A/N: By popular vote - this is Doc Mikha x Vlogger Aiah universe! Enjoy and let me know what you think please :)
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The outrigger boat rocked gently as it cut through the turquoise waters of Coron. Sunlight glittered off the waves like shards of glass, and the islands in the distance loomed like emerald guardians in the sea. Mikha leaned back on her seat, one leg stretched out, the other propped up on the edge of the boat, her long red hair swept into a messy bun that gleamed like copper in the sunlight. She was flipping absently through a waterproof map of the islands, her other hand holding a half-empty bottle of water.
It wasn't her first trip alone, nor her first time in Coron. Mikha liked the quiet of traveling solo—no itinerary dictated by anyone else, no chitchat unless she wanted it. She lived for the adrenaline of jumping off cliffs, diving reefs, and paddling through lagoons. But the people on this boat? All couples and tight-knit groups. It wasn't exactly her scene. She figured she'd let them take selfies and squeal over the view while she stuck to her own rhythm.
That was, until she spoke.
"Uy, alone ka rin?"
Mikha looked up to see her. Tall. Gorgeous. Like a silhouette peeled off a tourist magazine cover. Long, sun-kissed brunette hair, a wide, friendly smile that felt like it had been baked in sunlight itself. She was wearing an oversized white button-up shirt knotted over her bikini, sunglasses perched precariously on her head. Mikha noticed the girl had a way of standing—poised, but full of kinetic energy, like a runner waiting for the gunshot.
"Yeah," Mikha replied, her voice calm and clipped, eyes flicking back down to her map. She wasn't much for small talk.
"Oh, same here!" the girl chirped, unfazed by Mikha's nonchalance. "I'm Aiah, by the way. Aiah Arceta." She plopped herself down on the bench across from Mikha, her golden retriever energy practically bounding across the narrow space between them. "What brought you here?"
Mikha sighed internally but offered a small smile. "Mikha. Mikha Lim," she said, then added, "Work, mostly. I'm a pediatrician. Nandito ako for a few weeks doing an outreach program sa Palawan."
Aiah's eyes lit up. "Doctor ka? Oh, wow, ang cool naman 'yun! So... nandito ka para tumulong sa mga bata? Ang astig!"
Mikha shrugged, shifting in her seat. "It's nothing glamorous. Basic checkups, immunizations, stuff like that."
Aiah tilted her head, her smile widening. "Heroic pa rin 'yun for me."
Mikha felt the edges of her ears warm, so she turned the conversation. "Ikaw? You seem... I don't know, touristy." She gestured vaguely at the GoPro clipped to Aiah's bag and the tripod peeking out of it.
Aiah laughed, leaning back and tucking her hair behind her ear. "Guilty! Travel vlogger ako. I run a channel—Wild Wanderlust. Narinig mo na ba?"
Mikha shook her head, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Nope. Di ako nagfo-follow ng influencers. Or, uh, vloggers."
"That's okay! Most of my viewers naman are mga wanderers like me. I just love documenting my adventures and sharing them with people—hiking, diving, food hunts, you name it!" Aiah grinned sheepishly. "Medyo cringey minsan, pero I really love it. And, I mean, someone has to record these moments, diba?"
"Guess so," Mikha murmured, her smirk deepening. She leaned back, crossing her arms loosely over her chest, the sun catching the faint freckles on her cheeks. "Gusto mo ba magpa-photo o video? I'm pretty decent with a camera, kung gusto mo lang."
Aiah blinked, then laughed, delighted. "Seryoso? Gagawin mo 'yun? Usually tripod lang gamit ko, kaya hassle minsan."
"Yeah, well, consider it my good deed for the day," Mikha replied, brushing imaginary lint off her tank top. "Marami ka na sigurong selfies."
