Oops. I’m sorry. Won’t do that again with wool gloves.” Isadore shoved his hands into his coat’s deep pockets. “I was wondering if you’d like to have another attempt at a first date?”

“Like now?” Sebastian’s nose wrinkled. “I can’t. It’s kinda late, and my cat’ll want his dinner. And I need time to prepare.”

“No. Definitely not now. But maybe this weekend? It’s Thursday, so I can ask about your plans for the next couple of days. Can we talk about the town festival?” Isadore threw everything into his eyes, praying Sebastian would say yes.

“Maybe we should wait. I mean, this is a little—we’ve had a few rough starts, and it’s?—”

“A walk around town. Show me your Granite. Nothing big or fancy. Just a few hours together,” Isadore begged.

“Sounds good. I can do that.” Sebastian seemed so unsure. Isadore ached to take everyone who dared to hurt this sweet man and beat some sense into them. Sebastian blinked, and his expression cleared. It was like a light shone down on him, washing away the negativity.

“Can I text you Saturday morning for more details?” If he told Sebastian when he would text, Isadore would have a good chance of a yes.

“Oh sure. I just don’t look at my phone when I’m at work. It’s frowned upon.” Sebastian inhaled deeply. “You can contact me anytime.”

“What a dangerous statement, friend. So very dangerous,” Isadore teased. Walking the fine line of fierce joy and the desire to bring Sebastian deeper into his life challenged Isadore. He was keen to attempt the chance.

“It’s okay. You can send stuff, I don’t mind,” Sebastian muttered shyly. Glancing around, he stepped close and stared deep into Isadore’s eyes before smashing his lips against Isadore’s mouth. Blushing, Sebastian smiled and dashed away.

Stunned, Isadore brushed his lips. The kiss was a delightful surprise. He hadn’t expected any sort of affection from someone as shy or reticent as Sebastian. And Sebastian had taken that first step, despite the fears that swamped him. Sebastian had touched him, in public, fleeting as it was.

Now he had to plan a good and proper date with Sebastian. The location had to be safe and have plenty of exit strategies in case something happened. Isadore had a feeling lots of things “happened” to Sebastian. Nothing was going to occur on their date, not if he had anything to say about it.