Chapter 113: Aquarium Date
Ellen’s voice rang out through the bustling street, her arm waving enthusiastically in the air. "Co on, Mason!" she called, glancing back at him with a wide smile. Mason was walking leisurely behind her, his long steps not keeping up with her excited pace. She shook her head, laughing to herself as she waved again, urging him to hurry. The earlier discomfort on the bus completely forgotten as anticipation for their destination filled her.
Turning her attention forward, Ellen’s grin grew even wider as the towering building of the aquarium ca into view. It was massive, with colorful murals of sea creatures adorning its exterior. The sight instantly brought a sense of joy and nostalgia, reminding her of how much she loved aquariums as a child. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes gleaming at the sight before her. Mason, now catching up, stopped beside her and followed her gaze, his expression not quite matching hers.
"Aquarium?" Mason’s voice was flat, almost bewildered. He looked at her with raised brows, clearly not sharing the sa level of excitent.
Ellen turned to face him, nodding enthusiastically. "Yep! Isn’t it great?" Her voice was filled with excitent, her eyes practically sparkling.
Mason looked at the aquarium’s entrance, then back at Ellen, his expression serious. "Why are we going to an aquarium? It’s... embarrassing," he muttered, glancing around as if to see if anyone was watching them.
"There’s nothing embarrassing about two grown-ups visiting an aquarium," Ellen said, playfully nudging his arm. "Co on, didn’t you ever get excited about aquariums when you were a kid? It’s magical! You just have to release that feeling." She was all fired up, hoping her excitent would convince him
Mason’s lips twitched, but instead of softening, he surprised her with a blunt statent. "I’ve never been to an aquarium."
Ellen blinked, taken aback. "You must be joking," she said, staring at him as if he’d just said the most absurd thing in the world.
Mason shrugged, his face remaining neutral. "This is my first ti." He sounded nonchalant, but Ellen couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could soone go through their whole life without ever visiting an aquarium?
She looked at him, her brows furrowing with pity. "You must’ve had a rough childhood," she said, her voice soft with sympathy.
Mason narrowed his eyes at her, and before she could react, he flicked her forehead with his fingers. "Don’t make any assumptions," he remarked. "Now, are we going inside or not?" He turned on his heel and began walking toward the entrance without waiting for her response.
Ellen stood there for a second, stunned, her hand instinctively flying up to her forehead where he had flicked her. She touched the spot gently, blinking in surprise before her lips curled into a small smile. "Hey, wait for !" she called after him, jogging to catch up.
Ellen finally caught up to Mason as they entered the cool, dimly lit aquarium. The light blue glow from the massive tanks washed over them. Ellen’s eyes were wide with wonder as she eagerly scanned the first tank they passed, filled with bright, darting tropical fish.
Mason followed behind her, his hands still tucked into his jacket pockets. He seed more reserved, his eyes taking in the scene around them with mild curiosity, but without the sa childlike excitent that lit up Ellen’s face. He trailed a few steps behind as she wandered from one tank to another, stopping every few monts to press her face close to the glass, marveling at the creatures inside. A stingray glided gracefully past one window, and Ellen gasped, pointing at it with the enthusiasm of a little kid.
"Look, Mason!" she called, waving him over. He strolled up beside her, glancing briefly at the stingray before giving a small nod.
"Yeah, I see it," he said, his tone cool but not dismissive. He watched her more than the stingray, noticing how her eyes sparkled as they road over the underwater scene in front of them.
They continued through the winding pathways of the aquarium, Ellen practically bouncing from exhibit to exhibit. She stopped in front of a tank filled with jellyfish, their translucent bodies pulsing rhythmically as they floated through the water. "Aren’t they incredible?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Mason was still with her.
"They’re... interesting," Mason replied, standing a few steps back, observing more than engaging. He wasn’t bored, but his excitent level was miles behind Ellen’s. Still, sothing about her enthusiasm made it hard for him to look away.
Finally, they reached the highlight of the aquarium—a massive shark tank. Ellen’s eyes widened in awe as she stared up at the sleek, powerful creatures gliding effortlessly through the water. They moved with such grace that it was easy to forget how dangerous they were. She stood there for a mont, completely captivated by the sight.
"So?" she asked after a few seconds of silence. "How’s the first impression?" Her voice was light, teasing, as she turned to face Mason.
Mason crossed his arms over his chest, his expression still composed. "Colorful," he replied with the sa nonchalant tone as before, though there was a glimr of amusent in his eyes.
Ellen laughed, shaking her head. "You’re hopeless," she teased, but her tone was affectionate. Then, after a mont of silence, she asked again, "What did you do when you were a kid? You know, for fun?"
Mason’s answer was as casual as if he were comnting on the weather. "Traveling, skiing, horse riding, that sort of thing."
"Oh," Ellen managed, feeling slightly out of place for a mont. "That’s... wow. I didn’t know about all that." She glanced at the shark tank again, trying to regain her composure. "But, you know, going to the aquarium is still important! There’s so much you can learn here. Imagine our kids... they could learn so much from a place like this."
Mason turned his head sharply, raising an eyebrow at her. "Our kids?" he repeated.
Ellen’s face turned bright red as she realized what she had just said. Her heart raced, and she quickly waved her hands in front of her, stumbling over her words. "Oh, no, no! I ant... you know, like, my kids and... your kids... separately. Not... not our kids together," she rambled, clearly flustered by her own slip-up.
Mason didn’t seem convinced. His lips curved into a teasing smirk as he watched her, amusent flickering in his eyes. "Is that so?" he asked, his voice low and slightly challenging.
Ellen gulped, her cheeks burning as she avoided his gaze, her mind scrambling for a way to recover. "Oh! Look at that turtle over there!" She pointed and hurried off, leaving Mason chuckling softly.
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