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Zedd raised a brow as he looked at Nathaniel. "I've only made you one meal before. I'm really not that great," he said with a shrug. "But I was implying food you've maybe had in heaven for ideas, I don't know what you'd like," Zeddicus added.
"Um… well, usually I had to make food for myself because my parents didn't want to, so it was usually overcooked noodles of some sort. I couldn't reach the stove super well, so I usually couldn't get them off on time." Nathaniel sighed softly. "One time Lloyd made me chicken nuggets in the oven, though, and they were really good!"
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Zedd wondered if it was a good idea to remind Nathaniel of his dead brother, but figured he should make what he suggested if the boy liked them. Chicken nuggets were really easy anyways as they were frozen and you just out them in the oven. After the oven preheated, Zeddicus arranged a handful of chicken nuggets on a tray and slid it into the oven for about 12 minutes. "Did you want ketchup or something to dip them in?" he asked as he started stirring in the chocolate syrup into the milk for Nathaniel.
"Um… sure! Whatever it is, it's probably good." Nathaniel kept his eyes on the chocolate milk, purring quietly to himself in excitement. Food was cool and all, but nothing could beat a nice glass of choccy milk. At least, not for him.
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(Stalking your RPs is my version of therapy now… thank you Caustic for your wonderful charas and the distractions they give)
(Nathaniel = baby)
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Nathaniel's answer wasn't really satisfactory for him. Humming a moment, Zedd decided he would get a few sauces that he had: ketchup, barbecue sauce, and ranch dressing. Hopefully, he'd like one of them.
Now that the milk was stirred enough, he turned to get plates and condiments.
Nathaniel fluttered his wings again, watching Zedd as he bustled about the kitchen. "How long does the food take to make?" He asked curiously, his gaze shifting between Zedd and the glass of chocolate milk that was just out of his reach.
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Zedd hummed in thought before looking at the timer he had set above the oven. "About 8 more minutes. But then we need them to cool down a bit," he answered, putting a bit of each sauce on one of the plates before putting them away. When Zedd turned back around, he noticed how intently Nathaniel was staring at the milk. He took the glass and carefully set it on the coffee table in front of the small boy. "Please try not to spill?"
"Mmkay!" Nathaniel picked up the glass once it was in his reach and started drinking it eagerly. He was tired from carrying around his bar of metal and from running around, so a cold drink felt fantastic. Especially since the drink was choccy milk. He kicked his legs idly under his chair and fluttered his wings as he drank.
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Zeddicus watched Nathaniel a moment before turning back to the oven. Only about a minute had passed. Not having anything else to do, the man turned to watch the small boy sip at his milk. He seemed to pleased with it.
Nathaniel kept his eyes on the counter while he drank his milk, purring quietly in content. He tried to drink it slowly so he could make it last longer, but it was hard to not just try and drink it all in one go.
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The timer finally went off, Zeddicus taking out the tray with a towel so he wouldn't burn himself. Quickly, he put a few of the nuggets onto a plate, splitting the amount about evenly. It was still quite warm, so he set the plates on the countertop. "We can eat in a few minutes," he told Nathaniel, coming to sit in a chair.
"Why can't we eat it now?" Nathaniel asked, confused. He finished his glass of choccy milk and set it down on the counter. His gaze followed Zedd as the man wandered around the kitchen. "They're done, aren't they?"
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"Do you wanna burn your mouth?" Zedd asked rhetorically. Noting Nathaniel was out of milk, the man took the glass and instead got Nathaniel some water. With what happened last time, he didn't want Nathaniel getting all hyper again.
"Um… not particularly." Nathaniel sipped at his water, disappointed that it wasn't choccy milk, but drinking it anyways because he was thirsty. "When can we eat them?" He asked. "Soon?"
