It's not like he's in a hurry. It's a non-serious date just around Salcedo, he doesn't have to hurry at all. But the thing is, it is seven in the evening and he is supposed to meet this girl at around 7:30. Really, it wouldn't have been much of an issue had Lea called to inform him she got held up at work so she can't look after Mason as previously agreed upon. He doesn't mind. But she hasn't called and between the two of them, Lea is the stickler to agreed time and common courtesy (especially if you are important to her and he is sure he ranks pretty high up in her list).
He is worried.
Lea is practically married to her work. The reason why she has a room in Ian's condo is because she finds it more convenient to crash there than drive to Forbes when she gets out of the office in the wee hours of the morning. That woman never turns her phone off just in case something important comes up so for her to not answer his call or send him a message is a glaring tell-tale sign that something is wrong.
And when something is wrong with her, she doesn't have to tell him anything to get him involved. He is her person, through her attitude problems and temper. He will storm hell with her so even if she denies that something is wrong, he would know. This is one of those instances.
He wouldn't be able to enjoy the night while worrying about her so he calls off his date without much adieu. The next thing he does, he drives to Forbes where their own family home is built.
"Hijo, hello anak," Mariana greets as she sweeps down the stairs to meet him. She takes Mason from him who happens to be all too pleased to be sequestered to Nana.
"Ma, are you sure okay lang na dito muna si Mason?" Ian asks while placing the backpack with his son's things on the couch. "Medyo last minute din kasi ang emergency." He doesn't really explain much.
Mariana waves him off. "My apo is always welcome anytime." She shares a smile with a grinning Mason whose face is the very image of a child on a Christmas morning.
Ian nods and plants a kiss against Mariana's cheek before whispering a hasty thank you.
He gets down on one knee so he is leveled with Mason and says, "Buddy, be a good boy to Nana and Papa, okay?"
The boy nods with a lopsided grin, agreeable to anything since he knows that Nana could never say no to him for anything.
Ian gives his son a quick hug before making a dash to the door. Mariana watches him disappear, a bit confused.
"Why is your Dada in a hurry?" She asks as she holds Mason's hand and guides him up to the stairs.
"Dunno." The little boy shrugs and changes the direction of the conversation. "Nana, can we read Peter Pan tonight?"
The intuitive answer is always a definitive 'yes,' nevermind that she is wondering why Lea is not the one with Mason tonight since those two are insistent on being extremely hands-on, and why Ian seems to be in such a worried state, both when he called to ask if it'd would be okay to leave Mason with her and Eduardo.
...
She is still not picking up. The Makati traffic chose that moment to fuck with him and his patience has snapped. He has lost count of the times he's hit the steering wheel, the times he angrily and repeatedly honks the horn to the next car, and the times he curses loudly.
He's used to this kind of traffic but when Lea is not answering his calls and he has no idea where she is– if she's safe or if she needs help hiding a body, then he has enough reason to be frantic.
It took a good thirty minutes before the traffic finally moved and he couldn't help shout: Thank fuck!
He doesn't know where she is but he knows who she is and by instinct, he decided to drive to the company building. The blue Lexus comes to a screeching halt, effectively leaving tire tracks on the ground of the basement parking. It would have gotten him cited for over speeding but... well, technically, he is also an owner of the firm so he most definitely gets a pass.
One glance at the frantic man clad in a black aviator jacket and a frown are what it takes for the people to hop off of the elevator. They are already almost always on the bad side of the other half of this firm. They have no plans to anger the other half as well.
He forcefully presses the buttons to the executive floor but the lift couldn't seem to go fast enough. When the unmistakable ding finally rings, he pushes off the wall and makes a dash to the executive suite.
The floor is empty, even her secretary isn't around. It's not even five in the afternoon which is why it is unusual. It would usually be buzzing. He makes a beeline to the double doors and without second thought, pushes the panel. He steps in, ready to call for her.
