Heartbound Part Two (Lovestruck Series)

Day 9.2 | E

#HeartboundWP

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Day 9.2 | E

EVERYTHING IS A LITTLE better on Monday. The clock on the morning news on the TV says that Elias woke up just a couple minutes later than the usual time he gets up whenever he has to attend class. His lightheadedness and headache are both gone. He feels well enough to make himself a decent breakfast—omelette on bread, since there's really nothing much to cook from the fridge—but not quite ready yet to get back on his regular routine and come to campus.

Afterwards, Elias searches Migs' closet for a robe. He refuses to borrow another one of his shirts or any more of his stuff, so he pops his own clothes inside the machine. Once he's done with the dryer, and hanging them on the balcony to dry them under the sun, he cleans up the unit. He collects his clothes after, sorts them in his duffle bag, and takes one set with him to the bathroom before taking a shower. He's surprisingly doing well. Maybe he can come back to his own unit later. Staying here for a day longer feels like too much of an imposition.

He tries to go through the notes on Migs' laptop after. The chatter from the running television show keeps him company. None of the information is getting through him, unfortunately, but he traces that back more on the notes being in an unfamiliar format, and less on him being in this disposition he doesn't have a name for, yet. He's functioning. He feels fine. He thinks he can come home. But, and he doesn't know why, he's quite not there, yet. He doesn't even know what 'there' means, but he's certain that he's still a few steps shy from reaching it.

Migs arrives around lunch, unannounced. May dala na naman itong takeouts. Elias arches a brow at him while he unpacks the food boxes on the table. "You know I can take care of my own food."

Migs brings his eyes back up to him. Elias sighs when he notices how he once again hesitates, like he's trying to figure out if there are words he cannot say around him. Elias snatches the disposables from his hand and takes a seat.

Elias really should leave. He thinks he can leave, anyway. He's starting to worry people—Migs, of all people. They have been friends for a really long time, and have been through each other's lowest of lows, and Elias knows him well enough to declare that he . . . terrified him that night that he called. The guy operates on a day-to-day basis with his worries set at the lowest possible amount. For him to act like this, something massive has to be hurled his way with him not looking. That something is Elias last Friday. This Elias, the one in front of him in the middle of Monday, is fine. Migs has nothing to worry about. Nothing too serious, at least. But Elias knows it's going to take a little more than words to prove that. He needs to show him.

Migs slips a receipt to his side of the table when he sits down. "You're paying," he says, jokingly.

Elias chuckles. He takes the receipt and pockets it, anyway. "But seriously, you didn't have to go here. Hindi ka ba male-late?"

Migs shrugs. Alam naman nilang parehas yata ang sagot doon. Elias shakes his head disapprovingly. Sana lang grace period lang ang kainin ng biyahe ni Migs pabalik.

They continue eating their lunch. Migs fills him in with what happened in class, including getting held up after a lecture by Ky who was badgering him the whole morning to spill where Elias is staying. "I didn't say anything, but, Lord." Migs shakes his head repeatedly, like recalling this morning is giving him the shivers. "She's sobrang mean," he adds, stabbing his food with his fork.

Elias laughs. He has a clear picture in his head on how things happened based on Migs' story. "And she's so—"

Elias waits for him to finish his sentence. His smile fades when he looks up at Migs and catches him chewing slowly while staring at his food like his mind is somewhere else. Oh, no.