JE T'AIME

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

"SO TIRED..." Jacques groaned while he stretched his arms after being in a plane for more than an hour. Nakatulog siya bago pa umalis ang pribadong eroplanong sinasakyan, kagigising lang niya at nasa himpapawid pa rin sila.

While stretching, his head turned to face the person sitting next to him — Cloud — who's staring at him with a disapproving glint in his eyes.

Jacques frowned. "What?"

Cloud answered him in a low voice that only they could hear. "Alam kong hindi ka nakakaramdam ng pagod. It's me, Lord Jacques. No need to pretend."

Dahan-dahang bumaba ang mga braso niyang inuunat habang nakatingin pa rin kay Cloud.

That's right. He's with Cloud. He knows his condition. No need to pretend. But pretending was his second nature. It's normal for him to say that he's tired even though he couldn't really feel it because he was trained to say it to look like a normal person.

"I was trained to act normal." Yon nalang ang nasabi niya habang nakatingin pa rin kay Cloud.

For some reason, he likes looking at Cloud, especially his light brown eyes. Maybe because when Cloud looks at him, there's no pity in his eyes even after knowing his condition. Cloud looks at him like how a normal person would look to another normal person. Even his best friend, Kaius, looks at him with pity sometimes.

"You are normal, Lord Jacques." Cloud spoke with firmness. "You don't need to say 'you're tired' to be normal. Being insensitive to pain doesn't make you less of a normal person."

Jacques couldn't stop the sad smile that slowly crept into his lips. "But they say pain is what makes us human..."

Cloud scoffed at his remark. "There are a lot of things that makes us human." Then Cloud reached out to his messy hair and smoothened it like it's a normal thing to do. "What I was trying to say is that, when you're with me, just be yourself. No need to pretend. I know how tiresome it is."

And Jacques found himself nodding and not disagreeing and he doesn't know why. Was it the genuine emotion in Cloud's eyes? Was it the warmth of his hand that was smoothing his messy hair? Or was it his deep baritone but tender voice?

Cloud smiled at him before dropping his hand that was smoothing his hair.

Jacques couldn't stop the half-scoff and half-chuckle that came out from his mouth, earning a frown from Cloud.

"What's that?" Cloud inquired.

Jacques glared at Cloud, "you're an asshole."

Now, Cloud's face was full of confusion. "Huh?"

"You say nice things like now, but hours ago, you're talking bullshit." Now he's pissed again, remember what happened in the living room few hours ago.

Cloud's confused face slowly disappeared and was replaced with amusement. "Oh ... you're talking about me kissing your mouth clean?" Mahina itong natawa, parang nasisiyahan pa ito sa iritado niyang mukha. "I still want to kiss your mouth clean." Cloud wiggled his eyebrow at him, "wanna try?"

Pinakita niya rito ang kamao. "Try and I'll hit you."

Mahinang tumawa lang ang katabi. "Relax ... I'm not gonna kiss you without your permission."

Jacques scowled, wanting to beat the man beside him for saying bullshit things. "And you think I'll give it to you? Dream on, asshole."

Cloud just blatantly stared at his lips, Cloud's index finger was softly caressing the bottom of his own lips seductively, while staring at his.