Cal's POV

I handed him a glass of bourbon prepared on a trolley.

He stared at it for a few seconds and glowered, as if it was a sin to offer him a drink.

Tinanggap niya pa rin naman ito sa huli kaya napakibit-balikat nalang ako.

I poured myself another glass before sitting on the armchair across him. We were the only two in the lounge area of the private yacht we rented to cross the Southern Aegean Sea.

Santorini was still hours away and I'm the one stuck with Trev who's constantly scowling at everything around us.

I was about to speak when he glared at me with rage-stricken eyes.

What the hell am I to do when he's like this?

"What are you doing here, Trev?" tanong ko pa rin. "You should be with her."

He rested his hand on the edge of the armrest and stared at the glass. "Don't talk to me right now, Cal," he said with gritted teeth.

I looked at him with a blank expression. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

Wala akong natamong sagot mula sa kanya, kaya't napailing nalang ako.

"You look stupid," I informed him. "You know that, right?"

"Call me anything but stupid." He leaned back on his chair. "I'm pissed."

I chuckled lightly. "Was it really that...?"

"It was." He took a sip from his glass and cleared his throat. "Fuck, it was."

I crossed my legs and shifted on the chair comfortably. "It must have been," sang-ayon ko. "I haven't seen you this mad since Eris."

"Tell me, Trev," Bahagya kong ipiniling ang aking ulo sa gilid. "Of all women, why her?"

"You're really asking me that?"

"I don't know." My eyes sparked with the delight of possibly knowing the reason why he's chosen her. Dati ko pa kasi ito gustong maitanong sa kanya.

I haven't had the opportunity to ask him, until now. "Humor me."

"You sound pathetic," he bickered.

"You..." I raised my brows at him. "You look pathetic."

"Shut the fuck up, Cal."

"What?" natatawa kong tanong. "I just want to know."

He sighed and shook his head. "You know it's a question I can't answer."

Pinaningkitan ko siya. "The answer's written on your face, idiot."

He pressed his tongue against his cheek, all the while nodding his head. "Another word and I'm throwing you off this ship."

"Please," I scoffed. "I've been wanting to jump off because of you."

Silence filled the air around us... as well as a few sparks of electricity. Though it only lasted for a moment, because he managed to compose himself before sending me another of his death glares.

"Sometimes, I wonder why I haven't killed you after all this time." His voice was deadly cold.

My lips curved to a fascinated smile, and so did his'.

We both knew why.

Aside from the fact that we're both descendants of Hades, Trev and I have always had an unspoken connection. From the moment we first shook hands, and exchanged threatening glares.

What he didn't know, was that I always looked up to him. I respected him, like an older brother, and it was easy to do so.

What Hector failed to be, Trev became.

A brother, a friend, a comrade.

"You love her," I finally said, after realizing how much he's changed. "And I'm glad you do."

I looked at him, sincerely. "She's what you deserve."

Dahan-dahang bumaba ang kanyang tingin, at namuo ang isang malambot na ngiti sa kanyang labi.

"She's more than what I want in this life, Cal." bulong niya. "I don't deserve her at all."

"I've seen how she looks at you." I remembered the times I've caught Cesia staring at him, and how she smiles different whenever their together. "How she smiles at you..."

"And she's yours, Trev." I wanted him to believe me so bad, my voice almost cracked with determination. "She belongs to no one else but you."

He continued to stare at the distance, before breaking into a subtle smile. "Mine," he whispered, and the way he said it, he must have thought it was too good to be true.

But it was real.... very real.

Wala sa sarili akong napangiti.

He looked dumb.

And maybe I do too.

He's not the only one who's fallen hopelessly in love, after all.

Cesia's POV

Hindi na normal 'tong nararamdaman ko.

"Cesia?" Tinabihan ako ni Art. "Okay ka lang?"

"Art..." Tinignan ko siya. "May nangyayari sa'kin. Hindi ko alam kung ano."

Panandaliang nagbago ang kulay ng kanyang mga mata. "Ginamit ko na yung ability ko at..." Nagkasalubong ang kanyang kilay. "-wala namang mali sa'yo, ah?"

