Charades. Such a pesky little excuse Uno and Dos thought of in chorus when Yaya Paning asked them what they were doing. Of course, the older woman didn't buy it. She instead said, "Akala ko bata," which was the best explanation to cater to her; however, the two chose to take a differently hilarious excuse. An excuse that led them to beg her not to tell their parents. One thing she agreed with, for as long as they'd finance the old one's subscription on Netflix.

They may have gone through a needle's narrow head, but little did Uno know that it was just the start of his possible hardships with Dos being in the vicinity of his oh-so-small introverted world.

"What the fuck is this?" Uno asked Dos, brows furrowed while holding the latter's underclothing he happened to see hanging inside the restroom.

His anger instantly dominated the shame he felt from yesterday, for he hates an unkept surrounding.

"An underwear?" Dos replied, coolly shrugging her shoulders while comfortably lying on the couch, neither looking surprised nor ashamed.

"Again! What is this?!" He lifted the garment higher over his head, holding it in a way like he pinches salt.

How regretful he became for not wanting a restroom inside his room, for he detested the horror-worthy sound of dripping water. He even had his condo unit customized, but there he is now, wanting to renovate his unit the soonest as possible.

"Uhm...." She sat straight on the couch, faced him, and smiled. "An underwear you almost slid off my legs yesterday? Was that the response you wanted to hear?"

Fuck! he cursed in mind, massaging his temples. His eyes that couldn't stare at the woman talking to him laid somewhere in the living room. For the second time, he forgot what happened not more than twenty-four hours ago.

"For heaven's sake!" he screamed upon seeing the scattered stuffed toys on the center table, on the cabinet under the television, on the couch, and on the floor. Jake, Fin, Spongebob, Squidward, Patrick, Tazz, and Sylvester, to name a few. "Ano'ng tingin mo rito sa condo ko, daycare center?!"

"Don't you know how to greet someone good morning? Or that's how you normally greet--"

"Pick up all your fucking toys and put them inside your room!" he cut her off. "Isama mo na rin 'to!" aniya sabay hagis ng panty sa direksyon nito.

Dos shook her head with lips pursing. "My toys will stay where they are. But this..." She took her underwear on the carpeted floor. "Will be kept to wear it should be."

"And why?! Condo mo?! You pay for the amortization?!"

"No," she replied right away. "But I'd be sharing the expenses we are to have. So I," she jerked her thumb to herself, "have the right to do anything I wish. Besides, with my toys around, they somehow gave life to your gloomy pad. Don't you want to thank me instead of baring your fangs at me?"

"Stop being funny." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not. Neither am I trying."

No choice, he picked up all her toys and went to the trash bin.

Whereas she just watched him while biting her left thumb's nail.

He stopped midway from the bin. "What now? You won't stop me?"

She shrugged her shoulders. Face looking bored. "Why would I, if I'd be asking you to pay for all that?"

His shoulders dropped in dismay, along with the fall of the toys from his hand. He didn't know where she was taking her calm composure when comparatively he wanted to kill someone.

Imbyerns! Sarap jombagin!

"Okay, you win!" he conceded. His hands were up in the air like a criminal surrendering himself to the authorities. "Ilagay mo kung sa'n mo gustong ilagay mga gamit mong impakta ka!"

His remark caught him off guard. Hindi nga pala siya bakla, base sa sinabi niya kay Dos nang tanungin siya nito kung bakla siya. Kaya dapat walang impakta. Pero bakit may impakta?! he thought.

"Touché," Dos mumbled, smiling triumphantly.

Uno suddenly felt his cheeks flare.

It was a good thing Dos changed the topic right away, probably sensing his uncomfortableness. "I'm going to have breakfast. I think you should cook na."

Ay, pota. Huma-highest level anger ko rito.

"Pakiulit?" he said out loud with total sarcasm.

"I hate repeating myself, but it seems to me that you're kind of stupid, so...I said I'm going to have breakfast, I think you should cook na..."

"Oh." He nodded his head, smiling not genuinely. "So paglilingkuran kita, kamahalan?"

"Uuhh." She pinched him lightly on the arm. "You don't have to. But if you insist, who am I not to say no, 'di ba?"

Kinangina.

"Sure. Tara sa kusina, kamahalan. Ipagluluto kita," sarkastikong aniya bago hinawakan ang kamahalan sa braso para alalayan patungong kusina.

Tuwang-tuwa naman ito sa inasta ni Uno.

"Ano'ng gagawin ko sa itlog mo, kamahalan?" Uno asked while wearing his yellow apron.

"Gawin mong manok," nakangiting saad ng kamahalan, na siyang ikinagigil ng isa.

In fairness naman talaga, nakaka-smoking hot talaga 'to sa anger.

"Nagbibiro ka kamahalan?"

Dos shyly shook and scratched her head. "Sunnyside up, make sure not to over fry it. And...pwede fried rice? And hot choco na rin on the side. No sugar."

Uno didn't know what to say anymore. He neither knew how thick-faced she could be. Konti na lang, jojombagin na talaga niya ang kamahalan.

Nonetheless, he was born with a sturdy forbearance. So he just let Dos' behavior slip. For now. Who knows when she'd push him to the edge.

"Kain na, kamahalan." Nilapag niya na ang tray na may laman ng mga pagkain nila sa lamesa, kasama ang hot choco ni Dos. "Pakabusog ka, ha?"

"You're so thoughtful naman pala. I think Tita Nicole and Tito Marco brought you up well." The tone of her voice was mocking.

"Ikaw rin, I think Tita Dalia and Tito Sebastian brought you up well."

"I know, right."

The nerve of this bitch.

Minutes after, the platters containing their viands for breakfast went empty.

"Wala bang desert? I'm not so sanay ng walang sweets after a meal, eh," kamahalan said, cupping her face with her hands as she leaned her elbows on the table.

"Wala!" galit na sigaw ni Uno, na ultimong siya, gaya ni Dos, ay nagulat.

"Gagalit?"

"I mean....wala....I've got nothing in my fridge. I haven't taken my grocery since I've been too busy with my work," he tried explaining.

The surprised look on the latter's face subsided and was changed into a smile so bright; it nearly lit the whole pad.
"Then let's go shopping! I need to buy some of my necessities din kasi. And my school supplies na rin before magpasukan."

The hell, self! Why did you even say that?!

"I have work." The truth is, he could wave his day any time he wants as long as there's no urgent need for his service.

Dos then slid her phone in his direction.

Uno's eyes widened at the view of her and his mother's exchange of messages.

Hi, Tita! I just wanted to ask if Uno can wave his day today? I lacked some of my necessities po kasi, and I'm not yet familiar with the places to shop alone.

Hello, hija. We just came home from Cebu. But I already asked Marco. He said Uno could wave his whole day today. Tomorrow we'll pay you both a visit, okay? Mag-iingat kayo, ha? Kiss and hug my son for me, please.

The whole conversation, except the last line, was okay with him. And it became more not okay when he felt Dos' arms hugging him from behind. She then held his chin with her right hand to tilt his head to face her. Then she pressed her lips on his for seconds.

He was stupefied.

She then smiled and said, "As per Tita Nicole, kiss and hug my son for me, please...I just did...."