Walang Kapalit

pahinga (part 2)

The night lights of Hong Kong seeped through the curtains of the hotel room. Leni leaned back, stretching her arms over her head, while Risa sat cross-legged beside her, scrolling through her phone.

It had been a long day of speeches, handshakes, and navigating the chaos of the campaign. Exhaustion in the air, but it was balanced by the easy comfort they always found in each other's presence. It had been like this for a while now—late nights, shared late night food, and kwentos about their long day of campaigning.

"You tired?" Risa asked.

"Onti lang," Leni murmured, offering a tired smile. "Mas pagod ata 'yung utak ko kesa sa katawan."

Risa inched a little closer. "It's been a lot, hasn't it?"

Leni sighed and let her head rest against the headboard. "Hmm... Minsan parang mas okay na lang ata mag-quit ako."

"Hey, you're stronger than you think. Lahat may saysay. Walang sayang."

Outside, they kept up appearances—professional, polite, and distant enough that no one would ever suspect just how close they had become. But inside their privacy, things were different.

Leni turned her head to face Risa, their knees touching now. "Alam na alam mo parati kung anong sasabihin."

Risa gave a small smile. "I guess that's what happens when you spend this much time with someone."

There had been countless moments like this—quiet, intimate. Sometimes it was a hand resting on a shoulder, other times a casual embrace that lasted just a little too long.

Risa shifted again, this time lying back on the bed, pulling Leni down with her. They laughed as they adjusted themselves. It wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed on these trips. At first, it had been out of convenience, then it became something they had gotten used to—maybe a need for closeness.

Leni lay beside Risa, her head resting on her shoulder, their arms wrapped loosely around each other.

"This is nice."

"Mmm," Risa hummed in agreement, her hand absentmindedly stroking Leni's arm.

"It is."

Another pause. Another unsaid thought.

Her heartbeat pounded in her chest as she let her hand rest atop Leni's back, noting the rise and fall of her breathing. She'd always been able to find her way into Leni's orbit without it ever feeling too much, but lately, something undeniable was there. Every touch, every glance—every time Leni absent-mindedly smoothed her hair behind her ear or leaned into her at the end of a long day—it felt as if she's coming home.

Leni sighed, her index finger brushing over Risa's arm in a pattern she didn't realize she was tracing.

Risa dared not move. She was always so composed around Leni—calm, confident, the one who could keep things light even when the campaign weighed heavily on both of them. But here, with Leni in her arms, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Leni's voice broke the silence."Do you ever... wonder what people would think if they saw us like this?"

The hand behind Leni's back stilled. Risa could feel the weight of the question—not in its words, but in the way she said it. Carefully.

"Like this?" She tried to sound casual.

But Leni didn't draw back. Instead, she moved a little closer, so her arm lay fully over the curve of Risa's waist, her fingers curling slightly into the fabric of Risa's shirt.

"You know...just—us," she said, voice trailing off as if she didn't know how to finish the thought.

She knew exactly what Leni meant, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to answer that question. She wasn't sure if either of them were ready to admit what had been happening between them for months now.