nyxalastair

[nyxalastair]

ligaya

part two of kisapmata

"sagutin mo lang ako aking sinta'y walang humpay na ligaya"

synopsis: cess and the misfits take a trip down into memory lane, reminiscing the times when sophia would do anything for y/n just to get noticed by her along with everything that had happened these past few years.

pairings: sophia laforteza x fem!reader | aiah arceta x fem!reader

warnings: fluff, a lil bit of angst, taglish dialogue, lovesick sophia

wc: 13k+

a/n: thank you guys for the 80 followers! this one took a while cuz uni started again. don't be shy to ask me some questions about these guys

“Ikaw?”

“May manliligaw?” y/n nearly spit the soft drink out, her eyes widening as she clutched the bottle tight in her hands.

The streets were bustling with students, who were eager to go home, and hustling street vendors. No one batted an eye when y/n had raised her voice in reaction to Anne’s casual statement. Passersby were already used to the rowdy students acting like they were just released from a cage, which they kind of were.

She couldn’t believe it. Anne, who didn’t give a damn about romance, had a suitor. What’s worse was, she beat y/n in having a manliligaw.

“Who are you and what did you do to my best friend?” She eyed Anne up and down suspiciously, earning a side-eye from her.

“Ang oa mo naman.”

“The Anne I know would’ve immediately rejected that guy when he comes within like,” She paused to think. “A five feet radius around you.” Anne shook her head due to y/n’s exaggerated words.

It’s the two girls’ little tradition to get some food after their classes. So, they’re usually found standing in front of a sari-sari store with drinks in their hands and a plastic cup filled with fishballs, kikiam, or kwek-kwek, whatever they’re in the mood for. This was also the time where they gossip about their schoolworks and classmates.

But today, Anne had admitted to y/n that someone was actively courting her.

“Who is this guy anyways?”

Right after y/n’s question, a sleek black car stopped right in front of them. A look of concern was immediately plastered in y/n’s face, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

“You’re about to meet him.” y/n didn’t hear whatever Anne said, still concerned about the suspicious-looking car that parked just a few feet away from them.

“Ano ‘to, baka kidnap tayo-” The tinted window of the car’s passenger seat rolled down, seeing a cute guy with fluffy hair.

“You two, get in.” He gestured for the two best friends with a smile. y/n hesitated, standing firm on her ground.

“Sino ba ‘to-” Anne pushed y/n towards the car, making her stumble. “Wait lang ‘yung bote ng softdrinks.” She managed to place the glass bottle down on the pavement, giving a sheepish look to the owner of the small store before she got shoved inside the car by Anne.

Once comfortably seated inside, y/n glared at Anne who only stared at her nonchalantly and shrugs. Like this was a normal occurrence for them.

To y/n’s horror, the boy sitting at the passenger’s seat leaned over the centre console to look at them. He had a friendly smile present on his face, he didn’t look like a “dangerous” stranger. Instead, he had a teddy bear energy that oozes out of him.

“We haven’t met yet,” He looked at y/n, reaching his hand out towards her. “I’m Kelvin.” The girl briefly looked down at his outstretched hand before shaking it.

“y/n.” 

“Um, who are you exactly?” Her question made Kelvin break out in laughter. y/n looked at him like he suddenly became deranged while Anne shook her head in disappointment at y/n’s idiocy.

“I’m guessing Anne hasn’t told you yet. Ako ‘yung nanliligaw sa kanya.”

“Oh.” Her mouth formed an O shape in realisation.

“In that case, I think you should know that Anne is not really interested in the romance stuff but seeing as how she hasn’t punched you yet, she likes you.” Kelvin was amused by the girl’s rambling but he’s more interested at the information she just dropped.

“Excuse me?” Anne protested. “I don’t punch people.”

“Yeah, but you almost did.” y/n turned her head to look at the other girl in a matter of factly way. She’s faced with Anne who looked in complete disagreement at her.

“That was one time.”

“I guess I’m quite lucky, huh?” Kelvin piped up, looking at them in amusement through the rearview mirror.

“Aba dapat lang.” Anne quipped.

“Where are we heading to, sir?” Kelvin’s driver asked as they haven’t driven off yet.

“Sa Lafortezas po kuya.” Anne got a surge of curiosity upon hearing him. “Are we meeting your friends?”

“Yeah, you two will get along with them just fine.

Upon arriving at the home of Kelvin’s friend, he led the girls and made a beeline straight for the gazebo at the garden. y/n looked at the exterior of the house in awe, mixed with a little bit of insecurity.

She felt completely out of place with her slightly wrinkled uniform due to wearing it all day. She wondered if Anne felt that way too but with just one glance at her, it seemed like she was blending in quite well with everything.

Nerves started to slowly settle into y/n as she kept walking, looking at the tall figure of Kelvin in front of them. He, then, halted and turned around, he smiled at the two girls.

“Here’s the gazebo.” He pointed out. 

It had a monotone colour, the dark tiles of the roof offered a great contrast with the ash grey wood beams and foundation while in the middle stood a table surrounded by a circular bench.

Another guy was sitting down on the bench, scrolling through his phone before noticing the company arriving. He raised his hand, waving them over.

“Hey!”

Carlo adorned a warm smile on his face, a perfect match with his comforting vibe. He stood up and gave the two best friends a friendly hug.

“I didn’t know you were friends with Kelvin.” y/n patted him on his back before sitting down next to him. The familiarity of his presence made y/n calm down.

y/n knew of Carlo because of Ethan, another close friend of hers. The two boys met through a charity basketball match that their church held and since y/n’s family also went to the same church, Ethan ended up introducing Carlo to her.

“Well I didn’t know you were friends with his girl either.”

“Who’s house is this anyways?” y/n asked after Anne introduced herself to Carlo.

“Sophia’s.” He answered. “Princess is here as well, right?”

“Yep.”

“Who’s that?” Just on cue for the second time, a pair of laughter caught the attention of everyone, turning their heads to the direction of the sound.

It felt like time slowed down for y/n.

Her eyes. Her lips. Her cute nose. The way her hair bounced around every time she elegantly took a step. It captivated her. She captivated y/n.

She needed to snap herself back to reality when they had arrived at the gazebo. But it was hard for her to completely focus since her mind played several love songs all at the same time at the sight of her.

“Sophia, Cess, this is y/n and Anne.”

y/n hesitated for a brief second when the girl named Sophia leaned in to politely hug her. She could feel her face heat up once she smelled Sophia’s perfume lingering in the air near her. 

Unfortunately for y/n, both Carlo and Anne saw her face flush for a second. Teasing smiles suddenly erupt from the two of them.

“Are you okay there, y/n? You look a little red.” Her eyes suddenly widened at Carlo’s sudden question about her wellbeing.

She could feel her whole face heat up even more when she’s met by teasing looks and a look of amusement by the girl she’s smitten by.

“Uh yeah.” She stuttered, feeling Sophia’s eyes on her.

“You’re cute.” If she could, y/n would’ve exploded right at her spot. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. “T-thanks.”

—

“She was so red yesterday, she couldn’t even speak properly.”

With the afternoon’s lunch rush, y/n, Anne, and Ethan could be seen sitting down at their usual table. Due to Anne’s relentless teasing, y/n could only hide behind her palms.

“I bet Sophia finds that cute about y/n.” Ethan added to the teasing, smirking at the shy girl in front of him.

“Oh she did. She said that y/n’s cute. That’s why she malfunctioned the whole time we were there.”

“Can we stop talking about this, please?” Her voice was muffled through the skin of her palms.

“Admit it. You have a crush on Sophia.” Anne leaned over the table, a knowing smile already present in her face.

“Fine! I do!” She admits, removing her hands from her face revealing her flushed cheeks. 

It’s not like she had a choice, she’d still be bombarded with their endless teasing no matter what she says. “Can we stop talking about it now?”

“Are you going to do something about it?:” Ethan asked, getting a feeling that this crush was not only one sided.

“No. Why would I? She’s completely out of my league.” y/n reacted as if Ethan had just asked the most useless question in the world. 

“She’s very pretty, talented, and nice. Not to mention, she’s rich as fuck.” Her little list earned her a look from Anne—which she ignored. “Sometimes I don’t even know if my money’s enough for the whole month.”

“So? None of that matters at the end anyways.”

“Of course it does. Her parents would want someone to be capable of supporting her lifestyle. Not me who’s uniform is the only nice piece of clothing that I have.” y/n realistically explained, the flush from her face disappearing as she tried to look at the logical side of things.

“You should at least give her a chance. Kelvin said that she’s mesmerised by you.” A spark of hope appeared in y/n’s heart but she snuffed it out, already knowing that taking that chance was way too risky for an ordinary girl like her.

“I doubt that.”

Meanwhile on the other side of Metro Manila, Cess was putting up with Sophia’s endless gushing. Her eyes were twinkling and her skin was glowing like she had just found the love of her life.

“She’s a dream.” She swooned. “She’s so cute I want to squish her cheeks!” She mimicked the action of squeezing with her hands. “She’s so pretty as well!” Sophia let out a squeak in kilig.

Watching on the other side of the table, Mikaela and Kelvin shared a knowing look. Before Kelvin could speak up, Sophia beat him to it.

“Is she single?” Everyone’s eyes almost jumped out of its socket with how wide it had gotten when they heard the words came out of her mouth.

It was like Sophia had just been hit by a love lightning. She felt giddy, and it’s like her body is energised by the idea of getting to date y/n.

“We literally just met her yesterday?” Cess mentioned, being the only sound-minded person in the group.

“It’s love at first sight, Cess. Can you blame me? She’s-” Kelvin immediately interjected her before she could go on another rant on how y/n’s flushed cheeks complimented her skin color. “I think she’s single. Anne never mentioned that she’s in a relationship.”

“Why would she say that her friend has a boyfriend or something anyways?” Kelvin only shrugged at Cess’ question.

The sudden silence made them furrow their brows in confusion, wondering why Sophia had suddenly become silent and stopped talking about how y/n looked yesterday. Cess turned her head to look at the girl, seeing her staring into thin air with heart-shaped eyes. She shook her head in disbelief.

“I know!” The sudden raise of her voice startled everyone at the table as Sophia got a light bulb moment.

“Kelvin, where do they go to school?”

Her three friends could only look at each other with slight fear in their eyes, afraid of what Sophia was planning.

Despite her friends’ warnings against her plans, she ignored them and asked her driver to take her to the campus.

Sophia had managed to bribe the guard that kept making them leave to park somewhere else with a random coupon she found in her bag. Now, she watched several heaps of students exiting the gates in search of the face that occupied her dreams.

In a heated discussion about their favourite bands, the two didn’t notice Sophia’s figure standing near the gates next to a car. Until she called out for y/n.

The sound of the familiar voice made the two stop in their steps, turning their heads toward the direction of the girl. Immediately, y/n could feel her face heat up at the sight of Sophia smiling widely at her.

“Go! Dali!” Anne pushed y/n towards Sophia, ignoring the strings of protests that y/n let out.

Right as she stands before Sophia, she turned around to give Anne a quick glare but to her surprise, the guitarist was already nowhere to be found.

“Hi.” Sophia greeted her rather too excited for a girl she just met yesterday.

“I know it’s sudden, but can I take you out for a walk around Intramuros?” The smile that was present in Sophia’s lips was intoxicating, it managed to lift y/n’s spirits.

y/n could feel her brain lag in real time, unable to voice out a proper word so she only nodded.

“Great!” Sophia’s smile managed to grow even brighter as she confidently took y/n’s hand, leading her to the car.

“The pretty girl enters first.” She opened the door for y/n, her face beet red due to the girl’s unexpected compliment and to being a gentlewoman. “Thanks.” She managed to blurt out without stuttering.

The car ride was smooth and filled with a comfortable silence except for the soft tunes playing at the radio. Throughout the entire ride, the grin present in Sophia’s lips never went away while y/n had managed to calm herself down.

It’s quiet as they walked down the stone streets of Intramuros before sitting down on the grass underneath a tree. A cone of overpriced sorbetes in their hands, the soft winds gently caressed their skin as they eat in silence.

Sophia had never felt this intensely before. She’s always calm and composed when it comes to the boys and the occasional girls that she likes, but it’s never like this. She always thought that “love at first sight” was only fiction, a fragment of the minds of hopeless romantics. But here she is now, helplessly swooning over a girl she barely knew.

“I don’t really know why I’m acting like this.” Sophia quietly admitted, earning the attention of the girl next to her. “Usually hindi ako ganito.”

“Are you regretting taking me out, Ms. Laforteza?” y/n joked, laughing at the sudden look of fear that waved through Sophia’s cute features.

“No, I just-” She cut herself off. “There’s something about you that caught my eye.”

y/n felt her heart skip a beat. Sophia liked her as well and there’s no doubt about it. It should’ve made her happy that her crush liked her back, but she couldn’t help the gnawing feeling creeping up from her stomach.

“Pwede ba kitang ligawan, y/n?”

—

“So you really are really hard to get, huh?”

Laughter erupted at Aiah’s tease to y/n while she managed to get hold of the actress who’s a little bit tipsy, rapping along to Hev Abi’s “Walang Alam,” to which she would never reveal why she knew the lyrics, as she tried to rizz Aiah. The latter then planted a firm hold on y/n’s waist, before placing her on her lap to try and settle her down.

y/n giggled nonstop while the Cebuana playfully attacked her neck with small nips and kisses. Mikaela and Carlo hollered at the sight, yelling for them to get it on while Cess and Anne screamed at them to get a room.

The stars were twinkling in the night sky while Cess and the misfits- with the special addition of Aiah, were out in their rented airbnb—of which Carlo gladly paid for. They’re currently retelling the story of how they got to meet y/n back when they were seniors in high school.

“Hey! To be fair, I was in denial back then. I wasn’t sure if I was going to fit in with the likes of these guys.” She pointed out to the bunch, sticking her tongue out to Carlo in particular because he’s making faces at her.

“Look at you now, richer than all of us combined!” Carlo joked, making y/n and Aiah laugh out loud while Mikaela wheezed.  

“Okay, that’s not true!” The actress protested. 

“But seriously though, I remember Sophia getting wasted because she was losing hope in courting y/n.”

—

Already a couple of drinks in, Sophia could feel the room spin around. Her entire body was flushed by the effects of alcohol. No one could get the mic out of her grasp as she sang “Migraine” like her life depends on it.

“‘Asan ba ‘ko sa’yo? ‘Aasa ba ‘ko sayo?” 

She’s pouring her heart out through the song, expressing her troubles with courting y/n. She could see in y/n’s eyes that she was happy to have Sophia as her manliligaw but her actions were in contrast to what she feels. She’s holding back and Sophia did not know the reason why.

