JL’s hand is in her waist. They awkwardly got up; he offered his hand to help Naomi stand. She grabbed it but she refuses to return a glance at JL. “Thank you” she simply said. JL grabbed her waist and made her face him. He caressed Naomi’s face, “Why are you embarrassed?” he asked. She stubbornly looked away, “You kissed me… in my lips” she replied.
“Didn’t you like it?” he asked once again. Naomi answered, “It’s not that I didn’t like it. I just got surprised by that sudden move”. JL chuckled and carried her in a bridal style, “Let’s go to paint wars. None of us knows how to play this sport anyway” he said and wore the most charming smile Naomi loves. She’s now clinging to him close enough to hear his heartbeat.
With a white shirt they entered the event. It’s almost nine in the morning when they got there. They bought non toxic washable paints and colored powders to satisfy the event. They joined the fun run with hands holding each other’s. He wiped her sweat and handed her a bottle of water, “Can you finish it?” he asked. Naomi replied, “I can. Just hold my hand tightly”. And so they did, they conquered the runway.
After the long fun run, they were gathered in a space where a chopper sprayed waters to wet their shirts. Just as quickly, paints started to accumulate in the air, coloring every white spot in their shirts. JL drew a heart in Naomi’s cheek and took a photo of it. They played paint on each other until they get messy.
As the colors disperse in the air, the two had the chance again to take it as a slow moment to be obsessed with each other’s presence. Naomi’s braided hair was sprinkled with dust powders colored in a rainbow. His thick and styled hair is stained with it also; Naomi carefully tiptoed to reach his hair. JL bowed down for her to reach his hair. Naomi chuckled as she carefully dusted off the colored powders in JL’s hair. It is smooth and wavy. Its natural almond brown hair contrasted more with the sunlight.
The second wave of the spraying of water washed off every visible stain in their shirts. JL wiped off the paint in Naomi’s face. “This is such a mess” he said chucklingly. Under the spraying water he leaned closer, giving her a kiss longer than the first one. In this time, she felt JL’s sincerity towards her. She kissed back and pressed their bodies together. They felt that they were only the two of them in the area. Kissing under a fake rain felt as romantic as the original ones.
They pulled off each other; contentment in their eyes and their laughter convey so much joy. Their overflowing emotion is knitted by love. He hugged her tight; their hearts parallel with each other as they watch the colors carefully dispersing in the atmosphere. The two stopped by a convenience store to fetch ice cream that Naomi requested. A double dutch for her and a pistachio cashew for him.
They both took a dip on each other’s flavor preference, making them familiarized which other. “Less sugar, mild flavor, plainly loving it” JL answered when Naomi asked her why he chose the flavor. The two were not contented with the snack thinking it is also lunch time. “Let’s grab lunch. I bet you are already starving also” JL said and pulled her to the car.
They checked in a beach resort nearby. JL wore his Dior sunglasses as he waits Naomi who’s changing to her swimsuit. He’s wearing a graphic muscle tee and swimming trunks. His pale white skin is ready to get tanned in a while. After a while, Naomi got out of the dressing room wearing a transparent topper and a two piece H&M summer collection bikini inside.
He gently pulled down his sunglasses to glance at her in a natural view. It is his first time to see her body curves, small waist, and well sized breasts. Her skin without any coarseness. She walked to him casually and turned around, “Does this suit me?” she asked. JL smiled, “You look lovely” he replied. Few guys looked at her; it is undeniable, her flowy curly hair blown by the wind matched her overall look. JL went to her, his arms covering her revealing back to prevent guys staring at it.
“No need to be so possessive. It is normal here in the beach” Naomi whispered. “No, you can’t stop me” he said and gently pulled off the muscle tee he is wearing. It is his first time stripping a cloth in public. His two packed abs are impressive. His scars are lit by the sunlight in which he felt quite insecure. Naomi glanced at him; his emotions are blank.
His body is well built in a way that some girls are eyeing at him. Naomi rolled her eyes, “So many girls are sighting on you” she said. JL looked at her, “That’s how I feel when the guys are looking at you earlier” he replied. He pulled her to the waters; soft sands were greeting their feet.
“Your muscles are mild ripped. How long did you work on that?” Naomi asked; feeling JL’s chest in her hand. “Just about four months” he replied. The server called up their attention; the set up in the sandy ground consists of a mini table on top of a mandala carpet. A vegetable salad is offered in a large bowl partnering their preferred drinks.
They held hands going to the meal setup. Naomi ordered a coconut juice straight from its shell with a spirally shaped straw and an umbrella design. JL on the other hand, ordered a melon milk shake – his favorite drink in that beach resort. Naomi held her straw while glancing at JL who’s really enjoying his drink. He looked back, “Don’t you like what you ordered?” he asked. Naomi shrugged, “I suddenly realized like I don’t feel like drinking this” she answered and moved aside the coconut juice.
“I’ll ask the waiter to get you another one” JL uttered and was about to raise his hand. Naomi stopped him, “No, it’s alright” she said. She gently pulled out the straw from her drink and placed it on JL’s. JL watched her and was expecting something. “I want it more if shared with you” she said with a wink. He smiled; dental braces on his teeth are exposed. Just as that, they shared the melon milk shake JL ordered partnering the veggie salad.
They savored the time playing in the beach’s waters. They didn’t think about time and the people approaching them in their phones. JL carried her in his back and took her to the deep part of the beach. He uttered, “This is how it feels to be six foot tall”. Naomi looked up to the sky. “It is about to get dark again. The sun is about to set” she said.
