Page 18 of To Cuddle A Gremlin

“Thank you.” Isadore’s mood was bolstered by the sweetness of the donations and the girl’s happy chatter.

Isadore’s smile never wavered as he sat beside Sebastian, who had pulled himself together. “Did you know the hot chocolate is for a charity? I’d never thought of charity food.”

“People really want everyone to succeed. Light Up Night is such a big part of our winter season, and to have everyone’s memories torn because of a nasty event hurts. The festival is our way of taking back the night. Thank you for the treat.” Sebastian’s words were smooth and steady. The tension Isadore didn’t know he had melted away, leaving behind relief and wild joy.

“I was feeling a bit… I needed some sugar. This is a gorgeous park. I can just picture how the lights and decorations will brighten up the area.” Isadore glanced around at the open spaces and the tree-lined paths. The river ran lazily through the park, adding to the ambience.

“Imagine the ground covered with a blanket of snow. Like proper snow, none of this frosty business. I think the ice sprites and river sprites are going to cook something up. It’s going to be so magical.” Sebastian sighed. “This is my most favourite time of year. It’s anticipation and cozy at the same time. Well, that doesn’t make sense, but yeah.” Sebastian’s cheeks darkened as he ran out of steam. Isadore had never been more thrilled at the words coming from Sebastian’s mouth.

“You are so handsome right now,” Isadore murmured.

A pink flush filled Sebastian’s cheeks at Isadore’s compliment.

“You must think me a complete idjit, getting all excited over a silly town festival.” Sebastian ducked his head, which Isadore wouldn’t have.

“Absolutely not. If anything, you’ve become more special.” Keeping his eyes on Sebastian, Isadore angled his head and pressed his lips against Sebastian’s. The effervescence of the kiss caused goose bumps to rise on the back of Isadore’s neck. The sharp intake of Sebastian’s breath echoed, and his posture relaxed. Isadore didn’t expect himself to be enraptured by the moment. Sebastian, while unsure, led Isadore through a merry chase. His innocent kiss set off every desire and urge within Isadore. This was the person he was meant to be with.

Isadore pulled away and blinked in quick succession. What was supposed to be a moment to show Sebastian how special he was had exploded into a kiss beyond anything Isadore had reckoned. “Wow.”

Sebastian was silent, but the confused joy in his eyes spoke a thousand words. He pressed his lips together and hummed.

“So, anyway, when you’re at the café, you’re always on your device. What has you so enthralled?” Isadore scrambled for an innocuous topic. Wouldn’t he love to take Sebastian back to his home and explore more of what had just happened. Isadore realized Sebastian needed more than a quick buzz to get his desires flaring, so a distracting question was required.

“Oh just a game. Nothing interesting,” Sebastian waved off Isadore’s question.

“If you’re hooked, then something has to draw you to it. Tell me more.” Isadore beckoned him. The paths in the parks led them to a small cedar copse. Judging by the lack of frost prints, no one had ventured to this area, making it a good spot to coaxSebastian into opening up. No one would cause him to shrink into himself.

“Well, it’s a massively multiplayer online game where you build farms and villages. Sometimes you raid to get better items for your land.” Sebastian gave him the barest information, but the way his eyes shone as he shared told Isadore a lot. This game was special to Sebastian.

“I know what you’re talking about. There’s lots of islands that you can decorate to suit your own style. Like right now I’m working on the farm. Trying to match what’s in my head with what they have is hard, but fun at the same time.” Isadore smiled as he discovered the connection between him and Sebastian. The tether would keep them together when the storm of everything else tried to separate them.

“You’ve heard about Last Farm? Really?” Sebastian stared off into the distance in awe. “I’ve never met anyone who liked the same style as me. What’s your favourite part?”

“I like the beach, though I might blame that on how cold it is in the real world. I am not fond of this damp cold. I hadn’t realized Granite had snow and ice as well,” Isadore teased, nudging Sebastian lightly with his elbow.

“This is nothing. Wait til January comes around,” Sebastian said dryly. “Then you’ll understand what a true Canadian winter is like.”

“I don’t need to, thank you.” Isadore marvelled at Sebastian’s relaxed demeanour and teasing. This was what he had been trying to draw out and what Tony refused to see. “What’s your favourite creature?”

“The opal fox. The pearlescent shimmer makes me happy. You?”

Isadore blinked. Sebastian’s answer reminded him of someone else, a person he couldn’t put a pin on. Shaking hishead, he gave a random answer, a dragon of sorts, because being the centre of Sebastian’s attention was distracting.

“Oh, one of my internet buddies likes zodiac creatures. He collects a bunch and creates a line of creatures. He probably wants to be a kook.” A small smile appeared.

“Should I be jealous?” Isadore snagged Sebastian’s hand as they approached the river’s edge. The water danced through the rapids, sending a spray of icy water toward them.

“Oh, no way.” Sebastian wiped his face and scowled. “He’s an internet guy. Somehow, I doubt we’d ever meet. I mean?—”

Isadore placed a finger over Sebastian’s lips. Whatever came out of Sebastian’s mouth was going to be an insult about him, and Isadore promised he’d stop him if it was anything terrible.

“Sorry.” Sebastian mumbled against Isadore’s finger. Turning away, he gazed at the river. “When did it get so dark?”

“I’m not sure.” Isadore wrinkled his nose. Losing track of the afternoon wasn’t normal. He had a supernatural sense of time, based on light and the angle of the sun. It was part of his makeup as a gremlin. “I suppose the world is telling us our date is at an end.”

“We don’t have to stop, do we? I mean, we can go find a restaurant and have dinner or a drink.” Sebastian’s cheeks pinked up. “Or not. It’s up to you. I forgot I should probably go home and feed my cat. You’ve been with me for a while, so we can go our separate ways. You have a billion other things to do that are much more?—”

Stopping Sebastian’s flow of words with a kiss could earn him some negative points, but Isadore leaned in. Sebastian wanted to stay with him. He was eager to be with Isadore, and Isadore reacted naturally—by kissing Sebastian and stopping the excuses. Now he savoured the feel of Sebastian’s lips beneath his. The icy cold sensation shocked him as their mingled breath warmed him up. Sebastian remained still as Isadore gentled hiskiss. Terrifying the man into submission wasn’t in the playbook. Isadore longed for Sebastian’s wholehearted participation. Joy would be a bonus.

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