Under One Roof [BxB]

Chapter 3: Jax Aguilar

Jax' POV

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I stared at the reflection in the rearview mirror, watching the rain blur the glass. Sobrang hassle ng ulan, but what’s more annoying is my parents’ decision to ship me off to this boarding house. Like, seriously? I don’t even get why I have to live here when we have a perfectly decent condo in the city.

"Jackson, you need to learn independence," Mom’s voice echoed in my head. “You’re too used to getting things your way. This will be good for you.”

Yeah, well, thanks for the life lesson, Mom. I tapped my foot impatiently as the driver stopped in front of the boarding house. The place looked small compared to what I’m used to—far from the comfort of our house in Alabang or the condo in Makati. "Dude, sure ba talaga ‘to?" I asked the driver as he grabbed my bags from the trunk. He just nodded and handed them over to me.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, clutching my duffel bag. Ugh, the rain. I pulled my jacket over my head and ran to the gate, only to find it locked. Tangina naman, sarado na?! I banged on the gate, already pissed off. Wala namang tao sa paligid, and I just wanted to get inside.

Eventually, someone from inside opened it. A tita-looking woman, Tita Vangie yata pangalan niya, gave me a tight smile and pointed me in the direction of my room. “Roommate mo si Dean ha, anak. Mabait ‘yun,” she said, ushering me in.

Mabait? Great. Sana lang hindi boring. Pero ayan, umakyat ako ng hagdan, basang-basa na ako, and now I’m banging on the door. "Hoy! Buksan mo naman ‘tong pinto!" I shouted, feeling more annoyed as the seconds passed. Finally, the door creaked open and a sleepy-looking guy with hair all over the place peered out.

"Ikaw ba si Dean?" I asked. Seryoso, he looked like he just woke up from a nap. So much for first impressions.

"Uh, yeah. Sino ka?" he responded, still rubbing his eyes.

"Roommate mo," I said, squeezing past him. "Jackson Aguilar." I dropped my bag on the floor and shook off the rain from my jacket, water splashing everywhere. "Walang tricycle, tapos ‘yung gate sarado na. Sobrang saya ng welcome, ‘di ba?"

Dean shot me a look, then tossed a towel at me, clearly annoyed. "Wow, ang saya nga," he muttered sarcastically. I just chuckled. He had a bit of fire in him, which was interesting.

We didn’t really talk much after that. I started unpacking my things, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed him glancing at me every now and then. I mean, I know I’m good-looking—pero sige, tingnan mo lang. I didn’t mind. I was used to people staring.

But yeah, setting aside the usual ego trip, my life wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Sure, I’m rich. Conyo kid daw. Pero lately, my parents have been on this "independence" streak. I guess it started nung napansin nilang I didn’t know how to cook. Like, why would I? We had staff for that.

“Jax, you need to learn how to fend for yourself,” Dad would always say. "We won’t always be here to do things for you."

So, ayan. Now I’m stuck in this boarding house, living with some guy I don’t know, and my parents think they’re doing me a favor. Pero let’s be real—this whole setup is weird. I’m not used to living like this. No maids, no private car service. Just me, my stuff, and this guy, Dean.

But I wasn’t here to cause drama. I didn’t want things to be complicated, especially not with my roommate. So I figured I’d make it clear early on. "Alam mo, hindi ako mahilig sa drama, so just to set things straight—walang weirdness sa’kin kahit ano ka pa," I told him casually, not even looking up from my stuff.

Dean looked confused for a second, and I couldn’t help but smirk a little. "You know, 'yung... pagiging bakla mo." Direct to the point. I didn’t really care. If anything, I respected him more for not hiding who he was.

I could see him relax a little after that. "Uh… thanks?"

"You're welcome," I said, returning to unpacking. Chill lang ako. I wasn’t here to judge anyone. Kailangan ko lang ng smooth sailing roommateship, walang issue. Besides, I had bigger things to worry about—like surviving in this setup without losing my mind.

After I finished unpacking, I lay down on the bed, exhaustion catching up with me. First day pa lang, pero it felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Dean was quiet, probably still getting used to me being here. I closed my eyes, already thinking about the next day. Sobrang dami ko pa palang kailangang matutunan in this new "independent" life.

I sighed, letting sleep take over. Whatever. One step at a time, Aguilar. One step at a time.

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