Feeling author's note:

Thank you so much for reading this far.

_______________

You woke up freezing from the cold breeze brought by the air coming from the open window, causing you to feel like you'd hit a convulsion anytime. Along with your chilling feeling, there also came a heavy weight on your head, and searing pain all over your upper and mostly your lower extremities.

Being a human being with a low tolerance from cold temperature and who possesses a weak body, you probably acquired flu from last night's happening. Must be the effect of the cold weather and your lap dancing on Melo's lap that brought you butt first on the floor because he pushed you off him.

"When I say get off, get off! Don't make me repeat myself!"

"Pero sabi mo po sumayaw ako 'di ba? Ano pong ikinagagalit mo?"

"But I didn't fucking ask you to lap dance on me!"

"Pero mukhang gusto mo naman po, Madam...."

"Do I look like I'm having fun with your bullshit?!"

"Well...namumula ka po. Kaya siguro po, oo."

Namula nga naman talaga siya kagabi. Malas mo nga lang na hindi mo nasilayang masyado ang pamumula niya dahil bigla siyang umalis at nagkulong sa kwarto niyo. 'Di ka tuloy nakapasok sa kwarto niyo kaya natulog ka sa kwarto ni Seph, na ngayon ay abalang-abalang naglalagay ng mga kolorete sa mukha.

"Seph," you called him.

He turned his head to your direction in a split second. "Keti, sis?" Sagot niya habang naglalagay ng blush on sa kanang pisngi.

"Pasuyo naman ako ng gamot at tubig sa kusina, nilalagnat yata ako."

"Whychi?!" He rushed to your side and touched the back of his palm on your forehead. "Shutanginames talaga ng Melo na 'yon! 'Pag ako 'di nakapagpigil, jojombagin ko na talaga 'yon!"

A long sigh was heaved by you. You didn't like what he said, for you knew he easily loses his temper 'cause among the two of you, you're the only one who has that high tolerance for bull. So you knew exactly he wouldn't be able to contain his rage, and what he just said would certainly be put into action any time of the day.

"Hayaan mo na, Seph. 'Di naman niya kasalanang sakitin ako."

"Jusko, Ate!" He frustratingly pulled and disheveled his hair due to anger and disbelief from your extremely high understanding behind other's misbehaviors. "Psych ka lang, pero 'di ka tanga! Are you sure ba na sisters us? Kasi baka ampon ka lang pala kaya parang kinulang ka yata sa bakuna," he added while rolling his eyes heavenward.

"Buang!" You laughingly threw a pillow straight to his face. Wala talaga kasi itong prenong magsalita. "Hingian mo na ako ng gamot kina Nanang sa kusina at mag-aayos pa 'ko kasi may pasok pa 'ko sa trabaho. 'Di ako pwedeng um-absent, sayang ang mababawas sa sweldo ko."

He curved his lips downward as you mumbled your last remark.

You gave him a sweet smile that was worth stretching his lips upward, and told him, "Hindi uso sa 'tin ang drama, Seph. Kaya go na, kuhanan mo na 'ko ng gamot at baka 'di kita matantya."

Natawa na lang ito at umalis na para kuhanan ka ng gamot at tubig.

Lumipas ang ilang minuto pero hindi pa rin ito bumabalik. Hindi naman mabigat ang isang pirasong bioflu na nakabalot din sa walang kabigat-bigat na blister pack nito. Miski ang baso ng tubig, 'di naman mabigat para mahirapan itong dalhin sa 'yo. So you decided to go after him.

Few more steps to the kitchen, and you heard your brother's ear-aching voice, and Melo's modulated voice shouting in chorus.

"Isang pirasong gamot lang ipagdadamot mo pa?! Gusto mo sampalin kita ng sampung banig ng bioflu, ha?!"

"Whatever your eyes see in every corner of this house is mine! So that piece of medicine is also mine! Only mine! Naiintindihan mo?!"

"Papalitan ko 'to mamaya! Kailangan ko lang mapainom si Ate kasi may slapsoil na nambasa sa kanya kagabi, nilalagnat tuloy siya today!"

"Are you insinuating that I'm a dirt poor?" Kalmado pero madiin na sagot ni Melo na naging dahilan para kabahan ka at magmadaling pumunta sa kanila.

A calm voice from him was way more spine-chilling than hearing him in a monstrous tone.

Sabihin mo hindi, Seph. Utang na loob, sabi mo sa sarili na naglalakad-takbo makapunta lang kaagad sa kusina.

