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He watched the bathroom slam and exhaled heavily, wondering what they had gotten into. It was no secret that he had been attracted to Ayda since they met. Their verbal sparring and rocky start only drew him in. Most of his life was filled with people telling him whatever he wanted to hear. Her fire was refreshing and enticing. Ayda was special.
He'd never seen a witch so talented in all his years, which was impressive. She was also fiercely loyal to her clients and friends. Not to mention one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.
There had always been a tension between them. Whether it was anger or lust, the lines constantly blurred. When he'd seen her flying towards him in the great hall, looking like an avenging angel, his heart jumped off a cliff. He didn't care how crazy it sounded; he knew something was between them and was determined to see what it was.
Hùisdean was never going to be satisfied with a strictly physical arrangement. He knew that and would likely get his heart shattered in the process. He didn't care. Whatever Ayda wanted and whatever would make her comfortable, he'd accept it. Hùisdean had a sneaking suspicion that she was more overwhelmed and worried about the potential of getting involved with a prince than anything else. He didn't care. He'd damn his lineage. Hùisdean would happily hand the keys to Carenlume to Ayda if she wanted them or toss the throne in his brother's lap.
Hùisdean pulled out his travel pack and slipped into a different pair of clothes, chuckling under his breath. An ordinary man might have been embarrassed to come in his pants like an overeager teenager, but Hùisdean didn't care. He'd drown himself in Ayda and die happy. He listened to her rummaging around in the bathroom and made a disgruntled noise when he heard the shower being turned on. He didn't like the idea of her washing off his scent.
An entirely different odor flooded his senses, and Hùisdean realized he'd been in the middle of cooking.
“Fuck!” Hùisdean snapped, not bothering to put a shirt on as he ran to the kitchen. It had only been stocked with dry goods, and the porridge he'd been cooking was now reduced to a charred lump. “There goes that idea.”
Hùisdean rolled his eyes. He started rummaging in the cabinets again, suddenly feeling anxious about not being able to provide Ayda with a proper meal. Elves didn’t have fated mates, but elven children were rare, so when they were attracted to someone, they fell hard and fast in an evolutionary attempt to start mating as soon as possible. He was practically throwing ingredients around the kitchen when Ayda walked in.
“Looking for something?”
Hùisdean spun around and was hit in the gut with the image of a soft, freshly showered Ayda. She had changed into flannel sleep pants and a men's shirt, which Hùisdean wanted to rip off entirely.
You possessive old bastard. Hùisdean attempted to get his instincts under control. She hasn't even agreed to date you.
“Well,” Hùisdean held up a bag of lentils, a loaf of bread, and some oil, “there's a small chance that I burned the porridge and honey, so there's nothing else to eat.” He smiled. “I’m thrilled to eat you again for dinner, but I'd imagine you'd like something else.”
Ayda rolled her eyes, but Hùisdean noticed how her cheeks flushed. “You’re insatiable,” Ayda said, going still. “You didn't pick up feelings while I was in the shower, did you?”
Hùisdean forced a smirk on his face. “Of course not. No feelings here. You?”
“No feelings.” Ayda held up her hands.
“See? Easy. We're nailing this friends-with-benefits thing already.” Hùisdean winked. “Now, do you want some toast?”
Ayda laughed and walked over to him, grabbing the bag of lentils. “You wouldn't happen to have a spice cabinet, would you?”
Hùisdean picked up an earthen clay jar, sensing the magic running through it. “This is bewitched and can give you any spice you ask for. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with other food items.”
“Delicious.” Ayda smiled, grabbing the jar and the bag of lentils. She peered into the burnt pan and snorted. “Good job on this one. Get me a new pot, and I can make masoor dal.”
“Whatever you need.” Hùisdean grinned, grabbing a fresh pot for Ayda. They spent the next hour cooking together, growing increasingly comfortable in each other's presence. Hùisdean asked her about her recipes, and they tested all the limits of the lodge’s charmed spice jar. Ayda nearly squealed when she saw it generate saffron.
“You have a jar that creates a never-ending supply of saffron? You realize that's a ‘free money’ cheat code, right?”
Hùisdean shrugged. “It's not something that I'm exactly in need of.”
“Royal bastard.” Ayda shoved him playfully with her shoulder. Hùisdean leaned over and gently nipped at her ear in response.
“You can call me whatever names you want to.”
Hùisdean happily admitted that Ayda's take on dinner was tastier than anything he could have created, and he gladly would've sacrificed a thousand more burnt pots. They sat on the floor before the fireplace, discussing magic spells and how they'd learned them growing up. It was the most relaxed he’d ever seen Ayda. He knew magic was the way to her heart, and he wasn't above playing dirty. It wasn't long before Ayda was yawning in between her sentences. Hùisdean picked up both of their bowls and headed towards the kitchen.
“Why don't you go get in bed, and I'll wash these up and join you?” Hùisdean offered. It was an incredibly intimate and domestic statement, especially for someone who had just agreed to a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement not even an hour ago. He sensed how Ayda stiffened.
“Hùisdean…” She started to sigh, but Hùisdean held up the dirty dishes in his hands.
“Nope. These are just rules of the road for travel buddies. You cooked, I'll clean, and there's only one bedroom.” He raised an eyebrow, cheekily challenging her to find a fault in his logic.
Ayda sighed, looking only slightly annoyed, and glanced around the room. “The couch is massive. I don't mind sleeping there if I need to.”
Hùisdean groaned overdramatically, letting his head drop back. “Don't think I didn't notice how sore you were after spending all day on a horse. It's going to be even worse tomorrow. Do you want to risk adding a stiff back if you sleep on a couch?”
