Cesia's POV

"Ah-" Nagising ako dahil sa biglaang pagsakit ng ulo ko. "Aray..."

Hinimas-himas ko ang noo ko. "Thea?" Iminulat ko ang aking mga mata. Wala akong gaanong makita dahil sa sobrang dilim.

Teka. Anong oras na ba?

Umupo ako sa higaan at nilingon ang digital clock na nakapatong sa night stand.

'3:30 am...'

Napabuntong-hininga ako at bumagsak sa higaan.

Pumikit ako para sana'y matulog ulit, nang maramdaman ko ang isang mabigat na braso na pumatong sa tiyan ko at yumakap sa'kin.

Napalunok ako bago muling buksan ang aking mga mata.

Hindi si Thea ang katabi ko.

Bahagyang bumukas ang aking bibig.

Sisigaw na ba ako? Kasi hindi si Thea ang katabi ko!

Huminga ako nang malalim at nag-summon ng patalim na gawa sa salamin. Sinubukan kong pakalmahin ang sarili ko, bago ko alalahanin ang nangyari kagabi.

Kumain kami kasama si Thanatos, at nakauwi kami... tapos... tapos... wala na akong maalala.

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata.

Wala na akong maalala!

Napatakip ako ng bibig at humigpit ang pagkakahawak ko sa salamin hanggang sa makaramdam ako ng hapdi.

Anong ginawa ko kagabi?! Nasaan ako?! Sino 'tong kasama ko?! Nasa'n si Thea?!

Sinubukan kong gamitin ang ability ko para maka-alala pero sumakit lang yung ulo ko. Ilang segundo akong nahilo, bago nagsimulang mag-isip-isip ng paraan para makaalis kung nasaan man ako at makalayo sa kung sino itong kasama ko.

Huminga ako nang malalim at ibinuga ito. Ilang beses ko itong ginawa, hanggang sa mapakalma ko na nang tuluyan ang sistema ko.

Maingat akong gumalaw at inangat ang braso niya.

"Where are you going?"

Tila tumigil ang takbo ng panahon pagkatapos kong marinig ang pamilyar niyang tinig. Napatulala ako, nagdadalawang-isip kung tama ba itong kutob ko kung sino ang katabi ko.

Nakatuon pa rin ako sa harapan nang maramdaman ko siyang gumalaw.

Bumangon siya, saka niya hinila pababa ang tali ng lampara na nasa tabi niya.

"What are you-" Napahinto siya.

Ilang segundo pa ang lumipas bago ako nakaipon ng sapat na lakas ng loob para salubungin ang tingin niya.

"Your hand," aniya.

"Trev-"

"What happened to your hand?"

Yumuko ako at nakita ang palad ko na nabalot sa dugo. Nagkaroon ito ng hiwa sa gitna, dahil sa sobrang higpit ng pagkakahawak ko ng sinummon ko na weapon.

"K-Kasi natakot ako kaya-"

"Stay there." Tumayo siya at tumungo sa mga bag na nakapatong sa cabinet. Isa-isa niya itong binuksan, at hinalungkat ang mga laman.

Hinawakan ko ang duguan kong kamay at napabuntong-hininga. Habang naghihintay kay Trev, inilibot ko ang aking paningin.

Wala ako sa kwarto namin ni Thea.

Ano ba talagang nangyari at bakit ako nandito?

Bumalik si Trev sa tabi ko na may dalang puting kit. Mula rito, naglabas siya ng dalawang maliliit na bote, mga bulak, at bandage.

"Give me your hand."

Sinunod ko ang sinabi niya.

Sinuri-suri niya ito, at tinignan ako. "You panicked, didn't you?"

Tumango-tango ako.

Sino bang hindi matataranta eh nagising nalang ako na iba yung katabi ko? Idagdag mo pa na sobrang dilim!

"Trev, paano ako napunta rito?" tanong ko.

"You almost fought with Thea last night." Binaba niya ang kamay ko. "She wanted to go out with Seht but you stopped her, because she was too intoxicated."

