At dinner, Declan remembered the brownies that Isla had brought, heating them up in the oven for dessert of sorts.
Faun clearly had no idea that he had made a slip up when he napped and Declan made no mention of it, there was no need to stir up more trouble.
"What is this?" Faun asked immediately when Declan brought out the plate of brownies, already reaching out to pick one.
"They're brownies, try it, it's delicious." He urged Faun when the hybrid hesitated.
Declan sat down and waited for his reaction, naturally Faun was mind blown, maybe a little too much.
"It's so good, Declan!" He exclaimed, his soft green eyes twinkling.
Declan slowed down, still clutching the tray of brownies as he watched Faun shove the rest of the brownie inside his mouth.
It was the first time Faun ever said his name, he was going to pretend that he wasn't affected but he never claimed to be a good actor.
Still watching Faun intently, he offered the tray again to Faun so he could take as many as he wanted. Fighting back the urge to ask Faun to say his name again.
Declan cursed under his breath, snatching up a brownie and looking away, trying to look like he was occupied with munching on the brownie in his hands.
He needed to get some air, maybe spending so much time indoors was starting to mess up his brain.
Faun didn't even notice Declan's imbalance, paying no mind either to the fact that he had said Declan's name for the first time since they met.
His brows were furrowed with concentration as if he was trying to figure out the ingredients used in the snack by just taste testing alone.
"Do… Do you think you could teach me how to make this?" Faun asked hopefully, staring up at Declan with big, glistening eyes.
Did Declan know how to make brownies? Absolutely not, but he wasn't saying no to Faun, not when he looked at him like that.
"Sure." He agreed without hesitation.
How hard could it be to make simple brownies? He would call up Isla if he had to, to ask her what recipe she used.
Knowing Isla, she would make such a big fuss about it and would insist on coming to teach him personally or some bull like that but he would be immovable.
He only needed to get the recipe from her and that was the end of it.
"We can make it tomorrow if you want." Declan added, nearly biting his tongue as he did.
He still had a shit ton of work before his deadline which was in a scant four days, why was he instead offering to bake brownies with his guest?
"Thank you!" Faun exclaimed happily, his big eyes awash in excitement. "Thank you so much, Declan." He repeated.
Declan didn't have to do any of these for him so he was really grateful. He was used to people paying him no mind, ignoring him at best so this act of kindness really touched his heart.
Declan kept a straight face, what slammed the final nail on his coffin was Faun saying his name again. At that moment, he would teach him to knit if he asked.
He was ruined.
It was like getting a pet; at first you didn't want them at all, then next thing you know, you're dressing them up and introducing them as your kids.
"Finish up the brownies." Declan said in a grouchy but kind voice, clearing out their dinner plates.
Faun had been the one to cook so it was only right that he handled the dishes.
He also needed to keep his distance from the hybrid, Faun was very dangerous.
So when he came back from the kitchen, he didn't spare Faun a glance, heading straight for his work table.
Fortunately, Faun was distracted with cartoons, his attention fixed on the television as he munched through the tray of brownies.
Declan managed to actually get some writing done, much to his surprise.
When he decided to call it a day, he listened in on Faun, noting that the television was still playing quietly.
He wasn't surprised that Faun stayed up this late, considering that he had taken a nap in the afternoon.
A glance at the clock on his table showed him that the time was, 11:56 pm. It was almost midnight.
He had no idea that it was that late, engrossed in the novel he was writing. His mom would be so proud of him, probably.
He planned to check up on Faun, say goodnight and then head to bed but things were never that uncomplicated.
As soon as he stepped closer, the first thing that caught his eye was a slowly sweeping, bushy tail.
Declan cursed under his breath. Faun must have fallen asleep and now his tail and most definitely, his ears as well, had made an appearance.
A peek over the couch confirmed his fears, Faun was indeed fast asleep. He was lying down on his stomach, his head still turned in the direction of the television that he had fallen asleep to.
His hair fell forward, his big twitching ears clearly visible. His shirt had been rucked up, no doubt as a result of his constantly swishing tail,
Declan uttered a prayer under his breath, or it could have been another curse. Carrying Faun to his bed was becoming a habit that he desperately wished he minded.
He sighed, bending down to pick Faun up after putting off the television. It was a little odd manoeuvring with his big, swishing tail but he managed it somehow.
Just as he made it into the hallway and headed for Faun's bedroom, he felt Faun's tail wrap around one of his legs.
Declan was so startled that he nearly tripped, pausing to catch his breath. He decided to ignore Faun's tail that had stilled once it found its home on Declan's legs.
Touching Faun's tail wasn't very smart, considering that he could possibly wake up if he did but exactly how was he supposed to get his leg back?