Verdigris

Intimacy at a Distance - Leni/Risa

Rating: T
Pairing: Leni/Risa
Summary: Leni and Risa, a dinner with friends, and the cycle goes on.

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The invasive, rubbery smell of paint and thinner finally left the air. They didn't have the luxury to change after the hustle and bustle of the day, so there was still a trace of it on them. But when they reached the restaurant they had all agreed on for their dinner, the pleasant smell of wood and good food happily washed it away.

The maître d' led them to a wooden table on the second floor near the open balcony. It was already dark outside, being almost eight o'clock, and if it weren't for the restaurant music, the crickets would be their DJ.

They were a small group of four people, including Leni and Risa. Leslie and Susan were common friends from Naga: they were Leni's friends before she even ran for anything, and they eventually became Risa's friends, too, after Leni introduced her to them back when she was still Vice President. It was a long time ago now.

When they were about to take their seats at the table, Leni had just placed her handbag beside Leslie when Risa suddenly spoke up:

"Tabi kami ni Leni. Matagal-tagal na rin kaming 'di nagkikita eh. Right, Lens?" Risa smiled.

Leni smiled back easily. "Right."

"Ay, may gano'n," Leslie joked, and they all laughed, and that was that.

So Leni took the seat beside Risa. The seat on their side of the table was one long bench with a cushioned back. When Leni sat down, Risa took her handbag from beside her to her other side, so that nothing separated them.

They shared acknowledging smiles. It was just like the old times.

"Akala ko..." Risa said lowly, the menu she was reading hiding her mouth from the others.

"Hmm?" Leni inched closer to hear her better.

"Akala ko tayo lang dalawa," Risa finished, then she faced Leni with an expectant look, before a wide smile that made her eyes disappear.

Leni bowed her head a little at that, but she knew Risa was only joking. So, she said, "Akala mo lang iyon," with her own smile.

They never promised each other anything.

The food they ordered was fatty and savory. It was a mix of cuisines: there were nachos, but there was also roasted chicken; the pasta sat beside the pancit guisado. Glasses of cocktails were distributed among them, sharing the table with pitchers of lemonade and coke.

Their evening was full of talking and laughing amidst the eating. It was a lot of So ano nang pinagkakaabalahan ni ano ngayon? and Uy, did you hear? Si ano daw ganito, ganyan, and Leni recounting her recent trip to Bhutan. Political talk was kept to a minimum, as they couldn't avoid it completely, but there was a time and a place for it, and it wasn't now, when they were among friends.

In a neighboring table across from them, a group started singing Happy Birthday, and Leni and her friends, as well as other customers on the floor, all looked on as a birthday cake with lit candles was brought in by a server. Even Susan started singing along. Then the birthday person blew out the candles, and the birthday table broke into applause.

"Buti na lang walang karaoke dito. Kung hindi, mag-ta-Top of the World na 'to si Susan," Leslie said. Their table laughed at her joke.

"Bakit ako? Si Risa pakantahin niyo oh. Siya iyong singer sa'tin."

Tearing her eyes away from the birthday group, Leni turned to Risa beside her with a proud smile. "Basil Valdez naman sa kanya," she said.

Risa sang for Leni, too, on her birthday. And so many other times.