Dominika (Pale As Dead I) | COMPLETED

𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢 - 𝚜𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗

┗━━━━━━━ ｄｅｅ ━━━━━━━┓

𝚜𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟻, 𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝟻:𝟹𝟻 𝚙.𝚖.

"Tang ina. Ngayon lang ako nahiya sa mga katarantaduhan ko."

With my other hand, I held his head and ran my fingers through his hair that gently prickled my palm. He flinched because of my touch, but he did not move away. He let me hold him.

"Matagal na 'kong hindi nagamit nito," he continued, his voice hoarse. "Huling gamit ko nito, no'ng gabing nadaplisan ka, pagkatanggi mo na puntahan kita." He made a sound na parang muntik na siyang matawa. "Tira na lang 'to. Hindi ko nga alam na nandito pa pala 'to, eh. Akala ko natapon ko na."

Nagulat ako sa inamin niya. Gusto kong tanungin kung dahil ba sa nangyaring accident na 'yon kaya siya gumamit ulit o dahil sa pagtanggi ko but ang assuming ng dating ko kapag gano'n. And it was not something to be getting exhilarated about.

"Hindi rin talaga 'ko mapakali no'n," sabi niya pa. Para siyang bata na nagkukwento. He even snuggled his head slightly against my arm, like he was savoring the fact that we were this close to each other. "Natakot ako na baka may mangyaring masama at kasalanan ko."

Napangiti ako. "It wasn't your fault. Ako yung makulit na hindi umalis, eh."

"Itapon na natin 'to."

"Talaga?"

Lumayo na siya at tumayo. He held out a hand para itayo rin ako. "Tara."

I accepted it and together, we went out of his studio and walked to the sink. He opened the container and let the powder flow as the running water washed it further away. Then he threw the empty container into the bin.

"Magluluto lang ako," sabi niya pagkatapos. "May binili akong pudding."

Lalo akong napangiti. "Thank you!"

Sumimangot siya bigla. "Sino may sabing sa'yo yun? Sa'kin 'yon."

Nawala ang ngiti ko. "Seryoso?"

Tumawa siya dahil sa reaction ko. "Sa'yo yun. Sige na, do'n ka muna sa sala."

"Thank you ulit," nakangiti pa rin na sabi ko. "But dito na lang ako."

Shishi started peeling the potatoes while I sat on one of the stools in front of the island. Pinapanood ko siya. I could not help but imagine that we really were a couple. Heck, a married couple, even.

Pagkatapos niya sa tatlong potatoes, he put the peeler down and walked over to me kaya nagtaka ako. Pero napalitan agad yun ng gulat noong niyakap niya ako mula sa likod.

"Saglit lang," bulong niya.

Hinawakan ko yung braso niya. "Why?"

Hindi siya agad sumagot. Instead, he buried his face in my neck and inhaled a deep breath. Kahit natatakluban ng buhok ko yung part na yun ng katawan ko, ramdam ko yung warmth ng hininga niya when he exhaled. "Hindi ka naman babalik sa gagong 'yon kahit pilitin ka ng ermats mo, 'di ba?"

Natigilan ako sa tanong niya. I did not expect him to ask a question like that. It was not because I did not know the answer. It was more because it was really unexpected.

Hindi ko naman gagawin yun kahit anong mangyari, but paano kaming dalawa kung yun ang inaalala niya? Ayaw ng mom ko kay Shishi. I did not have the heart to tell him that.

Inangat niya ang ulo niya kaya tiningala ko siya. Nakasimangot na naman. "Babalik ka?"

"No," I told him, lacing my voice with the needed amount of force to let him know na totoo ang sinasabi ko.