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Zeddicus nodded. The food had quite literally just come out of the oven, so it would be a minute before they could eat. Zedd blinked, trying to keep sleep at bay until he could take a nap. "I think the forge might get done today. We can go and look at it when it is," he thought out loud. Honestly, he was ready for a nap soon.
"Mmkay…" Nathaniel finished his water and yawned a bit as well, waiting until he was allowed to eat. He was clearly exhausted too, especially considering that he was just letting his wings hang off the back of his stool limply.
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Zedd let a smile onto his features for a split second before standing to get the food. He poked one of the nuggets to test if they were still too hot. They were warm, but not enough to burn anyone's mouth. Taking the plates, he set the one with sauces on the side in front of Nathaniel. "We can take a nap if you want first," Zeddicus suggested before eating one of his own chicken nuggets. He felt a bit childish eating them, but they were simple to make.
"Mm… sounds good to me." Nathaniel dipped one of his nuggets in ketchup and stuck it in his mouth, closing his eyes as he tried to stay awake. He was eating slowly, but he was managing to eat everything on his plate anyway.
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When Nathaniel finished, Zeddicus took the plates to the sink, rinsing them very quickly. He seemed really tired at this point. "I'm going to bed too," he said before covering his mouth as he yawned. He didn't even care that the blacksmith was still downstairs working on building the forge. He took a few strides into his room, leaving the door open a bit, laying down near the center of the mattress.
"Mmkay…" Nathaniel yawned again and slid off his chair, heading into his own bedroom to change into something more comfortable. He ended up in a set of pajamas that Zedd had bought him, which were a simple, blue and white striped flannel set that were soft and comfortable. He huddled up on his own bed and drifted off to sleep, but soon wound up back in Zedd's room due to nightmares. They weren't quite as severe this time, but he still felt safer with Zedd there.
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Zedd rolled over in his sleep, getting closer to where Nathaniel currently was. Perhaps he thought the other was a pillow, but the man draped an arm loosely over the small angel. It was then that he realized that it was a body beside him. Sighing, he pulled the blankets over Nathaniel and stayed close to the boy.
Nathaniel huddled up against Zedd, purring weakly between his whimpers. He was quivering lightly despite seeming to be mostly back asleep by now. His wings were still puffed up with fear from whatever nightmare had spooked him.
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Zedd wasn't fully asleep, so he carefully pulled Nathaniel closer to him to calm the boy down. He really didn't want to see the boy cry again. It was hard to watch if he was being honest. Zedd really didn't want this to become a habit, but it seems like it probably would be. If they both slept well, then he didn't quite care at the moment.
Nathaniel tucked his head under Zedd's chin, sighing shakily. He curled his wings around himself as a sort of shield, clearly nervous, but gradually relaxing with Zedd's help. He yawned, his breathing shaky and unstable.
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Zeddicus now held Nathaniel close to his chest, trying to get the boy to calm down so he could go back to sleep himself. He closed his eyes, letting his head rest on top of Nathaniel's fully. He draped a wing overtop the boy, hoping it would help stop the shaking if Nathaniel felt more secure.
"D-Dad…" Nathaniel whispered almost inaudibly, his voice trembling. He relaxed a bit when Zedd pulled him closer, but still seemed tense and shaky. "Mmmmm…" He buried his face in Zedd's chest, whimpering quietly.
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Zeddicus simply assumed Nathaniel was having a dream about his father. Maybe he missed him, maybe he did something awful to Nathaniel. That would explain his stubborn formalities. "Shhh," Zedd managed, both wanting to calm Nathaniel down as well as actually wanting quiet. At least the boy wasn't crying in his sleep. He didn't want to hear the angel apologise again for feeling scared. It was a natural feeling that he never should feel sorry about.
Nathaniel drew in a wavering breath and huddled a bit closer, gradually beginning to relax somewhat. He was still a tad shaky, but he was quiet now and seemed to have settled down for the most part. He yawned and clung to Zedd, his puffed up wings starting to smooth themselves back out as he calmed down.
