Serendipitous

Hot and Cold

Drabble Challenge
AMACon4 Day 3
PROMPT: Fire and Ice

"Dei? Rj's been trying to call you several times na but you aren't answering your phone daw," Coleen said as she peeked inside Dei's room.

Dei turned her head towards Coleen, shrugged, and focused back to tinkering with her laptop on the bed.

"Huy! Didn't you hear me? Rj has been worried sick that something happened to you kaya hindi mo sinasagot phone mo."

Dei rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Manigas kamo sya sa kahihintay na sagutin ko yung tawag nya. And if possible do tell him to stop bothering me. I don't want to talk to him at this time."

"Wow, ginawa akong messenger ng magka-LQ? Why don't you just tell him yourself? Nandun sya sa baba ngayon."

"How can we have a lovers' quarrel when we aren't 'lovers'? Q lang po ito - quarrel. And what is he doing here? Gaaah, nalilito na talaga ako sa lalaking ito!"

Dei and Rj first met when they had a fortuitous meeting in "Un Heureux Hasard," a French restaurant which, when translated, meant "Serendipity". Dei was supposed to meet her sister in the restaurant last Valentine's Day but she gave the wrong name to the maître d'. She was led to Rj's table where he was waiting for his blind date and they assumed their sisters set them up only to find out they weren't set up and it was just a case of a wrong reservation name at the right time.

They hit it off and agreed to go out again but after 6 months, Dei feels like they're just going around in circles. One moment he could be the sweet and flirty lad she met during their first dinner and the next he'll pat her on the head, distance himself and treat her like a younger sister.

Trudging down the stairs, she felt giddy for a second upon seeing Rj seated on the sofa. Mentally chastising herself, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Rj," she called. "As you can see, I'm fine. You can go home now. Goodnight."

"Dei, wait!" Rj ran to Dei and held her hand. "May problema ba tayo? Why aren't you answering your phone? And why are you acting like this?"

Shrugging off his hand, she walked back to her room. She was about to close the door when he slid in and leaned back on the closed door.

"Rj, go home. I really don't want to talk to you tonight."

"No. Let's talk about this. Ano bang ginawa ko at galit ka? Ang unfair mo naman. How would I know kung anong ginawa ko kung hindi ka magsasalita?"

Dei's nostrils flared and she finally lost her cool. "Ako? Ako pa ang unfair? Sino ba ang naglalaro dito sa ating dalawa? Ako ba? We've been going out for 6 months and I don't even know what your intentions are towards me. You act like you want to be my boyfriend one moment then treat me like a younger sister the next. Pag may manliligaw sa akin na iba, gumagawa ka ng paraan para masindak sila at daig mo pa ang linta sa pagdikit. Pero pag wala na sila, you're suddenly busy and hindi magpapakita for some time."

Dei approached Rj and pushed her finger into his chest as tears rolled down her face. "You're selfish! You don't want me but you also don't want other people to have me. Well I've had enough! Ayoko na!"

She turned to go to her bathroom when Rj pulled her to him and KISSED HER! She halfheartedly tried to push him away but her fists slowly opened and her palms slid from his chest to his back, caressing it.

As their lips parted, their foreheads touched. The sound of their harsh breaths filled the room as the warmth of Rj's stare slowly melted Dei's cold and bruised heart.

"Dei, I'm sorry if you thought I was just playing with your feelings. I want you so much, hindi mo alam kung gaano kahirap sa akin to back off. But I wanted you to be sure that you wanted me too. Bata ka pa kasi, you're only 22 so I didn't want to put pressure on you na sagutin ako," Rj rasped.

"Paano kita sasagutin kung hindi ka naman nagsabi what your intentions are? Alangan naman ako magtanong noh!"

Rj pulled Dei towards the bed and as she sat down, he kneeled on the floor while still holding her hands.

"Oy, ano ito? Magpo-propose ka na agad hindi pa nga tayo?" Dei asked in an incredulous tone.

Rj chuckled and shook his head. "Hay Dei, ikaw talaga. No, hindi pa ako magpo-propose, wala pa akong nabibiling singsing. Pero yes, may itatanong ako sa iyo."

"Ano yun?"

"Dei Mendoza, will you take me, Rj Faulkerson, to be your boyfriend? One who will have the privilege of calling you his girl? Through the good times and the bad, no matter how slow or fast we might take things between us?"

Dei's eyes filled with tears and without warning, she tackle glomped Rj on the floor and shouted, "Yes! I do!"

"Want to seal it with a kiss?" he asked.

"Hmmm, convince me first," she teased.

"Hmmm, with you, actions speak louder than words. Kaya..." and he twisted their positions then shared with Dei their first hot kiss as a couple.