The Man in Strings

XVI. Aftermaths

"But you have to have some guts kasi kapag ako ang iintayin mo hindi talaga ako maghuhubad dito sinasabi ko sa'yo," at talagang may pagbabanta pa sya, ah. Napaka-cute.

"Eto na, eto na," tumayo na ako mula sa kama at akmang huhubadin ang shorts ko nu'ng bigla syang sumigaw.

"Wait lang!" Tinakpan nya 'yung mga mata nya ng mga daliri nya tapos nag-iwan lang ng maliit na siwang. Parang timang talaga 'tong babaeng 'to minsan. Bakit ba ako tawa nang tawa? We're supposed to be having sex.

Inasar-asar ko pa sya. 'Yung akmang ibababa ko 'yung shorts pero hindi talaga tapos everytime na gagawin ko 'yun, sisigaw sya. "Bakit ka ba sumisigaw? Baka sabihin ng kapitbahay kung ano ginagawa ko sa'yo, ah!"

"Eh kinakabahan ako! Daig ko ang kaba ni Pia Wurtzbach nu'ng nag-announce ng Miss Universe!"

Sa tingin nya ba sya lang ang kinakabahan? Syempre ako rin, malay ko ba kung matakot 'tong batang 'to at 'di magustuhan ang makikita nya?! "Calm yourself, Maine. Ibababa ko na."

"Okay," she breathed, and removed the fingers covering her eyes. Ibinaba ko ng dahan-dahan ang short ko, and avoided her eyes while I was doing that. Nakakatakot din, ah.

She was quiet the whole time and kept on staring. Bumalik na ako sa pagkakasandal sa kama but she wasn't staring at my face. She was staring at my 'thingy' and I felt more naked than before. "Oh?"

"Malaki."

I burst out laughing. "What a profound observation, Maine."

"Nag-research na ako sa Asian sizes dati for a chapter, Rj." Suddenly, I was too conscious. She was still staring. "This isn't clearly Asian."

"I have foreign blood, Maine. Of course it wouldn't be just Asian."

"Kasya ba 'to sa'kin?" She suddenly touched her private place. "Teka, nasasaktan na 'ko ngayon pa lang."

I felt her fear and held her hand. "I'm going to take care of you, don't worry." Hinapit ko sya sa may baywang and she's now resting in my arm while my hand's on her waist. "I won't do anything na masasaktan ka, Maine."

"E paano kung ayaw ko na?"

"E 'di ititigil natin. If I force you, that would be rape."

"Eh paano 'yun? 'Pag nabitin ka? Magco-cold shower ka na naman ba? Tsaka I've read..."

"What kind of things are you reading these days, Maine?"

"Secret, 'di ko talaga ise-share 'yung site," sabi nya na para na namang bata. "Nakakabwisit daw kapag sexually frustrated. Baka maging moody ka."

"Syempre nakakapikon talaga. Andu'n ka na, eh, titigil ka pa ba?" She looked more concerned. "But okay nga lang, Maine. Dadating din naman tayo du'n. I know your curiosity would get to your head."

"Okay, so should I take off my clothes now?"

Napabuntong-hininga ako. Sobrang unpredictable kasi nitong babaeng 'to, malay ko ba kung anong gawin at sabihin nya bigla kapag namali ako ng reaction. "Your choice, Maine."

"Okay," then she sat up straight and slowly removed her shirt. I tried my best not to overreact because I've seen her like this a few times already, but she had always been... breathtaking. Lovely. Her collarbones and sharp shoulder blades were the deadliest and I feel like I'd be walking towards the light anytime. "Pati bra?"

"Maine," I said impatiently. "Could you stop asking me because I feel so burdened?"

"Anong burdened?"

"Na you're doing this because I wanted to."

"Gusto ko rin naman, syempre," she shyly admitted. "Because I'm curious. I just needed some encouragement. Malay mo hindi mo na gusto 'yung nakikita mo e 'di 'wag na lang –"

I didn't let her finish. I pulled her arm and kissed her swiftly. "Trust me, Maine," I whispered. "I love all of you and there's no way I wouldn't like what I'd see."

"O-okay," she blushed and sat again. She reached for the hook, and unclasped her bra. I saw her hesitate, and prevented the straps from falling off her shoulders. Then I remembered what she said: she just needed encouragement. A soft push. I leaned forward, gently allowed the straps to fall freely, and discarded her undergarment somewhere else in the room we'd soon forget.

She was clearly avoiding my eyes, so I lifted her chin using my thumb, and told her: Ang ganda mo.

Maine wasn't the kind to easily believe compliments even if they came from me, a person she trusts, so I repeated it again between soft kisses: Ang ganda-ganda mo, Nicomaine.

And when I moved down to her chest, oh my God, Richard, fucking breathe.

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