It's You I Fell Into

VII

KP notices first.

"She watches you a lot," he says, half-amused, half-concerned as they are walking away from the basketball court. They are heading for their post-practice dinner; Q is standing lazily beside the entrance, waiting for King to finish fixing his things.

He does not meet her gaze. He can feel her watching, bothered as he nudges his shoulder against KP.

"Pakyu. Hindi ah," is all he says.

It all comes to a head one Sunday afternoon after a practice. He spots Q waiting by the bleachers, alone and unassuming, and Niles stops wondering why she is here.

"Napapadalas ata pagtambay mo rito ah," he jokes, startling Q in her place. Okay, he's lying. He can't stop teasing her. "Miss mo na ako?"

"Don't do that," she chides.

"Don't do what?"

"Asking the obvious."

Oof. That's not the answer he's expecting. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm serious," he adds the last bit when she quirks a brow.

"You're teasing me again," she murmurs.

Niles laughs. She's like a kid sometimes. The duality he's seen for the past months can pretty much kill him right now.

"Queen."

She responds with a glare. "Hay nako. Ba't nga ba ako nandito!?" Q huffs and then stands up, and she is already walking out before Niles can say something.

"Q! Sandali!" Niles slings his gym bag on one shoulder and runs after her. He doesn't get why she's disappointed like this. They're just fooling around, right? They're just toying around the idea of maybes, not caring about what can happen next. This was all for the love of the game with flirtation on the side.

But it's more than that now, don't you think?

Niles doesn't know. Really.

The nagging fear in his chest returns with much force because now, he realizes, he has something to lose.

He catches Q near the parking lot beside the court. "Q, teka lang. Anong problema?"

Q faces him, licking her lips. "Nothing."

"Sorry kung na-offend kita. I-I just..." he trails off, unsure of what to say next. "I'm sorry."

"Hay nako, as expected."

"What does that mean?" His voice is low and thick, pained. A lump forms in his throat. "Q?"

Her gaze drops. "I...I don't know, Niles. This..." she gestures between them. "This is very confusing. I don't know what you want. I can't read you."

"Do you want to?"

"Stop fucking around, Niles. I am serious."

With a sudden burst of courage, he steps forward, invading her personal space. Q does not flinch. She retains eye contact as she waits for Niles to say something, to say anything.

This is dangerous, he thinks as his eyes linger on her mouth. Right now they are one step away from regret or possibility.

Niles cannot answer for both of them.

Q must want this, too.

"Q," he murmurs.

In the blink of an eye, her mouth is on his mouth. Q lets it open, a soft pant of a sigh swallowed as he wraps an arm around her waist. She caresses his cheek as she kisses him deeper—Niles is surprised Q knows how to kiss like this. He makes an embarrassing low sound, and they stumble back against a parked car.