As I woke up, I found myself wrapped in a tight embrace. I looked up and saw Lan sleeping face, his steady breathing soothing the chaos in my mind. I took a moment to trace his face with my fingertips, feeling the warmth radiating from him.
I held my breath, afraid that I might have disturbed his peaceful sleep. But in that moment, I needed him to know the truth. The words felt liberating yet terrifying, exposing the vulnerability I been hiding.
“Lan,” I whispered softly, my heart racing at the thought of confessing. “I really, really like you. No, scratch that—I love you.” “ I'm jealous of Theo, Lan. bat ang open mo sa kanya, you can be whoever you want if he is with you, ngiting-ngiti ka nga pagnagkaka-usap kayo. Kaya selos na selos ako." saad ko sa malumanay na boses.
Seconds passed, and finally, Lan opened his eyes. He looked at me, surprise etched on his face. “Xian…,” he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” I quickly added,
I held my breath, Lan staring at me deeply, and for a moment, time stood still between us.
“I know that wala akong karapatan sayo," I continued, my voice trembling slightly. “ and I’m sorry if I’m being jealous.”
Lan studied me for what felt like an eternity before responding. “I won’t let you kiss me if I don’t like you, Xian. I won’t kiss you back if I don’t feel the same way.”
His words filled the space between us, wrapping around my heart. I felt a rush of emotions that I cant named.
" Don't be jealous with Theo, he is my cousin in my mother side, Xian". he said, at parang bigla nalang akong nahiya sa mga pinagsasabi ko sa narinig ko. I struggle to be out in his embrace but he won't let me then I hear him chuckled.
Kaya binaon ko nalang ang mukha ko sa dibdib nya sa pagka-pahiya, at least he doesn't know that I'm sick because I'm jealous.
We just stay there like that, me in his chest while him hugging me. The silent is heavy but calming. Not until I heard what Lan said that I almost got an heart attack.
I stared at Lan, utterly speechless as his words echoed in my mind.
“I want to take things to the next level and ask if you would be my partner. What do you think?”
My eyes widened in disbelief. I wasn’t expecting that at all. For a moment, I could only blink at him, my heart racing so fast I thought it would leap out of my chest. Then, before I could stop myself, I felt my eyes moisten, uncontrollable tears threatening to spill.
“Lan… are you serious?” I asked, my voice shaky, unable to believe what I’d just heard. His usual stoic expression softened, and I saw a hint of vulnerability in his gaze, something rare from him.
“I’m serious, Xian,” he replied, his voice steady. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I want to make this real, I want the idea of owning you branding you as mine. I want to spend my days with you. I want us to be real, having the label as partner."
I tried to blink away the tears, but they rolled down my cheeks anyway. I felt overwhelmed—by his words, by his presence, by the fact that the person I had longed for, who had always seemed so distant, was now in front of me, offering something more than I ever thought he could.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” I whispered, my heart swelling with emotion. “I didn’t think you felt this way.”
Lan gently reached out, wiping a tear from my cheek. “I wouldn’t ask you this if I didn’t mean it,” he said, his thumb lingering on my skin. “So, what do you think? Will you be my partner?”
I let out a shaky breath, feeling a rush of warmth and happiness surge through me. “Yes,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Yes, Lan, I want that. I want to be your partner.”
A rare smile spread across his face, and in that moment, everything felt right. He pulled me into a tight embrace, and I buried my face in his chest, letting the tears flow freely now, but this time, they were tears of joy.
In his arms, I felt safe, wanted, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t have to wonder where we stood. We had finally taken that step—together, a partner.
