MAY ngiting tagumpay si Migo paglabas nila ni Jiya from the bathroom during Addie's birthday sa Conrad.

Hinayupak na bastos. ANG DAYA.

Pagkaupo niya, Inggo slaps him. "Hoy, anong ngiti 'yan, bastos ka."

Migo laughs quietly and puts his hand on Jiya's knee again.

Inggo takes a sip of his wine and wipes his lips with the back of his hand. Tangina. He checks his watch. Two more hours before he can go, before he can see Rinn.

Naiinis na si Inggo. Tinalikuran niya si Migo at Jiya kasi putangina, in love na in love na nga, ang horny pa ng dalawa. Bwisit. Peste. ANG DAYA!!!

He doesn't know how he gets through the next two hours, but he's fidgety when they finally say goodbye to Addie and Cas. Inggo looks at himself in the mirror and fixes his hair and bowtie.

"Uuwi akong condo ah, hahatid ko lang 'to," warning ni Migo sa kanya with narrowed eyes, hand on Jiya's waist as she leans into his shoulder.

Inggo waves him off. "Aalis ako, gago."

His best friend grins at him. "Ah, who's the lucky lotto winner tonight? High school friend ni Addie? Cousin? Sa'n kayo? Motel? Bahay niya?"

Hay. Ito na nga ba.

Ilang months nang walang pumapasok-labas sa kwarto ni Inggo. Lagi lang in-a-assume ni Migo na wala na sila pagdating niya sa condo, o kasi busy siya sa acads—which is true naman talaga.

Pero since night off nila ngayon, akala niya magpapaka-fuckboy na naman si Inggo.

"Secret," na lang ang sabi niya, winking over his shoulder as he steps out of the elevator, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Ingat, bro."

"Ingat!" sigaw pabalik ni Migo. "Enjoy!"

Oh, he fucking plans to.

He waits for Migo's car to pull out onto the road before he makes his way to Blue.

Inggo rolls down the window and shouts, "Kinakabahan ako!"

"Putangina, tigang na 'ko!"

"Sana 'di ka pa tulog!"

"Mukha akong tanga pero okay lang! Para sa 'yo!"

"Kingina! Kinakabahan ako! WOO!!!"

He puts on the biggest smile on his face when he rings Rinn's doorbell.

Iniwan niya dito hoodie niya the last time nilang mag-movie, so sana suot niya ngayon.

Pero—HINDI. Hinde! Anong suot niya?

DAMIT NG IBANG GAGO!

She blinks, taking in his appearance, a small smile forming on her face. Naka-tuxedo pa talaga siya, punyeta. "Kuya Inggo."

"Kanino 'yan?" sungit niyang tanong, pulling on the hem of the fucking shirt. "Ha?"

"Kay Kuya Migo, nasama ko sa damit ko ta's 'di ko na binalik. Bakit?"

Ah, e, gano'n talaga 'pag buhay bobo.

He clears his throat and makes his way inside. "Kamusta mga alaga natin?"

Mukhang tanga 'tong si Inggo nakatitig sa kanya while she studies. Wala raw siyang oras para mag-movie kasi may presentation siya bukas na kailangan niyang tapusin.

"Aren't you tired?" Rinn asks, completely focused on her screen, fingers fast on the keyboard. "Bakit ka pa dumaan?"

Ayaw ni Inggo ma-hurt sa sinabi niya. He reasons with himself na tama lang ang confusion ni Rinn, kasi putangina, 'di rin niya alam ginagawa niya, ang alam niya lang is na it feels right. Good.

"Na-miss ako ng mga alaga natin," na lang ang sagot niya. And I missed you, too.

'Di na siya sinagot ni Rinn, eyebrows furrowing at her laptop as she pulls her legs up under her.

Inggo bites his lip and swallows, eyes shifting to the bare shoulder na biglang lumabas kasi nag-slide down ang sleeve niya. Bra strap niya, kita.

Oh, how he wants to sink his teeth in that fucking—

Put his hand under her shorts—

Pull her hair—

"Bibili akong kape," sabi ni Inggo, standing up. "Stay here."

"Ha?" Rinn blinks. "Pa-deliver na lang tayo para—"

"Text me what you want." Inggo leaves so he can catch his fucking breath.

'La na siyang pake na pinagtitinginan siya ng mga tao. Bwisit. Bakit ba? Waste of time pa kanina kung bumalik pa siya sa Burgundy para magpalit, e.

Pagbalik niya sa Blue, 'di siya gulat nang makitang tulog si Rinn on her desk, strands of hair falling on her face.

Inggo puts down the coffee silently, then kneels down to stare at her face.

