Love At First Text ✔️

Him

Eden was exceptionally fond of the stuffed elephant teddy Seb had been to buy her from the giftshop while she went to the toilet. She repeatedly told him he needn't have, but from the way she was clutching it to her front, and the smile that stretched across her lips, he was glad that he did. It made him happy, to see her like this.

Such was odd for him. Whichever girl he took on a date, he always aimed to make it a night worth remembering, be it him paying for dinner, or buying them flowers, or dropping them off home with a gentlemanly kiss on their cheek before they invited him in. There had never been a time before though, that he had gone to such lengths. He tried to assure himself that it was all a part of his ploy – to return Eden's faith in dating, and to add some essence of spontaneity back into his life. Except, he'd already exceeded every expectation when he'd gotten pictures of Eden and himself wrapped up in several elephant trunks. The teddy, it was hardly a contender to the best part of today.

"Do you think I should call it Ellie? Or is that too mainstream?" She had asked.

Sebastian had wrapped his arm around her shoulder without much thought, pulling her closer to him as they walked. She wasn't perturbed, instead looking up with expectant eyes as she awaited an answer. "I like it. However, Char might not be too fond when you tell her that you've called you teddy after her number one baby girl name."

Eden had agreed with little hesitance to join Sebastian at Charlotte's and Elijah's flat to round up their evening. She was quite honest in her likeness for the pair, which strangely made Sebastian feel all warm inside. He thought it was because the pair were like his family, and meant so much to him, and it made him happy to hear Eden held them in such esteem. Despite knowing her for an insignificant amount of time in comparison, there was no denying that Eden was coming to mean something to Sebastian too.

By the time they reached the car, Eden had settled on the name Elmer, and Sebastian was twice as glad to have spent twenty-five pounds on the thing.

The drive back local seemed to take half the time than the journey there, despite the teatime traffic. As the streets began to filter off into cul-de-sacs and estates, he could feel the tension rising. Eden was nervous, whether she liked to admit it or not. Naturally, Seb considered it his job to calm her, or at the very least, offer her an escape.

"We don't have to go. I can take you home if you want?" He said.

Eden shook her head. "No. I want to. It just feels very intimate, and I don't know them too well." She confessed to him, toying with the trunk of the elephant on her knee.

Seb understood that. He had always been outgoing, even as a child, and found himself comfortable in whatever situation he got himself involved in. Eden, however, she'd told him earnestly that she considered herself more introverted. Perhaps putting her in a social setting with two of the biggest personalities he knew wasn't his greatest idea.

"If it's any consolation, Charlotte is particularly fond of you." He told her, as he took the penultimate turn before his friends' street. "When I first told her about you, she was appalled at the fact you didn't know my name. She also gave me the biggest lecture in not being a dick and messing you about. She even helped me plan this date."

"She scared me a little at first." Eden couldn't hide the smile at those words.

Seb laughed. "Char scares everyone she first meets. But I think that's part of what makes her such a good friend. When she finds someone worthy of defending, she'll go to the ends of the Earth to do it." He decelerated as they approached the flat, parking just out front. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure." She nodded, and Seb then turned off the engine.

Eden waited for him just outside the car until he walked round the bonnet to meet her. Despite the fact she still had her gift in her hands, he offered his out for her to take. He'd done that a lot over the course of the day – it was a rather subconscious offer, one he didn't comprehend he had extended until her palm met his. He liked it though. He liked her touch, and the way she was so trusting of him to accept. He liked that her hand was so small in his, and it made him feel protective of her almost. That might have explained why he wished to have her so close to him too.