The Adventures of #KantoRJ and #SosyMeng

KRJ, SM & SosyDad - Meeting the Father

AN: Yesterday, I came across a comment about KRJ on Twitter that got me feeling a little nostalgic about the "early days" of The Adventures of KantoRJ and SosyMeng. Then I remembered that today is TAOKRJxSM and the Kanto Squad's fifth monthsary, and that a lot of my early TAOKRJxSM fics still aren't here on Wattpad. So I figured now would be the best time to get off my lazy butt and finally start transferring them over from my Twitter media tab.

Looking back, it's amazing how much my writing style has evolved (I think,) but even more so how far our characters have come. Now that my favorite kanto couple are married, have two children and are expecting twins (read all about it in noodlesbychi's TAOKRJxSM book,) I hope you'll enjoy taking a short side trip down memory lane and reminiscing their "early years."

Happy monthsary, Jess, Meekay, Tere and most of all, chichu.

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The day Meng decided to bring RJ home for dinner to meet her dad, she was sure she must have set a new Guinness World Record for sweating. She had brought other boys home before; smooth-tongued, fast-talking boys from Alabang or San Juan in their Penguin polos and sockless topsiders. None of them were ANYTHING like RJ, this strange but fascinating creature who sported Spartan slippers and used to sign all his texts to her >>RJPogi02<< until she begged him to stop.

Her parents had been very gracious to those other boys, smiling politely as they tried to charm her mother with flattering compliments; and attempted to connect with her dad by bringing up their own dads, most of whom he had done business with at one point or another. All very civil and obliging.

Yet somehow Meng got the feeling that her parents were never really impressed by any of those other boys. But she didn't mind, because none of those other boys ever made her feel the way RJ did. He was the only one who could make her chest feel tighter just thinking about him; who made her so happy the only response was to shed grateful tears. None of the others had had that effect. She NEEDED her parents to like RJ, the first and only guy who really mattered.

Meng thought it best for everyone involved if RJ met her parents one at a time, so she planned for him to come over for dinner during one of her mother's weekend shopping excursions in Hong Kong with her amigas. The day before, she meticulously coached RJ on what to wear, how to behave, and possible topics of conversation to introduce. After her long, long list of reminders, RJ responded simply with a cheerful, "Relax ka lang Beb, kaya ko to," and a stolen kiss on the cheek. Which did absolutely nothing to calm her.

An hour before RJ was expected to show up, Meng tortured herself by imagining all sorts of disastrous scenarios as she paced nervously back and forth in the sprawling living room of her home. She pictured him showing up in a certain hideous green and orange checkered polo that she loathed but that he was particularly fond of because it was a Christmas gift from Aling Lety. She envisioned him calling her dad "Paps"—her knees went weak, her courage failed her—there was the sound of the doorbell—too late to turn back now.

She flew to the front door and threw it open—he was standing on the doorstep with a bouquet of flowers in one hand, a bottle of Johnnie Walker in the other. She blinked at the whiskey, wondered where he got the money to buy it, and for one wild moment briefly considered the thought that he might have shoplifted it. Then her eyes shifted to his outfit—he was wearing a light blue button-down, rolled up at the sleeves and tucked into dark blue trousers—and her knees went weak again, but this time for an entirely different reason.

He leaned forward and whispered, "Ayos ba, beb?" and she had to fight off the urge to kiss him full on the lips right then and there. Someone cleared their throat behind her and she nearly jumped a foot in the air. She found herself saying mechanically, "Dad, this is RJ. RJ, meet my dad," watching the two men shake hands, and dazedly leading them both into the dining room.

The rest of the night went by in a kind of hazy blur for Meng. She couldn't take her eyes off RJ all throughout dinner. Who was this dapper young stranger making her usually somber-looking dad laugh? Confidently answering all his questions without hesitation, in simple, straight Tagalog and ending each response with "Ser." Casually mentioning his part-time job as an auto-mechanic and eliciting an enthusiastic response from her dad when he mentioned vintage cars. Good-naturedly engaging her father in a discussion about the best Cadillac engines. At one point he caught her staring and flashed her a quick wink, his dimple deepening roguishly. She hadn't thought it was possible to love RJ any more than she already did, but in that moment, while watching him chat with the only other man she loved as much, her love for him doubled and she knew without a doubt that RJ was a keeper for life.

Dinner ended with her father excusing himself as he had a conference call scheduled for 10PM. Meng listened in amazement as her father heartily shook RJ's hand again and said, "Very glad to meet you, you man. I'll look up that 4.9 engine and see if you're right. Hope you'll join me on the links sometime," then pulled her aside and whispered, "This is a good one, finally a sensible choice," before disappearing into his home office.

Meng walked RJ to the gate with a million thoughts racing in her head before the sound of his voice pulled her out of her reverie. "Ano beb, tingin mo nagustuhan ako ng erpats mo?"

Meng resisted her feelings no more and pulled him in for a long, sweet kiss. "Babe, you were wonderful. I can't believe how well you did in there. You've made me so, so happy. But where did you get the whiskey?"

"Matagal ko nang pinagipunan yun. Nag overtime ako sa talyer. Noon ko pa kasi gustong mameet yung nanay at tatay mo kaya nagipon na ko tapos inantay lang kita maging ready."

Meng was speechless with joy.

"Pero beb, ano nga, tingin mo ba aproob ako sa erpats mo?"

"Yes, baby. I think he really, really likes you."

"Whew! Ayos! Kingina beb, lam mob a kung gaano ako kinabahan dun?! Solid! Akala ko nga matatae na ko sa sobrang kaba, langya."

Meng laughed and pulled him in for another kiss. She was so proud of her smart, brave, jeje kanto boy.