The stew was warm, the bread even warmer, and Zayn — freshly showered and now annoyingly smug — was halfway through his second bowl, occasionally tossing Kara teasing glances that made her grip her spoon like it was a dagger.
"You're chewing like you're afraid it'll come back to life," Zayn said to Bran, who was currently battling a chunk of meat with the same intensity he used against dungeon bosses.
Bran didn't even look up. "I respect my prey."
Kara snorted. "Says the guy who almost tripped over his own feet while trying to battle that worm monster."
"I was just making sure!"
"You were checking if your spine could survive folding backwards."
They all chuckled, the ease between them wrapping around the room like a second warmth.
Elisse, who had taken the last seat after serving everyone else (as usual), looked up between sips.
"Hey, would someone mind checking if Tobias is coming down? I told him food's ready, but he didn't answer."
"I got it," Zayn said, standing.
