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Chapter 59: Stay At Home (II)
It was... surprisingly good. Smooth, slightly spicy with a faint honey-like aftertaste.
The warmth spread through his body almost immediately, pushing away any lingering drowsiness.
Zayn lowered the cup, licking his lips. "Alright, I’ll admit. That’s not bad."
Elisse smirked. "Told you."
He set the cup down and grabbed a piece of the butter bread, taking a bite.
It was soft, slightly sweet, and paired surprisingly well with the tea.
For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the storm continuing outside.
Then Elisse cleared her throat. "We were supposed to head out already, you know."
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "And you let me sleep in?"
She shrugged. "You looked like you needed it."
He blinked. That was... oddly thoughtful of her. Not that he was complaining.
Zayn leaned back, watching her for a moment. "So, what’s the plan?"
She took a seat across from him, resting her chin in her hand. "Storm’s still bad. We might be delayed for a few more hours or we might not go at all. Might as well eat and relax while we can."
Zayn took a deep breath, savoring the rich, buttery scent of the warm bread in his hands. It was still steaming slightly, freshly toasted and generously coated with butter that melted into the soft layers.
He turned his gaze to Elisse, who sat across from him, fidgeting slightly as she sipped his tea.
Her silvery-blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, catching the morning light that seeped in through the partially opened window.
"Open up," he said casually, lifting a piece of the butter bread toward her lips.
Elisse blinked, her violet eyes flickering with hesitation. "What are you doing?" 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
"Feeding you, obviously." His lips curled into that familiar playful smirk. "You made breakfast, so I’m returning the favor."
A faint blush dusted her cheeks, and for a moment, she hesitated.
Then, with a barely audible sigh, she parted her lips just enough for him to slide the piece in.
Her warm breath brushed against his fingers, and he couldn’t help but watch as she took a slow bite.
The moment was almost innocent — until a small glob of butter dripped from the bread and landed right on the top of her chest.
[Author’s Note: WE Yes WE single mfs cannot understand this feeling 😭]
Zayn’s crimson eyes immediately followed the drop’s descent, locking onto the buttery sheen against her skin.
He didn’t even try to hide it.
Elisse froze, her blush deepening into a full-on, fire-red shade as she realized where his gaze had landed.
"Zayn — "
He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just stared.
Flustered beyond reason, she quickly pulled back, bringing her hands up to shield herself as if that would erase what had just happened.
"Stop staring!" she hissed, using her wrist to hastily wipe away the butter.
Zayn exhaled through his nose, amused but also a little regretful that she covered up so quickly. "What? It’s just butter. You act like I haven’t seen — "
A loud knock on the door cut him off.
Both of them stiffened.
Zayn sighed in mild annoyance, leaning back against the bedpost while Elisse quickly adjusted herself, as if whoever was outside could somehow see the awkwardness lingering in the air.
"Zayn," came the voice from the other side of the door — Bran. "You awake?"
Zayn exchanged a glance with Elisse before answering. "Yeah. What’s up?"
"Just letting you know Tobias said we’re staying in today. Something about the storm making it too dangerous to travel."
Zayn raised a brow.
He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but the sound of rain drumming against the roof had gotten heavier.
A gust of wind howled through the slightly open window, sending a chill through the room.
Bran, however, didn’t wait for a response. "Anyway, I’m heading out for a bit. Don’t get into trouble," he added before his footsteps faded down the hall.
Zayn exhaled, shaking his head. "That guy... Always dropping news and disappearing before you can ask questions."
Elisse, still partially covering her chest, finally relaxed a little, her embarrassment giving way to curiosity. "So, we have the whole day off?"
"Looks like it." Zayn stretched his arms above his head. "Guess we’re stuck here for a while."
A moment of silence passed between them.
Then Elisse let out a small breath and reached for another piece of bread, carefully avoiding any more incidents. "I suppose we should make the most of it, then."
Zayn grinned, propping his elbow on the table. "You offering to spend the whole day with me?"
She shot him a pointed look. "I live here, idiot."
"Yeah, yeah. But you could always run off and leave me to suffer in boredom."
Elisse rolled her eyes, but there was a small, amused smile on her lips as she took a sip of her tea. "Well, I guess that depends on whether or not you behave."
Zayn leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm as he studied her. "And what exactly counts as ’behaving’?"
Elisse’s blush threatened to return, but she held her ground, calmly buttering another piece of bread. "For starters? Not staring at my chest like a hungry wolf."
Zayn chuckled, lifting his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I’ll be a gentleman."
"For once," she muttered under her breath.
Zayn leaned back against the wooden headboard, his stomach comfortably full after sharing a meal with Elisse.
The warmth of the food still lingered in his body, but more than that, it was the back-and-forth banter with her that had left him feeling oddly satisfied.
Elisse had been playful, feeding him bites with a teasing glint in her eye, only to turn up her nose when he tried to return the favor.
Yet, she always ended up accepting, reluctantly at first, then with a small smile she tried to hide.
He had to admit — it was nice.
The tray was now empty, the remnants of their meal scattered across the plates.
Just as Zayn was about to collect them, Elisse moved first, leaning forward to grab the tray.