Kinakabahan si Inggo. Baka gusto niya lang ng isa pang beses pampawala ng system. She's in his skin so fucking deep—there's no use denying it now—and he wants her to make it stop.

Pero...gagawin niya ba 'to kung one more night lang gusto niya—tuck her in bed, kunin ang laptop, and translate her remaining fourteen pages of notes into her working deck sa Canva, para makapagpahinga na siya?

Leave at four in the morning feeling tired—but satisfied as fuck?

Grin and bang his head on the wall when he gets her text?

Rinn: thank you :(

'Yon lang 'yon. Putanginang kinginang gago, gets na niya si Migo 'pag kinikilig sa text.

Inggo's smiling with toothpaste in his mouth as he types his reply.

you're welcome, rinn.

*

Sometimes, the stress gets to him.

Painis na sinarado ni Inggo 'yong pinto ng kwarto niya.

"Sa'n ka?" Migo asks tiredly, looking up from his books.

"Swimming. Tangina, 'yoko na." Inggo slams the door on the way out.

He's well-aware malapit na mag-midnight, pero does he give a fuck? No.

Gusto niyang puntahan si Rinn. Ever since first semester started, 'yong one-week fix na pagpunta niya sa Blue was his pahinga. His reward for making it through the week—or trying to.

Pero busy na rin masyado si Rinn kasi midterms na. Ayaw niyang istorbohin kahit all he wants to do is stare at her while she studies.

So pumunta siya sa pool sa school.

This isn't the first time he's done this, kaya alam na niya kung saan papasok. He tosses his flip-flops away and takes off his shirt, strips down to his trunks, and dives in.

Hindi alam ni Inggo kung ga'no katagal siyang nagla-laps 'tsaka nagfo-float lang sa tubig.

Pero narinig niya na may ibang tao, and he turns quickly, not expecting the breath to get knocked out of him.

Rinn is standing at the edge of the pool in—in a loose V-neck white shirt and denim fucking shorts. "Hi."

"Pinuntahan mo 'ko?"

'Di alam ni Inggo kung bakit 'yon ang una niyang natanong. Gusto niya malaman.

Rinn smiles and nods. "Yeah. It was a wild guess."

Heart lurching, Inggo swims to the gutter. Then he leans upward to tug at the hem of her shirt, a smile curling his lips. "Hi, Rinn."

"Hey," sagot ni Rinn quietly, dropping down to her haunches. She clears her throat, still smiling hesitantly at him. "Actually, I came to find you for a reason. Happy birthday."

Oh. Shit, oo nga pala.

Inggo grins and presses his palms flat on the gutter, hoisting himself up. Rinn steps aside so he can stand in front of her, one hand running through his wet hair. "Thank you," he whispers.

Rinn keeps her eyes firmly on his and tucks her hair behind her ear. "I was walking around sa mall after my appointment yesterday and I was wondering if I should get you something, pero I didn't know what, it was so hard, and I was thinking bagong wish na lang—"

Inggo stares at her. "What appointment?"

Halatang 'di in-expect ni Rinn na mas-stuck si Inggo do'n, because she flushes instantly, like she just now realized she said it out loud. "Ah...sa, um, beauty salon. Anyway—"

His voice is harsher than he expects when he asks, "Wax?"

Rinn's face reddens. "No!" she sputters. "My eyebrows—I mean, my armpits—"

A scream rips itself out of her throat when Inggo pushes her into the pool.

Water splashes his feet.

"Kuya Inggo!" she shouts incredulously. "No! I'm wet, what the fuck!"

Oh, how I wish you are.

Inggo jumps down into the pool with her, grabs the sides of her hips to stop her from wriggling in his hold, and pushes her against the wall, caging her in. "Nagpa-wax ka? Para kanino? Kaya ka nandito kasi tutuparin mo na rin wish ko from last year?"

Her hair and face are wet and the shirt is doing nothing to calm him down. Kitang-kita ni Inggo bra niya from the way the cloth is sticking to her skin, Jesus Christ. "What—no! I mean, yes, nagpa-wax ako, pero for myself lang! Ano ba!"

She pushes his chest with her palms, but it does nothing. Inggo doesn't even budge. Angrily, Rinn says, "I don't get how my private parts are any of your business, anyway. Online selling ba 'to? Kailangan good condition lang 'pag gagamitin na? Tangina. And pumunta lang ako dito para mag-happy birthday and mag-thank you sa ginawa mo sa presentation ko, gago."

She pushes his arm off, and Inggo only lets it fall down to his side because she's so mad and pissed, and Inggo wants to fuck her so bad and hug her and shout that he's so happy hindi siya nagpa-wax para sa kahit kaninong gago.

But before she can push herself up away from the pool, Inggo's hands go back to her waist.

