Chapter 25
1730 Words
Chapter 25 - The Alpha-Omega Fated Pairs Syndrome
We watched a science fiction movie and both fell asleep mid way. We were later unceremoniously awoken by the people passing in front of us to get to the center aisle. We simply laughed about it and went to a fine dining restaurant to eat dinner.
With the professor’s newly shaven face, they let us in even though he was still wearing his jerseys.
“Hulaan ko ang o-orderin mo. Steak, ano?” he grinned at me.
“No. I want to try their roasted hoddock.”
“Hmm... gusto ko rin mag-seafood ngayon, sige mag c-crispy salmon naman ako.”
We gave our orders to the waiter and was given some complimentary appetizers, and as we were eating, two young men came to our table.
“E-excuse me...” they shyly called our attention. “A-are you Prof. Antonio from Universal Labs?”
“Actually...” started the professor, looking pissed.
“Yes, he is,” I cut him short, “Are you an omega?” I asked the smaller of the two.
He nodded nervously and looked back at a table where two adults were seated.
“W-we just wondered if it’s okay... to get your autograph?” the taller boy asked. “My brother is an omega, and he looks up to you a lot, professor.”
Prof. Antonio looked at me, then at the two boys standing by the side of our table.
“Okay, may papel ba kayo?” he asked with a smile.
The young omega stepped up and handed him a piece of table napkin with the restaurant’s logo printed on it.
“I-I hope you don’t mind, professor...” he said, “wala po ako’ng papel, pero... remembrance na rin po ng place kung saan ko kayo nakita...”
Prof. Antonio took it from him and took out a pen.
“Ano’ng pangalan mo?”
“It’s Jerome... with a `J’, sir,” he answered. “This is my kuya Giovanni, he’s an alpha.”
“Nakakatuwa at mukhang close na close kayo’ng mag-kuya.” He finished writing on the napkin and handed it to young Jerome. “Ikaw kuya, alagaan mo lagi ang kapatid mo, ha?” he added, “Tandaan mo, ang mga kuya ang number one hero ng mga kapatid nila.
The older brother Giovanni beamed at this. They were both grinning when they went back to their seats, which was a kind of signal for other people to approach us.
“Prof. Antonio! I am a supporter!”
“We are very blessed to meet you in person!”
“Our country is so proud of you!”
“And you must be his special omega?”
I raised an eyebrow as one of them approached me.
“You trully are fit to be his partner, you both look beautiful together!”
“I beg yor pardon,” the professor spoke up, “Hindi lang `beautiful’ ang Habibi ko, his intellect is actually on par with mine.”
“Oh, your Habibi?” the people around us murmured.
“Okay, sige na, parating na ang order namin, please give us some privacy,” said the professor who had had enough for that day. “Ito dahilan kaya’t ayokong nag-e-entertain ng mga fans, eh.” he mumbled when they left.
“But do you not think those brothers deserved to see your good side?” I told him as the crew brought us our main dish.
“Anong good side ang sinasabi mo? Wala ako noon.”
“Hmm? But I have seen it, numerous times in several occasions.”
“Namamalikmata ka,” he took a big bite off his salmon. “Mmm... masarap `to, ha?”
“Would you like some wine with that, sir?” a waiter asked.
“Yes, please,” I answered at his stead. “A bottle of champagne for us, and a bottle of wine for each table, courtesy of Prof. Antonio.”
“Very good, sir.” The waiter left with a big smile on his face.
“I am not paying for that,” the professor said as soon as he left.
“I know.”
“At para saan at bibigyan mo pa sila ng libreng alak?”
“It is just a little thank you for all their support,” I told him. “This is our first date, after all, let us make it memorable.”
“Ha. This is not my idea of a good date,” he told me.
“Oh? Then, please, do tell me what your idea of a perfect date is?”
“Ha. Kung sasabihin ko, eh, `di hindi na surprise?”
“So, your perfect date is a surprise?”
“Hindi. Pero kung sasabihin ko nga sa `yo, you would just try to copy it, at mawawala na `yung element of surprise na sanhi ng pagiging perfect n’ya.”
“That’s absurd. We’re not even really going out.” I told him.
“Exactly,” he answered, “Kaya ayokong agawan mo `ko ng idea. Sa akin na lang `yun, sikretong malupit, under patent and copyright.”
