Vrixian: The Missing Piece

Chapter 19: Protective Sister

Perlas stood frozen for a moment, taking in the sight before her. Christian lay sprawled on the bed, clearly still recovering from something— 'something' Perlas had a pretty good idea of. The soreness in his hips, the way he shifted uncomfortably, and the slight blush on his face were enough clues for her to piece things together. Otomatikong tumaas ang kilay ni Perlas sa nakita niya.

Huminga siya nang malalim upang maikalma ang kaniyang sarili. Her sharp eyes narrowed as she looked at Vrix, who had now returned to Christian's side after opening the door. "So... this is what's going on, huh?" Perlas said, her tone flat but laced with suspicion.

This man got her brother.

Christian, realizing what she was implying, groaned from the bed. "Ate Pat, please, huwag ka na—"

Itinaas naman ni Perlas ang kaniyang kamay upang patigilin sa pagsasalita s I Christian. Perlas, like a true big sister, wasn't about to let this slide. She stepped closer, arms crossed tightly over her chest, and fixed Vrix with a hard stare. "Ikaw. Are you serious about him?"

Hindi talaga niya hahayaan na dehado sa ganito ang lalaking tinuring niyang nakababatang kapatid. This is Christian's first relationship with a man and hindi niya hahayaan na masaktan ito sa umpisa pa lamang.

Vrix didn't flinch, meeting her gaze head-on. "I am."

Perlas raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Do you even know what you're getting into? If you're sure na kaya mo 'to? Christian's not just some fling, Vrix. Do you really want to be with him? And are you okay with the fact that he's—" she hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to Christian, hindi niya alam kung dapat ba niya itong sabihin but she needed to. "—a man?"

Christian's eyes widened, his body tense as he tried to sit up. "Perlas, enough!" he said, trying to intervene, but he was too late. Perlas was in full protective mode, and she wasn't backing down.

Christian can't be at a disadvantage here, he won't let it. After all, she didn't treat Christian like a brother just to be hurt under her watch. That's how much she loves Christian.

But before Christian could say more, Vrix stood firm, his voice calm but unwavering. "I know what I'm doing."

Perlas's eyes flashed with doubt. "Do you? Kasi it's not just about passion or last night. This is about the long haul, Vrix. You can't just mess around with him and walk away when it gets hard. Christian's been through enough."

Hindi nagbago ang ekspresyon ni Vrix habang sinasagot niya ang bawat tanong nang walang pag-aalinlangan. Alam niya kung bakit ganito si Perlas kaya naman hinahayaan niya ito. "I'm not walking away, Perlas. I've already made that choice."

Perlas squinted at him, looking for any crack in his resolve, but Vrix held her gaze steadily. "I love him," he continued, his voice steady and confident. "I know he's a man. That doesn't change anything for me. It's Christian—his heart, his soul—that I want. I'm not here for some fling. I'm here because I want to be with him. For real."

Perlas blinked, clearly taken aback by Vrix's sincerity. Hindi niya inaasahan na ganoon ka-direkta ito, sigurado sa mga sagot nito. Ang kanyang mga braso ay dahan-dahang bumaba mula sa kanilang defensive na kinatatayuan, at siya ay lumambot, kahit na ang proteksiyon na apoy sa kanyang mga mata ay hindi pa namamatay.

"You love him," she echoed, still processing. "And you're okay with all this? With everything that comes with being with him?"

Vrix didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Sandaling tumahimik ang kwarto. Si Christian, na nanonood sa buong palitan, ay naiwang tulala. Hindi niya inaasahan na magiging ganoon ka-confident si Vrix, napaka-bukas. Pinutok nito ang kanyang puso sa emosyon.

Perlas, still looking a little skeptical, let out a deep sigh. "Well, I'll tell you this," she said, her voice softening but still firm. "If you hurt him, Vrix... you're going to have to answer to me."

Vrix nodded, his gaze unwavering. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Christian, overwhelmed by everything, finally managed to sit up. "Perlas, stop grilling him like that. I'm not a kid anymore."