Then, he sees her and he releases a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. Relief floods him and he begins to calm down upon knowing that at least she is still in one piece.
She is sitting on the floor, by the couch whose back is facing the door. She doesn't see him. He wonders if she's heard him come in but he supposes she hadn't. If she's in such a state of disarray, she wouldn't have. She's like that, she blocks out everything.
Sighing, he goes around the couch and he gets the chance to look at her. She is still in her office clothes although her blazer is haphazardly strewn on one of the loveseats. Her heels are thrown somewhere else. Her hair is disheveled.
She probably noticed his presence at last when she turned to glare at him. He would have thought she's angry if hadn't seen her through varying states of distress growing up.
His eyes land on the coffee table and sees a bottle of Belvedere and he knows exactly how she is feeling even if she acts all mad. It's their thing after all– vodka and misery. This particular liquor is their thing. It's practically comfort food at this point but... in spirit, that is.
Sighing, he divests himself of his jacket, throws it at the same loveseat where she's placed her blazer, and grabs the glass she's put on the table to drink from it.
"You started without me," he says quietly as he settles beside her on the floor. He takes a gulp and silently winces at the burn down his throat before placing the glass back to the table. He turns to her and asks softly. "What happened?"
He doesn't bother to ask her whether she's okay or not. She is obviously not. But she doesn't say anything, just remains quiet and unmoving, eyes staring blankly at the Makati skyline before them as the sun is beginning to set.
He looks around, tries to look for a clue as to what is distressing her and then his eyes fall on a stack of folders on her desk. He stands up momentarily and checks on the documents. He finds out then.
A notice of bidding failure. She lost a bid for a big ticket project. He immediately closes the folder and returns to her.
He doesn't say anything. He knows her well enough to know she's not going to talk anyway. So he does what he's always done, just as he's always had– he lets her know she isn't alone.
She will come to terms with how she is feeling but she will not be alone while she does. He is there. He has always been there. He will always be there.
She catches the musky scent of cedar and pine as he settles back down beside her on the floor. She swallows a huge lump that has formed in her throat. She does not want to cry. For god sake, she's an adult. She shouldn't be crying. But with Ian around, she's never been able to suppress what she feels. His presence has an uncanny way of comforting her and having her pour out all of her disappointments. He is there and she knows that it's okay to feel. She will feel and it's okay, and when she is ready, he will be there– to listen and to whisk her away from the troublesome world.
They don't talk. They don't have to. He moves closer so their sides touch. Like second nature, she leans her head against his shoulder. That's all she needed at that moment.
The lone tear she sheds does not escape him and it makes his heart clench. He's always hated it when she cries– and that doesn't happen a lot. Even when they were little, she never cried much. She could hold her own. That doesn't mean he never landed in the deportment office because he got into a fight with someone picking on her.
He doesn't like the thought of her getting hurt and has always attributed this to the fact that they have always been a team. It was always Lea and Ian, never much one without the other. But tonight is different.
It's not the same way as before. He may have always hated seeing her hurt and crying but tonight, tonight he could swear the thought of her getting hurt fills him with so much anger that he is not familiar with. But he buries it in silence. She doesn't need him fanning the flame right now. Instead, he wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer to him.
He holds her tightly, wishing only one thing– to take away the pain.
...
Lea stares across from her seat, her "amazing" best friend (insert the sarcasm here) returning her gaze. The left side of his face now sports the beginnings of a black eye, a situation that wouldn't have happened if Ian hadn't decided to take action.
A classmate of hers has been giving her a hard time for the past few days, and while she may or may not have vented her frustrations to Ian, she isn't one to engage in retaliatory bullying. After all, her academic standing is on the line, especially if she's aiming for valedictorian. However, that particular day, Ian just had to intervene.
This marks her first visit to the principal's office, and she's definitely in for a lecture from her Dad. Annoyed, she grumbles, and Ian scoffs in response. The door opens, and the principal's secretary informs them that their parents are en route, causing both of them to sigh.