His head goes down to her shoulder and he laughs loudly, feeling his heart soar. Teasingly, he murmurs against her skin, "Gago na pala ako ngayon, Rinn? During my birthday?"

She huffs, not pushing him away but not relaxing in his hug, either. "Kuya Inggo, minsan, nakakainis ka."

"Hehe."

He pulls away before he can perch her ass on the gutter and eat her out. "Come on, Rinn. It's cold here."

She takes his hand to pull herself up, and Inggo gives her his extra towel and shirt to wear. While he's drying up, Rinn turns to him and smiles. "Kuya Inggo."

Ah. Sweet, sweet Rinn. Her in his big-ass Ateneo shirt and little fucking denim shorts and smile and voice are doing things to him. "Yeah?"

Rinn leans forward, and for a moment, Inggo thinks she's going to kiss him on the cheek again just like last year, and he's already leaning down so she doesn't have to tiptoe much and smiling and his heart is already in shambles, but then she only whispers, "Happy birthday."

Then pushes him into the pool.

"Putangina, Rinn!"

She sticks out his tongue at him and skips away. "Bye!"

"Bumalik ka dito!" sigaw ni Inggo, grinning wickedly when her eyes turn wide at the sight of him jumping out of the pool and running after her. "'Di pa tayo tapos!"

"No!" she screeches, laughing and scrambling away from him. "Kuya Inggooo!"

It wouldn't have taken more than a minute to catch her, pero pinatagal niya ang paghahabol kasi ang marinig ang tawa ni Rinn nang gano'n kalakas because of him...with him—it's the best birthday gift he's ever received.

Pati na rin ang pagpulot sa kanya when he finally catches her, swinging her around his shoulder, hands around her wet thighs.

Christ. She's so small.

"Ba't ang liit mo?" tanong niya curiously, ignoring Rinn's pounding at his back while he walks leisurely to the basketball court, na para bang hindi niya buhat si Rinn like a sack of rice.

Ang liit niya talaga, it's a wonder kung pa'no nagkasya si Inggo sa kanya.

Puta, ang bastos mo.

"E ba't ang laki mo?" she counters childishly, huffing.

"Speaking from experience ka, ah."

Rinn pinches his skin under his shirt. "Shut up!"

Pati na rin ang paglalaro ng basketball with her.

Kala mo porke't special 'tong si Rinn sa kanya, he'll go easy at tutulungan niyang mag-shoot? Hinde!

"Tangina, ano ba!" Rinn whines, covering her head when he jumps up to block the ball she shot towards the ring.

For the ninth time in a row.

Inggo laughs, dribbling the ball after shooting it. "'Di kita dadaganan." Unless gusto mo. "Stop covering your head."

"I can't help it, you're big."

She realizes too late what he said and opens her mouth to warn him. "Don't—"

He winks and pulls the hood up his head, bending down to dribble the ball between his legs. "Ako lang 'to, Rinn. Thanks sa feedback."

"Oh, shut up." She steps in front of him, trying to steal the ball.

As if kaya niya sa liit niyang 'yan, pero it's so cute how she's trying.

Inggo fakes a right and then goes left.

Tumama shoulder niya sa mukha ni Rinn. Smack in her face.

The gasp and the, "Ow!" she makes has him dropping the ball in a fucking millisecond and grab her face, pressing it to his chest. "Shit, I'm sorry, baby. Sorry, 'di ko 'yon sinasadya."

"Liar," Rinn whispers, half-sobbing and half-laughing, and Inggo feels so bad but he's also grinning.

"Patingin nga." He pulls back, still cupping her face. Wala namang bruise or anything, but she's still holding her face like it still hurts—his damn shoulder bulldozed through her face—so without thinking, he leans down and presses his lips to her cheek.

Then he smiles at her. "Okay na?"

Rinn stares at him, blinking.

Like she's still processing what he did.

Siya rin nagpo-process pa, pero quiet na lang tayo do'n.

Oy! sigaw ng puso niya. Delikado tayo dito, boss!

Rinn pushes him suddenly and grabs the ball, hugging it to her chest.

Inggo goes to steal it, draping himself over the back of her body, falling into the ground in heaps of laughter. "Bawal 'yan!"

The final best birthday gift?

The drive to McDo in his motorcycle. The fry she sticks on top of the hot fudge sundae she orders and the quiet, "Make a wish. I'll make it come true," with a sweet smile.

Sit on me.

Kiss me.

Grind on me.

Blow me.

Fuck me.

Ang weird lang na wala siyang sinabi do'n.

Kahit alin.

He could've asked for it and she'd have made it come true.

Instead, what comes out of his mouth is, "Already is."

Then he leans forward and bites off the fry, smiling while he chews.