Clio Stormhell ( Completed ) ( BL )

Chapter 23

Clio

All he said was too much to take, I wanted to ask more but I couldn't because Calliope just got into the kitchen asking me to draw with her like we used to. She got bored playing with the phone. I laid out all the crayons and paper we had at home, most of the crayons are broken and some are missing or duplicated.

“ Kuya Zilas, do you want to draw with us? ” She asked Zilas when she noticed how stiff he was sitting on the couch just watching us, he nodded his head and went to the floor so he could draw. My daughter gave him a piece of paper and moved the crayons closer to his reach.

“ What should we draw? ” He asked Calliope while taking quick glances at me. That conversation we had just made us awkward. I don't like this feeling.

“ Anything po, you can draw anything. ” Sagot ni Calliope as she started scribbling something on the paper. I grab a crayon and draw whatever picture I can visualize in my head.

“ Anything. ” Zilas murmured as he grabbed a crayon and started drawing.

We drew and drew for about an hour before we finally decided to stop and show our piece to everybody. Calliope showed her artwork first, it was a drawing of three stickman holding crayons and they were smiling. There's also the classic sun, clouds, trees, and flowers in the background.

“ This is my papa, tapos si kuya Zilas and si Calliope. ” She pointed to each stickman. My daughter had a huge smile on her face like a proud painter who showcased her artwork to the crowd.

“ That's beautiful sweetpie, look at that. You even got my blue eyes.” Zilas clapped his hand as he was complimenting my daughter's art. He was pointing out details about him and how good it was.

“ That's really nice nak, lagay natin 'yan sa wall.” I tried grabbing her paper but she took a step back as if she doesn't want to give it.

“ Papa, show your drawing muna tapos lagay natin sa wall after. ” Calliope gushed in excitement as she awaits to see what I have drawn in my paper

“ Uhm.. Sige. This is what I drew ” I showed my paper “ this is papa and Calliope playing out in the sun.”

It's basically a drawing of two stickman holding hands, one being smaller with a lollipop in the hand and smiling out in the sun. I had those classic sky and trees like Calliope does but I added a little detail of mine like grass and roads, also a silly vendor selling lollipops behind us.

“ Where's kuya Zilas?” She innocently asked looking at Zilas and back to me again. Do I have to include him in my drawing? I thought I can draw anything?

“ Ano kasi, this drawing hindi pa natin na meet si kuya Zil—”

“ Kuya?!” Zilas cut me off as if he couldn't believe I called him kuya. His brow met each other giving his forehead those folds.

“ You don't want to be called Kuya?” Sabat naman ni Calliope sa narinig. I saw how Zilas face relaxed with a slight panic visible in his expression.

“  I wa.... I want to be called kuya by Calliope. I was just shocked. ” He  awkwardly chuckle in front of her.

“In this drawing we haven't met KUYA Zilas, yet.” I emphasize the word 'kuya' to teased him more. He looks cute when angry.

“ Kuya Zilas, your turn!” Calliope pointed at Zilas and his paper.

He sat straight held his paper near his chest to show us what he's done, it was decent if you ask me. It's not a stickman but it wasn't realism. Parang cartoons lang, he drew three of us with Calliope in the middle. It's just a small detail but I saw rings on our fingers in his drawing, it was as if we are a big happy family.

“ In this drawing, papa Clio, Zilas, and Calliope are on the mall buying stuff for..... Guess who?” He asked Calliope with a smile on his face. My daughter stop to think.

“ For a dog ba? ” She guessed which made Zilas shook his head which means she was wrong.

“ For a cat? ” She took another guess but Zilas had the same head movement, it was not it.

“ For who?” My daughter is now confused, two wrong guesses already made her give up.

Zilas set his paper aside and scooped Calliope up in the air as if she doesn't weigh anything, my body moved on its own and was about to steal my daughter away from him but he immediately had her rest in his arms. I almost had a heart attack when I saw how he scooped her out. I was ready to knock him out if he drop Calliope.

“ It's you, I'm taking you to the mall so we can buy toys and lots of things you like.” He answered with a huge smile on his face.

“ Really?! Pupunta tayo mall?!” She asked in pure excitement. I just took Calliope for shopping not long ago, she doesn't need anything for now. I'm sure she has every toy, doll, and crayon that she likes.

“ Of course, I would never lie. Let's go. ” I saw how he walked towards the daughter with my daughter in his arms. Pumagitna agad ako sa pinto at kay Zilas.

“ You'd come to, come on. ” He gently pushed me aside so he could step out of the door but I couldn't let him go to the mall wearing something revealing like that, and my daughter is literally in her pambahay.

“ What? ” Tanong niya when I grabbed him in the arm.

“ Let's have you two dressed up in nice clothing. ” Sabi ko, they're not wearing the appropriate attire. I can't let them leave. Kinuha ko si Calliope mula sa kaniya, I placed my daughter in my right arm and my left was holding Zilas by the wrist. Dinala ko silang dalawa sa kuwarto.

Zilas is wearing nothing but shorts and black long sleeves, his sleeves are fine pero his shorts aren't. I scavenge through my closet hoping to find that one pants. Nakita ko 'yun in the deepest part of my closet, I pulled it out along with a belt. The waist of this pant will not fit Zilas but the length will.

“ Here, soutin mo. ” Pag bigay ko sa kaniya ng maong kung pantalon. It's mine when I was in highschool, hindi ko na nagawang itapon since ayos pa naman.

“ Why do you own this? I know it won't fit you, ” he asked.

“ It's mine when I was in highschool. Soutin mo 'yan at if the waist is too big for you, tighten it up with the belt.”