"MERRY Christmas."

Ngumiti si Gabriel at natawa nang malakas. Kinuha niya ang condom na inabot ng kapatid niya, Christmas-themed pa talaga ang wrapper. "Late ka na."

Nagtakip ng tainga si Kuya Aze. "I don't want to hear it. Hindi 'yan pang-dito, para sa Manila na 'yan."

"Sayang naman 'yong design," sabi ni Jett.

"Yuck," Mikee says in disgust, turning around and leaving.

"'Wag!" sabi ng nanay nila, snatching it from Gabriel's hands. She hides the gift behind her back and smiles brightly at him. "Bigyan n'yo na ng kalaro si Bailey."

Mas lalong natawa si Gabriel.

"Ma!" sabi ni Jett with wide eyes.

"Mama," sita naman ni Kuya Aze, clicking his tongue.

"'Wag kang magsasalita, wala ka pa ngang girlfriend."

Tumahimik si Kuya Aze. "Ano 'yon, ilaw?"

"Hoy, Pam!" sabi ni Tita Marge. "Hindi pa nga kasal!"

"Malapit na 'ko mag-birthday!" Gabriel's mom says in defense. "Tatanda na naman ako nang wala pang apo! 'Tsaka ikaw, Gabriel, hindi mo sinasabi na si Lovi lang pala gusto mo!" sigaw ng nanay niya sa kanya. "E 'di sana matagal ko na kayong sh-in-ip!"

"Sh-in-ip saan?" tanong ng tatay niya.

"Ma, lulubog rin n'on kung hindi pa kami magkaibigan. Being with Lov means being friends first, 'yon 'yong pinaka-important sa kanya," Gabriel explains patiently, grinning behind his coffee mug.

"Lulubog? Bakit? 'Yong ship?" confused na tanong pa rin ni Rich.

"Basta!" inis na sagot ni Tito Holder. "Maging masaya ka na lang para kay Lovi at Tan!"

"Friends muna," Kuya Aze notes, raising his eyebrows. "Gano'n ba 'yon?"

"Anong magagawa ng friends?" Jett scoffs. "Attraction, emotional engagement, conflict..."

"Healthy conflict," Kuya Aze reiterates.

"Basta conflict."

"Rejection, gano'n. Rivalry. O, sina Tan nga, competition."

Gabriel grins. "All fun and games until matalo ka na."

Jett scoffs, pushing off the counter. "Never akong matatalo."

"Sinasabi mo 'yan ngayon," Kuya Aze snickers after him.

"'Di naman kayo marunong mag-tennis," Ate Kaf says, raising her eyebrow.

Gabriel winks at her. "Marunong lang lumandi, Ate. 'Yon lang ang kailangan."

"True. Tingnan mo, tinotoo ni Lovi 'yong something you might eat at Christmas dinner," Kuya Patrick says, laughing.

Gabriel howls and high-fives him.

Now it's funny. At the time, gusto na lang ni Gabriel ilagay sa wishlist niya 'yon.

Tinotoo naman ni Lov.

Tumitingin na sina Tita Marge at ang nanay nila ng mga wedding motifs sa Pinterest. "Aba, marunong na 'ko mag-Pinterest o," yabang nito. "Save to board. O, ha. Alam mo 'yon, Marge?"

"Ma, hintayin n'yo 'ko mag-30," Gabriel says cheekily, running up the stairs.

Ayaw niya na sa kwartong iyon. Wala si Lov do'n.

Quietly, he opens the door to her room.

Lov is still asleep on her bed, hugging her pillow. Her hair falls across the pillows, strands all over her face, and she's here, she's beautiful, she's perfect, and he's overwhelmed by her mere existence that it's hard to breathe.

His gift is on her nightstand.

It makes Gabriel smile. Maka-"thanks" lang 'to no'n, ilalagay naman pala sa nightstand. Maka-downplay talaga 'tong girlfriend niya.

Carefully, nilapitan ni Gabriel si Lov. He lays down beside her and pulls her gently to him with one arm, welcoming her body to where she fits so perfectly against him, right here, right here, and he buries his head on her neck and inhales deeply, closing his eyes.

"I love you. So much," he murmurs in her hair. Doesn't care that she's sleeping, doesn't care that she won't hear it.

He needs to say it. He's never been one to keep what he feels from Lov.

But then Gabriel hears her smile in her voice before he even sees it. "Good morning din sa 'yo," she mutters, snuggling closer to him.

Gabriel's heart plummets to his throat, but he tells himself to get it together and say, "Narinig mo lang boses ko, ngiti ka na niyan?"

He knows she's rolling her eyes behind her lids. "'Wag na magsalita ang panay titig."

"E 'yong kinantahan ko ng Aphrodite kagabi hangga't makatulog tapos abot-tainga ang ngiti?"

"E sinong napapakanta in the first place?"

"Ako," sabi ni Gabriel, finding her hand in the sheets and lifting it to his mouth to kiss it reverently. Softly, he says, "Talo ako. Palagi. Because I don't act nonchalantly, Lov. I'm all out. I will make you feel my love because this is the only way I know how. So yeah, I adore you. I miss you. And I love making you smile. And I want to kiss you again."

