BAM!

Tzuyu’s body jumped at the sudden sound as she was roused into consciousness. She blearily opened one eye to see an annoyed-looking Jackson towering over her with a spray bottle in one hand and cup in the other. With a groan deep in her chest, she stretched her arms and lazily swatted at her boss to leave her alone.

Patience already growing thin, Jackson aimed the bottle at the interloper splayed across one of the booths in his bakery and attacked her with three spritz of water. Four after he was met with a cat-like hiss from his unmoving cousin. “Oi! This is the third time I've found you like this, Tzu. The third time! Get up before I douse you with this entire bottle.”

Not unlike an undead corpse, Tzuyu slowly raised herself into a sitting position and sat ramrod straight while her head threatened to lull forward for more needed sleep.

“Earth to Tzu.” Jackson snapped his fingers, forcing the young baker to leave dreamland bit by bit. “C’mon, time to wake up now.”

Her head snapped back up to perfect posture and Tzuyu felt the sharp aching starting from the base of her neck to the middle of her spine that will probably last for the remainder of the day. Voice husky from sleep, she yawned, “I’m awake, I swear.”

Jackson nudged the cup of warm black coffee into her hands and took a seat across from her. A few sips and a disgusted cough later were enough for Jackson to know that Tzuyu was wide awake and ready for his interrogation.

“That is disgusting!” Tzuyu retched as her face twisted from the bitterness of the drink.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.” Jackson leaned his head on his hands and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the normally refined woman now disheveled and unkempt. “So, you wanna tell me why you didn’t go home last night, or do I have to take one more half-assed excuse from you, Tzu.”

“I lost track of time while I was developing recipes.”

“Yeah, ‘lost track of time’ for the past three nights.” He held her hand and gave her a gentle look that used to be reserved for a harsher time, a time best left forgotten. “I’ve known you all your life and it hurts to see you like this. You can lie to everyone else, but not to me.”

“I promise I’m fine.”

In a voice barely above a whisper, he asked, “Is it your dad? Did he contact you? Was it your mom?”

“No, it’s… It’s not that.” She sighed, shaking her head. “It’s something else and I’m trying to figure it out. The only time my head is ever cleared is when I’m working and sometimes, I lose track.”

“And you can’t do that at home?”

A flash of a sweet smile and the purest eyes appeared in her mind, and Tzuyu could do nothing but shake her head to will the thought away. “No, not yet at least. It’ll get complicated if I do.”

Jackson hesitated, not wanting to see her keep tormenting herself, but he knew that getting her to open up about something before she was ready to would end up hurting her rather than help. Instead, he stood up and pulled her into an enveloping hug. “I’m here for you, always remember that.”

Tzuyu paused at first and then returned the hug with as much force, blinking back the tears that had appeared in the corner of her eyes. She buried her head in his broad shoulder as she savored the warmth he always willingly provided.

“Thanks,” she murmured quietly into the collar of his shirt.

“No problem, kiddo.” He replied with a laugh as they pulled away. “Next time, you’re coming home with me. Eunbi and Jihyo would kill me if they found out you’ve been sleeping here. You did tell Jihyo where you were, right?”

“She’s been worried that I haven’t been coming home, but I told her I’ve been working late and staying at Elkie’s for a few nights.”

“Okay, cool.” A sigh of relief escaped his lips. “So, how much did you prep before you passed out?”

“Just a few pounds of dough. I have some experiments waiting on the table you need to try out.”

“Knowing you, they’ll probably be too delicious.”

As they walked to the rather messily arranged kitchen, Tzuyu stared at her cousin’s back, a familiar sight deeply ingrained from her earliest memories. Even then she looked up to him. Thou