Charming the heart of a man is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Especially when it's already bewitched by somebody else - literally!
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All that former witch-in-training Avalon wanted was a simple job to get her life back on track and forget abo...
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They ate their cones filled with icey cold and creamy goodness, talked about pretty much everything but Nina and aimlessly strolled along the streets. Davi was busy munching away on his strawberry and vanilla flavoured scoops, half the time doing his best to stop the melting ice cream from dropping to the ground. Neymar had finished his ice in record time; probably so that he could do his fatherly duties and keep his son from getting himself completely dirty without having to worry about his own ice cream melting away in the process.
Avalon's own cone had also diminished in size by the time they'd walked into the street they'd parked the car in when driving to the restaurant. Davi, upon seeing their car a few metres down the street, hopped along the sidewalk that was thankfully empty of other people; lest they get sprinkled with melted ice cream drops flinging off the child's cone as he ran.
Neymar and Avalon smiled when Davi had reached the car and now leaned against his door, licking the ice as he waited for the grown-ups to catch up.
"Thanks, by the way. For earlier at the aquarium," Neymar said, surprising Avalon; she hadn't expected him to pick up the conversation again. He gave her a timid glance when she'd turned her head to look at him in question. "I just... I had to talk to someone and... I don't know why. It felt right to tell you. Was it okay to tell you?" he quickly asked in an unsure tone. "I didn't overstep any boundaries, did I? I thought that, because it's about Davi's mom, that you should–"
"Neymar." Avalon tilted her head, interrupting his babbling. She gave him a genuine, reassuring smile that supported her next words, "Of course it's okay. It's a difficult situation. And if you ever need help with anything just let me know, all right?"
He nodded, breathing out heavily. "Thanks. Again." A few steps before reaching Davi he stopped, turning toward her in full. She halted as well, wondering what else he wanted to say. "Not just for today but for being here, in general. I mean it." He glanced toward his son. "I see Davi and... all things considered, he's happy as can be. And not just because we were at the aquarium. Because you're with us." He smiled and scratched his neck; something he did whenever he felt bashful or shy or lost for words, she realised. "I haven't seen him gush about someone the way he does with you. Even more so than with his aunt or uncles. And Rafa and Gil are his usual partners in crime!"
Avalon's heart fluttered; it did that a lot, she figured, when she was around her boss. "What can I say?" she said, deciding to downplay his compliment by being cheeky. "I'm gushing material, it seems. Besides, I'm pretty much smitten with him too."
Again, Neymar smiled softly at that. Then he pursed his lips in contemplation and glanced at her hand still holding the last remnants of her ice cream. "So, is that another criterion to get one of those?"
Avalon lifted an eyebrow, glancing down at her cone. She took it into her other hand, eyeing it from all sides. "I don't get what being smitten has got to do with ice cream but if you throw that shop girl back there a smile I'm sure she'll give you another scoop."
