Time Traveling 101 - ONC24

5 - Cinzia

When Cinzia awoke the next day, sunlight beamed through the window of her bedroom. Her body ached in a good way as she moved to sit up, soon realizing the space next to her was empty and cold. As if there hadn't been anyone sleeping there last night.

Zorion had left.

Cinzia felt a pang in her heart seeing that he had left without so much as a goodbye but she knew she couldn't judge him. They had agreed to a one nightstand after all.

He probably left so it wouldn't be awkward. Cinzia thought to herself as she put on a large tee.

She then headed to her bathroom to quickly freshen up before deciding to get some breakfast. Cinzia didn't have work today so she planned to laze around the house. Maybe try some of those recipes Ray had given her and catch up on that new t.v. series.

As she opened her bedroom door, she was hit with the smell of pancakes and coffee, making her pause for a moment.

Beth was only coming back in the afternoon and even if she was back home early, she didn't know how to make pancakes. Which was funny considering Beth was an amazing cook and could make roasts, pasta from scratch and even bake a little.

But pancakes, they were Beth's worst nightmare.

Curious as to who was in the kitchen, Cinzia hurried through the short hallway to find herself staring at an unexpected scene.

Standing in her kitchen with his back turned to her was Zorion. He stood at her gas stove, flipping pancakes as he bobbed his head to some music playing from his headphones.

The island counter across from her had several plates of different foods and there was a pot of coffee in the corner. Cinzia noticed some brown bags near the sink, probably from the grocery shop across the street.

Cinzia leaned against the island counter, watching as Zorion as he worked, his arms flexing as he moved. It reminded her of last night, making her blush at the dirty thoughts brewing in her mind.

Now is not the time! Cinzia muttered in her head.

She watched as Zorion placed the last pancake on a plate. He switched off the stove before turning around to find Cinzia staring at him with amusement on her face.

He stood there, frozen for a moment, before quickly taking off his headphones. "Cinzia?"

"Um... hey." Cinzia murmured a little awkwardly.

"I eh made breakfast..." Zorion said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "Hope it's okay that I used your kitchen."

"It's fine." Cinzia replied, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing. "So what did you make?"

She knew it was a stupid question, the answer being clear in front of her. Still, she was trying to get rid of the awkwardness between the two.

As Cinzia stared at the plates before her, she wondered how two people were going to finish so much food. There were eggs, different types of meats, bread and a few pastries.

"I did a combination of different foods. Eggs, bacon, sausages, meat pies, tarts." Zorion stated as he placed the plate of pancakes on the table. "Wasn't exactly sure what you liked to eat so I just made some popular foods... I overdid it, didn't I?"

"Maybe." Cinzia mused. "But someone gave me a good workout last night so I'm famished."

As she said those words her stomach growled as if in agreement with her. Cinzia felt her face heat up and Zorion let out a laugh, the awkwardness between the two disappearing.

"I think we should eat. I'm hungry after yesterday's workout too." Zorion smiled, taking a seat across from Cinzia. "Coffee?"

"Please." Cinzia nodded before grabbing the two empty plates on the table.

She placed one before Zorion as he prepared two cups of coffee, getting up to grab some milk from the fridge. As he did that, Cinzia grabbed some eggs and put them on her plate.

"Sugar is in the third cupboard." Cinzia stated before taking a bite of her food.

She sighed in pure bliss, enjoying the food. Zorion, meanwhile, grabbed the sugar before sitting back down. He handed Cinzia her cup of coffee before digging into the food. The two ate in silence for a few moments, enjoying the food.

As Cinzia finished the last bite of her food, she looked at Zorion. "Can I ask where you learnt to cook so well?"

"Well, it was the woman who raised me." Zorion answered. "Granted most of the food was bought at the grocery store across the street."

Cinzia was a little confused by his answer. What did he mean by 'woman that raised him'? Was it a family member or was he perhaps adopted? Cinzia wanted to ask but at the same time it didn't feel right. It was too much of a personal question to ask someone she had just met.

Zorion clearly noticing her thought, smiled. "I wouldn't call her my mother but she was basically like that. Took me in after my parents died."

"Oh I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. I can barely remember them. I was young when they died."

"I see... So, she's like a second mother."

Zorion nodded. "Yeah. Well, now she's my boss too."

"Your boss." Cinzia murmured. "I thought you were a historian?"

"I see Ray has been talking about me again..." Zorion muttered before shaking his head. "But yes, to answer your question. I am a historian... I work with an organization she runs."

"That makes sense..." Cinzia murmured. "Do you travel a lot for work?"

"Yes. I get to visit a lot of places because of work. You meet a lot of people and learn about different cultures."

"That sounds amazing."

Cinzia had always wanted to travel but never really got the chance. Maybe one day when she had the money to do so...

"I guess it's great." Zorion said. "Just lonely sometimes."

"I guess that's true." Cinzia mused. "Traveling a lot must take a toll on relationships."

"Yeah... Kind of hard to keep a serious relationship going." Zorion paused for a moment. "This is going to sound weird but... um do you want to hang out this afternoon... Maybe catch a movie. I know we said this wasn't a serious thing but I have some free time this week and enjoy last night-"

"I think that'll be lovely." Cinzia smiled, silently thinking that Zorion's ramblings were cute. "I can treat you to lunch afterwards."

Zorion grinned. "Sure."

***

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