Sophia couldn’t even count in her two hands the time she surprised y/n after school and during weekends at the smaller girl’s dorm. And during each time, she had the same dialogue, “Thank you Sophia, you’re so sweet.” No kiss on the cheek, no hug, just that.

It frustrated her seeing how close y/n was to Ethan. To the point that almost everyone thought that they’re together, even the staff of the university. 

There’s no point in denying that she’s jealous because everyone could see it. Every time that someone blurted out Ethan’s name, Sophia’s face turned sour.

But what frustrated her the most was how obvious that there’s something that y/n won’t say to her. There were times that she almost said it, but she caught herself and didn’t continue it. She wished that she could just get into y/n’s mind and relieve her of all her worries and problems, so that she’d finally be able to be honest to herself and to Sophia. 

That’s why she and Anne had planned to do something special for their university’s annual festival. Sophia was about to do something that will catch y/n’s attention. Something that she wouldn’t regret, and as a way for her to say that she’s serious about making y/n hers.

“That’s enough.” Cess managed to take the bottle of soju away from Sophia. “But—”

“No buts, lasing ka na. Mapapagalitan kami ni tita.” After Cess’ scolding, Sophia whined like a child.

“Why is Ethan and y/n so close! Everyone thinks that they’re together kahit na ako ‘yung taga hatid at sundo ni y/n!” She clutched onto Carlo’s arm, as if she’s begging him to give her an answer.

“Fia, just give her some time-”

“But I’ve been doing this for months!” Her friends could only look at her with a somber expression and she could feel the tears of frustration well up in her eyes.

“Sophia.” Carlo places both of his hands on her shoulder, shaking her a little bit to focus her attention on him.

“I can assure you that y/n likes you back. Sometimes she can’t stop talking about you after you give her flowers and love letters. She’s just not used to getting courted by someone like you.”

“What do you mean?”

—

y/n didn’t know how they managed to do it. Anne and her band along with Sophia are up on the stage performing for their university’s festival. Sophia didn’t even study there, but for some reason the uni’s staff agreed to let an outsider perform at the festival.

But y/n wasn’t complaining. Sophia had looked so natural on the stage. It looked like she was born to perform. Her charisma and stage presence attracted the students that were watching and y/n couldn’t help but look up at Sophia in awe as the girl spotted her in the crowd and winked at her.

As the final song of their set approached, Sophia spoke out to the crowd.

“This song is dedicated to someone who’s very special to me.” y/n and Sophia somehow made eye contact despite their distance and the crowd of people surrounding y/n.

“I hope you’ll like this song.”

The beats of the drums start off the song, followed by the familiar strum of the guitar. The band performed their own rendition of Eraserhead’s “Ligaya” and y/n could feel her heart beating loudly against her chest, unable to hide the smile forming in her face.

“Sagutin mo lang ako aking sinta’y walang humpay na ligaya.”

y/n felt guilty while watching Sophia on the stage. She was willing to pour her heart out in front of many while she cowered behind her nonchalant mask, ignoring the feelings bubbling underneath it. But after seeing Sophia being so proud and hopeful, she could feel her mask slowly cracking.

After their performance, Ethan and y/n escaped from the crowd and decided to walk around the campus for some fresh air. It was stuffy in the middle of the crowd, not to mention there were some students with questionable hygiene which didn't have a great look or smell.

“Kamusta na nga pala ‘yung mga auditions mo.” Ethan asked as they walked side by side, his hands inside his pockets.

“The usual, pero I have a good feeling about this new one.” y/n answered while kicking a pebble. A hopeful glint could be seen in her eyes. “Sana may call back.” 

“You’ll make it. I believe in you.” Ethan gave y/n a sincere warm smile while looking down at her. “Aww thanks.” 

“Pero y/n.” The girl hummed in reply, “Hm?”

“About you and Sophia.” y/n suddenly felt nervous upon hearing the other girl’s name.

Ethan never brought the girl up when he and y/n were alone together. And, just by hearing the serious tone of his voice, he wasn’t about to tease her, like he and Anne usually do.

“What about us?”

“May balak ka bang sagutin siya?”

y/n got caught off guard with Ethan’s sudden question. She could feel her heart drop to her stomach.

She let out a sigh before speaking, “Ethan, I already told you and Anne na it’s going to be complicated. She’s up there and I’m down here.” y/n gestured her hand up and down to prove her point.

“You’re just trying to convince yourself that it’s not going to work ‘cause you’re afraid to take the risk.” While y/n couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason why she felt that way towards Sophia, Ethan easily saw through her.

“It’s doing more harm than good, y/n.” He paused, taking his sight off of the girl and into the fountain they’re slowly approaching.

“Not only na nahihirapan si Sophia, pati ikaw rin nahihirapan na because you’re not allowing yourself to be honest to your own feelings.”

“Parang niloloko mo lang ang sarili mo, y/n.”

She stopped walking, clearly affected by Ethan’s words because it held the truth she’s been denying herself. She let her insecurities get the best of her, lying to herself and never allowing herself to stop and realise the extent of her feelings for Sophia.

y/n could see Sophia starting to struggle with approaching her, noticing how the girl sometimes walks away with a defeated look on her face after only thanking her for the gift.

“It’s harder than it looks, Ethan.”

“No it’s not.” His tone suddenly became firm. “You should stop thinking about what the others’ think and focus on what you and Sophia feel.” 

“y/n!” The familiar sound of her voice caught their attention, seeing Sophia’s figure walking towards them. 

“Be honest to her while you still have the chance to, okay?” y/n nodded at his words, watching him walk away before Sophia could reach her.

It was hard for Sophia to hide the exasperated expression she had when she saw Ethan and y/n standing close to each other. She didn’t want to scare the girl away so she masked it with a small smile. Despite her calm facade, her inner turmoil was getting harder to ignore each second that passed by.

She didn’t like how every time she saw y/n, she’s with Ethan, talking about random things that made her laugh out loud. How she could clearly see the soft look of adoration present in his eyes while looking at y/n. She’s the one who’s courting y/n, so she should be the one that’s beside her, not Ethan.

Sophia could see the troubled expression y/n has once she reached her. It confused and worried her, afraid that her presence may have made the other girl uncomfortable so she decided to engage her in small talk.

“I couldn’t find you after the performance, did you like it?”

Despite her disorganised thoughts, y/n replied with no hesitation. “I loved it. You have a really lovely voice, Sophia.” Her compliment came out as genuine, making the butterflies in Sophia’s stomach flutter.

“Thanks, it means a lot coming from you.”

A few seconds of silence passed by before Sophia spoke once again.

“So you and Ethan, huh?” y/n could only give her a puzzled look. “You two seem close.”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for a long time.” y/n says casually but what Sophia said next made her freeze in her spot.

“Do you like him?”

“What?”

Sophia’s gaze was hard and unwavering, y/n could see the fire burning behind her eyes as she waited for her answer. She tilted her head, expecting an immediate response from the other girl, but y/n stayed silent.

“You two are always together. It feels like she’s the one courting you and not me.” Even with the harsh glare Sophia had, her voice came out as quiet, while y/n stayed dumbfounded.

She could clearly see the gears turning in y/n’s head. “Sophia I—” She stopped herself before she could say anything further. It disappointed Sophia for a split second before she hears y/n release a breath and said, “Fuck it.”

y/n stood on her tippy toes, cupping Sophia’s face tightly in her hands, before pressing a kiss filled with all of her unsaid feelings and emotions. She instantly relaxed her body, placing her hands on y/n’s waist, rubbing her thumb against the fabric of y/n’s shirt to remind her that this was reality.

“I’m sorry if I made you think that I didn’t like you.” y/n whispered after pulling away, feeling Sophia’s breath tickling her lips. “But I do like you, so so much.”

“It’s just I…” She deflated. y/n planted her feet back to the ground, letting go of Sophia’s face but the latter caught her wrists. 

“I don’t fit into your world, Fia.” She couldn’t look her in the eyes, staring down at her feet. “I don’t fit in with your friends.”

“I’m not like you guys. I don’t relate to the things you do or grew up with.” y/n continued, feeling her tears well up in her eyes as she tried to convince herself that she couldn't be with Sophia. 

“I can’t afford to give you the things that you deserve.”

“Don’t say that.” Sophia looked down at y/n, squeezing the smaller girl’s hands in hers. “You being right by my side is enough. I don’t want other things, I just want you.”

“And don’t say that you don’t fit in with us, you’re literally getting along so well with them.” Sophia added, letting go of y/n’s hand to tilt her chin up for y/n to meet her gaze.

It scared y/n of how expressive Sophia’s eyes were. Her eyes showed her everything. It melted y/n’s heart to see Sophia’s loving gaze directed at her.

“I like you because you’re you. You’re genuine, passionate, and you care more about how others feel instead of your own. You’re selfless, kind, patient.” Sophia stopped herself, giggling at how she kept on rambling. “Honestly, I could go on forever, y/n.”

“I want you. Only you.”

It was like all of y/n’s doubts and insecurities were waved away by the flick of a wrist all at once. She’s finally ready to take the risk, accepting the feelings she felt for Sophia. For once, she didn’t feel the gnawing feeling she got every time she thought of dating the other girl. That sentiment was now replaced by one of warmth and security. Knowing that from now on, she had Sophia right by her side. 

Sophia tightened the grip she had on y/n’s waist, cupping her jaw with her other hand. This time, she’s the one to lean in for a kiss. Sophia could feel her worries and jealousy slowly melt away, feeling the soft lips of y/n against hers. She pulled away, resting her forehead against the other girl’s.

“So, will you be my girlfriend?” She whispered, inches away from y/n’s lips.

“Yes.” A smile slipped out of y/n’s mouth. “Yes?” Sophia repeated as she tried to process what the smaller girl said.

“Finally!” Sophia practically jumped up and down, feeling so happy like she just became the luckiest girl in the world.

“I can finally show you off!” She once again cupped y/n’s face, littering kisses all over her cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Hearing y/n’s giggling made her heart flutter as it became her new favourite sound.

After months of hard work and overthinking, trying to woo y/n—it finally paid off. y/n was finally hers, and she’d do whatever it takes for y/n to continue being hers for more years to come.

—

“That’s my girl!” Sophia cheered loudly after y/n announced that she’d been cast in a tv show.

Everyone ran over to y/n, almost tackling her down into the ground for a group hug. When they had finally let go of her, Ethan took this opportunity to congratulate her alone.

“I told you, you could do it!” He lifted y/n up by the waist making the girl shriek and several screams could be heard by Mikaela and Carlo. 

If looks could kill, Ethan would've already dropped dead by the intensity of Sophia’s glare. Cess noticed this and before Sophia could say anything, Kelvin raised up a bottle of liquor yelling, “This calls for a celebration!”

His sudden invitation to drink made the tension in the air disappear, with Ethan letting go of y/n, and Sophia turning her attention to the videoke machine that Kelvin’s family owns.

The atmosphere is light and warm as the crickets start to chirp at the gazebo. They’re all already quite hammered and tipsy, already through a couple bottles of soju. After singing hugot songs, Carlo and Ethan punched in the numbers for “Bagsakan” in the machine.

As if they aren’t rambunctious enough, once they heard the instrumentals of the song begin, they started acting like rappers that have bills to pay. Surprising everyone else, they have never expected for Anne, Ethan, and y/n to have memorised the entire lyrics of the song.

In the middle, Anne holds the mic as the three simultaneously rap the lyrics.

“Nandito na si Kiko at kasama ko si Chito at si Gloc-9 and it's time to rock rhyme-”

“'Di ko mapigilan lumabas ang mga salita sa aking bibig na 'di padadaig, ang bunganga, hala tumunganga-”

Just like their younger selves, they all rap to “Bagsakan” as the song plays through Mikaela’s speaker. Even after all these years, both Anne and y/n still have the song memorised along with Aiah who let her rapper side run wild. It amazes Kelvin and Carlo to see Aiah act freely with no worries that someone else could see her. 

While everyone else is enjoying their time, Mikaela gets a notification pop-up on her phone. She excuses herself to Cess before heading downstairs. 

After jumping around, acting like the rooftop is a stage, y/n drunkenly flops back down to Aiah’s lap.

“I’m tired.” The actress whispers into Aiah’s neck after wrapping her arms around her and pressing her face further into the Cebuana’s skin, inhaling her scent. She giggles, prompting the girl to cling to her even more.

“Landi mo naman pag lasing ka na.” Kelvin jokes at y/n, his arm still resting on Anne’s shoulders.

y/n then quickly removes her face from the crook of Aiah’s neck, shooting a playful glare at Kelvin. “Malandi na ‘to para sa’yo?” A mischievous glint suddenly appears at y/n’s irises.

“Eh ito?” She challenges.

Without any hesitation, y/n turns back to face Aiah and crashes her lips into hers. Feeling the rush of alcohol cruising through their veins, the Cebuana easily slips her tongue through y/n’s lips. Now engaged in a heated makeout session, Carlo and Kelvin cheer loudly while Anne shakes her head at the two.

Tuning out the background noise, y/n focuses on Aiah's touch as she feels her whole body heat up- longing for more. She could feel the Cebuana’s hand grip her waist tighter, gently caressing the exposed skin of her torso.

“We’ve got company!”

Mikaela’s sudden entrance startles y/n, almost falling off of Aiah’s lap if not for the older girl’s hold on her. The Cebuana laughs, easing the actress back into her lap in the most natural way, like she had done it a million times before. 

“You good, ‘ga?” Her eyes seem to twinkle with adoration as she looks at y/n, admiring the actress’ flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips from their earlier activity.

y/n nods, pressing a quick kiss on her lips but Aiah leaned deeper into her. She wanted the kiss to last longer but a sudden smack to her head made her pull away.

“Tama na ‘yan, you two are about to make a scandal.” y/n laughs uncontrollably upon realising that Anne had thrown an empty plastic water bottle at Aiah’s head with extreme position. 

As if the world has suddenly turned upside down, y/n’s laughter shifted to a look of concern upon seeing everyone’s moods turn gloomy. They all had their eyes focused in Mikaela’s direction so y/n turned her head to see her friend.

The sight shocks her. There, stood Sophia, right next to Mik, holding more bottles of liquor, with an unreadable expression on her face. The exes make eye contact with each other, making y/n shift uncomfortably in Aiah’s lap.

—

Sophia had managed to slip away from her drunk friends along with y/n. Seeking some quiet, alone time with her beloved girlfriend.

“What?”

y/n asked after catching Sophia staring at her once they entered her room. Sophia’s eyes held a certain weight to them, one that held so much affection for y/n.

“I’m so proud of you, mahal.” Despite her slurred speech and sluggish eyes, it was evident that she truly meant every word she said to y/n. Her genuineness sobered her girlfriend, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

“I got you something.” Sophia reached for a neatly wrapped box on her bed, giving it to y/n.

