Vampire Diaries Imagines

Sweet Relief - Alaric Saltzman

The moment I walked through the door and the bell chimed, I was greeted with the warm, sugary scent of the freshly baked pastries and other goods in the small bakery. There was something comforting about it. Maybe it was the coziness of the place or the smooth jazz music that flowed through the air. Or maybe it was just because the entire place read YN throughout it that brought a smile to my face.

Elena stood behind the counter, a tired expression riddled her face but a smile was still plastered upon it.

Like YNN, she had probably been here all day and by the looks of it, they had been non-stop since the very moment she walked in. Probably before.

"Hey, Ric," she greeted me with a knowing look. "Please tell me you're here to steal her away."

I raised a brow at her plea. "Something tells me that I should now that you've said something. What's going on?"

She gave me a pointed look and motioned towards the kitchen with her head. "Your girl has been going since before I even got here. I walked through the door to see her running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Even when I took over the counter for her, she hasn't stopped."

I shifted uncomfortably, guilt creeping up on me. I had noticed that YN had been working more lately than she normally would have, but now that Elena mentioned it, I could see the exhaustion in her eyes every time she had come home for the past few days. Now I felt bad for not saying something sooner.

"Has she eaten anything?" I asked, already making my way toward the back where I knew YNN would be.

Elena shrugged. "She's been too busy to even think about food. And believe me, I've tried. Maybe she'll listen to you."

I gave her a quick, grateful nod, then pushed open the kitchen door. The sight of YN working away in the kitchen nearly broke my heart. She stood at the counter, kneading dough with a focused expression on her face. Her apron was covered in flour, and there was a small smudge of chocolate on her cheek. She looked so tired, her shoulders slumped, but there was no denying the determination on her face.

"YNN," I said softly, leaning against the doorway.

Her head snapped up, and she flashed me a tired but sweet smile. "Hey, Ric. What's up?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the way she tried to act casual, as if there wasn't exhaustion in her eyes.

"You look like you've been going for days," I said, walking toward her. "Honey, when's the last time you took even a 10 minute break?"

She waved me off, the smile still present, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine, Ric. Just a lot of orders today. Just the normal. I'll rest when it's done."

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "That's not how this works. You're going to end up burning yourself out."

Her expression softened for a moment, and she sighed, wiping a hand across her forehead, which only smeared more flour onto her face. "I know. It's just been crazy around here. We've got four big birthday cake orders, three need to be ready for Saturday, about six dozen cupcake orders by next week, plus all the regular items for up front and there's so much I want to try out..."

I took a step closer, gently lifting her chin with my hand, making her look up at me. "YN, you've been working yourself into the ground. You deserve a break. And a hot meal that I will start working on just as soon as we get home while you go take a hot bath."

She met my gaze for a long moment, her eyes searching mine, before she finally let out a breath. "I know you're right," she admitted softly. "But there's always something else to do... And I don't want to disappoint anyone by not getting it done."