Clash Of Crowns I: Shadows Of Love And Sacrifices.

XXXII || Here with You

Please note: This story may contain errors and grammatical mistakes. Your understanding and patience are appreciated as this is a work in progress.

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MAXINE'S POV

After nang pag uusap namin aiesha, pakiramdam ko mas gumaan ang lahat para samin.

Nandito parin kami sa living room at nakasandal na sakin si aiesha, mukhang naka tulog na siya dahil ramdam ko ang bigat nang pag hinga niya, binaba ko ang tingin sa mukha niya.

Her face looked so peaceful, I smiled to myself, feeling an overwhelming sense of protectiveness wash over me.

Dahan dahan kong inayos yung higa niya para hindi siya magising. I knew her room required her biometrics to unlock, and there was no way I was going to wake her just to go through that.

She looked too serene, too at peace. So, without thinking much of it, Na pag isipan ko na sa kwarto ko na lang siya dalhin

I gently scooped her into my arms, her body soft and relaxed against mine. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up, her head resting against my chest as I carried her through the hallway.

Nang makapasok kami sa kwarto ko, dahan dahan ko siyang inihiga sa kama ko at tsaka ko siya kinumutan.

Medyo tumagilid siya at mukhang nanaginip pa dahil may binubulong siya na hindi ko naman maintindihan.

For a moment, na ka tayp lang ako sa tabi niya at pinag mamasdan siya, kahit sa pag titig ko lang sa kanya ay bumibilis  na ang tibok nang puso ko na kahit kanino hindi ko naramdaman....sa kanya lang....

Si aiesha....mahalagang parte na siya nang buhay ko, and it terrified me how much I cared for her—how deeply I had fallen for her.

Oo aaminin ko gusto ko si aiesha.....no... hindi lang gusto mahal ko na siya....

Umupo ako sa tabi niya at pinaka titigan siya, ang payapa nang mukha niya na para bang wala kaming problema na kinakaharap,

at sana lagi na lang ganito, gisto ko na lagi siyang makakatulog nang maayos na walang iniisip na problema kaya pina pangako ko sa sarili ko na hindi ko hahayaang masaktan siya at mawala pa sa tabi ko.

My heart clenched at the thought of losing her, and the weight of that fear made me speak out loud, kahit na alam kong hindi naman niya ako maririnig.

"I’ll never leave you, Aiesha," bulong ko rito, "No matter what happens, no matter who tries to come between us, I’ll always be by your side. Even if the whole world is against us... I’ll be here."

Mga salitang gusto ko sana na marinig niya, mas lumapit pa ako sa kanya at inalis ang mga strand ng buhok niya na nakaharang sa mukha niya, "You mean everything to me," I continued, "And I’ll protect you with everything I have."

Hindi ako nag expect nang sagot dahil alam ko naman na tulog siya. But as I pulled back, at aalis na sana ko para hayaan siyang mag pahinga narinig ko ang boses niya.

"I know, Maxine," saad nito at agad na nag tama ang mata namin, "I heard everything."

The heck gsing siya? Narinig niya lahat ng sinabi ko? F*ck ang lakas ng tubok ng puso ko.

Before I could even respond, Aiesha reached up, her hand gently cupping my cheek. "You don’t have to say all that while you think I’m asleep," she teased softly, though there was a warmth in her eyes that told me she wasn’t making fun of me. "I feel the same way."

Her words hit me like a wave, and I felt my chest tighten with emotions I wasn’t used to feeling. Relief, affection, something deeper that I couldn’t quite name. It was all there, raw and unfiltered.

"Aiesha..." I began, but she silenced me with a soft smile.

"You don’t have to say anything else," she whispered, pulling me closer until our faces were only inches apart. I could feel her breath against my lips, warm and inviting. "Just kiss me."

Her words sent a shiver down my spine, and before I knew it, our faces were only inches apart. The air between us felt charged, and I could feel her breath against my lips. My mind raced, torn between the desire I felt and the restraint I had been trying to maintain. But then she leaned in, her lips brushing mine softly at first, tentative.

The kiss was gentle, almost testing the waters, but it didn’t stay that way for long.

I felt a spark ignite between us, something I had been holding back for far too long. I kissed her back, deeper this time, my hand sliding to the back of her neck to pull her closer.

The intensity grew quickly, and soon, it was as if the dam had broken. Lahat nang hindi ko nasasabi sa kanya ay ibinuhos ko sa halik na pinag sasaluhan namin.

Aiesha responded with equal passion, her hands gripping my shirt as she pulled me closer. The taste of her lips, the way she felt against me.....it was intoxicating.

I lost myself in the moment, my mind clouded with nothing but her. I could feel my heartbeat racing, my body reacting to every movement, every soft sound she made.

My hands roamed her back, pulling her against me as I kissed her deeper, more urgently. The heat between us was overwhelming, and for a moment, I felt like I was losing control.

My mind was spinning, and all I could focus on was how much I wanted her.....how much I needed her.

But just as things were escalating, I felt Aiesha gently push against my chest. "Maxine," hingal na tawag at pigil niya sakin, "Wait… we need to stop."

I froze, my breath ragged as I looked down at her. My heart was pounding, and I could see the same intensity in her eyes, but there was something else too something calmer. "I... I’m sorry," I stammered, pulling back slightly. "I didn’t mean to..."

Aiesha smiled softly, cupping my face with both hands. "It’s okay," she whispered, her voice gentle. "Ayoko lang rin na mag madali tayo sa mga bagay na hindi pa tayo handa."

Para akong binuhusan ng isang timbang may yelo, tama siya hindi pa kami handa sa kung ano ang pwede mang yari....

I nodded, letting out a slow breath as I tried to calm myself., her thumb gently stroking my cheek.

"We need to take things slow. Hindi naman ako aalis, Maxine. You don’t have to rush."

I leaned down and pressed a softer, more controlled kiss to her lips, then pulled her into a tight embrace. "I’m sorry," I whispered against her ear. "It’s hard to control sometimes."

"I know," she whispered back, resting her head against my chest. "I feel the same way. But we have time, Maxine. We don’t need to rush anything."

I held her close, my arms wrapped around her as I buried my face in her hair. Kung palaging ganto baka hindi ko na siya pakawalan.....hindi 'ba-ka' hindi ko na talaga siya papakawala not now not ever....

"Stay with me tonight," I whispered softly.

"Hmmm~" tugon nito.

We stayed like that for a while, just holding each other in the quiet of the room. Eventually, I lay down beside her, pulling her close under the covers. Aiesha rested her head on my chest, her fingers lightly tracing circles on my skin.

I kissed the top of her head softly, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. "I’ll always be here for you," I whispered again, knowing she could hear me this time.

She sighed contentedly, her body relaxing against mine as we settled in for the night. "And I’ll always be here for you," she whispered back.

We drifted off to sleep like that, tangled in each other’s arms, the world outside fading away. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. With her by my side, everything felt right. And I knew, no matter what came next, we would face it together.

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