Handsome Uncle

"Uncle, can you come with me to the minimarket?" Salvia asked as she opened Devan's bedroom door.

Devan, her uncle who had been staying with her for the past month while her parents were abroad for work, he looked up from his laptop.

"I'm busy," he replied sharply, his eyes filled with annoyance at his niece's impolite behavior. But she ignored him and walked in, approaching her uncle who was engrossed in his work. She didn't care; she wanted him to accompany her to buy snacks.

It wasn't too late in the evening, and she was certainly brave enough to go to the minimarket in front of their housing alone, but she didn't want to. She wanted to go with Devan, who had been difficult to get close to over the past month. Whether he was truly busy or just avoiding her, she wasn't going to let him off this time. She was determined to get him to go out with her.

"Ugh, you're always pretending to be busy!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes, and sat on the edge of his bed with a pout. Devan didn't even glance away from his laptop, which made she wonder if the device was more interesting than her pretty face. She found it really annoying, especially since she was clearly attracted to her handsome and charming uncle.

Since the first time she saw Devan come to her house, Salvia had been captivated. She hoped to get close to her mother's younger brother. But he hardly looked at her, which made her feel both offended and curious about her new uncle, whom she had only met recently. He hadn't attended her father's wedding to her stepmother three years ago because he had been living abroad since college and had just returned a month ago.

 It was a coincidence that Salvia's parents had to leave for work while she couldn't go with them because she was in her senior year of high school and about to take her exams. So, Devan was asked to stay in the house with Salvia, which she saw as a blessing. Unfortunately, she still hadn't managed to get close to her uncle, who was too closed-off and cold. But she promised herself that she would make Devan hers.

"Uncle," Salvia called out, slightly whining. But Devan still ignored her, focused on his laptop screen. This made her pout even more and become angrier until she decided to do something to get her uncle's attention.

She reached over and closed his laptop. "Your work is done," she said, pointing to the now-closed laptop. "Now, come on, accompany me to the minimarket. My snacks are finished. Watching TV without munching isn't fun."

Devan looked at her with a mix of surprise and irritation but sighed and got up from his seat, deciding to go along with her request.

"Uncle, you can ride a motorbike, right?" Salvia asked as she turned to look at him, her smile widening when she realized that he seemed unfocused and a bit nervous.

"I can," Devan replied curtly before heading towards the motorbike in the garage, passing her by.

Salvia didn't follow immediately. She stayed where she was, waiting for Devan to get the motocycle. The minimarket wasn't far; it would take about fifteen minutes by foot. But she felt lazy and preferred using the motorbike, as it allowed her to hug her uncle during the ride.

"Get on," Devan instructed, and she happily complied, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Salvia!" Devan protested, but she tightened her grip around his waist, making him sigh in resignation as he started the motorbike and drove to the minimarket.

The sooner this was over, the better, according to him.

For Salvia, however, she didn't want this moment to end quickly. She found comfort in resting her head on Devan's back. Now she regretted suggesting just the nearby minimarket. If she had suggested that at the mall, she could have enjoyed this moment longer. But oh well, maybe next time.

"Is there anything you want to buy, Uncle?" Salvia asked, glancing at Devan, who was trailing behind her without picking anything from the shelves. Meanwhile, she had almost filled her shopping basket with her favorite snacks.

Devan didn't answer her question, but he added a few cans of beer to the basket she was holding. Then he took the basket full of snacks and headed to the cashier to get everything checked out. Salvia stood still for a moment before smiling and following Devan to the checkout counter.

"Add these too, please," Salvia said, handing two chocolate bars to the cashier who was scanning their items.

***************

"Uncle, you're not gonna pay?" Salvia glanced up at the tall figure next to her.

"Who dragged us here in the first place?" he replied with a casual smirk, making herpout.

"Well, maybe you could be a gentleman and pay for a girl's groceries."

"And I didn't even bring my wallet." he was so flustered by Salvia's actions that he forgot everything. He didn't even think about changing his sandals and shorts (home casual outfit). Luckily, the minimarket was close by and not crowded, so he didn't feel too embarrassed. Plus, it was already late evening, and the streets around the neighborhood were pretty empty.

Salvia didn't respond, choosing instead to pull out some money from her pocket and pay for all the groceries. After that, they left the minimarket, and Devan immediately started the motorbike to head back home, with her wrapping her arms around his waist again.

This time, Devan chose to let it be, knowing it was pointless to protest when she was so stubborn. His warnings had always gone unheeded. After living with the teenage girl for a month, he was well aware of his niece's hardheadedness. Her bold behavior wasn't new, but that kiss earlier—that was a first. Salvia had never gone that far, even though she often teased him. He usually ignored her, but this time was different. It bothered him, and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

What did she mean by kissing him?