They went back to the sands and sat on the carpet they used for the meal. They went under the flannel blanket’s warmth. Their skins touching each other’s. They carefully watched the sunset and breathed heavily. “Guess we’ll be home in a while” JL said. Naomi sighed, “I wish I can stay for a little while” she replied. JL chuckled, “Our parents will kill us if we extend a little longer. You know I lied about our destination. What they know is that I will attend an overnight acquaintance party” he said.
“My parents didn’t know. They won’t mind anyway. Just me going home safely is already enough for them” she shared. Little by little, JL is getting knowledgeable of Naomi’s family while he, doesn’t dare to open anything explicit regarding his family and their legacy. JL held her hand and placed a kiss on it as he usually does.
After a little boho dinner meal in the same place, they packed up and readied to retreat back home. He opened the door for her and led her the way. She gladly held JL’s hand and as usual, the buckling of seatbelt became romantic for the both of them. He went to the opposite door and started the engine. He drove smooth and sound with slow romantic songs in the car’s radio.
The dark sky is lit by the crescent moon and the numerous counts of stars. Naomi opened her phone and scrolled in her photo gallery. “I want to post these pictures in facebook. Do you have an account?” Naomi asked. JL shook his head, “I barely had time using my phone that I didn’t notice I am out of the trend” he answered. Naomi nodded and started to post some of their snaps in her social media account.
No captions, just plain faces plastered with smiles and joy. They talked, several times until they had silence. The way back home doesn’t take time but Naomi slept on their way while hugging JL’s blanket. When they entered the subdivision, he avoided parking in front of Naomi’s house. He opened the car’s trunk and unloaded Naomi’s things. He opened the passenger’s seat and took off the seatbelt holding Naomi in her place.
He gently shook Naomi’s shoulder. “Naomi, we’re already here” he said gently; his voice toning like a lullaby. Naomi faked a sleep and let JL call her name with a melodious tone. Her angelic face makes him want to stare at her for a long time. He continued waking her up when she noticed a faint smirk on Naomi’s lips. He chuckled; he went near and placed a kiss on Naomi’s lips. “I bet sleeping beauty got really, really exhausted” he teasingly said.
Naomi opened her eyes and pulled JL’s neck close to her. She started the kiss they both enjoyed for a minute or two. She touched the collar of the mint green ASOS polo of JL as she pulls him closer and closer. “Come on, we might get caught” JL said with a smirk. The light in the street post guided them under. For another time, they posed cutely in the camera. Naomi carried her bags alone and made her way.
JL walked back and was about to go inside the car when Naomi hugged him in his back. He held Naomi’s hand wrapped around his waist. “Did you miss me that fast?” JL asked. He faced her and caressed her cheeks. “I forgot to give you something” she said and pulled out a small box from her sling bag. She opened it and quickly buckled it on JL’s wrist.
“This bracelet has a pendant of a moon. It is paired with mine – one that has a pendant of a sun” she said. The moon’s figure is filled with diamond bits while hers is composed of rubies and topazes. “This one is cute. Thanks” JL replied. For the last time, he kissed her cheeks and went inside the car to return to their house.
The housekeeper opened the garage’s gate for him to enter. He asked them also to unload everything in the car trunk. He walked inside while wearing a wide smile and while caressing the bracelet Naomi gave earlier. It is silver and the moon pendant is linked as if it is a chain. Dior approached him in the staircase. “You look so happy for someone who just attended an acquaintance party” he said.
His emotions suddenly went blank and cold. “Who says I’m happy?” he asked sarcastically. “Maybe you don’t know me well dear cousin” he said and pouted to point the bracelet in JL’s wrist. He can’t deny no more. He signaled him to shut up. “Alright you got me there. Just don’t tell the others yet. She’s still not mine” JL said in a whispering tone. Dior chuckled, “I knew it from the start. Goodluck on that, buddy” he said and tapped on JL’s shoulder.
Suddenly, a gossiper popped out in their conversation. Dior shrugged and proceeded to going inside his room. Lorenzia poked his side, “So, how did it go?” she asked. JL smiled, “It went very, very well that I want to extend a few more days” he replied. Lorenzia got romantically excited for the two. “You should make things work for the two of you. Dream well, cousin” she said and continued applying the mud pack in her face.
Naomi went inside their house while holding loads of baggage full of new stuffs JL bought for their escapade. Therese approached her daughter, “Gilda said you left the house holding nothing. Now you got a baggage. Where did you get that?” she asked. Naomi lied naturally, “I went to an escapade and I shopped a lot with my friends” she said; such a bratty girl. Therese raised her eyebrows and left her. Naomi blew a loud gasp, “That was close” she whispered.
She changed into a silky sleepwear and checked on her facebook wall. Their photos were liked by numerous people excluding her and JL’s family, especially their parents. Lorenzia viewed her post and even reacted on it. JL’s topless body makes her shiver. At school, he doesn’t seem to have that kind of a body build. She changed JL’s contact photo in her phone with something she took in their escapade.
She had every memory embossed in her mind and in her heart. Due to some attachments, she found herself dialing JL’s phone number. He quickly picked up. “I miss you” she started; she heard JL’s chuckle on the other line, “I miss you too” he replied. They talked for a while and few stories were their topics. “I heard a new movie that got released last year will be released here in our country this month. Want to watch it with me sometime? I have a copy” she said.
She heard none on the other line. She smiled, “You got really exhausted, huh? Have a good dream, JL. I love you always” she said upon realizing. She kissed her phone’s screen and dropped the call to sleep also. One night and two days for them felt like forever. Their utopia has just begun, and there are more to come. Just like what Naomi said, they still have a long way to go.
They still haven’t faced any challenge in this relationship as it hasn’t started with a label yet. Will she accept the masked JL in front of her? What if a bratty teenager like her really goes into a relationship with a guy who can’t even fight for his own self?