Perlas shot him a playful glare. "Doesn't matter how old you are. You're still my responsibility."

Perlas crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Vrix. Her voice was a mix of warning and fierce protectiveness.

"Vrix," she began, her tone deadly serious, "isang beses ko lang sasabihin 'to. If you ever hurt Christian—if you make him cry or give him more pain—susugurin talaga kita. Kahit saan ka pa magtago, I will hunt you down."

She stepped closer, her voice lowering but still laced with intensity. "Hindi mo alam kung gaano karaming sakit ang pinagdaanan ng kapatid ko. Isa lang siya, Vrix. He's my only brother, and I've watched him suffer enough. Hindi ko na hahayaan na masaktan ulit siya."

Sinalubong ni Vrix ang kanyang tingin, hindi umaatras, ngunit mabigat ang kanyang sinabi.

"Hindi ko siya sasaktan," mahinahon ngunit sinsero na sagot ni Vrix. "Mahal ko siya, Perlas. I'm here to love him, not break him."

Perlas stared at him for a moment, measuring his resolve, then gave a slight nod. "You better be sure of that," she warned, her voice dropping. "Kasi kapag hindi, ako mismo ang hahabol sa'yo."

Unti-unting nawala ang tensyon sa pagitan nina Perlas at Vrix matapos ang matinding paghaharap. Si Perlas, na nasisiyahan sa mga sagot ni Vrix, ay nirelax ang kanyang tindig, kahit na nanatili ang kanyang protective aura. Naramdaman naman ni Vrix ang pagbabago at nagpakawala ng banayad na buntong-hininga, bagama't nanatiling maayos ang kanyang ekspresyon.

Perlas looked over at Christian, who was still sitting awkwardly on the bed, clearly trying to act like nothing just happened. A mischievous smirk tugged at her lips as she crossed her arms and teased, "So, Sid... about last night."

Christian's eyes widened, and he shot her a panicked look. "Ate Pat! Huwag na natin—"

But Perlas was on a roll, grinning wickedly. "Akala ko ba mag-aaral ka muna sa mga toys? Why jump straight to the real deal?" she teased, laughing. "I thought you were gonna practice with, you know, plastic muna? Pero tao agad ang naging first try?"

Christian's face flushed a deep shade of red. He immediately averted his eyes, unable to look at either Perlas or Vrix. "Perlas, please" napahilamos na lamang ng mukha si Christian gamit ang kaniyang palad. "Tigilan mo na!" He buried his face in his hands, obviously mortified by the sudden turn of the conversation.

Vrix couldn't help but chuckle at Christian's reaction, enjoying how easily embarrassed he got. "You never mentioned that, Christian," he teased with a playful grin, leaning slightly closer to him. "Toys muna dapat, ha?"

Christian groaned, clearly wanting the ground to swallow him whole. "Both of you, tumigil na!" He tried to change the subject quickly, still not looking directly at either of them. "Anyway," he began, clearing his throat, "let's get this over with. Vrix, this is Perlas, my best friend, my sister in every way that matters."

Perlas smiled, extending her hand towards Vrix. "Sige na nga, formal na daw tayo," she said, shaking Vrix's hand. "Nice to meet you, Vrix. Just know I'll always be watching."

Vrix shook her hand, nodding respectfully. "Understood, Perlas," he replied, with a smile still playing on his lips. "I'll make sure he's well taken care of."

Christian sighed in relief that the teasing was over—at least for now. He straightened up and gestured between the two of them. "Okay, tapos na. Vrix, Perlas. Perlas, Vrix. Friends na kayo, ha?" He added the last part half-jokingly, hoping to shift the mood to something lighter.

Perlas rolled her eyes playfully, patting Christian on the shoulder. "Okay, fine. For your sake, Chris."

But the knowing smirk on her face as she glanced at Vrix told him she wasn't done teasing. Christian just groaned again, knowing he wasn't going to hear the end of this anytime soon.