She eyed Sophia suspiciously before carefully opening it. Her eyes immediately widened upon seeing the white box of Creed, her dream perfume. 

“Sophia I-” She stutters, “This is too much.” She attempted to give back the box, knowing the hefty price of the bottle. But Sophia shook her head in disagreement.

“You deserve to be treated like a princess, okay?”

“Let me treat you as one, mahal.” Sophia placed a lingering kiss on top of her head, feeling her head spin due to her careful affection. She cupped the smaller girl’s face, staring into her eyes lovingly before kissing her tenderly.

“Now, let’s go back outside. I don’t want those idiots destroying the gazebo.” A soft chuckle escaped out of y/n’s lips, making Sophia smile from the sound.

As soon as they entered the garden, they saw Carlo hunched over a plant pot—vomiting his guts out. Upon seeing the sight, Sophia gagged in disgust, while y/n eyed him judgingly. Kelvin patted his back while Anne and Cess were shaking their heads in the background.

The sudden lack of commotion alerted tita Carla, making her peek out the glass sliding doors. In the blink of an eye, a tsinelas flew through the air—hitting Carlo square on his back. He got startled, almost doubling over to the plant pot filled with his vomit.

“That’s it! Everyone out!” She scolded them, walking over to Carlo to haul him out of the garden and into the pavement outside.

Everyone became speechless at the sight before them, making them sober up before they end up like Carlo, squirming on the concrete. y/n tried her best not to burst out in laughter as Sophia was still visibly disturbed after watching their friend puke quite audibly.

The silence became broken by Mikaela’s laughing fit, unable to hold it in anymore—which turned into coughing—as she almost choked on the sisig that she’s eating.

Everyone else, except for y/n, had left the Lafortezas, accompanying her girlfriend for the night since Sophia didn’t want y/n to go home late in the night while drunk.

“I’ll be the next Lea Salonga or Sarah G and you’ll be y/n Santos. The award winning actress who can give the academy awards a run for their money.”

With their backs pressed against grass, Sophia had her hand intertwined with y/n’s. Lifting it up in the air as they stargaze. Only a few stars could be seen above in the night sky with the city lights overpowering the shine of the stars.

A wide smile was present in Sophia’s face as she thought about their future together.

“We’ll be the Philippines’ ultimate power couple.” y/n turned her head to see Sophia’s side profile. Taking her time to observe the way Sophia’s lashes fluttered against her skin every time she blinked, the way how her eyes were twinkling under the moonlight.

“Then one day, we’ll have a family of our own.” Sophia’s statement earned y/n’s complete attention. “We’ll have four kids.” y/n’s eyes widen.

“Four? Isn’t that a lot?”

“No. It’s perfect. Two boys and two girls.” Seeing how Sophia’s eyes lit up at wanting to have four kids. It was enough for y/n to give in and agree with her.

“I want twins though.” y/n added, looking back up at the sky. “Then we’ll have twins.”

“Would you like them to follow in our footsteps?” y/n asked, aware of how the industry could be harsh to people. She wouldn’t want for their kids to get scrutinised on the internet by just simply living.

“If they want to. I won’t force them to do something that they don’t like.” With Sophia’s answer, y/n could feel her heart flutter.

“Imagine it though, our kid with my voice and your acting, they’ll be a superstar!” A giggle slipped out of y/n.

Sophia then turned her head to look at y/n. The sight of her was enough to make her whole being feel warm and giddy. She’s happy, content.

“I can’t wait for our future, mahal.” Sophia whispers.

Right at this moment, she knew. That the person she wanted to spend her whole life with was y/n, And if the unthinkable happens, she’d still  find a way to be with her. No matter how hard it takes, she’ll do anything to be with y/n and only y/n.

—

Ignoring the pounding in her head, Sophia reached over to search for her girlfriend. She frowned, feeling the sheets already cold from the absence of y/n’s warmth. She got up, wondering where the other girl could be.

The comforting smell of Sinigang was wafting throughout the house as soon as she exited her room. She hurriedly went downstairs, excitement rushing through her veins knowing she’s about to eat her favourite food for brunch. 

She then halts in her tracks, she could feel her heart bursting at the seams while watching the sight. There, right at the kitchen, were her mom and her girlfriend, standing side by side.

Last night, y/n had asked tita Carla if she could teach her how to make Sinigang the way Sophia likes it. y/n wanted to learn her mother’s recipe for the days that Sophia needed some comfort food and if she missed tita Carla’s cooking.

Noticing how much y/n cared for her daughter, Carla never hesitated and immediately agreed to teach her the next morning. 

“I know that look.”

Sophia flinched, getting startled by her father’s sudden arrival by her side. He saw the fondness and love swirling in his daughter’s irises. Getting reminded of himself when he first fell in love with his wife.

“It’s the same one I had when I realised that I wanted to marry your mom.” He said, while also watching his wife interact with his daughter’s girlfriend, with a soft look present in his eyes.

“I want to marry her someday, dad.” Sophia confessed, a small smile appearing on her lips at the thought of marrying the other girl.

“Are you sure? You’re still quite young to make that kind of decision, anak.” He could see right from the start that his daughter was truly in love with y/n. But young love could be fleeting and it rarely ends up in marriage.

“I am.”

If there’s one thing that Godfrey knew about his daughter, it’s that when she makes a decision, she fights for it. Not in the way that it became prideful, but in the way that she became truthful with herself. Even if she makes some mistakes along the way, she’d learn from it because to her, at least she did it in her way. 

“Then , treat her even better than what I do with your mother.”

“I will, dad.”

—

The silence felt deafening as the exes makes eye contact with each other. Aiah’s grip on y/n’s waist tightens, offering some semblance of comfort to the girl as she physically feel her tense up.

“Mik, what is she doing here?”

It hurt Sophia that Kelvin actively ignores her, choosing to ask Mikaela the question instead of her. But it is what she deserved after everything that she did to them.

“I know that she’s the last person we want to see today. But, can we just give her the chance to redeem herself?” 

“Isn’t she like a year too late to that?” Kelvin’s voice comes out harsh, making Cess call out his name like a warning. “Okay, fine. I’ll hear her out.”

“Cess?” Mikaela turns to the “mother” of the group. “Why not?”

“y/n?” Everyone’s attention now turns to the girl sitting on the Cebuana’s lap, patiently waiting for what she’s about to say.

“Okay.”

It feels like the weight from Sophia’s shoulders just fell off as she releases the breath she doesn’t know she is holding. Her nerves never disappears, it only worsened as she felt everybody’s stare on her. She doesn’t know how to start. She can’t find the right words to say, but she needs to say something.

“I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done. I wasn’t a good friend and I was an even shittier girlfriend.” She starts, squeezing the bottles in her hands for comfort. “I miss you guys so much, I don’t know what I’ll do if I lost my  friends as well.” 

For them, it feels like the Sophia they grew up with is the one standing before them. Not the famous global popstar, nor the girl who left them, but the girl who randomly bursts out singing songs. The girl who they used to tease every time she sounds conyo when ordering something. The girl who y/n fell in love with.

She looks so vulnerable and scared. Alone, without her friends by her side. It broke Cess’ heart that they have become so harsh with her while they were healing the wounds inflicted by her. Their opinions on her changed after everything. They hated her while they never realised that she was hurting as well. 

“Sophia.” A hopeful look is present in her eyes while she looks at Cess, trying to discern her unreadable expression.

“We missed you too.” She speaks for the entirety of the group.

Sophia releases a sigh of relief, feeling her tears well up in her eyes. Cess stands up first, followed by Carlo, Anne, and Kelvin, giving her a hug.

y/n can only watch them from behind, not wanting for her to ruin their moment. She knows how much everyone meant to Sophia, even if she never verbally mentions it. She never really held a grudge towards Sophia but she knows that her friends did. She wants them to make up last year, before Sophia returns back to California. But everyone’s wounds were still so fresh, they would’ve never reacted this way.

It is like a replay of last year’s events. Everyone parts from Sophia, revealing her to y/n. They make eye contact and y/n could easily see the girl’s eyes full of regret. She takes a step forward to Sophia, wrapping her arms tightly around her neck.

Sophia can’t hold her tears in anymore, letting it go as she sobs into y/n’s shoulder. Her emotions hit her all at once, repeating “I’m sorry” again and again, against y/n’s skin. The actress can only rub her back comfortably as she waits for Sophia to let it all out.

—

y/n’s career took a surprising turn after finishing her first ever show. It felt surreal for her, the spotlights, the photoshoots, the interviews. After two years she could afford all of her family’s needs and she even bought her first condo.

What made it even more unreal is her and Sophia’s relationship. They both felt like they were in cloud nine as Sophia treated y/n exactly like a princess. Expensive dates, pricey gifts, and sometimes even jewelry.

Life had never been better for y/n. Before, she was struggling in making ends meet. Sometimes she would sleep in her dorm without eating because she had spent all of her money on her projects for uni. Now, money is far from being a problem and she’s in a loving relationship with the Sophia Laforteza. 

But everything seemed too good to be true. As time passed by, Cess, Mikaela, Kelvin, and Ethan started to see the small little cracks in their relationship. Something shifted slowly over time. The change was so miniscule, no one could ever tell it even happened. 

Some crickets were chirping in Kelvin’s backyard along with the loud crunch of chicharon they’re eating as pulutan. They’re celebrating the start of their summer vacations, drinking their stress away from the grueling final exams they had. The couple had bailed out on them, saying that they have a date planned tonight. It was always their excuse.

“Am I the only one getting concerned about y/n? Ethan questioned right after taking a sip of San Mig, earning curious gazes from his friends.

“She kind of changed now that she’s with Sophia.” He continued.

Cess seemed to have a thought before speaking. “What do you mean?’

“She says that she’s always busy with something then she’s just with Sophia.” Ethan elaborated.

“y/n used to always hang out with us, what do you think happened?” It’s now Kelvin’s turn to ask a question.

“Don’t you think that… how do I say this…” Ethan paused to think, wanting to choose the perfect word to describe the situation.

“That she’s kind of controlling y/n?” He looked around to see if they got his point. He had noticed that as time passed, Sophia had somehow made y/n’s world revolve around her. “I mean, do you guys see it?”

“Not really but Sophia isn’t like that.” Ethan ignored Cess’ comment and instead furthered his claim. “Do you remember the time we asked y/n to hangout at sabi niya na magpapaalam muna siya kay Sophia?”

“Isn’t that normal in relationships?” Mikaela asked, tilting her head in Ethan’s direction.

“Well it shouldn’t be. Parang naging parent mo na ‘yung jowa mo kung need mo pa magpaalam sakanya.” Kelvin explained, taking Ethan’s side.

“Maybe that’s just how their relationship works.” Cess spoke. “Different things could happen between them in private.”

“Are you defending her?” The sudden assumption of Ethan flabbergasted Cess as everyone else seemed to hold their breath at the rising tension.

“No.” She firmly said. “I’m just giving her the benefit of the doubt because she’s not here to explain herself.”

“You shouldn’t assume things like that about our friend. After all, you don’t know her long enough like we do. And we all know that the Sophia we know is not capable of manipulating someone.” Mikaela and Kelvin nod silently in agreement to Cess’ words.

“What if your friend changed?” He contested, not willing to let down.

“Then we’ll talk to her.” Kelvin replied in a matter of factly way.

“Bakit nga ba sobrang affected ka bigla diyan tungkol kela Sophia at y/n? Don’t tell us that you like y/n as well.” Mikaela’s words were sharp, changing the whole dynamic of the conversation to press on Ethan instead of Sophia. 

—

y/n could already feel her surroundings spinning around. She’s tipsy and more importantly, alone since Sophia left her to get them more drinks. She didn’t really mind it, she’s having fun and that’s all that matters. y/n didn’t even notice a guy nearing her, letting herself enjoy the moment.

He slid up next to y/n so smoothly that she just thought he'd been there all this time. She kept on dancing, feeling the beat with her body. Not noticing the hungry looks that the guy had been giving her ever since he saw her from across the room.

His stare was the first thing that Sophia noticed once she looked back to check on y/n. Immediately, she could feel her blood boil by his close proximity to her girlfriend, seeing how he eyed her slowly up and down without y/n knowing. She ended up ditching the drinks she ordered, walking through the crowd who seemed to quickly part in between as if feeling her rage.

Sophia pushed the guy to the side, giving him a dirty look before grabbing y/n’s wrist. Confused, y/n looked up at Sophia. Fear invaded her senses once she saw Sophia’s enraged features.

“Sophia-” Her grip on her was tight as she dragged the girl out of the club.

“You’re hurting me! Let go!” She let go of her grip once they’re out at the quiet alleyway on the side of the club.

“I take my eyes off of you for a goddamn second and you’re just letting a guy get all up in you?” All Sophia could see was red. The scene of the guy hungrily looking at her girl up and down kept replaying in her mind.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“That guy, he wanted you all to himself!” It finally clicked to y/n on what ticked Sophia off. 

She had seen the guy in her peripheral but he was never close enough to actually touch her.

“You’re acting like you don’t trust me.” y/n becomes a little bit irritated at Sophia, it could be heard in her tone but she didn’t raise the volume of her voice. 

“I do trust you! It’s that guy that I don’t.”

“Who knows what he could do to you if I weren’t there.” She whispers more to herself than to her girlfriend.

Frustrated, she runs a hand through her hair.

“First I got Ethan to worry about and now you have random guys drooling all over you!” Sophia’s eyes widened in realisation of what she had just said. She didn’t mean to mention his name out loud.

y/n furrowed her brows in confusion, wondering why Sophia suddenly brought her best friend up.

“Ethan? What’s he got to do with this?” 

Desperate, she blurted out her gut feeling. “He likes you, alright? I can see it.” But y/n only gets more confused.

“He’s my best friend Sophia, that’s all.”

“He looks at you like you’re everything he ever wanted.” She then took a step closer to y/n. “If I didn’t make you mine then he would’ve made a move on you.”

“That’s not true.” y/n could only look at the ground, rethinking her entire relationship with her best friend.

“Then ask Carlo.” Her words made y/n look up at her. “What?”

“Ethan admitted to him that he likes you.” Sophia’s voice is now soft as her rage boiled down, a complete contrast to her flushed face due to her anger earlier.

“That… changes things.” Once again, y/n looked down at the ground.

It never occurred to y/n that Ethan could possibly have feelings for her. She had just always thought that he was a sweet guy, always putting her comfort first before his. They had known each other for years, so why would Ethan not tell her about his feelings for her earlier? But nevertheless, she believed in Sophia’s words. Trusting her girlfriend fully.

Softly, Sophia tilted up y/n’s chin for her to meet her gaze. y/n didn’t feel fear anymore seeing how the anger had completely dissipated from Sophia’s eyes. She now had the same look she always has when she’s with y/n. Her eyes are soft, endearing. Like the moments from a few minutes ago didn’t happen.

