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Was it possible for her smile to grow any wider? Gosh, just hearing the word coming from him, and knowing that it was now reserved for her… She could hardly believe it. She hadn't even been this excited when her last boyfriend had asked to go out with her…
"Thank you, Seb," she breathed softly, reaching out so she could take his hand.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Sebastian promised, rising from the arm chair in order to seat himself beside her. He still left a few feet of space between them, not wanting to intrude or frighten her, but gladly accepted the hand she’d outstretched.
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"You can sit closer, now," Devon let him know softly, squeezing his hand with that same goofy smile on her lips. "I think— No, not think… I've gotten a lot more comfortable around you. And I like that. I like being able to hug you, and I like it when you hug me. I would like it if you surprised me with a hug, as long as it was from the front."
“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” he told her, his smile widening. “Knowing that you trust me to that extent.”
And, after a brief moment of hesitation, he leaned forward and engulfed her in a hug. “Best Valentine’s Day ever..”
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Devon blinked once, not thinking he would actually take her up on the offer so quickly. Once she'd caught up, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him, as well.
"Definitely… You have no idea what this has meant to me," she murmured softly, burying her face in his shoulder as she felt tears pricking her eyes.
Sebastian gave Devon a light squeeze, slipping a hand into her hair to brace the back of her head. “I’m just glad that my feelings for you are returned….”
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"You were worried that they wouldn't be?" Devon asked softly, pulling back a little to give him a curious look.
“Now anymore,” he reassured her, “I know now. But when we first started trying things out, I was constantly afraid of messing up, if accidentally pressuring you.”
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"Oh…" That actually made sense… A lot of sense… "I'm sorry, Sebastian…"
“No, no,” he hurried to say, “Don’t blame yourself for my self-doubt issues. Ever. Okay?”
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Devon took a breath before nodding and smiling up at him again. “Okay. I’ll try,” she promised softly.
“Good,” he murmured, “You know how much I care about you, right?”
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“Yeah. I do,” Devon murmured back, relaxing into his hold again. “I… I care about you, too. A lot…”
Sebastian responded by rubbing a soothing circle into the base of her head, sighing in contentment.
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Devon breathed a slow sigh from her nose and let her eyes fall shut. “Are you sure you’re not hungry or anything?” she asked softly, not moving from her place in his arms. “I could make us something to eat. You could help, too, if you wanted.”
“Aw, but I’m comfy here…” Sebastian teased quietly, tugging Devon ever-so-slightly closer. “Maybe later…. do you have basic baking ingredients? I know a killer muffin recipe…”
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“I’m sure I could find what you need somewhere in the cupboards…” Devon murmured, her arms tightening around him slightly when she felt him tugging her closer. It was so nice to have someone that she could relax around like this, someone who she could hug and laugh and cry with…
"Sounds good…" he responded in a hushed, bordering on sleepy murmur. "Is Layla old enough to eat sugar?"
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Devon chuckled softly and smiled at the mention of her daughter. “Oh, yes. She loves her cereal. I don’t let her have it all the time, just in the mornings.”
"Maybe we can substitute a bit of the sugar for……" Sebastian paused for a moment, brow furrowing in thought. "Do you happen to have honey? Or maybe some agave?"
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“I have honey and maple syrup, but not agave,” Devon answered. “But we can use sugar. She won’t get to eat all of them, though… I probably will…”
A quiet laugh escaped his lips. "You underestimate my capacity for vanilla muffins.."
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Devon hummed and pulled back to smirk at him playfully. “Why don’t we make this a challenge, then? Whoever eats the most muffins wins? And the winner gets to pick the losers consequence?” she suggested, chuckling.
“Oh, you’re going down,” Sebastian laughed, tossing back his hair. “Is Layla allowed to compete?”
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“Definitely not,” Devon laughed, shaking her head. “She’s spending the night at my parents’ house tonight, anyway… Oh. Now I know why they offered to take her…”
Sebastian blinked, concern flickering over his features. “What do you mean? Why?”
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Devon shrugged a little, her cheeks tinting slightly red. “It’s Valentine’s Day… And they know I have a boyfriend… And they forget how I got Layla…”
Sebastian’s brows drew together, confusion distorting his features before——Oh. Oh. Crimson bloomed across his cheeks.
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Devon pulled away gently and glanced away. “Sorry…” she murmured.
“Don’t apopolgize,” he said quickly, “Come on, let’s go make muffins.”
