the witch next door [zarry] ✔️

iii

"I wanna be a witch when I grow up," Safaa sighs happily, stretching.

"Yea?" Zain says lazily, turning his head to look at her. The sun glints of her dark hair and her earrings, and with the dark green dress and her messy hair and the wildflowers braided into it, she kind of looked like a witch already, content to lie in the grass and soak up the sun. "How come? Don't you like me anymore?"

"No!" Safaa protests, rolling over to put her chin on his chest. "I love you! You'll be the only man I won't turn into a frog when I'm a witch!"

"That's very sweet of you," Zain snorts, stroking her hair. "I feel honoured."

"You should," Safaa says, grinning at him. "I'm gonna be a mighty witch and you will be the only one who doesn't need to be afraid of me."

Zain hums in agreement, stroking her hair.

"Do you think the witch in the cottage will help me become a proper one?" Safaa asks.

"We don't even know if he is one," Zain says, even though he's sure. He still hasn't been able to count his nipples — though he was halfway sure that that wasn't an actual indication of witchcraft — but just yesterday he had seen him walk through town with a cat on his shoulder, his clothes plain for the first time, even though his skirt had dragged dramatically over the ground behind him, and a flower crown on his hair. If he wasn't a witch, he was definitely trying to seem like one.

"I'm sure he is," Safaa says. "I saw him pet Mr Patel's dog and you know that dog bites everyone! And Zara said he held her little sister and she didn't cry and she cries with everyone except her mum! He has to be a witch."

"I guess," Zain says, trying not to be disappointed. He had know it was unlikely, but there had been a tiny flicker of hope in him that had thought that maybe, if he weren't a witch, maybe Zain had a chance. Not like he'd have had a chance with someone so beautiful in any case.

He sighs, kissing Safaa's forehead. "Alright, enough lying around. We need to start dinner before the others come home."

"Urgh," Safaa says, rolling away from him and pressing her face into the grass. "Cooking sucks."

"A bit," Zain agrees with a grin. "But don't you have to practise for all the potions you will brew when you're all grown up?"

"But that'll be fun," Safaa protests, rolling onto her back again and stretching her arms out so that Zain will pull her up.

"Just pretend," Zain grins, taking her hands and lifting her. "We won't make curry, we'll make a potion that just seems like curry."

"I'm not an idiot, Zain," Safaa sighs, jumping on his back. "But alright. It means you'll have to listen to me, you know. Because I'm the witch and I know what to do."

"Of course," Zain says, tickling the back of her knees. "Almighty witch Safaa, whatever you say."

🌿

Idk what delayed gratification is supposed to be so here you have more already 😂 love your comments 😘