Sugar Rush | T. Drake ✔

[09] Sugar Didn't Ask To Be Born

After the surprise party came the time for opening all the presents. And then Alex told Dora that she could take the evening off so Tim took her to the cinema. As suggested by Steph, he had gotten her an extensive baking set along with tickets to her favorite movie that had released that month.

Alex had gotten her a historical fiction novel that she had once mentioned that she wanted to read, Steph had gotten her a waffle maker knowing that she loved waffles but it took a long time to make them without the right equipment, Susan had brought a handknit cardigan for her while Eliza and her brother Tyler had jointly gifted her a wall hanging with multiple frames for putting up photographs.

Needless to say, Dora was delighted with all the gifts she had received and even enjoyed the movie Tim took her to.

They were returning from the cinema, hands held together, as they walked down the familiar street to Dora's Coffee Haunt. It was closing time for the coffee shop so when they reached, Alex had turned over the Closed sign at the door.

That meant he had closed the shop and was probably cleaning up the kitchen or up in his room.

Tim knew it would be time to leave for patrol soon so he had told Dora that he would just drop back and would have to leave shortly after.

"Not gonna stay for some coffee even?" Dora asked, opening the door from her key.

"Alright then, just one cup."

"Or you could have one cup with me and I would fill the rest in a flask," she offered and watched his eyes crinkle up in a smile.

With the spectacles, he looked twice more adorable and she leaned in to gently kiss his cheek as she brought him inside, locking the door afterwards.

"Looks like Al cleared up the kitchen already," Dora judged by the silence in the shop area as the two stepped into the kitchen. 

She watched Tim take out the cups while she fetched the flask to give him the rest of the coffee in and then switched on the coffee blender.

Though when she turned back to see Tim, he held the jar of sugar in his hands and a smile flickered on her face, "are you eating sugar again?"

"Not at all," he replied sheepishly, putting the jar back on the counter.

"Steph told me you didn't like anything sweet but I really doubt that."

"She was right, I didn't like sweet things but that was before I met you," he took off the spectacles and put it in his pocket.

"Yeah and now you like to eat so much sugar that sometimes it feels as if you're always on a sugar rush," she remarked, "that's unhealthy, Tim."

"I know but then my caffeine addiction is unhealthy too, yet here I am, alive and breathing."

She shook her head, smile widening as she poured the milk and the coffee powder into the blender, "you know what your problem is, when you like something, you straight up get addicted to it. There's no in between for you."

He thought for a while, "I guess... You're right, you always are. Maybe I've gotten addicted to you too because I can't go for even a single day without seeing you. I warned you earlier, didn't I? I would become a much more frequent nuisance for you if you got me addicted."

She shoved him slightly, a light laugh escaping her as she recalled that they had had a similar conversation a few days ago, "you're not a nuisance and I don't care if your family would disagree with this statement."

Seeing that she wasn't looking, he stealthily took the sugar jar again, twisting it open and took a spoon from the cutlery stand. Though when she turned towards him, he quickly hid the jar behind him, putting it in the sink.

"Timmy, where's the sugar?"

"I don't know, you took it from me."

She stepped forward, noticing that he hadn't moved from his spot and was clearly hiding something. He leaned further back but she captured his lips with her own, startling him with a kiss. 

As she pulled apart slightly, she spoke, "I know you were eating sugar straight from the jar again, that's why you taste so sweet."

However, his reply made her laugh once again, "did it ever strike you that maybe you're the one who's sweeter than sugar and I taste sweet as a consequence of kissing you ever so often?"

"Nice try but you can't deny the proof," while he had gotten distracted with the kiss, Dora had retrieved the sugar jar from the sink behind him and held it in front of him, "what do you have to say about this?"

"Well..." His voice trailed off but the smile playing upon his lips didn't falter.

The beep on the coffee blender indicated the coffee was ready so Dora left him, putting a spoonful of sugar in both cups then poured the coffee as well.

She caught Tim staring at the coffee as she mixed the sugar so she asked, "what's going on in your head, bird boy?"

Tim spoke up, "every day when I have coffee, I like to watch the sugar dissolve into nothing when it gets mixed in. It's kinda fascinating..."

She paused, a bit surprised, "fascinating? How so?"

He eagerly elaborated, "you see, each time we put sugar into coffee or any other drink for that instance, it dissolves into nothingness. But sugar doesn't know why... Sugar didn't ask to be born."

She watched as he took the cup from her and drank it, even though it was still too hot.

Recovering from the shock, she spoke up, "when was the last time you went to sleep?"

He refilled another cup, "why do you ask?"

"Do you think what you just said is something you would have said if you weren't sleep deprived...?"

He thought for a while then shook his head, "I would still have said that. But I get why you're asking that, I am mostly sleep deprived. In fact, I think the last time I went to sleep was two days ago."

Her eyes widened in concern, "wait what? Two days... Are you serious?"

"Of course."

She shook her head knowing that it was impossible to even try to fix Tim's deteriorating sleep schedule, "I will give you the rest of your coffee only on one condition."

A bright smile danced on his features, "anything for you, Dora."

"You will go to sleep the second you return from patrol and don't think I won't find out if you try to dodge me this once," she replied, filling up the flask but holding it away from him, "promise me."

He sighed, "Dora, I have so much work to do..."

"Make your promise or say goodbye to coffee."

He nodded at last, "alright, I promise. I will go to sleep after I come back from patrol."

"For a full eight hours," she added.

He grimaced, "that's a little too much, don't you think?" But noticing the firm look she had sent his way, he agreed, "fine, for a full eight hours."

"Good," she gave him the flask and accompanied him out to the door as he was leaving, "bye. And try not to get thrown around like a Frisbee tonight."

"I can't make any promises about this one," he remarked as he stepped out last.

***