Aaron
"Sabi sa’yong sa sahig ka na matulog, eh…" Kakashi muttered, shaking his head, worry written all over his face.
It was barely morning, and here he was again, sat beside me, treating my wound like some tired-but-dedicated school nurse. Damn this person talaga. Hilig manakit. Kawawa ako nito pag kinasal na kami — pero sige lang, manifesting.
Tinulak niya ako from the bed kanina. Hindi pa nga fully awake kaluluwa ko no’n, tapos pagdilat ko, ayun na — nasa sahig na ako, clutching my poor wound na tumama pa sa bedpost.
"It’s fine…" I said with a small, amused smile. "Ba’t mo ba kasi ako tinulak?"
Di siya sumagot. Tuloy lang sa paglinis ng sugat ko, parang hindi ako nagsalita.
"Akala mo naman ni-touch kita," I teased with a chuckle. "I wouldn’t do that, you know. Buti kung may permission m — OW!"
Bigla niyang diniinan ‘yung alcohol pad sa sugat ko. Walang pasabi. Fuck, that stings!
But maybe I really am a masochist. Because even as he’s treating my wound like he’s mad at it, all I could think was:
I could wake up to this every fucking morning.
"Andami mong sinasabi," he muttered, kinuha agad ang gauze at mabilis na ibinalot sa sugat ko. Walang finesse. Wala ring pakialam kung masyado bang madiin.
"Then shut me up," I said, ngumuso.
Sinamaan niya lang ako ng tingin sabay taas ng kamao. "Ito magpapa-shut up sa'yo, gusto mo?"
I leaned back a little, grinning sheepishly. "Just kidding."
At last, he taped the gauze, gave me one last look, then stood up from the edge of the bed and walked to the cabinet.
"Maliligo na ‘ko. Sunod ka," he said, already rummaging through his clothes.
"Sige po," sagot ko, nakangiti, nakatitig sa likod niya.
"Tantanan mo nga ako sa kakaganyan mo," he shot back over his shoulder. "Mas matanda ka pa nga sa’kin eh."
I laughed. "Why? I can’t promote and foster Filipino culture now?" I raised a brow, still smirking.
Narinig ko ang buntong-hininga niya, halatang bwisit na. Sinara niya 'yung cabinet, tapos humarap sa’kin na may pilit na ngiti. "Sige po, Kuya."
Nalaglag ang ngiti mula sa mukha ko. "What did you just say?"
He mimicked me with the same smirk. "Why? I can’t promote and foster Filipino culture now?"
Tss.
Then he tossed a bunch of clothes at me. Sakto sa lap ko ‘yung bagsak.
"Hanapin mo na ‘yang susi ng dorm mo," aniya. "Para makatulog na ‘ko nang maayos mamayang gabi."
Damn. Right. Every second na lang talaga akong nire-reality check nitong si Kakashi.
Napahilot ako sa temples ko. Ang ganda na nga ng umaga, eh. Tss, bigla tuloy bumalik hangover ko.
"Kakashi," tawag ko.
"Ano?" he asked flatly, busy pa rin sa paghalungkat ng cabinet.
"Do you have painkillers?" I mumbled.
He just shrugged. "Check mo... Alam mo kung saan."
Then tumuloy na siya sa banyo, may dala-dalang mga damit, at hindi na ako nilingon.
Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako before lazily dragging myself out of bed. Lumapit ako sa cabinet kung saan ko siya nakitang kumuha ng painkillers dati — twice, maybe? So I assumed tama ‘yung hinala ko.
