Perspectives

Love From the Philippines

The elevator lift streaked towards the 18th floor as Dylan leaned back and rested his head against the stainless steel wall. He was so exhausted that he could barely keep his eyes open. His bones felt weary, every muscle in his body ached, and he was starving. He had looked forward to catching up on his sleep during the five hour flight from Manila back to Beijing but it simply wasn't meant to be. The teething infant situated two rows behind him on the flight had wailed pitifully for almost three hours straight. Though Dylan had smiled sympathetically at her parents, the pounding headache he had developed after an hour of the incessant screaming made him want to bury his head under a pillow and not get up for a week. He really, really needed sleep...

Dylan was just dozing off when the elevator lurched to a stop and the doors glided open. He scrubbed his eyes sleepily and stifled a yawn as he dragged himself slowly down the long hallway. A notification sounded from his pocket and he groaned. For a brief moment, he considered ignoring the message because it would require extra movement that he wasn't certain his body could provide; however, he was a consummate professional and if it was work, he would have to respond accordingly.

Hurry! The noodles are getting cold. Are you almost home?

Dylan couldn't help it – his heart leapt at the message. Yue was supposed to be diligently studying the script for her new drama. Was she actually at his place right now? Suddenly reinvigorated, Dylan almost ran the rest of the way to his apartment. Swinging the door open, he dropped his bags on the floor and excitedly surveyed the living room; however, all was quiet. The lamp was on and a large steaming bowl of Sichuan beef noodle soup sat on the coffee table but she was nowhere to be found. His heart sank. Did she have someone deliver the food?

Everything suddenly faded to black as a pair of delicate warm hands covered his eyes and a breathy giggle floated tantalizingly by his ear.

"Surprise."

The feeling of heady relief, doused with overwhelming need, immediately flooded through him now that he had confirmed her much-wanted presence. Dylan quickly whirled around, his mouth instinctively finding hers, his body nudging her back until she was flat against the cool wall. He kissed her long and hard, his mouth hot and insistent as he drew from her radiant energy like a starved man. It was unlike any other kiss he had given her before; there was a slight desperation as his lips impatiently teased hers apart, as if he couldn't live without his mouth fastened on hers in this very moment, and she couldn't help but respond to the silent longing that laced his demanding kiss.

Yue finally broke away and his soft groan of protest was almost her undoing. She wanted nothing more than to lean back in and kiss him but there was the matter of his grumbling stomach.

"You should eat the nood—"

Yue didn't get to finish her sentence because she found herself pressed against the wall again, Dylan's hands trapping her wrists above her head as his warm lips moved from her jawline to the thin outline of her ear before making their way down the side of her neck.

"I'm not eating those noodles unless you tell me you're staying the night."

"Wang He Di!"

"Save calling out my name for later."

Yue bit back a smile at his outrageous audacity and smacked him on the arm instead. Dylan finally laughed, the exhaustion melting from his eyes as a playful glint took its place. "Eat your noodles," Yue lectured sternly as she led him towards the couch. Dylan took an appreciative whiff of the spicy broth, thanked her profusely and proceeded to tackle the large bowl of noodles with great vigor.

As Dylan ate, he told her about his trip to Manila. Because of the delayed flight, he wasn't able to explore the city before the Bench event but he did manage to snap a few photos of the picturesque city while stuck in traffic. He complained that he was forced to take the VIP exit and was only able to wave to a few fans. He shyly told her about the four large billboards he saw of himself as his van drove over a busy overpass in the city. His eyes lit up when he told her of the enormous crowd at the Araneta Coliseum, how shocked and overwhelmed he was by the outpouring of love, how generous and kind and energetic the fans were. He pulled up some videos and selfies he took at the event and told her about the questions he got and the games he played. His hands waved excitedly as he showed her the large frame of Lebron James that was gifted to him by fans who had traveled to the event from America. As Dylan continued to recount his experience in Manila, it was obvious that he very much enjoyed his time there even if he was extremely tired from the hectic schedule.