Our champagne came. The waiter opened the bottle with a pop, and the people in the restaurant raised their glasses to thank us.
Our dinner was delectable, the people, though a bother to the professor at first, were educated enough to know when not to interrupt us. As we left, the professor took the bottle of champagne with him and proceeded to drink it in the car.
“Don’t get too drunk. We have an event to go to tomorrow,” I reminded him.
“Uminom ka rin naman, ha?! Tapos nag d-drive ka pa ngayon!”
“I only drank one glass.”
“Baka mamaya ibangga mo pa `ko, ha! Sa bagay, magandang palusot `yun para `di dumalo sa event bukas!” he laughed out loud.
“You’re already drunk.”
“Hindi ako lasing. Hindi ako nalalasing!”
“That was what you said the last time.”
“Hindi naman talaga ako lasing noon, eh.”
”Yet you insisted that I took advantage of you.”
“K’se naman, pinatitigil na kita, ayaw mo pang tumigil! Nilaspag mo talaga `ko no’n, naubos t***d ko sa kakahigop mo!” he complained. “Alam mo ba na first time ko `yun?!”
“Yes,” I answered, “it was obvious. And I am sorry if I was too rough.”
“Too rough... ang libog mo kamo! Hayok na hayok! Hindi naman nagiging malibog na ganyan si Dome dati! Kaya n’yang pigilan sarili n’ya! Ikaw, isa ka pa namang DOME, hindi mo mapigilan kalibugan mo.”
”Perhaps it is because I did not want to stop.”
He starts to laugh again.
“Did not want to stop... desperado ka ba sa lalaki at ako pa pinagrausan mo?”
I felt insulted.
But I felt something deeper.
Pity.
“Why do you think so lowly of yourself, professor?” I asked.
“Obvious ba?” he took a swig of the champagne. “Isa ako’ng beta. Anong ibubuga ng mga beta sa makabagong mundo’ng ito na pinamumunuan ng mga alpha? Mayayaman sila, mas gwapo, mas malalakas, mas matatalino... mas... `mas’ sa lahat...” his words are starting to slurr. “Ano naman ang nakita mo sa `sang tulad ko...” he said softly. “Isa ka’ng omega, na balang araw, makakakita rin ng alpha, at iiwan mo rin ako... tulad ng... tulad ni kuya... tulad ng lahat ng omega na nabibihag ng libog nila dahil sa tawag ng laman... at n’yang walang `wentang alamat nila tungkol sa `fated pairs’... so, bakit ako pa, Aahmes?” he asked, “bakit ako pa ang napili mo’ng... saktan...?”
I looked at the rearview mirror as that last word left his lips.
“I don’t know, professor.” I admitted. “I guess I just respect you that much.”
“Huh... respect... yeah, right...” he took another swig. “In other words, habol mo lang talaga ang talino ko...”
“That is not true,” I argued. “There is so much more to you than your intellect, like... like...” I tried to think of something, but nothing came to mind at that moment. “I just really look up to you, professor...” I said instead. “Professor?”
He did not answer.
I took a quick look back and saw him fast asleep, with the bottle of champagne held tight against his chest. It was now empty.
I carried him upstairs when we got home. He’s much heavier now, it took me some time to get him to his bed. I took his clothes off, dressed him in a clean shirt, and found myself kissing him on the forehead as I tucked him into bed.
“You are so complicated,” I told him as he gently snored. “You act as if you want me, yet forbid me to get close to you. You call me Habibi in front of other people just to show them that I am yours, yet you refuse me when I show you that I want you too. And now you show me your inner thoughts... that you are afraid that I would leave you?” I touch his newly shaven face and caress it. “With the way you treat people, how can they not leave you?” I smile sadly at him.
“But I cannot leave you even if you did try to throw me away. How could I? When I have such great respect for you?”
I kissed him once more before leaving his room. I told him not to drink too much, but at least tonight, I will not have trouble trying to get him to sleep.
I made my way to my room and cleaned myself, then went to my computer and entered a new subject of research I should clearly look into.
‘The Alpha-Omega Fated Pairs Syndrome.’
It seems this is what is holding back the professor from accepting me. If it is so, then I shall study this phenomenon and debunk it.
I shall show the professor, that an omega and a beta can stay together with mutual respect alone.
- Writer
