Page 72 of Dragon's Surprise
“Green. It reminds me of being outside, of nature and the color of new leaves after the winter.”
“Mine’s yellow,” Delton said. “It’s such a happy color that it’s hard not to feel joy when you see it.”
“What’s your favorite food?” Oliver asked Adar, whose face lit up.
“Yitro’s chocolate chip cookies. I could eat them all day, every day.” He patted his stomach. “It’s a good thing I get a lot of exercise on the job, or I’d grow fat in no time.”
“Mine’s homemade fries,” Delton said, his mouth watering at the thought. “Lev has this recipe where he cuts them fresh, then fries them twice in different oils or whatever, and then he puts a little truffle salt on them. Oh my god, they’re the best thing ever, especially with his mayonnaise.”
“He makes that himself?” Adar asked.
“He does, from scratch. That’s why it tastes so amazing.”
“No kidding. What’s your favorite food?” Adar asked Oliver.
A flash of something passed over Oliver’s face. It was so quick Delton would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been observing him. When Oliver opened his mouth to answer, Delton held up his hand. “I need you to take a few seconds to decide whether you want to answer that question.”
Oliver’s eyes widened, and he shrunk a little and leaned back against the sofa as if he wanted to bury himself in it, but he kept silent. Emotions played over his face, confirming that Delton had been right. Something was off. “I don’t know how to answer the question,” Oliver finally said. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I don’t know what to say. Food is… It’s always been a luxury to even get enough to eat, so having a favorite snack or dish wasn’t an option. I’m still grateful for all food.”
His honesty brought tears to Delton’s eyes. Wasn’t it interesting how he could process traumatic stories from patients with relative ease, staying emotionally disconnected, but this simple statement hit him so hard? “You come at it from a different angle than Adar and me. I hope you know you’re allowed to have favorites now…and to not like something. I hate avocado, for example. Absolutely detest it. Its taste, the texture, everything. And that’s okay. No one here is offended that I don’t want to eat it. So maybe take some time to figure out which foods you love and which you don’t.”
“I don’t think you like carrots,” Adar said. “We were eating a salad with carrots the other day, and you winced when you ate them.”
More proof of how closely Adar was watching Oliver.
“You’re right.” Oliver sat up a little straighter. “I don’t like them.”
“See? That’s a great start,” Delton said.
“And by the way, I hate avocado too,” Adar said to Delton. “It looks and tastes like snot if you ask me.”
“Glad I’m not the only one. Oliver, is there a question you’d like to ask Adar?”
Oliver took his time. “What do you like to do?”
“You mean hobbies?”
Oliver nodded.
Adar scratched his beard. “Working out is one thing. A couple of us built an outdoor workout circuit at the edge of the forest, and I love to spend time there.”
“When?” Oliver asked, voicing the same question Delton had. With Adar either sleeping, working, or watching Oliver, what time did he have left for working out? Or for any hobbies, for that matter.
“I haven’t been able to go a lot lately.” Adar shifted in his seat. “But that’s okay.”
“Because of me,” Oliver said.
“Well, not because of you, as in that it’s your fault. It was my choice to guard you, and it still is.”
“You don’t need to always watch me.”
A heavy silence fell, and Delton held his breath. Oliver was communicating a boundary, but would Adar recognize it? If not, Delton would step in, but he wanted to give the alpha the chance to react first.
“You don’t want me to watch you?” Adar sounded hurt, though he was trying to mask it.
Oliver shook his head. “That’s not… You make me feel safe. But you don’t have to do it all the time. It’s okay to take time for yourself as well. For working out or something else you like to do.”
Adar took his time to process that. “Okay. I don’t like it, but I hear what you’re saying.”