Messing with the Lieutenant

⚔ Don't Ever Let Go

"Nothing in this world compares to the comfort and security of having someone just hold your hand"
-Richelle E. Goodrich

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SARGEANT 🌺

Matapos nila akong ibaba isang kilometrong layo mula sa palengke ng Buguey, naglakad ako nang sandali at hindi nagtagal ay nakapara ako ng tricycle.

I gently held my left wrist where Craig's hand lingered for a while, I can still feel his big and rough hand holding me. And as strange as it sounds, I feel safe.

Damn self, you've got it bad for the lieutenant.

I smile to myself, tinamaan na ata ako nang tuluyan sa kanya.

I pay the tricycle driver my fare when we reach the public market.

Wala nang tao at wala man lang guard, may kadiliman na din ang paligid kahit na ba may ilang poste ng ilaw ang gumagana at hindi naman ganoon kalakas ang liwanag ng buwan.

If it's not for the fact that I'm doing undercover then I must be enjoying the silence but I'm not, it's eerie and deafening.

My flip-flops smacking the cemented floor as I walk callously towards the meeting place where I'm going to meet Fernand, I can feel a lot of stares on me.

The whole team is in position and I won't deny that they successfully blended in the darkness of the night.

My heart beat started to speed up when I caught a familiar figure sitting on the ground like a kid, his curly hair is now a nice color of golden-brown because of the dim light coming from a single light post, Fernand.

I don't know why but seeing him excites me, so I walk briskly towards him and stopped in order to maintain a safe distance from him.

Weird, hindi ba niya ako narinig? Ni hindi man lang siya lumingon sakin, he's like a harmless kid who is drawing random things on the ground with his finger.

"Ka Fernand" I called out with my probinsyana accent, he slowly turn his head towards me and gave me one of his signature smirks.

That secretive yet alluring smirk, damn self, are you seriously attracted to this guy now?

"Tumuloy ka" aniya, his voice is a combination of huskiness and sweetness, if that's even possible, "Anong pangalan mo?" oh right, hindi nila tinanong ang pangalan ko kanina.

"Uh, Rome po," I replied with a wide smile, "Kayo lang po ang andito? Wala ba tayong kasama?"

"Parating na sila" he stands up, his tall and lean stature scaring me a bit, "Apelyido?"

"G-Gomez po" pagsisinungaling ko, tumango naman siya, his hands are inside his pocket as he eyed me from head to toe, I squirmed on my spot.

What is he thinking?

"Hubad" my mouth formed an awkward 'o' upon hearing him.

My jaw hanging as I can't believe on the thing that he said.

Hubad.

He's asking me to strip, here, in a public place, in front of him.

Hubad?

Ano ako? Pokpok?

Naramdaman ko na lamang ang mahinang panginginig ng mga kamay ko habang mabagal kong hinuhubad ang pang-itaas kong damit.

Damn it, this is embarassing, at the same time, humiliating.

The whole team is probably watching me right now, it's either they are mad about this or they are amuse that I'm doing this despite of my stubbornness.

Then my mind drifted to Craig, what is he thinking right now as he sees me stripping?

What is he feeling?

Is he mad?

Is he proud of me?

I dropped my shirt on the ground and decided to wear off my long skirt right away. My eyes are trained on Fernand who is looking anywhere but me, what is his purpose of making me stripped if he's not going to look at me?

I mean, I don't want him to look at me but why on Earth am I stripping if it's not for his amusement?

I dropped my skirt above my shirt and stand still on my spot, the cold night breeze making me quiver as it hit my vulnerable skin.

Napansin kong napatingin si Fernand sa likuran ko, he shook his head and then his gaze focused on me, I noticed him bite his lower lip but immediately asked me to turn around.

After doing so, he asked me to once again put on my clothes, weird.

"Ka Fernand!" that familiar voice of Aleng Creepy sounded, dagli kong isinuot ang mga damit ko at saka ako nagtago sa likuran ni Fernand para makalayo kay Aleng Creepy. Weird, Rome, do you think this Fernand guy will protect you? "Oh, tumuloy ka pala, mabuti iyan" wika niya sakin nang mapansin niya ako.

Tumango na lamang ako at nanatili sa likuran ni Fernand, nahagip ng paningin ko na may iba pang padating, tumindig ako nang mahagip ng paningin ko ang pamilyar na pigura at hindi ko inaakalang makakasalamuha ko agad, Cristobal Estevez. Nakasuot siya ng sunglasses kahit na ba gabi na at isang baseball cap.

"Cristobal" Fernand said coldly to him, the older guy grinned as his gaze move from Fernand to me.

"Fernand, sariwang-sariwa ata ang nakuha mo" Cristobal said at saka siya lumapit sa akin, I grasp the fabric of my skirt as I inched closer to Fernand, I know it's pathetic to seek protection from this guy but I can't help it. The lustful gaze of Cristobal is enough to scare the hell out of me, "Huwag kang matakot, aalagaan ka namin"

"Kailangan na nating umalis, baka may makakita pa sa atin dito" Fernand announced authoritatvely at bigla niya akong hinila palayo kay Cristobal, which I'm really grateful for.

Bahagyang sumilay ang galit sa mukha ni Cristobal dahil sa ginawa ni Fernand ngunit tinakpan niya ito ng ngiti at saka siya tumango.

Magsasalita palang sana ako nang biglang nandilim ang paningin ko dahil sa tela na itinakip ni Fernand sa mga mata ko, mahigpit niyang itinali ito at naramdaman ko ang mainit niyang hininga sa aking tainga.

"Don't ever let go"

And then I felt him entwining his fingers with me, holding me and securing me tightly in his hold.

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LIEUTENANT 🐝

"Akala ko ba alas nuwebe ang usapan nila, wala pang alas nuwebe pero paalis na sila" Faye Semana rumbled through the microphone when the group of rebels started moving out with one of my men with them.

I tried calming myself by breathing thoroughly after seeing how Fernand held Rome's hand tightly and guide her as she walks because she's now blindfolded.

I'm also caught off guard when Cristobal Estevez showed up, and I didn't miss how he eyed Rome with so much lust that the woman pathetically inched closer to Fernand.

Fuck, wala ni isa sa kanila ang may karapatan na hawakan o titigan si Rome, ako lang dapat.

"We better get moving" the only thing that I managed to say and all of us stick to our plan.

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