To be fair, it seemed like a completely good idea at the time.
But now, covered in treacly batter and baking powder, Zayne reconsiders whether it was truly a good idea to make you a homemade picnic from scratch. He blames Caleb for this mess, for even bringing up the suggestion that it was the most romantic in the world to make your significant other their favourite baked goods. He knows he’s being dramatic, but if Caleb hadn’t put the thought in his head in the first place, then he wouldn’t be standing here, covered head-to-toe in a sticky concoction that is supposed to be mini chocolate chip cookies.
Zayne‘s meant to be ready for the date in half an hour, and judging by the mess he’s in, there’s no way he’s going to make it in time.
The panic settles in once he checks the time again, realising that he’s spent four godforsaken hours in the kitchen, and he rushes to take a shower, almost slipping on the melted chocolate on the floor in the process.
Zayne is almost an hour late by the time he finishes, his fringe half-wet from how sweaty he is from running in the torrid heat of the afternoon. Honestly, he doesn’t even care how he looks right now—he’s just glad he hasn’t managed to drop the entire basket of food on the way here because of how clumsy he is. He still feels guilty though, and apologises to you at least ten times before he’s satisfied that you know how bad he feels about being late.
“Wait—you’re telling me you made this? All of it?” you ask in awe.
Zayne nervously scratches the back of his head before replying, “Yeah, I don’t really know how to bake but I wanted to try for you.” He lets the lie slip past his lips before he can stop it. “It was nothing really.”
Yeah, nothing but four hours of pain and tears, he thinks to himself.
You peek into the basket, the sight of the baked goods awakening your excitement.
“Oh my god, Zayne! This is so cute!” you gasp when your eyes land on the mini chocolate chip cookies and the other delicious baked goods neatly packed inside.
“You even made the snowman heart-shaped!” you exclaim as you hold one of them in your hands, your heart swelling when you think about how much effort he had to put into making all of this. Sure, it’s pretty obvious they weren’t made by a professional, but still—it’s the thought that counts.
You’re too busy gawking at the various baked treats to even notice Zayne staring at you, smiling to himself at how adorable all of your reactions are to every one of the treats he’s baked. He knows they suck, but God, seeing your reaction makes him feel like he’s on top of the world. The smile that adorns your face is enough to rival the sunshine of the afternoon, and Zayne doesn’t think he will ever get tired of seeing you look this bright and giddy.
Just when Zayne thinks this day cannot get any better, you take a second to pry your eyes away from the food, leaning up to place a delicate kiss on the apple of his cheek.
“Thank you so much, Zayne. No one has ever done something like this for me before—I love it.”
Zayne swears he can feel his skin tingle even when you remove your lips from his cheek, his heart pounding in his ears as you smile innocently back at him. Just the mere action itself makes all of the hassle worth it.
Hell, he’d make 20 picnic baskets and go through all those painful hours in a heartbeat if it meant that he could see you smile that wide again.
