And Then You

25 / maureen

OKAY. Look at the bright side. She's not dead. Kuya Inggo's not dead.

She's just...locked out of the house.

"Baby." Kuya Inggo helps her stand up and caresses her cheek, looking mildly amused. "Don't panic, sama ka sa 'kin."

"Huh?" Maureen whispers, her head scrambling for a single, coherent thought. "Where?"

He shrugs, still stroking her face. His other hand strokes her wrist reassuringly. "Anywhere you want, birthday mo. Then we can come back in the morning, Tita wakes up early naman, 'di ba? Once the door is open, you'll sneak in and pretend you haven't been out with me the whole night."

"Baliw ka," Maureen whispers.

"Pero matalino. Tara na." Kuya Inggo threads their fingers together and leads them to his motorcycle. Maureen, dazed, can do nothing but follow.

Kasi may point si Kuya Inggo. Wala siyang susi for the back door, tapos ang nasa shorts lang niya ngayon is the key to her room, which she locked before stepping out to meet Kuya Inggo.

At least hindi makikita ng pamilya niya na wala pala siya sa bahay...?

Kuya Inggo gently places the helmet on her head and straps it on, his fingers pausing at her throat. Then he knocks on the helmet lightly and laughs, sitting on the bike. "Where do you wanna go first?"

Maureen thinks about it.

The last few times they've gone out this late have always been for food or for walking along Katip. 'Di nagagawa ni Maureen maglakad mag-isa nang madaling araw even though she wants to, kaya she uses her scary dog privilege kapag kasama niya si Kuya Inggo at two or three in the morning, like that time na nag-Shakey's sila after his grad celebration.

Again, he's 6'1. He's tall and big. He looks scary.

Maureen smiles, biting her bottom lip.

Kuya Inggo's eyes go to her mouth. He raises his eyebrows, pushing his tongue against his cheek. "What?"

"What do you think about piercings?"

He spreads his legs and puts his hands on her waist to stand in between them, eyes going to her ears. "For you? Pipila na rin si Tita Sheryl sa execution ko, Rinn, maawa ka sa 'kin."

Alam niya 'yon, kailangan niya talaga magpaalam muna. Pero siya... "No, for you."

His mouth curves. "Oh, yeah?"

HUY, PUTANGINA, may igagwapo pa pala 'tong asshole na 'to???

Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"You want me to get a piercing?"

Maureen makes a squeaky sound of agreement and nods, heart thrumming in excitement. Oh, boy. Kung papayag siya...

"Ear piercing? Or a Prince Albert?"

She smacks him. "Kuya Inggo! Sa ear lang kase!"

"Okay." Kuya Inggo laughs again and straddles the bike. "Just making sure. Let's go, may alam akong bukas pa." He takes her hands and pulls her closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. Then he kicks up the stand and revs the engine, and they take off down the street.

Maureen screeches in surprise at the speed and knots her hands over the rock-hard muscles of his stomach, pressing her front against his back. She hears his laugh over the wind.

When Kuya Inggo pulls up at the stoplight, he drops a hand from the bar and rests it on her bare knee. Maureen feels her stomach kick with butterflies and burrows herself further on his back, making him stroke his hand all the way up her thigh.