He makes a conscious effort not to try to talk, so as to try to stop the stuttering, and focuses on anything but blushing.

Sadde plants another kiss on Theo's cheek.

"I think you've tortured him enough, love. And in any case, they won't release me until tonight, I really did mean it when I said there's less boring things for you two to do than stay around me all day."

Theo finally feels he can speak, and says, "I'd be happy to stay here."

He's still blushing quite a lot.

"Oh my god you're just too cute," he says, and hugs Theo.

She sighs. "Alright, do what you want. I would like to see some of those other cards."

Theo smiles in response to Sadde's comment. "Uh, I've got my cards with me," he says, pulling out the cards and showing then to Sadde's mum.

And Kero also pops out of Theo's bag.

Theo rolls his eyes. Of course Kero appears from his bag.

He holds out the cards to Sadde's mum.

She regards them thoughtfully. "This Mr. Reed was an interesting person," she comments.

"Yeah, interesting is not the word I'd use. There are a lot more than this, and some of them sound pretty terrible."

"Yes, so I've been informed. Hm. I believe I will be coming with you two in any future card capturing adventures."

"Mum! You could've died—"

"Yes, and so could you. If you think there is any way at all I will let you continue to pursue these cards without all the help I can give you you may know me less well than I would have hoped. Aren't there any other, more experienced sorcerers that could also help? Surely the release of magic with potentially apocalyptic power warrants asking for their help as well."

"I don't know any and they could want to use the cards for nefarious purposes."

"Apparently I'm some sort of chosen one, because I had the ability to open the Clow Book," he says, rolling his eyes.

"And yet Kero seems to trust my son and, well, me, but not be willing to trust other sorcerers."

"To be fair, neither of us is powerful enough to be terribly threatening if we do get all of those cards and I am now dating the chosen one."

"You and I could still be playing a long con."

Theo gives both Kero and Sadde's mum a jokingly exasperated look. "Do you really want to watch Kero try to stop you? Because it sounds like you're trying to make him worry about you."

"Ideally we would convince him to let us enlist the help of other sorcerers with the end of the world."

"I don't know any other sorcerers."

"And he does have a point, I trust myself and you, and I kinda have to trust him, aaaannd I suppose I trust Theo, too," he says, grinning at his boyfriend, "but other than that I'm not sure I want to decentralize the power to take over the world more than it already is."

Theo grins in response. "Yeah. If we found other people that we knew were trustworthy, and that we could keep in contact with, it might be okay, but otherwise not really."