Her Hero

Moment

After I changed umakyat na kami. And ofcourse, he is my camera man. Konti lang kinuhanan namin, pwede naman i-edit yun. And I discovered another thing about Xavier, he is also fond of taking photos.
"Picturan mo ako ulit." Abot na naman nya sakin sa cellphone n'ya. May Instax naman syang dala pero baka ubos na yung photopaper.

"Ang dami mo ng picture. Puno na halos space ng phone mo."

"Hindi pa...C'mon...Don't be such a killjoy." Pinipilit pa n'ya na kuhanin ko ang cellphone nya.
I looked at him with annoyance. Pero hindi ko pa rin kinukuha yung phone nya.

"It'll be the last. Please..." he pleaded looking at me in puppy-eyes with his both hands folded together.

"That's what you said the last time. And the other times before that..."

Napakamot s'ya ng ulo.

Nag dire-diretso na ko ng lakad para tumingin pa ng ibang view. It's already evening and the Gardens are illuminated. This view is really magical.

Naramdaman ko na hindi ko na s'ya kasabay na naglalakad. I decided to look back at him. He's still holding up his phone.

"Fine, Let's just take selfies." He yelled and he gestured a pose for selfie.
I waved my hand to disagree.

"Ayoko nga."
He looked at me with disbelief.

"Unbelievable! Bakit na naman?"
Natawa ko sa itsura n'ya. Para s'yang bata na kinuhanan ng candy.

"Ayokong makita ako ng fans mo sa kahit na anong social media account mo."
Nakita ko s'yang napahinto.

He stretched out his arms before he made a speech, "Who cares about them? You're overthinking things. Don't mind them."

"Alam mo namang they're going gaga over a petty picture of you especially when you're with a girl. Ma-headline pa ko."

He didn't move. He looked me straight in the eyes then he walked towards me. And I stood there still. Waited for him to come close.

And he did not disappoint. He stood close to me. I look at him and he smiled at me. He moved his face closer.

It made my heart run wild. I never felt this rampage in my heart – even to Xymon.

I can't say anything. I don't know what to say. My heart is out of place, but him standing so close to me, I feel like I'm where I belong.

"Thank you..." he said. It made me blink in confusion.

Yara, Earth to...Nakakahiya ka...Hindi ka na nahiya kay Xavier. Baka kung ano pa isipin ng assumero na yan!

"What?" I shook my head in confusion to bring myself again to reality.

"Thank you!" he joyfully said. Then he walked away still facing me. Sa laki at bilis ng hakbang nya naiwan na ako.

"For what?"
He didn't answer. He just waved his phone to me.

Oh my gosh! Did we just have a selfie?

"You're really so annoying Von Xavier!"
With that he ran back at me and he put his hand on my mouth with his other hand at the back of my head and his face so close to me. So close I could see the lights reflecting on his light brown orbs.
Before I get lost in the spell of the moment. I harshly grab his hands off me.

"What the..."

He shushed me. "Don't shout my name."

"Ang kulit mo kasi."

"Fine. That would be the last picture." He said.

"That would be so hard to believe." I retorted.

I continued walking. I sat at one of the benches facing the whole view of the park. Malamig na ang hangin. This is peaceful. My loose hair started to follow the blow of the soft wind. I tuck it behind my ears. I rested my hands on the bench and I closed my eyes for a while and just breathe in the moment.

For few seconds I felt so peaceful. I suddenly open my eyes. I can see Xavier sitting beside me with my peripheral vision.
I looked at him and he's also staring at the beautiful view.

"Ganda, noh?" I said to him as I fix again my loose hair behind my ears.
He looked at me and again I feel like I'm being drawn under the spell of his beautiful orbs. He smiled. A sweet smile that I never get to notice before.

He nod still looking at me, "Sobra..."
Kumabog na naman ang dibdib ko. Ako na ata ang assumera. That felt like his word isn't referring to the illuminated view of the park but he's pertaining it to me.

I have nothing else to say.
I diverted my gaze back to the view and contemplate how my life turned around. In the previous years in school, Xavier and I were practically strangers, now we are close. We became close. Who would have thought, right? Circumstances brought us together. There had been previous chances for us to be close but those times weren't successful. This time it is like the cosmos has finally draw its strongest punch - pushing us to be together.

I can still remember what Meera once told me, that he's really nice and I proved it now myself. He is really nice. I didn't know when my feelings and perspective about him changed. How he made it so easy to break my walls. I can't remember being comfortable like this around guys. I only open myself to my brother and cousins. With him things unfold naturally.

They were also right about another thing: he made my other senses and emotions alive. I am not certain if it is because he had been part of my life or because I attend to school where people around adore him.
What we have is more than being friends. I know that there is something more between us. Something more than I can label like what I have for his brother. I can't even name yet what this feeling I am having for him right now. This is strange. I know I have affection for Xymon but this I have for Xavier is different - far different like both predictable and unpredictable. He even made me forget about my plans. Plans that I have crafted for years.

I draw a deep sigh. Whatever it is. Whatever may this be that I'm feeling or what we have at this moment, it scares and excites me at the same time.

I looked back at him and I saw him – staring at me.