You're the best, Secretary Andrew! (MxM)

19 - Welcome Home, Alfonso

The next photo took him by surprise.

It was a photo of him stealing a bottle of tequila from a store while he wore his school uniform. It was the very photo they sent months ago to Mrs. Lopez. It was supposed to be an embarrassing photo, but Andrew guessed that Mrs. Lopez wanted to show pictures where they were all smiling.

The last photo on the shelf was a selfie with all of them included as they ate Sinigang. It was Allen's first home-cooked meal for his family. A sticky note was attached to the corner of the frame.

Lopez family photo.

His heart welled up with an abundance of happiness he never knew he yearned for. To be accepted, not as Secretary Andrew, but as himself. However, they knew him as Alfonso. It was all for the better as they loved him despite all the messy imperfections he had shown. He wanted to curl up on himself as he was flooded with a powerful urge to stay.

But when he glanced at the photo of Allen, filled with so much happiness and freedom. He couldn't help but be happy for Allen. In the past six years he has been working for Allen, he has never seen Allen be so happy as when he's cooking. He wants that to be permanent for Allen. To not go back to the cold, detached man he was once, but Allen seemed to have already resigned himself in this lonely path chosen by his parents.

He let out a deep, exhausted sigh. He scrunched his face in frustration. This wasn't his family in the first place. Allen and Luiz deserved to be happy. He raised his hand and noticed he was trembling. Maybe it was a sign of how indecisive he was, but still, he reached out and flipped down his photo.

With a heavy heart, he stepped back and turned around. But what he saw surprised him.

Allen stood a few steps away from him with an unreadable expression. He glanced past Andrew, and his face hardened when he saw the state Andrew's photo was in.

Andrew closed the distance between them, and he looked up at Allen.

Just to see this arrogant man smile and be filled with happiness, Andrew could do this. This was the right choice.

When Allen couldn't decide whether to talk or not, Andrew decided to step aside and walk past him. But before he could go further. Allen stopped him. He called out to him.

When he turned around, Allen's eyes were wide with panic, his fingers fidgeted, and his eyebrows were furrowed down. Andrew expected him to scream his lungs out like he did the night of their big fight, but Allen's voice was barely a whisper.

"What are you planning to do?" He asked though it wasn't much of a question as they seem to have already read each other's minds.

"I'm going to talk to your parents. This is the moment we've been waiting for, and this is much better than we've expected. You don't have to get disowned. Your family will remain intact and happy. And you and Luiz will both get what you've always wanted."

"Then what about you?"

"What about me?" said Andrew. "I get that five million and a piece of property that I own. No more rents. No more eight to five."

"I saw you almost cry back in there, so please don't expect me to believe that you are alright with this," Allen yelled, frustrated. "Please stop pretending that you're fine because I know that we both aren't fine with this."

"I am fine about this," Andrew shouted back. His voice echoed in the empty hall. "With that money, I'll be able to leave. Five million would have taken me ten years to work for because no matter how much you praise me. I am still a goddamn secretary!"

"You don't have to leave."

"Yes, I do," said Andrew. He stood tall and locked eyes with Allen.

"No, you don't," Allen pleaded desperately. He enveloped Andrew's hands with his. He begged him to stay. Allen clung to him.