c'est nous (m.w)

believe me

- Edward's.

M: Twin, samahan mo naman ako.

Once I received her text not too long ago, I rushed to her room and knocked, ignoring the fact that it's three o'clock in the morning. Wondering why I'm awake at three in the morning? It was the girl who summoned me here in the first place - about what exactly am I feeling for her. I was about to knock again when the door shifted open, revealing her tear-stained face. I have noticed that her eyes were still glistening with tears, her small nose was red, along with her cheeks. She smiled, but I knew it wasn't genuine. It didn't reached her big brown eyes or it wasn't all gums. The typical Maymay smile, - I immediately knew that something bad has gotten into her. 

I continued to stare at her while she ushered me into her living room. I eye-d out several tissue papers on the floor as I sat down on the sofa. I looked at her, she was standing besides the window, building up courage to tell me what was going on. I have looked at the tears fall on her beautiful face and I swear whatever the reason behind all of this is, I'm going to send them to hell and back for making her feel like this. Would sacrifice him to Tartarus myself. 

"Care to tell me?" After a few long minutes, I softly asked. She turned to look at me and I tapped the space beside me as a signal for her to sit down. She plopped down and stifled a hollow laugh. 

"Nakakapagod pala." She started, tears were continuing to fall down her eyes. I patiently waited for her to continue. She heaved a deep sigh as she found the words to say. "No matter how much I've been trying to ignore them, masakit padin yung nasasabi nila... I am still affected." She said, her eyes never leaving her phone which was lighting up with notifications. 

I felt my instincts kick in and snatched up her phone and scrolled down through thousands of hate messages. I felt anger surge through my veins, like anytime, I would tell them off myself. Seeing all of this, trying to bring her down, it infuriates me. She doesn't deserve this kind of treatment - hell, no one deserves this kind of treatment. Much worse if it's addressed to the person I have fallen in love the most. No, not her. 

"This is bullshit, May." I gritted through my teeth, trying to suppress the wrath trying to come out. I wouldn't dare scare her, no - I wouldn't even dare. I glanced at the messages still adding up on her phone, I turned it off and sighed sharply. This was a very low thing to do, calling her names and going below the belt. Some are even degrading her family's reputation. I guess that was what ticked her off the most, but she chose to just stay silent about it - preventing more issues. "You shouldn't -- they don't have the rights to --" I stopped dead on my tracks. 

She was crying, in front of me. 

It made my heart shatter into tiny little pieces. 

I have seen Maymay so strong despite of all hate. Yes, some are just exaggerated, but there are times which it can hurt her a lot. She hides her pain in her different personalities, always trying to brush it off. Laugh it off. But somehow, the walls she built to protect herself is now collapsing.

And God do I ever want to just hug her, here and now. 

I looked at her, cutely sniffing her snot with her sleeves. I shook my head, in all her worst times - I have always found her so beautiful. But I knew this wasn't the right time to gawk at her face, this wasn't the time for me to gush at her cuteness. I tried to stop myself from smiling, yet it has found its way to my lips. "Hindi ko naman ito dadalhin hanggang bukas, Edward... nasaktan lang ako ng kaunti sa sinasabi nila. Bukas wala ulit to." She added when I didn't respond. 

"You know that whatever they're saying are not true, diba?" I said, trying to find a perfect timing to hold her hand. "Hindi ko masyadong iniisip pero totoo, dong." I was about to hold it but she gestured her hand while telling me this. I mentally 'tsk-ed' but shrugged it away, trying to listen attentively to her story. "Look at me, May." I said, lifting her chin with my finger. 

"What did they say, again?" I asked, she looked at me then punched me on the shoulders. 

"Sinasaktan mo ba talaga ako, Edwardo? Papaulit mo pa, e nasaktan na nga ako." She said, pouting. I tried to stay serious but again, there was a hint of smile on my lips. "Please, May."

She sighed. "Hindi ako bagay sa'yo, dong. Kasi ang pangit ko daw." I sighed, but urged her to continue. She even gave me a glare before continuing. "Iba't ibang hayop na ang kamukha ko, grabe sila manlait. Wala daw ako binatbat kay Kisses. Para namang nakikipag-compete ako. Tsaka, dong." I looked at her after she gestured after me. "Ang di ko magets kung bakit pati sila Mama." She bowed down her head. Again, I lifted her chin up for her to meet my gaze.

"For one, May." I started off, I led her towards her room mirror. I made her look at her reflection, I raised my hand and traced my fingers on her face. "You. Are. Beautiful."

"You are. Inside and out. Never let yourself think so otherwise. People around you can see the beautiful person that is you, Marydale. Bulag sila to even think that you're ugly. Look at you, look. Look! Ang ganda. Ang ganda ganda." 

She punched me lightly. "Niloloko mo nanaman ako."

"Who do you trust more, ha? Diba the people around you? And what do the people around you always tell you? Na ang ganda ganda mo." I pointed it out, flicking her forehead. 

"Second, manok ka lang..." I joked, she heartily laughed. I sheepishly scratched the back of my neck, silently cursing at myself for destroying our moment. "But those comparisons with other animals, you know these aren't true. They're just too much." I intertwined our hands together, which shocked the hell out of her, but she just let me be. "Where's the pangit there?"

I gestured at her face. "Wala, walang panget. Magandang maganda, meron."

She punched me again, for the nth time and turned around to face me. I can see there's something in her eyes, like she wants to ask me something - but is reluctant. I held every fiber of my being to not kiss her right now. "Edward naman, eh." She whined, pouting. 

"Ano? Believe me, May."