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Ilyong didn’t like how his heart felt around Goyong. Particularly today - or any given moment he was around that stupid basketball heartthrob. Right now, he could feel his own labored breathing. He could feel the unstable heartbeat knocking beneath his ribs. Goyong, with that stupid big smile he gave everyone, the one that made girls weak. Ilyong hated him for it.
The afternoon hadn’t helped. He’d spent the day there, reading after dismissal. A copy of Lois Lowry’s
The Giver
, and
Twice Blessed
. Some would say it was too heavy for him, but Ilyong didn’t mind. The reading had given his mind some rest. The books were all new, fairly recent. The buzz of the aircon was not a lull. The smell was lemon-y, fresh and it meshed with the smell of the old books in the library.
Ilyong had spotted Vince’s
katchupoy
, peeking from the library aisle during lunch break. But it was just another day at the library, he supposed. He massaged his temples. Breathed in and out.
Ilyong heard the door open, then close with a creak.
“Andito ka pala, Ilyong. Sinabi kasi ni Vince na nakita ka niya rito.”
He’d known that voice anywhere. Ilyong snorted, then craned his head. Goyo, then now,
Goyong
.
“Oo, andito nga.” Ilyong eased in his chair, as Goyong came closer. His hair was wet, from the afternoon practice of basketball. He smelled of sweat.
Goyo’s arms wrapped around him. His hug was warm. He gave Ilyong’s shoulder a squeeze - a rather tight one.
“Babe.”
“Gago ka talaga.” Ilyong sighed. He inspected Goyong’s face. It took a while getting used to, this one. Man, it had been a while, even if it was just for a day. They both had separate lives, after all. This
togetherness
just needed taking used to for a while.
It was really the small ironies, that made it insufferable at first, too.
Goyong laughed. And Ilyong could tell it was a genuine one.
“Babe naman talaga o.” He pressed his forehead against Ilyong’s. Ilyong could feel his cheeks heat up.
Gagi
, he looked like a beet by now. His dignity, gone. And Goyong was the cause of it all.
“Gagi.”
Really, rivalries didn’t end up like this. It was a long story how this happened. Romance was and
had been
hardly an option in his mind. He could imagine his favorite teacher, Mr. Bonifacio, paling if he ever found out.
“Naisip kita ngayon.”
“Lagi naman ata mo akong iniisip,” Ilyong huffed, as Goyong fished in his schoolbag. He set down a new book.
Ilyong eyed the title.
A Game of Thrones.
“Para sa iyo.” Goyong grinned. “Bago lang yan.”
Ilyong tried his hardest not to blush again - and failed. His fingers wrapped around the plastic-covered book.
“... Thanks.”
Goyong pulled out a chair. It made quite the small creak, in the large recesses of the library. Here in the late afternoon, there was only them.
“Walang anuman.” With that, Goyong kissed his cheek.