“Mahal, you know that I’m only protecting you, right?” She grabbed y/n’s wrists, carefully examining the red mark she left from her tight grip. Sophia then raised it up to her lips, kissing the marks gently. 

“I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

“And I’m sorry that I raised my voice at you.”

y/n couldn’t stay mad at Sophia for long when she’s staring down at her with puppy eyes. She forgave Sophia immediately, knowing that she didn’t mean to hurt her. Still, she couldn’t shake the thought that Ethan likes her out of her head. It was unusual but not impossible.

—

Lounging around in her condo, she got bored of rereading her script while waiting for Sophia to stop by. She’s scrolling through her photos app, seeing how much she and Sophia changed over time yet their love never faltered.

y/n tapped on the photo of Sophia’s graduation where she had her toga and medals on with her kissing Sophia on the cheek. Tito Godfrey had taken that photo, saying how it reminded him of his early days when he was still courting tita Carla.

The next photo is taken on the same day but in a much more private setting. Sophia had captured the moment of her and y/n lip locking, it was evident how happy she was due to her obvious eye smile while kissing y/n.

Silently going through their photos, some innocent, some a little bit risqué, y/n hears a knock on her door. She instantly gets up, expecting her girlfriend to greet her with several kisses on her face. But when she opens the door, she sees Ethan on the other side. Her shoulders fell, her excitement disappeared when she realised that it wasn’t Sophia knocking on her door.

“Oh Ethan. Hi.” She greets him awkwardly though he didn’t pick up on y/n’s unusual behaviour. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I visit my friend?” y/n giggled at him, stepping aside to let him in. “Come in.”

As soon as he entered the condo, he asked the question.

“Is Sophia here?”

“Not yet, papunta palang siya.” She replied while closing the door. y/n then guides him to sit on the couch.

“y/n, I actually need to talk to you about something.”

With that, y/n could feel her heart rate pick up. She ignored her nerves and instead sat down next to him with a reasonable space between them. Sophia’s words kept echoing in her head, knowing that she wouldn’t be happy if she saw them sitting close to each other.

“What’s it about?” He didn’t even need to think to reply to y/n, he immediately responded. “Sophia.” y/n could feel a pit forming in her stomach. “What about her?”

“y/n she’s-” He cut himself off. “There’s something wrong about her.”

“I mean, you changed after you started dating her.” y/n tilted her head in confusion, not knowing what Ethan is talking about.

“So? People change, Ethan. I’m not 17 anymore.”

“Yes but she’s taking you away from us, from me. Your best friend.” Somehow, y/n could feel the pit in her stomach forming even deeper than before. She didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“You’re always with her. You don’t spend time with us anymore.”

“I’m busy, Ethan. I can’t do all the stuff I used to because I have a lot going on.” y/n could feel her frustration start to bubble.

“Seriously, y/n? You’re not busy with your work, you’re just busy with Sophia!” The way Ethan raised his voice caught her off guard.

“She’s been helping me practise my lines!”

“Why are you so against her now? You used to tell me to talk to her properly!”

It didn’t settle in her right with the way Ethan is accusing Sophia of taking her away from her friends. If any, he should be grateful to Sophia because she’s the main reason why y/n became so close with them. It was Sophia that pushed her to interact with them, helping her with her insecurities of being in a different social class from them.

Then, y/n realised why. Why could Ethan feel and say those things. It’s because he’s jealous of Sophia. He wanted to push her away from Sophia so he could take y/n for himself. Though it still confused y/n as to why he waited until someone like Sophia came into her life to let his feelings be known. Was it because he was threatened by her?

From the hallway outside, Sophia could hear a commotion inside y/n’s condo. She hurried up, worried about the safety of her girlfriend.

“y/n? Are you okay?” Her voice echoed throughout the room. “Great, the devil’s here.” Ethan’s words were the last straw for y/n, her frustration is now boiling over.

“Don’t call her that!” The tone of her voice made  Sophia flinch, she had never seen her become mad like this before.

“Can’t you see it, y/n? She’s-”

“Get out!” y/n yelled, pointing at the front door. Ethan clenched his jaw, “Fine!” he then stormed off, bumping against Sophia on his way out.

Without noticing, tears of frustration had already flowed out of her eyes. The sight of her crying made Sophia’s heart ache. She led the smaller girl into the couch, letting her cry into her chest. Not caring about the tears soaking her shirt. She gently stroked her hair, whispering comforting words to ease y/n’s emotions.

Sophia didn’t expect for Ethan to suddenly barge into y/n’s condo. She has her own assumptions of what happened. If she were to guess, Ethan had confronted y/n about their relationship. Cess and Mikaela had told her about Ethan’s concerns when they last drank together.

Though Ethan had admitted that he didn’t like y/n romantically, the way he was acting spoke more than his words.

“I’ll never let him near you again, mahal.”

—

Gone was the tension from before. Now replaced by laughter and endless teasing, they have easily come back to their old routine. Even Aiah is having a great time, actually enjoying the way Sophia tells stories of their childhood.

Sometimes, Sophia catches herself staring at y/n. It made her smile seeing how happy and free she is. She couldn’t stop laughing when she finally got to see the performance that y/n does when she’s drunk.

Mikaela and Carlo kept hyping her up, the three of them dancing along to b.a.d.. But a frown suddenly makes an appearance on Sophia’s lips when she watches y/n interact with Aiah during the whole song like she was seducing her. It was a reminder of the love she lost, now found in someone else’s arms.

She didn’t let the couple ruin her mood and instead turned to her other friends, catching up on everything she missed these past couple of years.

“I didn’t know y/n could finally handle her liquor.” Sophia points out, observing how the actress is already three shots in but still seems unaffected by the alcohol. 

She could still remember how one beer can is enough to make y/n tipsy like it was only yesterday.

“Oh you don’t know how wild y/n was a couple of years ago.” 

Back then, y/n’s problematic era was a highly sensitive topic for everyone in the group. Now, they laugh at it- jokingly calling it y/n’s golden era with how much she parties during that time.

“I think her liver is made of steel.” Anne blurts out and everyone collectively agrees with her as Carlo shouts, “Liver lover boy!”. 

The girl they’re talking about and her partner are both oblivious of the new conversation topic they had, focused on something else entirely. 

They all turn their heads to them, expecting for y/n to say something but instead they’re met by the sight of y/n begging Aiah for something.

“Please baby, just one kiss.” y/n pouts at Aiah who’s clearly enjoying the power she holds over the actress.

Both Carlo and Anne groan at the sight, disgusted by y/n’s pouting and begging. Trying her best to act cute and irresistible for the Cebuana.

“No ‘ga, you smell like vodka and regrets.” y/n whines loudly, making her partner laugh.

“Are they always like this?” Sophia asks their friends and they all nod in answer.

—

Recently, y/n had been preparing for an audition on a movie. It was a big deal since if she lands this role, it’ll be the biggest break in her career yet. Even though everyone’s busy with their academics, they still managed to make time for y/n. Helping her and giving her critiques to better her characterisation.

So when y/n was out for the audition, Cess and Kelvin had met up. Wanting to go to Sophia’s place to plan a little surprise party for y/n to ease her nerves after her audition.

The two wondered why there’s a different car parked outside the Laforteza household, but they didn’t mind it much. Upon walking in the house, it was quiet. Way too quiet for a house with two boys living in it. That meant that there was no one else inside except for Sophia since they knew that she didn’t have any classes for the day.

It was unusual, and the two friends could feel that there was something wrong. So deciding to be careful, Cess peeked through the open door. She almost gasped loudly at the sight if not for her hand covering her mouth. Her reaction piqued Kelvin’s curiosity so he looked at what Cess saw. 

Clear as day, they could see Sophia making out with Leon on the living room’s couch. The sight made Kelvin fume in anger as he was the type of person who could never tolerate a cheater. But before he could storm inside, Cess grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Placing a finger against her lips to stay quiet.

“Let’s just go.” She mouths to him. He didn’t bother going against Cess’ decision since he wanted to leave immediately. Not trusting himself on what he could possibly do if he stayed in the area any longer.

The week that had passed by was nothing but a nightmare. y/n felt a rollercoaster of emotions. At first she was happy because in less than 24 hours, she received a call back informing her that she’s the one they chose for the role. The next, she’s bawling her eyes out because Sophia left her to go to California in the blink of an eye.

She didn’t know what to do. Sophia had become such a big part of her life that when she left, everything felt empty. Her heart is broken and her trust felt like it jumped off a cliff. A million questions appeared in her head, wondering why Sophia decided on leaving her like she meant nothing to her. Like the last three years of their relationship was just a massive joke.

So she turned to drinking and partying, wanting to forget the girl who’s haunting her dreams. Every night she could be seen at the club after her filmings or classes, getting wasted and making out with whoever wanted her for the night. It became a dangerous routine. One that could ruin her entire life and career. But for y/n, it felt like her life was already ruined the second that Sophia left her.

Even though she’s already wasted, she kept on ordering drinks regardless of the bartender’s warnings to her. She spent her whole night at the club, drinking her sorrows away. Cess and Kelvin hadn’t seen her all day so they tracked her down to the club she regularly goes to.

Her phone screen is on, showing Sophia’s contact- hoping that she’ll message her back but it never comes. y/n is staring at her phone like she’s expecting it to grow legs and walk towards her with a drink in hand.

“Tama na ‘yan.” Cess forcibly took the glass from her hand, annoying y/n.

“NooO! Give it back.” She attempted to stand up but she stumbled around, almost falling into the ground if not for her grip on the counter top.

“You need to go home.” Cess and Kelvin took to her side, an attempt to help her walk out of the club.

“I’m not leaving this place until Sophia messages me back.” y/n pushed the two off of her, standing her ground.

“y/n-”

“No, I’m not leaving.”

“You have classes tomorrow. Come on.” She shook her head and stomped her feet like a toddler.

Cess releases a frustrated sigh, knowing that it is pointless for her to argue any further. “Kelvin, just pick her up.” He didn’t hesitate to effortlessly haul y/n over his shoulder. Making her yelp and pound her fists against his back.

“Put me down!”

“I didn’t agree to this!”

y/n had managed to become sober throughout the entire car ride to her condo. She had expected for her two friends to leave once she entered the building but Cess followed her to her room.

“y/n, hindi ka pa napapagod?” Cess questioned as soon as they closed the door. “Kasi kami pagod na pagod na kakaalaga sa’yo.”

She couldn’t hide her frustrations towards her friend anymore, her acts were now becoming intolerable and are treading a dangerous boundary. y/n felt guilty about her actions but she didn’t know how to stop when getting black out drunk was the only way she could forget the pain for a few hours.

“We have our own things to worry about, we can’t be picking you up in the streets every morning.”

y/n rolled her eyes at Cess, walking away from her.  “Then just leave me alone. Kaya ko naman ang sarili ko.” Cess scoffed at the irony.

“Seryoso ka ba? Are you sure that you could take care of yourself?” She followed the other girl who reached inside her fridge to take a water bottle.

“y/n you keep on drinking until you pass out, you hang out with questionable people, and you’re making out with random strangers-”

“So? Ano naman?” y/n’s careless question made Cess’ blood pressure go through the roof.

“We’re worried about you!” The sudden shout made y/n flinch.

“Every morning natataranta nalang kami kasi hindi namin alam kung anong sitwasyon mo pag nakita ka namin. Na baka mamaya, kung ano na pala ‘yung nangyari sa’yo.”

“y/n, Sophia hurt all of us but please don’t destroy your life because of her.”

Because of Cess’ intervention, y/n had managed to turn her life back around. Graduating and the board exams were her first priority so after she passed and earned her license, she focused back on acting. 

It started slow for her at first, a couple of minor roles until it upgraded to supporting roles. She was finally back on track after the trainwreck that almost ended her.

To promote her latest project, she became a guest host on the noon time show, it’s showtime. It was going to be her first time hosting so her nerves were going through the roof. Thankfully, the hosts of the show were kind and gave her tips.

After the show, she accidentally bumped into someone. y/n immediately burst out strings of apologies while bowing her head down, not seeing who exactly she collided with. She froze with her head bent down once she heard a familiar laugh. She slowly looked up, a little nervous about seeing the other person.

Standing before her is Bini’s Aiah Arceta who’s smiling wide at her, her eyes are squinting. y/n felt starstruck, like the first time she met Bea Alonzo. But it was different, it also felt like fireworks were setting off in her heart- as if she met her soulmate. She was completely entranced by Aiah that she didn’t hear what she said.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear what you said.” y/n could feel her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. But Aiah’s giggling snapped her out of her trance.

“Can I have your number?

y/n could feel her brain short circuit. She couldn’t believe that this was real, hearing her bias asking for her number. It felt like a fever dream, one she didn’t want to wake up from.

“Sure.” She tried her best to act nonchalant but her voice cracked in the middle, making her feel even more embarrassed as she reached for her phone in her pocket.

Little did y/n know, this will be the moment that’ll change her entire life.

That night, Kelvin had arranged a little party for them in his restobar to celebrate y/n’s first time hosting. The evening started calm until it gradually became chaotic once everyone had consumed alcohol. 

When Cess had managed to stop y/n from doing body shots off of a random stranger, she started drunkenly rambling.

“When I first saw her enter the studio, I got this warm fuzzy feeling.” “Her walk, the way she talks, it was like I was daydreaming.” Carlo managed to catch y/n as she stumbled into him, still focused on rambling.

“Sobrang ganda niya.” She starts giggling uncontrollably. 

“I think I’m in love~” She says in a sing-songy voice. “Okay lover girl, you’re getting way too ahead of yourself.” Carlo said as he helped her sit down on a chair.

“Have you guys met her?” She continued. “I felt safe around her.”

Then, a sudden mood swing, she frowned.

“I don’t think I’m ready to fall in love again.”

“But when I am, I hope it’s with her.” She once again started giggling uncontrollably at the thought of falling in love with Aiah. 

She was already lovestruck, like she'd been hit by cupid’s arrow. But her sober thoughts would argue with her that she’s better off alone to avoid the whirlwind of emotions associated with falling in love.

—

The months have passed by quickly ever since she and Aiah had started to hang out. When they shared their day offs, they spent their days learning new sports, travelling, hiking, and sometimes going out to clubs.

Naturally, the media and the internet have noticed their closeness with each other. People started shipping them together while the others thought that they were only best friends.

But behind closed doors, Aiah had already confessed her growing feelings to y/n. The idea of falling in love all over again scared y/n but she was willing to risk it all with Aiah.

During the time she got to know y/n, she knew that the actress had basically given up on love. Though she had admitted to the Cebuana that she felt the same way about her, she just wasn’t ready for a relationship yet.

When others would’ve moved on from this, Aiah kept on holding on. She wanted to wait for y/n, knowing that something beautiful could be formed between them one day.

