like real people do

ix

They entered through two different doors on opposite sides of the gymnasium, yet when they got inside, their eyes gravitated towards each other.

He was the first to turn away, looking down to prevent a smile from breaking through his face. Nobody would have noticed, but tonight, he was hypersensitive and felt like all eyes were on him.

Leanna, too, looked away, but not because she was afraid people would see her smile. No, she was more worried that if they stared at each other for longer, she'd have no physical restraint to stop herself from lunging on him.

Despite those reasons, the rest of the night was filled with similar encounters, gazes meeting and then turning away, grins hidden from the public's eye.

And then there was the longing, the thought that he could grab her hand so easily but not yet, not now. The stolen looks, the songs that hit too close to home, the fact that they were all dressed up... they made the chase all the more exciting.

When he found a song particularly relevant to them, he'd look for her and send a small wink her way. She hated to admit it, but it affected her deeply. Enough to have her walking across the room and straight to him.

Thankfully, it was his turn to man the desolate "can knockdown" game which had a huge wall that would cover their interaction.

His eyes widened when he saw her walking in his direction. He would have been excited if not for the agitated look on her face. "Ms. Lean—"

"I have to talk to you, Mr. Montilla. Come with me, please," she said earnestly, walking to the back of the wall and pulling him by the arm.

"Leanna, what's happening?"

"Stop looking at me like that," she grumbled. Her arms crossed in front of her chest as a defense. She was afraid she couldn't handle it if he came any closer than he already was.

He shook his head, amused. That's what she was so riled up about?

He bit his lower lip and then offered a small smirk. "Like what?"

Her mouth gaped, and her eyes rolled, "this is a game to you, isn't it?"

"I don't understand what you're saying, Ms. Leanna."

She heaved a deep sigh. "Well, Mr. Montilla, I think it's rude that you're looking at me like we've just made out, and now you want to do it again. You s-shouldn't do t-that!" She stuttered on her last line because he'd grasped at the arms crossing at her chest and untangled them.

He stepped closer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears, "totoo naman."

"Totoo naman what?" Her eyes widened.

"We just made out, and I do want to make out with you again." And then he was leaning for a kiss. However, she dodged with the palm of her hand colliding with his puckered lips.

"You didn't get anything from what I said, didn't you?" Her eyebrows raised.

"You're acting like a mom," he teased, pinching her nose. "Well, to be fair, you are a mom. It's one of the many things I love about you."

She looked away, hiding her kilig with a hand over her face. He liked the effect he had on her, and he took the opportunity to hold her hand, prying it away from her reddened cheeks.

"Just stop, okay?" She requested.

"You sure?" He brought her hand up to his lips and started kissing each of her knuckles.

"I'm sure," she emphasized the word sure as if threatening him before pulling her hand away.

"Just the eyes or even the wanting to make out with you?" He asked naughtily.