Humugot ako ng hangin at pinakawalan ito.

"Oh," Kumisap-kisap siya. "Mabilis ba tibok ng puso mo?"

Tumango-tango ako.

"Tapos pakiramdam mo sasabog ka nang wala sa oras?"

Tumango ulit ako.

"Parang gusto mong mamatay tapos mabuhay ulit tapos mamatay ulit tapos mabuhay na naman?"

Hindi ko maiwasang matawa sa sinabi niya, saka ako tumango.

"Cesia..." Gumuhit ang isang malapad na ngiti sa labi niya. "Ano ka ba, normal lang 'yan."

"Pero minsan, hindi na ako makahinga-"

Bigla siyang bumulalas ng tawa. "Cesia naman ih!"

"A-Art," nag-aalala kong tugon. "Seryoso ako..."

Ilang segundo pa ang kinailangan niya para tumahan. Pagkatapos, hinawakan niya ang magkabilang balikat ko.

"Cesia." Humagikgik siya. "Akala ko ba nakakabasa ka ng heartbeats? Ba't di mo gamitin yung ability mo sa sarili mo?"

"Pero..." Nanghina yung boses ko. "Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan..."

Huminga siya nang malalim. "Yung puso mo, Cesia, nagpaparinig na," aniya. "At sinasabi nitong may kailangan ka."

Dahan-dahan akong napaiwas ng tingin.

"Oh my Greece." Suminghap siya. "Umabot ka na sa puntong di ka na makakabalik pa..."

"Art!" Kinabahan ako lalo sa sinabi niya.

"Totoo naman ih!" Tumawa siya ulit. "Pero wala kang dapat ikatakot, kasi yung kailangan mo, andito lang, Cesia, at pareho pa kayong kailangan ang isa't-isa."

Binaba niya ang kanyang mga kamay. "Natatakot ka bang ibigay lahat?" Itinagilid niya ang kanyang ulo. "O dahil may balak ka nang ibigay sa kanya lahat? Puso at buong pagkatao mo?"

"Cesia..." Nanlambot ang kanyang ngiti, pati na rin yung boses niya. "Sumuko ka na..."

"Ma-mortal man o ma-deity, wala tayong kalaban-laban sa pagmamahal." Humugot siya ng malalim na hininga. "Alam kong alam mo 'yan."

"Natatakot ako, Art..."

"Ang hirap siguro, ano?" tanong niya. "Nakita mo na sa mga ala-ala ng iba kung ano ang nagagawa ng pagmamahal sa kanila. Naramdaman mo na yung kaligayahan, at yung sakit na dala nito..."

Nagsimula nang mamasa ang aking mga mata pagkatapos marinig ang sinabi niya. 

"Naiintindihan mo 'ko..." bulong ko.

"Pinagbawalan kasi ako ni Papa dati na mahalin si Cal." Sumingkit ang kanyang mga mata, tila nagtatampo sa inaalala. "Eh kahit kailan naman di magiging mali yung magmahal."

"Diba? diba?" Kumisap-kisap siya.

Natawa ako ng mahina at tumango.

"Cesia..." sambit niya. "Nakakatakot magmahal kasi nakakatakot sumuko."

"Kinabahan din ako dati. Nagdalawang-isip din ako kung itutuloy ko pa ba yung nararamdaman ko," kwento niya. "Pero sa tuwing nakikita ko si Cal, Cesia, mas lumalamang yung takot kong mawala siya."

"Nakakatakot ang sumuko sa pag-ibig, pero mas nakakatakot ang isuko ito." Nginitian niya ako. "At balang araw, maiintindihan mo rin ako."

Kinagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi ko, pinipigilan ang sarili na maiyak. "Art..."

"Ayokong makita ka na nagkakaganito, ih..."

Saka ko lang namalayan na nakatakas na pala ang mga luha ko nang tuyuin niya ito.

"Art..." Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya. "Ang liwanag namin..."

"Cesia..." Lumapad ang kanyang ngiti. "Ang pinakamagandang biyaya namin..."