Change Location tayo from Florence to Salzburg 😅
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<TRISTAN>
Under different circumstances, I would say I am too old for this shit. No sane man over forty still feels like this -- like my damn heart is attempting to free itself from my goddamned chest. Like every pulse in my slowly ageing body has decided to form a band without my consent, and came up with this steady yet maddening rhythm.
No sane man in my age group should still be feeling like an awkward teen when everything rages yet here I am, feeling it all and loving it. Hell yeah.
"Sandali nga ulit. Patingin," Aria squeezed my hand to stop me, right there in that deserted semi dark hallway. The same hand that she's been holding onto the second we both were finally able to catch our breaths after the kiss.
Oh, God that kiss. No, I am not complaining but man, she looks like she wants to kiss me again? Why is she biting her lower lip while she... stares at my lips?
Shit, bakit ako kinakabahan?
She is my wife. Of course she has all the right to kiss me!
"Alam nating pareho na guapo at masarap ka pero wine isn't exactly your color, hmm?" she says as her thumb swipes at the middle if my lower lip. My breath hitches, she is so close and she's looking at me with mischief from underneath her thick lashes. God....
"You're nervous?" her hand slowly skides to my shiulder, then to my chest. Right above my heart that continues and will forever beat for her.
"Excited," I finally managed to say, then swallows.
"Hindi, eh. Kabado ka, Tristan,," her brows furrows.
"Mas excited kesa kabado,," pag-amin ko. "Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit -- " I sigh. Fuck, I know why.
"Kinakabahan kang may nakakita sa atin? May makahalata na ang dami na nating.... ginawa?" tumaas ang isang kilay niya. Naghahamon ang tingin.
"Aria,, I'd love for the whole world to know what exactly we are to each other," I take a deep breath.
"Pero?" inalis niya ang kamay sa dibdib ko at hinuli uli ang kamay ko, na humawak sa kanya ng mahigpit. We continued to walk through the hallway, with me thinking how even if she's with me now, I still couldn't bear thw thought of 'losing' her again, even just one bit.
Even just one hand.
"Pero kailangan nating pag-usapan ito, Aria.... Uh, n-not at home though,"
Napatingin siya uli sa akin.. "Dito sa hallway?"
"Somewhere na walang gaanong pressure o audience but not completely private for me to.... uh, get distracted,"
Natawa siya. " Am I distracting you, Tristan?"
I nod. "Always.,"
"Aaww, wawa naman ang baby kong always ready and alive!" she tries to swing our entwined hands towards my crotch and I gasp. And jump. Lumakas ang tawa niya. God, I love hearing her laugh like that.
"Aria!" saway ko,na ayoko sanang gawin pero palapit na kami sa set.
"Galit-galit muna?" she grins. Why is she taking immense pleasure on this?
"Hindi, ayoko ng galit-galit," I weakly protested. "Huwag lang munang masyadong close."
She shrugs."Alright, Direk," she says. But her eyes were intent as she watches me push the door open. I nod as she walks by me, she purses her lips as she walks straight to Kirsten, who eyed us curiously.
As did the rest of the room.
Hindi ako dapat kabahan, iba na ang nakaraan sa ngayon pero ayokong sa pagsisimula namin ay agad ipamukha sa amin kung paano kami nag-umpisa noon.
I'm sure these people are just wondering why we arrived together. Maybe there's something in our faces, especially my damn face. You know what? I really don't care anymore. Bahala sila kung ano anf iisipin nila, wala akong pakialam.
Pero kay Aria, meron.
We need to talk as soon as this thing is done. Maybe in the corner of a cafe or fastfood in a petrol station in the expressway. Or the top of a building. Or while driving.
We need to know more about the past years that we weren't together. Or even the year before that. God, it's going to break us a little to talk about it but we have to.
I love you, Aria. It's not easy, but we'll get through this.
