Zephaniah // z.m

Fifty six

Hannah

I felt the warmth on my cheeks as I thought about yesterday, remembering how he had opened up to me. It surely wasn't much, but it was a beginning, and that's what mattered the most.

It was just one small piece of the big puzzle he had told me, and I had yet to figure out a lot of things, like why he was still distancing himself, and then letting himself get close to me.

Today wasn't anything different. He was kind of distant, which saddened me, but this time it didn't feel like it was my fault. This time it felt like something else was bothering him, like he was still tired about the situation with Zephaniah.

Because from the moment me and Cooper arrived, he had barely greeted me, and had left to his office, not once leaving it.

It confused Zephaniah too, as he sensed it. He was constantly peeking through the door that stood ajar, his pink lips parted, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Baba m-mmad, Ms. Hannah," He whispered, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand.

Zephaniah looked tired, like he still hadn't slept off his exhaustion he got from the seizure. It made me sad, made me want to hold him in my embrace and cuddle him.

"Baba is working, sweetheart." I simply replied, not knowing if Zayn actually was mad, or just tired. And even if he was, I wouldn't tell Zephaniah, not wanting to worry him. "Are you feeling okay?"

Zephaniah lied down on the floor on his belly, poking Cooper's one as he lied down near him. Zephaniah gave me a tired yet toothy smile, "Okay, okay, o-okay?"

"Okay," I laughed softly, fondly staring at the little boy. He was wearing his overall and it somehow always made him look even cuter.

"Ms. Hannah," Zephaniah whispered, nervously fiddling with his little fingers.

"Yeah, love?" I asked, wondered why he suddenly looked so nervous.

Zephaniah sat up and stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact while deep blushes formed on his cheeks. "Can m-mmaybe have chewing ball," he whispered again, not daring to ask it out loud.

"Zeph, can you look at me?" I asked softly, sitting down on the floor in front of him.

Zephaniah looked up, his little fingers playing with the straps of his black overall.

"Can you ask Ms. Hannah again? I can't hear you that well if you're looking down and whispering, sweetheart." I said, reaching for his hand to hold it lightly.

Zephaniah nervously moved his tongue around in his mouth for a while, making eye contact. "Can have m-mmaybe chewing ball?" He asked again.

I smiled widely, hugging him shortly, "See you can do it! It's not so bad, huh?" I stroked his cheek, causing him to smile to me as well, his shoulders moving up in proudness for himself.

"And of course you can have it. You asked me so nicely," I popped one ball out of his machine and handed it to him, smiling as he started chewing on it. "Come sit at the table, though. You can't lie down, yeah?"

"T-thanks y-you," He said through his chewing, looking up at me with wide eyes as he sat down on a chair, "Why cannot lie d-down?"

"Because it's dangerous, you don't want to swallow the whole thing, right?" I ruffled his hair and he shook his head, repeating my words.

He was quietly playing for a while, until Zayn entered the room. He was nibbling on his bottom lip, his expression looking as if his mind was full of thoughts.

Zephaniah flinched as Zayn placed an empty mug down on the kitchen counter a little too hard, not bothering to say sorry. He poured some boiled water into it, mumbling something under his breath when he spilled some, again not bothering to clean it up.