Ang Boyfriend Kong...

Clause 9

Ang Boyfriend Kong...

Clause 9: Ang Boyfriend Kong... inintay ako.

Kat's note: Since mabilis nga ang mga nangyari samin ni Nic at naging kami agad. Nahirapan din ako mag-adjust. Baka mamaya akalain niyo na napaka-landi ko namang babae. HAHAHA :D

Time Frame: Few weeks after Flashback 6

It was about the first three weeks of our relationship at nasa bahay namin kami ni Nic. Iniwan kami ng parents ko sa sala after naming magmerienda. Okay ba kamo si Nic sa parents ko? You'll know sooner or later.

Nakahiga lang ako dun sa sofa at si Nic naman nasa kabilang upuan. Nanonood kami ng TV at hindi kami nag-uusap. By that time, hindi ko pa talaga ina-approach si Nic dahil you know... mahiyain din naman ako. Slight lang. Well, pagdating sa kanya oo.

Naka-jersey shorts si Nic kasi maglalaro siya ng basketball after niya sa bahay. Naka-plain white shirt pa lang siya kasi mamaya na daw siya magpapalit kasi mainit.

Nung paalis naman na siya, lumipat siya dun sa upuan ko at nagsintas ng sapatos. He sat right next to my stomach. He looked at me and I raised my eyes to meet his. "Alis na ko."

I glanced at the clock and it read 5:30 pm pero 6 pa ang game ni Nic. Diyan lang naman siya maglalaro sa court sa loob ng village namin kaya naman nagtaka ako kung bakit aalis na agad siya. "Aga pa ah?"

"Hindi mo ko kinakausap eh," he said but he was smiling. Para bang nangaasar.

"Anong hindi?" pagd-deny ko.

"Tahimik mo ngayon eh. Takot ka ba sa parents mo?" he whispered the last part.

"Baliw," I said.

"Ayaw mong makita nila kung gaano ka kaharot 'no?" he said and tickled me on my sides.

Natawa naman ako. As in 'yung sobrang lakas. It was the first time that I was called 'maharot'. "Anong maharot ka diyan? Baka maharot?"

"Bakit, hindi?"

"Hindi!"

"Talaga?" he asked through closed teeth before tickling me once more. And I tried my best to contain the laughter rising deep within me. I caught his hands and he stopped. His eyebrows furrowed when he realized the problem. "Alam ko na."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nahihiya ka pa sakin 'no?" he teased.

And I felt my face heat up. "Nic," I scolded and slapped his arm.

"O bakit? Bakit ka ba nahihiya?"

"Malamang!" I answered.

"Ano?"

"Hindi naman kasi ako kasing over confident mo."

"Over confident?" he asked, clearly amused of what I just called him.

"Oo! 'Yun naman 'yung unang rason kung paano naging tayo."

He thought for awhile. "Oo nga no? Medyo," he laughed.

"See?"

"Gusto mo naman di ba?" he asked and my face flushed deeper. "Hindi ka naman napilitan?"

I shook my head.

He just smiled. "Alis na ko. Male-late na ko." He jumped to his feet and grabbed his bag and I followed him outside.

We walked out of the gate and he took my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. He stood in front of me. Nakatungtong pa ko sa gutter pero mas matangkad pa din siya sakin kahit nasa kalsada na 'yung mga paa niya. "Ano na?" And by the way he asked, it was almost he was expecting me to do something.

"Uhhm. Bye, ingat ka?" I guessed.

"Sira," he chuckled before pulling me closer by our entwined fingers and kissed me. Just a small kiss.

"Nakaka-ilan ka na ah!" I said.

"Masanay ka na," he grinned. "Una na ko," pamamaalam niya.

I nodded.

"Text kita kapag uwi ko."

I nodded once more. And I thought he was really going to leave but he remained rooted on his spot. He traced my knuckles with his other forefinger and he sighed, almost disappointingly.

"Bakit?" I asked, worried.

"Kailan ka kaya magiging clingy sakin?" he asked as he peered at me over his lashes.

I laughed. "Ano ba yan, Nic?"

"Seryoso."

"Hindi mo naman sinabi na gusto mo palang magpa-under." I laughed harder.

"A little sweetness from you won't hurt, right?"

"So anong sinasabi mo? Na hindi ako sweet?"

"Sweet ka naman," he immediately defended and I raised my eyebrows, daring him to take back what he said. And thank God nasindak naman si Nic. "Hindi ka nga sweet."

And I laughed. I thought he was going to lie na sweet ako sa kanya kahit hindi naman talaga but instead he told me the truth. Honesty test na din.

"Nahihiya ka nga kasi," he said.

I nodded. "Kasi naman, Nic, ang bilis naging tayo. What do you expect from me? Wala tayo sa U.S."

"Alam ko naman 'yun," he half-smiled. "Pero hindi ako makapaghintay eh. Natatakot lang ako."

"Na ano?"