"Ah..." Napatingin ako sa malayo, pilit inaalala ang pinagsasabi niya. "Gano'n ba..."

"We had to compromise."

Bumalik ang aking atensyon sa kanya na ginagamot ang sugat ko.

Nagkasalubong ang aking kilay. "Compromise?"

Matagal-tagal pa bago siya nakasagot. Tinapos niya muna ang paglilinis ng sugat ko at paglalagay ng ambrosia.

"Yes," sabi niya habang iniikot-ikot ang bandage sa kamay ko. "Which is why you're here."

"At sumang-ayon naman ako rito?"

Inangat niya ang kanyang ulo at pinaningkitan ako. "I didn't, but you certainly did." Ibinalik niya ang mga gamit sa lagayan nito. "And I couldn't let you sleep alone. You were crying."

Tumayo siya para ibalik ang kit. "You told me you felt bad about what happened between you and Thea."

"Mmm." Tumango ulit ako.

Kalmado lang ako sa labas pero sa loob, kanina ko pa inuuntog yung ulo ko sa pader.

Gusto kong sumigaw. Tumalon mula sa balcony.

Nakakahiya!

'Aphrodite, minsan lang po ako nanghihingi ng pabor. Please. Ilayo mo'ko dito, Ma!'

Ilang sandali ang lumipas at hindi ko alam kung dahil ba ito nakainom ako o kagigising ko lang, pero parang naririnig ko ang goddess na tumatawa mula sa malayo.

Daglian akong napapikit.

'Aphrodite!'

"Cesia."

"Hmm?" Tinignan ko siya na nakatayo lang malapit sa cabinets. 

"Are you... okay?" tanong niya.

"Mmm." Nginitian ko siya.

"You're not going back to sleep, aren't you?"

Umiling ako nang nakangiti pa rin.

Nagtitigan lang kami sa sumunod na kalahating minuto, isang tahimik na digmaan, kung sino ang babasag ng katahimikan at ano ang sasabihin nang hindi mapalala ang tensyon ng sitwasyon.

"Tea," sambit niya. "I should go make us tea."

Tumango ako. "Thank you."

Trev's POV

What the fuck was that?

I ran my hair with my hand while waiting for the kettle to boil. With the cups and teabags already prepared, I had nothing to do but contemplate about what just happened.

Itinukod ko ang aking mga kamay sa counter at napahilig dito.

"Gods," I said under my breath.

She really doesn't remember?

She's a descendant of Mnemosyne. I reminded myself. She'll remember, eventually.

Napahilamos ako gamit ang palad ko.

"Trev?"

I turned to Cesia who just came out of the room.

"Hey..." To my surprise, I whimpered. I sounded pathetic, pleasantly discontented.

"May problema ba?" nag-aalala niyang tanong.

Should she remember, she would know.

"It's nothing," I didn't bother meeting her sincere gaze and focused on boiling water. "I'm just tired."

"Pasensya ka na kung nagising kita." She gave me an apologetic smile, one that could make you feel sorry even though you didn't do anything wrong. "Kung gusto mo, bumalik ka na sa kwarto para matulog ulit."

I sighed, and carefully removed the kettle from the stove. "It's you who needs rest."

"Eh di sabay nalang tayong bumalik sa pagtulog pagkatapos nito." She grabbed the kettle from my hand and filled the small cups on the table with hot water. "Magkatabi naman tayong natulog kagabi, tsaka mag-uumaga na."

"Right," I agreed.

Morning did came, but not one of us decided to go back to bed. Instead, I found myself in the living room, sitting across her on the floor, teaching her how to play chess for two hours straight.

Sleep was not an option with her.

At least not for me.

"So pwede ko 'tong kunin?" Pinaningkitan niya ang bishop ko na nakatapat sa rook niya.

"Yes."

She was white, and I was black.

All this time, I looked at her, because anytime now, she could remember. Though, there were still no changes in her expression until now.

Pabalik-balik ang aking tingin sa kanya at sa chessboard.

"Move mo na," paalala niya.

