Tay and New

Almost Unrequited (Part II)

"Do you love Tay?" May asked carefully.

New sighed for the umpteenth time that night, "It's already a given that I love him. After all, he is my best friend".

He paused for a while before letting out another sigh "But romantically, I'm not so sure anymore. A few days ago, if you had asked me this question I would have given you a definite 'no' for an answer. But Tay's confession made me see our relationship in a different light. It made me question my own actions toward him. Was I too clingy, did I get too easily jealous, have I demanded too much of his time, did I act too much like a boyfriend to Tay?"

"Yes, yes, yes, and yes." May deadpanned. It was her turn to sigh "New, even when we were still together, I was already aware of that place in your heart that I would never be able to occupy. Honestly, it hurt especially when you were so defensive and oblivious about its existence. Remember how I used to pester you if you were in love with someone else and how you kept on denying it?"

"You thought that I was in love with Tay while we were together?" New felt his head go numb "Is that why you broke up with me?"

"It wasn't just a hunch" May asserted. 

"I knew that in your own way you loved me New, but what we had was nothing compared to what you and Tay have had all these years"

"But-"

"I know. I know that I shouldn't  have compared how you loved me from how you loved Tay but I couldn't help it. I loved you and I saw that you were happier with him. I adored Tay and I saw how he hurt from thinking his love was unrequited. I didn't want to be that person who would hinder a love as beautiful as Taynew's" she smiled bitterly "And, I don't deserve to simply be someone's second priority"

"Oh May. But, for whatever it's worth, I would like to say I'm sorry" New said sincerely.

May gave a subdued laugh, "So, you agree with me now?"

New kept silent so May prompted him again, "New, I'll ask you for the second time, do you love Tay?"

THE FIRST TIME NEW TOOK CARE OF TAY

It took a couple of weeks before New finally warmed up to his colleagues at 'Five Live Fresh'. Surprisingly, it was Off who eventually broke through the younger man's aloofness.

Off strategically chose topics that New was interested in to lure him into the group's conversations. He would invite the gang to hang out at haunts near New's place so the younger one would not have problems getting home. And, most especially he smuggled sweets for New on the set of their show against orders of their managers.

As New got closer to his co-workers, Tay could only look from afar with frustration. Out of everyone in the filming set, he was the person who was least close to New which people found hilarious considering how eagerly he wanted to be friends with the latter. Tay blamed it on his curse. Despite wanting to get to know New better, all his plans backfired: he once brought 'som tam' for the younger one not knowing that the other does not like spicy food; he also tried calling New just like Off when he got scolded for interrupting the engineering student's review for his upcoming exams.

Tay was sulking in the corner while looking at New who was having a merry conversation with Off, when the younger man looked at him. New smiled and Tay could only gawk back.

"P'Tay, do you want some?" New showed off a box of pastries to him. Tay nodded as Off laughed in the background. New walked towards Tay and handed him the box which the other excitedly took. He easily gobbled two of the pastries and was just about to get a third piece when he saw New looking longingly at the baked goodies. Tay asked the boy to join him which the other readily accepted.

"New specifically bought those pastries for Tay so I did not have the heart to tell him that Tay is not too fond of sweets" Off whispered to Gun. 

"But why would New give something to Tay? They were never close" Gun said scratching his head.

"I don't know but I ship this" Off laughed.

Years later, Off would ask Tay what made New special and he would answer, "New can be immature. New can be whiny. New can be mean. New can be cold. But, New takes care of me the best"