A/N: Happy pride month mga ka-rainbow squad! Know that you are worth it and deserve to be loved, always, and always.
P.S. Last chapter na next update. Huhu. Walang hanggang pasasalamat sa walang hanggan niyong pag-suporta sa story nila, Knight and Lili. Mahal ko kayo palagi! Again, happy pride month and happy reading! Mabuhay ang sangka-baklaan!
KASALANAN BA ang magmahal ng taong kaparehas mo ng kasarian? Kailangan ba, kaming mga miyembro ng LGBT ang dapat umintindi palagi sa mga taong against sa amin? Kailangan bang kami palagi ang nasasaktan?
Palagi na lang... hindi maari ang relasyong mayroon kami. Kasalanan bang maging bakla, tomboy, bisexual, transgender, queer? Kasalanan bang mapabilang sa LGBTQIA+? Bakit... katulad ng mga tinatawag nilang normal, lalaki at babae, may damdamin din naman kami. Nasasaktan din kami.
Gusto din naman naming maging... masaya. Masama ba 'yon?
"Are you crying?" Natinag ako mula sa pagkakatitig ko sa hawak na iPad nang marinig ang tinig ni Knight sa gilid ko.
I immediately wiped the tears streaming down from my eyes. "Ha? Hindi, ah." Napailing-iling ako at ngumiti sa kaniya. Akma ko sanang itatago ang iPad at ilalayo na, nang mabilis niyang maagaw 'yon mula sa kamay ko.
"What is it?" He stared at the iPad, his face serious. "You're reading a thread," he whispered, slowly scrolling down.
"W-wala 'yan. Ano... nadaan lang sa feed ko..." Nakita kong unti-unting gumalaw ang panga niya. "Huwag na lang nating pansinin--"
"These are all pure hate comments for the LGBT." Nawala ang emosyon sa kaniyang mukha. "You musn't read comments like this. These were all pure trash."
I slowly closed my eyes and heaved. Hinayaan ko siyang magbasa roon sa iPad ko. "Ang totoo niyan, Knight... natatakot ako." I whispered.
He stopped and slowly turned to me. "Why..." Marahan niyang ibinaba ang gadget na hawak sa isang gilid at hinawakan ang kamay ko. "Don't be scared... we got this... as a family."
I shook my head. "Hindi naman ako natatakot para sa sarili ko, Knight, kung 'di para sa anak natin... Knick Liam's still young." I sighed. "I can't bear seeing him hurt because of the hateful comments that were going to be thrown at us if the public knew that you had... child with a..." I shook my head vigorously and smiled sadly. "A freak."
His forehead creased. "You're not a freak. You are special." Dinala niya ang kamay ko sa kaniyang labi at hinalikan 'yon.
"But still... I am a freak in their eyes. Normal bang magdalang tao ang isang lalaki? Hindi naman, 'di ba..." malungkot kong sambit sa kaniya. "T'saka... bakla ako, Knight, hindi 'to katanggap-tanggap sa mata ng nakararami..."
"Who cares if you're gay?" he whispered, his eyes full of emotions I can now finally name. "I don't fall in love because of your gender; I fall in love because it's you, Liliénné..."
"But our family... our family would not be accepted by the society."
"We don't need validation or approval from anyone but ourselves, hon." He sighed and locked his eyes into mine. "And no one has the right to tell us what makes a family."
I heaved a deep breath. "Pero--" Akmang magsasalita pa sana ako nang takpan niya, gamit ang daliri, ang labi ko.
"Shh.... that's enough, hon. Basta, kahit ano man ang mangyari, dito lang ako sa tabi mo. Hindi ko kayo iiwan ng anak natin... palagi mong tandaan 'yan."
BINABASA MO ANG
Claimed Beauty (Burning Dominance #4)
General FictionA Collaboration Series. (On-going) Lili, a gentle and innocent gay working as a rug vendor, unexpectedly becomes entangled with the affluent Fulgencio family when he starts working for their company. His boss, the captivating and irresistible Knight...
