Every Tick of Serendipity ( Ruler of Fate Series #3 )

KABANATA 43

Kabanata 43

The forty-third tick

My eyes blinked. My throat ran dry. My heart clenched a bit. All of these, but in a comforting way. It was more flattering inside, unlike when we were in a relationship back then. It's safer, way deeper, and fuller — his words are like that.

Umiwas ako ng tingin sakanya nang may naglapag ng mga baso at plato sa lamesa namin. I cleared my throat and smiled at the waitress who brought our meal. "Thank you..."

She nodded with a full smile. "Enjoy your meal, Ms. Valentina..." Her eyes went to him, "Sir Kairos." and to our rabbit. "Hi!"

My mouth formed an 'o' when I realized that she called us by our names. I even saw her giggling as she made her way back to the counter. She even acted like she was fainting over her friends.

"She knows us!" Humahagikhik kong bulong.

The captain was in the middle of arranging my food when I looked at him. His eyes went to me before he roamed them around, "Who's her... Exactly?" hindi niya siguradong sagot. Umayos siya ng upo nang malagay ang tinidor sa plato ko.

I leaned forward and picked up my fork. "The waitress who served our food!"

"Hmm..." He hummed while nodding his head.

My lips slightly pouted before I started eating my salad. "By the way, what do you want me to call you pala?"

His brow rose. "What else aside from 'captain'?"

I smiled. "Love? Babe? Baby? Honeybunch? Sugarplum? Pumpy-umpy-umpkin?"

His eyes blinked. "Pumpy-umpy..." Kumunot ang noo niya. "Huh?" His head tilted, getting more confused. "Umpkin?"

"Sweetie pie or cuppycake?" Tanong ko ulit.

I learned those from Asha; who else? That little baby is super talino!

"A-Anything..." He cleared his throat. "Anything will do. Uh... Kahit sa'n — ano sa mga sinabi mo — alin do'n." He answered unsurely while scratching his nape.

I rolled my eyes, leaving behind my sweet smiles and innocent looks. "See how confusing it is?" Madiin kong tinusok ang strawberry na ikinalunok niya. "I was asking you what I should call you, and you'll answer like that?"

His eyes blinked. "What did I do? Why are you mad?"

I scoffed. "Always bang captain? What if mag-ask mga friends ko kung sino kasama ko, huh? What should I say? I'm with the captain? Ano ako? Asa military something or similar to that?" I put my hands beside my ear, acting like it was a phone. "Oh, sorry, later nalang... I'm with the captain kasi."

"My." He corrected. "My captain."

"What..?" I frowned. "What 'my'? Just because you're living with me, doesn't mean we're together." I crossed my fingers, "As in together." pagdidiinan ko.

"Oh, trust me... We will." He smiled. "I'm getting you back."

My lips parted. I was about to point at him the fork I'm holding, wanting to protest, but he added words that made all my katarayan to disappear in an instant.

"And what's wrong with you calling me 'my captain', hmm?" He rested his right arm on the table, with the other one piercing the cut steak. "I'm yours."

Inirapan ko siya. "Shut up."

He nodded his head. "Sure, I'll let you process that."

My lips parted, "Now, you're teasing me na?" hindi makapaniwala kong tanong.