Page 35 of To Cuddle A Gremlin

“Oh, Sebastian, I didn’t think you’d be here.” Isadore covered his mouth with his hand as though in shock. Sebastian drank in his appearance, having never seen Isadore in dress clothes. His white silk shirt moulded to his body while his black pants looked like they were painted on. Because of his injury he wore clogs, which did not match his presented aesthetic. He was to die for, and Sebastian didn’t understand how to deal with all the emotions swirling around.

“Liar. What are you doing here?” Sebastian asked before kissing Isadore on the cheek. Normal people greeted other people with cheek kisses, right?

“I’m on a date as well. I decided if you could go out for the night, I could as well,” Isadore said with a grin.

“I just–”

“Isadore.”

Both Charles and Sebastian spoke at the same time.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just you and Charles made this production sound like so much fun that Harry and I were jealous,” Isadore explained.

“Harry’s here? Dear god, why?” Charles pinched his nose before sighing. “He doesn’t have the attention span.”

“Because he was feeling left out, and he supports you,” Isadore chided. “But anyway, I just came over to say hi. Have fun. I’ll see you at the end?”

“Yeah, sounds like a plan.” Sebastian watched as Isadore walked away, his hands in his pockets. “Was he okay?”

“Oh, yeah. He’s showing you that he supports you and still gives you space,” Charles said. “Though I’ll have to apologize. I didn’t mean to be so catty about Harry.”

“Mistakes happen to everyone.” Sebastian offered. Charles didn’t feel bad either. “Words slip out before you have a chance to recall them.”

“Right? How dare social gaffes and blunders occur. All you can do is hope to be a good person.” The way Charles spoke was as though the message was for Sebastian, not himself.

“It’s hard.”

“As long as we try to be better every chance we get.” Charles led him to the theatre where many other people chatted while waiting for the house lights to dim.

“How’s your nana doing?” Sebastian changed the subject. The awkwardness between him and Isadore was raw. He washoping to find his footing first through Charles and then Isadore. His goal was to show Isadore he could do this. But to have Isadore appear at the theatre where he was with another man—it threw everything out of whack, and he had returned to square one, anxious, worried, and dangerously close to believing the curse.

“She’s fine. She’s thrilled to see me get out of the house and into the dating pool. I didn’t have the heart to tell her this was all a sham.” Charles slumped into his chair, sharing with Sebastian that he was not as put together as he seemed.

“You have someone?” Sebastian asked with a delicate lilt. He wasn’t sure where he stood in regards to being in Charles’s confidence, but Charles seemed to need to unburden himself.

“Ehh, it’s nothing. They’re just—I don’t exist, but this isn’t the time nor place.” Charles smiled.

The house lights dimmed, and the panto began before Charles could finish his thought. Sebastian patted his arm and watched as the actors took to the stage. The panto was everything Sebastian had hoped for. He lost himself in the story and yelled at the characters like he was supposed to. His worries disappeared like smoke. Despite having worked on the set, Charles behaved as though he’d never seen the show, making everything more enjoyable.

During intermission, Charles vanished into the crush, suggesting to stay while he got them refreshments. Sebastian relaxed as the space emptied out. Quiet conversations filled the air as people chatted about the show or found old friends elsewhere in the audience. His eyes drifted shut while the chatter ebbed and flowed around him.

A rush of air warned him someone settled in Charles’s seat, and he sat up, ready to defend the chair. He gaped at Isadore relaxing beside him, a smirk ever-present on his mouth. “What are you doing here?”

Isadore had his leg stretched out in the aisle as he lounged. He was the epitome of a reformed rake. “Charles suggested it.”

“He did not.” Sebastian swirled around in his seat, searching the crowd for the tall blond man but not seeing him.

“He did so,” Isadore shot back. He tilted his head to the side. “You doing okay? You seem tired.”

“What? Oh, I’m fine. I’ve just been busy. Holidays bring out the crowds. People long all the books and movies.” Sebastian waved away Isadore’s concern. He didn’t need to know how many sleepless nights Sebastian had spent worrying about Isadore and what he meant to Sebastian. Examining his feelings was painful and not something he’d wished to do. “Anyway, they just flashed the lights. You should go to your spot.”

“We’ve traded dates,” Isadore said. “Don’t give me that look. This wasn’t our idea. It was his nan’s.”

“She did not. You probably saw the opportunity and took a chance. Charles has been looking forward to this evening for a while. I don’t want him to miss out on a good time.” Sebastian faced forward, unhappy with how this date had turned out. Rapid typing and constant vibrating warned him Isadore was furiously sending messages. A phone was thrust in his face, forcing him to read Charles’s text, which basically repeated what Isadore said.

“We aren’t going to ruin his night. I promise. Harry and I have a solid plan. We know how long and how hard Charles worked on this. I’d like to spend the rest of the evening with you. It was driving me bonkers seeing you and Charles chatting up here. The minute I found my seat, I realized maybe I made a teeny oops. I like the idea of you enjoying yourself with Charles. More friends are always better, in my humble opinion. However, I wished you were here with me. I’m sorry?” Isadore fluttered his eyelashes at Sebastian, causing him to giggle.

“Fine. I’m placing all blame on you if Harry does whatever Charles said Harry would do.” Sebastian acquiesced and tried not to inhale the lemony rich scent of Isadore’s cologne. The constant reminder Isadore was beside him enthralled Sebastian, so he barely watched the latter half of the play. As the panto ramped up the audience participation, he forgot himself and leaned toward Isadore, whispering his thoughts into his ear. Isadore rubbed a hand down his back, and Sebastian didn’t flinch or twist away. He certainly didn’t purr at the smooth glide or gentle scratch at the base of his neck.

---