and i’ll be missing you
the mission wasn’t long — four days, from tuesday to friday evening. it wasn’t anything new, not for zayne. it wasn’t like he didn’t have his hands full either, with a packed week of appointments, occasional lectures to speak in, and a surgery the night before you came home. as far as he was concerned, time would breeze by and he’d be picking you up again in no time.
except that’s not what happened.
instead, zayne found himself on thursday at a loss, staring at the neat stack of journals and projects he planned to read through on his coffee table, fingers tapping lightly against the pages in his hand.
despite keeping busy, the silence was heady.
every few pages, he found himself glancing at his phone across the table, unable to help perking up when it illuminated only to find it was just another promo text from the cafe between the hospital and your workplace. a smile tugged at his lips as he saw the famous words ‘buy one, get one!’ on the screen, only to gust over with a sigh.
“if only you were here…” zayne murmured, setting his phone beside him to see a mass of white and red fluff tumble to the edge of the sofa. with a swift stretch of his arm, he pulls it back, and when he looks down at it, an undeniable ache tugs at his chest.
the warm snowman you two had snagged from the claw machine the day before you left sat in his hands, his fingers squeezing the wider bottom of the plushie with a chuckle. the sight of your wide, sparkling eyes the moment they landed on the plushie plays in his head, and for a second he can almost feel your hand tugging him along to the machine.
he recalls the words as if it were yesterday.
“we are not leaving without it…”
zayne couldn’t help but laugh at your determined gaze, the way you stood at the machine, hands on either side of the controls, focus solely locked onto that snowman plushie.
“what’s particularly special about this one?”
in the reflection of the glass, your gaze softened, lips curving into a pout almost immediately as if he had offended you in the highest regard. when you turned your head, he couldn’t help the heat that started to sneak onto his cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears.
“it’s me… and my happy snowman is you.”
zayne gave the snowman plush in his hands another soft squeeze, a smile playing on his lips as he sat up and near the edge of the sofa again.
“i guess this counts,” he said, almost a whisper as if someone would hear him in the privacy of his home. “but i don’t think you’d be good to take to the cafe…”
another sigh.
with a swift motion, zayne rose from the sofa with the warm snowman in hand, setting it down at your spot on the counter. without skipping a beat, he made his way to the refrigerator, taking out leftovers from the night, lingering on the tray of eggs before he brought them out too.
while his leftover honey and herb chicken reheated in the microwave, he rummaged through the pantry to find the remaining ingredients, everything he needed to make brownies — the ones you practically begged for on his days off and his favorite for that reason.
between eating dinner and meticulously adding the ingredients in a bowl, zayne couldn’t help but steal glances at the plushie at the corner of the counter. if you were here, you definitely wouldn’t be this quiet, he thought, a soft laugh leaving his lips as he poured the mix into a baking dish, turning around to set it in the oven. without a second thought, he brought the rest of his dinner to his seat beside warm snowman, eating in a strangely comfortable silence while the oven clock counted down.
by the time zayne finished and cleaned up the dishes, the soft ring brought his attention back to the sweets in the oven. with care he brought them out, the warm, comforting aroma of the brownies washing over him, his shoulders easing from the tension he didn’t even notice until now.
that and a weight of fatigue, from the week of work or the slightest ache that lingered the more he thought about — no, the more he missed you. undoubtedly a bit of both, but if he had to be honest, the latter most.
as zayne covered the brownies, loose enough to let them cool properly, he stifled a yawn, cleaning up a few scattered crumbs on the counter before taking the warm snowman in his arm.
“i’ll check on that later, but you’re coming with me…”
he brought the plushie with him as he made his way to the bedroom, the night setting a cozy mood that made his eyelids heavier upon entering. setting the snowman plushie down, he found himself mumbling as he walked into the closet, already prying away at his clothing in exchange for pajamas.
“i’ll be right back love…”
zayne let out a soft hum, a hand running through his hair as he stepped into the bathroom, reaching for his toothbrush in the spot by yours. brushing with swift, intentional motions, he wasted no time freshening up before sitting on the bed, the plushie tumbling to his side as if eager to be close to him just like you would.
“mm… just like your mom,” he chuckled, taking the warm snowman in his hands again before his eyes landed on the clock — only 7:30 pm. pulling himself to his feet again, zayne went back to the living room and plopped down on the sofa, the plushie still in his embrace as he turned a random show on.
for a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a little silly taking the snowman plush around with him. yet as silly as it felt, zayne couldn’t deny that it made his heart warm, almost as if you were back in his arms, snuggling up beside him as the show faded in the background… slipping into slumber…
hours later, you slowly pried the door to zayne’s place open, lip between your teeth as you tried to withhold a smile, anticipating the surprise on his face when he saw you. what you didn’t expect was to find him out on the sofa, a random show playing on the television.
and when you slip off your shoes and tiptoe to his side, you certainly weren’t expecting to see the warm snowman you had won wrapped up in his arms, tight against his chest, the companion to the one you had brought on your mission. it was then that you realized what had unfolded, the plushie and the unforgettable scent of zayne’s special brownies putting the biggest smile on your face — he missed you this bad.
reaching forward, you graze the back of your fingers along his cheek, down his jawline and zayne stirs, his hold tightening on the plushie. your heart swells with a familiar feeling, and without a moments hesitation, you gently wrap your arms around his shoulders, lips beside his ear, lulling your sleeping snowman awake.
“i’m here now zaynie… let’s go to bed…”