Wanting to pass some time and to hangout with her fans, Aiah decided to do a livestream. While she’s lazily laying on the couch, y/n was situated at the dining table. Reading her script and mumbling her lines from time to time. The mic had picked up some of her words, making the chat ask whether or not Aiah was alone or with someone else.

Aiah initially ignored the sudden surge of questions, continuing on rambling about something that had happened earlier in the day. It was until that she stopped and realised that the chat had gotten completely distracted and kept asking about the other person in the room.

“Guys, as much as I’d like to make her come say hi to you, I don’t want to disturb her because she’s busy.” She said in a loud whisper to avoid distracting y/n. But once she glanced towards the actress, they made eye contact. 

A mischievous glint flashed through y/n’s eyes. “Oh no, she’s planning something.”

And before she knew it, y/n had already gotten up from her seat and flopped down right on top of Aiah’s body. “Hi guys!” She ignored the Cebuana’s protests and instead focused on the chat who’s going crazy, wondering why she’s in Aiah’s condo.

“Everyone say hi to y/n.” Aiah says after recovering from getting y/n’s body weight dropped directly down into her, wanting to stall before addressing the chat.

“Why am I here?” y/n settled down next to Aiah comfortably before answering, “I’m her roomie.”

When y/n had finally agreed to let Aiah court her, she had basically moved into Aiah’s condo. Their little situation became so domestic that their friends kept teasing them that they’re an actual married couple which the internet had caught on to.

After that livestream, the speculations increased drastically. The internet started pointing out their matching clothing, the borrowed hats, and even spotted them wearing matching rings. Even in their respective interviews the actress and the Bini member got asked questions about their status but neither of them confirmed nor denied the rumours, fueling the fire even more.

Both of their careers were soaring. y/n had back to back projects while Bini started trending and gained more popularity which ended up in announcing their first ever concert. Despite her hectic schedule, y/n wanted to support Aiah and the girls.

Minutes before the concert began, the crowd was already riled up. The amount of people watching overwhelmed Aiah. She could feel her chest tighten and her blood pumping in her ears, it was getting harder for her to breathe each second that passed by. She was starting to hyperventilate.

Jhoanna and their staff members tried their best to support and calm her down but it wasn’t working. They needed to get out to the stage and perform but they couldn’t leave Aiah behind, they started this journey as eight girls and they will end the night as eight. 

Sat at the front row wearing one of Aiah’s caps, it surprised y/n that she got a call from Jho right before the show started. Upon learning that the Cebuana was having a panic attack, she headed immediately backstage- ignoring the stares she got when she disregarded the guards.

Her sight immediately landed on Aiah’s figure when she reached the backstage. She was trying her best not to cry and to regulate her breathing.

“Hey, hey.” y/n cupped her face in her hands, making the older girl look down at her. “Just focus on me love, you’re okay.” The actress’ presence and comforting words immediately soothed the Cebuana.

“Ang daming tao, ‘ga.” Aiah’s voice broke as she held on y/n’s wrists to feel the girl’s warmth. “They’re here to support you and the girls’ hard work. They love you, okay?”

Once Aiah’s breathing went back to normal, y/n placed a long kiss on her cheek. “Kaya mo ‘to ‘ga, I’ll always be here for you.”

It was at this moment Aiah realised that she had already fallen in love with y/n. That despite with y/n’s hesitation in falling in love, she was slowly embracing it because y/n was starting to learn that love isn’t showy or expensive. It was about making your partner feel safe, heard, respected, and cared for.

—

Despite having quite a bit of drinks in her system, Sophia couldn’t sleep. She kept tossing around in bed, trying to find a comfortable sleeping position but to no avail. Her mind is plagued by y/n’s smile, how she looks so much happier now than she ever did with her before. 

Not wanting to stare at her phone trying to fall asleep, she goes back up the rooftop with a water bottle in her grasp. The musky smell of tobacco invades her senses once she opens the door. She sees y/n leaning against the railing, looking at the skylines.

“You’re still awake.” Sophia says, standing beside y/n. 

“Can’t sleep, you?” She takes one last puff of her cigarette, blowing smoke through her teeth before snuffing the ember out using the metal railing, getting a glimpse of the shiny ring. “Can’t sleep either.”

It surprised Sophia when she learned that y/n picked up this vice. If it was only up to her, she would’ve made y/n take a vow to never touch cigarettes ever again. But Aiah was already helping her quit, slowly reducing the amount of cigarettes she smokes to avoid any withdrawal symptoms. 

The silence that settled between them is filled with unspoken thoughts. It was quiet, but the underlying tension was indescribable.

“Aiah…” Sophia starts. “Does she treat you well?”

“She does.”

“Are you happy with her?”

A small smile appears on y/n’s lips, “She does. She makes me really, really happy.”

Sophia can feel her heart shatter into more pieces, looking down at the bottle in her hands. 

“I’ve said I’m sorry so many times, y/n. But I hope you know that I really am sorry for leaving you.”

“I know.” Calmness surrounds her words and figure. There was no hint of sadness or anger anymore, unlike the time Sophia confronted y/n last year.

“I’ve made my peace with it. So should you, Fia.” Hearing the nickname from y/n feels like a gunshot instead of the warm familiarity it used to have.

Sophia dreaded this moment. Personally seeing it herself that y/n had finally slipped out of her grasp, that their relationship had already passed. She couldn’t hold on to their promises and future plans anymore because she already made new ones for her and Aiah.

The plans they made and whispered underneath the stars were only whispers of the moment as it never bloomed into something beautiful.

“I’ll still love you even if you’re getting married to Aiah.”

She would’ve never been invited to Kelvin and Carlo’s little celebration for y/n’s engagement if it weren’t for Mikaela. She was the only one who reached out to her with plans of fixing their friendship before Aiah and y/n’s marriage. Mikaela wanted to have a final closure, so that they could all start a new chapter of their lives.

“You know…” y/n stares off into the distance. “I think I still love you as well.”

“You were my first everything. I never regretted any single moment of our relationship.” She finally admits out loud, feeling like a weight has been lifted off of her chest.

“y/n?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think…” She pauses, taking a brief look at y/n before continuing. “That if you didn’t meet Aiah, we could’ve gotten a second chance?” Sophia finally gains the courage to look straight into her ex lover’s eyes.

“Honestly? I think we would have.” There’s no hint of hesitation or second thoughts in the way that y/n spoke.

A bitter laugh comes out of Sophia. “I really missed my chance, did I?” There’s nothing that Sophia can do anymore but to accept and come into terms of her mistakes and decisions.

“Sophia, you’ll find somebody else too one day.”

“I’ll never meet someone like you again.” Her words made y/n’s heart drop, knowing Sophia’s stubbornness. She would rather be alone for her entire life than find someone else to replace y/n’s space in her heart.

“There’s somebody out there that’s better than me, Fia.”

“I doubt that.” 

“I don’t think I’ll ever love someone the way I did with you.” Her admission hangs in the air, waiting for y/n’s response.

“I don’t think I’ll do either.” y/n’s voice comes out as a whisper. She turns her body, now facing Sophia.

“You don’t have to replace me or forget about me, you just need to let go. One day, you’ll have a space in your heart that will open up for someone new.”

Sophia couldn’t hold her tears back. Her chest felt tight, not wanting to let go of y/n but a small voice in her head reminds her that she’ll only hurt herself if she keeps holding on to her.

“y/n, ‘ga?” A sleepy voice cuts through the silence. “Bakit gising ka pa? It’s cold in bed.” y/n glances at Sophia, giving her a nod of approval to go be with her fiancée. 

She gives her a tight, comforting embrace.

“Thank you for everything, Sophia.”

She could only watch y/n walk away from her and into the arms of Aiah, greeting the Cebuana with a kiss on her lips before going back inside.

This was it, there’s no turning back now. Sophia could only turn a new page and form a new chapter in her life, trying her best to let go of the love of her life.

[nyxalastair]

owemji thanks for the 50 followers yall 😭

[nyxalastair]

PLS PLS I NEED MORE OF KISAPMATA

there’s more coming soonn 🤠

[nyxalastair]

Sana magawan po ng story yung detailed na mga pinagdaanan ni y/n nung umalis si sophia at nung nakilala nya si aiah. Kung okay lang naman po. Hehehehe

noted po 🫡

[nyxalastair]

KISAPMATA BROKE ME INTO PIECES AND BUILT ME UP. SO PROUD OF YN BUT PLS PART 2 (dont hurt aiah please🥺) U DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB W IT

thankiez bb ☺️ dont worry abt aiah tho, she’s in good hands

[nyxalastair]

SEQUEL…PREQUEL…ANYTHING I’LL TAKE ANYTHING RELATED TO KISAPMATA FICCCCC SO GOODDDD

luckily for you i have a part 2 planned for kisapmata 🤠

[nyxalastair]

kisapmata

"oh, kay bilis namang maglaho ng pag-ibig mo sinta, daig mo pa'ng isang kisapmata"

synopsis: sophia returns back to manila after suddenly disappearing leaving her girlfriend, y/n, all alone with no explanations on why she left. will y/n come crawling back to sophia despite her mistakes or has she found someone else?

pairings: sophia lafortzeza x fem!reader | ??? x fem!reader

warnings: angst, fluff (?), mentions of sex, taglish dialogue, desperate sophia

wc: 10k+

a/n : i didn't think this would get some traction but would y'all like a prequel to this??

The cold breeze soothes the warmth radiating off their bodies as they’re all sat around a table. Everyone else is gathered inside the house while y/n and her friends are outside in their usual spot at the gazebo, creating their own little world that’s far away from the eyes and ears of the older adults inside. The fairy lights give off a warm ambience as chatter fills the air with crickets chirping into the night’s abyss.

It has been a busy couple of months for all of them and this homecoming is the only thing that made them all clear their schedules. Initially, y/n declined the invitation when tita Carla called her- she was a little bit afraid of telling direk Cathy that she’ll miss a shoot day since she’s a director known for being strict on set. She ended up agreeing though once tita mentioned that her other friends had already said yes to her invitation. After all, who was going to pass on the delicious food they always seem to be serving in every gathering thanks to tito Godfrey.

So now, y/n is getting bombarded with questions on which actor is the pickiest on set. Mikaela had started this conversation while Kelvin and Carlo kept pestering her with more questions. Princess could only shake her head in slight disapproval as she watches her friends try to convince y/n to spill something.

“Oh come on!” Kelvin whines. “Can you really not tell us anything?” It’s quite amusing, really. Watching a grown man cry over not getting some gossip about celebrities.

“I can’t ‘cause you can’t keep your mouth shut!” y/n’s rebuttal earns a loud groan from him as he slumps further down into his seat. “And if that happens, Cess will kill me!” She points over to the long haired law student who is bearing an amused expression as she looks back and forth between the boys and y/n.

“You can’t tell us any chismis but you can be seen out with A-” y/n practically leaps to Carlo in her attempt to place a hand over his mouth. “Ang daya mo naman!” He complains, pushing her away as Kelvin and Mikaela laugh at them.

“That’s a different story!”

“Okay, okay. You’re getting way too loud.” Cess chastises them, they instantly become quiet. Fearing the wrath the future attorney can bestow upon them. The two men visibly sulk and shrink like children who got scolded by their mother. The sight makes y/n and Mikaela laugh at their miseries.

“Speaking of her,” Mikaela starts after composing herself. “Hindi mo pa rin ba siya sinasagot?” Curious looks are now being sent over to y/n, as they wonder about her romantic status.

“Well, halos kakastart palang niya manligaw sa’kin, so…” 

“Touché.”

“Pero guys, don’t you think that she’ll…” Kelvin drags the last syllable before pausing, his hesitation is immediately noticed by his friends.

“She’ll what?”

“Y’know, get jealous of…” He pauses once again, looking at them with a tinge of concern.

The air in the gazebo suddenly shifts as quiet tension rises and the winds suddenly feel colder. Uttering either name is not needed as everyone collectively knew what the chef of the group was talking about. Seconds of silence pass before y/n speaks up.

“It’s been years, ‘Vin. Kung ako nakapag move on na, dapat siya rin.”

Everyone blinks at her words. They’re a little surprised by her sudden admission but it was what they wanted to hear from her. It felt unusual for y/n to say that out loud because she’s still unsure of how she’ll react once she sees her again.

“I hope so.”

“Honestly, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t miss Sophia.” Sentimentality can be seen swirling around Carlo’s eyes as he stares at the swaying leaves of trees in the distance, quietly reminiscing the fun times the group had before she left the country.

“I still remember Fia being so disgusted at you when you were drunk and threw up on tita’s plant.” Laughter erupts at Cess’ comment, the tension from earlier diminishes as it shifts into a light hearted breeze.

“Mama Laforteza chased you out with her tsinelas, I laughed so hard I almost choked on the sisig tito cooked for us.” Mikaela somehow manages to speak clearly in between laughter.

“Yeah… we were banned here for like a month.” y/n continued as she looked at Carlo who’s hiding behind his palms in embarrassment. 

With everyone’s bickering filling the air, they fail to notice that the stars of the night had already arrived at the Laforteza household. While they’re clearly occupied with their electrifying conversation, the Laforteza family welcomes their unica hija alongside her members.

Sophia embraces her parents tightly, missing their warmth and company due to her chasing her dreams in a foreign country. “Nasa gazebo silang lahat.” Her father mentions right after letting go. She nods, feeling her heart rate go up.

She didn’t exactly leave the Philippines in an ideal way. Her sudden exit felt like a betrayal to her friends and she’s aware of her mistake. Her parents knew of this, of course, since her friends were basically a part of their family as well. They keep on encouraging her to fix her relationship with them, especially with y/n. But she couldn’t do it, not yet. Her shame kept getting in the way as her thumb hovered over the send text button every time she opened her phone.

The girls of Katseye immediately go into work straight away, charming Sophia’s family members and taking countless amounts of pictures with them. It was a little chaotic as several tears were shed as they all went around greeting people. Unfortunately, this is not enough to distract Sophia from the pit forming in her stomach.

It’s inevitable to reunite with her old friends so she takes a deep breath before exhaling slowly, trying to gain some courage. Her nerves suddenly skyrockets as she exits the threshold, her shoes landing on the grass as she slowly walks towards the gazebo.

The sudden appearance of bright lights due to the cameras grab the attention of the group as they all whip their heads towards the direction of the sliding glass doors. Mikaela is the first one to stand up and run to Sophia along with Carlo followed by Kelvin and Cess who walk calmly behind them.

“Fia!” It didn’t take long for the singer to be engulfed in a group hug. Sophia smiles widely even though she’s filled with guilt due to her shameful actions. She missed the different kind of chaos that her friends bring every time that they’re spending time together.

