Idiots to Lovers (bxb)

41 | Secret Recipe Hot Chocolate

A/n: Hey y'all, I have some exciting news! Idiots shortlisted in the Wattys!! Thank you so much for all the support you guys have given me. Here's to Clemerett <3
__________

Everett kicked off his shoes as we entered the house, leaving them in the middle of the hallway. I shivered taking off my beanie. The snow had melted through and wet my hair. I was suddenly very glad for the four radiators.

"I have a secret recipe for hot chocolate," he said, leading the way to the kitchen.

"What's the secret?"

"Cake." Everett rummaged through the mess on the counter and came up holding an airtight container. "It's the answer to all of lifes secrets."

"You put cake in your hot chocolate? Wait, where did you even get that from?"

"I always have some emergency cake lying around."

"You're my kinda guy," I joked.

"I have to make it for the cafe every week, so I always make some extra," he admitted. "It stays soft too, in the container." He tapped his index finger on the plastic. "It's cold enough nowadays that I don't have to refrigerate it."

"So...you really have cake available at any given time?" I wondered aloud.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Jamie would love you."

"Hey, you should ask her to come over for Christmas! We're having brunch. Are you guys doing anything already?"

"No, we'll be free." I smiled. "Brunch sounds nice."

Everett dumped a huge chunk of chocolate cake in the blender and poured in the milk. While that blended to a fairly smooth texture, he poured more milk into a ceramic milk pan to heat.

"Christmas lunch and dinner is huge at the cafe, so we finish up all the family stuff in the morning," he explained.

"Er, would your parents be okay with me coming though?" I asked, belatedly realizing that I would be crashing their family Christmas celebrations.

"Of course! I won't forget to tell them," he quickly added.

After adding a few spoons of hot chocolate powder and stirring that in, Everett poured the blended cake shake into the pan. The cakey drink smoothed out almost instantly over the fire, blending perfectly with the hot chocolate into a rich, brown colour.

"That smells good." I grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.

Everett poured all the concoction into one of the mugs. "My pan's not big enough to make two," he explained. "I'll make another for you."

"That's quite a lot though." I eyed it doubtfully. The massive mug was filled to the brim. "I'll just have half of yours."

Everett shot me a murderous glare. "No, that's mine!"

He let me sip on it anyway while he made another one, saying the last one was for me, really, because it would be hotter.

We went upstairs to his room. The beanbags were gone so I sat crosslegged on his bed, placing my mug on the bedside table. Running a hand through my hair, I sniffled.

"Is your hair wet?" Everett plopped down next to me.

"Just a little."

He pulled out his phone charger from the socket next to the bed, dropping it to the floor. Removing the hairdryer plugged into the dressing table on the other side of the room, he brought it to me.

"I could've walked over there." I smiled.

Everett sat at the edge of the bed, leaning against the headboard. I tried to get up but he pulled me back onto his lap. His face buried into my neck, hands slipping around my waist and finding their way to my hair.

"You'll catch a cold." He tugged at the wet strands.

His fingers slipped between my locks as he took to drying them. Hot air blew over the top of my head as he ruffled my hair with his other hand.

"I can hold that," I grumbled, drawing my knees up to my chest. I didn't really try to reach for it though. The fluctuating movement of the dryer in his hands and the sensation of his fingers running through my hair was soothing.

"You look like you're getting sleepy."

I could feel his smile against the side of my face. I held in a yawn. "Not really." My eyes were closing. "It's just warm."

"Let me do the other side." He shifted till I was leaning against the pillows and he was straddling my lap.

A while later my hair was all dry, and Everett blew the dryer directly onto my face, dissipating all calmness.

"Hey!" I shot up, wrestling it from his grasp. "What was that for?"

He laughed. "I didn't want you to get too comfortable. You can't sleep here!"

Gripping the top of the dryer, I turned it in his direction. His curly hair flew up into a dark, fluffy cloud, making a halo around his head.

"Stop, stop!" He laughed, his thumb flicking the switch off.

Suddenly, the dryer was ripped from my vision, thrown somewhere on the floor. Everett's face was inches away, his lips hovering over mine. His eyes were blown dark, pupils dilated. His lip caught beneath his overbite as my mouth raised to ghost the skin over his collarbone.

I swallowed thickly as his lips met mine, warm as hot chocolate. My fingers wound in his sweet-smelling hair. The air was heady with caramel. With some difficulty, I managed to pull my mouth away.

"Did you remember to lock the door?"

His hasty nod made his curls tickle the tip of my nose. And then I kissed him till our hot chocolate went cold.