Chocolate

"Dad told the neighbors that Raymond was our cousin who came to live, so they didn't have to ask any more questions when they saw Raymond," dad said after taking a sip of a cup of water.

Ravi glanced at Raymond who was eating pasta in front of him voraciously as if he hadn't eaten for a long time. It's like not caring that people are talking about it in the middle of this dinner table.

Ravi turned his gaze to a plate of scotch egg in front of him that stayed a piece with melted ketchup on it. He sliced and stuffed it into his mouth, feeling the ground meat and boiled eggs fused in his mouth. Ravi wiped the sauce that soiled his lips with a handkerchief. "Dad, I'll clean up the empty room above later."

Dad nodded, but his mother responded after arranging the dishes on the shelf. "Daniel can help Ravi, right?"

"You can, Mom," Daniel replied sitting next to Ravi who had just finished his meal.

"No need, Daniel. This morning you said you wanted to check out the restaurant this afternoon," Ravi refused because he was able to do it. It's just cleaning the rooms here and there.

Daniel nodded his head. "Yes, that's right. But I can't leave Ravi with-."

"Just go Daniel," cut his father firmly without turning his head towards Daniel.

"Yes, Dad," Daniel resigned and continued to eat. Ravi got uplifting his dishes into the sink and washed them.

"Raymond wants to add pasta?" asked his father looking at Raymond who had just pushed his empty plate forward.

Raymond raised his face with his mouth filled with pasta sauce. Ravi wanted to dart there giving a tissue but Daniel had already done it and muttered, "Like a child."

"No, Uncle. I'm full. Thank you," Raymond replied to dad.

"Dad, Mom, Daniel. I'm upstairs, if you need something, you just need to scream as usual."

Mom laughed at what Ravi had just said. "Usually up to more than five times, Ravi can only come down to help Mom."

Ravi just smiled and began to climb the wooden stairs. He felt the smell of fresh rain and the faint smell of chocolate walking behind him. Ravi learns that Raymond is following and he doesn't mind it, maybe it will feel awkward for Ravi to be around strangers in his own home, but Ravi will get used to it.

After opening the door to the empty room in front of his room, Ravi immediately shifted the window open so that fresh air filled the room that had not been used for a long time. Ravi turned around and saw Raymond still in the doorway. "Why?"

"I didn't sleep in Ravi's room?" asked Raymond directly.

Ravi coughed slightly at Raymond's question that was suddenly already beside him gently rubbing Ravi's back, making Ravi quickly shift away. It's really strange, Ravi shouldn't be acting like this. "Don't touch me, anyway I never sleep with other people in the same room and I'm not used to it."

"Why Ravi? Raymond wants to protect Ravi," he said twirling the hem of his black T-shirt as he looked at Arghi with his begging gaze.

"Yes, but I am not in danger now. What to protect? I'm fine, don't overdo it." Ravi said to Raymond as he looked up to see him back.

Raymond shook his head slightly, his messy black hair dancing softly in the wind coming from the window. "I want to be with Ravi."

"Your room is here, Raymond," Ravi said, ignoring the sentence Raymond had just thrown at him.

"Yes, Ravi," he said standing as if he still did not accept Ravi's decision.

"I want to ask you something?" asked Ravi, picking up some pillows in the closet and placing them on a neat mattress.

"Just ask Ravi."

"Why are your wing feathers sharp?"

"Sharp? Ravi touched it? It shouldn't be sharp on Ravi," Raymond said, starting to panic and watching Ravi's fingers grasping the end of the pillow.

"No, not me, but Daniel. When I touch it it's very subtle and there should be nothing wrong with it."

Raymond breathed a sigh of relief while stroking his chest. "The feather will not be able to hurt Ravi and Ray himself. For others, it will be sharp when it hits the skin."

Ravi frowned. "Why is it like that?"

"It's a form of self-defense, Ravi. To protect Ravi and me."

Ravi nodded softly he glanced at Raymond first and then asked carefully. "Why did you reject the girl?"

Ravi observed the change in Raymond's expression after he asked this, Raymond shook his head and replied, "I will hurt him because there is not enough space that can be filled here for him." Raymond pointed at his chest and continued, "Because it's all full of Ravi and Ravi has Ray completely. It's never been in my mind to be with anyone else."

Ravi snorted at the last sentence. "You are not an item. You can do whatever you want."

"But I am like that, Ravi. More than the low of the item Ravi meant," he whispered as he looked down watching his long-moving toes.

This time Ravi's curiosity for Raymond before he came here broke into Ravi's chest. The question was already on the tip of his tongue, but Ravi had to swallow it again when he saw a few drops of tears falling on the floor coming from Raymond. Is he remembering his past?

"Why are you, Raymond? Can you tell me?" Ravi came to Raymond's side.

Raymond shook his head. "No, Ravi. I haven't."

All right, Ravi won't force it. He patted Raymond on the back softly and smiled faintly. "You wait here for a while, I'll pick up something in my room. It won't belong."

Raymond raised his face and then he nodded but was still unwilling by Ravi's departure who left himself alone here, with which Ravi left immediately and returned quickly. The look on Raymond's face quickly changed when Ravi returned to his side and Raymond's body leaned slightly towards Ravi.

Ravi's Adam's Adam's Apple moved up and down, it should mean nothing, but his heart suddenly beat fast. Ravi grabbed Raymond's wrist which was bigger than his and gave Raymond a pack of chocolate in the palm of his hand.

"What is this, Ravi?" Raymond's brow furrowed full of question marks.

"Chocolate," Ravi said lightly. He knew that Raymond didn't feel good before and Ravi hoped that the chocolate he gave him would make him better.

"For me?" Raymond looked from among the chocolates in his hand and then at Ravi and back again at the chocolate.

Ravi nodded, but when he found out Raymond didn't see it, Ravi immediately said. "Yes, Raymond."

Ravi noticed a blush crawling up from Raymond's neck towards his cheeks instantly, making Ravi stand restlessly. "Give it to me, I'll unwrap it for you."

Raymond carelessly gave it to him, Ravi immediately opened the chocolate and immediately gave it to Raymond and Ravi realized Raymond was paying attention to him.

"Ravi wants to too?"

"No, it's for you."

Raymond only blinked once, his eyes brightened even brighter when he was hit by the afternoon light from the window. Raymond's eyes looked down again watching the floor, he slowly bit his brown tip with an expression as if he had never eaten it before.

Ravi knew he didn't eat the chocolate bar just now, but he could smell the dense chocolate smell spreading in front of him as if wrapping Ravi tightly and hovering in the air making Ravi inevitably have to breathe it deeply because he suddenly liked it very much.

"Ravi, the chocolate is sweet. Like Ravi."

Thank you for reading