If there is one thing Iris learned from her parents, it's that she should never be afraid to believe in fairy tales.
It was a sentiment that stuck with her while growing up and something she saw firsthand, having a mom and a dad who loved each other and showed it every day. Seeing fairy tales come to life in the house she grew up in, it wasn't hard for Iris to believe in the same thing.
When she was five, her fairy tale was Barbie in the Nutcracker. Iris donned tutus (in pink and silver and gold) and danced and sang to The Sugar Plum Princess for days on end.
When she was ten, it was pop sensation Britney Spears. Iris admired the effortless whip of her hair and incredible dance moves, and often listened to her songs in the iPod Touch her parents got her for her birthday.
When she turned twelve, it became Alyssa Pandaco, her classmate and close friend. They'd spend hours talking on the phone, with nothing to say really, and Iris's heartbeats learned to pound rapidly as soon as the phone rang. She would cover the screen where the caller ID flashed, bite her lip, slowly remove her hand, and giggle when she saw Alyssa's number.
Her crush would stay with her, but she made room in her heart for different kinds of fairy tales too. Iris was naturally curious and the world was her oyster— add to that a dad who supported her every whim, Iris has probably done it all. Ballet and piano lessons, photography, sketching and painting workshops, and of course, cooking and baking. Having grown up around professional kitchens, Iris could make a variety of dishes and desserts: from a Duck Pâté en Croûte to baklavas and chocolate soufflé, all from scratch.
When she was sixteen, after Iris and Alyssa have been classmates for four consecutive years, Alyssa pulled her in a corner and said, "Iris...friends lang tayo ha? Inaasar kasi nila tayo. Pero friends tayo, okay?" Alyssa sounded so kind, like she was just telling Iris there was apple juice in the canteen, so Iris just nodded and offered a tight-lipped smile. Okay, friends tayo.
But she was devastated. She lost interest in the fairy tales she once loved, except for her sketchbook. There were days where all she would do was lie down in their garden, sketching the sky and the birds and anything that caught her eye. Drawing became her solace and it kept her mind occupied enough not to think about Alyssa.
When the time came to choose a college major, it was an easy decision for Iris. I want to take Fine Arts, she told her parents. Her mom nodded, kissed her cheek, and told her how proud they were already. They knew of Alyssa and how Iris tried hard to feel her emotions. Needless to say, they were glad Iris still had a bit of fairy tale left to believe in.
Iris thought of all of this as she watched her boyfriend play with the bubbles inside the bathtub she was in.
Ko's brows were furrowed, like he was doing a science experiment instead of swirling soap in his hands. It made Iris laugh softly.
When she started college, it became kind of an inside joke among her friends that Iris was set on looking for a girlfriend. Alyssa might not have felt the same way, yeah, but Iris knew she was likable, interesting, and devastatingly cute — there's no way everyone else would reject her too. Who knew she'd find a boyfriend instead, though?
"Tamis ng ngiti ah," Ko said. Iris smiled and shook her head. She knew she got really lucky. Ko was the kind of person who not only was able to, but demanded the butterflies in her stomach to flutter.
He was her new fairy tale. And the best kind.
She felt giddy just thinking of him, just being near him, and now, with her in the tub and Ko just outside of it, she practically had to bite her lip to keep herself from squealing.
She wonders sometimes if Ko knows what this feels like. If he felt the same way as her. So she often liked to test the theory out. It's just that, she's always the one who gets flustered first.
Maybe not this time, Iris thought. "Ko, pakuha yung towel please." She asked. Ko stood up and grabbed the towel from the hook on the door. He spread it out for Iris who stood up from the tub. Iris expected Ko to look, but his head was turned away. Iris liked how Ko didn't assume he could stare, though she certainly wouldn't mind. She kissed his cheek as thank you and sauntered to the room.
Iris sat on the sofa chair with her head dangling backwards, while Ko settled himself on the velvet ottoman behind her and helped dry her hair with a smaller towel.
"Ang bango ng buhok mo. Amoy mansanas din." Ko commented absent-mindedly. "It's green apple!" Iris answered. Her favorite shampoo scent.
"Ang bango talaga." She felt Ko sniff her hair and she laughed. "You can use it too if you want. Madami akong baon."
"Mukha nga." Ko continued drying her hair. It was so affectionate and intimate and tender that it made Iris sleepy. She closed her eyes for a bit and breathed deeply.
***
An hour later, they started watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Iris's recent favorite movie.
One of the couple's flashbacks was on-screen and Iris was quietly wiping her tears. She couldn't help but think loudly. "Grabe 'no? They had each other erased from their memories pero even after that, they still found a way to fall in love again."
Ko turned to her. "Tingin ko gano'n din tayo." Iris swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"Kasi, naisip ko lang, ano ba 'yong chance na magta-transfer din ako sa saktong college kung sa'n ka nag-aaral? Tapos kahit siguro hindi kayo nagbakasyon rito, sa ISBA pa rin ako matutuloy. Tapos makikilala pa rin kita." Ko's gaze on her had turned solemn and so tender. "Hindi naman ako naghahanap ng girlfriend pero kung ikaw yun, siyempre hindi ako tatanggi."
Iris pouted. Ko could be deathly romantic sometimes. She snuggled closer to him in bed and she felt him kiss the top of her head.
They probably had thirty minutes left of the movie to watch but Iris was breathless. She could feel Ko playing with the hem of her tiny, lace shorts and his fingers ignited little electric bolts everywhere it touched.
She looked at Ko from the corner of her eye and still found him engrossed in the movie. Iris bit her lip and squirmed a bit but Ko kept his fingertips on her skin.
"Ko..." She couldn't help but call for him. "Hmm?" Ko tore his gaze away from the TV and looked at his girlfriend.
He was met with a flushed face and shallow breaths. It was the same look Iris had the first time he touched the skin on her waist.
Iris licked her lips. She wanted to feel him.
Ko leaned in and held her chin gently before giving her a kiss. Iris whimpered and Ko's hands slowly wandered inside her shirt.
Moments later, Ko was trailing kisses down her neck while she gripped his hair. She felt Ko's hands on the top of her thigh again and she wriggled to get closer to his touch.
Ko didn't need to be told twice.
***
Iris was now bundled up like a burrito under the thick comforter of the bed. She was waiting for Ko to come back from her parents' room. She said she would go ask for their permission so Ko could stay overnight, but Ko said he would go instead.
She heard the door open minutes later revealing Ko with a smile on his face. He jumped on the bed, startling Iris and making her laugh, and put his whole weight on top of her.
"Pwede daw. Ang sama lang ng tingin ng daddy mo," Ko shared the good news. "Okay. Kiss mo na ulit ako," Iris puckered her lips and Ko chuckled before obliging, all their earlier worries melting away like ice cream on a sunny day.
They kissed some more, ate more peanut butter and apples, and even more junk food, before brushing their teeth together in the bathroom and finally going to bed.
Ko hugged Iris tightly under the covers and she sighed as she felt his familiar feeling of warmth. "Good night, apple girl. Love you." Ko mumbled, too sleepy now. Iris smiled and closed her eyes too.