“I can’t breathe!” They all reluctantly let go of their hold on Sophia as she jokes. They all part away, taking this opportunity to introduce themselves to the other Katseye members.

For the first time in the night, Sophia’s eyes land on y/n’s figure. Her breath hitches in her throat as the other girl stands a couple of metres away from her. The soft gaze that y/n had reserved only for her has disappeared, replaced with an empty look that barely had any warmth behind it.

The singer’s eyes had one of regret and longing, seeing how her ex lover’s features have matured, how her hair is now a few inches longer. How y/n looks so different yet so familiar at the same time. Sophia could feel her guilt eating her alive as she stands still in her spot. She swallows her nerves, getting the courage to walk closer to the smaller girl.

y/n didn’t know what to think. She hoped that she had already moved on. But upon seeing her once again after a few years, it felt silly that she even entertained the idea of moving on from Sophia Laforteza. She felt her heart skip a beat and the emptiness in her chest felt much more noticeable. Though it isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that after all these years that she had left them, forgotten all about her- that she still had the same effect on her. Just like the first time she met Sophia.

“Hi.” Sophia greets awkwardly, standing in front of y/n. “Hi.” She returns. The singer looks down at y/n and it surprises her when she reaches up and wraps her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. Sophia’s hands settle naturally on the dips of her waist, an instinct that never went away with time.

“I missed you.” Sophia whispers into her hair as y/n presses her face against the underside of her jaw, inhaling her familiar scent. “I missed you too.” The two girls kept their arms around each other as seconds passed by, swaying from side to side.

The camera undoubtedly captures this moment as well as the silent reactions of the rest of their friends, the girls, and the family members who are peeking out of the sliding doors. Mixed feelings can be seen as they watch the interaction of the two girls as they knew, except for the katz, about their past. y/n is the one to pull away first making Sophia frown as she feels y/n’s warmth dissipating from her skin before remembering the cameras filming her every interaction.

Sophia had almost forgotten to introduce y/n to her group members as she’s still caught up with the way that she looks. Seeing how her eyes didn’t have the same glint of innocence anymore. She wonders if she’s the reason behind it or if it’s the result of facing the real world. It is obvious to her though that y/n is much more confident now as her smile easily captivates her members. Lara and Manon in particular.

“Holy shit you’re sooo gorgeous. Is there any chance that you’re single?” Lara’s words manage to pull Sophia back to reality as a sudden rush of heat courses through her blood at the younger girl’s blatant flirting. She doesn’t expect for y/n to smirk and wink back at Lara, making her blood boil.

“Well, why don’t you find out and see?” y/n flirts back with a teasing tone while conspicuously looking at Lara up and down, gently biting her lower lip. Manon then pushes Lara, making the latter scream. “Don’t look at her, look at me instead.” She then unashamedly winks at y/n.

Megan and Daniela hollers, laughing and encouraging both Lara and Manon to flirt with y/n even further while fueling the fire burning behind Sophia’s irises. The boys along with Mikaela suddenly burst out laughing with y/n’s exaggerated acting.

Carlo then clasps her shoulder before speaking. “We really can’t leave you alone for a little bit without someone hitting on you.” Kelvin and Mikaela agree with his statement.

The sound of y/n’s giggling removes her from her trance, taking deep breaths in order to control her temper. Sophia reminds herself of Lara and Manon’s flirty nature, assuming that the banter is only for fun and does not have any underlying feelings to it.

“At least before we have Sophia scaring away anyone who lays an eye on our y/n over here.” He continues.

Carlo glances at the singer, spotting the way she smiles smugly. Sophia still remembers the way how both boys and girls cower away from y/n with just one single glare from her. It’s not only Carlo that noticed Sophia’s expression but Megan as well, prompting her to nudge her leader whose expression never faltered.

“Really?” Manon asks amusingly, looking back and forth between Carlo, y/n, and Sophia.

“Mhm.” He hums. “And now we got A-” Before Kelvin could finish his sentence, Princess suddenly shoves him towards the direction of the glass sliding doors, earning confused looks from the girls and sighs of relief from their friends.

“Come on, tito’s calling us over for dinner.” y/n gives a look filled with gratitude towards the future attorney who gives her a soft smile in return before accompanying Kelvin.

The rest follows the lead of the two, following them inside except for Sophia who hangs back. Her brows are furrowed in both confusion and in worry as she studies y/n’s lithe figure walking towards the dining area. She couldn’t possibly be seeing someone else, right? Anything could happen in the span of a few years but Sophia can not fathom the thought of y/n dating anyone else but her.

Under tito Godfrey’s supervision, the catering is ensured to be up to par with a five-star hotel dinner service. This is the exact reason why Cess and the misfits always try to find a way to attend any Laforteza family celebration. They might bring trouble but both Carla and Godfrey enjoy their presence. So when a milestone happens in anyone’s career, they all invite them over for dinner. That little tradition ended up being a way for everyone to catch up with each other when anything new happens in their lives. 

Both Carlo and Kelvin fight the urge to completely fill their mouths with food as they both know that Cess and y/n will scold them for being unsightly in front of guests. To combat that issue, they both engaged themselves in a conversation with the whole table.

“Tito Godfrey gifted me lechon when I passed my board exams.” Carlo boasts with a proud smile on his face.

It’s still fresh on everyone’s minds how stressed both Carlo and y/n were while reviewing for their engineering licensure exams. Especially y/n because she had to juggle studying with her acting. Cess and Mikaela couldn’t even count how many times she had broken down crying due to stress.

“Don’t forget that he did that to me as well.” y/n reminded him, not wanting for Carlo to hog all the attention from officially being called an engineer.

“Yeah, but I was the first one.” He sticks his tongue out at the actress, making everyone at the table laugh at his antics.

“You graduated?” Sophia asks directly at y/n. Everyone suddenly seemed to stop as they all focused on the two girls. The smile on y/n’s face from teasing Carlo never falters while she turns her head to face Sophia.

“Yeah. Electronics.” She sees Sophia’s mouth part before closing once again, deciding against speaking.

A beat of silence.

Kelvin swallows, looking around feeling uncomfortable at the sudden quietness of the room. The girls of Katseye feel even more confused as they share a look while chef Godfrey’s inviting smile drops into a straight line. He looks over to his daughter, his gaze filled with a certain gravity that could instill fear in passersby. It was evident that Sophia never reached out to y/n despite his many reminders. y/n on the other hand felt indifferent, letting the room have a moment to process their own emotions while she eats.

“So, tita Carla, what do you think about y/n’s upcoming movie?” The young chef finally breaks the silence, not wanting for the night to turn sour with issues of the past. He then intentionally scrapes his fork against his plate loudly which somehow both Carlo and Mikaela took as a sign to keep eating. Making everyone at the table to follow their movements, forgetting the previous tension that suddenly erupted in the air.

“Oh right! I don’t know much about it pero I heard na y/n is doing really great from direk Cathy.” The praise that Carla relays from one of the most successful directors in the Philippines made y/n’s heart jump and swell. “I think it’s time for her to win a best actress award.”

“You flatter me too much, tita.” y/n looks down shyly, trying to avoid the stares she got from the girls who suddenly became interested in her acting career.

“I mean, it’s about time for the whole world to recognize your acting skills.” Kelvin shrugs before taking another spoonful of rice into his mouth. “Or the universe rather.” Mikaela adds a reference which made y/n, Cess, and a handful of others laugh.

“Kayo naman, let’s see if the movie does well first before talking about awards.” y/n tries her best to hide her smile but Mikaela who’s sitting next to her, nudges her shoulder. “Sus, lagi ka nalang pa-humble diyan.” She jokingly pats her own back after Mik’s statement earning a giggle from their friends.

“So how’s the Philippines treating the famous global girl group, Katseye so far?” It’s only in these situations that Princess truly lets herself have fun, letting out her playful nature to the people who are close to her.

Thanks to Cess who changed the conversation topic to include the girls, dinner went by smoothly. y/n actually became impressed on how her love life was left out of the conversation in the dining room as her friends usually tease her with it. That’s how both Carla and Godfrey knew that someone was courting her. She also noticed how Sophia barely spoke during dinner as well as catching her staring at her several times. It didn’t bother her, as she much rather enjoy the night than trying to figure out whatever’s going on in the singer’s mind.

—

“And cut! Let’s take a break muna!” Right after the director’s call for a break, y/n’s make-up artist and assistant ushers her back to her dressing room to get ready for the next scene.

After missing out on yesterday’s shoots, they have doubled down on the workload for today. Thankfully for y/n, the filming for the movie is finally nearing its end after three long months of blood sweat and tears. This means that she gets to take a little break and have enough time to spend with her loved ones and a certain special someone. After that she’s back to work for another movie with Jerrold Tarog.

As soon as she enters her dressing room, a bouquet of roses placed down on her vanity table catches her eye. “Who brought this in?” Her assistant shrugs at her. No one comes into y/n’s mind as she tries to think of who could’ve sent this to her.

Upon a closer look on the bouquet, a white envelope sticks out in the middle of the red roses. She picks it up, carefully opening the envelope revealing a note written in thick cardstock. It writes:

“flowers for the prettiest girl in the world.

p.s i hope you still love roses

-S.L “

A small smile breaks out of y/n’s face before taking a picture of the bouquet, sending it to Sophia.

itsy/n_santos: thanks for the roses

itsy/n_santos: you didn’t have to tho :)

sophia_laforteza: it’s the least i can do, mahal

sophia_laforteza: good luck on set <3

itsy/n_santos: thanks!

With the small yet sweet gesture, her usual uneventful day at work was suddenly broken out of its boring streak due to the singer’s surprise. It brought a smile to y/n’s face during random times in the day, silently appreciating the gesture of her past lover.

The next morning in her dressing room, the same sight can be seen. y/n is greeted by a bouquet in the same spot on her vanity table. She grabs the envelope, opening it to read: 

“daffodils symbolise new beginnings. I hope we can make amends, mahal.

p.s i made a reservation for us at 6pm on our favourite restaurant

-S.L”

y/n shakes her head upon reading the letter. Impressed by Sophia who once again made the first move on her. She had always been the one who had guts between them so it doesn’t surprise y/n as much since the singer doesn’t shy away from initiating romantic gestures.

“I guess I’ve got dinner plans for tonight.” 

She ended up surprising herself when she decided to agree on letting Sophia take her out to dinner that night. It was a terrible idea and she’s well aware of that. But it seems that there’s still a small part in her heart that yearns for the singer. It feels like she’s about to cross a dangerous territory, not knowing what kind of consequences it’s going to bring in the near future. 

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Sophia was already inside waiting for y/n. The place didn’t change. It still had a homey and inviting presence to it which the two girls appreciated when things started to get tough and they could feel the pressures that were starting to get to them. 

Memories of their dates and anniversaries plagued her mind as she walked to the secluded corner. It was their spot, their little corner filled with their hushed whispers and secrets. The corner where they used to talk about their future.

y/n immediately spots Sophia. The singer instantly gleams as the actress comes into her sight. She stands up from her seat, greeting y/n with a hug which the smaller girl immediately melts into.

“I’m glad you came.” Sophia beams while pulling a chair out for y/n. “Thanks.”

“I didn’t want to let your reservation go to waste. Plus, I’ve missed this place.” She answers as soon as Sophia sits down on the chair across from her.

The singer tilts her head in slight confusion, “You don’t come here anymore?” Sophia notices the way that y/n broke their eye contact for a second while fidgeting with the rings adorning her fingers. A habit that she observed from y/n every time she was nervous.

“I haven’t been here ever since you left for dream academy.” y/n honestly admits. “Oh.” Sophia clears her throat to ease the sudden tension that formed when silence fell upon them. Thankfully, a waiter approached them, diminishing the tension which filled the air prior to his arrival.

“The usual?” Sophia asks y/n, making the latter’s brow quirk upwards in amusement.

“You still remember it?”

“Of course.” The warm smile that Sophia gives to y/n makes her heart do a little somersault. She bites the inside of her lower lip to hide the smile trying to escape her lips.

Right after dictating their orders to the waiter, Sophia sparks up a conversation. “So, is there anything interesting happening in your life apart from the usual?”

“Not really. It’s just work and more work.” y/n truthfully answers, “You?” The singer sighs, relating to the actress. “It’s just the same as you. Sometimes it can be-” “Overwhelming?” y/n continues for Sophia.

“Exactly.” Warmth blooms in Sophia’s chest upon hearing y/n’s giggling.

“You know, I expected this from you. All the fame and recognition, you always strived for it. I never thought that I’d become a celebrity of sorts as well.” 

“I always thought that you’d make it.”

“Why?” It didn’t even take a second for Sophia to reply, already knowing what she’s about to say. “You’re beautiful and have the skills for it. You’re a dream for the producers. You’re basically built for acting.” 

y/n can feel the heat crawling up her neck. She looks down at her lap, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. 

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

After dinner, Sophia handed her another bouquet of red roses. Despite her shyness due to the taller girl’s little gift, she clutches it in her arms carefully so as to not crush the delicate flowers in her grasp. They stroll around the mall, walking side by side- their hands brushing against each other occasionally.

“Thanks for the dinner, by the way. I really appreciate it.”

They stop and lean against a railing, looking out at the city skylines twinkling in the night. Sophia carefully admires y/n’s side profile, her dark brown eyes glimmering as she takes in the sight before her.

“It’s nothing.” Sophia then turns her head back to the horizon, not wanting for the other girl to notice her staring.

“I missed this, y’know?” She continues. “Just us against the world.” A small smile filled with nostalgia appears on y/n’s lips, the sight of it is enough to light up Sophia’s entire world.

After a while of comfortable silence, the singer once again speaks. This time with a careful tone. “I meant it when I said that I missed you that other night.” “Sophia I-” She interjects, “Don’t say anything yet, please.” She takes a step closer to y/n, reaching out for her hand. She feels her hand tingle once she holds the actress’ hand.

“I’m really sorry, y/n. I know that I fucked up really bad and I regret it every single day.” She squeezes Sophia’s hand, giving her a soft, supportive look. “It’s fine. It’s all in the past, we were younger and much more stupid. Everything’s different now.” y/n places her hand on her jaw, rubbing her thumb against her cheekbone.

Sophia fought her tears back, tilting her head upwards to avoid it from falling down her cheeks. The few droplets that had managed to escape are quickly wiped away by y/n. The singer reaches her hand up, holding y/n’s forearm in an attempt to ground herself.

“But there’s something that will never change, y/n.” Sophia whispers, looking down into y/n’s eyes that seems to look right through her. Like she was able to read and understand her. The same eyes that twinkled when Sophia first professed her love to her.

“I still love you, y/n, and I’ll keep on loving you even when a storm breaks us apart.”

—

At 3 am, the usual city buzz had disappeared and was replaced by the occasional early commuters, tired night shift employees, and stumbling drunkards. But for Cess and the misfits, it’s the end of their daily schedules with only a few hours left until their cycle repeats.