"Na makuha ka ng iba," he murmured.

At bigla naman akong kinilig. "Girlfriend mo na ko di ba?" I squeezed his hand, willing him to look at me. "Wait ka lang Nic, ah? Naninibago pa kasi ako eh. Pero soon, promise." I smiled at him.

He kissed my forehead. "I'll be waiting," he said.

"Ingat ka," I said when he pulled away. He nodded and flashed me one last smile before turning away. And I took the smile as some sort of reward because finally I realized that I did something right for Nic.

It took time, 'yung pag-aadjust ko kay Nic. I think it took another three weeks. Pero in all fairness naman, naghintay nga siya. Patiently. Hindi siya ora-orada na nanghahalik, instead he was asking for it. At natatawa naman ako sa kanya whenever he asks for one. Ang cute niya kasi. Pati yakap hinihingi niya din. Basta anything physical na hindi ako magiging komportable pwera lang sa paghawak ng kamay. Miultimo akbay nagtatanong siya.

At na-appreaciate ko naman lahat ng 'yun, kahit minsan naa-awkwardan ako. Nahihiya kasi akong magsabi ng oo sa kanya. Pero kasi once na naging komportable na ko sa isang tao talagang dire-diretso na 'yun.

Last day ng exam namin when I finally opened up to Nic. Nandoon kami sa bahay nila. At nando'n sa ikalawa nilang sala. At oo, dalawa ang sala nila. Itong sala na 'to malapit sa garden at swimming pool at glass walls ang nakapaligid. Movie marathon ang balak naming gawin, supposedly kasi dapat sine at 'Big Hero 6' ang papanoodin kaya lang sabi ni Nic baka daw isipin ko take advantage pa siya sa loob ng sinehan kaya wag na.

At ayun, concern siya sa ganoong matter.

Kaya ayun nandoon kami nakaupo sa malambot nilang light brown na sofa. Pa-U 'yung shape tas sofa-bed kaya may patungan kami ng paa. By that time sinabi ko na sa sarili ko na ready na ko. This is it. Kakasimula lang ng movie, Guardians of the Galaxy.

Umupo na agad ako ng malapit sa kanya. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin sa kanya na heto na 'yung time. Na-ready na ko. Nanibago naman ako kasi hindi siya nagsasalita. Usually magtatanong na 'yan kung pwede niya ba kong akbayan or something pero wala. Siguro nga 'yung issue niya pa din dun sa sinehan kasi madilim din sa sala nilang 'to. Pero ang lapit din ng upo niya sakin.

I looked at him. At napansin naman niyang nakatingin ako sa kanya kaya tumingin din siya. "What?" he asked. He was half slouched on the sofa at ako naman straight body kasi tensed ako noong mga panahong yun.

"Thanks for waiting for me, Nic," I suddenly said. He stared upward at me, blinking while chewing a piece of popcorn he popped in the microwave earlier. Then he sat upright.

"Huh?" he asked. Namula ang mukha ko. Bakit ba ang hirap sabihin?

I twisted so I was facing him. Gusto kong mag-explain pero nahihiya ako so I shook my head. "Wala."

"Huh?" he asked again.

I groaned. "Hindi naman tayo nagkakaintindihan," I muttered under my breath.

"Ano?" he asked, still confused. Well, kung ako din naman 'yung nasa sitwasyon niya malamang maguguluhan din ako. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung anong pinagsasabi ko.

I groaned again, feeling frustrated because I couldn't get the words out. At nakaisip naman ako ng solusyon. Kinuha ko na lahat ng lakas ng loob ko and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him.

"Kat?" tanong niya. Akala ko na-gets na niya pero wala pa din. Huhu. He just eyed me with a question in his eyes, expecting for me to continue and to elaborate more.

At dahil hindi ko na alam kung paano ko ie-explain, I leaned forward and kissed him. Of course, he was shocked that I kissed him. That was the first time that I initiated that we kiss and so I waited for him to recover from being frozen and when I felt his arm wrapped around my waist and he returned a kiss, I pulled away. "Gets na ba, Nic?"

I looked and his eyes as realization dawned on him. "Ah," he finally said and a slow smile appeared.

"Ang slow," pagbibiro ko. Just for the sake to get things light again.

"Well then, I'm sorry," he laughed, probably shocked that I just joked around him.

I kissed his cheek. "Wag mo ako asarin about dito ah? Nahihiya kasi talaga ako," I giggled and smiled at him.

"It's alright," he said, pushing my hair behind my ear. "I thought you would take years."

"Paano naman kasi sobrang bilis kasi talaga di ba?" I looked at him in the eyes. "Natatakot lang din naman ako na baka kung gaano tayo kablis nagsimula ganoon din tayo kablis matapos."

"Well," he said, pusing back stray hair that doesn't exist behind my ear. "I don't think that would happen."

"Talaga?"

"I won't let it happen."

And I held onto his promise. Until now.