The Magus and His Alpha

"So, this is it, babe." After steering the wheel on the right as he maneuvered his SUV to park temporarily at the front of the departure area of the airport, a young man with broad shoulders then glanced at the passenger side where another broad-shouldered, fair-skinned young man was seated while absentmindedly looking straight ahead at the windshield of the car. He eyed the guy seated on his right with a smile but then shifted his mood when the other guy began to frown. Just looking at the side profile, the passenger seemed to encounter a momentary mood swing before he began to utter. "You know, you can still follow me after your client's meeting in Manila. You can re-book your ticket by then." "It's possible boo. Don't worry. I will make another booking for Boracay after the client meeting." Roseller attempted to lighten the mood despite the anxiety about his lover, Justin Roque, flying to the famous tropical island for a property hunt aside from vacationing by himself. They intended to take the needed vacation months prior until Roseller Estrella got two messages from his respective clients, demanding to change the meeting schedules because of immediate commitments. Unfortunately, the schedules conflicted with their vacation period in Boracay. Despite his attempts to plead, it seemed it was futile considering his position as service provider in contract over his clients. Moreover, these clients brought lucrative deals for him. "Let me give you a kiss before you get out." Roseller radiated a smile before smooching his way to his boyfriend. Despite being temperamental, Justin Roque eagerly awaited the kiss. His positive response assured his lover, Roseller, that things would be okay. They embraced inside the car and then they lengthened their embrace before Roseller watched his lover heading towards the entrance gate of the departure area. He wanted things to be okay amidst the anxiety and the pressure he might have facing his clients, before following Justin and experiencing the sands and the sunny weather by the beach. ___________________________ Driving home from a project meeting, Roseller braved the traffic on Cardinal Rosales St. on a dusky rainy afternoon while he was momentarily stuck in heavy traffic. Silently cursing, he watched the road as the increasing number of cars got stuck with other vehicles. Roseller was increasingly concerned about the almost zero visibility despite the illuminating street lamps in a busy business district of Cebu. His mood progressively began to match with the current weather though. He blamed the weather for making him complacent, committing a light felony in using a mobile phone inside the vehicle. But the heavy traffic gave him an excuse, knowing others would also do the same— scrolling their phones while being updated on the recent traffic as well as checking their friends' updates on social media. He was pretty sure others would post complaints about the traffic using their phones on their social media profiles. So he was not really bothered by his encroachment on road ethics. However, his mood began to go south as he chanced upon a recent update of a certain friend on social media. That 'friend' was recently on a vacation in Boracay. It was just two days ago when Roseller drove him to the airport, silently anxious about his departure while demonstrating a happy smile to that departing friend. Roseller got startled as he sensed his vibrating phone. Aida. His other close friend. He knew she would call. He pressed the button on the screen to take it. "Ros! Where are you right now?!?" Roseller began to get annoyed with that initial greeting. "I'm stuck in traffic. How are you, dear friend?" Roseller replied with a sneer. On the other end, Aida sensed the sarcasm and annoyance but she didn't mind at all, understanding his situation while making an assumption of his current disposition. She instead tried to proceed with this line: "Have you seen Justin's update?" She paused. "I think he had a blast in Boracay. It's expected of him to mingle with other people. I know why you would call but I already sensed it anyway. Or perhaps, it's just me getting slightly paranoid about this relationship thing while the other is miles away for a few days. But then, it would be unfair if I could not get his side of the story. Perhaps he was surprised to get kissed by that hunk." He deliberately emphasized the word 'hunk', modifying the other person getting cozy with his special friend, Justin. "Well, you're a psychic but still…" Aida made a reluctant pause but she hesitatingly continued, "But still, it's unfair of you to see that. You're my friend and yet even I would get hurt if my friend was being betrayed… or that's what I thought after se-e-ing that pic…" She began to stutter. "I consider this a love trial. You probably forget that Justin and I started as best friends. We went down this road of a special relationship barely ten months ago." He paused as he consciously listened to the downpour, hitting the roof of his car. The rain was getting heavier. And so was his emotion. But he knew he could be stronger… emotionally. Aida began to hear the sputtering sound of the rain on Roseller's line. She decided to end the call but she still asked her friend about his recent whereabouts. "Are you still stuck in traffic?" "I am." "Drive home safely." "I will. Thanks." Roseller eventually sensed movement in traffic. The distance of a 10-minute drive from his home became over an hour. It is not a usual thing for him, but he already felt that a series of misfortunes might happen to begin with this traffic. After the call with Aida, Roseller began to ponder about his plans. He had already made a forecast of the eventualities of his relationship. But he still gambled. Perhaps he wanted to become adventurous in love beyond college after years of being cautious and being more serious with his studies. However, he felt that being adventurous in romance would lead him to lustful affairs, so he initially decided to stick to a person whom he could trust for a long time. And there was no other person whom he could relay that trust, other than Justin. When he returned home, Roseller slumped his body on a sofa, feeling the aches and exhaustion in his body. Looking at the family picture on a table in the living room, Roseller remembered that it had been seven years since his family experienced their rise from poverty. He gradually thought of the years— from establishing a flower shop to the expansion that now included a landscaping business, a bed and breakfast, and a cafe in Dalaguete targeted at tourists and mountain trekkers and three franchised convenience stores, with one in their hometown while the other two were located in the neighboring cities within Cebu metropolis. He could have been involved in the management of the expanded family business but he had decided not to. He desired to make it on his own as a novelist with a reputable brand online. But that ambition would take a few more years to realize as he dabbled in online marketing with a focus on content management. Nevertheless, the success of his family's bed and breakfast business with a cafe in their hometown was because of his efforts in online promotion. So, even though he was not thoroughly hands-on in management, his contribution would still be deemed important in their family fortune. “I miss them and I miss him,” Roseller muttered in the dark. His reminiscing came to an abrupt end when he was alarmed by the vibration in his pocket. He looked at the mobile phone screen with the text 'Mama" on it.