It's You I Fell Into

VI

It is a strange month of circumstances, between secretly teaching Q how to play ball every Sunday and getting along with King during practice. The last one is a recent development, he didn't know how the fuck that happened, yet it felt...a bit nice for once. Niles doesn't know which surprised him more, though. He's a little overwhelmed but hides it well. He doesn't want to lose himself to an overactive imagination.

They lose a game, one afternoon, and Niles finds himself again, face to face with Q. She is standing beside the water dispenser outside the locker room, her rain boots and umbrella at her feet. She picks up her soaking umbrella and shakes it a little while staring at him.

"Kanina pa nakaalis si King," he says, amused.

She drops the umbrella on the floor, then sighs. "I know. Ni hindi nga ako kinausap kanina, eh. Masyado siyang badtrip sa pagkatalo niyo."

He's pissed as everyone else--the other team won by only four points--but Q's presence somehow makes him feel better. "We lost our third game this season. May karapatan naman siguro kaming mabadtrip kahit paano, 'di ba?"

"Mali 'yong call ng referee kanina. Ang daming sayang na points!"

He breaks into a wide smile. Cute. "I see. Napapadalas ata ang panonood mo ng games ah. Perhaps you want to join the women's varsity team, then?"

Her lips curl. She picks up a paper cup on top of the water dispenser, tossing it to him. "Naah, wala akong balak. Nahawa lang ako sa university pride virus sa campus. Bandwagon pala."

"Kahit palagi kaming talo?"

She shrugs. "The team still played very well."

"Not enough to win, though."

"Then aim better next time."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Queen." He raises the paper cup in the air, grinning. "Pwede ka na maging motivational speaker."

"Q," she corrects. "My name is Q. For once get my name right, Fabellore."

"Queen," he pushes back, and the amusement in his voice is surprisingly steady. He positions himself in front of her, leaving ample space just in case. "We're in public."

"And?" she says with a challenging stare.

"Your brother might see us."

She raises an eyebrow. "I don't see anything wrong with that. Kinakausap lang naman kita, Niles. It's not like we're doing something lewd here. In public."

Seriously, what on earth is happening? Somehow Niles knows she hides her aggressive side behind those shy smiles and innocent looks. He's seen glimpses of that during their secret lessons: a quiet shit or fuck ano ba would slip from her during their practice sessions, or that one time she kicked his leg after making her run around the court five times. Niles can handle that kind of aggressiveness. But this right in front of him...

She's actually flirting back now. Never in his wildest dreams did Niles imagine this happening.

"Wala akong iniisip na ganyan, Q. Kung saan-saan umaabot yang imagination mo, ha," he quips.

Her hand claps over her mouth. A bright red blush adorned her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry," she mumbles.

"Para saan? For being bold? Don't be. I like it." The blush on her cheeks deepens. "You should be like that more often."

"You're teasing me," Q says.

"You're holding back."

He gives her no time to respond because he finally closes the space between them.

There's weight between them; he's not sure if it's him, if it's his reaction to her, but his lips part and his ears are ringing with the sound of Q breathing inches away from him. His eyes focus on her pale lips once again, and it takes everything in him not to kiss her.

"Why are you teasing me?" she murmurs.

"I don't know."

Liar, he almost says out loud. He knows why, he's just afraid to fuck it up that fast.

"Why are you holding back?" he whispers.

Her mouth curls. Then it fades and she's serious, so serious-- more than he's really ever seen her. Niles drops the paper cup and Q relaxes her hand, watching as she reaches for him. He feels her fingers touch his cheek, then slide along his jaw and down his neck. She drags her fingers along his shoulder and he feels like he can't breathe. It hurts his throat, the sensation burning as he tries to swallow.

"Okay. I won't hold back, then," she says.

Ikamamatay ko ata 'to.

Two weeks later, she is there again after the game, waiting for him beside his car. A flash of worry appears on her face when she spots him walking towards her.

"It wasn't your fault, Niles."

He frowns. He doesn't want to hear that right now. "No," he disagrees as he opens the backseat door. "Nasa akin na 'yong bola, Q. Kung hindi lang ako babagal-bagal kanina--"

"Sshh wag mo nang i-down ang sarili mo, okay?" she argues, and when he looks up, she's smiling, shaking her head. Her fingers graze the collar of his shirt. "Pagod ka na, Niles," she says. "Dalawang araw ka nang walang maayos na tulog. You should rest now."

Niles flushes but doesn't answer. He isn't sure what to make of this, of her, of the idea of having this weird relationship with his teammate/rival's younger sister. The secret basketball lessons evolved into something more that it scares him. She's already a vital part of his day for fuck's sakes. She makes him happy. The downside of this is that she is still very much King Escaño's sister.

But somehow he cannot stop seeing her.

"Wag ka nga mag-alala sa 'kin masyado. Pag ako nasanay sa 'yo ha," he says.

She pouts. "You're teasing me again."

He chuckles. "Hindi ah. Just stating the truth."

"For your information, hindi ako nag-aalala sa 'yo. Sa buong team ako nag-aalala. Ano ka, special snowflake?"

"Oo naman, special snowflake ako. Kasi kung hindi, bakit ako lang ang kinakausap mo after the game? Bakit hindi mo kinakausap ang buong team dito sa locker room after ng game?"

"Stop it, Fabellore. Your asshole side is showing again," she deadpans but the blush on her cheeks says otherwise.

"You didn't have to stay after, you know. Hindi pa ba nagtataka ang kuya mo kung saan ka pumupunta after the game?"

"He's not my keeper. And besides, wala na akong masyadong ginagawa. Tapos ko na lahat ng papers ko for this week. Pwede naman siguro mag-unwind 'di ba?"

"Mabut pa siguro umuwi ka na, Q. Baka hanapin ka ng kuya mo. Mahirap na. Parehas tayong patay pag...basta alam mo na 'yon."

Her gaze drops. "I...I don't know what you want, Niles." She heaves a weighty sigh. "I can't read you."

"Contrary to what they say, I'm pretty easy to read."

"Really."

"Why? Do you want to?" Niles chuckles, waiting for the girl to break into a laugh and tell him she's kidding.

Q's dead serious when she returns the glance. It's unbearably hot in the parking lot all of a sudden. "Yes."

Then she steps forward, leaning on him. She's smiling, really smiling, and it's a dangerous sort of feeling; it uncurls in his belly and without thinking, he lets his fingers graze her mouth.

Neither of them says anything else at all.

Niles stares at her, waiting. For what, he has no idea. He does not know what to say, to think of her, or any sort of attention otherwise.

He does not know how to deal with...this.

On his way home (without her, of course), Niles concludes one thing: he is in over his head.