Shipwrecked Hearts

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I sighed, it seems like I have no choice but to explore this ship and search for real food myself. This is my first mission as a pirate. I joked to myself. But I got to do something about my wet dress first. Kaya naman naghubad ako at saka ko binuksan ang maleta, naglabas ako ng damit na umabot hanggang gitna ng hita, nilabas ko rin ang aking tsinelas sapagkat ramdam kong kailangan na rin kumawala nitong mga daliri ng paa ko mula sa sapatos.

I pulled my hair into a messy bun and gave myself a brief overview at the mirror. Not bad. Lumabas ako sa aking kwarto at naglakad sa pasilyo. As I am really and very hungry, my senses are quite sharp. Especially when we're talking about food.

May naamoy agad ako. It was the aroma of food. I can tell how it tastes already just by the smell of it. Delicious! Sinundan ko kung saan nanggaling ang amoy, I went up by the stairs. When I was at the deck, I realized it wasn't raining already. I saw the other pirates grabbing golds and other treasures they got from where I was cruising. They seem to not notice me as they were engrossed with the treasures in front of them.

Muli akong bumalik sa huwisyo nang malanghap ang masarap na amoy ng—I don't know what that food is, I'm not familiar with it. But I know it's really gonna be tasty and juicy.

Umakyat ako at nakita ang dalawang itim na pintuan, the doors were carved with letters—A.R. But I didn't pay much attention on it, I was too hungry. Binuksan ko ang pintuan at pumasok.

May narinig akong ingay ng tila napiprito mula sa kabilang silid. Sinundan ko ito, the smell became stronger. I can feel it. Nanlalaway na ako. Tila nasa isang paraiso ako sa gitna ng karagatan.

I stopped on my tracks when I realized whose room I was in. I remembered the letters engraved on the doors. A.R. Alexander Renaissance. I'm in his cabin!

Akmang tatalikod na sana ako para lumabas nang may narinig akong ibang yabag ng mga paa. "You." I stopped on my tracks when I heard his deep voice. "Why are you here?"

Lumunok ako. I tried to think of excuses. I got lost? No! It's too lame! Um, I don't know I just woke up like this?! Kill me now!

"Starfish, what are you doing here?"

"I-I—" Tila hihimatayin na ako, I can feel his deadly stare on my body, it was sending chills around my body. Magsasalita pa sana ako nang kumulo nang malakas aking t'yan.

Maximo chuckled, "I hear the reason now."

Dahan-dahan akong humarap sa kan'yang, tila mas nagutom ako dahil sa aking nakita. Maximo was on his boxers only and a pink apron. I can see his strong arms and his toned chest. My eyes went back on his apron.

Pink?! Iisipin ko na sanang bakla rin ito, but... he's still looks so manly! He carries pink like he owns the color! Well, they say pink is the color for boys and blue for girls. I'm starting to agree on it. And that color... It also complimented his, well, tanned skin. Pero kita ko pa rin ang tan-line niya, doon ko napagtanto na dati siyang maputi.

"Wanna taste my food?"

I gulped. "Yes, please."

"Okay. Let me serve you a meal." His British accent is starting to bring me on my knees! Naisip ko, shouldn't he be mad at me for entering his turf without knocking and asking for permission? Masyado akong gutom para mag-isip pa! "Make yourself feel at home. You may sit on the couch in front of the coffee table." Aniya sabay turo sa gilid ko.

I nodded, dumbfounded. "Okay." Umupo ako roon. Bumalik naman si Maximo sa kusina, matapos ang ilang sandali ay lumabas siya dala-dala ang dalawang tray sa magkabilang kamay. He effortlessly put them on the table in front of me.

"You cooked these?" I asked even if I already knew the answer.

"Hard to believe?"

"Not really." Sagot ko, what's hard to believe is that you're wearing pink.

"Let's eat together." Aniya sabay bigay sa akin ng plato na may kutsara't tinidor. I nodded. Wala nang hiya-hiya pa kung gutom! I took two cups of rice and a fish sizzling, chopsuey, and mushroom soup. I took my first bite. Wow!

Tahimik kaming kumain ni Maximo. I took another serving after finishing all that was on my plate. "If you still need more, I still got a lot at the kitchen. Napasobra." He used Filipino language! Oh, my gosh! Ear-gasm!

"Thanks, ayos na ako rito." I answered, tinuro ko naman ang mga natirang pagkain. There was still a handful of it. When I was already finished, ramdam ko ang pagbigat ng t'yan ko. I was full. So full. Thank God for the delicious food. "Thank you for the meal, Maximo."

"Anytime. I wondered why you were light, wala palang laman ang t'yan mo kanina." He chuckled deeply. "You almost died with an empty stomach."

"Almost, thanks to you." I smiled. Tila nawala ang galit ko sa kan'yang dahil sa pagsira niya sa telepono ko at lahat-lahat na. Well, all of it were washed away when he saved my poor life from the aggressive sea.

Then there was an awkward silence. Sa gitna nito ay ang ingay ng mga kapwa pirata sa labas, they're still not done sharing the good load of treasures. "You're not going out there to take any treasure?"

He glanced at me with a deep level of intensity, that's when I found out he was not wearing his eyepatch, and his eyes... they had different colors. The right eye was green and the left was blue. It looks so peculiar, peculiar but beautiful. Like of emerald and sapphire.

Is this what they call heterochromia? Is this why he wears an eyepatch? I came back to my senses when he started talking.

"The treasure you're speaking of is already in front of me." He smirked.