A Kiss to Life

Chapter 14: Arts

Noah and I stayed in the garden for an hour and we were just talking about random things before we decided to stroll again. We went into a well-known clothing shop and purchased two plain colored shirts for each other. He said it’s our couple's shirt.

We also went to a shop that sells helmets and accessories for motorcycle.

“Pili ka ng gusto mo,” he told me when we get inside.

“Huh? Para saan?”

“Para pwede kitang i-angkas sa motor?” He said and that’s when I remembered that he has one!

“Right. Hindi mo pa nae-explain sa akin yan,” I told him.

Natawa naman siya. “Naisip ko lang na kailangan ko pala ng sariling sasakyan para pag umalis na ako sa inyo, may magagamit ako para mapuntahan ka. Kaso, hindi ko pa kayang bumili ng kotse kaya motor na lang muna. Saka na siguro ang kotse pag may pambili na ako,” he explained while checking each helmet in front of us.

He bought it because of me. Me.

“Hindi ba delikado ‘yun?” I asked and started checking the helmet as well.

“Mag-iingat naman ako lagi,” he answered and lifted a helmet. “Gusto mo nito?”

“You better make sure, Noah,” I told him and checked the helmet. “What color is your helmet?” I then asked.

“Black,” he answered.

“I’ll get the black one, too, then,” I said and pointed at the black helmet beside him.

“Ayaw mo nito?” He asked, pointing at the pink helmet he was holding.

I shook my head. “Gusto ko ng kakulay ng sayo, para couple’s helmet tayo,” I said, teasing him the same way he teased me when we bought our couple’s shirts earlier.

“Sige na nga,” he said and took the helmet I chose to the cashier. I followed him as I got my card from my wallet.

“Here.” I handed him my card.

“Para saan yan?” he asked, brows creased.

“I will pay for my helmet,” I said.

“Ako na,” he said and handed a few blue bills to the cashier.

“Noah, kanina ka pa bayad nang bayad sa mga binibili natin. Let me pay for this one since I will be the one using it,” I still insisted.

“Hindi na. Ako ang bahala sa lahat,” he said and when the cashier handed him the receipt and put the helmet in the box, I knew I couldn't do anything about it anymore.

We left the shop shortly after. He was holding my hand with his left hand, while his other hand was carrying the box and paperbag of what we purchased. I asked him to give me the paperbag but he refused. He said he can’t carry both and he just wants me to hold his hand.

I don’t argue with him and let him do it, besides, I am enjoying walking with our hands intertwined.

“May gusto ka pa bang puntahan o bilhin?” he asked when we’re in escalator.

I shook my head immediately. “I’m good,” I said because I knew if I said yes, he would insist on paying for it.

“Sure?”

“Yes, sure. Punta na tayo sa Cubao,” I told him.

Tumango naman siya at wala nang sinabi. “Huwag ka munang pumasok, mainit pa,” he told me when we arrived at the parking lot and stood beside my car.

He said let’s just wait for the car’s temperature to cool down before we’ll get in. So, habang naghihintay, iniligay muna n’ya sa backseat ang mga pinamili namin kanina.

It was five minutes after he told me we could get inside the car. At tulad ng lagi niyang ginagawa, sinigurado muna niyang kumportable ako sa upuan ko bago siya sumakay.

“Saan tayo sa Cubao?” He asked, ready to leave.

I smirked and said, “Drive ka lang muna hanggang Cubao Expo, tapos turo ko na lang sayo yung exact location nung place pagdating dun.”

“Okay,” he said and started driving. And since we were just coming from SM North, it didn’t take us that long to get to Cubao Expo. At tulad ng sinabi ko, itinuro ko na lang sa kaniya ang daan papunta sa lugar na gusto kong puntahan.

“Here?” Noah asked when we reached our next destination’s parking lot.

“Yeah?”

“Why?” he asked, taking a deep breath. “Sabi mo dati hindi mo gusto yung mga ganitong lugar? ‘Di ba, sensitive ang mga mata sa makukulit na ilaw kaya ayaw mo sa ganito?” he asked, still bewildered that I brought him here.

I shrugged and said, “I know how much you love the arts, so…”

“Pero sasakit ang mata mo?”

“I came prepared,” I said and took out my sunglasses. “This will do,” I added.

Art in Island

I have been meaning to go here with him since I saw it from a post on f*******:. I know that if there’s one place that he will truly enjoy, it is a place where he is surrounded by art. And today is the day I knew I should bring him here, because in the coming weeks, we will be busy with his on-the-job training. I am always busy, too, and this is my free time before I start reviewing for my final exams.

Noah took a deep sigh, he was looking at me and I knew he wanted to say something but he couldn't find any words to say.

“Let’s go?” I asked.

“Sandali,” he stopped me.

“Why?”

“Hihinga lang ako,” he said. “Kanina mo pa ako pina-pakilig, e.”

“What?” I asked, laughing.

Noah shook his head and rested it on the headrest after. “Mahal na mahal talaga kita.” He reached for my hand and kissed the back of it.

“Mahal na mahal din kita, Noah,” I assured him. “And it makes me happy to see you happy.”

He nodded and replied, “Alam ko at ramdam na ramdam ko. Ang sarap-sarap lang sa pakiramdam na mahal ka rin ng taong mahal mo.”

Hearing him say that warms my heart. I realized he thinks of that the same way I am thinking that. That we are both amazed to be loved by each other. It feels… warmer.

“I… I feel the same,” I uttered, squeezing his hand. “I always think of it and it feels amazing to experience this kind of love from you,” I told him.

“I love loving you, Amaris,” he said. “And I have never felt loved this much by someone.”

“I love loving you, too, Noah. And I promise to always make you feel loved just like how you always make me feel it,” I answered.