"This is your fault, Christian Lucas!" Lea mutters under her breath.
Ian's eyes widen. "Why is it my fault? I was just standing up for you! I saw him getting your lunch, and you weren't doing anything."
"I told you I could handle it myself, but you just had to be stubborn! Now you've got a black eye, and Tito Ed is going to be furious!"
For Ian, his father's anger isn't exactly a top concern. He couldn't care less if his Dad gets mad at him. All he knows is that he did what was right by defending and protecting his best friend. It's been ingrained in him since they first met, and on top of that, his Mom and Mama Bel urged him to take care of Lea because that's what a gentleman does.
"I don't care if Dad gets mad. I did what I thought was right," he retorts.
"By punching the tallest guy in class? What if ikaw naman ang i-bully niya?" She answers back, still shocked that Ian punched someone.
"I can handle that. As long as you're safe."
Lea feels that she's safe and taken care of by Ian, that he's always been there for her, but pride keeps her from admitting how much his friendship truly means to her. She learned from her sister to stand up for herself, to appear strong and independent.
"But I can do it on my own!" She reiterates, letting her pride get the better of her.
Ian scoffs. "Why go it alone when you've got me as your kakampi?"
She knows that. He has always been her ally, but she doesn't want to admit it. A mix of gratitude, affection, and a stubborn pride war within her. Lea opens her mouth to retort, but their parents' voices approach, cutting her off.
...
He feels something weighing his arm. His eyes are still closed, and he is dangling between being asleep and being awake.
He isn't sure what time it is, but he is slowly being pulled into consciousness, enough to make him realize that he is lying on his side and his neck feels stiff.
He slowly opens his eyes, and his breath hitches upon seeing the sight that meets him at his waking hour. Then he remembers where he is.
He'd never leave Lea alone in her distress. He would never. So he kept her company, one glass of vodka after another, although he was watching the amount he was drinking. It was the prudent thing to do seeing as Lea was not holding back. Someone needs to remain clear-minded. That's always been the silent agreement between them, especially when they go out for drinks and someone has to drive home.
But they didn't drive home. They stayed at Lea's office. He kept her company, with one arm wrapped around her shoulder until she fell asleep against him. He didn't have the heart to wake her up so he moved them both on the couch, deciding to just spend the night at the office and then face the morning when she's finally gotten a hold of her bearings. She'd want that.
But now he is awake just as the day is stirring and hers is the face he sees first thing and... he'd be lying if he says that it is not a good thing to wake up to. Then he realizes that it's more than that. She is wrapped in his arms, and his slight movements have her snuggling her face against the crook of his neck.
He doesn't even notice the smile he is donning. He only knew one thing then: it felt good to hold her. He finds that a bit absurd though. This is not the first time they sleep beside each other. This is not the first time one of them has been too distressed, leaving the other one no choice out of conscience but to stay and keep them company, holding them as unnecessary.
This is not the first time and yet... and yet, this is the first time he feels... almost awestruck at the sudden warmth that spreads across his chest upon seeing Lea cradled against his chest.
This is foreign. This is new. This is not something he is familiar with but if it's warm and soothing, surely it couldn't be all that bad?
His heart thinks so too... more-so in ways he is not privy to yet, in ways that are old but also new, ways that he never really believes to be possible, ways that have persisted over the years but finally growing into something... more.
His heart knows something that he does not. But surely it's a matter of time?
He doesn't get to dwell a lot on the thought of how good it feels to have her in his arms as she begins to stir. She releases a heavy sigh and her eyes slowly open to meet his own.
They stare at each other. It must have been a second. Maybe a minute. Who knows? It could have been forever and neither of them realized.
Then she smiles and playfully pats his cheek with her fingers. "Hi," she whispers, voice still hoarse from sleeping.
Ian grins and props his head up against his shoulder just so he could look at her properly. "Good morning."
