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 he’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 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.