The soft tunes of love moves in mysterious ways by Nina occupies the otherwise dead silent air of Kelvin’s restobar. The warm lights above the bar’s counter top provides a comforting feeling to the group’s tired minds and bodies. Kelvin had inherited his father’s restaurant after he graduated, he’s been busy running the place ever since. Occasionally, Mikaela helps him with the business side of things. She was about to inherit her father’s business as well, so she didn’t mind when Kelvin ran to her asking for some help. 

After cleaning up and with Kelvin’s staff already clocking out, they’re sitting by the bar, sipping their drinks of choice after their long days. It’s a rare sight to see this bunch together when there’s no occasion since they’re always busy. But, tonight’s an exemption.

“Seriously y/n, akala ko ba move on ka na kay Sophia.” The owner of the restobar speaks up while standing on the other side of the bar, wiping down glasses and bottles.

“It’s everywhere, you and Sophia.” Mikaela adds as she scrolls through her phone, occasionally handing her phone out when she finds an interesting post. She sees fans going crazy about the sneakily taken photos of the ex lovers together, laughing at the bold assumptions that strangers made on the internet. 

y/n takes a sip of her drink, an attempt to gather her cluttered thoughts together. Her mind is in shambles, feeling her head hurt with everything that’s happening all at once.

“What were you doing out with Sophia anyways?” Carlo questions, his elbows resting against the bar with his head turned towards y/n. He managed to sneak out without his wife knowing, it’s the only way so that he could join his friends. 

“She invited me out to dinner.” She replies casually, thanks to her acting skills. Her tone manages to convince some of her friends but it doesn’t make her nervousness disappear.

“That’s all? There’s nothing to it?” Kelvin immediately quizzes, a little skeptical because he knows that it’s never that simple when it comes to both Sophia and y/n. 

Since they haven’t seen each other in a long time, who knows what could’ve happened between them. It’s not like Kelvin didn’t trust y/n, it’s Sophia that he doesn’t.

y/n takes a deep breath after taking a huge gulp of her drink. Mikaela easily notices her nerves, “Spill. Ano ‘yan.” It takes a second for y/n to reply as she carefully thinks of what words to say. Kelvin halts his actions, placing the rag down.

“She apologised for what she’s done…” She pauses and everyone stays silent. “Said she wants me back, saying that she’ll never stop loving me. And that she’ll do whatever it takes to take me back.” 

Silence.

The hum of the air conditioning seems louder than before and the bark from a dog outside is deafening. Everyone is flabbergasted at y/n’s statement. They all had a hunch that Sophia still had feelings for their friend but they weren’t ready for it to be the actual reality because they had wished for y/n to be finally out of Sophia’s grasp.

As Cess studies y/n’s expressions and body language, it’s apparent that she’s leaving something out from her story. She’s restless and her eyebrows are lightly sewn together with her grip tight on the glass cup. y/n closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“That’s not all, is it?” Cess carefully eyes her.

She stays silent as they wait with bated breath. Knowing that her voice will betray her, she takes her two of her trembling fingers and hooks it on the collar of her shirt- pulling it down to reveal several red marks on her skin.

Sophia tried her best to keep her hands to herself during the elevator ride, tightly holding onto the bouquet that she volunteered to carry for the actress. When the elevator dings and the doors slide open, she grabs y/n’s hand, dragging her out to her unit.

It surprised y/n to see that Sophia still had the spare key she gave her when she first brought this property with her own money. Her hands were shaking, struggling to open the door. The lock then clicks open, it doesn’t take long for y/n to be pushed inside by Sophia. She lightly pushes the actress’ back to the door, her hand reaching for the lock behind her.

“Are you sure about this?” Sophia whispers against the shell of y/n’s ear, sending shivers down her spine and goosebumps erupting in her skin. 

“Yes.” She replies.

Without thinking, Sophia slams her lips onto y/n’s. She drops the bouquet on the ground as she places her hands on her waist, holding y/n tightly against her. y/n’s hands fly to the collar of Sophia’s shirt, clutching it tightly like she’s scared that Sophia would disappear into thin air.

“I won’t leave you ever again.” Sophia whispers against y/n’s lips before capturing it once again. The singer’s instincts immediately kick in as she leads y/n to her bedroom, pushing the actress to the bed.

Her hands immediately worked to slide down the straps of the smaller girl’s dress. Pressing open mouthed kisses on the curve of her neck before biting down and sucking, leaving marks against her skin. She palms and gropes her chest before sliding her hands down to her thighs. y/n’s breath hitches, feeling Sophia smirk against her skin.

Now both undressed, Sophia hungrily stares at y/n’s figure. Eyeing her up and down, tracing her curves with her eyes as the moonlight gently caresses her skin. 

“Mine.” Sophia whispers to herself, leaning back down to y/n.

She missed this. Her body against hers like nothing else in the world matters. Hearing y/n’s soft whimpers as she has her way with her.

Her lips once again find the expanse of the actress’ skin, placing kisses accompanied by whispers of “I’m sorry.” against her skin. 

y/n becomes drunk with her touch, closing her eyes to savour the moment. Forgetting about the world outside as she brushes her fingers through Sophia’s hair.

Several whispered swears can be heard in the room and y/n couldn’t bring herself to look at any of her friends. Ashamed of her acts. It feels like her heart is about to jump out of her chest with how fast it was beating. Being the reason for her friends’ disappointment and silent anger made her feel like an absolute shitty asshole.

“Does Aiah know?” Her heart drops. The sheer tone of Princess’ voice made the actress shrink and shiver in fear. With her lack of reply, Cess repeats her words with more animosity present in her timbre. 

“y/n, alam ba to ni Aiah?” She shakes her head, tears burning in her eyes as it streams down her face. She uses the back of her hand to wipe her tears away but it continues to fall down.

“My god, y/n! Ang tanga mo naman!” The sudden slam of Kelvin’s hand against the bar startles everyone. Making y/n flinch at the loud sound.

“I’m sorry.” She tries her best to speak clearly through her hot tears but her voice comes out as weak. She can feel her whole body shake as a mix of overwhelming emotions flood through her.

Usually it was Cess who became angry and disappointed at someone in the group for doing dumb things, it’s never the soft-spoken and kind-hearted Kelvin. He’s great in turning criticisms into smaller, much easier words to process. So imagine when the calm and composed Kelvin suddenly has an outburst, it shocked everyone.

“y/n, naiintindihan ka naman namin. But this? This is not right!” He continues, his face turning red in anger. He turns around, unable to face her.

“Kelvin, come on man. Kumalma ka naman.” Carlo tries to calm Kelvin but his words go right past him.

He then turns around. “Paano si Aiah? That girl waited for a goddamn year para lang ligawan ka.” Tears of guilt continued to stream down her face. She tries to get a hold of herself but her emotions get the best of her. 

“Are you going to push her away just like you did to Angel and Ethan? Para lang sa lintik na Sophia na ‘yan?”

“Kelvin that’s enough. Sophia is still our friend.” Cess scolds Kelvin with a harsh look. But it isn’t enough to make him stop and process what he’s doing. “After she left us?” He shoots back.

“I’m sorry Cess but I won’t tolerate a friend who suddenly dips out on us when she gets the chance to!”

“She left y/n broken for months, months Cess! We were the ones who took care of y/n when she wasn’t herself! Tapos ang kapal ng mukha niya at magpapakita acting like nothing happened? She didn’t even talk to us when we were at their house!”

“Cut her some slack, Kelvin. We all knew that she had a dream and she went for it like we wanted her to.” Carlo tries to reason with him, but to no avail, Kelvin is still enraged.

“But that doesn’t give her the right to leave y/n all alone with no explanations!” He then lets out a bitter laugh before making eye contact with y/n.

“Baka nilalandi ka lang niya kasi sex lang ang habol niya sayo.” 

“Kelvin sumosobra ka na!” Cess stood up as she raised her voice, she faced Kelvin who seemed to be shaking in rage while y/n was left dumbfounded by her friend’s words.

y/n could only stare down at her glass, she never knew the extent of her friend’s anger towards Sophia. She wished that she hated her for what she’s done but she couldn’t bring herself to. Deep down she knows that she still loves Sophia but it will never be in the same way that she did before.

“Yes Sophia fucked up but you’re crossing the line!”

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to forgive her just like that.” He lashes out. “The last time we saw her she was making out with Leon tapos bigla nalang siya naglaho ng parang bula!”

“What?” y/n visibly trembles. Mikaela stands up and goes over to her, holding her friend to bring her support and some form of comfort.

It felt like the whole world stopped for y/n. Her tears suddenly stopped falling down. She wanted to believe that she misheard Kelvin but seeing how the blood drained from his face and Cess’ shocked expression, there was no denying that Kelvin made no mistakes.

“What does that mean? What happened?” Her voice comes out as fragile, looking back and forth between Cess and Kelvin. The lost look present in her eyes broke their hearts, instantly regretting their shared decision they made years ago.

“It was nothing.” Kelvin tries to shrug it off to avoid the painful conversation but it only angered y/n.

“It wasn’t just nothing!”

“What the fuck happened?” Say it!” The chef looks over at Cess, silently asking for help. She nods, immediate dread falls upon him.

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before finally speaking.

“The day before Sophia left, Cess and I accidentally saw her and Leon together,” He pauses. The air is filled with thick tension as everyone waits for Kelvin’s next words.

But before he could continue speaking, y/n beat him to it. “How long?” This time, Cess replies. “We don’t know.”

It stays silent for a while. Everyone could feel their hearts beating out of their chests and it felt heavy to breathe. They looked at y/n who seemed both confused and distraught.

It never crossed her mind that something was going on between Sophia and her childhood best friend but it wasn’t impossible. Leon knew her since they were little and they were classmates. y/n only met Sophia through Kelvin and Carlo because she was friends with Kelvin’s girlfriend. It felt like their relationship was too good to be true, a struggling middle class girl and a rich actress’ daughter who is friends with a Barretto sibling. 

“You all knew?” Her voice cracks, “At hindi niyo sinabi sa’kin?” She looks at Cess whose eyes are filled with remorse while Kelvin couldn’t look at her.

“Kasi ayaw na namin na masaktan ka pa lalo.” Cess replies, walking over to y/n and Mikaela.

“y/n, y/n! Wake up!”

She could barely open her eyes but she could feel Princess’ hand continuously tapping her face, avoiding the vomit dripping down her mouth and into her shirt. Kelvin and Cess had found her passed out on the street under a streetlight. Her head is placed on Cess’ lap as Kelvin squats down next to her.

“Today’s our final exams, come on. Wake up.” They try to shake her awake but she could only mumble nonsensical words.

“Can you carry her?”

Kelvin didn’t mind whether or not y/n’s sick had stained his shirt. He just wanted to bring her to a safe place where she could clean herself and get herself together. He needed to leave immediately once he brought y/n to her condo because he had an exam in 45 minutes. It pained him to not be able to help, leaving Cess alone to take care of her. Unfortunately he had no choice, he needed to go.

“Who were you with last night? They shouldn’t have left you all alone.” Cess takes y/n’s dirty jacket off, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter falls from the pocket.

“Naninigarilyo ka na rin?” She sighs in disbelief, picking the cigarettes up and throwing them away in the trashcan.

Cess manages to drag y/n to the bathroom, avoiding furniture as she stumbled around. Her eyes were now open, adjusting to the light but she didn’t speak. y/n topples and almost slips if not for Cess managing to catch her in time.

 The pungent smell of vomit and nicotine had stuck to y/n’s skin. It almost made Princess gag as the atrocious smell invaded her senses. She sat y/n down on the toilet seat and brought the shower head to her, rinsing off the smell and the stickiness of sweat and saliva that clung to her skin.

“It would upset Sophia if she saw you like this.”

It was a no-brainer for them to keep the incident a secret. They all saw how much y/n was hurting and they didn’t want to add more reasons for the girl to cry and have excuses to get wasted. y/n was spiralling, she stopped auditioning for roles and got drunk until she passed out.

It wasn’t until she met Angel that she started to go back to her normal self. The volleyball player had encouraged her to get back into shape and she did. But once she noticed that Angel started to look at her with soft eyes and the way she noticed the little things about her, she pushed her away. Scared to fall in love again, she built walls around her heart- making a promise to herself that she’ll never let herself feel that kind of pain ever again.

But it all changed when she met Aiah. She was nothing like Sophia. She’s predictable and she respects y/n and her career. For y/n, Aiah is her safe haven. Just feeling her presence is enough to take all of her stress away. The Cebuana didn’t mind it when y/n insisted on being friends first before the actress finally agreed on letting her court her almost a year later. Because to Aiah, y/n is worth the wait.

—

“You okay?” Mikaela questions the actress after sitting down on the monoblock next to her. 

Since Mikaela was free and she was in the area where y/n is currently filming in, she decided to check in on her friend. While the rest of the cast and crew ate their lunch somewhere else, y/n stayed inside her big tent that they turned into her dressing room since they were filming outdoors. She was rereading her script when Mikaela entered.

“Kinda.” She puts down her script, giving her full attention to the soon to be CEO.

Despite their intense conversation only hours ago, y/n felt thankful because she now knew the reason why her friends were so focused on her moving on and forgetting about Sophia. Mikaela felt the entire dynamic of their friend group change during the heated exchange, but they only need some time to cool off before bickering like children once again.

“Honestly, I never thought I’d see Kelvin be that angry.” Mikaela sparks up a conversation to fill in the silence. “Me neither.”

It was silent for a while before y/n spoke, “I got… overwhelmed.” Her friend faces her, letting her take her time before talking again.

“It was like the first time I met her again.” She admits while fiddling with her fingers. “When we were together, it felt like she never really left.” She continues before pausing once again. Mikaela reaches out, holding her hand to give her a little bit of comfort.

“I think I’ll never stop loving her.”

“There’s still a part of me that holds some space for her.” y/n’s confession confirmed what the other girl thought all along.

Mikaela always knew that y/n is a hopeless romantic. When she loves someone, she always gives her all. Sometimes only leaving little for herself. Love makes you dumb, and y/n fell victim to it. No matter how much Sophia could hurt her, she’ll still find new ways to be able to love her.

“I told Aiah.” Mikaela’s attention perks up at the mention of her name.

“She made me choose.”

—

After months of hard work, the movie finally wraps up. Everyone at the studio claps and cheers as y/n’s fellow castmates that were present in the scene initiates a group hug. Some tears were shed while others cheered in happiness. After pulling away, several squeals erupted surprising the actress.

“What’s happening?” She turns around to try and find the people who are squealing and she’s met by phones raised up. 

They’re filming something but y/n doesn’t know what it’s about, maybe it was because of their last day. But then, her eyes landed on a familiar figure.