He doesn't know why but if she hadn't moved, he probably would've just... stayed that way and stared at her. Oh god, ano to? He thinks to himself briefly before his thoughts scatter as Lea pulls herself up into a sitting position and he follows.
They are both propped against the backrest of the couch facing the floor to ceiling glass windows with the blinds wide open, all just in time to see the sun slowly sprinkling Makati with dust so yellow it could almost be gold.
It's a beautiful sight, the morning, the skyline, the horizon... and yet he turns away from all of that to look at the person he's been looking at his whole life but only now really seeing her... in a way he never knew existed.
"Quit staring," he hears her say and he chuckles.
"Sorry," he whispers and playfully pushes against her shoulder. "'Wag masungit, ang aga aga eh."
She shakes her head at him but the small smile on her face is unmistakable. They both revel in the silence for a while, just sitting beside each other, the sides of their arms touching. Until Lea breaks the silence with a simple whisper. "Thank you." And she means it... in so many different ways.
Ian turns to face her, pulling his leg under his body. "Ano ba nangyari?"
Lea smiles sadly and sighs.
"Ang lalim nun ah," Ian comments and Lea shrugs. "Come on, alam mo naman na Team Lea ako lagi. You can tell me." You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders, he thought. He sees the corners of her lips curl into a smile she barely manages to suppress.
She pulls her legs to her chest and lays her head against the backrest, and she stares at the ceiling. She subtly shakes her head in resignation. "I lost the Sta. Maria bid," she tells him.
"Okay," he says, encouraging her to continue. He knows that already, he saw it on her desk last night. But he is still trying to understand why it had her withdrawing. Granted it is a multimillion development deal, it's not the first time they've lost a bid in a public-private partnership scheme.
"Dad wanted it badly," she confesses with a slight edge on her voice. "He said he's disappointed."
And there it goes. The real reason.
Between the two of them, Lea was always the one meant to manage the construction firm. Lorna is not even considered anymore because she's been very explicit early on that she wanted nothing to do with it, opting rather to take on the challenge of the academe which worked for her since she now holds a seat at the Asia Center Council of Harvard.
It was different for them though. Ian was initially forced to take up Engineering while Lea pursued architecture. It was supposed to be a tandem career. But Ian doesn't want it either. He wanted to cook. He got what he wanted (mostly because he refused to settle).
Lea though... she was always meant to take over, what with acing one project after another and proving to everyone that she is more than just another Santiago. She has the brains and the skills... but also the A-type personality who takes failures hard.
He knows full well just how much she values her father's opinion as an expert in the field. Her own career was perhaps influenced by her early exposure to the job as a curious kid who liked to tag along to the office and play with the dioramas.
To be told that she disappointed is a hard blow. He knows that. He knows just how much she fears that and there isn't really much that he could do to wish it all away. The strive for excellence has always been Lea. He's embraced that and to wish for it all to dissipate is to wish away the Lea he's known. He doesn't want to wish away the very thing that makes her who she is.
So he decides on an alternative: help her breathe through it all until she's ready to take on the world again. She will bounce back, he is certain but for now...
"Tara long ride," he says and jumps to his feet, his hand finding hers somewhere between all of that, and pulls on her arm.
"Ha? Huy, may trabaho ako!"
"Sus! Isang araw lang naman na absent 'yan. Takot ka sa HR?" She scoffs and he grins wide knowing full well he's won. "Siyempre hindi, kasi ikaw may ari ng HR 'di ba?" He teases which prompts her to stand up, most so she could punch him against his shoulder.
"Ang aga aga Ian ha," she scolds him but he ends up pulling her into a huge bear hug.
"Sorry na, Leedja." No, he is not apologetic. He releases her and grabs her blazer along with his jacket, while putting on her heels and retrieves her bag. "Tara na," he says and pulls open the gigantic door, waiting for her to step out first before, in a sudden rush of silliness, holds her hand, and says "ready?" In warning.
She chuckles. "For what?"
