CHAPTER 29 — SAVING GRANDEUR
Seth yawned and stretched. The night had gone too fast, especially since he had been up thinking of the events of the other day. Adrian was Dale's biological father. It sort of made him feel like an outcast, but he wasn’t surprised. Adrian had always had an extra soft spot for Dale. And now that he thought about it, They did look alike. Their straight nose, their pitch-black eyes. They could easily pass for a father and son. Just that the truth was always best hidden right in front of you. He shook his hair with his hands and got out. Rays of sunlight were streaming in through the window he had carelessly left open the other night.
He was still finding it hard to digest Elsa's real identity, but he figured he would keep his nose out of it. It was a bit fascinating, and he would love to see her in less than a human form, or more. Whatever the case may be. He closed the window and caught a whiff.
“What’s that?” he mumbled to himself and carefully stepped out of his room. The entire house was bright, and in the distance, he could hear the sizzling of oil on fire, clattering of utensils and occasionally, the sound of knife aggressively hitting the cutting board. He ran down the stairs, his stomach, just realizing its emptiness since the previous day had been of revelations and patching ups, growling angrily to the aroma.
He rushed down to the kitchen only to see Dale dressing the food already served in fine China, while Elsa clumsily got rid of the used plates.
“Wow, Dale, it feels like it’s been years since you cooked.”
Dale only smiled and turned off the heat. “Come help me take them to the table.”
Seth was only happy to, and he put them all in a serving tray, then left to the dining. “I’ll go wake Uncle Adrian!” He screamed from the dining and Dale sighed.
“I am sure he's already up with that scream.”
Elsa flinched as a strand of her hair fell out of the ponytail, she had bundled her hair into. She blew on it, succeeding in only pushing it away for half a second and it went right back.
“You’re so clumsy.” Dale said as he pushed her hair backwards, the tips of his fingers slightly grazing her neck. She took in a sharp breath, and he smiled, satisfied at her reaction.
“Thank you, Darling.” His breath was hot against her skin, and she was trying really hard to register what he was saying. “All because of you…I feel like I got everything I lost back.” He traced her neck with small tingly kisses, and she struggled hard to keep herself together. “Thank you.”
She turned to him, instantly regretting it, since he pulled away to look into her face, and she missed the heat of his breath and the tingly pressure of his lips on it. “You don’t have to be thankful,” she said with a light shrug, and he nodded.
“Lets’ join them?” He said it like a question, and she nodded.
“You’ll help me, won’t you?”
“How can I do that, my lady?”
She chuckled. “The knife.”
“Knife?”
“Knife,” she repeated. “I don’t quite know how to use it. I do know how to use this one, though,” she said, picking up a spoon she had just rinsed.
He shook his head and laughed. “I will, no need to panic.”
“What in hell is wrong with you, Seth?” Adrian’s grumpy morning voice was loud, and then came a clatter of falling object, then Seth grunting and laughing.
“Seth is in trouble,” he said to her. “Let’s go help.” He made to leave, but she pulled him back, supporting him by placing her hand at the back of his neck, making their faces a mere inch away from each other. He stared at her, feeling strangely restless yet at peace, staring into her green eyes. Slowly, maintaining eye contact, she leaned in, covering the small distance and taking his lips in hers. He closed his eyes immediately and his eyes drifted close. When she broke the kiss, he gave her a sweet smile.
“I liked that.”
She blushed red and nudged him. “let’s go.”
Seth was laughing and making faces at Adrian who looked all puffed and grumpy, his eyes thin. His hair was rough, not the out of bed kind, but the I-have-gone-crazy-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it kind. Elsa struggled to hold down her laughter.
“What happened to you?”
Adrian eyed Seth. “That boy is the bane of my existence. If you hadn’t made such sumptuous food early in the morning, I would have strangled him for sure.” He rolled his eyes and picked a fork, amidst silent chuckles. He took a bite and nodded. Dale liked the way Adrian approved of his food. He always literally closed his eyes, as if he was an active participant of a particularly beautiful kiss, and he would look up, chewing. When he was done, he would give a satisfied grunt and literally gulp down the rest. Dale watched him as he did the same today too, and he squeezed Elsa's hand. He didn’t realize he had been holding it till he squeezed it, and it managed to help him through the emotions that kept bubbling to the surface. She looked up at him, gave him a smile and continued staring at her food. He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to help her and pulled her plate towards him.
“let me feed you “
she readily nodded as he cut into the food and fed her a chunk. Adrian gave a dramatic hoot, making Elsa blush a bit. They ate in comfortable silence, with occasional satisfied grunts puncturing the silence, mostly from Adrian.
“Dad…” Everyone on the table looked up to Dale, as he helped Elsa wipe the corners of her lips with a napkin. “I think we should go back to the restaurant.”