"Mmm." I looked at her while slightly grazing my lips with my finger.

My next move...

My next move was to make her remember.

I pushed the board to the side and leaned in to kiss her. Narinig ko pa ang mahina niyang pagsinghap bago tuluyang magkadikit ang aming mga labi.

I was afraid that I might have scared her, but her hands that slowly crawled around my neck said otherwise.

Perhaps, it was a bad idea.

But perhaps it was not.

She was able to take in my weight on top of her and gently settled herself on the floor, letting out a soft sigh.

I've noticed it before and I'm saying it now. Every time her body touches a new surface, may it be warm or cold, may it be the floor or my lips, her breath always shifts... and every time, it makes me weak.

"Trev..." Her breathing grew heavier, and heavier. "Baka... baka may makakita-"

"Everyone had a glass last night, I'm pretty sure no one wants to wake up as early as now."

"Lahat..." Her eyes scanned the entirety of my face. "Maliban kay Kaye."

"Hmm." I mumbled, unfazed.

We remained still. Her head lied perfectly in between my propped hands. One of her legs was bent in between mine, and the slightest touch sent a shiver.

"Let's take it to the room, then?"

"Son of Zeus." She eyed me suspiciously. "Inaaya mo ba ang isang anak ni Aphrodite sa higaan mo?"

I smirked. "I am."

She traced my lips with her finger. "Para matulog?"

"Of course." 

Of course... 

We didn't sleep.

Her lips were still on mine when I spun her around the moment we closed the door. My hand looked for the knob and locked it, praying that the door would hold itself against the pressure of both our bodies in heat.

She kissed me once, twice, until she let me taste her on my own. My tongue did wander, and so did my hands, all over her back and her arms.

My fingers curled around the hem of her shirt.

I wanted more than just the inner workings of her mouth.

And I didn't just want to remove her clothes. I wanted to unburden her... from fear, or whatever emotion that's making her lips tremble.

Ambrosia on her tongue tasted like paradise, and I became insistent to drink more. I kissed her harder, deeper, while slowly lifting the edge of her shirt upwards.

And heaven knows where I threw it, because she did more than just not stop me.

She knotted her fists on my shirt, pulling me harder against her.

She must have said my name, but I was too occupied of walking her to my bed, eyes closed, and without breaking apart from her.

I heard her give out another sigh, the second she felt the sheets on her back.

But I wanted more than just a breath from her. I wanted to hear her.

I took off my shirt and looked at her. Her eyes seemed heavy. Her lips were still parted, from sipping too much of me.

And then, she smiled.

"Naalala ko na..." mahina niyang sabi.

"Good," I whispered back and kissed her once more. "What else do you remember?"

What happened last night... was this exact same thing. Except that I've already got to hold her in ways I should not have, because she was still intoxicated.

Which is why I stopped. I stopped myself from indulging too much with the dream of having her.

Mula sa kanyang bibig, dahan-dahang bumaba ang aking labi.

"H-Hinalikan mo'ko-" She struggled to speak, and it was very entertaining. "Tapos-" She gasped when I cupped one of her breasts.

I let out a groan of frustration after realizing there was still a final piece of cloth covering her from the top.

"Tapos..."

"We're done talking." I said, kissing her in between the words. I slowly slid my hand under her bra before feeling the clasp on her back and released it.

I was about to tear it apart from her when we heard someone scream.

Napatigil ako. "What was that?"

"Si Art," aniya.

I grabbed my shirt on the bed and gave it to her. "Wear this," utos ko sa kanya bago tumayo. "And wait here."

Sinuot niya ang damit ko saka umiling. "Sama ako."

Magkasabay kaming lumabas ng kwarto at natagpuan si Art na umiiyak sa kusina. Katabi niya si Cal na kasalukuyang hinahagod ang likod niya.

"What happened?" tanong ko.

He gestured me to look at the plate on the counter.

"Chicken wings?" Lumapit si Cesia rito.

"Blobblebutt!" Art cried louder.

Cal gave me an apologetic look and I understood.

I sighed. "Throw that away."