Chapter 2: Signs Of Affection

A few days later, when they sat at a table for another dinner, Valdrek noticed Zephira spacing out, her gaze was fixated on the apple-raspberry pie she had baked. His hands were atop hers, squeezing them gently. His gaze wandered over her hands and wrists. Numerous scars decorated her hard-working hands. He caressed her hands with his thumbs.

"I uh, got you something." He spoke softly, attempting to draw her attention, that was strangely fixated on the pie.

"Mmmhh?" She let out a semi distracted but curious moan. He released her left hand from his right and leaned down to pick up a gift bag that sat beside his chair. It was relatively sizeable, he brought it up and offered it to her.

"I uhm... well, it's not much but I just thought... well, take a look." He uttered hesitantly, a little shy perhaps, and a little uncertain of the gift. 'Will she cherish it and appreciate it? Or will she disregard it?' He concerned himself.

'I wonder what it'll taste like' Zephira thought to herself, her gaze fixated on his chest for the briefest of moments before darting to the gift bag.

"Oh dear, you didn't have to! What is it?" She smiled faintly, the giftbag captivated all of her attention. She excitedly pried it open to peek inside.

Inside were a new baking tray, and a set of high-quality cookie cutters. She rejoiced, a gentle smile spread across her lips, her gaze fell upon Valdrek, and a shiver ran down his spine, for the look she gave him seemed rather intimidating as opposed to loving, as if she was sizing him up rather than appreciating him.

"Thank you darling! I'll put it all to good use, I promise." She smiled warmly at him. A chill ran down his spine.

"Y..yes! Of course... Uhm... Thank you for the pie." He said slightly hesitantly.

"Dig in." She chimed playfully in a half singing tone, while grinning. She placed the giftbag down and watched Valdrek as he picked up a fork and a knife, and then began to cut a slice of the pie for himself. Jam, like blood, oozed out of the pie as his knife lacerated the skin of it. He pulled back instantly and gasped at the oozing jam.

Her curious gaze wandered down to the pie.

"What's wrong, sweets? I thought you liked jam?"

He glanced up at her. "Uhm.. yes, I just, didn't expect it to be so jam-packed."

The pie was incredibly sweet, almost sickeningly so. It dripped of jam. Over the next few weeks her cooking got even more daring. She would try new recipes almost daily. Jam filled cookies that bled when you ate them were her new favorite, until the night he got to see a new creation of hers, a beating heart pie, cooked in a way that while it cooled, it looked like a heart was beating inside the pie.

That night he awoke from a sensation of something cold and sharp running tracing his neck. Startled awake he jumped from the bed.

"Wha..what was that." In bed lied a confused girl, his beloved girl, her eyes were wide, confused by the sudden jumpiness of her darling.

"Valdrek? Wha...what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

He felt his neck, it was fine, everything was fine. He glanced over the bed. "Y..yeah... sorry I just... I don't know what's wrong with me."

She pulled the blanket away and spread her arms. "Dawhh, darling! Come here. Everything will be alright."

He hesitated at first and then crawled into her loving embrace. Her fingers tracing through his hair and playing with his scalp was soothing and relaxing, he soon found himself falling asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. She grinned. A metallic object glistened in the moonlight behind her.

That morning he awoke alone in bed. When he glanced in the mirror, his eyes grew wider. He gasped. He was shocked to see a silver necklace hanging around his neck. He lifted the small pendant to take a closer look, trying to focus his sleepy, blurry vision on it. It was a small silver necklace of a cookie on a silver chain.

"S..so it wasn't a dream!?" He gasped. "I did feel something on my neck at night."

He ventured down to the dining room, following the delightful, breathtaking scent of baked goods.

Zephira glanced over her shoulder at him. "Bread's almost done. Anything else for breakfast?"

He shook his head, still groggy. "Uhm.. T..thank you for the gift. You didn't have to, you know... be so secretive about it."

She pulled out a fresh loaf from the oven, set it on the counter and gave him a gentle smile. "No, but I wanted to be."

She headed to work, the same as always. A delightful and delicious dinner, cuddly night, nothing was out of the ordinary, nothing surprised him anymore. Not him at least.