It’s Aiah Arceta.

She has a wide smile present on her face, her eyes are already bright but it becomes even brighter once she sees y/n. She’s carrying a large bouquet of flowers, almost as big as her torso. Despite her cap’s visor producing a shadow over her face, y/n could see her irises twinkling along with the creases of her eye smile.

y/n feels the heat crawling up her neck as Aiah walks closer to her. The screams and screeches of both cast and crew deafens her ears for a second. All the while everyone else is freaking out, the Cebuana only has her eyes on the actress.

“Congrats ‘ga.” The pet name made y/n blush even harder and those who heard it screamed even louder. She reaches up, almost on her tippy toes to place a kiss on Aiah’s cheek before taking the flowers from her. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.”

“Kiss!” They laugh at the sudden request that the cast yells before everyone at the studio starts chanting it.

Aiah shoots y/n a suggestive look before winking, making the actress look away from her for a second. The Cebuana then pouts her lips out to y/n’s direction.

“You wish!” Aiah playfully juts out her bottom lip making y/n giggle before lightly hitting the Cebuana on her shoulder.

It didn’t take long for some of the crew to start cleaning up the set and for the rest of the cast to leave the studio. y/n on the other hand stays behind to have a quick chat with direk Cathy while Aiah volunteered to place the bouquet in her dressing room.

The hallways are pristine and quiet as she walks to the nearest elevator. y/n couldn’t help the smile from forming on her lips, remembering the way how Aiah looks at her, like she was the most precious thing in her entire world. 

Her smile instantly drops as she hears a voice from behind her.

“y/n!” She’s fuming and y/n did not need to look behind her to know how enraged she is. Even though she’s a distance away from her, she could feel her anger radiating off of her.

Sophia saw everything. From the way Aiah walked in, to y/n kissing her cheek, and to everyone chanting for them to kiss. She had heard of the rumors between y/n and Aiah ever since she landed in Manila and she tossed the idea of them aside once y/n spent the night with her. Sophia knows that y/n still loves her because she gave her a chance- that was the purpose of that date and it seemed like y/n didn’t want the night to end.

“What the hell was that, y/n?” Her voice was filled with anger, it was loud. It sent a chill down the actress’ spine.

“Nililigawan ka ba niya, ha?” y/n ignores her, she instead quickens her pace. 

“Don’t fucking ignore me, y/n! I need an explanation!”

y/n scoffs, she turns around. Finally facing Sophia whose face is almost red in anger.

“An explanation? I don’t need to say anything to you.” She turns back around but is stopped by Sophia grabbing her wrist.

“So you’re just going to pretend that nothing’s going on between us? After everything that I’ve done for you?” y/n manages to break free from her grip, taking this chance to continue on walking away.

Sophia huffs, “How many times do I have to say sorry to you to get you back?” 

“Do I need to stay and watch you on the set? Do I need to sing to you on your doorstep?”

“Tell me!” y/n stops and turns around quickly to face her.

“Did you feel like an idiot doing shit around for nothing? Nagmukha ka lang tanga, diba? Tapos hindi mo alam kung baka mamaya meron na pala siyang iba but you’re still waiting on her because maybe you might get a second chance. Does that feel familiar?” 

Sophia’s eyes soften, taking a step closer to her. “y/n, I promise you that I-”

“And how can I be sure that you wouldn’t leave me alone again?” Tears are now welling in y/n’s eyes while looking at Sophia who is now filled with guilt and sorrow.

“That you wouldn’t just suddenly get up and leave when you find the chance to?”

“How can I be sure that you won’t kiss Leon again before disappearing on me?” Sophia’s eyes widened at the mention of the kiss, not expecting for y/n to know something about it.

“That was only one time, y/n. I regretted it immediately.” She takes another step closer to y/n and tries to take her hands in hers but the actress won’t let her touch her. She pulled her hand away quickly like Sophia’s skin had burnt her.

“That doesn’t matter because you still cheated on me!” As she blinks, her tears start to fall down, unable to hold it back anymore.

“I kept asking myself why, why did you leave me like that? I didn’t know if I did something wrong or if I hurt you in some way. Did I not support you enough? Was my love not enough?”

“No y/n. Don’t say that. You were perfect, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why did you leave me?!”

“Because I was scared!” Sophia finally reveals. “I was scared, y/n. I couldn’t get myself to tell you because I knew that if I saw you, I wouldn’t be able to leave.”

“You still should’ve told me.” y/n’s voice is weak. “No matter how hard it was.” The damage had already been done. The way Sophia left her and for her to kiss somebody else that wasn’t her. She couldn’t take it anymore, it hurt her, too much. 

“My heart died the day that you left. I can’t trust you anymore, Sophia.” The singer’s heart drops at y/n’s words.

“I’m really sorry y/n, I’m really sorry. Please give me another chance, I’ll do better. I won’t leave you again. Ever. Just please, be mine again.” 

Never in her life Sophia expected herself to beg someone but if there’s a slight chance that her begging could change y/n’s mind, she’ll do it because she doesn’t know how to let y/n go. 

“I can’t.” y/n leaves. Leaving Sophia alone in the hallway, crying because she just lost the love of her life.

“You should stop bothering y/n.” The sudden arrival of Princess startles Sophia, making her turn around to face the girl. “Cess-”

“Sophia, you’re my friend. But I can’t let you do this to y/n.” Her cold tone gives the singer goosebumps.

“I just want her back, Cess. I love her-”

“No.” She immediately disallows Sophia. “Are you sure that you truly love her?” She opens her mouth to speak but Cess preempts her.

“You weren’t there when she wanted to give up everything. I watched her slowly destroy herself after you left.” She takes a menacing step towards the singer.

“I was the one who helped her take a bath because she vomited all over herself dahil lasing na lasing siya.” Silent tears streamed down Sophia’s face as she didn’t know what exactly happened to y/n after she left.

“We were the ones who found her passed out on the fucking street, not you.” Cess seethes through her teeth.

“If you truly loved her, you would’ve called. But you didn’t.” She couldn’t say anything, she couldn’t look Cess in the eyes. She could only look down on the floor, watching her tears fall down.

“This is the first time I’ve seen her happy in a long time. Masaya na siya, Sophia.”

“So please, let her go.” Cess leaves, leaving Sophia alone with her thoughts.

A wide smile is present in y/n’s face as she walks with a pep in her step. She had just gotten a call from a casting director, telling her that she’s the one they picked for the supporting actor on an upcoming romantic comedy film. So she immediately heads to the Laforteza household to tell her girlfriend, Sophia, the good news. 

The couple have been anxiously waiting for y/n to get a call from someone involved in the movie because this will be her biggest project yet. Being a supporting character in a show made her be able to buy herself her own condo, imagine how much she could make in a movie.

Upon entering the home, tito Godfrey immediately greets her.

“Tito, is Sophia here? I’m going to tell her that I got the role.” Excitement rushes through y/n’s veins but her nerves suddenly shoot up when she sees his confused expression.

“Did Sophia not tell you, y/n?”

“Tell me what?” He then places a hand on her shoulder.

“She just left this morning.” Confusion engulfs y/n like a weighted blanket. “To where?”

“To California, for dream academy.”

It was like a cold ice bucket had been dumped onto her head once she heard the news. She had never heard from Sophia about this “thing”. y/n didn’t even know that she auditioned for this. No one in their friend group knew about it either.

Tears started to form in her eyes. Godfrey sees this and immediately gives her a comforting hug. y/n felt betrayed because she never thought that her girlfriend of three years could manage to do something like this to her and to her friends. Because just like a snap of a finger, Sophia took y/n’s heart and trust with her and dumped it into the ocean.

y/n kept texting and trying to call Sophia but to no avail. It had already been days since she left and y/n hasn’t heard from her ever since. She even asked both tito and tita about Sophia. They said that she was doing fine but she never once asked about y/n.

The days became weeks and the weeks turned into months. Nothing. It truly broke y/n. And all she can think about is: why?

—

It hadn’t even been an hour when the videos of Aiah surprising y/n at the studio started to spread everywhere. They say that the devil works hard but the fans work even harder. People had already started to compile every video interaction the two girls have, creating an elaborate timeline of their relationship.

With the buzz of the surprising incident, the rumors spread like wildfire when videos of the afterparty were posted in instagram stories and posts. y/n and Aiah were frequently seen in the background dancing with each other and there’s even a blurry video with them in the background looking like they were drunkenly making out with y/n sitting on Aiah’s lap.

It pissed Sophia off seeing how she couldn’t open her phone without getting bombarded by posts detailing how y/n and Aiah met and how they got together as well as their interactions at the club. The girls saw how riled up Sophia was and they were a little bit afraid of their leader because they didn’t know the reason why she’s looking at her phone like it had just killed her entire family.

While she’s trying her best not to throw her phone away while scrolling, a sudden commotion tears her gaze away from her phone. They were waiting in their dressing room for someone to fetch them to go to the next venue so Sophia thought that they were about to leave but she’s met by the sight of the person who’s currently making her fume in anger.

There she is, standing in the doorway. Bini’s Aiah. Holding several paper bags to give to the girls as gifts. While the girls immediately stood up to take the bags from her hold, she stayed in her seat- observing how she politely smiles while talking to Manon.

As the Bini member starts to say goodbye to the girls of Katseye, Sophia stands up earning confused and surprised looks from the girls. She hurriedly walks over to Aiah, pushing her to the hallway as she slams the door right behind her, startling the Cebuana.

“Leave y/n alone.” Her tone is filled with hostility, glaring at the girl before her.

Sophia doesn’t even bother to look around the hallway to check if there are people who can watch and hear them, focused on confronting the girl who looks at her with a puzzled expression. 

“What?”

“You heard me clearly. She’s mine, Aiah.”

“What makes you think that I’ll give her to you?” Her calmness ticks off Sophia.

“She’s making you wait for too long, don’t you think?” This time, Sophia has a smug look on her face as she recalls her parents telling her news about y/n’s new suitor. “If I were you, I’d stop and find somebody else.” 

A taunting smile appears on Sophia’s lips, “You don’t deserve y/n.”

“And you think you deserve her?” Aiah immediately counters. “Yes. Because she still loves me.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because I felt it in her kiss, how she deepened it while she held on to me, tight.” Aiah stays silent but Sophia could clearly see how she’s holding back. But it bothers her, she’s way too calm while being confronted by her.

“So save yourself some time and leave her. Before she comes back running to me.” Still, Aiah says nothing. “Don’t tell me that you’re not threatened by me.”

The Cebuana finally speaks with calmness present in her tone.

“I know about what happened between you and y/n. She knocked on my door crying at 5 am.” She looks down at the floor, deep in thought.

“When she told me, I was angry, jealous, hurt. I still am but…” She pauses, looking back up to make eye contact with Sophia.

“I’m willing to look past that.”

Aiah’s words stuns Sophia, clearly not expecting this kind of response from the other girl. They’re fighting about y/n, she’s supposed to be angry, not calm and collected like this.

“Because my love for her is greater than her mistakes and flaws.”

Sophia asks her a question. Her voice now quiet, afraid of Aiah’s answer. “How are you sure that she loves you back?”

“Because she chose me.” Sophia could feel her heart stop.

“y/n said yes to me.”

When she walked right out of Kelvin’s restobar, she immediately knew who she was going to go to. Her blurry eyesight due to her tears made it difficult for her to see clearly while driving but her muscle memory kicked in. In under 20 minutes, she arrived right outside her doorstep. y/n knocks four times at the door, just like she always does. It took a while for the door to swing open because it was already past 5 am in the morning.

Aiah’s hair is messy, she had just gotten out of bed. She’s squinting, eyes still adjusting to the lights. But once she sees y/n’s disheveled figure, she instantly wakes up. Within a second, y/n’s arms are already around her, embracing her tightly while sobbing into her shoulder. She closes the door and rubs her hand comfortingly up and down her back.

She then moves her to her couch, letting y/n sit down before grabbing a bottle of water for her. The actress takes a sip, her hands are visibly shaking around the plastic bottle. She couldn’t look Aiah directly in the eyes after what she’s done.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Aiah. Fuck. I don’t deserve you.” Her voice is hoarse and squeaky, trembling. The Cebuana sits down beside her, placing a hand on her thigh to comfort her. 

“Why? What happened, langga?” y/n couldn’t take it. Aiah’s voice was too sweet. She really didn’t deserve her. y/n shifts in her seat and she sees it: a red mark peeking out of y/n’s collar. 

Aiah froze, her hand on y/n’s thigh tenses up.

y/n immediately knew that she saw the hickey when Aiah didn’t say anything while staring at her collarbones. y/n hated the silence that followed, she could hear her heart thumping and the blood rushing through her veins. But Aiah wanted to hear the truth from her directly.

“I slept with her.” She swallows. 

“It was that night that I didn’t come home.” She stared at her fingers, nervously picking at the hangnail that appeared at the side of her nail. Ever since Aiah had started courting her, she basically moved into Aiah’s condo as well. They managed to have a  domestic life aside from their grueling careers.

The Cebuana thought that she was working the entire night and day knowing how hectic it became since the movie’s filming was about to end. So she didn’t overthink about it since the unusual work hours were all a part of an actor’s job. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be jealous because she had no right to be. They weren’t in an official relationship, she’s only y/n’s suitor, but still. It was unfair to her.

“I know that you’re taking your time and that you miss her, but please, don’t hurt me, y/n.” Aiah places a finger under y/n’s chin, tilting her head to make the actress look at her directly in her eyes.

y/n sees her eyes become glassy, vulnerably looking at her with her jaw tight. She can see the hurt, jealousy, and anger in her eyes. She hated how Aiah still looks at her like she was her entire world despite hurting her.

“It isn’t fair, y/n. To me and to Sophia.” y/n closes her eyes, feeling the hot tears slowly drip down her face. The Cebuana takes her hands into hers, holding it tight.

“I love you, y/n.”

“But you need to choose.”

Her mind recalls the way Sophia's eyes shone like glitter under the moonlight, how she gently touched her skin like she was afraid she would suddenly turn into ashes. The way her eyes always light up as soon as she sees her. How she cried when y/n said yes to her because she was so happy, like she was the luckiest girl in the whole universe. But her memories of Sophia become tainted as she remembers how easily she left her alone, how she gave Leon the proper goodbye and not them. 

Once she saw Aiah’s eyes, she instantly knew her answer. She didn’t need to think much because the answer has always been in front of her. She just needed to realise it and see it for herself.

“It’s you, Aiah.”

“It’s always been you.”

y/n cups her cheeks into her hands, seeing how Aiah’s eyes became even brighter like she had finally made it. A smile breaks out of her face before leaning in to kiss y/n’s lips. She pours all of her emotions into the kiss, knowing that words are not enough to show her love to y/n.

“I love  you too, Aiah.”