Zoe couldn't wait to get back to her hotel. She was really eager to eat Marinette's family's croissants, or macaroons, or madeleines, or beignets, or...etc.
Maybe she should've bought three bags full instead of two...
"Welcome back, Zoe." The doorman greets her as she came back home.
"Afternoon Ralph." Zoe reaches into one of her take-out bags, grabs a beignet and offers it to the doorman who happily accepts it, "Don't forget to call in case the sun gets too hot."
As she enters the hotel, the doorman watches her with a smile as he happily takes a bite of the beignet.
Chloe never EVER buys him pastries.
Nor tells him to be careful as he stands under the heat of the scorching sun for hours.
"Welcome back, Zoe." Armand politely bows as he welcomes her back home.
"Hey Armand." Zoe greets back. She hands him one of the large take-out bags, "This one's for you and the rest of the staff."
Armand takes the bag. Once he does, his eyes slightly widen in surprise as he remarks, "This seems heavier than the last one."
"And after I took one beignet out for Ralph?" Zoe pretended to be surprised before she and Armand share a laugh.
As Zoe walks away with the other bag full of sweets, Armand grabs a cream puff from the bag given to him and savors the delectable creamy flavor in his mouth.
André happily munches on a madeleine before taking a bite on an éclair. After swallowing both, he lets out a satisfied sigh, "I needed this."
"Don't forget your 15-minute break this afternoon." Zoe reminds her stepfather.
"With these many treats?" André gestures to the plate of pastries on his desk. Just as Zoe turns to leave, "Don't forget: We're having dinner together at 7."
"Thanks..." Zoe looks, uncomfortable, "Dad."
As she left, André smiles at the door from where his stepdaughter left, before taking another bite off his éclair.
After 3 months, Zoe was still nervous to call her stepfather "Dad".
Maybe it's because of how things have been going too perfectly great ever since... those two left...
...
No. They chose power over the welfare of others. She doesn't have to feel guilty for their punishment.
Still... it would've been nice if they had become a real family...
"Please cheer up, my Queen."
Her sad thoughts disappeared when she heard the soft worried voice of her Kwami, who now was hovering before her with worried eyes.
Zoe smiles and gently pats her Kwami on the back, 'I'm fine, Pollen. Everything's fine."
Pollen doesn't seem to be buying it.
Zoe never really cared about the privileges that comes with being rich. But today, she decides to use a dessert stand to place her assorted chosen pastries on to make snack time feel more... delectable.
After all... Marinette and her family baked these pastries.
As she was choosing her pastries, Pollen was setting up the table, carrying the utensils, plates, teacups, and even the teapot filled with hot tea.
The last one she was currently carrying over her head.
"Whoa!" Zoe quickly grabbed the teapot and placed in on the table without spilling even a single drop of its still-steaming contents, "You don't have to do that, Pollen. You could've been scalded."
Pollen wasn't just surprised by how her Holder was gently stroking her back, "Did, I do something wrong to upset you, My Queen?"
"No." Zoe smiles, "Just be more careful."
She didn't get mad. Which puzzles Pollen. When her Queen took the teapot from her, the Bee Kwami thought she did something wrong.
To make it up to her Holder, she gently pulls out her chair and helps her to her seat. Once her Holder was seated, she starts getting ready to serve her the pastries she bought.
Pollen found it quite odd that her Holder ordered two sets of plates, cutlery, and teacups for tea time, since her Queen made it clear she wasn't expecting any guests.
She became even more surprised when a croissant was placed on the other plate opposite her Holder's.
"There you go. Eat up." Zoe smiles after offering the plate with the croissant to her Kwami.
Pollen blinks, then looks around. If someone had just entered the room, that means they have figured out her Queen's secret.
But no one else was around. Then that means... the croissant was actually for...!
"Is something wrong Pollen?" Zoe asks worryingly when she noticed her Kwami wasn't eating the croissant she had set down for her, "Do you want honey with your croissant?"
"No. It's just..." Pollen sounded like she was ashamed, "None of my previous Queens ever asked me to join them for tea. I just served them."
Most of Pollen's previous Holders were not of the purest of hearts. While she had a few Queens and Kings who have true senses of justice, Pollen could only remember serving her Holders food and pouring drinks for them.
Some even commanded her to feed them. And... never the other way around.
The only time they fed her was when they need to re-energize her for the next mission.
Or when they needed a massage after a mission.
The Bee Kwami briefly stares at the croissant in front of her before turning to her current Holder, "Is, this okay? My Queen?"
Zoe was surprised by her Kwami's revelation, for a while. She smiles and takes the little bee in her hands, "It's more than 'okay', Pollen. You're not just a Kwami to me. You're my precious friend. That's the best thing you could have ever done for me. And I hope it's okay I become yours."
Friend...
As she was brought to her Holder's cheek, Pollen was lost deep in thought. None of her previous Holders ever called her their 'friend' before.
Not even her last Queen.
The moment she was snapped out of her thoughts, she finds her current Holder holding a small piece of croissant in front of her Kwami face.
Pollen hesitates... then takes the small piece in her mouth.
"Delicious, my Queen." She remarks as she savors the sweet flaky pastry in her mouth.
Zoe smile, "That's great. And, Pollen...? You don't have to be too formal. After all: I'm not actually royalty."
Pollen smiles at her Holder as she continues to chew on her pastry. She swallows before replying, "Understood, my Q-... Zoe."
Well... Old habits die hard.
Still... It was nice not addressing someone too formally.
For the first time in the Bee Kwami's life, this was the sweetest teatime she has ever partakes in.
Now what pastry shall she eat next...?