Bound To You

Kabanata 1

We are not biological siblings.

Pareho kaming lumaki sa isang ampunan. Kaming dalawa ang pinakamatagal nang nakatira doon. We went to the same elementary school by the lake. It was a small poor school for poor students. We were the same age so we always went together. His name was Ivan.

One day, a man came to adopt Ivan. We were 13 years old. Bihira ang may umampon sa mga mas matatandang bata. Madalas, ang mga batang lumalampas na ng sampung taon ay sa ampunan na lumalaki hanggang sa tumungtong sila sa legal na edad at kusang umalis na ng ampunan.

The man wanted Ivan. I was devastated. The other kids at the orphanage were too young for my age so they see me as a mother figure. I don't really have a friend to have fun with except Ivan. But Ivan did something that I now wished he had never ever done in this life.

Ivan begged the man to adopt me as well. The man was not thrilled about it but he did not hate the idea. He wanted Ivan specifically so he did what he wanted. And so he took me too.

That man was Wayne Grayson IV. Nang ampunin kami nagbago rin ang apilyido namin. Pero para kay Ivan, buong pangalan nya ang nabago. Sya na si Wayne Grayson V, ang susunod na taga pagmana ng angkan ng aming bagong ama.

Mr. Grayson is a gay man. Beside that, he is infertile so he cannot produce a blood heir. He was the first born of his generation and the current chairman of the business so he had to adopt to not lose his power.

We were sent to prestigious schools but Ivan took more lessons. He even had after school classes at home. We both did our best to please and to not upset our new father. Having a parent for the first time, Ivan and I were obsessed of his approval. And we were good at getting it.

"I heard that you both are on the top of your class." panimula ni dad sa aming hapunan. I smiled proudly. I was the top and Ivan came second.

"Wayne you came second." It was a statement meant to be a question but he was smiling. Napansin ko ang pag iiba ng mood ni Ivan. Alam naming lahat na mataas ang expectation para kay Ivan.

"Anyway, good job guys. I should buy you gift as rewards. Tell me what you want."

Nang matapos ang hapunan sinundan ko si ivan papunta sa kwarto nya.

"Ivan, we can study together. Malay mo. Parehas tayong magtop." biro ko.

"That's what we always do anyway. It's fine. Tutulog na ako."

"Eh! Wag kang ganyan." Lambing ko.

"Laro muna tayo. Hm?"

"Laro?" I felt him becoming almost angry as if it was an absurd idea, but calmed himself down. Maybe I was insensitive of his feelings. I was selfish. I didn't know because what I really wanted was just to comfort him in my own way. Because eeing him upset makes me upset too.

"Fine. Let's go." Pabiro nyang ginulo ang huhok kohabang tinutulak ang ulo ko ako papunta sa kwarto nya.

I didn't know by then but Mr. Grayson took more favor of me than Ivan. But Ivan knows. I was happy every time our father would praise me or reward me. I felt loved. I would quietly stay with dad in his study to read while he work at home. He wouldn't mind but once in a while we would joke around and smile at each other.

I was good at everything. Ivan was too. But he was taking more lessons and more activities than me and there was constant pressure on everything that he does.

All in all Mr. Grayson was a caring father to us. He gave us everything we needed but as a busy business man, he was mostly away. And so Ivan and I are alone together most of the time.