Zay's POV

I move aside to let Elliot in, though I know I'm going to be kicking my self for it later. All he has to do is come bat those chocolate eyes at me and show me that crooked grin and I'm at his mercy again.

He comes inside with two plates in hand, wrapped in aluminum foil tightly. Though I'm still pissed at the fucking idiot for what he did, the food, and his own scent are making my will weak. My body feels like it's been run over by a car, and though I hate to say it, his company is the best thing for me right now.

The words burn to even think about.

I close the door behind the human and lead him towards the kitchen, keeping silent to myself so I don't fold and allow him to walk over me again.

Once we get into the room, I sit down at my table and watch Elliot who looks around awkwardly, completely out of his element. He looks at me with a cringe before he sets down the plates and turns his body towards mine with a frown set in his brows.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you yesterday. I didn't really think the whole dating in public thing out. I'm not ready to make that step. So I thought maybe we could do something in private and see if we can get there at a slower pace." He says, looking at me with his stupid soft puppy dog eyes but I look away and fold my arms, refusing to give in so easily.

"That's the worse fucking apology I've ever heard." I tell him and he sighs to himself, finally figuring out that this isn't going to be easy.

For once, I'm not tripping over my self to get his attention. I'm not begging for him to come to me and want me. I don't need him to claim me as they one he wants. If he wants to be an asshole, he has to do it on his own time, not mine.

"Fine. I know you don't have to accept my apology. But can we at least have dinner?" He asks me and I think about it. If he's here, maybe he can feed me just a little and then I'll only have to deal with him at work. If I wait any longer, I'll get sick and the rest of the week, or until i get fed, I will feel like literal shit.

I think I can deal with Elliot for an hour or so to avoid that from happening.

It's the least he can do after causing all of this.

"Fine". I answer and there's a sigh of relief that comes with it. I pull my phone out and begin reading the book I had downloaded and continue reading as I leave Elliot to his own devices in my kitchen. I hear him moving around, but pay him no attention until ten minutes later, a plate is set on the table in front of me.

I raise my eyes from the story I was just reading, and watch Elliot pull out the chair across from me and place himself in the seat before pulling his own plate closer.

"Now. Let's try this again." He says, trying to give me his charming smile but ai just look at him before I grab a fork he placed on the table as well and pick up a piece of steak form my plate, already knowing I'm not going to be able to eat that much.

"Thanks." I tell him, though it doesn't sound that enthusiastic, even to my own ears. He sighs before he shows me those perfect brown eyes and pleads with me.

"I know I'm not doing the best job, but come on, Zay. I'm trying here. Give me a break, baby please." And of course, like the fucking idiot I am, my brains short circuits on the fact that he called me baby. The stupid fuck that can't even be seen with me, called me baby.

He called me baby.

And I hate the fact that my sick, weak, half Incubus body is so easily melted by the one name after I swore to myself that I want going to go easy on him.

"Fine. One dinner. One last chance." I tell him, hating the way the words fall so easily from my mouth even as he grins at me, happy that I gave into him even if it wasn't apart of the plan.

"Thank you." He says and I roll my eyes at him, even if it only makes him chuckle. I start to pick at the broccoli on my plate, barely chewing it but forcing myself to finish the stem. "I missed them you know."

I look up form my food and place my eyes on his nose, not wanting to get lost in his sweet gaze like I always do. But of course he doesn't make it that easy as he dips his head and catches my eyes before I can look away.

"Even if sometimes I hate it, I can never get your eyes out of my mind. My crazy eyes." He says and I can feel myself disappearing into him, but before I fall too deep and let myself get played all over again, I tear my gaze away from him and focus on the plate in front of me.

"They're not yours." I say quietly and he sighs. I know I'm being difficult and I know I'm probably making this a lot harder than I should but I'm so over being disappointed by the people in my life that are supper to love and cherish me.

I already go through enlightenment disappointment with my father. I don't need a sequel to that story. I already hated the original.

But I said I would try. So I will.

"I'm sorry. It hasn't been a very good day." I tell him. Not to make him feel guilty but to tell him the truth.

"I wanted to ask you about that today, but I wasn't sure if I was allowed. Your friend is kind of scary." He tells me and I look up with a confused gaze.

"Beth? Scary? Never." I tell him, laughing to myself at the idea of her being anything other than the soft and sweet girl I have known for the past ten months. When I look back at Elliot, he's looking at me strangely making me frown.

He shakes his head T me though before he looks down at my plate and looks back up at me. "You're sick, aren't you? Because of yesterday." The last part is a question but it's phrased as a sentence because we both know what the cause of it is.

I don't answer, just look at him silently before he nods to himself and grabs his plate before gesturing first me to grab mine.

I roll my eyes to myself, hoping he doesn't think some domesticity is going to save our non-relationship before grabbing my plate and walking over to the sink. I'm standing right behind him, not paying attention to how close I am, so when he turns around, he catches me off guard and I stumble a few steps.

I close my eyes and the plate drops form my hand as I prepare myself for impact, but once I'm falling to the floor, arms are wrapped around me, catching me form my slip up.

The strong arms are wrapped around me securely, positioning me in a standing position until I'm settled on my feet. As I open my eyes I expect for his arms to fall away and for him to rush out of here screaming gay panic but when my eyes clear, he's a breath away from me, his eyes already holding mine when I find them.

"Are you okay?" He breathes but I can barely hear him over the rushing of pleasure in my ears and the sparks shooting up and down my spine at how close we are. How much we're touching.

When I look up into those dark brown eyes that I love and hate so much, I can't help the feeling of getting lost in them, unconsciously leaning forward to get a better look. Once I realize that I'm leaning forward and how that can be taken, I pause, gazing into Elliot's own. And what I see there is a war going on, the man fighting with himself over something.

And suddenly, his eyes only hold apprehension and determination. Before I can even comprehend what this means, he's leaning forward and for the first time, out lips rich each other and shooting stars fly across my body.

My eyes flutter close in shock and happiness when his lips find mine, his hands that are wrapped around my back balling into fist, not touching me, but I don't mind as his head gets tilted for more. And just as suddenly as I was in his arms, I'm pushed out of them.

I let my eyes struggle open, the struggle against the sexual tension in the air. I haven't been fed probably in so long, I feel drunk with the feeling of it.

Elliot stares at me for a few seconds before he avoids my gaze and begins to back away. "I'm sorry. I didn't.... I..." But before he can get the rest of his words out of his mouth, he's turning around and disappearing out of the kitchen and then the door, the click of the lock sounding final.

✨✨✨

It's about two in the morning when I hear banging on my door, and I try not to let the memories of that last time that happen flood me. The nights Ares couldn't handle Thomas being gone and ended up here, crying on my couch for hours until he got up to do it all over again.

After I had come down form my high and I felt better, I had cleaned up the mess from the plate, and pulled myself into bed, my mind still a little light headed.

I make my way to the door in the dark, my eyes too blurry to navigate the semi light area. I flip on the light by the door, blinding myself for the moment before I pull it open to reveal Elliot. His hair is crazed from running his hands through it and his eyes look tired with bags hanging below them. But a sniff tells me he's sober.

I open my mouth, though I'm not quite sure to say what, but before a syllable can fall form my lips, the back of my neck and waist is grabbed by two smaller hands, and lips find my mouth once more, this time a lot more confident than dinner as he kicks the door closed.

~~~~~~~~~~
The chapter you guys forgot you were waiting for. We're almost halfway down Lovelies, it had to come at some point. Can you believe that we're almost at 30 chapters?

Since this is on the longer side, the next one won't be that long. Maybe.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Did you think he was going to come back?