Clash Of Crowns I: Shadows Of Love And Sacrifices.

XXXIX || Love~

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

Sitting in the hideout’s living room a few days after the mission, ramdam ko parin yung sakit sa tagiliran ko kung saan tumama yung bala.

Kasalukuyang pinapalitan ni aiesha yung bandage ng sugat ko at imbis na masaktan ako kanina pa ko naka titig sa kanya, ang ganda niya kasi.

“You really should’ve just let me handle that bullet,” Aiesha said with a teasing grin as she sat next to me, "It’s like you wanted a free pass to be taken care of."

I rolled my eyes, though a smile tugged at my lips. “Yeah, well, maybe I just wanted an excuse to have you fuss over me. It worked, didn’t it?”

Natawa naman siya dahil sa sinabi ko, how I wish na lagi ko na lang marinig ang tawa niya, ngumiti naman ako dito at agad niyang sinandal ang ulo niya sa balikat ko.

Para sakin normal na lang samin ang ganito, sa lahat rin kasi nang babae na nakilala ko sa kanya lang ako nag ka ganito, dahil sa kanya lang rin naman iba ang tibok nang puso ko.....

I never thought I’d be someone who could let my guard down like this, especially not in the middle of everything happening around us.

But here we were, side by side, letting the rest of the world fade away for just a little while.

“I can’t believe we’re actually here resting and not minding everything that's happening,” mahinang saad niya. “Parang ayoko na lang magising, kung panaginip lang toh" turan nito at mas sumiksik pa sakin.

Ewan ko ba pero nasasaktan ako dahil iniisip niya na baka panaginip lang na nasa ganito kaming sitwasyon, yung payapa lang at walang iniisip. “You’re not dreaming aiesha...At gagawin ko ang lahat para lang iparamdam sayo yan araw araw."

Her eyes flicked up to meet mine, and there was that familiar connection again, the one that had always been there, even when we were just friends.

Except now, it felt stronger, clearer, like the words we had left unsaid for so long were finally out in the open, breathing life into everything between us.

“Ang tagal ko ring natakot max...,” she whispered, her hand finding mine, fingers lacing together as if they were always meant to be. “Afraid of what it would mean to love you… because I knew it would change everything.”

I exhaled slowly, nodding as I tightened my grip on her hand. “I know. I felt it too. But I think… I think we both needed that push.”

We sat like that for what felt like hours, neither of us wanting to break the moment. The world outside the hideout seemed distant and irrelevant, as if we had carved out a little slice of time that belonged only to us. It was peaceful. It was real.

At alam kong pansamantala lang lahat ng to, kailangan parin naming mag ingat especially me and her.

“You know we’ll have to be careful,” I said softly, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes again. “About this, I mean. About us.”

Aiesha nodded, her expression serious but determined. “I know. But I also know we’ll figure it out. We’ve been through worse, right?”

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Yeah. Worse.”

For the next few days, it was like we were learning how to be around each other all over again, except now, there was no more pretending. We didn’t hide the small touches, the stolen glances, or the way we gravitated toward each other no matter where we were.

It was like the universe had finally clicked into place, and suddenly, everything made sense.

Nasa training ground kaming lahat ngayon. Cole and the others were running drills, sparring with each other habang nanonood naman kami ni aiesha sa gilid.

I caught Aiesha’s eyes every now and then, the smallest smile playing on her lips as she leaned against the wall beside me.

When Cole called for a break, I turned to Aiesha with a playful grin. “Think you can keep up with me in the ring?”

She raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her mouth. “Are you challenging me, Lazzaro?”

“Oh, I’m more than challenging you, Alvarez,” I shot back, stepping closer until I was just inches from her, our faces almost touching.

Napangisi naman ako nang mas lalo pa siyang lumapit sakin “You sure you’re ready to lose?” bulong niya pa.

“Lose? I think you’ve got that backwards.”

Without missing a beat, she pulled away from the wall and made her way toward the mat.

Sumunod naman ako sa kanya, hanggang sa mag kaharap na kami. Nakita ko naman ang iba na napunta samin ang attention at mukhang manonood sila sa gagawin namin ni aiesha.

As soon as the match started, Aiesha came at me fast, her movements sharp and precise. But I was ready for her.

She landed a well-aimed kick to my side, making me stumble back, but I recovered quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward me.

Our faces were inches apart again, our breaths mingling as we both stood frozen for a second, the tension between us palpable.

“Distracted?” she whispered, her voice teasing but breathless.

“Just waiting for the right moment,” I whispered back, my heart racing.

And then I kissed her. F*ck I can't stop...

The world around us disappeared, and for that one moment, it was just the two of us, standing in the middle of the training room, everything else forgotten.

Ramdam ko ang pag tapik niya sa balikat ko kaya pinakawalan ko na yung labi niya, agad kong napansin ang pamumula ng mga pisngi niya. “You… you kissed me,” she said, a breathless laugh escaping her lips.

I grinned, my own heart pounding in my chest. “I did. And I’m not sorry about it.”

She shook her head, a smile lighting up her face. “Neither am I.”

The others, who had clearly witnessed the whole thing, broke out into cheers and teasing remarks, but I didn’t care. For the first time in a long time, I felt free, free to love, free to be myself, free to live.

As the weeks passed, Aiesha and I settled into our new normal, balancing our relationship with the demands of our missions.

There were still moments of uncertainty, times when I worried that loving her would put her in even more danger. But those fears were always outweighed by the simple truth that being with her made everything better....

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