forum Depression and Choccy Milk (OXO with Caustic)

Started May 08, 2020 by @Painted-Iris group

tune

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.

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?"

"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?"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Zeddicus also decided to drape a dark colored wing over Nathaniel to make him feel a bit more secure. The angel seemed to be relaxing though, so that was a relief. He was quite exhausted, but it seemed worth his time to see Nathaniel sleep easy and perhaps smile in his sleep. The kid deserved to smile more.

Nathaniel was soon relaxed and calm in Zedd's arms, his shaking and whimpering subsiding. The corners of his mouth turned up weakly as he huddled closer to Zedd. He folded his crumpled wings up against his back and fell deeper asleep now that the nightmares and memories had left him alone.

Zeddicus let out a tired yawn, wrapping his arms around Nathaniel fully. His mind was already half asleep, so he didn't care about what he was doing. Shutting his eyes now, he managed to crash almost immediately. Oddly enough, he felt warm on the inside as he slept. It was a new feeling, but it felt right. Usually he felt cold and perhaps a bit sad. Currently, little by little, there was a bit of a soul tie beginning to form between the two. It was something less literal, but still felt emotionally. Zeddicus felt as if he was doing something good for once. And doing it right. He could comfort a person. He could make someone smile. He could make Nathaniel happy.

(Aww)
Nathaniel was still fast asleep when Zedd awoke, clearly drained by his nightmares as usual. He had his arms wrapped around Zedd's neck to keep himself as close as possible, his head still tucked under the man's chin. He was purring almost inaudibly in his sleep and seemed to be very relaxed.
The blacksmith was still setting up the forge downstairs, but he was nearly finished with it. It would definitely be done within the day.

Zedd felt well rested for once in his life. He wanted to know what it was that helped so much, but decided it was best not to question it. The man felt ready to get out of bed and finish up a bit of work and check on progress for the forge. As he shifted, he noted how close Nathaniel kept himself to his body. Any closer and the boy would have melted into Zedd. He carefully took Nathaniel's arms and removed them from his neck. The man also grabbed a pillow for the boy to hold in place of his body. It was warm from Zeddicus laying on it, so hopefully it would keep the angel asleep a bit longer.