Beneath the Perfect Sky

FOURTEEN

And so we have come to this, the penultimate chapter. As I said, this feels so, so bittersweet, but I remain grateful. 

Enjoy bbies!

.::.

FOURTEEN

It had not been difficult for things to fall into place after that. Of course, it's not to say that everything is easy, or has been easy, because that wouldn't be true. Nothing this good could ever be easy, but everything else just sort of fit into their rightful places.

It's blissful.

Being with Aga is blissful, and though she still sometimes finds herself waiting for the other shoe to drop, she tries to just enjoy the moment. It's not hard to, when Aga shows her thoughtfulness, care, and concern that know no bounds.

He would often come by the office, just to see her, or bring her coffee or food. Sometimes - when she has an easier load and no court appointments - they'd work side by side, just basking in each other's company.

She isn't under any illusion that it will be smooth sailing from here on out, there's still their futures - his mostly - to worry about after all, but she's hoping that it will all come organically. She'd be lying if she says that she doesn't long for the day that they could just come out and go on a date, without having to look over their shoulder, or having to go to places where no one would see them, and she could grab his hand or kiss him without having to hide inside the four walls of her office. She's not discontented, truly, of the relationship she has with Aga, in fact she is so stupidly happy, it's ridiculous, but sometimes, she wishes for normalcy and not having to sneak out all the time.

"What are you thinking of so hard?" he asks her as he slides on the seat across her desk. As the holidays close in, the court appointments dwindle, so she spends more time here now. No one bats an eyelid anymore that he seems to be here the entire week - although he rarely stays too long because he still needs to take care of Leighton - and Dawn and Regine seem to encourage it even. She looks at him in question, and he just smiles at her and runs a finger down her palm in a soft caress. "You think loudly, alam mo ba yun?"

She snorts disbelievingly at that, but she turns her hand so their fingers wrap around each other, intertwined. She places her elbow on the desk and rests her cheek on her hand. "I was wondering if you want to come with me to the firm Christmas Party," she murmurs, and that is not technically a lie, because she has been thinking of that for a while. "It's okay if you don't want to, it's just an idea." She frowns, thinking he might want to say no. She thinks of the recent College of Law Sem-ender party they attended together, and how awkward that initially had been as they tried to find their footing, stuck between wanting to stand close to each other and being afraid of being too close.

She suddenly feels bad that she's put him on the spot - though this time it's different, this one is for the firm, and he knows most of the people she works with.

He shakes his head. "Syempre, Babe, gusto kita samahan," he admits, but the corners of his lips are downturned and he senses a but there somewhere. She's right. "But, are you sure? Syempre ayaw ko naman na mapahamak ka."

She sighs. She knows it's a very real risk, but she trusts most of the people she works with, and to be fair, there won't be that many of them. She hums as she thinks. "It's going to be just the people who work here and they see you everyday naman," she says, and he nods. Fair point. "If you're uncomfortable -"

She doesn't get to finish that thought. "I'm not, baby," he rushes to reassure her. "I'm more worried that you would be. I know di ka pa ready na malaman ng iba."