Work Text:
Zoe walked down the hallway of her apartment in the dark, one hand trailing along the wall to guide her. She walked slowly, slippered feet dragging across the hardwood floors, too tired to do much else.
It had been a long week, more stressful than any she could remember in recent history, and all she wanted to do was sleep. The thought crossed her mind that maybe she was getting a little too old for all the events and late nights and stress that her job afforded her, but she couldn’t give it up. Her job was who she was now, and she loved it despite everything.
She didn’t bother with the light when she reached the kitchen, moving to set water to boil by touch and what little she could see by the sparse moonlight through the window. Harold had given her a tin of tea a few days ago when she mentioned she hadn’t been sleeping well. He promised it would help relax her so she could sleep, and she hoped he was right.
The kettle whistled, the shrill noise overly loud in her large, empty apartment. She winced at the sound, but set about making the tea. In just a few minutes, she had a steaming cup in hand as she made her way back to her bedroom.
She sat in the bed, breathing in the admittedly soothing aroma of the tea for a few minutes before she dared to taste it. It wasn’t too bad, a little more syrupy than she’d expected, but more than palatable. She willed herself to relax as she drank it.
Her eyelids were drooping by the time she set the mug on the bedside table, the urge to close her eyes completely and just melt into the warmth of her bed almost overwhelming, and she had to smile a bit. It seemed Harold had been correct about the tea.
Finally, she’d be able to sleep.