Everglow | on hiatus.

everglow: twenty

Harry and Nia are sharing a kiss when the chef politely clears her throat as the meal is wrapping up.

The two of them gently pull away and Harry completely flushes warm pink. He hasn't felt this shy on a date before and it's making him a little concerned.

This still feels very brand new and somewhat comforting. The chef politely gestures at them to join her as she chops up fresh basil and hands it to them.

"Okay lovers, sprinkle this into your almost cooked meal," she urges them.

The word lovers makes Nia nervously giggle. She's not sure they're there yet. Again, there's no label but why does she feel so awkward about hearing that word?

"We're just on a date," she nervously blurts out.

This makes Harry raise an eyebrow at her and he notices she's nervous. On a normal day, he'd be a little hurt but for the first time, he sympathises with her nerves.

It's almost endearing and he unexpectedly giggles.

"Okay...cooking now," he speaks up to ease the nerves.

"Yes. Do we just throw this in?" Nia asks.

"Sprinkle, never throw in beauty," Chef Nadia warns with affection.

"Sorry, sprinkle with care and all, yeah?" she asks, clearing her throat.

"Like....like this?" Harry asks, delicately sprinkling the chopped basil into the meal.

It's a musical movement and Nia gets carried away as she watches him. A little nudge from Nadia brings her back to the present and she slowly repeats the action.

The aroma of the delicious meal dances in the air and she smiles at how thoughtful this whole experience has been. It's largely intimate but more thoughtful than anything else.

Without being told, Harry picks up a fork and twirls a noodle. He leans in close with a little smile and Nia just stares at him.

"Are we allowed to taste it?" she asks with a chuckle.

"Do whatever you want, you darlings," Nadia smiles at him.

"Okay....open up," he encourages, attempting to stay light-hearted.

Nia lightly parts her lips and he feeds her the pasta. The flavour explodes in her mouth and she widens her eyes in shock. It is delicious and she slowly chews.

Harry notices her expression and he's even more endeared.

"Wow....shit, this is good," Nia says with a mouthful of pasta.

"I'm glad, now I will serve and give you two the space you need," Nadia announces, twirling the pasta onto a large serving plate.

The couple or duo or whatever they want to call themselves, just stand in silence and watch her plate their shared meal.

It's been a while since they shared a romantic meal and it's digging up amazing memories for them. Once she's done, the plate is placed before them and she hands them their cutlery.

There's a bottle of a non-alcoholic drink available to be shared because Harry is still not allowed to drink. Once the chef is done, she gives them a bow and smiles.

"Thank....thank you," he speaks.

"And thank you for having me. Have a wonderful night, you deserve it." she blows them kisses and gently walks away.

Once they're alone in the living space that's been set up for their intimate evening, they stare at each other in silence.

Nia brings her hand to caress his visible tattoos and she cannot stop herself from smiling.