Ben&Ben songs played a huge part in Leni and Risa's relationship— or their songs could really describe their feelings to each other.
Ben & Ben is a nine piece Filipino band who has been supportive of Leni. They even sang the first Angat Buhay song for the OVP when they launched the Angat Buhay Initiatives.
During the 2022 campaign, they were active in performing in different rallies may it be big or small, as long as they could— to show support for Leni. They are the second to the last performance in every rally they went to, they would enter the stage after Leni finishes her speech. Ben&Ben first performed during the Pasig Rally and the first song was Pagtingin.
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Pagtingin. A song about the feelings of frustration when you can't tell to someone what you're feeling about them. When you're scared of losing them so you just keep it to yourself and watch them from afar. The exact feeling of Leni when she realized that Risa is not just a bestfriend for her, she's more than that.
They've been always more than that, Leni knew that Risa felt it too; that extra something they had when they are hanging out together with their colleagues and mutual friends, but especially when they were alone in her office and not really talking. Comfortable silence with each other.
She had always known that no one could even come close to how much Risa meant to her. They were bestfriends even before she entered politics, that was what the others would say. Risa was her bestfriend, but so was Leila. Maybe it might because she had known her the longest, but as much as she did consider Risa as her bestfriend, she meant so much more than that at the same time.
Leni and Risa was just in her office preparing for Risa's proposed project with the OVP when out of the blue, Leni asked her a question, "Ris, minsan ba sumagi sa isip mo na magkaroon pa ng ibang romantic relationship after your husband?"
Risa stared at her after her question.
Risa felt everything Leni felt, and they were both aware of it. From the lingering looks, and uncharacteristic gentle smiles, she knew more or less that it was mutual.
Most of the times, it seemed like Leni didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, so the senator would hold back all the things she wanted to say and wanted to do, even though they both wanted the same thing.
And what held her back? Leni wasn't sure because Risa was supposed to be the blunt one. She was supposed to be the straightforward one. She was the one who's making big men cry at the senate.
Risa stopped browsing the paperworks and replied to her question, "Oo naman, pero ikaw lang ang pwede," smiling at Leni.
Risa had always been honest about how she felt about something but she really did love Leni enough to cower at the idea of losing her. If Leni wanted more, the woman would have to find a way to tell her because she could live the rest of her life, loving her by the sidelines if that was all she could do.
"A-ako lang? Anong ibig mong sabihin?"
Risa stood up from her seat to go to Leni's seat across the table, she pulled Leni's hand. She decided that she's going to tell her today since she asked that question. One way or another and Leni wasn't going anywhere until they were something more than just bestfriends.
She released one of her hands and fixed the hair of Leni from her face, her beautiful face. Leni felt her cheeks warm and bit her lower lip nervously as the senator is staring at her closely. Risa really wanted to kiss her, wondering if that was how it supposed to be and how Leni's lips would feel with her lips.
