Caffeine Withdrawal | T. Drake ✔

[49] Antics At Breakfast

Stephanie sat up and stretched, her eyes squinting due to the sunlight that had washed in through the window. She knew it was just because Dora's room was at the top and got most sunlight in the entire place but still they were in Gotham and it would be no surprise if the sun hid behind a couple of dark clouds seconds after.

Rubbing her eyes, she turned to face Isadora but the bed was made up beside her and she was nowhere to be seen.

"Dora?" She called out thinking she would be in the bathroom but got no reply.

Slipping her feet into the slippers she had borrowed from her, she stood up suppressing a yawn as she opened the bedroom door and stepped outside. The door that led down to the kitchen was unlocked and as she stepped closer, she could hear sounds of crockery and slight laughter.

Assuming that Dora had gotten up earlier and was probably preparing breakfast, she turned back to head to the toilet and brushed her teeth before going downstairs.

A pleasant smell of cookies and coffee had wafted through the air, sending a smile up her features. But as she neared the kitchen, she was quite surprised to see both Tim and Dora making breakfast together so she stopped in the doorway, hiding a small smile that had crept up on her features as she watched the hilarious antics the two were up to.

Tim was stirring the batter in a steel bowl for the cupcakes while Dora had placed a cookie tray in the oven, turning back to cut more cookie shapes from the dough. But her eyes flickered towards Tim who was occasionally eating the sugar straight from the jar instead of putting it into the bowl.

She took the jar away from him and he backed off in alarm, "did you eat the sugar?"

"No..." A rather sheepish grin had spread over his face as he shook his head.

"You've got sugar on your mouth," she remarked.

"Not at all."

But he was taken by surprise as she reached forward, hands encircling his neck as she pulled him down for a kiss.

"You taste like sugar too, case proved," she mumbled but the rest of her words got lost as he pressed his lips on hers once again, almost stealing her breath away.

Steph cleared her throat loudly to get their attention and the two pulled apart quite flustered to see her leaning against the door frame casually. "Some breakfast you two are making..."

Both their faces had gone adorably red and Tim's hand reached up to the back of his neck out of habit to conceal the embarrassment, "how long have you been there... um... Watching us?"

She laughed quite visibly enjoying their reactions, "ever since you were denying eating sugar like a little baby... Oh and by the way, when did you get here? Weren't you supposed to be at Wayne Tech or something?"

"Ever heard of off days?"

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "Timmy never takes an off day."

"Now I do," he replied back, the embarrassment from being caught in the middle of the moment gradually fading by then.

The beep on the oven signalled that the second try of cookies was ready as well so Dora went to check it, carefully taking it out shortly afterwards.

"Morning kids," an unexpected voice interrupted their little banter as Helena stepped in. The three of them hadn't expected to see her there but shortly after Alex came down as well.

"How lovely, we're going to have a family breakfast," Steph clasped her hands together in delight, "and Alex, please introduce us to your lovely girlfriend."

"As if you don't know me already," Helena had a meaningful smirk on her face.

She shrugged, green eyes dancing in a rather mischievous expression, "yeah, I know you from Jay's..."

But before she could complete the sentence, Tim had clamped her mouth shut, "it is indeed lovely to meet you, Helena. Please ignore her, she can be really uncivil at times."

"Look who's talking," Steph had bitten his hand so that he would let go and at the moment, Tim couldn't help the slight wince of pain while the rest of them were holding in their laughter at seeing the two fight like kids as usual.

"Geez, you're a piranha," Tim backed away from her and Dora took his hand, examining the damage.

"Steph, you sure you have normal teeth?"

"I sharpen them each night, Dora, for emergency use only," her green eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Biting my hand off is not an emergency crises!"

"You shutting me up sure is and you deserved it."

Alex had to intervene for he knew their banter would not come to a stop otherwise, "breakfast is getting cold so please can you delay whatever nonsense you're arguing about and eat first?"

The two were staring daggers at each other but dropped the glares at last, agreeing in unison. "Fine..."

"Good."

They all laid out the breakfast together with Helena marvelling at the delicious smell of the cookies, Dora tending to the cupcakes, Alex pouring out the coffee in everyone's cup while Tim and Steph having another argument on who got to sit by the window.

"Scoot over," Dora remarked, taking the seat the two had been arguing for, "I get to sit by the window."

"Not fair," Steph remarked but Tim made no objections as a soft smile played upon his lips. 

Stephanie had not expected him to give up so easily and looked at him with clear surprise on her face at which he merely chuckled, taking the seat beside Dora.

"You know what, Dora, you should definitely pursue baking as a profession," Helena remarked as she tasted the cupcakes, "I've never had cupcakes that tasted so good. And it's so soft and fluffy on the inside... Marvelous."

She smiled, "that's exactly what I want to do. That way me and Alex will increase the items in our coffee shop too."

Alex turned to face her, "which reminds me... I had asked a friend to research on the best baking courses here."

"Really?" Her face had lit up and he felt quite relieved to see her smile, the cheerfulness which he had feared to have gotten lost radiating from her.

"Really," he nodded, "and then you can select whichever course you want to get enrolled in and get started whenever you want."

"As soon as it is possible," she remarked, her beautiful and contagious smile making the others smile as well.

"Best of luck," Helena added, "and count me in to check your samples."

"Me too," Steph joined in as well.

Dora turned to look at Tim who had a rather fond look in his eyes as he looked back at her, "what about you?"

"I don't have to ask you to get on the list, do I?"

She laughed lightly, "true enough."

***