MISTLETOE
Exclusive Whispers (Asher & Flame)
"We're best friends."
Was the constant reminder of why they never really see each other.
They were labelled as "best friends." And that's just it. Their affection towards each other was what every best friends should have; completely platonic.
After all these years, they have been the best of friends. But people would always know just the right way to make things awkward for their decades of friendship.
"Ooh, you're finally here!" Ezra chirped beside him, derailing his train of thought. "Somebody here has been real grumpy." his cousin elbowed him too hard on his ribs, he thinks it might've broke. "What took you so long?"
Flame shot him a questioning look before taking her seat across from where he was. "Sorry, I needed to look for the twins first. Mom and Dad had an urgent matter."
"Ayun naman pala, Ash, eh!" his cousin teased, grinning at his direction. "'Wag ka na raw magtampo."
He rolled his eyes on her before looking straight at Aiden, who was sitting next to Ezra— his cousin might be annoying most of the time, but he still cares for her so much he couldn't just really trust the guy that easily. At least not for the time being. "Please hold your girlfriend's reigns, Aiden. Lumuluwag na naman ata ang turnilyo ng pinsan ko."
Isang malakas na hampas ang naging sagot ni Ezra. Mahinang tumawa lang naman ang lalaki sa likod nito bago hinagkan ang tuktok ng ulo ng pinsan.
The thing about his cousin, there are times when she feel like she's brave enough not to care whether or not Aiden would see her at her worst. And then there are times when she's all shy around the guy that she started acting all demure, as if she ain't annoying the hell out of their lives, at all.
Girls.
"Aalis pa ba tayo?" Enzo asked in a bored tone, eyes fixated on his cellphone screen, fingers busy tapping briskly. "O mag-aasaran nalang kayo rito?"
"Oh, please, brother," Ezra snorted in an unsophisticated manner. "Athena ain't going nowhere. Why are you always impatient?"
Enzo didn't answer.
Typical.
"Tara na," he finally rose to his heel, "bago pa magdilim ang mukha ni Pareng Zeus."
Nasa hulihan siya naglalakad, sinusundan kung saan papunta ang pinsan na nangunguna sa kanila sa paglilibot-libot.
"To whom are you buying the gifts for?" Flame was walking beside him, her sudden inquisition startling him. "Gulat na gulat, Ash, ha? Do you take me for a ghost?"
Nahihiyang nagbaling siya ng tingin. "No. I just.. didn't know you were there all this time."
"I've always been here." she told him. "Right where I should be.."
His brows furrowed.
"... beside you."
His heart, out of nowhere, started thumping fast and hard inside his chest so loud he thinks everybody around would hear.