"Oo!" Your brother replied without any second thoughts.

You heard Melo laugh.

And you were doomed.

"Good morning po, Madam. Pasensya na po-"

"Panti!" Melo cut you off by calling one of his maids.

A petite young woman in braided hair emerged from the dirty kitchen, looking perturbed. "Baket...baket pu....Madam..?"

"Itapon ang lahat ng mga gamot!"

Seph, all the maids and you, were surprised to hear what Melo ordered Panti to do. You were all gaping your mouths open while darting him glances of disbelief.

"Pu? Itatapun ku pu? 'Yung gamut, pu, Madam?"

"Hindi! Itapon mo sarili mo! Kasasabi ko lang 'di ba?! Tonto!"

"Pasinsya na, Madam. Dele man keta masyadung nareneg kas-"

"Magmadali!"

Panti hurriedly and shakingly went straight to the medicine cabinet beside the condiments area at the kitchen, took them in hand, and was about to leave when Melo spoke again.

"Kulang pa 'yan. Kunin mo 'yong hawak niya," aniya, sabay turo sa kapatid mong nagmamaganda na agad ibinulsa ang gamot na ipapainom nito sa 'yo.

"Aken na, Ser Siph. Ayaw ku pang mamatay, Ser. Parang awa mu na," sabi ni Panti kay Seph, na pilit kinukuha ang gamot mula sa bulsa nito.

Yours and Seph's eyes met unplanned, and you gave him a pleading look of ibigay-mo-na. If he wouldn't give in, you'd certainly end up receiving the consequence behind his action, or worse, Melo would rather choose to let Seph experience, firsthand, how difficult it is to suffer under his belt. And that was not okay with you. That would never be okay with you. Ikaw na lang ang mahirapan, 'wag lang ang kapatid mo, gaya ng lagi mong sinasabi sa sarili.

Luckily, your brother must have sensed the possible results of his doing. He took the medicine from his pocket and gave it to Panti who left right away after having the medicine in her hand.

Then, Melo turned his back to face you with seriousness evident on his face as he lingered his gaze from your head down to your toes. "In my room. Now," he mumbled in a cold tone, which sent shivers down your spine.

In just a snap, you found your anxious self inside his room, beseeching for an answer of what could've been his reason to summon you, when last night he prohibited you inside. "Bakit po, Madam?" Uou asked, nervously, removing thin layers of skin around your thumb. "Kung dahil po 'to kay Seph, pagsasabihan ko na lang po siya. Gano'n lang po kasi talaga 'yong kapatid kong 'yon, pero madali naman po siyang pagsabihan. Maaasahan niyo pong hindi na 'to mauulit."

Alam na alam mong pwede pang maulit ang nangyari kanina, dahil alam mong may ugali talaga ang kapatid mo. But what you weren't knowledgeable of, was the answer to the stupefying query your boss threw at you.

"Is your menstrual cycle on a regular basis, Torres?" he asked coolly, ignoring what you just said and without running his query into some sort of massive decision making. He even looked leisurely on his throne-like pink single-seater sofa with his legs crossed, and left pointing finger smoothly caressing his chin. "If so, detail me."

Takang-taka kang napatingin sa kanya. Lumipas ang ilang segundo't ibubuka mo pa lang sana ang bibig mo para magtanong, nang may mga hindi kaaya-aya at 'di pamilyar na pangyayari ang biglang umeksena sa utak mo.

They were the never before seen scenes of you and Melo drunkenly ramming each other in your royal suite's dining table when you guys were in Tagaytay. What was worse than fucking on the dining table, was the auditory you heard, which gave you a first time ever short glimpse of your effin' perverted drunkard self.

"Ako sa ibabaw...."

"Ako sa ibabaw...."

"Ako sa ibabaw...."

"Putangina! Hindi pwede!" Balisang-balisa kang napatayo dahil sa nakita't narinig mo mula sa utak mo.

What you said caused Melo's bewilderment. "Why? Because I'm gay? That's not a hoax 'cause frankly, I am. But it doesn't mean that I can't get aroused, no? Besides, you're my wife. You're committed to me. And that being said, I can't go around fucking some random man. So I better settle for less and you better cater to my needs."

At naguluhan ka na lalo. You two weren't obviously on the same sheet.

"Ha?! Ano'ng-"

"A mere act of preposterousness or an act of intentionally seducing me, whatever you call that goddamn thing you did to me last night, the highlight is, you got me a boner, Torres. Pay for that."