One Step at a Time (ALDUB/MAIDEN One-shots)

Airport Blues

(A/N: This should be posted before A's Canada tour last March but things happened so I wasn't able to do so but, yay, finally, mapo-post ko na rin. Just a little fluff.)

I counted to 10 before I face my biggest fear right now and that is seeing Alden leaving me. He was slowly unloading all his things out of the van and putting it in the airport service cart that was given to him upon arrival. His brows are furrowed and a serious mood is graced in his beautiful face. I choose not to talk to him in the duration of our ride to the airport because I know the moment I talk, my lacrimal glands will make a scene and it will overflow and the last thing I want him to see is me bawling my eyes out.

I stared at him for a moment and he did the same to me. He was standing there, sighed his deepest sigh and scratch his head. He tentatively close the gap between us, held my hand and smiled.

"Uwi ako ng Sunday and promise,sa'yo ako agad magre-report,"

" Yung pasalubong ko wag mong kalimutan. Don't forget our facetime calltime, huwag ka ring masyadong magkapagod, bibihis ka kaagad pag nabasa shirt mo, wala pa naman si Mama Ten para asikasuhin ka dun. Take all your important things kapag lalabas kayo. Matulog agad. Pahinga pag may time. Eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner on time. You can socialize but don't drink, kapag di mo gusto ang atmosphere sa lugar na pupuntahan niyo, mag-aya ka kaagad pauwi. Keep your phone with you, always, baka magtext or call ako. Wear thick clothes, okay, mahina pa naman lungs mo, ang lamig-lamig dun sa pupuntahan mo. Drink enough water para di ka paosin, ilang gabi ka pa namang kakanta at magpe-perform dun. Do you have your rosary? Okay good, don't forget to say a silent prayer every time your out. And........and,...ano pa ba......,"

"Maine, meron ka bang checklist ng mga sinabi mo, baka makalimutan ko ehh," he teasingly said.

"Sampal, gusto mo? Basta mag-iingat ka dun ha? And don't do stupid things without me, okay?"

"Hala siya, ang mukhang toh...gagawa ng something stupid? Huyy, behave to noh."

"Behave your face. Narinig ko kay Mama Ten, magbu-bungee jumping ka raw? Naku, Tisoy, malaman-laman ko lang na you did something extreme dun and may nangyari sa'yo. Ako pa mismo ang tutulak sa'yo sa Niagara Falls. Tingnan ko lang saan abutin mo."

"Grabe siya, advance ang utak. Di ko gagawin yun, sabi mo nga....huwag akong gagawa ng mga bagay na istupido na hindi ka kasama, so, Babe, sama ka na lang kaya para magawa ko ang mga yun,"

"Sasamain ka sa akin Richard, isa pa."

"Hahahaha, I'm just making you laugh. 168 hours without you is making me insane. Di ko nga alam ano pang ginagawa ko dito kung pwede namang bumalik na lang pa-Laguna,"

"They're waiting for you. Hindi mo naman sila pwedeng indyanin di ba?"

"Yeah, di ko sila pwedeng indiyanin, sa ngayon." He slowly traced the outline of my face, held my gaze ever so softly and placed a soft kiss in my lips.

His flight will be any minute now and as much as I don't want to let go, I have to. The fans in Canada are waiting for him and I don't want to be the needy girlfriend who wants to enjoy the Holy Week with her boyfriend. It's not much to ask but their schedule is always set to keep them apart.

"Look at me Meng." he asked, and I looked at him. There's longing in his eyes and I know I have one too. We always reflect each other. Kaya nga siguro we understand each other, it's because we have the tendency to feel what the other feel and have that connection that even without words, we work it out, we figure it out.

"Don't drive alone especially pag gabi. I will monitor your whereabouts directly kay Ate Nikki at Ate Coleen. May number na din ako kay Kuya Lando na driver mo, wherever you are, dapat andyan siya para ipagmaneho ka. Don't stay in your condo pag wala kang kasama. Don't drink too much coffee, okay. Matulog ka rin. 1 week meng, 1 week ka pwedeng matulog kaya please, sleep as much as you can. Don't overdo your get-up in the beach, a T-shirt and a shorts will do......Hep, teka lang, di pa ako tapos. Okay one-piece swimsuit is enough. Don't stay too long surfing the net, ang mata Meng ohhh, ang lalim na. Maawa ka naman. And lastly, walang iiyak during our facetime-calltime, okay. Wala ako dito to wipe your tears kaya be strong, okay."

"Okay, di ako iiyak. Di nga ako umiiyak ngayon ehh." She pouted as she said those words. Pina-alala pa talaga ang pag-iyak, kanina pa nga niya pinipigilan ehh. He bonecrashingly hugged her and kissed her forehead.

The sound of his flight calling for boarding is the sound she will hate forever, dinaig pa ang busina ng truck kung makasira ng moment. Be strong, Menggay, be strong. Di ka iiyak.

"Alis na ako, Babe. Ihahatid ka na ni Mang Roger pa-Batangas okay. I'll call you immediately as soon as we land and ikaw din, update mo ako ha?"

"Of course, ingat ka ha? Dito muna ako, hintayin kitang makapasok," she said straight-faced but the moment Alden turned his back and proceeded to walk to the boarding area, her vision becomes blurry because of the tears that made its way from her eyes and she called for him.

"RJ....RJ......RJ!" she called for his name a little louder, just to get his attention. And get his attention, she did. Her Tisoy, who is at the end of the line came running for her the moment he sees her tears.

"O, di ba sabi ko, di pwedeng umiyak?"

"Andito ka pa naman, allowed pa akong umiyak. Wipe my tears now and then ako muna ang unang aalis para di kita ma-miss,"

"Hay, naku...sabi ko na, mami-miss mo ako ehh. Okay, stop crying now," he said that as he wipes her tears away.

"Mabilis lang ako dun, 1 week lang and then before you know it, nasa harap mo na ulit ako,"

"1 week. Sige na bye na, baka maiwan ka pa ng plane mo."

He kissed her goodbye and peppered her with kisses before he jogged to the boarding area. She waved at him when she saw him looking at her and made a decision, Makapunta nga ng Canada.