Her Eyes

Twenty Nine

The door to the cottage creaked open, the hinges froze from the winter temperatures.

Ushering a freezing Esmae inside, Nikolaos closed the door, separating the heat of the thermostat from the chilling breeze outside.

Esmae was already heading to their room when Nikolaos pulled her back to the foyer. She stumbled and looked at him confused. "You have to stomp your shoes, baby," he said, leading as an example.

"Oh."

The leaf followed his lead and stomped her boots, watching as the snow fell off and melted on the thick carpet. Nikolaos made sure to replace his carpet with one better suit for the snow before it arrived, and he was glad he did.

Once they finished their light stomps, taking off their shoes, Esmae dashed upstairs impatiently to take off her clothes. Nikolaos watched her and chuckled, shaking his head, and went to the kitchen after removing his layers of jackets, leaving him in a beige sweater.

He began making the hot chocolate and soup he promised, the kitchen heating up the surrounding area as he did. To busy his quiet mind, he played songs on a small speaker in the corner of the kitchen on a countertop, humming the lyrics as he cooked.

The light footsteps of Esmae floated down the stairs, silenced by the upbeat tunes of Florence + The Machine that played. The leaf now wore a simple cardigan over her plain white shirt and flowy pants that didn't rub against her legs and irritate her senses.

"Can I help?" she asked as she walked close to Nikolaos silently, standing a few inches away and watching him cook. Her mouth watered and a smile tickled her lips at the scent of the smoked brisket noodle soup.

Nikolaos' humming ceased and he glanced behind him at his girl, stepping to the side and making way for her. "You can pour the hot chocolate into cups for us. I'm almost done with the soup," he said, motioning to the sweet drink that rested on the stove.

Esmae nodded at his words, happy to contribute to the small meal preparation. She grabbed two mugs – the one covered in butterflies was her new favorite – and carried the pot of hot chocolate carefully to the island where she could pour it in.

Nikolaos watched her carefully, his breath stilling as she carried the pot. He encouraged her to be independent, but he couldn't help but worry when she was around potentially dangerous materials.

"Careful, glykiá mou," he muttered, stepping a few feet closer to her and watching intently from a distance, ready to protect her if anything went wrong. Esmae didn't reply, but heeded his words, and slowly poured the hot chocolate into the two mugs, her hands trembling slightly as they twisted in an awkward position.

The dryad had yet to get used to the way the muscles and bones worked in her hands, and there was a chance she never would; they were too stiff, like branches.

She successfully poured the brown drink into the cups without injuring herself and she whipped her head to Nikolaos, who stood tense, and smiled brightly. "I did it," she announces proudly, a light blush covering her cheeks from how hard she was smiling.

Nikolaos' tense stature softened at her expression, his furrowed brows resting, and he smiled gently, taking the empty pot from her hands. "Good job, Esmae," he praised, putting the pot in the sink.

"Can you bring it to the dining table?" he asked, to which the excited leaf nodded and carried the drinks to the round, wooden table, setting them down carefully.

Nikolaos turned back to the soup, taste-testing it, and nodded when he felt it was complete. Turning off the stove and grabbing two large bowls, Nikolaos filled them and carried them to the dining table where Esmae waited, her expression reeking of anticipation.