“Ang swerte ko talaga. Wala na akong dahilan para mag reklamo pa sa simpleng bagay na pakiramdam ko mahirap gawin,” he breathed. “Naiinip na tuloy akong maging successful para hindi na iisipin ng iba na nagkamali ka sa pagpili sa akin,”

“Hindi mo kailangang isipin ang sasabihin ng iba, Noah.”

“Mahirap iwasan,” ani niya.

I cupped his face. “Ganito lang, sa tuwing sa tingin mo ay may nasasabi ang iba tungkol sa atin, mas isipin mong sa bawat salita nila, mas lalo kitang minamahal. Na tuwing sasabihin nilang hindi tayo para sa isa’t-isa, isipin mong naghihintay ako na dumating yung araw na pwede na tayong mag… pakasal,” I said, a bit shy at my last word.

Noah’s eyes soften more and he said, “Hindi parin ako makapaniwala na gusto mong makasal saakin.”

I rolled my eyes and replied, “What’s the point of being in a relationship with each other if we don’t see each other as someone we will marry in the future.”

He chuckle. “Baka lang kasi ma-realize mo na hindi pala ako ang para sa’yo,” he said and shrugged.

“Noah!” I called him and slapped his arm. “I was dating you in the hope that you will be the one I will spend this lifetime with, but today, I realized that it is really you that I want to grow old with. I want you to be mine the rest of our lives,” I told him, pouting.

He took a deep sigh again and held my hand lighter. “Iyon din ang nasa isip ko kaya gustong-gusto ko nang maging successful. Alam mo bang kung ano ang motivation ko?”

“Ano?”

“Ikaw,” he answered. “I always remind myself that you’re a princess, and for me to make you my queen, I need to be a king first. I need to earn my keep, to prove myself worthy of you. I want to give you everything I could offer and I want you to stay with me without sacrificing anything.”

“Baby, I will stay no matter what,” I said, feeling really overwhelmed. I reached for him and kissed him on the lips. “I love you.”

We stayed inside the car for a few minutes to make out before we decided to get in the museum.

“Are you happy?” I asked him.

He has been since we got out of the car and I can feel how excited he is to get inside here. And the moment he saw the inside of the museum, he said nothing but “wow”, “ang ganda”, “ang galing", and “look at this, baby.”

Noah nodded as an answer to my question. He was still holding my hand and everytime he sees something that excites him, he squeezes my hand.

“Ang ganda rito, baby,” he told me. He was smiling from ear to ear and his eyes glimmered from all the lights inside the museum.

He is so happy.

“Do you want to take a picture?” I asked him and he nodded instantly. “Tayo ka run,” I told him but he shook his head.

“Tayong dalawa,” he told and hold my hand, tugging me.

“Walang mag pi-picture satin,” I said.

Noah looked behind us and luckily, a couple came and he immediately asked if they could take us a picture in return of taking them a picture, too. They agreed and Noah’s smiling ear to ear when he handed them his phone. I handed mine, too, which they gladly took.

They took us a few pictures and helped us pose better. We did the same for them as well after.

“Look at this one,” I told him, showing him the picture the couple took of us. “They did great here,” I added, amazed at the quality of our pictures.

“Maganda rin yung kuha mo sa kanila. Nakita kong tuwang-tuwa yung babae nung nakita niya,” he said instead.

I smiled and said, “Sana pati sa ibang parts nitong museum makakuha tayo ng magandang pictures.”

“Gusto mo ba sundan natin sila tapos mag papa-picture tayo ulit? Picture-an na lang din ulit natin sila pagkatapos,” he said and I immediately shook my head, chuckling.

“Hindi na. Let’s just think of other ways to take pictures,” I said.

Para naman kasing ang creepy ng suggestion ng isang ‘to. Baka mamaya maisip pa nung dalawa na ini-invade namin ang privacy nila.

We continued roaming around the museum while taking a lot of pictures. Halos lahat ng sulok ay meron kaming pictures; merong solo niya at merong solo ko rin.

“Let’s buy a selfie stick next time,” I said after using my Dior bag as a stand in taking our pictures together. I sat beside Noah on the bench available inside the museum.

Noah immediately put his arm on the bench backrest. "Pagod ka na?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No. You?"

"Hindi rin. Nag e-enjoy pa ako," he answered.

"I'm glad you are. I have been meaning to bring you here for so long, but I couldn't find the time to ask you. We're both always busy," I said.

"For so long?"

"Yeah. I saw a post about this on f*******: last month, and I knew you would love to be here, so I thought of bringing you when we're both free."

"Last month…" he said, nodding.

"Yep," I replied before leaning on him.

Noah kissed the top of my head. "Kilang-kilala mo na talaga ako, no?"

I chuckled and stopped checking our pictures from my phone. I looked up to see his face. "You know me well, too."

"Crush kasi kita kaya tinatandaan ko lahat ng mga sinasabi mo sa akin. At ilang taon na rin tayong magkasama kaya kabisado ko na mga galaw mo," he said.

Noah's eyes were twinkling as he said that. His brown eyes, long lashes, and thick brows look perfect with the museum's lighting.

"I'm interested in you, too, so I take note of everything that interests you," I replied.

"Kaya hindi na tayo pwedeng maghiwalay. Masyado na tayong maraming nalalaman sa isa't-isa," he said and chuckled in my ears.

I pinched his leg. "Why would you say that?"

"Joke lang. Galit ka naman agad," asar niya pa lalo. He even kissed my cheek.

"Don't ever joke about that again. I'll get mad at you," I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Sorry na," he said, still chuckling as he gave my cheek another kiss. "Hindi ko na uulitin."

"Ang kulit mo," I said after pushing myself up to reach for his chin and bite it. "Hindi lang yan ang mapapala mo pag inulit pa yan."