CHOCOLATE
Merry Christmas, guys! 🎄❤️
Haven't Had (Ambrose & Aiane)
Everything starts at something, no matter how trivial that something is.. it could spark up an idea for a conversation or just about anything.
"Ambrose," Aiane called, not looking up from the book she was reading. "as a nephelim, what are the things that you haven't experienced but wanted?"
"Where's this question coming from, curious girl?"
"Here." she pointed at her head, still not looking up. "Come on, answer me."
"Hmm.." Ambrose search through his made of the things he haven't done yet. "There are a lot actually."
Aiane hummed in reply, waiting for what Ambrose was to say next.
It took awhile, Aiane had to look up from the book she was so immersed reading.
"Wow." she deadpanned. "There must really be a lot."
"Because there are, curious girl."
"Okay, then let me hear it."
Ambrose cleared his throat and shifted on his seat, he crossed his legs and held up his hand. "First," he folded his thumb, "I haven't tried mountain climbing or hiking yet."
Aiane furrowed her brows, eyes still focused on the book. "That's already given, Ambrose." Aiane stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "You're a nephelim."
"Huwag ka nga'ang panira sa mga gusto ko'ng gawin."
"Fine."
"Okay, next," he folded his index finger this time, "haven't had a taste of alcohol."
Agad napa-angat ang tingin ni Aiane sa nephelim. With her big, doe and curious eyes, she asked, "Really?"
"Really."
"Then I must be a nephelim, too."
Ambrose frowned at her direction, looking down at Aiane who was still busy reading the book she's been reading since early this morning. "And why is that?"
"Because I have not had alcohol either."
Natawa naman si Ambrose sa rason ng teenager na si Aiane. It amuses him how she can be and think mature, whenever it is necessary but still acts like a kid she really was.
"It's not that, Aiane. Besides, alcohol is definitely not for minors." Ambrose lectured. "You're, what, thirteen?"
"Exactly. I'm already a teenager."
"But still a minor."
"I'm old enough to have a sip."
"No, you aren't. Thirteen is still so young to be even drinking alcohol."
"Thirteen is old enough to start making decisions on your own."
Ambrose sighed. The girl was surely not the one to back out on an argument. "Aiane, you're a totally different case for someone who's around your age."
"So I've been told."
"You're mature enough to make certain choices more than that of your peers." Ambrose pointed out. "But there are times, Aiane, that your being a teenager does come out without your knowledge."
"What do you mean?"
"You're still a kid, Aiane." at that, Aiane's beautiful face crumpled like a paper. "Don't give me that look, it's the truth."
"You—"
"Anyway!" Ambrose interrupted, if he didn't the conversation was just going to be longer than necessary. Aiane would just go on about how she's not a kid anymore. For all he knows, her being sensitive with the idea mainly involves a certain Enzo Heath. Kids. "Shall I continue now, missy?"
Aiane sighed, completely defeated. "Fine. Go ahead."
"Thank you." Ambrose held up his hand and folded his middle finger along with the first two fingers he folded earlier. "Don't laugh at what I'm about to say next."
"Why would I laugh?"
"Because I think it's.." he paused. "I think it's something to be laughed at?"
"I won't laugh." she assured him. "Not unless you want me to laugh at it."
Hindi na pinansin ni Ambrose ang sinasabi ng dalaga. "I haven't had chocolates before and I.." he looked away, cheeks suddenly flushing red. "I wanted to know what and how it tastes."
Aiane bit the inside of her cheek, fighting the urge to even smile.
Ambrose glanced at her briefly before sighing, "Go ahead. Laugh."
Still biting her cheek, she shook her head as she fought hard to stop the smile threatening to escape her lips.
"But seriously, I don't know why I haven't had chocolates before."
Aiane calmed herself, did breathing exercise before heaving a sigh. "Yea, I mean, how old are you, anyway?"
"Don't remind me."
Aiane chuckled, reaching for the backpack she somehow managed to brought with her. She easily zipped her bag open and rummaged through what's inside. She knew she had chocolates with her, just around her bag somewhere.
If there are a lot of things she has got from her Mom, one of her favourites were her love for chocolates. And so, Aiane, like her Mom, almost always see to it that she has a chocolate or two with her wherever she goes.
May biglang nahagip ang kamay niya, kumaluskos at medyo may kalambutan na. She immediately grabbed it and asked Ambrose, "But do you want to have it?"
"Of course." Ambrose looked at her direction, she tried not giving herself away by pretending to look around her bag. "A taste would be fine."
Aiane pulled her hand out and handed a pack of Cadbury to him. "Here. It's the only one left."
Ambrose stared at her for a second or two before glancing down at the chocolate bar on top of the table.
"What's this?" inabot nito ang Cadbury at pinakatitigan, inikot-ikot pa ang tsokolate bago ulit tumingin kay Aiane. "Don't tell me.."
"It's what you want."
Binasa ni Ambrose ang nakasulat sa wrap ng chocolate at nanlaki agad ang mata nito. "Aiane, you—"
"You're welcome."
"This is.."
Ambrose couldn't find the words to say. He was speechless, in his hand was something he's been wanting to have even just a little taste of it.
And Aiane gave it to him, despite her love for chocolates herself.
"I couldn't," he put the chocolate bar down and pushed it back to her, "you love chocolates, I couldn't have this."
Aiane pushed it back to him, too. "Mama has a lot of those at home. I could ask for it anytime. You can have it."
"But—"
"No buts." Aiane said with finality, he didn't want to argue. "Go on, open it."
Reluctantly, Ambrose carefully opened the chocolate wrapping. It looked really enticing enough to eat.
Aiane waited, she didn't want to disrupt Ambrose's first moment with a chocolate bar.
Dahan-dahan kumagat ang nephelim sa tsokolate, ninanamnam ang bawat nguya bago nanlalaki ang matang tumingin sa kanya.
"This is divine!"
Malawak na ngumiti si Aiane. It was fascinating to see a nephelim react like this to a chocolate. "I'm glad you like it, Ambrose."
