Love Takes Time: A Miefer Love Story

Start From Now

"Even though no one can go back and make a brand new start, ANYONE can start from now and make a brand new ending."

- Kiefer's Instagram

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I might've spoken too soon about that 'us not being together ever' thingy...

Ooops...

But when I look back naman, there wasn't one great moment when I realized I liked him more than as a friend. I didn't wake up one day and said to myself 'Oh sh*t! I love him!'

I just could not pinpoint the exact moment from when he first asked to take a picture with me last Feb, 2013 (yeahhhhh... kinda hard to forget when you see yourself tagged to the same picture over and over) up until I said 'yes'.

Every moment with him was special, tho... 😉 He was funny and makes me laugh, he bullies me and treats me like a princess at the same time. (Pwede ba yun?, you ask. With him, yes it is.)

However, at that time, I wasn't ready to take the next step.

Pano ba naman, friends pa nga lang, nababash na siya... Wattpad fan-fics pa lang yan ha... Pano pa...

On my part, I didn't mind my own critics, as long as they stick to volleyball, then I let them be.

But my fans... I love yeyenatics and my other supporters... But there are fans... And then there are fans!

The problem is, and I can't emphasize this enough... Our supporters don't know the entire story. Even before Kiefer and Trinca broke up, we've been friends for quite some time na... Some say I might be his rebound, then again, I'm more mum about my private life than Kiefer so noone asks or wonders whether he is my rebound. Well technically, I turned Kristian down, because I wasn't ready then. Still it was note-worthy that we were friends long before he asked my permission to be courted.

The first time he asked me, I actually declined nga, because that was my exact fear, na baka maging rebound lang namin ang isa't isa...? And I didn't want my first to be a disaster!

So I told him to take things slow, be friends first and just see where things go.

All he said was "Just tell me when you're ready."

I was thankful because that left the ball on my court, so to speak. But still allowed me to enjoy every single time spent with him without pressure.

Come to think of it, it started lang naman talaga as us having common friends - Jeron and him were still friends from way back when they were in the FIBA U-16; some of his LSGH friends were friends of my friends. So we'd just suddenly see each other at hangout spots and then we'd get to talking and then we just became friends.

To the point where he started asking me to hang out sometimes by our lonesome, and before I knew it, I am enjoying his company and the sudden adventures we find ourselves in.

We got to know each other really well too, because we started out as friends. What we saw was what we got by then.

Hindi siya nanliligaw before so he didn't have to put his best foot forward. I really wanted to be friends noon, so he got to see the plain old me in shorts/jeans and simple shirts.

Hindi nagbago pagtrato niya sakin which made me realize how genuine his actions are before and after he confessed... And how effortlessly he makes me happy.

It was around April however, when I posted my flyknit Nike gave to us as our sponsors. Alam ko nauna ko, pero he contests na sabay lang daw kami... (-__-). Anyhow, wala naman naka-mention sa post niya or sa akin pero si Thirdy kasi masyado makulit, nahalata tuloy kami...

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Kiefer's POV

Flashback

What to wear? What to wear?

"Di ka pa rin makahanap ng isusuot, kuha ka lang ng kahit ano, daig pa kasi babae sa dami ng sapatos e..."

While checking my instagram, I saw that Mika posted a picture of her Flyknits... Magaya nga, hehehe...

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Twitter:

A flyknit kind of day. #AlayLakad

-

"Uy, pareho kayo ni Mika, Kuya!" Thirdy surprisingly said.

"Yes, naman couple shoes" pang-aalaska pa ni Dani...

"Hahaha!"

"O anong ginagawa mo jan Thirdy?"

"Hehehe..." *imagine evil laugh*

Suddenly my Instagram notifs started ringing:

@reyesmikaaa liked a picture champagnepapi_thirdy posted

champagnepapi_thirdy It's a barefoot kind of day

@reyesmikaaa: HAHAHAHAHA

@reyesmikaaa: saw ur post... Hahahaha wth

@champagnepapi_thirdy: HAHAHAHAHAHA AYOS BA

@reyesmikaaa: kainis!!! Hahahahaha

@champagnepapi_thirdy: Ginagaya ko lang post mo... ay niyo pala! ;) HAHAHAHAHA @reyesmikaaa

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Mika's POV

'Magkapatid na Ravena nga namannnn! 😜' I texted Kiefer.

Suddenly my phone rang, and the first thing I heard was his laugh!

"Saya mo eh, no?"

"Benta kaya! Natalo tayo ni Thirdy!"

"Sobra! Kinabog tayo ni Thirds! Kulang na lang si Dani e... Buti at hindi nahawa sa tama niyong magkapatid!"

"Grabe naman, tama kagad..."

"Asus... Echoserong to..."

"Hehe..."

"Oy teka pala, ngayon yung Alay Lakad niyo, right?"

"Yep, sure ka bang hindi ka pwede sumama, pakilala na rin kita sa iba kong friends!"

"Ano ka ba, tagal ko ng di nakakauwi samin... Next time na lang."

"Promise?" "Promise. O sige, baba mo na at baka ma-late ka pa... Keep safe ha!"

"Hooong sweet naman!"

"Che! Bubye na!"

"Bye, Miks!"

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Present

Before that loud and proud tweet by Kiefer and Thirdy, we were content to go out and stay low-key - sometimes with friends, or by ourselves, sometimes at arcades or just at fast food restos pigging out.

I don't want to hog his time, I thought then that we both still need space to validate whether what he feels is genuine and sincere or still has traces from when he was with Trinca.

Before he first confessed to me, I'd sometimes hear his friends talk about how he was sad about their break-up despite it being a mutual decision. So I just let him dictate the pace.

I was his friend, and I was okay to be there when he wants to play or eat out or just have plain fun. Because he was as understanding with me and my trainings and when I had to decline at times.

He wasn't selfish, he was a good person, and I want as a friend to help him through it. Because frankly, the time I spend with him, has slowly erased anything I ever felt for Kristian. He too, has helped me move on.

Day by day I saw his normal smile come back, I was with the old, easygoing Kief again. And I was happy for him. We went back to our normal routine - we'd go out, I'd borrow his phone and take selfies or we'd fill his phone with wacky version selfies together...

And then he went ahead and asked me out officially on a date.

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More POVs and characters in the following chapters and sorry kung mejo naguluhan kayo sa timeline... Still dealing with the pacing of the story din eh... Anyhow, let me know what you think!