Seasons

We Can Now Tango

Anntonia's POV:

I did not realize that I had been with her for a good two hours already. It was the safest I have felt since Max arrived.

"Are you sure that they're not looking for us?"

I felt shivers all over my body when she moved, humming in response to me. She buried her face on my neck, and feeling her breath made me insane.

I don't know what happened, but we just ended up cuddling like we've been deprived of it. She had her left hand softly massaging my right arm, and her right arm was on my waist, holding me tightly but delicately. Meanwhile, I made my left hand busy by stroking her short hair.

"Wait a minute." Michelle detached herself and left the bed. I watched her as she took this mini massaging machine. She came back and sat in front of me. She guided my right hand and let it rest on her lap to straighten my arm. She turned on the machine, and it started moving like it was drilling into my arm. It was comforting.

"Where did you get this?"

"This was Fabienne's. I asked her if I could have it, but she wasn't agreeing. When I offered to swap it with my power bank, she immediately agreed," Michelle said, chuckling at the memory.

"Huh? I thought she had a power bank."

"I can't remember where this happened, but I guess this was the day that she didn't sleep here. She just rushed at me during the rehearsal, begging for me to lend her my power bank because her battery was running low, and she was airdropping something to someone. So, that happened."

"Have you seen who it is?"

"That's too much gossip for you, Ma'am," she said, teasing me for being so invested in the story. You can't blame me, though. I guess this was the same time where Miss Laos was annoyed because someone was taking too long to send her the photos of whatever. "Are you feeling better?"

Michelle's presence and physical features bring me too much comfort. Being with her makes my emotions feel like they're on waves, but steady waves.

Not to add that the light from the lampshade was reflecting on her face. The light was off, and the blinds were down; the only source of light was her lampshade. Seeing her in this kind of ambiance makes me realize how much I want for us to stay like this even when this competition ends.

"Hey?" She said, pulling me back to reality.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, I do feel better. Thanks to you." I smiled at her genuinely, and she smiled back.

My heart is so filled up, like it is with the hands of a careful and gentle one.

She stopped massaging me and put the machine away. She sighed and straightened her back before she stayed still, and her eyes were on me. I was just staring back, not having anything on my mind except the fact that I don't want to leave her room.

"Your eyes look like they want to say something to me," she said directly. I know she wasn't just teasing me, because I know that the kiss on the forehead earlier did not just affect me. It must be the two of us who felt that.

"And so are yours," I answered back. She smiled at that and positioned herself on the bed so she could rest her head on my lap.

"We've been secretive, aren't we?"

"I know you know already, Dee."

"I could say the same. We're just pretending that we don't, right?"

"I wasn't. I was really thinking that it would never cross your mind."

"It has been running through my mind ever since I acknowledged it to myself."

"So you already admitted it to yourself?"

"Yes."

"When will you admit it to me?"

I saw the side of her lips rise up. She took my left hand that was stroking her hair and massaged my palms. She was now staring at the back of my hand, and my heart was beating so fast when, again, I felt her soft lips. She was planting soft kisses on my hand.

And it's not just one. She's repeatedly doing it. It's making me go crazy.

She stopped the soft kisses and kissed it a little longer now, like she's making me remember how her lips felt.

What am I even saying?

I unconsciously raised my right hand and slapped myself. Michelle was shocked that it got her getting up from lying down. She was now sitting in front of me. "What did you do?"

"It's nothing." I looked away to stop embarrassing myself. She's probably laughing in her mind because she just caught how I react to whatever she does to me.

"Can we agree to stop hiding, Anntonia?" She suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"You know well what I mean. I know that you still have to deal with Max, but can I ask for a... for a favor?"

"Anything, Dee."

"Can we at least meet each other at night? I mean, seeing you close to her makes me worried. But as long as she's here, can you at least find your way back to me at the end of the day?"

The whole time she was talking, I have my smile plastered. But at the same time, I feel guilty. She's as if asking for less, for the leftovers.

"Isn't it given? It's what we always do."

"That's enough for me to hear. Thank you."

"I seriously thought we would never admit it to one another. I thought we'd have to go back to our countries without saying a thing about what we feel." I confessed.

"Fair enough. We're not saying it yet."

"Yeah, still not said."

"We'll see how we can deal with this, without the intention of purposely hiding. We'll sort these things together, right?"

"I've been sure, Dee. So, yes, we will."

She was smiling ear to ear, and I was feeling a lot more comfortable. It feels good to finally hear at least the bits of her side. At least I know that I am not in this alone.

It feels too good that I was able to let her know what I feel, even if I was not saying the words that I've been wanting to tell her.

She went closer to me and went back to embracing me, like she's assuring me that as long as she's here to hold me, I wouldn't be harmed by anyone.

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