<ARIA>
Sobrang seryoso naman ng lalaking ito! Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ako o maiinis o mag-aalala. Parang matter of national security ang pag-uusapan namin, na medyo parang pasan niya ang daigdig. Easy, my love. We are together. We can do this.
Who am I kidding, though. Alam ko kung ano ang pag-uusapan namin at bakit. Alam ko kung bakit siya nagkakaganito. Nag-aalala siya para sa akin, natatakot.
Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na huwag akong masyadong intibdihin, pero alam kong hindi niya iyon kaya.
This is a man who genuinely,unselfishly loves me, who'd put me and our son over everything else. Isang araw pa lang simula ng muli kaming magkita pero siya pa rin 'yung intense at always 100 percent na taong nakilala at nakasama ko dati. Mas tumindi pa yata.
"Relax," hindi na nakatiis na tinapik ko ang braso niya. He let out a slight gasp. "Tristan, kakain mun tayo bago mag-usap, okay?"
Nasa daan na kami, at halos 30 minutes na siyang tahimik na nagda-drive mula nang iwan namin ang REV Studios.
"Okay, sure," he takes a deep breath, then glances at me with a weak smile. "Ano'ng gusto mong kainin?"
I bit my tongue to keep myself from saying something naughty and inappropriate.
"Japanese pero hindi sushi o 'yung mga hilaw. 'Yung mga grilled, ganon."
He nods. "Hmm, okay. May alam ako."
"Huwag munang masyadong mag-isip, okay?" I tapped his knee.
"Mahirap yata 'yun," he shakes his head.
"Sino'ng nakakausap mo these past years? I mean, you can't be online with your family here all the time."
I stared at him. Umpisa na ba ng pag-uusap? I've always held those two and a half years sacred, like my own private world. 'Yung klase ng mundo na hindi ko inakalang kailangan ko pala. Minsan, parang panaginip.
"Aria?" he prompted.
Tiningnan ko siya, nakatingin din siya sa akin. Nasa intersection kami at nakahinto saglit ang mga sasakyan.
"I met new friends," umpisa ko after a few seconds, at kasabay ng muling paggalaw ng traffic. "Usually, landlords ko at mga kapamilya nila. Mga kapitbahay, mga staff sa museum o vendor sa weekend markets. Pati doktor ko do'n," I fondly recall, feeling my guard slowly crumble. Bakit ko ba ipagdadamot sa asawa ko ang parte ng buhay ko na in the first place ay siya ang naging dahilan para gustuhin kong gawin. Two and a half years of freedom and dreams fulfilled. Two and a half years of finding myself again. Two nd a half years that in some way, led me back to this wonderful man.
"Okay, that's good to know that you had people around you," he sighs with relief as the car turns a side road in North Avenue, derecho sa underground parking ng isang mall.
"I'd hate to think that you spent years alone while pregnant... that there might've been times that you were sad —"
"Of course there were sad times," sabi ko agad. "Nami-miss kita, eh."
He glances at me. "I've missed you, too. A lot."
"Well, obviously hindi na natin mami-miss ang isa't isa ngayon," kunwari unaffected ng slight na sabi ko, kahit parang biglang parang uminit ang mga mata ko. Ngayon pa ba ako magse-senti?
"Yeah, that's right," he says as he eases the car into a slot. "Aria?"
"Hmm?" inalis ko na ang seatbelt habang nakatingin sa kanya.
"Saan ka papunta nu'ng magkita tayo sa airport dati?"
I blink, a bit confused by the question. Pero nakarecover din ako agad. "Salzburg ,"!
His eyes lights up. "Really?"
Naangiti ako. We have talked about Salzburg before, and Paris, and Giverny and a bunch of other pretty European cities. "Really."
He takes my hand. "Tell me about it,"
I lean in to kiss his shoulder. "Of course. Over dinner?"
He nods. "Over Japanese dinner, we'll talk about Salzberg... and you."
"And you, and us."
"Right. Perfect."
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Finally I am able to post an update ❤️ sorry guys it took sooooo long writer has just been soo busy with work and all.
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