Tumawa si Lov at hinampas siya ng unan. "E 'pag kamiss-miss nga naman."

"Tangina," sabi ni Gabriel. "Mahirap ba sabihin 'yong 'I miss you too'?"

"Gabriel," natatawang sabi ng girlfriend niya, and he melts, simple creature that he is, at the Gay-bree-uhl sound in her voice, his name has never sounded so beautiful, "I literally just missed breakfast, why are you acting like we've been apart for days?"

Gabriel grabs her face despite her protests and kisses her hard.

"'Wag! 'Di pa 'ko nag-to-toothbrush!"

She runs to the bathroom, pushing him, and Gabriel follows.

Lov brushes her teeth facing the mirror and he wraps his arms around her from behind under her sweater, his fingers spanning her bare skin, and she shivers in his touch. She's smiling as he presses his lips to her temple, her cheek, her jaw, her neck, moving away the collar of her sweater with his finger to nip at her shoulder. Whispering in her ear, he says, again, because he needs her to hear it, "I love you, my Lov."

She bends down to spit the toothpaste in the sink and pushes her butt against his crotch while she's at it.

Gabriel groans and pinches her hips. "I'm being romantic tapos babastusin mo 'ko? 'Pag ikaw, hinila ko pababa 'yang sweatpants mo..."

She laughs, wipes her mouth, and turns around to hug him. Kiss him long and sweet. Breathe, "You say my name like love, you know?"

"That's intentional," Gabriel breathes back, rubbing his thumb along her cheek while they kiss. "I'm happy you noticed."

"I notice a lot of things when it comes to you."

"Ako rin. Kahit 'yong suot mo sa opisina, tangina."

Her eyes brighten. "Can I tell you something?"

Gabriel leans down as she tiptoes.

"I untied my top before coming in your office," Lov whispers in his ear. "That was also intentional and payback for the dating rumor."

Putangina.

"Napa-jakol ako sa CR, alam mo 'yon?"

She shrugs innocently. Like she knew.

"Halika rito."

Tumatawang tumakbo palayo si Lov. Hinabol ito ni Gabriel.

*

Gabriel leaves Anderdal Manor, for the first time, holding hands with someone.

Holding hands with Lov.

"Kanino mapupunta 'yong bragging rights?" she asks curiously.

"Sige, sa 'yo na," sagot ni Gabriel. "Swerte mo naman sa boyfriend mo."

"Hah!" she scoffs, flipping her ponytail around and hitting him in the face. "'Wag nang magsalita ang sabing privilege raw to be with me."

He grins. "Kinilig ka naman, Lov."

"E 'yong gan'to nga lang ako magsalita, you're already kilig?"

Gabriel groans in frustration, his stomach swooping. "Arte mo, tangina mo."

Lov laughs. "Okay. Ako na nga panalo."

"Sige. Wala na akong pakialam. Next year ulit."

Her eyes gleam with challenge. "Oh, have the games become more exciting?"

Gabriel kisses her hard. "They have, baby."

Gan'to kasi 'yan.

Nakita ni Gabriel sa Lovi sa Bumble. She said in her bio: Tennis, anyone?

He swiped right.

She swiped right back.

ANO GINAGAWA MO SA BUMBLE KO???

Hoy kailangan mo maging single hanggang mag-30 ako, ano ginagawa mo rito

Naghahanap ng kalaban sa tennis malamang, may court dito sa bago kong condo. Ikaw?

Hinahanap ka.

Office ko 8am sharp. Delete mo na to

So Gabriel challenged her to a game the following morning.

She said, "Tangina mo, talaga?"

"Talaga. See you later."

So they played one game. They both sucked.

"You sucked more than I did," sabi ni Gabriel at their post-match debrief.

"Sabi ng 'di maka-serve."

"Sabi ng 'di mahawak nang maayos 'yong racket. Nahulog niya pa nga."

"Sabi ng 'di makatingin sa 'kin."

"Sabi ng nagulat sa abs ko."

"Nakakagulat naman kasi talaga, shunga ka ba?"

"Gugulatin pa kita lalo, maghuhubad ako."

"Ah!" She covered her eyes. "'Wag!"

"Lumipat ka na ng condo. O kaya 'wag mo na 'to gamitin. May mali sa court nila."

"Oo, tama, 'yong court ang may mali. 'Di na 'ko babalik dito."

"Pati sa Bumble."

So hindi na nila tinuloy 'yong actual tennis match.

What worked for them, however, was upping the other every time they were at Anderdal, after they realized they were both attracted to each other by matching on that stupid dating app five years ago. Gabriel zipped up her dress for her before their Christmas dinner and watched Lov's face redden in the mirror. He whispered, "15 - love."

The tattoo was a score. That's why he won last year. The year before that, Lov hit him too hard with a sled on accident (or was it...?) and kissed him on the cheek and he lay on the ground longer than necessary. The year before that, si Gabriel uli ang nanalo the first time he heard what his, "Mm-hmm," did to Lov—blush and focus elsewhere.

Ngayong Pasko lang sila parehong natalo.

But that doesn't mean magpapatalo si Gabriel next Christmas. Kahit na girlfriend (or, malay mo, fiancé na) niya na si Lov.

He loves a challenge, anyway.