"For this," he says and suddenly pulls her into a run straight into the elevator.
"Gago! Dahan-dahan! Naka heels ako!" She screams but runs with him while giggling anyway. "Saan nanaman tayo tatakas?"
"'Di ko pa alam," he replies honestly but it doesn't erase the grin on their faces. Maybe they'll get lost. That's not so bad.
They leave her car at the firm as he insisted she ride with him, not really very willing to let her out of his sight after last night. They arrive at the condo complex, they change quickly into the comfiest clothes, with him making sure she wears something appropriate for a long bike ride.
He has her wait at the lobby as he retrieves his bike and not even five minutes after she stands outside, he drives along the driveway, looking objectively dashing in his black riding jacket and his BMW big bike.
"Leedja, tara na!" He calls on her and she rolls her eyes at him.
"Ayusin mo nga, Christian Lucas," she says, a bit peeved at his deliberate mispronunciation of her name.
He hands her a helmet (which is practically hers since he bought it so she'd have no reason to refuse to ride with him), makes sure that she fastens it correctly before he puts on his own. He helps her up the bike and turns the engine on once he's made sure they're both settled.
"Kapit ka," he says and smiles as he feels her arms tighten around his torso.
And they speed away.
...
She's been tracking the kilometer markers the moment she was certain they were out of Muntinlupa. She has no idea where they are going but the SR on the yellow marker sure enough tells her they are near Sta. Rosa.
They take a break, settle on a curb under one of the huge shady trees just to relieve the strain from riding. She is checking her phone for messages when out of nowhere, he snatches it from and replaces it with an ice cream cone.
"I was checking for updates!" She complains but begins to eat the ice cream anyway.
Ian makes a show of shoving the phone into one of the many pockets of his pants before sitting next to her. "Walang magtatrabaho today," he declares and happily eats his own ice cream.
...
True to his words, neither of them did anything even remotely related to work. They just drove amid the scenic highways, very far fetched from the concrete jungle they live in. Despite all their stops, they reach Tagaytay just in time for lunch.
He drives them into a restaurant with a deck overlooking the Taal which she has to admit is majestic under the midnoon light.
"Kanino mo iniwan si Mason?" Lea asks between bites.
"Kina Ma."
"Did they ask why?" She asks curiously to which he responds with a shake of his head.
"Nah. Alam mo naman ang mga 'yon, kung pwede lang araw araw mag babysit kay Mace."
Which is true for both sets of grandparents, it turned out.
"So ano gagawin natin dito sa Tagaytay?" She diverts the conversation now that her worry has been placated. She felt a bit guilty, what with not being able to see the boy since yesterday but at least she's sure he is in the best capable hands.
"Sakay tayo sa Sky Ranch!"
She squints her eyes at him. "Mataas!"
"Oh? Tapos?"
"I don't want," she says with a pout but Ian merely chuckles.
"Hawakan mo nalang kamay ko mamaya, Leedja," he tells her and refuses any argument.
They do end up riding the Sky Ranch, with Lea pushing herself as close as virtually possible to him while clutching his hand tightly. She's never gotten over her fear of heights yet.
Then, they go canyoning, which she finds to be so much better than zipping through the sky.
They failed to keep track of the time and before they know it, the skies have turned dark, the artificial lights of the People's Park are turned on, and they are both exhausted from the drive and the excursions of the day.
She slumps against the bench, thighs aching and unsure whether she is more tired or more hungry. She muses loudly, "would it be so irresponsible of us kung bukas na tayo bumalik sa Makati?"
He shakes his head. "No. Not really."
So they stayed the night, rented a cabin and all. The moment Lea's head touched the pillow, she drifted off to sleep, leaving Ian to tidy up their spontaneous purchases in the cabinet before climbing up to his own bed. When he is finally settled, he takes a moment to look at her and couldn't help but smile at the softness of her features as she sleeps.
He shakes his head, turns off the lights, and falls asleep... with her as the last image he sees