Seblaine Oneshots ❤

Birthdays are for Breaking the Rules - pt 3

On Tuesday, February 8th, Audrey calls her Auntie Rachel, begging for her to pick her up from school for lunch.

"You need to pick me up and take me to Café de Clair at eleven o'clock, and drop me off. Don't say a word of where you're taking me to Daddy, and you can't come inside with me. We'll go to lunch after, but I need you to do this for me. Please, Auntie Rach!"

"Woah, woah, woah! Why?"

"I can't tell you, but I need you to!"

"Audrey. You gotta give me something."

"I, uh, um. It's for Daddy. For his birthday."

"Uh huh, yeah sure. Why can't I come in?"

"Because I have to do it alone!"

"Don't you need money for this?"

"No! Uh, I have some."

"Audrey."

"Pleaseeee, Auntie Rach! Tell me you wouldn't do something like this!"

"Not sure I know what you're doing, but fine. I'll tell Blaine I'm taking you out for lunch. I'll give you five minutes alone, and then I'm coming in."

"Ten."

"What?"

"Give me ten minutes."

"No! Aud, five is enough!"

"Seven."

Rachel cannot believe how much this child is like herself. Well, she is her child, after all. "Fine. Seven."

"Thank you!! I love you, Auntie! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, little troublemaker. I love you, too."

⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕

"Seven minutes, Aud. I'll park around the side and clock it to the exact second. If you're not back by then, expect to see me coming for you."

"Okay. Thank you, again."

"Clock's ticking."

"Shit," she mutters, starting to jog to the cafe.

"Language, little girl!"

Ignoring her aunt, she continues running.

Seconds later, she reaches the door. Peering through the glass, she feels triumphant. There, at a table, is Sebastian Smythe. Or, at least, she hopes it's him. The picture seems to match, and she's sure she got the name right. Oh well, now or never.

Her hands linger on the handle, waiting for Josef to disappear into the kitchen. The second he's out of sight, she quickly makes her way to the man's table. It only takes a moment for him to realize the girl stopped directly in front of him.

"Hi?" Shock and confusion laces his voice.

"Sebastian Smythe."

"Um, yes?"

"Hi."

"Hi," he repeats.

"You bought me a cupcake on my birthday."

"I did. Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thank you. My name's Audrey."

"That's a beautiful name. How do you know mine?"

Ignoring his question for now, she starts to rant, "thank you. My Daddy named me after Audrey Hepburn. He's a musician. Trained at NYADA, but then realized he prefers more of a home life than one on the big stage. Following this decision, he and his now ex-husband asked their best friend to surrogate a baby for them. She did, and I'm that baby. Some short time after, my daddies became ex-husbands and I spent most of my time with the one I was with on my birthday. We're really close, and I think you know him. Blaine Anderson."

Sebastian sets down his pen, "I, um, I do. How is he?"

"He has a hit song on the radio right now. We spent almost every day together."

"Good. I'm glad he's doing well."

"He could be better."

"What?"

"As Josef likes to say, I'm a nosy little rascal, and I listened to his phone-call with Grandmama the other day. He said he thought he recognized you, and when Josef cracked and confirmed it was you, he got really happy. I know my Daddy. I know when he's nervous-anxious or excited-anxious, and he was very excited-anxious that day."

Sebastian doesn't know what to say. Here is the daughter of Blaine Anderson telling him she heard her father admit to missing him on the phone. First of all, Blaine. Um, hello?? Second of all, he has a daughter. Third, he's excited to see him. And fourth, confirmed single. Seventeen year old Sebastian would be jumping at this news, but thirty-six year old Sebastian can only stare at the girl.

"I'm sorry. I just came and unloaded all of this on you! I didn't even think!"

"Hey, hey, hey, Audrey, it's okay. Shh, shh, it's okay. Just a lot to process. I, um, so what are you saying? Do you want me to call him? Um..."

"Do you," she sniffs, "think," another sniff.

"Hey, girlie, come here." Amazingly, she does. He then uses his jacket sleeve to wipe the fallen tears from her face, "deep breaths, then try again."

She takes a few breaths. "Do you think you can meet him, here maybe, some time soon?"

"If he's comfortable with it, yeah. I'd love to see him again, to be honest with you."

Audrey smiles, "do you come here on Fridays?"

"I'm here every day, cutie. I teach over at Chisholm."

"Really?! I want to go there for high school so bad!"

"It's a great school. But yes, I'm here on Fridays."

"What about this Friday, then? At this time? Or are you busy?"

"Never too busy for the Andersons," he winks.

"Okay, yay!" She jumps in glee, "thank you. I'm so excited! Oh, shoot, I have to find my Auntie Rach before she comes looking for me. Um, Seb?"

"Mhm?"

"What can I call you?"

The man shrugs, "Sebastian works."

"Not Mr. Smythe? You're a teacher."

"You can call me that when you start at Chisholm. For now, call me whatever you like."

"Okay! And, can I have a hug?"

"Of course, girlie." He gives her a warm hug, one that makes her feel completely comfortable in her decision, and then she waves, with another bounce, and runs out the door.

It hasn't quite yet sunk into Sebastian that Blaine Anderson's daughter pretty much just set him up with her father, but it might hit sooner or later. Might hit like a cast iron skillet to the face, but it should hit eventually, regardless of fate's weapon of choice. Until then, he can't help the creeping smile on his lips when he thinks about the interaction. And how he might have to thank his boss for switching up his schedule.